Living in the city of Baltimore, I find it difficult to come across good and real Chinese food. So whenever I return home, I ask my mom to cook my favorite Chinese foods (dumplings, steamed buns, etc.) Growing up, my mom would always cook Chinese food for our family. However, when I started cooking by myself I found it hard to replicate her dishes because I didn’t have a recipe that quantified the ingredients.

Last week when I was home, my mom and I cooked a few of her dishes. We measured out the ingredients together so we could quantify the exact measurements to create a recipe. We cooked several spicy dishes such as fish, chicken, and cold noodles. These recipes require many of the same ingredients, such as ginger, garlic, and soy sauce (the basic staples of Chinese cooking). With these ingredients, you can make a variety of Chinese dishes!

I especially loved the chicken recipe because it was easy and extremely flavorful from all the spices. When I returned to Baltimore, it was one of the first things I cooked. My roommates were all amazed by the delicious smell that filled the room. Because the dish is so flavorful, it can be served with a simple vegetable, such as broccoli, and rice.