Food for Thought: Made with Lau

Posted on April 7, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers

I had a large bag of carrots and googled “Chinese carrot recipe” hoping for a new way to prepare them.  Dad’s Stir Fry Carrots was the top hit. It’s on Made with Lau, a two-time James Beard Award winner which shares the skills of a Chinese restaurant chef with 50 years experience. Though I am usually a reader vs watcher, I was drawn in by the freeze frame of the video in which Daddy Lau is brandishing a giant carrot with the caption “OUR KIDS LOVE THIS”.

The videos are the main draw of Made with Lau, presenting recipe prep and technique in subtitled Cantonese with occasional English interjections from his son who is his documentarian and #1 fan. In Dad’s Stir Fry Carrots, for example, you’ll learn the proper way to de-string snow peas and the trick for cutting your carrot slices into flower shapes. The ingredient list for this was a little daunting so I went for Dad’s Scallops and Asparagus Stir Fry; early asparagus is on sale now and I have scallops in my freezer.

Cooking with Lau

Daddy Lau cooks with grandkid.

In this video, Daddy Lau is preparing the dish for his grandkid’s first birthday, with the little one in a high chair just behind him and occasionally reaching out as Lau chops and stir fries just inches away. Viewers expressed concern about the child’s safety, but she evidently made it through the experience with everyone singing happy birthday at the end. Okay, let’s try this at home.

Cantonese cuisine is known for its respect for fresh vegetables, which means even the simplest recipe can be time consuming on a one-off basis. Scallops must be blanched with cooking wine, asparagus is soaked then blanched with oil (along with a few carrots, on a slightly different timetable) and the wok must be smoking hot, with the flame then reduced to medium to stir fry the aromatics without burning (another tip), then returning to high heat as vegetables are added. Of course, this process would be trivial with a lot of practice and a mise en place of precut veggies.

My result is at the top… not as pretty as Daddy Lau’s but a treat regardless, with the flavors of the scallops and the asparagus blending just as designed. I highly recommend you check out Made with Lau.

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Recipe: Tahini Salad from Ali Baba Cave

Posted on April 2, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers
Tahini Salad

Ali Baba Cave Tahini Salad, sans parsley and mint.

Tahini Salad from Ala Baba Cafe  is the secret ingredient in the miraculous shawarma wraps served at this long gone and sorely missed spot in San Francisco’s Lower Haight. I was delighted to find a snapshot of the menu and learned that the shawarma wrap was served with “hummous, parsley, onions, potatoes and tahini salad”.  Tahini salad? Luckily that was also served, as a side dish, and we learn it contained “tomato, cucumber, parsley mint and tahini sauce”. I was so excited I left out the parsley and mint in this test run, but the salad was still delicious and the wrap I made with it was as good as I remembered, Makes about a pint, enough for several wraps or side salads.

Ingredients:
1 whole cucumber, peeled and cored (or use Persian cucumber which requires neither)
2 plum tomatoes
1 t dried spearmint or 1 T finely chopped fresh
¼ c chopped parsley*
For the sauce:
6 T tahini (mix of solid and liquid if separated)
1 clove garlic
¼ c lemon juice
¼ t kosher salt
about ¼ c water (see below)

Method: emulsify sauce ingredients in mini-chop, adding enough water to make a pourable/spreadable but not watery sauce. Chop cucumber and tomato into small dice and combine with sauce along with parsley and mint. Give the favors a few minutes to meld, then serve as a side salad or spread on the interior of a shawarma wrap.

*If using chopped parsley in your shawarma wrap you can reduce or eliminate it here.

Shawarma Wrap Assembly

Shawarma Wrap under construction, sans parsley and mint.

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Recipe: TikTok Doner Meat at Home

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers

TikTok Doner Meat made at home.

There are many variations of the viral TikTok Doner meat recipe and I made my own from a consensus of likely ingredients. The result is a little lightly spiced for my taste (apparently doner is a regional variation of shawarma meat, with the latter being more seasoned) so feel free to increase any of the spice quantities. Makes enough for 4-6 servings in pita or lavash.

Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef or lamb or a combination
1 large onion, finely grated and drained to produce about ¾ c
4 or more garlic cloves
4 T Greek yogurt
3 T olive oil
1 t smoked paprika
1 t garlic powder
1 t ground cumin
1 t dried oregano
2 t salt
1 t ground black pepper

Method: preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all ingredients in food processor and process to a smooth paste (don’t worry about overprocessing because the paste consistency is needed to make this method work).

