My Taiwanese braised pork sauce is an extension of my love for Taiwanese minced pork rice. Throughout college, my close friend, Xin, and I went to Momo Tea on South University at least once a week for minced pork rice. After a long week of classes, late nights studying at the libraries throughout central campus, and endless homework and papers, it is always a welcome change to bond over a bowl of warm, familiar, and comforting minced pork rice. The rice bowl at Momo Tea always came with jasmine rice, a heaping scoop of minced pork, and half of a soy sauce braised egg. We would always order some bubble tea to sip on while eating our rice bowl. When I graduated from college and moved away from Ann Arbor, I started recreating the flavors of my favorite Taiwanese minced pork rice bowl. My homemade Taiwanese braised pork sauce definitely hit the spot, but it also reminded me of how much I missed Ann Arbor. In the fall of 2017, Kevin and I traveled back to Ann Arbor to take engagement photos in preparation for our July wedding in 2018. As we were strolling through Ann Arbor, I walked down South University to see if Momo Tea was still there. Unfortunately, the shop has since closed down. I was so sad to not be able to have another bowl of minced pork rice at Momo Tea. Fortunately, my version of minced pork rice comes very close in flavors and aromas to the rice bowl I remember eating on campus. Today, I put a spin on my usual minced pork rice dish.

I made the most wonderful version of my chicken and mushroom stew using chardonnay instead of my usual go-to pinot noir over the weekend. My spring break from classes just ended and I knew I would be starting a third class this week. To get ahead, I meal prepped, and completed other class assignments ahead of time. When I know I have a busy week, I like to cook food in large batches. This way, I can meal prep for Kevin and I at the same time. Some of my favorite large batch go-to meals are baked pastas, stir-fried noodles, and braised stews. I love stews. Some of my favorite stews aside from my chicken and mushroom stew include my beef stew and Asian beef stew (a version of my beef stew with an Asian spin). When making a more western style stew, I tend to use red wine. This weekend, I decided to make a white wine version of my chicken stew mostly because I wanted to experiment with a new wine. I was especially craving a warm, comforting stew to offset the cold, harsh winter. We’re halfway through March, but it still feels like winter has not skipped a beat. The best part about winter is being able to stay inside and cook comfort food. I can spend hours upon hours in the kitchen prepping vegetables, preparing meats, and baking treats. Cooking and baking in the kitchen provides me with so much Zen. It became my way of destressing after a long week. The only downside to cooking and baking is having to wash all of the dishes at the end of a meal. For me, this is a small tradeoff for the joy I get when I create a home-cooked meal from scratch. When it comes to washing dishes, I can often delegate the task to my husband and/or the dishwasher.

Carbs are my ultimate comfort food. I usually eat some form of carbs at least once a day. For breakfast, it’s usually a piece of toast with peanut butter or Nutella. If I want a more indulgent treat, I may opt for my chocolate and coffee scones bursting with intense chocolate and aromatic coffee. If I’m leaning more towards the savory side, I may bring along some maple bacon biscuits filled with nutty, sweet maple syrup and smoky, crunchy bacon. I knew how my cravings worked and I knew I would be running out the door this week with cravings for carbs. To prevent myself from spending money unnecessarily on breakfast in the morning, I prepared breakfast for Kevin and I throughout the week. This week, I prepared a batch of cheddar and chive biscuits for both of us to bring along with us for breakfast as we are heading out the door for work. When I think of the perfect breakfast treat, I think of biscuits and scones. Kevin’s cravings are more specific. If he had the option, he would have breakfast sausage and eggs over easy for breakfast every morning. Breakfast food is the only food he could eat the exact same of every day and not be bored. Occasionally though, he would opt for some carbs. I take advantage of these times to make my favorite carbs. I have a tendency to alternate between savory and sweet cravings throughout the week. Whether I pack along biscuits or scones depend on whether I am in a savory or sweet mood. This week has definitely been more of a sweet mood than savory mood, but today, I really wanted a savory biscuit. I tell people my cravings for sweets are usually a result of stress, but I secretly do love sweets. To prepare for this busy week, I prepared a batch of my cheddar and chive biscuits over the weekend.

Grilled chicken, pork, beef, or shrimp over vermicelli and summer rolls are two dishes I order very often when I eat at a Vietnamese restaurant. I love the balance of flavors, textures, and color in both dishes. The base for the noodle bowl and summer rolls are fairly identical with the exception of the sauces served on the sides of both dishes. Both dishes have fresh, crunchy vegetables, grilled protein, and soft noodles. For summer rolls, the side of peanut sauce adds a nice creamy contrast to the rest of the dish and takes the summer rolls over the top. Kevin always orders a large bowl of pho, which is perfect to eat during colder months. It has been very cold in Ohio over the last week, but I’m excited for spring weather in the upcoming weeks. The days seem to be getting longer with more sunlight. Usually when I leave for work in the morning, the sky is still dark, but now, as we are approaching springtime, the days are getting longer. Springtime is a great time to test new recipes. I have been feeling more inspired lately to try different spins on classic dishes I love. Today’s dish combines my love of Vietnamese vermicelli bowls and summer rolls, two dishes I almost always order when I eat out at a Vietnamese restaurant. When I lived in Brooklyn, I always went to the local Vietnamese restaurant right by where we lived. The prices were cheap, food was delicious, and the atmosphere was very family oriented. Whenever I visit my family in New York throughout the year, I still stop by the Vietnamese restaurant for summer rolls and vermicelli bowls.

This week has been a busy week. In between work, two certificate programs, homework, and studying for exams, I haven’t been able to do too much cooking and baking in the kitchen. Starting in the middle of March, I will be starting a third class. I even planned ahead to squeeze in a third certificate program during the summer. So far, the schedule seems to work for me. My family and friends think I’m crazy to try to do so much in such a short period of time. I actually love learning, so I find it more fulfilling than challenging. With all of these competing priorities, I’ve been resorting to more quick and easy meals throughout the week. One of the dishes I love to make during busier weeks is my Thai basil fried rice. It is super easy, very quick, and oh so good. I like to use Thai basil in fried rice mostly because it has a strong flavor and the addition of Thai basil elevates the flavors of fried rice to a whole new level. The challenge with making good fried rice is to create layers of flavors in the fried rice. Without a restaurant quality kitchen stove, it’s difficult to truly achieve an authentic smoky flavor in the fried rice. To compensate for the lack of restaurant tools, I’ve discovered different flavor profiles to mix into the fried rice to create a tasty, good fried rice. Some of my previous fried rice dishes all have an extra element which brings the fried rice to the next level. My bacon and egg fried rice has diced smoky bacon added to it. It’s the perfect fried rice to eat in the morning when all you want to eat is fried rice. I’ve had many of those mornings over the years. My mushroom and miso fried rice has a wonderful umami flavor and is both vegan and vegetarian friendly. The recipe I’m sharing today is another vegan and vegetarian friendly fried rice dish. The star of this dish is Thai basil.