Irresistible and Totally Achievable Recipes from Our Chinese-American KitchenANDREW, IRENE & MARGARET LIDOUBLE AWESOME CHINESE FOODxiLet’s start with the name Mei Mei. That’s really where our idea of family style comes from, where it all begins. Mei mei means “little sister” in Mandarin Chinese, the language spoken by our mother’s parents and the language our mom and dad valiantly tried to teach us as we grew up just outside Boston. The fun started with Andrew (mostly called Andy), and a scant thirteen months later came his first little sister, Margaret. That’s me. Since Margaret was already a mouthful for toddler Andy, I was called Mei Mei at home for years. Growing up, that got shortened to Mei, a nickname that stuck around even when little sister number two, Irene, was born eight years later. Finally, the trio was complete. Fast-forward twenty-odd years. Andy had been working in hospitality for nearly a decade, moving his way up from nightclub bouncer to front-of-house manager in corporate chains, renowned Boston institutions, and fine-dining restaurants. After years of wearing a suit and observing the complications of the restaurant industry firsthand, he started dreaming of running his own business where he could do things differently (and wear a T-shirt every day). At that point, Irene and I had been exploring the food world for several years, running pop-up restaurants and writing a shared food blog from upstate New York and London, respectively. We called the blog Family Styles, to highlight that it was written by sisters and as a nod to the way the family grew up eating, all shared plates and communal dishes. Although both of us were thoroughly enamored with food, we saw our activities as passion projects and not a real career path. But gradually we started discussing more food INTRODUCTION: A FAMILY COOKBOOKfamily style (adj, adv, n):a) A method of serving a meal, particularly popular in Chinese cuisine, where dishes are placed in the center of the table and shared by all eaters. Generally includes lots of food passed hand-to-hand, as eaters serve themselves as well as help others.b) The best way to eat, no matter what kind of food. Everyone gets to try everything. There’s no “my food” or “your dish,” but an assortment for everyone to enjoy. Eating—along with conversation, laughter, and delight—becomes a communal experience.c) A cookbook about food, family, and good eating. A story of three siblings—Andrew, Margaret, and Irene. And, of course, the influences of Mom and Dad, grandmas and grandpas, and the rest of our large Chinese-American family. Double Awesome_2nd Pages.indd 118/8/18 3:38 PMxiiIntroduCtIonbusiness ideas with our big brother, and we realized he was serious about starting a company. The timing made sense for our family—our dad was ill and we all wanted to return to Boston to be with him. Simultaneously, gourmet food trucks were exploding in popularity around the country. Andy asked: Would we come home to Boston and open a food truck with him?We decided on the name Mei Mei to reflect our Chinese heritage and celebrate our sibling relationship. As Irene jokes, we two little sisters agreed to join Andy on his big-wheeled food truck adventure if he’d agree to name the business after us. The food truck has since expanded to include a full-service restaurant catering and company. But in a broader sense, food and family have always been tied together for us. In our family—like many others—every occasion revolved around food, from nightly family dinner to enormous reunions where thirty aunties, uncles, and cousins descend on a Chinese banquet restaurant for whole fish, duck tongues, and enough white rice to feed an army. Food was the centerpiece of activity; eating was the background to all interactions. In Mandarin Chinese, greeting someone with the question “Have you eaten?” is similar to asking “How are you?” Being well fed is synonymous with a general sense of well-being, an idea that has subtly infused the collective sense of hospitality across our businesses. Growing up with this feeling of food as love, we’ve poured our family memories into the dishes we serve at Mei Mei. Our most popular sandwich is based on an enduring childhood love of crispy, golden scallion pancakes—and pesto. The thousands of hand-folded dumplings we sell every week are the contemporary incarnation of the dumplings we folded by hand at our family table. But the fillings—pork, sage and cranberry, mashed potato and sharp cheddar, chorizo and white beans drizzled with cilantro oil—are unconventional combinations that showcase our love for great New England ingredients along with our enthusiasm for crossing boundaries in pursuit of what tastes delicious. Like our Chinese-American upbringing, filled with international influences and multicultural experiences, our food isn’t confined to certain notions of authenticity or tradition. Our grandmother might never have dreamed of a Chinese-spiced beef and blue cheese dumpling (cheese was almost unheard of in China in her