Introduction: Takeout With the Tos

I never thought I would be someone who loved cooking. As a child, I loved watching cooking shows. America's Text Kitchen, Julia Child, Yan Can Cook, Ming Tsai, and of course my all-time favorite, Jacques Pepin. I loved watching them put together both simple and extravagant dishes. 

In college, I cooked out of necessity as a third-year senior. I don't remember exactly what I cooked because it wasn't extremely delicious, but I kept myself alive and fed for the year. This was a chicken pot pie dish I made for myself as a 21-year-old.

I'm not sure how I would feel today if I served myself (or anyone!) this.

When I went to China, I didn't think I would be cooking a lot at all. After all, delicious food was just downstairs a short walk away. It was the cheapest food I would ever pay for made by someone else in my entire life. Why would I cook, right? 

Well, sometimes, or more than sometimes, the thought of bundling up to go downstairs and walk through brutal (-30F) cold to get something to eat was too much to bear. So I did actually cook a decent amount. To this day, I think the most delicious ribs I've ever made were in China. 

The first time I attempted this recipe was really successful.

When I got married, I thought I was a decent cook. It was mostly tasty, cost-efficient, and I could get by with a variety of cuisine and dishes. However, it wasn't until Covid when I realized the food I missed the most was Chinese food. We stopped going to restaurants completely so we were eating only whatever I could cook. This left much to be desired in the Asian department. My Asian/Chinese cooking skills before Covid were limited to American Chinese flavors. Although it can be enjoyed sparingly, it wasn't the food I desired after being at home with a newborn for so long. 

So I learned. I watched videos online. I looked up recipes. And I even have a few cookbooks now in my collection. Because of my work schedule, I do all my cooking on Sunday afternoon. We do still rotate different cuisines, but Chinese food is probably what I cook the most. It's rare (but has happened!) when my husband tells me he's craving something American. 😂

When I cooked Lion's Head Meatballs （狮子头）for the first time, it was a huge accomplishment. This dish is very involved and time consuming.

In 2025, I want to bring a fun blog series to you and share what we eat on a weekly basis. I've turned in into a joke that we are buying our own "take-out" food. I'll be assigning my own prices to my dishes as if we were purchasing them from a restaurant. And along the way, I'll share stories about what inspired me to cook them and flavors or ingredients I enjoy. I hope this blog series can inspire you to cook something fun and delicious. I hope cooking can be seen less as a chore and more as a delicious, creative outlet.

Join me in 2025!