Latest: Easy Asian recipes from Tiffy Cooks

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Our cookbook of the week is Tiffy Cooks by Vancouver-based food blogger and content creator Tiffy Chen.

Jump to the recipes: Taiwanese savoury egg crepe, garlic enoki mushrooms and brown sugar milk tea with homemade boba pearls.

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“It has always been a dream for me to put my recipes into stories,” says Vancouver-based food blogger and content creator Tiffy Chen. Known as @tiffycooks on TikTok, Chen has more than five million social media followers. She’s used to sharing her recipes in 30-second to one-minute videos, but her cookbook debut, Tiffy Cooks (Penguin Canada, 2024), gave her the space to return to her roots.

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“The amazing thing about creating a cookbook from start to finish was that I really got to reflect back to my childhood memories, diving deep into how those recipes evolved from generation to generation.”

Chen emigrated from Taiwan to Canada with her family as a teenager. She started cooking when she moved to Kingston, Ont., to study economics at Queen’s University. Coming from Vancouver, where she had enjoyed her family’s homemade meals and excellent Asian restaurants, the food she craved — and the ingredients to make it — was more challenging to come by.

After the novelty of residence food wore off, Chen decided to take things into her own hands. “I lived off instant noodles for six months, and then I was like, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I need to figure out how to cook,’” she says, laughing.

The experience of learning how to recreate the flavours of her favourite dishes using ingredients she could find at her local grocery store shaped Chen’s approach to her blog and social media channels. She credits the ease of her recipes as one of the reasons behind Tiffy Cooks’ success.

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“When it comes to cooking, people often have a hard time because they want to be able to recreate authentic recipes and authentic taste. But it’s really hard when some people don’t have access to it, and I didn’t have access to it for three and a half years.”

Before starting Tiffy Cooks in 2020, Chen had launched five other “failed” blogs and two YouTube channels. During the pandemic, she decided to post one more video on TikTok, chicken wings inspired by Vancouver’s Phnom Penh restaurant. When Chen woke up the next day, the video had more than 200K views, encouraging her to keep going. Four months later, she was able to quit her corporate job to become a full-time food blogger, and she’s been posting daily ever since.

One of Chen’s favourite quotes is from the Roman philosopher Seneca: “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” Through the “failed” blogs and YouTube channels, she found her voice. “That was also a big reason why, this time around, I felt a lot more confident in starting my food channel. After years of cooking, I found what works best for me.”

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In the beginning, Chen was self-conscious that she didn’t have culinary training. She learned by FaceTiming her mom and trial and error. Today, she focuses on making cooking easy, accessible and delicious.

“I’m proud to admit that I don’t have the best knife skills. I’m definitely a home cook. I use chopsticks to cook 90 per cent of my recipes. You can see in the cookbook a lot, I’m like, ‘Mix with your chopsticks.’ That’s how I cook. But I’m a proud home cook. Because I have so much love and passion for food, I want to make it accessible and easy for those who don’t know how to cook.”

Divided into four parts — Quick and Easy All Day, Family-Style Dining, Make in Bulk and Desserts and Drinks — many of the book’s 88 recipes have evolved over Chen’s 12 years of home cooking. Others are her grandma’s and mom’s traditional Taiwanese recipes from her great-grandmother’s kitchen. (“Why 88, you ask? Because eight is considered the luckiest number in Chinese culture. It symbolizes luck, success and prosperity.”)

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One of the primary differences between the book Tiffy Cooks and Chen’s digital platforms is that she was able to explore recipes that are difficult to demonstrate in a one-minute time span, especially baked goods and other Make in Bulk recipes like bao and buns, dumplings and wontons. Night market classics are also close to her heart, such as Taiwanese XXL fried chicken, “stinky” tofu and a mushroom and chicken sizzling plate. As are breakfast recipes like homemade soy milk, shao bing you tiao and egg crepe.

Tiffy Cooks is a family affair. Chen’s sister, Queena, is her operations manager. Family photos and her dad’s calligraphy appear throughout the book. She spends hours each week testing recipes with her mom, streamlining the processes and using staple ingredients, condiments and sauces in different ways.

When Chen was writing the book, they would FaceTime her maternal grandmother to confirm they got her recipes right, with their “just throw in a little bit with your finger” ingredient measurements. Chen and her mom would then develop the recipes and send them back to her grandma to ensure they produced the desired result.

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“If it wasn’t for all the times growing up when my dad would help me skip class to try out the newest, latest restaurant, I don’t know if I would have the same passion for food. Food is our love language. It’s the way that we say I love you to each other. Mom’s slicing up fruit, my dad making soup — those are their ways of telling me they love me. So, that’s why I feel this book is a culmination of everyone’s (stories and memories). It’s a family cookbook.”

TAIWANESE SAVOURY EGG CREPE

Dan bing

Serves: 2

Batter:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour or cake flour
2 tbsp tapioca starch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 cup water
1 scallion, both white and green parts, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil, divided
2 large eggs, beaten

Fillings (optional):
2 thin slices ham (2 oz/56 g total)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup dried pork fluff or pork floss

For serving:
Vegetarian oyster sauce
Chili oil

Step 1

Make the batter: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, tapioca starch, salt, white pepper and water until the batter is a runny consistency with no lumps. Stir in the scallions.

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Step 2

Cook the crepes and assemble: Heat about 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a medium nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, pour half the batter into the pan and tilt or swirl the pan to evenly coat the bottom with a thin layer. Cook the crepe for 2 to 3 minutes, until the top is set and the mixture is cooked through. Flip and cook until the crepe starts to brown on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the crepe to a plate. Repeat with a drizzle of olive oil and the remaining batter.

