Lisa Lin

Mung Bean Cakes (綠豆糕)

Several years ago, Mama Lin visited my aunt in Oregon, who made delicious mung bean cakes (綠豆糕). In Chinese, 綠豆糕 means “green bean cake” and is pronounced look dau go in Cantonese and lü dou gao in ...

Smooth Red Bean Paste (豆沙)

Red bean paste, 豆沙 in Chinese, is a sweetened bean paste that is often used as a filling in Asian pastries, such as mooncakes, mochi, or baked breads. In Cantonese, 豆沙 is pronounced dau saa; in ...

Fuyu Butter (Compound Butter with Fermented Bean Curd)

The other day, I had the sudden inspiration to try making a compound butter with fermented bean curd (fuyu). I make miso butter often because it has so many layers of flavor that make the butter ...

How to Pick Corn

Written by Lisa Lin & Diann-Leo Omine Fresh corn is one of summer’s many produce offerings. Corn can be added to pretty much everything, from soup to salads. Some supermarkets sell corn on the ...

Steamed Taro Cake (芋頭糕, 芋頭糍)

HOW TO SAY TARO CAKE IN CHINESE Taro Cake is 芋頭糕 in traditional Chinese characters and 芋头糕 in simplified characters. The Cantonese pronunciation is woo tau go and the Mandarin pronunciation is yu ...

Purple Sweet Potato Tapioca Pudding (Sago)

I have been meaning to create a purple sweet potato version of my mango tapioca pudding (aka mango sago) for a long time. The inspiration struck when my mom was showing me how to make tapioca ...

What’s in Season: June Produce Guide

Written by Diann Leo-Omine & Lisa Lin, Photos by Lisa Lin. This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated to include produce-picking tips and more photos. The heat quickly ...

Dried Scallops (干貝/江珧柱)

Written by Lisa Lin and Diann Leo-Omine. Photos by Lisa Lin. Dried scallops are a key ingredient of what I’ve dubbed as Mama Lin’s “flavoring bits,” which often includes dried shrimp, Chinese ...

Cold Tofu with Tangy & Garlicky Sauce

What I love about tofu is its versatility. Whether tofu is pan fried, shallow fried, baked, or simmered in a sauce, tofu can be manipulated into a variety of textures and take on any flavors. One ...

What’s in Season: May Produce Guide

Written by Diann Leo-Omine & Lisa Lin, Photos by Lisa Lin. May produce sprinkles spring with a dash of summer in most farmer’s markets. Delectable lettuces, succulent podded peas and their ...

Mapo Chickpeas with Potatoes

MAPO CHICKPEAS & POTATOES The other day, I cooked a bunch of chickpeas in the Instant Pot without any clear plan about what to do with all those beans. So I dug through my old recipes for ...

Whipped Brie with Honey & Chili Oil

A few weeks ago, I saw a video on Instagram of Myo Quinn making whipped Brie in a food processor, and I was immediately transfixed by the creamy texture of the cheese. The Brie looked so airy and ...