Auntie Hong’s Flan

Ingredients:

For custard:

8 egg yolks

4 whole eggs

4 cups of whole milk (not reduced fat)

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup of sugar

For caramel:

6 Tbsp water

1 cup of sugar, for caramel

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 340F (320F and longer recommended with our oven)
2. In a sauce pan, heat the milk, sugar and vanilla extract until the sugar is dissolved. Do NOT bring the mixture to a boil. 
3. Whisk eggs in a bowl. 
4. Slowly pour the heated milk mixture into the egg bowl while slowly mixing/whisking. The milk should be warm (not hot) so as not to cook the eggs. 
5. In a sauce pan, combine water and sugar to make the caramel.  Heat on medium/high heat. DO NOT STIR otherwise sugars will crystallize and clump. 
6. When the sugar mixture becomes caramel, quickly pour into baking dish or ramekins to line the bottom. 
7. Pour custard mixture into baking dish or ramekins. Pour into a strainer to remove lumps if you like to ensure a very smooth flan. 
8. Place baking dish or ramekins into a water bath. 
9. Bake 40 mins for ramekins 55 mins for larger baking dish until toothpick comes out clean.  

Tips:

*Cut recipe in half and bake for a shorter time yields 6 ramekins. 

*Dont mix too hard. This adds air bubbles and causes a Swiss cheese technique. 

2025 New Zucchini Mushroom Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchinis, cut into 1/2 inch half circles
• 2 cups of baby bella, sliced
• 1/2 cup of chopped celery
• 1/2 cup of chopped onion
• 1/2 cup of chopped carrot 
• 1 can of unsalted cream of mushroom
• 1 stick of butter
• Stovetop stuffing
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 
2. Boil zucchini until tender, 5 minutes. 
3. Mix cooked zucchini with cream of mushroom and set aside. 
4. Heat up a little bit of olive oil to a pan and sautéed onions, celery and carrots on medium heat until soft. 
5. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. 
6. Add butter and cook until melted. 
7. Add box of stovetop stuffing and stir to combine. 
8. In a 8x8 pan, layer half stuffing mixture at the bottom, then spread zucchini in the middle, and top with remaining stuffing mixture. 
9. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. 

T’s Pate So

 Ingredients:

1 lbs. pork shoulder

1 medium shallot, minced

1 cup chopped onions

1 tsp chicken boullion

2 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tsp light brown sugar

2 tsp oyster sauce (I like Lee Kum Kee's sold at Costco)

1 tsp corn starch

2 tbs unsalted sweet cream butter plus extra to coat parchment paper before placing pastries on for baking

15 grams leverpastei (used Unox)

2 medium carrots; julienned

1/2 cup of rehydrated woodear mushroom; coarsely minced

1/8 cup chives; minced

4 each 10" x 15" sheets all butter puff pastry

14 quail eggs; beaten

a. Thaw puff pastry sheet for 2-3 hours or per packging instructions

b.Grind pork shoulder in food processor

c.  Add chicken boullion, light brown sugar, pepper, oyster sauce corn starch and unsalted sweet cream.  Mix to incorporated well.

d. Brown shallots and onions over medium heat. 

d. Add woodear mushrooms, carrots, chives, shallots,o nions and leverpastei to meat mixture. Mix to incorporated well.

e. Pre-heat oven to 350F.

f. Cut each thawed puff pastry sheet to 24 squares = 12 pastries per sheet...because I like smaller size pastries, bigger if you like larger pastries)

g. Using a disher or portion scoop place small meat ball in center of puff pastry square. Then top with second pastry square.

h. Using a fork crimp pastry square completely around meatball.

i. Beat quail eggs and brush egg wash over each patry

j. Bake at 30 min. at 350F.

k. Cool slightly to serve warm

YJ’s Mochi Cakes

Ingredients

• 1 pound mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 3 cups whole milk (1 can of coconut milk and the rest milk to reach 3 cups)
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

Directions

1. Gather ingredients. Preheat the oven to  350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and milk. In a separate larger bowl, stir together the rice flour, sugar, and baking powder.
   
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir to blend. (The more you mixed the more air you put into the batter making it lighter and fluffier - it’s all personal preference). Mix in melted butter and coconut. Pour into the prepared cupcake pan.
   
4. Bake for 45-50 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool completely, then cut into squares to serve.
   

Brooke's Matcha Cookies

Brooke is almost famous in the neighborhood for these cookies. Make sure we use 100% matcha powder, ceremonial or culinary grade for a strong match taste and green color. The key to her cookies is weighing out the ingredients instead of using cups - especially the flour. There is no need to chill this dough before baking but if it's too sticky it won't hurt to chill for 30 minutes before scooping. 

