Mu Shu Pork is a Chinese vegetables and pork stir-fry that is wrapped in a Mandarin crepe with hoisin sauce. It’s what I would call a Chinese burrito. This “home-style” version was taught to me by my Chinese girlfriend, who is a fabulous mother, professional and cook! She simplified this tedious traditional recipe rather drastically, …
photo by jez atkinson What I love about the New Year is that it always brings new energy and hope. Although in reality there is no beginning or end to our daily lives, it gives us all a chance to embrace change and set new challenges. The Universe never stays the same. Things are always …
I just wanted to share with you what I think is the most beautiful fruit in the world: the dragon fruit! It is found in southeast Asian countries and China. The first time I came across this exotic dragon fruit was in Japan when my father received it as a gift. The vivid shocking pink …
The past few days I have been staring at my monitor for way too long! This causes my eyes to feel very heavy and tired and I begin to squint. So, I decided to ask my master if he had any advice or exercises he could teach me. Master Hsu is like a …
In Asian cooking we use many different types of clear noodles. In English, if one hears vermicelli you automatically think of Italian pasta, but in Asia there are two types of common vermicelli used in cooking. One is a made out of rice and the other is made from mung beans. In Japan, the rice …
Recently, there has been a surge in the number of people who are gluten intolerant. In fact, my sister-in-law’s husband became allergic to gluten a few years ago. While having dinner one night, he had a sudden allergic reaction and had to be rushed to the hospital. At the time they were completely baffled and …
Normally, I really enjoy cooking but once in a while when I have too much going on in other areas of my life, it really starts to take a back seat and I don’t give enough time to prepare and think about our meals. When you have many mouths to feed, this isn’t the best …
A year and a half ago, a son of ours was going through “senioritis”. That’s the term used by the teachers at our school to describe the attitude of seniors in high school when they lose interest in studying. This usually happens once they are accepted to college or when they feel they have the …
Last week during qi gong class, Dr. Wang, an acupuncturist and herbalist, gave a discussion on eyes. Over the last five years or so, there has been a noticeable deterioration of my eyesight. This is probably due to age, as well as the more frequent use of staring at a monitor. Our lifestyles today have …
The earthquake in Japan has made me realize what my feng shui master keeps reiterating: man cannot control nature, instead we must learn to work with nature. Also, it has become evident how we are so reliant on electrical power and oil. Our lifestyles take so much for granted, that it’s really a wake up …
A cup of tea. A cup of tea is a good companion when you are alone and when you are with company. My Master, Shan-Tung Hsu, has just published another book, The Essence of Tea. Yes, it’s a tea book not a feng shui book. You may wonder what a feng shui master has to …
Do you or anyone you know, suffer from pain or have health issues? Don’t we all? Yes, we are all concerned with our health because we know that better health means better life. In feng shui, my master, Shan-Tung Hsu, always teaches us about qi energy in all things and how balancing the yin-yang will …
Savory mochi, or rice cake, in Japan is limited to crispy rice snacks such as arare or osembei, or can be enjoyed in soup or simply broiled/fried with soy sauce, as in my isobeyaki recipe I posted here a few weeks ago. However, my Chinese girlfriend taught me a completely new dish that uses the …
Many of my friends have been talking about the article Chinese Moms are Superior by Amy Chua in the WSJ If you haven’t read it, please click here. Are they really superior and if so, how and why? As a Japanese mom, I was curious to know how we differ from Chinese Moms in …
Thoughts on “Chinese Moms are Superior”, the Dragon Mom Read More »
It is the gift giving holiday season! In Asia it is customary to give money during the New Year season and other festive occasions. In China, money is often placed in a red envelope, as the color red is considered an auspicious color. In Japan, money envelopes were often white with red cord, but today …
Sometimes we need comfort food. For me, this is so simple yet satisfying to eat over a bowl of rice. Stewed pork in shoyu can be considered either Japanese or Chinese, but who cares if it just tastes good! Right? The ingredients are easy to get anywhere because there is nothing fancy in it. If …
