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Ingredients Dry 1 cup (120g) whole wheat flour ½ cup (65g) all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons (15g) dark rye flour (or more whole wheat flour) 2 tablespoons (15g) milk powder ¾ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ¼ teaspoon ground ginger Add-Ins ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans ¼-½ cup chocolate chips Wet 3 large (~1¼ cups mashed) very ripe bananas + 1 extra banana for topping ¼ cup (44g) ghee ⅓ cup (65g) granulated sugar 1 tablespoon molasses ¼ cup (60g) whole milk yogurt 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Directions Melt the ghee. It should be warm, not hot. We don’t want to cook the egg. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease or line a 9×5" or 8½×4½" loaf pan with parchment. Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl: both flours, rye flour, milk powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Mash the bananas well in a large bowl (some small lumps are fine). Stir in the melted ghee, sugar, molasses, yogurt, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Fold the dry ingredients and toppings into the wet using a spatula or wooden spoon. Mix until just combined — a few small streaks of flour remaining is perfect. Do not overmix; this keeps the crumb tender. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top gently. Peel and cut the extra banana that you saved in half lengthwise and press the two halves into the top of the batter so that the flat/seed/inside side is up and level with the batter. Bake for 55–65 minutes, rotating the pan once at the 40-minute mark. The bread is done when a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs (no wet batter). Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn out and cool completely on the rack (at least 30 minutes more). The texture and flavor improve as it cools. Notes Banana ripeness matters. You want bananas that are heavily spotted brown to nearly black. The riper they are, the sweeter and more flavorful the bread — which lets you keep the added sugar low. If you don’t have ghee, make brown butter from 5 tbsps unsalted butter. Just boil away the water in the butter and take off the heat once the milk solids start to brown. This recipe reduces sugar and uses yogurt to hold moisture Storage. Wrap tightly once fully cooled. Keeps well at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerated for up to a week. It’s arguably even better on day two, after the flavors have melded. The rye flour just adds an earthy nutty flavor. If you don’t have it, just add more whole wheat flour.

Ingredients 1 Red Bell pepper Juice from one med lime 5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 white onion 3 Tbsp olive oil 1/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp sugar 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro 2 Tbsp minced garlic 2-3 Serrano peppers (or your favorite fresh hot peppers) 6 Roma Tomatoes Directions Wash and prep all vegetables by removing inedible parts and chopping them into small enough pieces to fit in a food processor. Combine everything except tomatoes and blend well - until there are no chunks. Pour into bowl, and then blend tomatoes to desired consistency. (I prefer chunky tomatoes.) Mix blended tomatoes with the rest of the mixture and let it set in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours. Notes Taste it and adjust to the sweetness and acidity you like. Fresh veggies are unpredictable and this is just a starting point.

Country-style ribs are a great stand-in for the pork shoulder typically used in char siu — plenty of fat and connective tissue that breaks down beautifully with low oven heat. The marinade gets a glossy lacquer finish from a honey glaze in the last few minutes. Ingredients Ribs & Marinade 2–3 lb bone-in country-style pork ribs 3 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (for color) 2 tbsp shaoxing wine 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp red miso (stand-in for fermented bean/hoisin depth) 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp molasses (with the honey, replaces hoisin sweetness/depth) 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder 4 cloves garlic, grated or microplaned 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated 1/2 tsp white pepper 1/4 tsp crushed, dried chineese peppers (optional, mild heat) A few drops red food coloring or 1/2 tsp tomato paste (optional, for traditional red color) Glaze 2 tbsp honey 1 tbsp reserved marinade (before it touches raw pork) or 1 tsp soy sauce + 1 tsp hot water To Serve Steamed rice Stir fried veggies quickly sautéed with garlic, soy, and a splash of sesame oil Sliced green onion and a sprinkle of toasted sesame (optional) Directions Whisk all marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Reserve 1 tablespoon for the glaze, then combine the rest with the ribs in a freezer bag or covered dish. Marinate at room temperature for 30–45 minutes (or longer in the fridge if needed — up to a few hours is fine). Preheat oven to 300°F. Line a half sheet pan with foil (for cleanup) and set a wire rack on top or use a roasting pan. Pour about 1/2 inch of water into the pan beneath the rack — this keeps drippings from burning and adds humidity. Arrange ribs on the rack, leaving space between pieces. Reserve the marinade left in the bag. Roast for 90 minutes, basting with the leftover raw marinade every 30 minutes. Refresh the water in the pan if it dries out. After 90 minutes, stop basting with the raw marinade. Roast another 30–45 minutes until the ribs are fork-tender and the surface is dark and slightly charred at the edges. Total time: about 2 to 2.5 hours. Mix the glaze: warm the reserved tablespoon of marinade with 2 tbsp honey (microwave 15 seconds or stir in a small saucepan). Crank oven to 450°F (or switch to broil on low). Brush ribs generously with the honey glaze and return to the oven for 3–5 minutes until shiny and lacquered. Watch closely — honey burns fast. Rest 5–10 minutes. Slice across the grain into thick pieces, or pull off the bone in chunks. Notes Why this works without hoisin: Hoisin is essentially fermented soybean paste + sweetener + five spice + garlic. Red miso + molasses + honey + five spice + garlic hits the same notes. Don’t skip the miso — it’s doing the heavy lifting. Marinating time: 30 minutes is enough for flavor on the surface; longer is better but not critical for fatty cuts like these. If you want to start now and cook later, marinate in the fridge up to 8 hours. Air fryer alternative: If you want to shave time, you can finish ribs in the air fryer at 400°F for the glaze step instead of cranking the oven — 3–4 minutes does it. Leftovers: Char siu freezes well sliced. Great in fried rice, ramen, or banh mi-style sandwiches on toasted bread. No red color needed: The traditional red is purely cosmetic. Dark soy + molasses give a rich mahogany that looks great on its own. Doneness cue: Country ribs are done when a fork twists easily in the meat. Internal temp will be 195–205°F, like pulled pork — well past “safe” because you want the collagen to melt.