Divide the meat into 4 portions. Cut a sheet of parchment paper to the length of the roll x about 8 inches and a second to fit on top.

Pressing with your hands, mush out one of the four meat portions toward the corners of the sheet, then place the second sheet on top. Using a rolling pin, roll out to create a very thin layer of meat but within the boundaries of the paper. Roll up like a jelly roll into a cylinder and place on a sheet pan. Repeat with the other 3 meat portions. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or so.

Rest the cooked cylinders till they reach handling temperature then roll out to release strips which are close to slices from meat on a vertical spit in form and texture. To serve TikTok doner meat, warm up and crisp slightly in a skillet or microwave then serve as a component in a middle eastern platter or in a wrap or pita.

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Recipe: Carolina Slaw

Posted on March 24, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers
Carolina Slaw

Carolina Slaw.

Carolina Slaw is a familiar topping for pulled pork, but it’s also a  change of pace as a side dish. When we think of Carolina BBQ we think of mustard, of course, but this is not particularly mustard-y. The original recipe is here; we’ve noticed Southern Living slaw recipes tend to be heavy on the sauce so we’ve halved the ingredients then further reduced the sugar. This will give you about a quart of slaw, enough for half a dozen servings; you don’t want to let vinegar slaw sit too long in the fridge because it loses flavor after a couple of days.

Ingredients:
Half a head grated cabbage (about 1 lb)
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
¼ c apple cider vinegar
2 T sugar
2 T neutral vegetable oil
1 T Dijon mustard
1 t dry mustard
½ t celery seeds
½ t kosher salt
¼ t freshly ground black pepper

Method: combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking to emulsify. Cool to room temperature then pour over slaw mix in a bowl. Toss to mix thoroughly. Chill at least 2 hours before serving, but no more than overnight.

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Why we’re still celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers
Corned Beef Cabbage

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Mustard Sauce.

St. Patrick’s Day has to be my favorite food holiday, after Thanksgiving. In both cases the feasting is centered on a dish which can be repurposed in various ways for several days. As a bonus, there are usually store discounts that make you feel clever as you gorge yourself. In the current celebration that would be cabbage, which was 39 cents per pound or better than half off the usual price. It lasts months under refrigeration so the only limitation on my shopping was refrigerator space. Three huge heads will give me cole slaw and other cruciferous delights for weeks.

Corned beef is certainly not on sale with rising beef prices, but I had frozen a point and a flat in previous years and cooked up a classic corned beef and cabbage. It would be very hard to mess up this dish other than taking it off the stove before tender (or neglecting to take the spices out of the little envelope they come in, I guess). Add the brisket and the contents of the seasoning packet to a stewpot, cover with water and simmer away for maybe 3 hours, adding cut up potatoes and carrots the last half hour then removing everything and cooking the cabbage in the seasoned salty water at the end. I wanted to enjoy a tangy sauce made with Coleman-style dried mustard and tried this from an AI search:

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sugar (white or brown)
1 cup corned beef cooking liquid (stock)
¼ cup vinegar (cider or malt)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method: beat egg in a small saucepan and whisk in sugar, then mustard, flour, salt and pepper. Whisk in corned beef cooking liquid and vinegar and heat over low flame till it begins to thicken, 5 minutes or so, stirring constantly.

Verdict: this wasn’t what I was looking for, but I know how to fix it: more mustard powder and less (or no) sugar next time.

Corned Beef Sandwich

Today’s corned beef and swiss on rye.

Today I had a classic corned beef and swiss on rye, with yellow mustard and a bit of horseradish, toasted to warm the beef and melt the cheese. Could not be improved on except maybe by baking my own bread; I used deli rye from Rock Hill Bakehouse, a local brand.

What’s next? Using the same sandwich ingredients plus sauerkraut and sauce to produce a Rueben. Corned beef hash, of course. And when the meat is gone I still have the tub of vegetables cooked in its liquid which I can heat up and enjoy with a splash of A-1 (not AI). Slåinte!

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Recipe: Parsley Buttered Potatoes

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers
Parsley Buttered Potatoes

Parsley Buttered Potatoes.

Do we really need a recipe for parsley buttered potatoes? They were a favorite of my mother, so humor me. And there is indeed some technique involved if you want something more than potatoes with parsley and butter. Serves 4.

