Is there anything that says summer more than fresh homemade pesto prepared with basil straight from the garden? Bouquets of fresh basil are one of my favorite summertime farmers market finds, and if you’re anything like me, there are few things that feel like a sunny summertime moment quite like embracing a big bouquet of beautiful basil and being intoxicated from its bright and bold scent. Mmm… So when I saw that my in-laws’ herb garden was over-flourishing into a massive wild bush, I was more than happy to take a few (and a few more) bunches of basil off their hands.

My easy breezy homemade pesto

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On Friday, Carnegie Deli, a true New York City landmark in Midtown Manhattan, shuttered its doors for the final time.  After 79 years of bringing the best of Jewish deli culture to New Yorkers and international travelers alike, the family-owned business said goodbye.  To have an idea of how much the Carnegie Deli was a part of New York City culture, historic and new, you simply have to take a look around the small but warm dining room.  Covering the walls are countless autographed photographs of visitors and lovers of Carnegie Deli, from Old Hollywood stars, international political figures, to today’s Instagram icons.

Stillness in the dining room before the start of the last opening day

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Before I knew it, autumn flew by and now Christmas is right around the corner.  Winter mornings are the perfect time to enjoy a warm and comforting bowl of oatmeal, and I love to dress up an everyday bowl of oats with rich coconut milk and gorgeous winter fruits like pomegranates…  Continue reading →

For as long as I can remember, I have always had a special place in my heart (and stomach) for hot pot.  Known as “huo guo” in Chinese, which translates literally to “fire pot,” hot pot of all kinds always brings memories of festive family feasts filled with colorful arrangements of thinly sliced lamb, mushrooms of all kinds, crisp and leafy vegetables… the possibilities are endless!  During my most recent trip home, my hot pot craving was happily satisfied by an afternoon feast of fresh fish hot pot. Continue reading →

As some of you may have noticed, GoodCookingGoodLooking.com was out of commission for a few days in mid-October due to an unexpected cyber attack.  While I was, very fortunately and with many thanks to my trusty IT consultant, able to restore most of the content on the site, our previous security settings prevented us from keeping all of the comments from our readers.

I love hearing from you!  Please continue to share your thoughts with me as GCGL is up and running again.  A new post on my hometown eating adventures will be up soon, and I hope to hear from you then!

Friends, by the time you are reading this post, I’ve arrived in Dalian, China on a much anticipated trip home.  It has been over a year since I’ve been home, which is much too long.  In celebration of this very special occasion, and in honor of my grandpa, an authentic Beijing-er, who first instilled in me a passion for great cooking, I’d like to share with you all our homemade recipe for Zhajiangmian (pronounced ja-jiong-mien), which translates quite literally to Fried Sauce Noodles.

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So much sushi in New York City!  From $20 all-you-can-eat East Village joints to out-of-this-world omakases on months-long waitlists, NYC offers infinite options for sushi lovers.  One recently-discovered favorite of mine has been Sushi Yasaka in the Upper West Side, much due to head sushi chef Yoshi’s elegant traditional omakase.

Latest Friday evening omakase with Chef Yoshi

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Before I knew it, yet another gorgeous summer in the city flew by. Fortunately, the summer sun is still shining bright in New York City.  In honor of the brightest of seasons, I took a few extra trips to the Hell’s Kitchen Greenmarket to savor the best of summertime produce.

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Hello there!  And so great of you to visit!  

After much encouragement from the kindest of friends and family who have, over the years, tolerated my healthy obsession with the joy of eating and a brief technology tutorial from my very patient IT consultant, I am so delighted and admittedly a bit nervous to share with you what I hope to be a diary of my adventures, both in food and in life.  As this is just the very beginning, please bear with me as I learn to build an enjoyable sharing experience for you and for me.

Coming up next, a few summertime favorites…