easy steak gyros + homemade pita

I saw a hilarious Arby's commercial where the company was promoting their new gyros, and the narrator pronounces gryos six different ways (euro, jiro, guyro) before giving up, calling them Mediterranean tacos! So, I thought I'd share with you my own Mediterranean tacos that, are not only cheaper and healthier (check out this wonderfully-detailed article about the benefits of eating steak) than Arby's, but are ten-times tastier. As summer peaks around the corner, you're going to want this recipe in your arsenal for those sunny beach day picnics. I'll show you how to make everything you see in the picture: the pita, the steak, and the tzatziki. Let's get started!

5 pro tips when making homemade pasta

Whether you call it pasta or noodles, doing it fresh not only tastes better, but it's healthier for you. Once you know how quick and simple it is to make your own pasta, you’ll be ashamed you ever bought the store-variety. With just four ingredients and 20 minutes, you can whip up a truly home-cooked meal that is sure to impress the guests and show them who the real foodie is.

carrot cauliflower corn slaw + honey mustard dressing

After a brief break from blogging, I'm back and punnier than ever. Since posting the chow creations' first ever video recipe a couple weeks ago, I've been purtey busy: I made a blue table, aced my sixth semester at college, and bought a fancy-shmancy strobe light, which only set me back $200. I'm still learning how to apply my newly found skills and equipment, so this post will be a test run on many fronts, especially the lighting. Forgive the lighting. 

You, like me, may be reading this with a mild case of the end-of-summer glooms. Well, gloom not my friends for this cauliflower slaw is the cure to all end-of summer ailments. In fact, this slaw is so easy and refreshing you'll be wondering why you waited this long to learn how to make it and why I waited so long to post it. The answer is simple. I'm a selfish lazy bastard. That's my problem, not yours. Rehashing the past is pointless. Going forward I promise I will be a good blogger, the type that posts every week with the reliability of heartburn after a jalapeno. 

grilled mac & cheese sandwiches

You...yeah you! Yes you! When you go to a restaurant do you have a compulsion to ask for the kid's menu even though you're kind of old and have no kids? Are you ashamed that you linger when the hostess asks you if you'll need any kids menus? Can you make a sandwich? If you answered yes to these three questions then venture no further. You can make this sandwich right now in the comfort of your own home without the glaring eyes of the world staring down on you. How do I know? I mean you can probably make this right now. Most people can. All you need is bread, cheese...what do you mean you don't have cheese. Everyone has cheese. I have at least five types of cheese in my fridge right now. What do you mean I'm crazy. You're the crazy one. Now you messed me up. I had a point. You get the point right? This sandwich is so easy to make that anyone, even you...yes you, can make it right now. Forget it about. I said FORGET ABOUT! You know what, you've just embarrassed me, yourself, and your family. What've you got to say for yourself...yes you! Who else would I be talking to? What did you say? WHERE CAN YOU BUY CHEESE?!?! (if you're confused keep reading)

This was a conversation I had with my neighbor's dog a couple mornings ago (see paragraph before). In all seriousness, this sandwich is probably the best sandwich you'll ever try in your entire life. It's impossible not to think of the good ol' days when you're sinking into crispy buttery bread through soft creamy mac & cheese and gooey cheddar. Classic mash-up comfort food at its finest. The best part is, it takes less than 20 minutes to make which means these are the perfect party favors...or midnight snack, depending on the type of person you are.

maple-roasted nectarine pancakes

The photography in this post is going to be a bit erratic because 1) I shot it at different times of the day, 2) I'm not very good at photography, and 3) I'm kind of an idiot. As the days pass I'm slowly but surely degrading into a mushy pile of peanut butter and pancakes. 

But enough about me, let's turn our focus to the important matter, the thing which is captured within the execrable photography - the humble pancake stack. It all started with a question. A question of whether it was possible to incorporate maple syrup, a topping that dowses and sogs pancake stacks all across America, within the batter itself. Finally the answer would come to me a whole 2 hours later - simply substitute sugar with maple syrup. Any simpleton could have come up with that. That's why I had to push the envelope; cue the maple-roasted nectarines.

meatballs & marinara - juicy balls of deliciousness

If you're an atheist, vegan, or Indian (from India), you should probably shield your eyes from what I'm about to say. Thank you God for making cows edible. Amen. I guess I should be thanking him for pigs too cause these are beef and pork meatballs, but then I'd have to list every ingredient and then the "Indian" criteria wouldn't really work. Analogies, can't live without them, can't form all-encompassing logical statements with them. 

