Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan

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July 12, 2014 By cheryl

Perfect Summer Pesto: A Lazy Al Fresco Lunch

IMG_2913People may wax lyrical about spring and its blossoms and fall or its ripe beauty, but for me, summer is always ma saison préférée.

This may come as no surprise to anyone who knows I grew up on a little tropical island, but my favorite meals always go something like this: Outdoors, at a little table surrounded by dear friends, gorgeous water on the horizon, azure sky above, the promise of a fresh simple feast before us.

So when my trusty Let’s Lunch bunch decided to do al fresco dining for our monthly lunch date this month, I was all over it.

Now, I’m fortunate that New York City and its nearby beaches offer me these ingredients on a plate. And recently, I found myself in the Hamptons enjoying one such meal with one of my dearest friends, chef Simpson Wong.

What was to come? A little summer pesto …

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Beach, Hamptons, Italian, Let's Lunch, Pasta, Recipes, Tales From the Road Tagged With: Al fresco, Beach, Hamptons, Lunch, Pesto, Simpson Wong, Summer

July 16, 2012 By cheryl

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms: Pretty Tasty

One of the perks of having a terrific chef for a dear friend is the kitchen lessons you’ll inevitably get.

On a recent weekend, I noticed a lovely bouquet of yellow and orange flowers in chef Simpson‘s kitchen.

“How pretty,” I said.

“Dinner!” was his reply.

Turns out the blooms were zucchini flowers — how was he planning to cook them? I didn’t have to wait long to find out …

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Filed Under: Recipes, Tales From the Road Tagged With: Basil, Cafe Asean, Cheese, New York, Parmesan, Simpson Wong, Wong restaurant, Zucchini flowers

June 3, 2009 By cheryl

A Tale of Six Meatballs


CIMG4598 It’s a little scary what can happen when a journalistic killer instinct is directed at something seemingly innocuous.

Like, meatballs. And the battle to be voted top meatball chef in a six-way competition.

There is the non-stop smack talk. There is the repeated invocation of maternal units. There is, even, the reflexive forming of menacing kung-fu gestures anytime the word “meatball” is mentioned.

And we haven’t even gotten to things that my fellow competitors did.

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Filed Under: Contests, Meat, Recipes Tagged With: Adobo, Alfama, Arizona, Barbecue, Brooklyn Heights, Cafe Asean, Chili, Chorizo, Cotija Cheese, Curries Without Worries, Dates, Dauyew Bak, Filipino, French toast, Indian, Italian, Jack Daniels, Kung Fu, Le Cordon Bleu, Meatballs, Mooch, New York Times, Phoenix, Portuguese, Scallops, Simpson Wong, Soy sauce, Sudha Koul, Teochew, West Village

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