Food Wishes Video Recipes (2024)

Your cooking skills might not be the best, but the word onthe street is that you’re pretty good at smashing things, sometimes even onpurpose. If that’s the case, this refreshing, and very addictive smashedcucumber salad is going to be perfect for you. Above and beyond whisking up anextremely simple dressing, the success of this recipe comes down to you beingable to flatten a cucumber with something heavy.

It really is as easy as it sounds, and by crushing ourcucumber before we cut it, we produce flavors that un-smashed cucs can’t. Whenyou crush the cells in a vegetable, as opposed to cutting cleanly through them,certain compounds get mixed together, which can result in a significantly differentflavor.

However, when it comes to cucumber, these ruptured cellsproduce a more desirable flavor, and texture. The only decision you’re going tohave to make, is how long to let the cucumbers marinate in the dressing, if atall. Many chefs will toss and serve immediately, while others like to let thecucumbers chill in the dressing for a little while in the fridge, which is themethod I prefer.

You’ll just have to do some tests to see what you prefer, buteither way, this is one of my all-time favorite cold summer side dishes, and oneI really hope you try very soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 6 portions:
2 English cucumbers (about 1 1/2 pounds total weight)

1 teaspoon granulated white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

2 garlic cloves, finely crushed

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

(or regular rice vinegar with an extra pinch of salt andsugar)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

red pepper flakes, to taste

toasted sesame seeds to garnish

I love coconut rice, especially as a side for spicy, grilledmeats, but when I order it out, it’s usually too sweet for my tastes, and moreclosely resembles dessert than a side dish. So, I decided to create a moresavory version at home, which I eventually did, after a few short decades oftesting.

Turns out that cooking rice in water is way easier than itis in the much thicker coconut milk, and that’s just one of the issues. We alsohave to account for the fat being introduced, which is why I suffered throughcountless failed attempts, before finally nailing this formula. For me thisfeatures a great balance between stickiness and separation.

As far as the taste goes, the only sweetness here comes fromthe coconut milk, and some toasted coconut on top. If you want it sweeter,which apparently lots of chefs do, you can add a spoon of sugar, but that’s notwhat I’m into. I’m going to be serving mine with rich, fatty, oftensweet-glazed meats, so I want a fairly simple, savory rice, that’s just subtlyscented with coconut.

Having said that, there are lots of things you can add, likeherbs, fresh vegetables, and/or sliced spring onions, so personal adaptation isvery much encouraged. So, whether you wait for the grilled hoisin beef teasedherein, or you already have something in mind, I really hope you give thiscoconut rice a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 1/2 cups jasmine or long-grain rice

1 rounded teaspoon finely grated ginger

1⁄2 teaspoon red chili flakes

1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup water

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk (not coconut cream)

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup toasted coconut to garnish

- Bring to a simmer, cover, cook on low for 18 minutes. Turnoff heat, leave covered 5 more minutes, then fluff and serve.

I don’t cook Thai food at home often, mostly because thereare at least a dozen such restaurants within walking distance, but when I do,there’s nothing I enjoy more than this spicy Thai basil chicken. Thai basilsold separately.

No, I didn’t use the real “Holy” basil, but even withregular basil, this simple recipe is spectacular. Aromatic basil is the perfectherb for pairing with the slightly sweet, sort of salty, and possibly spicy,chopped meat.

If you decide to top with an egg, I should mention thatthey’re usually fried much more aggressively, with the edges getting brown andcrispy. I tend to prefer something a little more gently cooked, but either way,or with none at all, I really do hope you give this delicious basil chickenrecipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for two large or four smaller portions:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 pound freshly chopped chicken thighs

1/4 cup sliced shallots

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced Thai chilies, Serrano, or other hotpepper

1/3 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon soy sauce, or as needed

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 bunch basil leaves, sliced very thin with a sharp knife(about a cup once sliced)

This is going to be a pretty easy post to write, since Iknow almost nothing about the fine art of bulgogi. I do know that if you followalong with what I did in the video, you’re going to end up with something verydelicious, and fairly gorgeous, so that’s a good place to start.

I also know that you can control the texture by making yourslices thicker or thinner, as well as changing the marination time. Obviously,the thinner the slice, and the longer it’s in the marinade, the softer and moretender the meat becomes. However, youcan go too far, ending up with something mushy, and unappetizing.

Unfortunately, this is a matter of trial and error, and soto avoid all that, I generally go with just an hour or two, which always seemslike plenty to me. I don’t want mushymeat, in the best examples I’ve had of this in Korean restaurants, whiletender, still had a little bit of chewiness to them. Besides, the fact thatthis is such a fast-acting marinade, is one of the big advantages.