The interweb is inundated with meatball recipes. In fact, unbeknownst to me Foodnetwork just came out with an edition entirely dedicated to the little balls of meat. Yet, there's been this void inside me that has been pecking at my sanity ever since I started this blog. A meatball shaped void that when filled I can finally call this "thing" a food blog. Plus, it was an excuse for me to make meatballs. Mmm meatballs. Meatballs. If you're uncomfortable with the word you should probably stop reading now. 

fire roasted pepper salsa - {fire}sta time!

No, no you don't need a blowtorch for this recipe. The truth is, if you have a couple veggies and a stove, you've got everything you need to make this bright & delicious spring dip! This salsa is perfect for parties and potlucks. And the best part is you can make this hours, even days in advance and it'll be perfect, maybe even better as I'll explain later. 

Roasting the peppers and the tomatoes (and even the limes) not only gives this salsa a better texture, but it makes it sweet and fruity. I know fruity is a weird adjective to describe salsa, but it's all my sleep deprived mind can produce. Get it. Produce. As in fruits and vegetables. Okay, now I'm just freestyling. Combined with the acidity of the limes and the spiciness of the jalapenos, I haven't found a salsa that is more balanced or delicious than this one. Chowtinue reading for the directions and recipe!

fried shrimp w/ sweet & spicy blood orange sauce - happy chinese new year!

As many of you know, my mom, a.k.a. Munchy, a.k.a. Momma, a.k.a. Eileen from accounting, is the best chef I know in the entire world. Although my older posts (because they're blurry, dull, poorly written, and structured) do not exemplify the true quality of her cooking, you can click here for more of Munchy's signature dishes. Not only are her favorite recipes delicious, but they're also quick, often times requiring less than 20 minutes to put together. Straight from the cookbook of a working parent, rest assured this recipe is simple, quick, and super delicious, tailored to the busy parent lifestyle. 

So as you might have guessed, yes, I'm disclosing another chowfidential family recipe. This time I'm showing you how to make the most delicate fried shrimp, and a sweet and spicy blood orange dipping/drenching/drinking/socially acceptable to chugging sauce. Traditionally, this recipe doesn't have any blood oranges in it, but I had them and I thought, what the heck. Shrimp look orange (actually they're more like pink, but who cares), citrus and seafood go well together, this could work. Even without the orange, whenever my mom makes this it's instantly gone the second she turns her back. This recipe is a killer for any of you in the market for a delicious party hors d'oeuvre, or if you're looking for something a little more adventurous for Chinese New Year. Nevertheless, you don't really need a special occasion to make this. I don't care if today is a tuesday in the middle of a cloudless day in Kansas, go buy yourself a bag of oranges and a sack of shrimp cause it's fried shrimp w/ sweet & spicy blood orange sauce time. I've got to learn how to shorten my titles. 

roasted garlic fondant potatoes w/ homemade mustard aioli

What is a Fondant Potato? Fondant potatoes are potatoes that are trimmed into the shape of eggs, fried in butter, and then baked. I made mine into the shape of, what I like to call, half of a potato. French cuisine purists, this is where you stop reading. For the rest of you, this new/old potato cooking technique is a tasty and unique way of serving potatoes at the dinner table, while avoiding the commonly mashed, boiled, and baked culprits.  

Traditional fondant potatoes are served plain as a side dish, but, I wanted to put the ol' Chow Creations' spin on the thing and make a homemade mustard aioli to dip them in. My inspiration for this dip is the Spanish dish, Patatas Bravas, which are fried potatoes served with a Tomato Aioli. I thought, though, that a tomato aioli would be too safe, and the combination between garlic and mustard would be perfect to cut through that rich garlicky potato. I'll explain what an aioli is below and how you can turn this delicious side dish into a killer Superbowl Party hors d'oeuvre. Chowtinue Reading. 

5 minute weeknight alfredo sauce!

