Kimchi is one of those foods that either makes people drool or recoil in horror. A staple of the Korean diet, the spicy, fermented cabbage is as pungent and vibrant as it is strong in flavor. A quiet, unassuming food it is not. To make this Asian basic, fresh Winter napa cabbage is salted until it wilts, then coated with a fiery concoction of dried hot pepper paste and powder, garlic, and briny Read more

My lifelong relationship with rice has been solid yet stagnant: growing up in a Chinese household, plain white rice served hot out of the rice maker was integral to every lunch and dinner, although it never strayed from its spartan form. Yet recently, my intrigue with this herbed rice salad from David Tanis's latest cookbook has sparked something of a phenomenon. I no longer want to eat plain Read more

If you've never made paella, the traditional Spanish rice dish with origins in Valencia, I highly recommend you give it a try this weekend! This uncomplicated recipe is easy to follow and has awesome results. The paella is filling, flavorful, and delicious. It's packed with chorizo and shellfish, so it has a wonderful surf-and-turf quality. Although the recipe has you cook the paella on the Read more

There's a reason why foodies are so fanatical about ramps; the wild leeks are the first sure sign that Spring has arrived, especially in areas home to a long Winter. But be aware of their short season: the minute ramps arrive, the window on their availability is already beginning to close. If you're not deterred by garlicky breath, uncooked ramps have a pungency that adds punch to homemade pesto. Read more

When it comes to making Latin cuisine at home, I normally cook Americanized dishes like nachos. However, at a restaurant, I eat more traditional dishes that involve a side of rice and beans. While the beans vary, sometimes they're refried pintos other times they're saucy black, the rice is almost always Spanish rice. It's orange and has a distinct tomatoey taste. My friend Emily has been making Read more

While making shrimp étouffée for Fat Tuesday, I thought of a great tip that I learned for plating rice. When serving grains like rice, quinoa, or couscous as an accompaniment for a saucy dish or stew, I like to pack them tightly into a mold, then invert the mold so the rice comes out in a uniform mound. I usually reach for a small ramekin, coated in oil — it's another great function for a Read more

Couldn't make it to Mardi Gras this year? If you're lamenting the fact that today's Fat Tuesday and the French Quarter's a plane ride away, then do what I like to do. Bring the purple, green, and gold to your kitchen instead with a comforting platter of saucy shrimp étouffée. Although some variations of the seafood recipe take hours to cook, enjoy a snappier version, since tonight's a school Read more

Red beans and rice is a dish that is native to Louisiana. Traditionally it's enjoyed on Mondays because it's a one-pot meal that makes use of leftovers from Sunday's family dinner. The important thing to remember is that the beans must be soaked overnight, therefore a little planning is involved when making it. It also requires time because the beans simmer with pork, vegetables, and aromatics Read more