herbandlime 
Steaming is the gentlest way to cook fish, and this Cantonese-style preparation keeps it simple: ginger and scallion under and over the fillets, a short steam, then soy sauce and a sizzle of hot oil to finish. Because steaming times swing with fillet thickness, this version defines the thickness up front and relies on a … Read more
This recipe takes the classic Vietnamese lemongrass marinade — lemongrass, garlic, sugar, black pepper — and puts it on tofu instead of chicken. Pressing the tofu first gives it a firm, crispable exterior; searing it hot gives the sauce something to cling to; and a tangle of fresh herbs at the end keeps it bright. … Read more
Nuoc cham is the sweet-sour-salty dipping sauce that shows up next to nearly everything in Vietnamese cooking: spring rolls, noodle bowls, grilled meats, fried snacks. It is made from just five ingredients — fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, water, and garlic — but the balance is personal, so this recipe gives you a reliable starting … Read more
This is a clear, brothy soup rather than a creamy one: mushrooms give the broth its savor, ginger and garlic keep it bright, and bok choy goes in near the end so the leaves stay green and just tender. The timing matters — bok choy leaves overcook fast, turning drab and soft if they simmer … Read more
Bok choy might be the most rewarding vegetable for a first-time container gardener. It’s fast (baby bok choy in as little as 30 days, full heads in 45–60), it doesn’t need a huge pot, and it actually prefers the cool weather that makes tomatoes sulk. If you’ve got a patio pot and a bag of … Read more
Tom yum is the clear, hot-sour Thai soup: a broth infused with lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves, tinted brick-red with roasted chili paste, sharpened with lime juice off the heat, and finished with shrimp added at the very end so they stay tender. It reads sour first, then salty, then hot. This is the … Read more
Vietnamese lemongrass chicken (ga xao sa ot) tastes like a restaurant favorite but cooks like a weeknight dinner. Boneless chicken thighs soak up a punchy marinade of fresh lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, and sugar, then hit a hot grill or skillet until the edges turn golden and caramelized. Serve it over steamed jasmine rice with … Read more
Egg fried rice is the simplest fried rice there is: rice, egg, scallions, seasoning. What makes it work is the rice — grains cooked a day ahead and refrigerated come out drier and fry up as separate grains instead of clumps. The other half is pan discipline: high heat, and not overloading the pan so … Read more
Larb is the bright, herby minced-meat salad of Thailand and Laos: ground chicken cooked through, then seasoned off the heat with fish sauce, lime juice, and chili flakes, tossed with toasted rice powder for a nutty crunch, and finished with mint, cilantro, and green onions. It is salty, sour, and spicy — in that order … Read more
How to Prepare Lemongrass for Cooking: Trim, Bruise, Mince, Store Lemongrass looks intimidating the first time you hold it — a bundle of tough, fibrous stalks that seem more like yard waste than food. The whole trick is knowing that most of the stalk is packaging. The usable part is the tender core at the … Read more