Hoisin Pork Wraps: Dinner in under 30 Minutes

By David Hu
A new video for Video Friday

On those days when I come home from work exhausted, I turn to a select group of recipes: those that can be prepped AND cooked in under 30 minutes. These are my go-to meals. Each packs a lot of flavor, yet they can be made with minimal effort.

Among my favorites are pasta carbonara, pork tonkatsu, mint pesto couscous, and pizzetta with California dried plums and caramelized onions. Joining this select group of recipes is Hoisin Pork Wraps.

This recipe has only a handful of ingredients and almost no prep work. The only trick is mastering the technique of searing the pork. When searing meat, once you put it down in the hot pan, don’t mess with it – leave it alone until the meat is seared.

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Make your own Mayo

By Jennifer Knapp
A new video for Video Friday

Mayonnaise is the condiment that most of us have at any given time in the fridge. What would that tuna salad sandwich be without it?

But what many people don't know, is that if you have a food processor (or even if you don't!), it’s easy to make own creamy homemade mayonnaise. While you may want to reach for the commercial jar for everyday use, homemade mayonnaise does taste different and there’s nothing like it for a sauce or dip.

By adding a little minced garlic to your mayonnaise, you can turn it into a flavorful aioli. You can also add just about any kind of chopped herb, such as parsley, chives, tarragon or basil, to customize the flavor.

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Scallion Pancakes for Chinese New Year

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

Chinese New Year falls on Sunday, February 10, as we usher in the year of the snake. Despite our Chinese surname, our family doesn’t have a tradition of celebrating this important Chinese holiday. But we might cook up a few Chinese dishes, just to feel connected.

It you’re putting together a New Year menu in celebration, try this Scallion Pancake recipe from Andrew Hunter, for starters. He shows busy families how to shortcut the prep time by using flour tortillas instead of making the pancakes from scratch.

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Forget the Dips – It’s all about the Dippers

By David Hu
A new video for Video Friday

It’s finally Super Bowl Sunday and if your team didn’t make it to the big game, take solace in the fact that there’s going to be some good eating on Sunday.

There’s bound to be dips galore that call for good dippers. Skip the chips this year and go for something with more impact. We’re talking pita chips and crostini.

They sound fancy but these are basically oven toasts. And since both of them bake at the same temperature for the same amount of time, you don’t have to pick one over the other – you can mix and match on the same sheet pan.

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How to Toast Spices

By Sandy Hu
A new video for Video Friday

Do you find you’re cooking with more spices, more often? I do! I’m lucky to have a floor-to-ceiling herb and spice cabinet in the Special Fork kitchen and I turn to it often – especially for Mexican, Middle Eastern and Indian dishes.

Many recipes I cook these days call for toasted spices or seeds. Toasting brings out the flavor and aroma of spices and takes away the raw taste – especially important when the spice is used uncooked, as in dips, salad dressings and salads.

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