Taste of Home

Congee

Congee

Recipe by: Made With Lau
Website: https://www.madewithlau.com/recipes/chicken-congee

Chicken Congee

Congee is indeed a type of rice porridge, popular in many Asian cultures. It's a comforting and simple dish, often enjoyed as a breakfast or light meal. The basic version involves cooking rice in a lot of water or broth until it breaks down into a thick, creamy texture. It can be made savory or sweet and is often served with toppings like green onions, ginger, meats, or vegetables. Congee is a childhood dish that holds a deep and irreplaceable place in my heart, bringing back memories that never grow old. Every time I have it, I’m reminded of the times I used to visit my grandparents' house for breakfast, where the comforting aroma of congee would fill the air, making everything feel warm and familiar. It also takes me back to the bustling energy of dim sum restaurants, where I’d enjoy congee as part of a weekend brunch with family. Despite its simplicity, there's something so soothing and heartwarming about this dish—it’s more than just food. It's a connection to my roots, my family, and those intimate moments of joy and love. For me, congee is like a warm hug for the soul, a dish that brings comfort no matter how many times I’ve had it.

Ingredients

Congee

Chicken Marnatied Additional Seasonings Garnishes

Step 1: Wash rice

We'll start by washing our rice (1 rice cup) in a bowl:

Step 2: Boil water, chop veggies

Step 3: Prepare chicken

Step 4: Start boiling rice

Step 5: Cover pot and wait

Once the pot is boiling again, we'll partially cover the pot and let it cook at medium heat for 25 minutes.

Step 6: Whisk rice

Once we've hit 25 minutes, we can either proceed with this step or cook it for longer.
Anyway, if you're happy with where your rice is at, start whisking the pot rapidly and constantly for 2 to 3 minutes. This helps speed up our cooking time, and helps break down the rice into smaller, fluffier pieces.

Step 7: Cook chicken

Set the stove to high heat, and slowly add the chicken over the course of 30 to 60 seconds, stirring constantly as you go. If you add it all at once, it will clump up.
Stir the chicken around for another 1 to 2 minutes. Once the pot is boiling again, check to see that the chicken is cooked through.

Step 8: Add seasonings, ginger

Almost there! Add the strips of ginger, as well as salt (1 tsp) and chicken bouillon (1 tsp). Stir everything around for 20 to 30 seconds.

Step 9: Plate, garnish, enjoy!

Turn off the heat, and pour the jook into your favorite bowl. Garnish with the green onions and cilantro.

Hongkongstyle

Hong Kong Style Egg Tarts

Recipe by: Tasty
Website: https://tasty.co/recipe/hong-kong-style-egg-tarts

Egg Tarts

The Tasty webiste recipe for egg tarts is a great place to start when making cantoneses style recipes. They provide a detail step by step decription, as well as images to follow along. The format of this webite makes it very user friendly and easy to guide through.
Egg tarts hold a special place in my childhood, bringing back warm memories of weekend mornings spent with family. I remember the excitement of visiting the local bakery or dim sum restaurant, where the golden, flaky crusts and soft, custardy centers of the egg tarts were a treat I always looked forward to. Biting into one felt like comfort wrapped in layers—both crisp and creamy at the same time. The sweet, delicate taste instantly brings me back to those simple moments of joy, surrounded by loved ones, savoring the warmth and sweetness of home.

Ingredients

Custard Filling

  • 4 eggs, beatem, reserve 2 tablespoons for the pastry dough
  • ¾ cup water(180 mL), hot
    • 6 tablespoons sugar ⅛ teaspoon salt, pinch ¼ cup evaporated milk(60 mL) vanilla extract, a dash, optional

Pastry Dough

  • 2 cups cake flour(200 g), plus extra for dusting
  • 115 g unsalted butter(115 g), room temperature
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar(40 g)
  • 2 tablespoons egg, beaten
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • vanilla extract, a dash, optional

Step 1:

  • For the pastry, in a large bowl, sift flour, sugar, and salt.
  • Add softened butter.
  • Bring the mixture together with your hands, careful not to knead the pastry dough too much or you will make the pastry tough.

Step 2:

  • Whisk the egg yolks and add the 2 tablespoons of beaten yolk to the flour mixture
  • Bring together until smooth. If the dough is too sticky, coating your hands with flour will help.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and then refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until the dough is firm.

Step 3:

  • To make the custard filling, melt sugar and salt with hot water.
  • Mix until dissolved then let cool.

