How to Make an Omelet

Whenever my husband's little 7-year-old nephew comes over, he always asks for my special omelet. His mom Sara asked me to teach her because he keeps asking for Auntie Jackie's eggs! My trick is to add very little besan (which is chickpea flour) and cream (or milk), and top it with a little cheese. The omelet can be whipped up in no time and served with salsa on the side.

Whether it's for breakfast or a light meal, omelets are a simple, versatile option. The ingredients can be adapted to suit the time of day and what you have on hand. You could make them plain with a little cheese or add cold cuts, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach or even fish sauce. What’s not to love?

Breakfast Quesadilla Recipe

My take on the breakfast quesadilla is part omelet, part cheese quesadilla. Don't let the name fool you though; the combination makes for an easy and tasty school lunch. I serve them at room temperature, along with salsa so the children can dip them. It's playful and no utensils are required. The recipe can be adapted with additional ingredients that you have on hand.

Papaya Smoothie Recipe (Sinh To Du Du)

Sinh tố đu đủ literally translates in Vietnamese to papaya (đu đủ) vitamin (sinh tố). I've made sinh tố bơ in the past with creamy avocado, but I got my hands on a beautiful papaya, so I made this version instead. You can also make many variations of the Vietnamese drink such as jackfruit, durian or mango depending on what you have on hand. The usual sweetener is sweetened condensed milk. You can blend the fruit with either yogurt, soy milk, regular cow's milk, coconut milk or coconut water.

I love wandering through ethnic markets. They're a great place to find interesting ingredients to develop new recipes. This weekend, my husband Lulu and I went to Mi Pueblo supermarket in East Palo Alto after a trip to the nearby Home Depot. Along with the beautifully ripe papaya, which reminded us of our last trip to Cancun, I found nopales (cactus), exotic banana varieties and the best horchata I’ve had in a long time. On top of that, the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. I’m definitely going back for more great Mexican ingredients.

Chocolate Waffle Recipe

My husband Lulu has a sweet tooth, so I woke up early this morning and prepared a sweet breakfast. I made chocolate waffles, topped with kumquat whipped cream and strawberries. I served the waffles with a cup of soy milk. I placed everything on a tray and added a freshly picked rose from the garden. I knew Lulu was going to love it.

I'm sure you all know the saying "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach!" Well I might not say it enough how much I love seeing my husband happy. Nothing fills me with more joy that seeing his smile when I wake up in the morning. I might be wrong, but I think these little treats are part of the success of our 7 years of marriage. 

Sweet Potato Bread Dinner Rolls

I knew these dinner rolls would be great conversation pieces because of the Okinawan sweet potatoes. They don't really add more flavor but they turn the bread into an interesting, purple color.

Sweet potato bread preparation is very similar to making brioche, except mashed sweet potatoes are added to the dough. My trick is to mix sugar with dry yeast and warm liquid and let the mixture develop for a few minutes before stirring it in the bread dough. Resting time is essential for making bread.