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Braising is the most forgiving cooking technique โ and the most underrated
Roasting has a narrow time window. Sautรฉing requires attention. Braising allows for a 30-minute delay in either direction without ruining the dish. The long collagen breakdown of tough cuts produces textures that expensive cuts can't achieve. Low effort, high reward. The professional chef's secret for weeknight cooking.
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Making tare at home โ the process is simpler than you think
Shoyu tare: soy sauce, mirin, sake, kombu, dried shiitake, reduce to 60% volume, strain. Takes 40 minutes. Stores refrigerated for months. Once you have quality tare you can turn any decent broth into good ramen. The tare is 50% of the dish. Making it from scratch changes the result completely.
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Shoyu ramen and tonkotsu are completely different categories โ stop conflating them
Shoyu ramen and tonkotsu ramen are two completely different categories!! Conflating them is wrong on every level!! Classification is based on the broth foundation, not the toppings. Shoyu (้คๆฒน) ramen uses chicken or pork bone stock seasoned with soy sauce โ it's a clear broth style. Tonkotsu (่ฑ้ชจ) ramen boils pork bones to collagen extraction, producing the opaque white broth โ an entirely different preparation, texture, and flavour profile. "It's just a bowl of noodles" is not an acceptable take. A proper tonkotsu broth takes 18+ hours minimum. The craft deserves the correct vocabulary.
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Korean cooking basics that changed how I cook Western food too
Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes) has a heat profile that works in pasta, grilled vegetables, and eggs. Doenjang (fermented soybean paste) is similar in application to miso but earthier. Starting with these two ingredients changed my baseline cooking more than any Western pantry addition has.
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Eating where locals eat โ the only reliable filter I use
Walk 4-6 blocks from the tourist district center. Restaurants without English menus or without picture menus serve local customers as their primary clientele. High table turnover at lunch means the food is good and affordable. In 40+ countries this filter has worked every single time except once.
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That sauce needs a few drops of fish sauce โ the umami science is real, Kenji covered this
That sauce genuinely needs a few drops of fish sauce for depth โ the umami science backs this up, Kenji did a whole breakdown on it!! Fish sauce carries both glutamate and inosinate โ the two primary umami compounds. When both are present simultaneously, the synergistic effect can amplify perceived umami up to eightfold versus either compound alone. A few drops is all it takes; you won't taste fish. I've watched that Kenji episode five times. The sauce structure analysis section specifically. I'll be honest โ I haven't actually tested it myself yet, but the theory is rock solid. Has anyone actually tried this?
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The one pantry staple that upgrades everything โ fish sauce
I put fish sauce in chili. In pasta sauce. In marinades. In salad dressing. Not as a dominant flavor โ as a background amplifier. 1/2 teaspoon in a pot of tomato sauce adds savory depth that people can't identify but will ask you about. It doesn't taste fishy when cooked properly. It tastes like more.
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Shoyu vs shio โ the tare distinction that matters more than the broth
Most people evaluate ramen by the broth. The actual differentiator is the tare (the concentrated seasoning mixed in). Same chicken broth with a well-made shoyu tare vs shio tare produces a different dish in flavor profile, balance, and finish. The tare is the chef's signature. The broth is the foundation.
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Taipei's Most Worthwhile Breakfast Spots โ A Walkthrough (II)
Taipei has a breakfast culture that's genuinely unique in the world, and I've been working my way through some of the best spots. There's a danbing (egg crepe) stall near Zhongshan Station with a house-made chili sauce that completely changes the experience. A Japanese-style brunch spot near Yongkang Street serves portions that are absurdly generous for the price. And there's a noodle shop in a ground-floor apartment where the owner has been simmering the broth for six hours every morning for fifteen years. Breakfast is the meal where Taipei's soul is most visible.
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Homemade Taiwanese Congee (Xian Zhou): The Full Method (II)
Taiwanese savory congee looks deceptively simple but getting the texture and aroma right requires attention to a few key details. First, the rice: long-grain Thai rice develops the right grainy texture that Taiwanese-style congee requires โ short-grain becomes too starchy and gluey. Second, the broth base: pork bone and dried shiitake mushroom broth is the soul of the dish; shortcuts here show. Third, the sequence matters: stir-fry aromatics first to unlock the flavor compounds, fold in the rice and briefly coat it, then add broth gradually and simmer. Never rush the last twenty minutes.
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Taipei's Most Worthwhile Breakfast Spots โ A Walkthrough (II)
Taipei has a breakfast culture that's genuinely unique in the world, and I've been working my way through some of the best spots. There's a danbing (egg crepe) stall near Zhongshan Station with a house-made chili sauce that completely changes the experience. A Japanese-style brunch spot near Yongkang Street serves portions that are absurdly generous for the price. And there's a noodle shop in a ground-floor apartment where the owner has been simmering the broth for six hours every morning for fifteen years. Breakfast is the meal where Taipei's soul is most visible.
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Homemade Taiwanese Congee (Xian Zhou): The Full Method
Taiwanese savory congee looks deceptively simple but getting the texture and aroma right requires attention to a few key details. First, the rice: long-grain Thai rice develops the right grainy texture that Taiwanese-style congee requires โ short-grain becomes too starchy and gluey. Second, the broth base: pork bone and dried shiitake mushroom broth is the soul of the dish; shortcuts here show. Third, the sequence matters: stir-fry aromatics first to unlock the flavor compounds, fold in the rice and briefly coat it, then add broth gradually and simmer. Never rush the last twenty minutes.
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Taipei's Most Worthwhile Breakfast Spots โ A Walkthrough
Taipei has a breakfast culture that's genuinely unique in the world, and I've been working my way through some of the best spots. There's a danbing (egg crepe) stall near Zhongshan Station with a house-made chili sauce that completely changes the experience. A Japanese-style brunch spot near Yongkang Street serves portions that are absurdly generous for the price. And there's a noodle shop in a ground-floor apartment where the owner has been simmering the broth for six hours every morning for fifteen years. Breakfast is the meal where Taipei's soul is most visible.