Not only should everyone have a quick and easy, go-to, weeknight recipe, but it should be something delicious and not something that comes from a can, bag, cup, or liquor store. Don't deny it. It's close to your house and they have occasionally good sales on stale cookies and offbrand colas. But, that is all in the past, today I'm going to show you how to make a weeknight alfredo sauce which has been rumoured to cure everything from marriages to cancer. However, rumours are rumours and if those claims turn out to be false, rest assured you still have a killer sauce that you can drown pasta and rice in for a quick and easy weeknight dinner. 

Oh, and did I mention this recipe has 50% less heavy cream and 75% less butter than its predecessors. So yeah, it does cure cancer. 

one-pot red wine braised short ribs

Imagine sitting in front of you is a bowl of rich meaty short ribs atop a mound of buttery mashed potatoes sitting in a velvety pool of red wine jus. Well stop imagining cause we've got pictures! Just look at it. So good! You can do this too, and all in one pot!

Recently, I've been watching a lot of Julia Child. I've been inspired by the Beef Bourguignon, Coq Au Vin, you name it I've watched it, read it, and lived it. Yes, you can live food. And if you asked me, I wouldn't mind living in a pan of this red wine braised short ribs (he said proud of his transitional skills). Believe it or not, that was one of my better transitions on this site. If you've got a pot and you've got meat (it doesn't have to be short ribs), you can implement this easy technique/recipe to make really delicious braised beef. You're family will thank you for it, and so will your taste buds. 

bacon & parmesan kale salad - another cool kale recipe

At Chow Creations, we pride ourselves in our exceptional ability to adulterate healthy foods with bacon. 

This week I'll show you how to make the most unbelievably cheesy, creamy, restaurant parmesan dressing. You'll want to glug it down when no one is looking. In other words, keep your eyes on your creamy parmesan dressing because someone will want to glug it down if you're not paying attention. Oh, and we're also making a salad. It has bacon. Now you're probably interested. You know what to do, click Chowtinue Reading. :-)

kale and green apple salad - we're so cool we had to wait till kale wasn't a trend anymore

Before I begin, let me preface this week's post with a statement, a statement of my own character which will become progressively clearer as you scroll further down."I am lazy". (what's new)

This week I've been plagued with a sore throat, so forgive me if I don't talk much in this post. Trust that there will be various occasions in this post where I "cough" to give myself an excuse not to finish the sentence. This week I made a *cough. 

Unless you're blind or illiterate, you know that Chow Creations has finally succumbed to the raw, healthy, vegan, gluten-free, I hate to say it but yes we're getting onto the kale trend. Wait...what do you mean "kale" isn't a trend anymore? So my producers are telling me that "kale", nor "justin bieber" are trends anymore. I know, I'm as astounded as you are. That means Chow Creations has successfully diverted yet another food trend! Yes! Long time readers of this blog know that it's our highest goal to subvert any food trends until we start our own. I'm still trying to get "grapeberries" and/or "rectangular cake prisms" started. 

how to make ice cream without an ice cream maker | coffee oreo parfait

This super cool technique to make ice cream without an ice cream maker (or liquid nitrogen) is not only comparable, perhaps even superseding it's churned variety, but is healthier, lighter, and so much more impressive. Plus, it's really easy.

Everyone who reads this blog knows that I love making things with really fancy french monikers because they sound so much more exotic and more difficult to make than their American counterparts. So in keeping with the theme, this week we'll be making a "sabayon", the French version of the Italian zabaglione. It's merely whisking egg yolks and wine together which I'm sure all of you can do. And we're turning the sabayon, usually served as a sauce for fruits and stuff, into a parfait which is a French frozen dessert with a texture similar to the love child of an ice cream and a mousse. Did you know parfait is the French word for "perfect". The more you chow. Just to be clear, French parfaits are completely different from layered yogurt, granola, and fruit parfaits we have in the states. I mean just look at the pictures. 

simple potato salad + bacon + onion

Summer is passing by like a bullet train, but there's still time to have that barbeque or picnic you've been talking about since winter. This week I'm going to show you one of the easiest, most delicious side dishes that's going to knock everyone's socks off at the next shindig. 