Step 4:

  • Add the rest of the beaten egg yolk.
  • Stir in sugar water and also evaporated milk (if adding vanilla, add now). Stir and combine everything well.

Step 5:

  • Strain the filling to ensure no lumps. Chill in the refrigerator.

Step 6:

  • Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C.)

Step 7:

  • Take the dough out and divide into 16 equal portions.
  • Spray the tart pan with a light coating of oil.
  • Take one portion of your dough and roll it into a ball and place in your tart shell.
    • Press the shell into the pan with your fingers. Try to make the wrapper uniform in thickness and avoid a thick bottom Repeat to finish all.

Step 8:

  • Pour the custard filling into the shells until it is about 80% full..
  • Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the surface becomes golden brown and a toothpick can stand in the egg tart.

Step 9:

    Cool down for several minutes and then take the egg tarts out of the pan. Serve while still warm.

Soup

Tong Jyun

Recipe by: Made With Lau
Website: https://www.madewithlau.com/recipes/savory-tong-jyun

Tong jyun is a dish that brings back cherished memories of Sunday mornings spent in the kitchen with my mom. Every week, we would gather the ingredients, carefully shaping the sticky rice balls and filling them with sweet or savory fillings. The warmth of the kitchen, the comforting aroma of ginger broth simmering on the stove, and the simple joy of sharing this tradition with my mom made it special. It wasn't just about making the dish, but the quiet moments of bonding, laughter, and love that we shared while creating something together. This recipe provides a authntic style of cantonese cooking that I would also help out with as a kid.

Ingredients

Main Ingredients

  • 3 lb glutinous rice flour (If you are serving 3-4 people, 1lb is enough. You may need extra depending on softness/dryness later on.)
  • 1.5 oz dried shrimp
  • 2.3 oz dried shiitake mushroom
  • 7.5 oz fresh/thawed shrimp
  • 12 oz fish balls
  • 3 piece Chinese sausage
  • 0.75 lb chicken breast
  • 6 oz king oyster mushroom
  • 3 lb white radish
  • 1.5 lb napa cabbage
  • 4.5 oz carrot
    • 1.5 handful cilantro 1.5 handful spring onion 1.5 piece ginger 3 clove garlic 21 oz chicken broth
Soup Seasoning
  • 3 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp sugar
  • 0.38 tsp white pepper
  • 1.5 tsp sesame oil
  • 1.5 tsp dark soy sauce
  • 1.5 tsp fish sauce
Other Ingredients
  • 3 tsp cornstarch
  • 1.5 tbsp cornstarch
  • 0.75 tsp salt
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 24 oz hot water
  • 12 oz cold water
  • 9 cup water
  • 3 tbsp oil

Step 1: Prepare ingredients

  • Wash and soak dried shrimps (1.5 oz) for 10 mins.
  • Dried shiitake mushrooms (2.3 oz) for 15 mins in warm water.
  • Devein fresh shrimps (7.5 oz) and marinate with cornstarch (3 tsp).
  • Once the shiitake mushrooms are fully hydrated, cut them into slices as well as the Chinese sausages (3 piece).
  • Cut the chicken breast (0.75 lb) half length-wise then into thin slices.
  • Marinate with cornstarch (1.5 tbsp), salt (0.75 tsp), and water (3 tbsp).
  • Peel and wash the white radish (3 lb). Cut diagonally in 1/4" slices. Lay the slices down, overlapping slightly, and chop them into strips.
  • Cut the end off napa cabbage (1.5 lb), separate the leaves and wash thoroughly. Cut the stems into 1/2" pieces and continue to chop the rest of the cabbage at 1" pieces.
  • For the carrot (4.5 oz), cut into thin strips.
  • Smash and cut ginger (1.5 piece) and garlic (3 clove).
  • Wash and roughly chop the spring onions (1.5 handful) and cilantro (1.5 handful).
  • Slice the king oyster mushroom (6 oz) into 1/2" slices and cut again into 1/4" strips.

    • Set all ingredients to the side and make your dough.

Step 2: Make dough

  • In a large bowl, add rice flour (3 lb), stir slowly with chopsticks as you drizzle in hot water (24 oz). What you are making is a half-cooked dough. When it is safe to mix with your hands, do so and knead slowly until all the hot water has been mixed in. Add in cold water (12 oz).
  • Knead the dough until well combined and becomes smooth. If the dough feels too soft, add more rice flour.
  • Or if you notice that the dough keeps sticking to your hands in clumps after kneading for a while, add some more rice flour to keep it from sticking to your hands. You can add about 1 oz of rice flour to the bowl with the dough and knead a bit more to make sure that it's dry enough to not stick to your hands but still maintains a slightly sticky consistency.