Ingredients:
1 lb potatoes (small red potatoes preferred; do not use russets)
Salt for boiling the potatoes
¼ c unsalted butter
½ c finely chopped parsley (Italian preferred)

Method: if using small red potatoes, you can wash and leave the skin or peel a horizontal band around the potato if you want to get fancy. Otherwise peel and cut into uniform size pieces approximately 2 inches across. Boil in heavily salted water until just tender, about 20 minutes. (You can easily pierce a piece with a fork, but it won’t break apart.)

Parsley Buttered Potatoes

Sauté parsley buttered potatoes until just a bit of brown appears, like this.

Drain the potatoes and return the pot to the stove, adding the butter. Let the potatoes soak up some of the butter (this is the technique part) by sautéing over medium heat until just a bit of brown appears, turning the potatoes to expose all sides to the butter. Sprinkle on parsley, mix thoroughly and serve as a side with short ribs or similar rich food.

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Recipe: Variations on a Banana Sandwich

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers
Banana Sandwich Assembly

Southern Living recommends  lengthwise slices so they stay on the bread. Their article has lots of interesting banana lore while claiming without evidence that only Duke’s mayo can be used.

The banana sandwich is a depression-era improvisation which is still popular down south, though we had never heard of it until reader Rob Smith gave us a heads up over in the comments on our Best Mayonnaise Taste Test post. And guess what, it’s really good. The sweetness of the banana and the mayo complement each other beautifully and the soft white bread is like a billowy cloud, holding the ingredients together without adding its own texture. Makes 1 banana sandwich.

Ingredients:
2 slices cheap white sandwich bread
½ banana, not green but not overripe, sliced lengthwise into strips
1 T or more mayonnaise

Method: spread the mayo to all edges of both bread slices then layer banana on top. Close it up, slice in half for easier handling, and enjoy.

Variation: Banana Sandwich with BBQ Potato Chips

Banana Sandwich with BBQ Potato Chips

Banana Sandwich with BBQ Potato Chips.

Rob Smith recommends adding barbecue-flavored potato chips to the sandwich for “sweet savory with a hint of spice”. We tried and, sorry, not a fan. If you do this crumple the potato chips so the sharp edges don’t tear up the delicate white bread.

Variation: Elvis-Style Banana Sandwich

Reader Chuckeye Dave reminds us this was the King’s favorite sandwich. The internet tells us he added bacon and peanut butter  to a banana sandwich and then fried it in butter. We think it makes more sense to use that good bacon grease so that’s what we did and we like it. Makes one sandwich.

Ingredients:
2 slices cheap white sandwich bread
½ banana, not green but not overripe, sliced lengthwise into strips
1 T or more mayonnaise
1 T or more creamy peanut butter (it needs to be soft so it won’t tear the bread)
2 slices bacon, toasted crisp
Bacon fat from cooking bacon

Method: assemble banana sandwich per above and spread peanut butter on the open slice of bread (the one without the bananas). Layer on the bacon strips and close it up. Fry both sides until brown in the bacon grease in the pan. Slice in half and serve.

Banana Sandwich Elvis Style

Banana Sandwich Elvis- Style.

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Recipe: Sautéed Broccoli Rabe

Posted on March 8, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers
Broccoli Rabe

Sautéed Broccoli Rabe

Sautéed Broccoli Rabe is purpose-built for Philly Italian Pork Sandwiches, but stands on its own as a side dish. Do not consider substituting broccolini, a similar-looking vegetable which is sitting next to broccoli rabe in the produce section and is probably cheaper. Broccoli Rabe comes from a different side of the crucifer family and has a pleasantly bitter bite that’s closer to turnip or mustard greens than sweet tasting broccolis. Makes enough for half a dozen pork sandwiches or 3-4 servings as a side.

Ingredients:
I head broccoli rabe, about 1 lb
¼ c good olive oil
¼ c chopped garlic, 6-8 cloves
Pinch cracked red pepper
Pinch kosher salt

Method: cut off the ends then chop broccoli rabe stalks into 1-inch lengths. Sauté garlic in olive oil till it becomes fragrant and browns slightly; add broccoli rabe, red pepper and salt and stir to combine. Continue cooking over low to medium heat until it begins to wilt and cook down, then cover and cook to desired doneness: just slightly crunchy if serving as a side dish, fully tender if using as a sandwich garnish.

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Pizza Wars!

Posted on March 6, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers
Pizza Wars Tastings

Our selection for tasting in Pizza Wars! West Ave, the eventual winner, is top left.

