Growing up as an Asian American kid in Boston, our meals were always a variety of Western food (pasta, pizza, roasted vegetables, casseroles), and Chinese cooking (mapo tofu, steamed fish, soup, stir-fries). While I loved (and still love!) both equally, it was Western cuisine that I first learned to cook — learning how to boil the perfect al dente pasta, sauté garlic and olive oil until just right and fragrant, be patient with caramelizing onions, and knead pizza dough for the ideal rise. Chinese cooking, which was often always in my dad’s wheelhouse, always seemed fairly daunting, with all of the spices, and sauces, and techniques that I never got to learning. Plus, I felt like I needed a fully stocked kitchen (full of those spices and sauces and cooking tools), which I often never had on hand. I was always more than happy to have my dad’s home-cooking whenever I visited home, but it was something I never tried to master myself.

Fast forward to my early 30s, and at last, I have finally begun to experiment with more Asian cuisine. Part of this is due to our discovery of the loveliest little Japanese market about half-a-mile away from our apartment. We made our first trip there early on in the quarantine period, and immediately we were hooked — so many delicious and inspiring ingredients and produce all packed into a tiny little store. It was the perfect way for us to get creative with cooking at a time when everyone is at home cooking. Ever since, we’ve been going back to the mini market on average once or twice a week (sometimes multiple times a week) to pick up new goods with which to cook: spicy sauces, special noodles, fresh fish, and lovely produce. We now even own a wok, steamers, and a sushi-rolling mat. It’s been fun experimenting with all of the varied ingredients and cooking tools we now have on hand, and I love letting my dad know every time we prepare a new dish using ingredients or techniques that are familiar to him.

Above: Korean beef bowls with sautéed bok choy, cashews, and steamed carrots.

Above: Fresh ramen with pork belly, egg, corn, and scallions.

Above: Japanese barbecue eel with tamago egg, seaweed salad, steamed carrots, and sliced cucumber.

Our most recent “new” dish was Chinese barebecue pork belly (char siu), cooked down in the oven with a sweet and sticky exterior. We used strips of pork belly, and marinated them for several hours with hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, brown sugar, garlic, and Chinese five spice powder (a combination of star anise, fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon). We paired it with a cauliflower fried rice. The result was delicious! It reminded me of the very char siu I used to have when I was younger.

I hope this inspires you all to go back to your roots and learn (or expand your knowledge of) the cuisines that you grew up with as kids. Happy cooking, and exploring!

Ash