Step 3: Create rice balls

  • Dust your working surface with a bit of rice flour. Take the dough into smaller pieces and roll them into long tubes on the working surface.
  • Cut them into your preferred size with a knife or cutter. We suggest you make them about an inch or an inch and a half in diameter.
  • Take a cut piece of dough and place it between your flattened palms. The top palm should push onto the dough and roll it around until it takes the form of a ball.

Step 4: Boil rice balls

  • In a large wok, bring water to a boil.
  • Add your rice balls and cook them with the lid on until they float.
  • Make sure to stir occasionally so they don't stick to the wok. You know they're done when they float to the top. This takes about 7-8 minutes.
  • Remove rice balls and place them into a bowl of cold water. This prevents them from being too soft to be put back into the soup.

Step 5: Stir-fry ingredients

  • Pre-heat the wok on high heat and add oil (3 tbsp)
  • Heat the oil for 30 seconds before adding the ginger (1.5 piece) and garlic (3 clove).
  • Add dried shrimp (1.5 oz)s and let the oil bloom its flavor.
  • Cook for 30 seconds until it becomes fragrant.
  • Add Chinese sausage (3 piece) and cook for 30 seconds to render out the fat.
  • Add white radish (3 lb) and stir-fry for 40-50 seconds, then add the shiitake mushroom (2.3 oz) and carrots (4.5 oz). Stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Step 6: Add broth & cook ingredients

  • Add chicken broth (21 oz) and let simmer for about a minute.
  • Add water (9 cup). Note that our measurements for water here is based on the size of our wok and what we taste we prefer. Adjust accordingly.
  • Let the soup come to a boil with the lid on the wok for about 2.5 to 3 minutes.
  • In the meantime, drain rice balls. Once the soup is boiling, add the napa cabbage (1.5 lb) and king oyster mushrooms (6 oz). Put the lid back on and bring the soup to a boil again. This will take about 2 minutes.
  • Turn the heat down to medium and add the chicken (0.75 lb) that was marinating in cornstarch, salt, and water. Make sure to spread the pieces around the wok and submerge them in the hot soup so they cook evenly. Cook for about 40-50 seconds.
  • Add the marinated shrimps (7.5 oz) in the same way as the chicken. Spread out in the wok and submerged in the soup. Cook for one minute.

Step 7: Add flavors & cooked ingredients

  • To season the soup, add salt (3 tsp), sugar, white pepper (0.38 tsp), sesame oil (1.5 tsp), soy sauce (1.5 tsp), and fish sauce (1.5 tsp). Mix and add spring onions (1.5 handful) and cilantro (1.5 handful).
  • Turn off heat, stir gently, add fish balls (12 oz). Let them warm up in the soup and add the cooked glutinous rice balls.

Step 8: Taste test & serve

Finally, taste to adjust the flavors of the soup. Turn the heat back to high heat to bring the soup to a boil. Serve the soup piping hot. Serve once it's to your taste! This is usually served in a large serving pot or bowl and everyone can take the amount they want in smaller individual bowls.

Addtional Recipe Websites:

Food Network:

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/ghanaian-salad-12514118
Food Network is another good website for their formating. I love how they are able to add the top image and then underneath the small frames help separate the content of cooking time and ingendents need.

Made With Lau:

https://www.madewithlau.com/recipes/chicken-congee
Made with Lau is a great recipe website that has a simplstic, but at the same time detailed formate. I love the way that they added thier video in different time stamps next to the text of each step. Over all it's a good reference for the formate of the way they show their steps.

Tasty

https://tasty.co/recipe/hong-kong-style-egg-tarts
Tasty's website is more on the cute and bubble side of the website design. It provides a colorful and welcoming feeling as you go through the webiste. The way that the website for the recipe is formated to be short and concise.

Addtional Nonrecipe Websites:

Kismetla
https://www.kismetla.com/home

I love the style of animation text that they add to the bottom of the page as well as the way they framed their images and can change shape as you interact with it.

Fat Choy
https://www.fatchoynyc.com/

I love the style of art in the background as well, the font and the way the frame the images is simple but helps it stand out. This would be great to use when showing images step by step to help guide people through.

Wenxin Wendy Jiu Webiste
https://www.wenxinwendyju.com/

I love this website for the transtions of the photo images sliding out to reveal itself as you scroll down the page. It makes it feel very interactive and something that i hope to add into my webiste.