If you don’t do the boneless short ribs, and go with porkloin, or chicken, you’ll want to be especially careful, since it has lessconnective tissue. By the way, if you are an experienced bulgogi master, pleasefeel free to pass any tips along. I really hope to give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:

1 1/4 pound boneless beef short rib, or any other meat,sliced about 1/8-inch thick

4 finely crushed garlic cloves

1 generous tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1/3 cup freshly grated Asian pear

1/4 cup grated yellow onion

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 or 2 tablespoon light brown sugar, depending on how sweetyou like it

1 tablespoon Korean chili flakes (Gochugaru)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

sliced green onions to finish

steamed rice

I don’t make sushi at home very often, or ever, since we’resurrounded by top-notch sushi chefs here in San Francisco, but that doesn’tmean I don’t make sushi rice. I think sushi rice makes a perfect side dish forjust about any grilled meat, and since it’s perfectly fine at room temperature,it’s great for picnics.

You can even turn it into some quick tortilla-less tacosusing nori seaweed wraps, as seen in the video. They make for such a uniquesummer meal – the perfect delivery system for any and all leftovers. I evenseen it rolled into balls, and tossed in toasted sesame seeds, or seaweed, andserved like truffles.

2 cups sushi rice, rinsed well, and left to dry for one hour

2 1/4 cups water

1/4 to 1/3 cup seasoned *rice vinegar, or to taste

* I buy mine already seasoned, but to make your own seasonedrice vinegar; combine:

1 cup rice vinegar, or cider vinegar

1/2 cup white sugar

4 teaspoons kosher salt

There are many of foods I’ll stand in line for, and/or paytoo much for, but Hawaiian-style tuna poke isn’t one of them. I can’t make aworld-class croissant at home. I can make a decent one, but not a perfect one,so I’ll happily queue up at a boulangerie that does.

However, when it comes to poke, the technique is so basicthat even the most inexperienced cooks can get something pretty much identicalto what they’d get out. There’s one catch though. You have to use only thefreshest possible tuna, even if that means it’s frozen.

So, as long as the tuna is Grade A, or sushi grade, thefrozen variety will work. Above and beyond that, all the other ingredients,except for the soy sauce, are optional. So, please use this video as merely aguide to the technique, understanding that this will work with so manydifferent ingredients. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes 4 portions Tuna Poke:

1 pound sushi-grade ahi tuna (aka yellowfin), cut into about3/4-inch cubes

1/4 cup high-quality soy sauce

2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions

2 tablespoons roasted macadamia nuts, crushed

1 tablespoon finely crumbled dried seaweed

1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Other delicious additions include (add to finished poke, notthe marinade, otherwise you may lose that gorgeous appearance):

- seasoned rice vinegar

- lemon or lime juice

* Toss tuna with marinade, and chill for 2 hours in thefridge before serving.

Now that it’s been posted, I can admit this easy, pan-roastedpork loin was just an elaborate tease for a video I’ve wanted to post foryears; the Vietnamese bánh mì sandwich! If you’ve had one, you’ll fully understandmy excitement. If you haven’t, do not miss the next video.

Having admitted my true motivation, I will also say that thisvery tasty technique is impressive enough in its own right. The misleadinglysimple marinade produces big flavor, and by splitting/scoring the pork, we notonly have something that absorbs the seasoning quickly, but also cooked faster,and more uniformly.

I think this particular marinade works great for a 30-minutesoak at room temp. Just keep turning it over every so often, and that’s it, you’reready to cook. Or simply wrap and keep in the fridge for 2-3 hours, or even upto overnight. So, stay tuned for the upcoming bánh mì video, and inthe meantime, I really hope you give pan-roasted pork loin a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 large portions:

2 pound boneless pork loin roast, cut in half lengthwise,and scored

For the marinade:

1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 cloves garlic, finely minced or crushed

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sriracha, or to taste

1 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil for the pan

While virtually unknown compared to most other popularfried party snacks, these shrimp toasts are easy to make, and every bit asdelicious, and addictive, as those Buffalo wings, or jalapeño poppers. Well, allthat’s about to change.

Nobody goes to a friend’s house to watch the game, andexpects to see a plate of these crispy-on-one-side, soft-and-savory-on-the-other-sidetreats, but after a few of you make these, and wordspreads, I’m sure it will just be a matter of time.

These are significantly better served warm than cold, so maybe frythem in batches, and/or keep warm in an oven. And yes, if you don’t do shrimp,any other raw seafood will work. By the way, I have it on good authority thatthese are magnificent served with cold beer, and for that reason alone I hopeyou give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes about 16 Shrimp Toasts:

1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 cup diced water chestnuts

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

1/2 cup green onion, finely sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger

1 anchovy filet

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce, or more to taste

1 egg white

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon paprika

pinch cayenne pepper

pinch of salt

4 large slices white bread

sesame seeds, optional

vegetable oil for frying

I was going to say that one of these days we’ll actuallymake a proper Peking duck recipe, but that’s probably not going to happen. Thattakes multiple steps, several days, and requires a place to hang the ducks todry. Most modern homes don’t have a duck drying room.

