Ramp Pancakes – A Take on Chinese Scallion Pancakes

Ramps PancakesRamps (or wild leeks) are finally here! One of my favorite seasonal vegetables, they’re only available for a few weeks a year. Ramps are a delicious cross between garlic, onions and leeks. Here in NYC, you know they’ve arrived when chefs all over the city add ramp dishes onto their menus. I love coming up with different ways to incorporate them into my cooking. I’ve been craving Chinese scallion pancakes, so I decided to make a version using ramps. I found the perfect scallion pancake recipe on my friend Diana’s blog.
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10-Minute Spicy Tomato Sauce

10-Minute Spicy Tomato SauceQuick and easy pasta dishes are usually what I make when I want something simple or don’t feel like going out to eat. I typically simmer my pasta sauces for hours, but this particular recipe is my go-to if I need a quick tomato sauce. It only takes about 10 minutes to make, not bad for a delicious pasta sauce!
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Filipino Bistek – Beef Marinated in Soy Sauce and Kumquat Juice

Bistek, derived from the Spanish word bistec meaning beef steak, is a Filipino dish my mom typically made on the weekends. She would thinly slice a lean piece of beef and then marinate overnight with a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, black pepper and calamansi, a citrus fruit indigenous to the Philippines. Since calamansi is hard to come by, I used the juice from a few kumquats I had left over from my kumquat pomegranate cocktail. The sour fruit acts as a meat tenderizer along with adding a hint of citrus flavor.
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