Vegetable Tempura with Vegan Dipping Sauce

Looking for an easy dinnertime recipe? This restaurant-quality Japanese vegetable tempura takes just 30 minutes to make and is a great way to use up those leftover veggies–with a delicious twist!

In this time of quarantine, there are many things that I surprisingly do not miss. For instance, I don’t miss having to change out of PJs for actual-people-clothes when there’s daylight outside. I don’t miss having to spend an extra $150 a month on gas, or passing out on my couch immediately after getting home from a long day at work, or forgetting my lunch at home and wolfing … Read more

Japanese Tofu Katsu Curry

This Japanese Tofu Katsu Curry is the perfect vegetarian-friendly comfort food. Made in only 30 minutes, this dish makes a great bento lunch, too–if you have any leftovers from dinner, that is!

Guys, I have a serious problem. I just got back from Japan last week and am DYING to try every single Japanese recipe I can think of!

The versatility of Japanese cuisine is, simply put, extraordinary. From classic dishes such as shrimp tempura udon and sushi to beautifully reimagined adaptations such as matcha (green tea) mille crepe cake or this 3-ingredient Japanese cheesecake, there is no doubt … Read more

Vegetarian Bangers and Mash

“Bangers and Mash” is a quintessentially British meal with a predictably bizarre-sounding name. The word “bangers” comes from an early-twentieth-century reference to the fact that sausages would make popping sounds when fried (due to their high water content during meat shortages), while “mash” is simply short for “mashed potatoes.” This delicious vegetarian spin uses pre-made Italian veggie sausages and the fluffiest mashed potatoes recipe ever!

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Well, it’s official! GUESS WHO’S HEADED TO HARRY POTTER STUDIOS IN LONDON THIS SUMMER?!

Yeahhh, this girl is. Whoo-hoo!

Visiting the Hogwarts film set at Leavesdon Studios has been a dream of mine ever since … Read more

Orange-Glazed Tofu Bowls

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BalancedMealsMadeEasy #CollectiveBias

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Excuse the radio silence here for the past few weeks, but I have so much to catch you guys up on!

With June right around the corner, dissertation-writing has officially kicked into overdrive: I still have my final chapter to go (eeps!), not to mention tons of revisions, an intro, and a conclusion. But what’s 100+ pages in four three months anyway, right? *cry*

To keep myself sane, I’ve been trying a whole bunch of new, exciting things lately–which I know … Read more

Hong Kong Style Ketchup Fried Rice

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KetchupWithFrenchs #CollectiveBias

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If you’re like me, your friends laugh when you try to talk to them about football. I’m actually quite well-versed in first downs, punts, and incompletes–I even played some touch football in high school–but somehow I never found the patience to sit down for a game, and sooner or later everyone just assumed that I wasn’t interested in the sport (which was mostly true).

Now that the end of grad school is in sight, though (!!!), and now that I’m plotting … Read more

Roasted Maple Brussel Sprouts

“I’ve never met a brussel sprout I didn’t like!”

…said nobody ever.

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My first encounter with the infamous brussel sprout didn’t happen until grad school. While kids around the Western world were crinkling their noses at piles of mushy, oversteamed sprouts, I was gobbling up perfectly stir-fried bok choy and steamed gai lan at home. Naturally, I was curious about the villainized vegetable when my friend finally served it at a potluck, and I brought the fork to my lips with a hint of trepidation before taking a nibble. But surprise surprise: it was delicious!

Of course, I’ve had tons … Read more

Top 10 Recipes of 2016

A few weeks ago, I posted some of my very favorite photos from this year. Now that it’s the last Thursday of 2016, I’m throwing back to some of this year’s most popular and viewed recipes!

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10. Copycat Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

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If you secretly make trips to Red Lobster just so you can stuff your with their famous, melt-in-your-mouth buttery Cheddar Bay Biscuits, here’s some good news for the new year: now you can make (and enjoy) them in your own home! (Recipe here.)

9. Slutty Cheesecake Bars

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A thick layer of chocolate chip blondie, … Read more

Risotto Al Funghi (Mushroom Risotto)

In a way, it’s a bittersweet feeling to sit down and write what I suddenly realize will be my final (dedicated) post about my travel in Europe this summer. It’s been over two months since I returned from the final leg of my visit in Italy, yet it’s hard to imagine how differently my summer would have panned out–how different everything might be right now–if I hadn’t decided 5 months ago to take this trip. So with a bowl of this creamy mushroom risotto in hand (it’s one of my favorite Italian dishes and not as difficult to make as … Read more

Watercress Pesto Pasta

 Europe trip recap! If you haven’t caught up on my three-week sojourn in the other hemisphere, so far I’ve talked about British bakeries, spending my birthday abroad, real-life Harry Potter encounters, some personal details from my trip in the UK, the beautiful city of Edinburgh, and lots of food (and Guinness!) in Ireland. And of course, the adventures continue below!

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Italy was a world in and of itself. I had visited Rome and Venice once in seventh grade, but this trip–taken nearly 14 years later–was something special. After a one-day layover from Ireland to … Read more

Asian Sesame Pasta with Steamed Broccoli

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DareToPair #CollectiveBias

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Last year, when the sneak-peek movie clip featuring broccoli-topped pizza from Inside-Out was first released, my Italian friend sent the link to me, laughing as he quoted Anger:

“Congratulations San Francisco–you’ve ruined pizza!”

As it so happens, I love broccoli on anything–even pizza–and I stand my ground when I say that it makes a great, refreshing topping for one of my favorite homemade meals: Asian sesame pasta. Luckily, I recently learned that this same Italian friend buys Barilla pasta, … Read more