However, using this relatively quick and simple technique,we can achieve something kind of similar, which many people would say, allthings considered, is even better. Well,maybe not “many people,” but I would say that. These were really, really good.

If you’re not into lettuce cups for whatever reason, you canalso use this technique for serving whole duck legs. The only difference is,don’t cut them up. Since this is something that can be made well ahead of time,it works nicely for large groups. Just simply reheat, and crisp up the skinbefore serving. I really hope you givethese a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 whole duck legs

1 tbsp veg oil

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons Chinese 5-spice powder

3 green onions, cut into large pieces

5 garlic cloves, halved

For the sauce (everything here is to taste, so please adjust):

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Based on the YouTube comments appearing under the newlyposted spring rolls video, lots of people missed the part about this not tryingto be a specific recipe, but simply a demo featuring the magic that is damp, ricepaper wrappers.

Don’t get me wrong; I love the “authentic” spring rolls I sooften order at my friendly, neighborhood Vietnamese restaurant. Loaded withsweet shrimp, and bursting with vermicelli noodles, they are among the mostdelicious things ever invented.

However, I do reserve the right to soak rice paper wrappersin water, and… (I hope you’re sitting down for this) ...not make those! Whatyou see here is just what I had on hand that day, and the next time I do abatch of these, who the heck knows what they’ll encase. If I have a point,that’s it.

I’ve wanted to film an updated version of this caramel chicken for many years. It was one of the first videos I ever posted, and itsunexpected popularity made me realize that there were actually people(non-relatives) watching these videos.

The original vision for Food Wishes was an online cookingschool, where I’d charge tuition for a series of courses that would mimic the culinaryschool I’d just left. I started filming a few recipes each week, knowing fullwell that only a handful of people would see them, but I had to learn my new craft.

Caramel Chicken, Circa 2007

As the library grew, so did the audience, and I realizedthat instead of charging for the content, I could give it away for free, and maybesurvive on the ad revenue that YouTube was just starting to offer. Above andbeyond that, I was getting emails and comments, telling me that what I wasdoing was making them happy.

This wasn’t something I’d anticipated, and while at the timeI would have preferred money, it was great to hear, and inspired me to push on.The rest, as they say, is history, and every time I got an email asking for anupdated version of this recipe, I would fondly remember how all this came tobe.

So, whether you were here from the very beginning, or you’rebrand new, and will be trying caramel chicken for the very first time, I reallyhope you give this fast, easy, delicious, and historically significant recipe atry soon. Enjoy!

Makes 4 large portions:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in about 1 inchchunks

1/2 cup sliced, seeded jalapeno peppers

1/2 cup sliced, seeded mild red chilies, or bell peppers

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup roasted peanuts

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

4 cups cooked white rice

For the sauce mixture:

2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger

4 cloves finely minced garlic

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup fish sauce

1 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp hot sauce, or to taste

Your classic teriyaki burger is usuallynothing more than a plain patty, which has been glazed in teriyaki sauce; andby “teriyaki sauce,” I mean a thick, one-dimensional syrup made from sugar, soy, and MSG. If you’re enjoying your third pint at a sports bar, these workout just fine, but good luck adapting them for your next cookout.

Here we’re using a different, drierapproach, and adding the key teriyaki flavorings to the ground meat. Thisgives us a burger or slider with the taste of teriyaki, without having to dealwith a sauce. This recipe should work no matter the cooking method, although amedium-hot charcoal grill would be my preference, weather permitting.

No matter how you grill these, Ihighly recommend they end up on a homemade sweet potato slider bun. Besidesanother way to tweak the humble hamburger, this clip was intended to be a sneakpreview for some rather amazing buns. We’ll post that sometime Monday, just incase you want to add it to your 4th of July menu. So stay tuned, and as always,enjoy!

Ingredients for four (4-oz) burgers:

1 pound ground beef (85/15 lean to fat ratio)

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sake

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tsp sriracha, or other hot sauce to taste

2 tsp brown sugar

I’ve always loved green curries, but until a recent visit toAl’s Place, I’d never thought of using fresh, sweet peas as the base. It wasamazing, and after only a few bites I knew I'd steal this idea and make itmy own. Sorry, Al.

Their version featured pickled strawberries, but I decidedto try a different approach, and used diced, fresh berries instead. I didn’tuse any palm sugar or coconut milk, so the sweetness they provided pairedperfectly with the brightly seasoned sauce.

As I mentioned in the video, I used a jarred curry paste, ThaiKitchen Green Curry Paste, to be exact, and it works just fine. It contains greenchili, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, salt, shallot, pepper, coriander, cumin, andkaffir lime, which is pretty much what you’d grind up to make a fresh greencurry.

