Category Archives: Asian Fusion

Fried Shrimp Bao Recipe with a secret ingredient

This post is sponsored by FAGE, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fluffy little baos filled with air fried shrimp. A little crunch and sweetness, topped with a luscious garlic cilantro sauce. So many fun textures for a fun flavor party. 

My new favorite Secret Ingredient is FAGE Sour Cream 🙂 the texture is a great binder for the shrimp, helps with maximum paprika garlic dry batter coating. The FAGE Sour Cream also adds creaminess to the bright tangy sauce. Lots of cilantro, garlic and a splash of lime.

With fresh toppings, you get something different in each bite 

I hope you’ll make these and love them as much as my fam does. If you can’t find these baos at your local Chinese supermarket, you can make a great shrimp taco as well. Without an air fryer, you can just deep fry them.

FRIED SHRIMP BAO RECIPE

Coat shrimp:
• 1 lb shrimp 
• 1 tbsp of FAGE Sour Cream
• Dash of salt and pepper 

Batter:
• 1 cup flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tbsp paprika 
• 1 tbsp garlic powder 
• Dash of salt and pepper 

Garlic Cilantro Sauce:
• 1/2 cup FAGE Sour Cream 
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp water 
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 lime juice 
Blend until smooth. 

Instructions:
• Mix shrimp, FAGE Sour Cream, salt and pepper evenly. Then coat with batter mixture. And dust off excess. 
• Spray air fryer tray and shrimp with olive oil.
• Air fry 375 degrees for 12 minutes.
• Steam baos according to packaging (warm tortillas if you can’t find baos)
• Serve crispy shrimp and soft fluffy baos immediately.
• Drizzle with creamy FAGE Sour Cream based garlic cilantro sauce. And enjoy!

Find FAGE near you and make it your secret ingredient as well.

SEOUL CHICKEN: Asian and Southern style fried chicken

seoul chicken - fried chicken wings and tea

Dear Food Diary:

If double fried, korean style chicken wings bathing in Asian flavors tickle your appetite, this is the place for you.

Don’t be fooled by the name. Seoul Chicken is a mixture of Asian influences with Chef Chaz Brown’s Southern background.

Nightingale 9: Vietnamese with a dash of Southern

Nightingale 9 - vietnamese in Brooklyn

Dear Food Diary:
When StalkerBoy plans our date night, he usually picks something unique to surprise me, like going to Nightingale 9 in Carroll Gardens for Vietnamese.

When I saw chef/owner Robert Newton (from Seersucker) on the menu, it all made sense. See, I follow him on Instagram and I knew he was back in Vietnam, the photo evidence showed him flavor scoping – hence his venture to open a Vietnamese joint in the first place.

Elevate Restaurant & Lounge: great bridal shower

elevate - bridal shower brunch 3

Dear Food Diary:
This city has plenty of great spaces to host parties, but finding one that won’t break your bank is a challenge. For our good friend J’s bridal shower a couple weeks ago, we chose Elevate Restaurant & Lounge in Chinatown. They offered an $18 3 course brunch + a drink, allowed us to show up early to decorate and stay for 4 hours. The bride and guests enjoyed themselves and the bridal party (me included) had a great time hosting.

Foragers City Table: market, groceries, butcher, restaurant

foragers city table 9

Dear Food Diary:
The concept of farm to table is not just a trend, but a way of life. Knowing where my food comes from and supporting these passionate folks is satisfying in itself. And though I can’t do it all the time, I try. It is specially hard in the city which is why Foragers City Table fills that need. Farmer’s markets are great, but they don’t have all the products one might need. This is that chic cross between farmer’s market and grocery store. It’s a one stop shop for produce, meat and everything else in between, plus a nice spot for a meal of local ingredient.