Ingredients 15 pieces thinly sliced beef (rib eye or striploin are great cuts) 150 g enoki mushrooms (~1 pack) 2 tsp oil 1 small onion, sliced 2 eggs, scrambled 1 scallion, chopped Sauce 1⁄4 cup dashi stock (can be substituted with water or beef/vegetable/chicken stock) 1 tbsp sake 1 tbsp mirin 1½ tbsp soy sauce ½ tbsp sugar Directions Prepare the enoki mushrooms by cutting off the bottom root section. Gently rinse with cold water to remove any excess dirt, then section the mushrooms into 15 smaller bunches to be wrapped. Wrap each bunch with a thin slice of beef to hold them together 3. Set aside. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce until smooth, and set aside for later cooking. In a pan, heat 2 tsp of oil over medium heat. Sauté the onions until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Lay the enoki beef rolls over the onions. Pour the prepared sauce over the rolls and simmer with a lid for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms have softened. Pour the scrambled egg on top of the rolls, place the lid on again, and cook for an additional 1 minute, or until the eggs are slightly set 4. Let cool. Top with the chopped scallions. Enjoy with a side of rice and/or vegetables. Notes Sake can be replaced with any standard cooking wine, such as dry white wine or even Chinese Shaoxing wine. Alternatively, you may choose to omit the sake without sacrificing the taste of the dish too much. Similar to sake, this can also be omitted without drastically altering the taste of the recipe. However, if omitting, I’d suggest adding ½ tsp of sugar instead to account for the loss of sweetness. A quick tip I found to keep the rolls from unravelling and breaking apart is by wrapping your mushrooms with partially frozen beef -that is, when the slices aren’t completely at room temperature yet, but still soft and pliable enough to roll. This keeps the rolls stable without the meat falling apart! The longer you cook the sauce, the more concentrated and drier the overall dish is (this is actually very tasty, as the sauce begins to caramelize and browns the beef!). You can also keep the sauce soupy (great to pour over rice) by adding a touch more dashi or removing it from the heat early.

Ingredients 1 cup (140 g) whole wheat flour 1 cup masa harina 3 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp baking soda ½ tsp (4 g) kosher salt 2 tbsp brown sugar (or granulated sugar + ½ tsp molasses) 2 large eggs, beaten 1 cup whole milk yogurt ½ cup water (room temp) ¼ cup melted coconut oil, ghee, or neutral oil Extra fat for greasing the pan Directions Preheat oven to 400 °F. If using cast iron, oil it generously and put it in to preheat. Whisk dry ingredients together (flour, masa, baking powder, baking soda, salt) in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk yogurt, water, eggs, sugar, molasses, and melted fat until smooth. The yogurt should thin out to roughly the consistency of buttermilk. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet. Stir just until combined — a few lumps are fine. The batter will be noticeably thick; that’s normal for masa cornbread. Scrape into the hot greased skillet (you should hear a sizzle) or a greased 9×9 pan. Smooth the top. Bake 22–28 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cast iron will run a few minutes faster than the 9×9. Rest 5–10 minutes before slicing — masa-based bakes firm up as they cool. Notes If your yogurt is very thick (e.g., strained / Greek-style), bump water to ⅔ cup. The batter should be pourable-but-thick, like a stiff pancake batter. Texture note: Masa gives a smoother, more tender crumb with a faint tortilla aroma — really nice with pinto or black beans. If you ever miss a little corn texture, you can swap ¼ cup of the masa back for cornmeal without rebalancing anything else.