Next time I’ll make the paste from scratch just to see howmuch better it is, but I have to admit, the trade-off in time and effort is prettyattractive. Speaking of attractive, this lovely bowl of spring goodness surewould look good on your table, so I hope you give this spring pea green curry atry soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 appetizer-sized portions:

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

3 tablespoons green curry paste, plus more to taste

2 cups chicken broth

1 pound trimmed sugar snap peas, snow peas, or English peas

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 pound boneless black cod (aka butterfish or sablefish),but into eight 2-oz pieces, skin scored 1/8^th inch deep

4 tablespoons diced strawberry

2 teaspoons mint chiffonade

Every year about this time, I get a bunch of emails askingwhich of our previously posted oven-fried chicken wing methods is the best. Inever know how to respond, since I think they’re all pretty close, but now Ifinally have a definitive answer…this one!

By the way, the honey-sriracha glaze is quite delicious andincredibly simple, but merely an afterthought here. The real star of the showis the strange, but effective technique of coating the wings with a bakingpowder-laced spice rub before baking. Through the magic of chemical reactions,the surface of the chicken becomes bone-dry, and eventually crisps up tosomething very similar to what would come out of a deep fryer.

I’m not exactly sure who originally invented this; I heard about it via America's Test Kitchen, but thatdoesn’t really matter, since the only thing that really matters is who people10 years from now think invented this. And if this is video somehow goes viral, that could be me. To that end,I really hope you give this unusual, and highly effective method, and honey-srirachasauce a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 1/2 pounds chicken wing sections

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp smoked paprika

2 tbsp baking powder (aluminum free)

- Coat wings, and bake at 425 F., turning every 15-20minutes, until they are browned and crispy. Total cooking time will be about 1hour, but that depends on the size and temperature of your wings.

For the Honey Sriracha glaze:

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup Sriracha

1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 tsp sesame oil

sesame seeds to garnish

Living in San Francisco, I’ve had more than my fair share ofcrab; prepared in more ways than I can remember, but I’ve never enjoyed it morethan in this Singapore-style chili crabs recipe. Just be sure to have lots of napkinsaround. Lots of napkins.

Apparently, this is the national dish of Singapore, and youcan’t throw a rock without hitting someone eating a plate of it. By the way,that’s not something you’d want to try. Just ask Michael P. Fay.

As far as I can tell, there’s no one standard way to makethis. Besides the crab, and some kind oftomato product, I couldn’t find two recipes alike. What you see here is my takeon this, but it does contain many of the most typical ingredients.

Obviously the most important ingredient is the crab, so findsomething really nice. The store up thestreet had a special on freshly steamed, Dungeness crab, so that’s what I usedhere, but any similar variety will work.

If you can somehow get live crabs, that’s the ultimatechoice, but I know that’s not realisticfor most of you. The good news is, this is incredibly delicious either way. Ireally hope you give this Singapore-style chili crabs recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

2 whole cooked Dungeness crabs (about 2-3 lbs. each),cleaned and cracked

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 cup minced shallots, or other onion

6 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp minced fresh ginger root

1 tbsp minced serrano pepper

For the sauce:

1/2 cup tomato ketchup

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon tamarind paste

2 tablespoon sambal (or any spicy ground chili sauce)

2 tsp fish sauce

2 tsp palm sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup chicken broth or water

Finish with:

2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

2 tbsp sliced green onions (the green parts) or 1 tbspsliced chives

I don’t do a lot of copycat recipes; mostly because I don’teat at the restaurants people are requesting the recipes from. I mean, unlessthey're going to throw in a couple bottles of wine, I’m not going to Olive Gardento figure out how they do their breadsticks. These chicken lettuce wraps however, are a delicious exception.

When I go back to visit my mom, we usually make it to P.F.Chang’s at least once, and always start the meal with their very popularchicken lettuce wraps. Off the record, they do a good job with most of thedishes I’ve had, but the wraps are clearly my favorite.

One key here is to use a very large, non-stick pan, so the braisingliquid/glaze sticks to the bits of food, rather than the bottom of the pan. Otherthan that, the technique is pretty simple, and not a lot can go wrong…unlessyou try to use chicken breast. Even if you think you don’t like them, use thighs, because in this you will. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 8 large or 16 smaller lettuce wraps:

Chicken mixture:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped

1/2 cup yellow onion, minced

1/3 cup green onion

1 can (8-oz ) water chestnuts, drained, minced

1 cup diced shiitake mushrooms

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

For the glaze:

1/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 tsp mustard powder

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp red chili flakes, or to taste

4 garlic cloves, minced

about 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, basil leaves, and greenonions to finish

iceberg lettuce leaves as needed