Author: YINANDYOLK

  • Cantonese Poached Chicken

    Cantonese Poached Chicken

    There are few dishes that bring me back to my earliest memories of eating – almost all of them involved rice and some kind of soup. Growing up, my little brother and I had rice every night with our main dishes and there was almost always soup. My mom made soup every night – she believed soup is the cure and culinary medicine for any ache or fever. And you know what? I think she was right.

    Raw Chicken Legs

    Mise

    Aside from my short stature (I’m 5’3″), I can’t complain too much about my health. I have my mother’s cooking to thank for that – her dishes are uncomplicated, wholesome, and always delicious. That lady knew what she was doing and she certainly won my little heart over whenever she made this simple poached chicken. (more…)

  • One Pot Veggie Pasta

    one pot veggie pasta

    ’Tis the season for comfort food!

    cheesy one pot pasta

    But you knew that already. I mean, that’s why you’ve been whipping up apple-stuffed waffles every Sunday morning, and baking up gooey toffee cookies any time you get a hankering for a midnight snack, right?

    Good. That’s what I thought. (more…)

  • Matcha Chocolate Mousse

    Serving 1

    I’m just gonna say it. Don’t judge me, but I do not like Halloween. Actually, it might be my least favorite holiday. Wait, is Halloween even a holiday? In my defense, I scare really easily (ask Leili) and I have zero enthusiasm for dressing up in a costume. My idea of dressing up is wearing dark colors and making up my face. This lifestyle is encouraged by my sweatpants and YouTube makeup videos.

    Matcha Mousse 1

    Spoonful 1

    (more…)

  • Top 7 Tips for the Amateur Baker

    pancake mise

    Hey guys, Leili here!

    This week we’re trying something new. I’d like to say it’s because we’re brave and imaginative, but really it’s because I tested a recipe I was really excited to share with you guys, but it failed. Miserably. So instead of posting that recipe, today I’m sharing some of the tips I’ve found most useful as a baker.

    I’ve been baking on my own for almost a decade, and I’ve messed up enough to have learned a few things along the way. Then I started working at a bakery and learned a few more things, and now I know at least 7 things! So here they are, for all you crazy baking-fiends out there that are just like me.

    cupcake mise

    1. Mise en Place

    Meaning “to set everything in place”, this is the golden rule for both baking and cooking. Any time you’re working in the kitchen, it’s always best to have all your ingredients prepped and measured out so that not only do you know that you have everything you’ll need, but so that the actual act of cooking or baking will be as easy as it looks on your favorite cooking show. It’s not only about the ingredients though – a big part of mise en place is reading over the recipe so you know what to expect in terms of time, space, and equipment. Basically, prepare yo’self. It’s what makes daunting baking tasks manageable, and it’s a rule to live by.

    (more…)

  • Loaded Grilled Cheese Egg In A Hole

    First YolkGuys, I am not a morning person – whenever a peppy person goes on and on about how amazing it is to start their day early, I usually gape at said person for about two minutes. While I totally respect anyone who can rise with the sun and face the day enthusiastically, I also hate them a little. I am a child of the night – my brain has no function before 11AM. Even my mother says I would switch day and night when I was an infant. Sorry Mom.

    Eating

    There is nothing sweeter than snuggling up with a couple pillows under layers of blankets and not waking up to an alarm. Alarms are stupid anyway – they literally ruin everyone’s dreams. Abandoning my warm bed is the last thing I want to do in autumn. But we all have to break our own hearts a little and try to be responsible human beings. However, that doesn’t mean our tastebuds have to be boring. (more…)

  • Boston Public Market

    Crowd

    Welcome to Boston’s new foodie paradise, Boston Public Market.

    The permanent, year-round Market opened in July of 2015 with almost 40 different local vendors, making it the go-to place to satisfy any and all of your cravings. With everything from ice cream to pasta to fresh seafood, this is one place where you really can have it all.

    Sandwich Making

    One step into the Market and we were overwhelmed.

    The smell of warm cider doughnuts accosted us as we walked in, followed by the bright colors of familiar farm stands. But what really gave this place its vibrancy was the massive hungry crowd buzzing around the market; the heartbeat of the beast.

    Cresent Ridge

    After collecting ourselves from this sensory overload, we jumped right in. (more…)

  • Chocolate Orange Challah Bread

    chocolate orange challah

    I apologize, friends.

    zest and chocolateBecause I know you. I know that the knowledge that this challah bread exists will now eat away at you until you get the chance to make it for yourself. (Or at least until you can bribe your roommate/spouse/pet to make it for you so you can shove some in your face.) I know that one look at it already has you itching to get into your kitchen, and scanning the ingredients to see if you could get started on it right away, before any of the day’s other demands can be faced.

    challah dough challah dough1challah dough2 (more…)

  • Pan Seared Salmon

    Seared Salmon

    Have you guys seen the movie Her? If not, then allow me to give you a brief breakdown. In a not too distant future, a man falls in love with his phone’s female operating system. I’m not capturing what the movie is really about in that previous sentence, but please watch the film. It’s funny, heartwarming, uplifting, heartbreaking, and hopeful. Her stays with you long after the credits are done rolling; this movie hits hard for Leili and me.

    Salmon and Asparagus
    For those of you who have seen it, you may remember the beach scene with the armpit anatomy bit. Shortly after that funny break comes a beautiful piece of music that the girl (computer) writes for the boy (human) about their day at the beach. That piano piece is equally sweet and sentimental as it is sad.

    Salmon Filet (more…)

  • Blackbird Doughnuts

    Blackbird

    We met each other in the South End while working at Flour Bakery + Cafe, so this neighborhood is like a second home to us. Our budding friendship grew as we braved blizzards together while walking to the train in mid-December, or as we threw together impromptu post-work picnics in Blackstone Square park in mid-July. We love the South End, so of course we get excited when new shops and restaurants pop up in the area (just as we’re sad to see the old ones go.)

    Blackbird Leili

    Blackbird Doughnuts opened less than a year ago in Boston’s South End as a little sister to the Gallows (which happens to be one of our favorite places in the city to grab a drink, and indulge in a little poutine!). It all started with the Gallows serving a few select flavors of doughnuts for brunch on the weekends, until Blackbird spread its wings into its own location just a few short blocks away. Now, with extended hours and new additions to the menu, we’re thrilled to add Blackbird to our list of places we love. (more…)

  • Chicken Congee with Bok Choy

    Congee

    Perhaps it’s my restless desire for change, or my anxiety from the undeniably longer nights that indicate even longer nights are coming to overshadow our daylight, but my appetite has been zapped lately. I don’t feel like myself when I can’t finish my food and I become disappointed in my tummy’s lack of desire for a real meal. Am I alone here?

    Ingredients

    Like an old woman aging gracefully, I crave softer foods that are totally neutral when digesting. Did I say too much? If you follow what I’m trying to say, then you understand how miserable this war with food can be. Running this blog can become difficult when you suddenly become underwhelmed by ingredients and cooking. (more…)