Mai Tais & Thoughts on Turning 30

I turn 30 tomorrow. It feels funny to say this. For the past month or so, I've been trying to shrug it off whenever someone mentions what a milestone birthday it's going to be. "Oh, um, it's just a number..." I say. "I'm sure it's not going to feel much different than 29." And it's partly true. I'm pretty certain I'm not going to wake up tomorrow with a head of gray hair, 25 extra pounds, and a sudden urge to shake my fist at all the young'uns playing music loudly in my neighborhood.

But I'm actually kind of excited to be exiting my 20s. Sure, there's always that feeling of "well, there goes another year...", compounded with "well, there goes another decade" for this particular birthday. But the later part of my 20s were pretty challenging, particularly the last year, and I'm happy to have moved beyond that.

I have quite a bit to be excited for. My book comes out this December. I have a new blog I'm eager to work more on. I'm collaborating with good friends on an exciting food-related venture. I have a brand new passport with blank pages just waiting to be stamped, as well as two old passports with reminders of all the places I've been.

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BlogDiana KuanCocktails, Drinks Comments
Orange Beef and Broccoli Stir-fry

It's tempting to make only salads for lunch and dinner during the summer. When the temperatures are so high that the mere thought of turning on the stove makes you break out into a sweat, salads just sound so darn easy. Wash some salad greens, toss in some nuts and olives and cheese, whisk together some vinaigrette, and you're good to go. Add some bread and cold cuts to the side and you've got a complete meal.

Of course, there's that monotony thing. As much as I like routine, it's hard to go months or even weeks eating the same things at home. So that's why I also have a list of quick stir-fry dishes in my summer cooking arsenal too. All these main dishes require minimal prep time and less than 10 minutes in front of the stove. 

And what are some of these dishes? Shellfish, which takes mere minutes to cook, is always a winner. One of the easiest and fastest dishes I like to make is Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce, which takes about 5 minutes. If you're not into spicy dishes, there's also Sake-Steamed Clams and Shrimp Lo Mein. In the chicken category there's Kung Pao Chicken, Almond Chicken, and Vinegar-Glazed Chicken.

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Blog, RecipesDiana KuanBeef, Chinese, Recipes Comments
Zucchini Noodles with Pan-fried Tofu

I'm going to come clean about a recent addiction.

Don't worry, it's not drugs or smoking or cheap vodka. But my doctor still might not approve. You see, a few months ago I discovered my local co-op got fresh almond croissants delivered everyday from Cannelle Patisserie, easily one of the best pastry shops in New York. They are big and filled with almond paste and flakey in the best way possible. I can't get enough of them.

On a good week, I'd get one or two for breakfast and be done with it. During weaker periods, I'd succomb to three or four in a week. Self control, at least when it comes to croissants, is not my strongest quality.

In an effort to prevent my diet from being way too carb-heavy, I've been experimenting with some healthy lunches that aren't rice- or noodle-based. Or rather, wheat-noodle-based. I still like the thought of having noodles, so why not just make them out of vegetables instead?

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RecipesDiana KuanHealthy, Noodles, Recipes, Tofu, Vegetarian, Zucchini, Gluten-Free, Vegan, vegetarian Comments
Asparagus and Radishes with Sesame-Miso Dressing

After seeing most of May in cooler temperatures and sporadic downpours, it feels like New York has been suddenly thrown into the middle of summer. It's been in the high 80s and low 90s for the past few days, and even hotter in my apartment. I'm refilling the ice cube trays about 5 times a day. I fantasize about seeing some blockbuster in the theater just to spend 2 hours in a cool room. I'm trying to hold off on turning on the AC for as long as possible, but it's likely my resolve will break soon.

A few days ago I had bought a bunch of asparagus and radishes, fully intent on roasting them for a nice spring side dish. But it was way too hot to turn on the oven. Instead, I decided to do something similar to a Japanese dish of blanched green beans with sesame-miso dressing.  The asparagus was easy enough, since you just blanch it for 2 minutes or less. As for the radishes, I'm used to eating them raw, but sautéing them on the stove with butter for a mere 5 minutes gives them a nice tenderness without being overly softened.

For the dressing, I just mixed some red miso paste with mirin and sugar and heated the dressing up just until thickened. (You can also use sake and add about 1/2 teaspoon more sugar to match for the sweetness in the mirin.) The total time in front of the stove was about 10 minutes. So if it's already super hot where you live, and you're still trying to hold on to spring and want a new way to cook asparagus and radishes, try out this recipe and let me know how it goes!

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Blog, RecipesDiana KuanAsparagus, Healthy, Recipes, Vegetarian Comments
Steamed Mussels with Ginger and Shallots

I've been on quite a shellfish kick lately. In the span of a month, I've eaten mussels and clams almost every time I've had dinner out, from French-style mussels steamed in white wine at a local hangout to Chinese clams with black bean sauce at dim sum. Maybe it's because of spring and warmer temps, but restaurants have been putting up seafood specials left and right, and I happily indulge.

Fortunately, living near two good seafood markets means I can decide on whim to have mussels and clams for dinner and just walk down the street to pick them up. A couple of days ago, I decided to do an easy meal of mussels with ginger and shallots, steamed with Chinese rice wine.

Sometimes I cook mussels with Chinese black beans and chili paste, but this time I opted for forgo heavier flavorings in favor of a lighter dish. Chinese rice wine, much like a dry white wine in preparing moules marinière, compliments and shows off the sweet brininess of the fresh mussels. And once you debeard the mussels, the actual cooking time is super quick.

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RecipesDiana KuanChinese, Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free Adaptable, Healthy, Mussels, Recipes, Seafood Comments
Thanh Da in Sunset Park

In the year and a half I had been working on my cookbook, I ate out much less than usual. Recipe-testing during the day meant that I always had leftovers for dinner, which piled up in the fridge, and I didn't like food going to waste. When I did eat out, it was usually for big events like friends' birthdays or just grabbing a bite in the neighborhood. This meant that for quite a while, I contributed much less to conversations about new restaurants, chefs, and talked-about dishes than a person in the food biz ought to.

As much as I love cooking at home, dining out has a big appeal. Being inspired by new dishes and new flavors is the biggest reason. I've had fabulous meals recently at Talde in Park Slope and Lotus Blue in Tribeca (opened by my friend Kian of Red Cook); the restaurants both had creative modern takes on Asian cooking and proved you don't have to rely on traditional recipes to serve up great Filipino, Chinese, and other Asian food.

The second biggest draw of dining out for me is nostalgia, for foods I've eaten while traveling abroad. Last night I went to the opening of Pok Pok NY, the New York branch of the popular Portland restaurant, and upon sitting down was immediately reminded of being in a night market in Thailand. Likewise, I was happy to eat lunch at Thanh Da in Sunset Park last weekend because it had been a while since I had a really good Vietnamese meal. (For some reason, good Vietnamese and Mexican food is very had to find in NY.)

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BlogDiana KuanBrooklyn, Restaurants Comment