INGREDIENTS

• 180 g all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon matcha powder, ceremonial grade or high-quality culinary grade
• 1 tablespoon milk powder, optional
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 115 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 150 g granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100 g white chocolate, roughly chopped, plus a handful extra for topping
• flakey salt, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Mix dry ingredients - in a small bowl, combine flour, matcha powder, milk powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl (stand mixer bowl if using a stand mixer), cream butter and sugar. Mix until very creamy and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add in eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
5. Add dry ingredients to wet - Mix briefly until just combined with some flour patches left.
6. Fold in white chocolate chips with a silicone spatula - do NOT overmix.
7. Using a 2-tbsp scooper, scoop out balls of cookie dough and place them on your baking sheet, leave 2 inches in between for spreading.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set but the middle is still soft and puffy. In the last 2 minutes of baking, press a few extra white chocolate chunks on top of each cookie (optional)
9. Let the cookies cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. At this point, you can sprinkle some flakey salt to add a delightful saltiness to the cookies.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Chewy chocolate chip (or chunk) cookies with a crispy, delicious edge. Melted butter recipe so no chill time is required. 

Made these for the neighbor friends and they love them.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/3 (170g) cup of flour 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted & cooled
• 1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 cup (70g) granulated white sugar 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 large egg, room temperature 
• 1 1/2 cup (250g) semisweet chocolate chip or chunks 
• (optional) replace 75g of chocolate chips with chopped walnuts 
• flakey salt, to finish 

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheets with parchment paper. 
2. Melt butter and set aside to cool. 
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 
4. In a large bowl (stand mixer bowl if using a stand mixer) cream together butter, and both sugars. It's important that the butter is not hot - warm is ok. Whisk vigorously until it turns into a paste-like consistency. 
5. Whisk in egg and vanilla until smooth. 
6. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and fold until there's still some streaks of flour left. Fold in chocolate chips/chunks (and optional walnuts if using) until just combined. 
7. Use a 2 tablespoon scooper and scoop onto prepared baking sheets. 6 scoops is good as they spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes. 
8. Cookies are ready when edges are golden but middle is still soft and puffed up. 
9. Immediately after taking the cookies out, use a fork or large round cookie cutter to reshape. Sprinkle sea salt. 
10. Let cookies continue to cook for 3-5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before packaging if giving cookies away. 

(In the photo I am using Guittard super chocolate chips. They taste good but look funny. I might prefer their semi-sweet. Trader Joe's semi sweet chocolate chips are good too.)

Notes: we used our smallest scooper and was able to get 22 3 inch cookies from 1 batch. 

Mac Salad - Top Chef Seldon Simeon Recipe

Serves 4 to 6 people 

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounces macaroni
• 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• Shredded iceberg lettuce, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the macaroni a minute or two longer than the package directions, until very tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Place in the refrigerator to cool and further drain for a minimum of 2 hours.
2. In the same pot, combine the potatoes and fresh water to cover by 1 inch. Salt it well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain well.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, mayonnaise, garlic salt, pepper, and carrots. Fold in the potatoes and chilled macaroni. Refrigerate until ready to eat. 
4. Serving on a bed of shredded lettuce with a sprinkle of black pepper.

Spam Musubi - Top Chef Sheldon Simeon Recipe

Taken from Cook Real Hawai'i by Sheldon Simeon

TECHNIQUE TIPS: There are many differing techniques for preparing and wrapping Spam musubi. Without getting too technical up top, here are a few of my basic guidelines:

1. Cut your Spam thick so you can taste it (I prefer the reduced-sodium kind for its balanced taste).

2. Sear then glaze the Spam with shoyu and sugar before wrapping.

3. Make sure your rice is warm and your nori sheets are bone-dry (and a musubi mold makes this easy, but you can use a Spam can).

Musubi maker molds, which are rectangular plastic boxes open on the top and bottom, are available for a few bucks online. If you don't have one, you can use the empty Spam can as a mold: Shape the rice into a block inside the can by firmly pressing it down with your fingers, then shake it from the can. Place the packed block of rice perpendicular to the nori strip and carefully wrap with the nori as directed.

