**Step 1:**
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt; stir into the molasses mixture using a wooden spoon. Mix in the fresh and crystallized gingers. Cover, and refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

**Step 2:**
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Shape dough into 1 inch balls, and place about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

**Step 3**
Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

These are a real pain in the butt to make, but they are worth it. The best ginger cookies I have ever eaten.

Triple the Ginger Cookies

Step 1:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook beef shank, oxtail pieces, and ginger in hot oil, turning occasionally, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Add star anise, fennel seed, coriander seed, cloves, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pod to the pot and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Step 2:
Stir water, onion, garlic, white sugar, and bay leaf into beef mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until broth is flavorful and meat is falling off the bone, 5 to 6 hours. Remove meat and reserve. Strain broth into a pot; discard strained spices and vegetables.

Step 3:
Chop beef shank meat and add to broth in pot; stir in fish sauce and soy sauce. Bring broth to a simmer and reduce heat to low to keep warm.

Step 4:
Place rice noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside until noodles are softened, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water.

Step 5:
Place a handful of bean sprouts in the bottom of a large soup bowl. Top with a large handful of prepared rice noodles and drop a few jalapeno slices over noodles. Ladle beef broth into bowl to cover noodles.

This recipe is my attempt at the famous Vietnamese spicy beef noodle soup, Pho. Garnish with thinly sliced raw beef tenderloin, basil, mint, cilantro, chili sambal, and fresh lime wedges.

Spicy Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup

Step 1:
Cook and stir peppercorns in a dry skillet over medium heat until aromatic, 2 to 3 minutes. Grind peppercorns using a mortar and pestle.

Step 2:
Heat peanut oil in a small skillet over medium heat; add garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Mix ground peppercorns and ginger into garlic.

Step 3:
Mix red wine vinegar, soy sauce, green onion, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil into garlic mixture; cook and stir until sauce is heated through, 2 to 4 minutes.

Step 4:
Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add green beans, cover, and steam until tender, about 5 minutes.

Step 5
Toss green beans and sauce together in a bowl; top with sesame seeds.

My take on the long green beans you find in some of the Asian fusion restaurants. If you don't have the Szechuan peppercorns this dish will still taste great, though you may want to add some chili flakes or other spice to give it some pep instead of the peppercorns.

Szechuan Green Beans

Step 1:
Stir together olive oil, garlic, and salt; toss with tomatoes, and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Step 2:
Brush each pizza crust with some of the tomato marinade. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with Mozzarella and Fontina cheeses. Arrange tomatoes overtop, then sprinkle with shredded basil, Parmesan, and feta cheese.

Step 3:
Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

This is a fantastic version of an Italian classic. The feta cheese adds a rich flavor that brings this dish to life. Incredibly easy and incredibly delicious!

Four Cheese Margherita Pizza

Step 1:
Make the marinade for the beef. Combine the soy sauce, sugars, garlic, green onions, sesame seeds in a large bowl; add the sliced beef strips to the marinade, and season with salt and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Step 2:
Bring the rice and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover; simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.

Step 3:
Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C), and place 6 Korean stone bowls in oven. Combine shiitake mushrooms and 1/2 cup hot water in a small bowl, and soak for about 10 minutes, until pliable. Trim off and discard the stems. Thinly slice the caps. Set aside.

Step 4:
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add spinach to the water just long enough to wilt the leaves, and then drain and pat dry. Set aside. Combine cucumber and carrots in a bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 5:
Preheat wok over medium-high heat. Cook carrots and cucumbers in a small amount of sesame oil to soften, stirring frequently. Remove from pan, and set aside. Add a small amount of sesame oil to the pan, and cook spinach in sesame oil for a minute or two. Remove spinach from pan,and set aside. Add the meat strips and marinade to the wok; cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid reduces in volume, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Step 6:
Transfer the stone bowls from the oven to suitable heat resistant surface. Brush each bowl with sesame oil to coat. Divide the rice into the bowls, and gently pack to the bottom (the rice should sizzle as you arrange). Arrange the cucumbers and carrots, bean sprouts, greens, shiitake mushrooms, and beef mixture over each potion of rice. Immediately before serving , add one raw egg yolk to each bowl, drizzle with about a tablespoon of sesame oil, and top with the nori. Serve Kochujang sauce as a condiment.

Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap is Korean for Hot Stone Bowl with rice, vegetables, and meat, and egg.

Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap

Step 1:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat and cook onion until soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, season with salt, and simmer over low heat until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Step 2:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet and cook peeled garlic for 1 minute. Add mussels and cook until they open, about 8 minutes. Transfer mussels to a bowl. Pour in white wine and allow to evaporate. Remove garlic, but save cooking liquid.

Step 3:
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate skillet and cook clams until they open, about 8 minutes. Remove 1/2 of the mussels and 1/2 of the clams from their shells. Discard any unopened shells. Add all mussels and clams, with and without shells, and cooking liquid to the tomato sauce. Season with red pepper flakes and simmer for a few minutes.

Step 4:
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain and add spaghetti to tomato sauce. Mix in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve with Parmesan on the side.

This is a great pasta recipe with mussels. You can use all mussels or half mussels and half clams.

Mussels Pasta

Step 1:
Combine rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and salt. Add the julienned carrot and radish and marinate for 30 minutes. Drain well.

Step 2:
Combine mayonnaise, sriracha, and hoisin. Mix well. Feel free to add more sriracha if you prefer a spicier sandwich.

Step 3:
Mix fish sauce and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Pour this over the pork and toss well.

Step 4:
Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 5:
Split the rolls from the top, being sure not to cut them completely in half. Toast in the oven for 2 minutes, or until just crispy.