These are inspired by the Filipino ube crinkle cookie trend — soft, chewy centers with a cracked powdered sugar exterior, deep purple color, and that distinctive ube flavor (vanilla-meets-pistachio-meets-coconut). I’m leaning on a few non-traditional techniques for maximum softness: a tangzhong-style flour paste, plus a mix of butter and neutral oil so they stay tender even after cooling. Ingredients Tangzhong (softness booster) 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 5 Tbsp whole milk (or water) Wet 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1/4 cup neutral oil 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 Tbsp light corn syrup (keeps them chewy, not cakey) 1 large egg + 1 yolk, room temperature 1/3 cup ube halaya (stir well before measuring) 2 tsp ube extract (adjust to 1.5 tsp if yours is very strong) 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 Tbsp shredded dried coconut, finely chopped or pulsed (optional, for authentic texture) Dry 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 Tbsp non-fat powdered milk (adds a subtle creamy, slightly “cheesy” note common in Filipino baking) 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp kosher salt Coating 1/3 cup granulated sugar (first roll) 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar (second roll – this is what creates the crinkle) Directions Make the tangzhong. In a small saucepan, whisk the 2 Tbsp flour and 5 Tbsp milk until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a pudding-like paste (about 1-5 minutes, or when it reaches ~150°F). Scrape into a bowl and cool to room temp. Cream the fats. In a large bowl, beat softened butter, oil, granulated sugar, and corn syrup with a hand whisk or spatula until smooth and lighter in color, 2–3 minutes. Add wet ingredients. Beat in the cooled tangzhong, then the egg and yolk, ube halaya, ube extract, and vanilla. Mix until uniformly purple. If the color looks dull, you can add a drop or two of purple food coloring. Combine dry. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, powdered milk, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet mixture along with the chopped coconut (if using). Fold until just combined. No dry streaks allowed. The dough will be soft and sticky. Chill. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, ideally overnight. This is non-negotiable for proper crinkles and to let the ube flavor bloom. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two half sheet pans with parchment or silicone mats. Shape and coat. Scoop 1.5 Tbsp portions (about 30g each). Roll into balls. Roll each first in granulated sugar (this prevents the powdered sugar from dissolving into the dough and keeps crinkles crisp), then roll generously in confectioners’ sugar (really pack it on). Bake 11–13 minutes, until the tops are cracked and the edges are set but the centers still look slightly underdone. Do not overbake. They will firm up as they cool. Cool on the pan 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. They’ll be soft and chewy for 3–4 days stored airtight at room temp. Notes Tangzhong trick: Pre-gelatinizing a small portion of flour locks in moisture, giving you a cloud-soft cookie that stays soft — this is how Asian milk bread stays pillowy and it works beautifully in cookies too. If you hate soft cookies (why are you here??) and want to skip this step, just replace with 2 Tbsp extra flour in dry ingredients and 2 Tbsp water or milk in wet ingredients. Ube halaya vs. extract: Extract alone gives color and a cologne-like floral flavor; halaya gives the earthy, nutty, real-yam taste. Using both is the secret to a cookie that tastes like actual ube, not just “purple vanilla.” If you can only find one, prioritize the extract for color and add 1/2 tsp more vanilla. Corn syrup: Light corn syrup on hand — it hygroscopically holds moisture, which is why bakery cookies stay chewy for days. Honey works but will brown more and shift the flavor. If you don’t have it, just use extra table sugar Powdered milk: Filipino baked goods often have a “creamy-savory” note from evaporated or powdered milk. This is a subtle but authentic touch, but it’s optional. Coconut: Totally optional, but a small amount of finely chopped dried coconut echoes the macapuno/coconut pairings common with ube and adds gentle texture. If cookies spread too much: Your butter was too warm or dough wasn’t chilled enough — chill the shaped balls 15 min before baking.