INGREDIENTS:

• natural oil, for the skillet
• 1 (12-ounce) can 25% lesson sodium Spam, cut into 6 slices (I personally like to cut into 8)
• 1/4 cup shoyu (soy sauce)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 sheets sushi nori
• 4 cups cooked short-grain white rice, warm
• 2 teaspoons furikake (optional)

PREPARATION:

1. Lightly coat the bottom of a skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Fry the Spam slices until browned and crispy, 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and set aside on paper towels to drain.
2. Wipe out any excess oil from the pan. Add the shoyu, sugar and mirin, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, return the cooked Spam slices to the pan and turn them to coat. Cook until a sticky glaze starts to form, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let the Spam sit in the glaze until ready to use.
3. Toast the nori sheets by carefully waving them over a stove burner on low (this is easiest with gas; use tongs if needed) for 10-20 seconds until crisp and crackly, then cut each sheet into thirds lengthwise (you can also toast them briefly in a hot oven, a minute or two, just until crisp).
4. Prepare a bowl of warm water.
5. Lay a strip of nori on a clean surface. Moisten the lower half of the inside of a musubi mold and place the mold perpendicular to the nori strip on the bottom third of the strip. Fill the mold with about 1/2 cup rice and press down very firmly and evenly until the rice is packed 3/4 inch high. Sprinkle the rice with furikake (if using). Top with a slice of Spam, making sure a little of the glaze carries over from the pan onto the rice.
6. Pull off the mold and wrap the musubi tightly in the nori strip by rolling it away from you as you would a sushi roll. Seal the edge of the nori with a dab of warm water if necessary (the moisture in the warm rice should do most of the work). Wipe off the mold with warm water and repeat with the remaining Spam and rice. Serve immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and save for later.

Soy-glazed Spam Musubi

The kids favorite snack (meal by how many they can eat at a time) but it's always so expensive to buy at their favorite Hawaiian restaurant. When I'm not lazy, I like to make this version for them and we do it in bulk - the recipe doubles easy and I actually put less rice in each musubi for them.

SOURCE: From Alana Kysar’s Aloha Kitchen Cookbook
Makes 8 musubi

• 2 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon mirin
• 1 to 2 teaspoons neutral oil (we just used extra virgin olive oil)
• One 12-ounce can Spam Less Sodium, cut horizontally into 8 slices (clean the can and set aside for use in this recipe if you don’t have a musubi mold!)
• 3 sheets roasted sushi nori, cut into thirds crosswise
• 2 teaspoons furikake
• 5-6 cups cooked short-grain rice (we used sushi rice)

Directions:

1. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, and mirin. Set aside.
2. Lightly coat the bottom of a large skillet with the oil and heat over medium heat until sizzling. Fry Spam slices until evenly browned and crispy, 2 to 3 minutes each side, bringing the heat to low for the last minute of cooking, then turn off the heat.
3. Pour soy mixture into skillet and turn Spam slices to evenly coat them. The mixture is going to cook down quickly, so don’t leave them unattended! Transfer immediately to a plate.
4. Place a strip of nori rough side up on a cutting board or clean work surface. Line the cleaned, empty Spam can with plastic wrap and press one slice of Spam all the way down to the bottom of the can.
5. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon furikake over the Spam slice. Take 1/2 cup (loosely packed) cooked sushi rice and pack it into the can as well, pressing with your fingers until the rice is evenly, firmly patted down and flat.
6. Pull the stack of rice and sliced Spam out of the can by pulling out the plastic wrap, then place the stack Spam-side down onto the strip of nori.
7. Bring both ends of nori up to meet in the middle of the rice. If needed, you can wet your finger and rub it along one end of the nori to help it stick to itself. Flip musubi over so the seam faces down, and go back to step 4 with all the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately or store wrapped in plastic wrap for later.

Thai Tea

Hong shared this recipe with us after making a batch and gifting it to us for Thi's birthday. It's delicious and we like to dilute it a little then use oat milk instead of creme or milk.

Ingredients

• 8 cups water
• 2 cups of Thai tea mix
• 1 1/4 cups sugar

Directions

1. Put all ingredients into a big pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
2. Boil for 4-5 minutes.
3. Turn off stove and let site for 30 minutes.
4. Pour through a fabric strainer.
5. Chill and serve on ice.
6. Optional: Add half and half, milk, or alternative milk to taste.

Hawaiian Banana Bread

I tend to prefer banana bread with white sugar versus brown sugar because the banana flavor comes out more. I noticed this is the key difference between banana recipes from Hawaii and the mainland so I made this recipe and it's delicious. The flavor reminds me of Vietnamese banana bread pudding I grew up eating.