Everyone has their go to potato salad recipe, however few of them are tasty, even less cook their potatoes right, and only one is as simple and delicious is this one. This my friends, is one of the easiest, make-ahead, delicious potato salads there is on the market. I'm talking about perfectly seasoned Al dente chunks of potato lightly coated in mayo and bacon drippings and simply folded with crispy bacon, caramelized onions, and spicy green onions. Plus, what makes this dish so great is that I'm sure all of you have the ingredients to make it right now!

marrow on toast - rich and unctuous

You know you wish you were here. And if you don't, then you're a party sucker and should rethink your entire life. Marrow on toast is such a classic preparation of this rich and unctuous treat. Not only that but I soak my toast with the rendered marrow fat so we get the maximum amount of beefy fatty goodness. 

reci-pics™ (recipe in pictures) - beef and green onion roll 牛肉大蔥卷

After the success I saw from the last Chinese How-To, "How to Fold a Chinese Dumpling", I thought you guys would be interested in another traditional chinese dish (my mom wanted me to show off her Beef and Green Onion Rolls 牛肉大蔥卷). This is a famous Taiwanese dish that you'll find all along the streets in Taiwan. The complexity of chinese cuisine, in it's flavors and textures, is so amazing and this roll is not an exception. The Beef Shank is so tender and succulent, while the green onion pancake tightly caresses it in it's crispy flaky entirety. We also spread a sweet and salty hoisin sauce along the inside of the pancake to give it sweet plum note. For now though, I'll only be showing you how to make the pancake (蔥花餅). We'll probably add it in at a later date.

candied lemon slices - more like lemon rings

These days the shelves at the stores are inundated with rows and rows of processed overly sweet crap. You want to be able to feed your family delicious sweets that you know they'll love, but more than that, you know what's in them. That's why these Candied Lemon Slices are exactly what you've been waiting for. Well, they started out as slices but turned into rings. Later I'll show you how you can avoid this. They're naturally sweet, chewy, and you can be sure that they taste like the real deal because they are the real deal. Not only will the kids love these, but you'll love them too because they are just so easy to put together. You literally only need sugar, water, and a couple lemons. Heck, it's even easier than going to the store to buy them. So let's get started. 

First you need to obtain some lemons, obviously. Try to pick lemons that are round so all of your slices turn out the same. Although it may seem like common sense, you should also use lemons that have no blemishes or dried parts because remember we'll be eating the rinds as well. Rinse your lemons thoroughly and using a very sharp knife, cut an inch off both ends. 

coconut rice pudding - spring break partying pudding style

This week I have for ya'll a delicious Coconut Rice Pudding, the easiest, creamiest, smoothest rice pudding you have ever had, or in this case, read about and saw in pictures. Originally I was going to make something rose infused or scented, but then I got attacked by a colony of spiders living inside my roses. So that can happen. Anyways, that's why this week instead of drawing inspiration from the garden-y, flower-y aspect of spring, I thought about Spring Break. And what food item do you think of first when I say Spring Break. Pina Coladas. I know it's a drink, but you haven't seen those college students, Pina Coladas are spring breakers substinance for an entire week. So long story short, instead of partying I'm making rice pudding. I know, ya'll are the ones missing out.

Rice pudding is a very easy dessert to make. There isn't much skill involved with it and you can make it any flavor you want it to be. This week, I'll be showing you the base of a rice pudding and how you can spike it with a burst of tropical flavors like pineapple and coconut, maybe a little rum if you want but we'll talk about that more later. First things first we need to prepare our rice. 

lime curd - easy peasy lime...wait

What do you do when you're mom's co-worker gives you a bag of limes? You cannot make the proverbial lemonade, but you can make this delicious chow-fection! Perfect for filling pies, or even breakfast with toast, this lime curd sure does it all. Did I mention it was easy too. You don't need any fancy equipment, nor do you need to be a very good chef either. If you can follow directions you can make this crud...I mean curd. You don't know how many times I'm going to make that mistake in this blog. This curd has a pudding-like consistency with a light lime flavor. Absolutely deliciouso. So scroll on down so we can get started!

To begin I'm going to separate two yolks and two eggs into a small bowl. Please do not throw those whites away. Every time you waste your whites a whale from Wisconsin wallows. I'm not sure if that made much sense but the alliteration was very satisfying. The point is you can use those whites for macarons, or even a breakfast omelet.