There’s a great scene in “Midnight Run” – one of the most underrated movie comedies – where the character Jonathan Mardukas, played by a hilariously deadpan Charles Grodin, interrogates a local bar owner. Here’s the exchange: Jonathan Mardukas: What’s the name of this establishment? Red: … Read More →
Ma po tofu translates from Chinese to “pockmarked grandmother’s tofu.” Doesn’t sound terribly appealing, and I doubt the poor old lady it was named after took that as a compliment. Put the name aside though, and it’s a delicious dish: soft tofu in a spicy … Read More →
Today is my mother’s birthday, so this post is for her. Among her many cooking specialties are egg rolls, which she makes every Christmas and on other special occasions. In college, she would sometimes send me back to school with a few egg rolls after … Read More →
Hot and sour soup sounds so deceptively simple. Hot. Sour. How difficult can that be? Well, plenty, at least for this home cook. In the past when I’ve made the soup, it’s turned out, ehh. A few problems emerged: the delicate balance of hot and sour … Read More →
The Washington D.C. Chinatown Experience
I spent most of last week in our nation’s capital, where the local residents had pained expressions plastered onto their faces due to the frigid temps. I don’t think they’re used to this weather like us folks from the Northeast. A busy schedule put a … Read More →