Our local high school held a very successful fundraiser this week called PIZZA WARS! Six non-chain local pizza places were invited to submit their slices for tasting and judging in the categories of Best Topping, Best Crust and Best Overall. The competing businesses were Pizza Etc, Pope’s Pizza, Caputo’s Pizzeria, West Avenue Pizza, Rustic Pizza and Eats, D’Andrea’s, and 9 Miles East. Saratoga Springs is a pizza-loving town and all of these were familiar to me except the first which is actually from the town next door to us in Ballston Spa.

Tasting tickets were $6.19 in advance (including service charge) or $7 at the door, a bargain any way you look at it, and presumably the pizzas were donated and the labor was school volunteers so receipts went 100% to the Saratoga Schools Education Foundation, the official sponsor. They said the event was “sold out” and attendance was easily in the hundreds so this is an idea worth copying.

Pizza Wars AttendanceZ

West Ave, the Pizza Wars winner, is stationed at lower right in this crowd photo. The kid with the green shirt has the sole job of stamping tickets so the others don’t have to take their sanitary gloves to do it: typical attention to detail from this establishment.

Burnt My Fingers was there to stuff our pie hole, of course, but also to enjoy the strategizing the pizza places used to put a thumb on the scale appeal to voters. A couple (including Pizza Etc, whose bold choice for serving was a sauceless veggie), served up small, sensible bites which probably took them out of the running. Others offered full slices and some also had a choice of toppings to choose from. You had to choose one only from each tasting station, and they stamped a booklet to prevent double dipping.

Our favorite, and predicted winner, was West Avenue Pizza, offering a generous square with a topping of beautifully cupped pepperoni. This is an outfit run by an entrepreneurial family of Guatemalan immigrants who also own an excellent chicken place next door. They achieved notoriety when pizza savant Dave Portnoy rated them high in his one-bite tasting tour, and they are a fixture at various local public events. The quality of their products and attention to detail is consistently high.

Pizza Wars Aftermath

The aftermath.

Results: West Avenue Pizza did indeed take Best Pizza and also Best Crust. Best Topping, however, went to Pope’s which had a not-so-secret ingredient in its sauce: sugar. We left stuffed and happy with the experience.

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Recipe: Instant Pot Philly Italian Pork

Posted on March 1, 2026 by Burnt My Fingers
Instant Pot Philly Italian Pork

Instant Pot Philly Italian Pork with broccoli rabe and cherry peppers.

Philly Italian Pork is one of the tastiest things we have made in the Instant Pot. As soon as the natural release was done, I found myself slurping the gravy by the spoonful. This recipe begins with the journey by Woks of Life’s Kaitlin to recreate the pork sandwiches she ate at Tommy DiNic’s while in college, then makes a swerve into reader Donna’s Instant Pot version which she says is even better. Makes many servings.

Ingredients
Pork butt, picnic or shoulder cut, bone-in or not, 4-6 lbs
½ c finely chopped garlic (about 16 cloves)
2 T dried oregano
2 T dried fennel
1 T dried thyme
1 T dried rosemary
1 ½ T Kosher salt
2 yellow onions, peeled and sliced thin
Olive oil
½ c red wine
14 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 c chicken stock

Method: Cut the pork into large chunks, reserving any bones. Mix salt, chopped garlic and dried spices and rub over all surfaces of the pork. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

In the morning, sauté onions in ¼ c olive oil till transparent; reserve. Sauté pork chunks in batches, turning to expose all sides and cook till light brown and crispy. After last chunk is removed, deglaze pot with red wine then add back onions and pork chunks as well as the reserved bone. Add chicken stock, tomato and bay leaves. Pressure cook on Manual for 60 minutes followed by 30 minutes natural release. Discard bones and bay leaves. The pork is ready to eat immediately, though if you refrigerate overnight it will throw off a layer of fat you might want to scrape up and discard.

Serving suggestion: the classic way to serve Instant Pot Italian Philly Pork is on a puffy Italian roll: split the roll, add a layer of provolone (sharp preferred) and toast till cheese is melted, then pile on pork with a good amount of juice. Addition of sautéed broccoli rabe or spinach is a must; a relish of sautéed long hot peppers and bell peppers is optional (and offered at extra cost at DiNic’s, I believe). There are jars of sliced pepperoncini on the counter at DiNics for a finishing touch; we had pickled cherry peppers and used those instead.

Philly Italian Pork Sandwich

Philly Italian Pork Sandwich with cherry peppers.

Instant Pot Italian Philly Pork is also mighty good without the roll, served over polenta or just on its own in a bowl with a spoon to capture every molecule of herb-specked gravy. Date night note: this method is a lot neater than the sandwich, which tends to disintegrate into sloppy goodness that ends up on your shirt.

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