Step 6:
To assemble, spread some of the mayonnaise on one side of each bun. Spread the pâté on the other side. Divide the roast pork among the 12 buns. Top with cucumber slices, pickled vegetables, and cilantro.

Our take on a classic Vietnamese street sandwich. The pâté, though optional, is highly recommended to take this sandwich up a notch. 

Pork Bahn Mi Sandwich

Shiitake and Kanpyo
Step 1:
In a bowl (or measuring cup like I use), put 8 dried shiitake mushrooms and pour 1 cup water to cover the mushrooms. Place a smaller bowl on top so that mushrooms will stay submerged. Soak for 15 minutes.

Step 2: 
In a small saucepan, bring water to boil. Quickly rinse the kanpyo in running water and drain. Rub kanpyo with 1 tsp. salt. Rinse and drain well.

Step 3:
When the water is boiling cook kanpyo for 3 minutes. Transfer to iced water to stop cooking process and squeeze water out.

Step 4:
When the shiitake mushrooms are soft and tender, cut off and discard the stem. Strain the shiitake liquid through a fine sieve to get rid of small unwanted bits.

Step 5: 
If the reserved shiitake liquid is not 1 cup, add water till you have 1 cup.

Step 6:
In a medium saucepan, put the kanpyo and sliced mushrooms. Add 1 cup of reserved shiitake liquid into the saucepan.


Step 7:
Add 1 Tbsp. sugar, 1 Tbsp. mirin, and 1 Tbsp. soy sauce to the saucepan.

Step 8:
Bring it to boil and once boiling, lower the heat to medium and cook until most of liquid is gone, about 20-30 minutes.

Step 9:
Cut the shiitake mushrooms to very thin slices and squeeze the water out.

Step 10:
Squeeze the water out from kanpyo and cut into 8 inch (20 cm) length, which is about the same size as nori sheet.

Step 11:
When shiitake and kanpyo have cooled, keep in the fridge till the next day.

Tomagoyaki
Step 1: Make 1 tamagoyaki or dashimaki tamago ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator to save time.

Step 2:
Cut tamagoyaki into long strips store in the fridge till ready to use.

Sushi Rice
First make the sushi rice. Sushi rice is steamed rice that is seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. For 4 sushi rolls, you will need 3 rice cooker cups (1 cup = 180 ml) uncooked rice. Sushi rice should be similar to body temperature when you roll sushi.

Unagi
Unagi are typically already cooked/broiled when you purchase it. All you need to do is reheat in the oven. Set your oven to broil (high – 550F/290C) and preheat for 3 minutes. Line the baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray oil on the aluminum foil and place the unagi on top. Put the baking sheet in the middle rack of your oven and broil for 5-7 minutes (no need to flip). Cut into 4 long strips.

Mitsuba
Step 1:
Tie the stems with cooking twine to keep them from being untied while cooking. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add 1 tsp. salt and blanch mitsuba or spinach just enough to tender. Do not overcook.

Step 2:
Soak the blanched mitsuba in iced water and squeeze the water out. Set aside.

Cucumber
Cut off the end and cut into quarter length-wise and remove the seeds. Set aside.

Build the Futomaki
Step 1:
Gather all the ingredients.  Prepare Tezu (vinegar water for dipping hands) by combining ¼ cup water and 2 tsp. rice vinegar.

Step 2:
Place the bamboo mat on the working surface or cutting board and place a sheet of nori on the bamboo mat, shiny side down. Divide sushi rice into quarters. Dip your fingers in Tezu, and put ¼ of sushi rice on nori and spread evenly with your fingers. Make sure to wet your fingers with Tezu when you do this. Spread the rice evenly; otherwise your sushi roll won’t look even when rolled.

Step 3:
Leaving about a ½ inch (1.5 cm) strip along the top of nori farthest away from you. You don’t put the rice till the end because after you roll, the white rice could come out from the seam and it won’t look pretty.

Step 4:
Place the cucumber toward the bottom of nori. Front ingredients will need to go over the other ingredients. Therefore I recommend putting easy-to-hold ingredients toward the front, and put Sakura Denbu and Shiitake toward the top so the pieces won’t fall down when you roll.

Step 5:
From the bottom end (of sushi rice), start rolling nori sheet over the filling tightly and firmly with bamboo mat until the bottom end reaches the end of sushi rice on top. Use your fingers to hold the ingredients when you roll.

Step 6:
Hold the top of bamboo mat with one hand and hold the rolled bamboo mat with the other hand and pull against each other to tighten the roll. Lift the bamboo mat and continue to roll. Place the bamboo mat over the roll and tightly squeeze. Continue to make the rest of the rolls.

Step 7:
Using a very sharp knife, cut the Futomaki in half first. Every slice or every other slice, wipe the knife with wet kitchen cloth so that you can cut nicely.

Step 8: 
Then cut each half into 3 pieces.






Futomaki is a delicious sushi roll that is filled with vegetables and sometimes has cooked fish.

Futomaki Sushi Rolls

Step 1:
Beat eggs, oil, and milk together, and add to flour. Stir until combined.

Step 2:
Heat a greased griddle until drops of water sprinkled on it evaporate noisily. Pour 1/8 to 1/4 cup batter onto the griddle. Turn over with a metal spatula when bubbles begin to form on top. Cook second side to a golden brown color.

This is a quick and easy recipe for pancakes using self-rising flour.

Pancakes

Step 1:
Heat stock, salt, pumpkin, onion, thyme, garlic, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.

Step 2:
Puree the soup in small batches (1 cup at a time) using a food processor or blender.

Step 3:
Return to pan, and bring to a boil again. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for another 30 minutes, uncovered. Stir in heavy cream. Pour into soup bowls and garnish with fresh parsley.

This is a delicious soup that we serve at our family's Thanksgiving each year.

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