The Good Life

My guest this week is Maggie Zhu with her new book “Chinese Homestyle – Everyday Plant-based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles & More.”  Enjoy the bold flavors of Chinese food with 90 accessible plant-based recipes for the Western cook and kitchen. No wok required!

With her popular blog, Omnivore’s Cookbook, Maggie Zhu is the go-to person for traditional Chinese recipes designed for the Western home cook, and over the past few years, she has been incorporating more plant-based cooking into her diet. In Chinese Homestyle, Maggie shares a wide range of foolproof vegan recipes that pack all the flavor and none of the meat.

Building on a foundation of plant-based and vegetable-forward dishes found in Chinese cuisine, these umami-rich recipes are inspired by the comforting, everyday dishes Maggie grew up eating in northern China and discovered in her travels throughout the country, along with takeout favorites she became familiar with after moving to the United States.

Made with fresh ingredients and minimal oil and sugar, the salads, soups, stir-fries, braises, dumplings, and more are not only delicious, but also demonstrate the impact of aromatics, the benefits of using homemade sauces and condiments, how to cook tofu for maximum flavor and texture, and versatile cooking techniques.  Get a copy NOW!

Maggie Zhu started her website, Omnivore’s Cookbook, in 2013. Born and raised in Beijing, she moved to Austin, Texas, in 2015. Now she’s a full-time New York–based blogger, writer, recipe developer, and photographer. Having grown up with a mother who always did the cooking, Maggie’s culinary adventure started in 2007, when she moved to Japan and needed to cook to survive. Learning and sharing Chinese food has become a way for her to connect with her roots and the rest of the world. Her mission is to help more people get to know real Chinese food and expose less-known regional cuisines, such as Northern and Xinjiang food, to a broader audience. More importantly, she wants to show you how easy it is to cook with wholesome ingredients to create delicious dishes that are like the ones served in Chinese restaurants. Maggie’s on Facebook

Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2018 Dandelion vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz
Nightly dark yet bright as if draped in a violet-plum moonshine. On the nose, damson plums and reduced plums and plum jam made yesterday morning and, oh, plum chutney too. All of this plummy aromaticity is set off by other primary fruit drivers: olives, bay, the more freshly picked woody herbs such as sage and rosemary and thyme. The bouquet whispers of dark liqueur chocolate, cocoa and vanilla. Here is a ripe yet restrained profile of fruit purity; the palate is clean, clear and defined – etched minerality and savouriness runs in fine powdery tannic layers. This is Barossa that is beautiful not brazen; beguiling not boisterous; a balance not a bomb, yet still indubitably – indubitably – Barossa. ABV14.5% WA92, D91, JS90

Critical Acclaim:  WA92 Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
The 2018 Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz is the best vintage of this cuvée I recall tasting. Subtle notes of mint do appear, but they’re quickly subsumed under waves of gorgeous blackberry fruit. And yet that fruit isn’t without its own nuance, offering suggestions of blueberries, mulberries and blackcurrants and bolstered by hints of vanilla and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, it’s supple and creamy in texture, with a long, dusty finish. Drink this beauty of a Shiraz over the next decade or so.

I did the 2015 a few years ago and was  impressed!  Jacob’s on North Rock road has some of the 2018 as well as the 2019, great chance to taste side by side. 🙂