Step 3

Drizzle a little more olive oil into the pan (no need to wipe the pan). Pour half the beaten eggs into the pan and tilt or swirl the pan to evenly coat the bottom with a thin layer. Place one crepe, browned-side down, on top of the egg, gently press it down with a spatula, and cook until the egg is stuck to the crepe and the bottom starts to brown, 30 to 60 seconds. Flip the crepe, then top with your fillings of choice. Slide the crepe onto a large plate and roll it up into a log. Use a pair of cooking shears to cut into bite-size pieces. Repeat with the remaining crepe and egg. Serve with the vegetarian oyster sauce or chili oil.

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GARLIC ENOKI MUSHROOMS

Suan rong nen zheng jinzhengu

Serves: 4

10 oz (285 g) enoki mushrooms
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp Garlic Oil (recipe follows)
1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 fresh red Thai chili, chopped (optional)
Chopped scallions, green part only, for garnish

Cooked rice or your favourite noodles, for serving

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 380F (195C).

Step 2

Place an 8 by 12-inch (20 by 30-cm) rectangle of aluminum foil (large enough to wrap the enoki mushrooms) on a work surface. Spray or brush the foil with olive oil to prevent the mushrooms from sticking.

Step 3

Trim away about 1 inch from the root end of the enoki. Place the enoki in the middle of the foil. Top with the butter. Drizzle the garlic oil and vegetarian oyster sauce over the mushrooms and sprinkle with the white pepper and chili, if using. Tightly wrap to prevent any leaking.

Step 4

Place the wrapped enoki mushrooms on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Let sit until cool enough to handle.

Step 5

Unwrap the foil package. The mushrooms should be soft and the butter should be melted. Mix everything together and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with the scallions and serve with rice or noodles.

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GARLIC OIL

Suan rong you

Makes: 5 cups

1 lb (450 g) garlic cloves, peeled
3 shallots, peeled
4 cups grapeseed oil
3 fresh red Thai chilies, chopped (optional)
2 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp chicken powder (optional)
1 1/2 tsp salt

Step 1

In a food processor or high-speed blender, blend the garlic and shallots until minced.

Step 2

Transfer half of the mixture to a medium bowl and rinse with cold water. This will prevent the garlic from burning. Drain, then squeeze and pat dry to remove excess water.

Step 3

In a medium saucepan, heat the grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add the rinsed garlic mixture. Once it starts sizzling, fry for 7 to 8 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and slightly browned, stirring constantly to prevent the garlic from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning.

Step 4

Remove from the heat. Add the chilies (if using), the remaining garlic mixture, vegetarian oyster sauce, sugar, chicken powder (if using), and salt. Return the pot to the heat and cook over medium-low heat for another 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the sugar is dissolved.

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Step 5

Remove from the heat and let the garlic oil cool completely. Pour the oil into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Note: If using this recipe in place of fresh garlic, one garlic clove equals 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic oil.

BROWN SUGAR MILK TEA WITH HOMEMADE BOBA PEARLS

Hongtang zhenzhu naicha

Serves: 2

Boba pearls:
1 1/4 cups (150 g) tapioca starch, plus 1/2 cup for rolling
1/3 cup (80 g) water
1/4 cup (50 g) loosely packed brown sugar

Brown sugar glaze:
1/2 cup loosely packed brown sugar

Milk tea:
2 cups 1 per cent or 2 per cent milk
4 Taiwanese red tea bags Ice cubes, for serving

Step 1

Make the boba pearls: Place the 1 1/4 cups tapioca starch in a large heatproof bowl.

Step 2

In a small saucepan, combine the water and brown sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the mixture over the tapioca starch and stir quickly with a pair of chopsticks. The dough will be very sticky. Let sit until cool enough to handle.

Step 3

Knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a smooth ball. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let sit for 15 minutes.

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Step 4

Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Cut into four equal portions. Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough into a 1/4-inch-thick rope. Cut the rope crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. You can adjust the size depending on how big you prefer your pearls to be. The pearls will expand when cooked.

Step 5

Put about 1/2 cup of tapioca starch in a medium bowl. Using your hands, roll each piece of dough into a ball and place in the starch. Coat the balls with the tapioca starch to prevent them from sticking to each other. At this stage you can freeze the balls in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Step 6

Bring a large pot of water to a simmer over medium heat. Add the tapioca balls and cook, uncovered, for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally so they don’t stick to the bottom or sides of the pot. Remove the pot from the heat, cover with a lid, and let sit for 30 minutes. (If you prefer softer pearls, cook for 45 minutes and let rest for 35 minutes.)

Step 7

Drain the pearls. Transfer to a medium bowl of cold water and let sit until you are ready to serve, up to 2 hours.

Step 8

When ready to serve, make the brown sugar glaze: Drain the tapioca pearls. Sprinkle the brown sugar into a large pot. Stir over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sugar starts to dissolve, making sure the sugar doesn’t burn. Add the boba pearls and stir for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the glaze is thick and every pearl is completely coated. Remove from the heat.

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Step 9

Make the milk tea: Heat the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the milk starts to simmer, add the tea bags and gently stir for 2 to 3 minutes, depending how strong you like your milk tea. Remove from the heat. Discard the tea bags and let the milk cool for 10 minutes.

Step 10

Assemble the boba milk tea: Spoon about 1/4 cup of boba pearls into each of two large glasses. Fill with ice cubes, then add the milk tea. Serve with a wide straw.

Recipes and images excerpted from Tiffy Cooks by Tiffy Chen. Copyright ©2024 Tiffy Chen. Photography and illustrations by Vanessa Wong. Published by Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Canada, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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