clear ice cube in a glass, next to chiseling tools

How to Make Crystal Clear Ice Cubes & Balls

I first saw these clear ice cubes at fancy cocktail bars, and some where they are even chiseling them on the spot from cubes into balls and was WOWED. I had to figure out how to make these at home and thankfully, it is super easy to make clear ice cubes or clear ice balls/spheres at home. In this article,

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making fettuccine nests

Homemade Pasta Dough Recipe (Fresh Egg Pasta)

I was very surprised to find out how easy it was to make homemade pasta dough, and also shocked about how fresh it tasted. There’s still times when you want the hardier, al dente texture of the boxed pastas. Fresh pasta isn’t objectively better than boxed, but it is amazing and a must try if you haven’t already. My girlfriend and

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che bap pot with heated coconut creme

Chè Bắp Recipe (Vietnamese Corn Pudding Dessert)

99% sure I get it from my mom, but I’m a control freak. A huge benefit I like with home cooking is control. You can control everything: the process, timing, ingredient proportions, quality of ingredients, cleanliness. Everything. I love eating out at restaurants, but control over all the little details pulls me back into cooking at home, just like with

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brewed Aeropress coffee

How to Use an Aeropress [Coffee Brewing Instructions]

For the mornings when I don’t want to wait for my espresso machine to heat up, or to bother having to concentrate on my pour over technique, Aeropress wins. It brews coffee fast, it tastes great, and there’s less risk of shattering brewing tools. For those reasons, this is the tool I always bring camping, brewing for all my camp

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buttery, super garlicky garlic noodles

Asian Garlic Noodles Recipe (Buttery & Garlicky!)

This easy garlic noodles recipe is super rich and buttery, and is a punch in the mouth of garlic and onion. We use wonton noodles here so it’s got an asian garlic noodle vibe, but it’s great with just about any kind of noodle or pasta. Each year my family and some friends gets together for an event called ‘crab

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bowl of wonton soup with bok choy

Wonton Soup Recipe (Quick & Easy!)

This wonton soup recipe is super simple to make at home and despite its simplicity, it is thoroughly satisfying as a complete meal. We’ll use a pork-based filling and chicken broth as a base for the soup broth. If you have some roommates to help wrap these wontons, you’ll have dinner ready in no time! These last for a few days

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releasing espresso steam wand

How to Make Espresso

Espresso was a new frontier for me, as someone who regularly made pour over coffee for more years than I can remember.  Some friends were knee-deep in coffee education as they were starting up a coffee shop. I saw all the geeky gear, science, and technique–I was instantly hooked. Before that it was me sippin’ occasional shots of espresso that

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side by side of ground coffee and water

How to Make Pour Over Coffee

Pour over coffee was my only method of brewing twice daily for a span of 3-4 years at one point. It is pretty easy to learn, very enjoyable and relaxing to do first thing in the morning. Making pour over coffee can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. I chose the more complicated way because

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tamari vs soy sauce vs coconut aminos

Tamari vs. Soy Sauce (& Coconut Aminos?)

Soy sauce is a celebrated cooking staple that was borne out of Eastern Asia. Over the years, soy sauce has spread to every country on the planet and some of these countries have even developed their own tasty alternatives. I am going to explain two such alternative options: tamari and coconut aminos. If you are unfamiliar with those two sauces,

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cut cubes of silken, soft tofu

What Is Tofu?

You may have heard of tofu in such dishes as mapo tofu of China, soon tofu of Korea, agedashi tofu of Japan, or dau sot ca chua (or the meat-filled version) of Vietnam. Tofu has made its way through Asia and down to southeast Asia eventually becoming important culinary staple throughout. In its many forms–silken, firm, tofu skin–cooked in many

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soy sauce bottles

What is Soy Sauce?

Soy sauce is made from fermented soybeans and is considered to be a staple condiment in kitchens throughout the world. Nominally associated with Asian food, I’ve found that soy sauce can make a delicious addition to a wide array of dishes. Known for being brown and salty, this briny and fermented sauce first originated in China more than 1,000 years

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a fully cooked and unwrapped banh gio

Bánh Giò Recipe (Vietnamese Rice & Pork “Dumplings”)

Bánh giò is a originally a steamed street snack from Northern Vietnam. It’s a small, savory snack great any time of the day, made with a rice flour outer layer, ground pork, mushroom and onion filling and all with a special aroma from a banana leaf wrapper. I learned this recipe and technique from my Mom many years ago. Many

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