Yields: 2 loaves
*I halved it since I made this during a pandemic and needed to limit valuable ingredients such as egg, flour and sugar and put the batter into 3 mini loaves because I can't find my regular loaf tin.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cup sugar
• 6-7 ripe bananas, mashed
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 2 1/2 cups, all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare 2 loaf pans, by greasing with butter. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
4. Add masked bananas and eggs. Mix well.
5. Whisk/sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
6. Slowly add to the creamed mixture.
7. Mix gently until just combined. Do not over mix.
8. Pour batter evenly into 2 prepared loaf pans.
9. Bake for 45-50 minutes. (About 35 minutes for the 3 mini pans)
10. Test doneness with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it is done!

Chinese Braised Chicken with Mushrooms (Yang's Braised Chicken Copycat)

Prep Time 3-4 hours

Cook Time 35-40 minutes

Servings 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (about 6-8) chicken thighs, deboned, and cube into 2 in. pieces
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 4 1/2 oz thinly sliced Chinese black mushrooms, stems removed (About 8-10 mushrooms.  Rinse Chinese black mushrooms in cold water and place in bowl.  Add 2 1/2 cups cold water and rehydrate for 2-3 hours.  Reserve 2 cup of the soaking liquid.)
• 1 oz thinly sliced ginger
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
• Optional: 1 jalapeño, sliced

For Chicken Marinade

• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp shaoxing cooking wine
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

Instructions

1. Marinade the chicken.  In a bowl, mix together the chicken, 1/2 tsp shaoxing cooking wine, 2 tbsp light soy sauce.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Add 2 tbsp canola oil to a 6 qt sauce pan (or dutch oven) and heat on medium high.  When oil is hot, add sliced ginger and cook until fragrant.  NOTE: If adding jalapeños, add them with the ginger.
3. Add chicken and lightly brown.
4. Add mushroom, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, shaoxing cooking wine, salt, reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Stir until thorough mixed and bring to boil.
5. Once boiling, cover, and reduce heat to low.  Braise for 25 minutes.
6. Serve immediately over rice.

Overnight Coconut Chia Seed Pudding

Servings 8 - 3.25 oz cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 2 cups coconut milk beverage
• 2 tbsp sweetener (I like agave nectar)

Instructions

1. Add chia seeds to a mixing bowl.
2. Add coconut milk beverage to chia seeds and mix until all seeds are incorporated into the coconut milk.
3. Place mixture in the refrigerator overnight.
4. The next day, stir the mixture again and serve.

Notes

• Instead of coconut milk beverage, you can substitute almond milk.  You can even try adding in 2 tsp of vanilla extract or almond extract to change things up.

Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake with Salted Caramel Sauce

Originally from the Pioneer Woman but we don't make the caramel sauce and add a sour cream topping to it.

Time: 6 hr 45 mins, includes chilling, standing and cooling times (Active: 40 min)

Ingredients

• 12 ounces gingersnaps

• 1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

• 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted

• 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 

• Dash of kosher salt 

• Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

• One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature 

• 1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature 

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

Directions:

1. In a food processor or blender, grind the gingersnaps until fine. Pour into a bowl and stir in the pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and salt. Press into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

1. To make the filling, beat the cream cheese in a stand mixer until soft, scraping the sides once. Mix in the pumpkin, scraping the sides once or twice. Add the eggs 1 at a time, allowing them to mix in, then add the sour cream and mix. With the mixer on low, add the granulated sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Thoroughly scrape the bowl and mix to ensure everything is smooth and mixed in.

1. Pour the filling into the pan, smoothing the top. Set the pan on a baking sheet and bake until the filling is no longer soupy but still slightly jiggly, about 50 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the door just a hair and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 15 more minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes, then cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.

1. To serve, Slice the cheesecake and top with the salted caramel sauce, whipped cream and chopped pecans.

Mahmah's Fried Rice

Ingredients

·     1 pot of cooked, cold white rice (she likes to use the Korean round grain)

·     1 lb bbq pork, chopped

·     5-6 Chinese sausages

·     6 eggs

·     Light soy

·     Dark soy

·     Scallions, chopped

·     White pepper, to taste

·     Salt to taste (optional)

Directions

1.    Put oil into a pan and cook up the Chinese sausage. Remove when cooked.

2.    Using the oil from the Chinese sausage, scramble and cook the egg until just done (can still be runny) and remove from pan.

3.    Put in cold rice with a some water and break up. Once rice is soft again, put in the sausage, bbq pork and season with the light and dark soy until even color.

4.    Add egg and scallions and white pepper.

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5.    Mix and taste. Add a little salt.