When planning your autumn garden, one awesome plant to get started now is the Pumpkin On A Stick, also known as the Pumpkin Tree or Hmong Eggplant (among other names). Not a true pumpkin, but still so adorable for fall decor and vases.

Pumpkin on a stick grows fast but has thorns to watch out for. The leaves are huge compared to the tiny fruits and plants can be started from seed or cuttings. Normally early summer is a good time to start this plant, but if you’ve got a lot of sun you can still plant some now and you …read more

We are on the road… recipe later.

Okay I’m back. We were traveling from Pennsylvania to Ohio and posted that yesterday right before we left my brother’s house. This one’s another easy recipe:
3 Japanese or other Asian eggplants, cut into 2-inch chunks (or roll-cut Chinese style — you know, cut then roll? cut then roll again, and so on…)
oil for deep-frying, I use canola or safflower but peanut is more traditional
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon bean sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon chili paste
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon sugar
Heat oil to medium-high in …read more

Twang? Ces, I hope my twang is good enough for your theme….:D
Ces of Essences hosts this month’s Lasang Pinoy and what a theme! Perfect for the close to our first year of Lasang Pinoy — we’re on our Twelfth Edition!

My contribution this month is a current favorite here at home. I’ve named it talongganisa — it’s where talong and longganisa meet!
Talong is the Tagalog word for eggplant. And longganisa is our Filipino version of the Spanish/Mexican/Cuban sausage of the same name — or roughly the same name, as theirs are usually spelled with …read more

Okay, I promise this will be my LAST fried rice post for a LOOOONG while. I just couldn’t resist, we had people over 2 weekends ago and to make the rice more interesting, I made this. Of course it’s really not my own invention, in the Philippines you go to parties and there’s always one version of this or another. I’ve also seen different recipes for “rainbow” fried rice in Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese cookbooks. I’m sure there are others. The point simply is to make the fried rice as colorful as you possibly can. …read more

This is a Hakka-style recipe from Martin Yan’s Asia: Favorite Recipes from Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Japan.

Sauce:
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Eggplants and Garnish:
1/4 cup lightly packed mint leaves
3/4 pound Asian eggplants or 1 large eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks
Oil for deep-frying
6 cloves garlic, peeled
Heat oil to 375°F. Deep fry eggplants and garlic until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Lift out with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Deep-fry mint leaves until crisp, about 30 seconds. Lift out …read more