generation), but we’re pretty confident that if she could try one today she’d eat them as enthusiastically as we do. Our concept of family extends beyond recipes and food memories to encompass so much more than us three siblings. First of all, there’s the tour de force that is Mama Mei Mei. Our mom, Elaine, isn’t on the payroll, but she’s our toughest critic and our best publicist. Our hardworking, fun-loving team, a few of whom have been with us since the week we opened the food truck, represent the next level of the Mei Mei family. And then there’s our network of farm partners, fellow food truckers, and restaurant pals Double Awesome_2nd Pages.indd 128/8/18 3:38 PMDouble Awesome_2nd Pages.indd 138/8/18 3:38 PMxivIntroduCtIonwho look out for each other, offer advice, and know a good guy to call when your truck generator fails in the middle of lunch service. They’re all family too. Like any family, we’ve had our ups and downs. Running a food truck with three opinionated siblings has resulted in both literal and figurative bumps in the road. Despite some heated disagreements, we’re thankful for the ways in which we differ as siblings, as these differences ultimately have influenced the strongest tenets of our businesses. Local sourcing, small farms, exclusively pasture-raised meat—that’s Irene’s contribution from her high school semester on a Vermont farm. Bend-over-backward hospitality for our guests, while also going out of your way for your own staff—that’s from Andy’s experiences, good and bad, over his decade working in hospitality in Boston. And my entrepreneurial career has helped to create a culture in which we’re not afraid to innovate or take risks. Our slightly unorthodox approach to the restaurant industry (such as opening our financial books to the entire company and getting everyone from dishwashers to senior managers involved in profit sharing) has attracted a diverse crew of smart and dedicated people, from a former attorney to a zoologist. We’re so proud of and thankful for the motley crew and extended family that has joined us on our mission: making excellent food while also being mindful of our community and the planet. That’s the other part of what we do at Mei Mei. We strive to make food that not only tastes good, but also does good for the local and regional food system. We started our truck with a commitment to serve great local food and no factory farmed meat. We now source from more than fifty small farms and producers in the Northeast to support people and companies using natural, sustainable, and ethical methods. They put in some crazy hard work to make stellar ingredients like rooftop-grown arugula, heirloom breed pork, and traditionally stone-ground grains. We also choose lesser-known and underappreciated cuts of meat and varieties of fish, pay attention to seasonality, and utilize every edible part of a plant and animal. We believe that if more people and more restaurants cooked this way, we’d have healthier bodies and a healthier food system.We’ve written this book for the same reasons we opened our business: because we love to cook, eat, and feed people. We love to tell stories—through words and through meals—and we believe in the power of food to make connections, make people happy, and make a difference for our planet. We’ve learned a lot through running our businesses and hope this book—with recipes, professional advice, and shopping tips—can make delicious, sustainable cooking more accessible and achievable in your life as well.That’s what we mean by family style. Two little sisters and a big brother. The food-slinging, ass-kicking Mei Mei team. A community of our wonderful guests and regulars, farmers, chefs, cider makers, and donut bakers. And, now, you and your family as well. We’ve written these stories and recipes to bring our family love to you. We hope you enjoy.Double Awesome_2nd Pages.indd 148/8/18 3:38 PM34double awesome chinese foodBEEF AND BROCCOLI———— GFO, DF ————In our take on this classic Chinese restaurant dish, both the beef and the broccoli get a lovely char and crunch. We pan-fry a steak to medium-rare and oven-roast the broccoli; if you’ve only had limp, gloopy takeout versions of this dish, you’ll be surprised by the texture and flavor in these florets and stalks. Make sure you peel the broccoli stalk—it gets a bad rap, but the sweet, nutty flavor is fantastic once you get past the tough outer layer. Serves 4, with rice or other side dishesBEEF1 pound (450 g) flank, skirt, or hanger steak1 tablespoon (15 g) soy sauce (substitute tamari if gluten-free)1 tablespoon (15 g) Shaoxing wine2 tablespoons (26 g) neutral oil, such as canolaKosher saltBROCCOLI1½ pounds (675g) broccoli, stems trimmed, peeled, and cut into chunks, tops cut into florets¼ cup (52 g) olive oil½ teaspoon (2 g) kosher salt SAUCE1½ teaspoons (6 g) neutral oil, such as canola 2 cloves garlic, mincedOne 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced3 tablespoons (45 g) oyster sauce2 tablespoons (40 g) honey2 tablespoons (30 g) soy sauce (substitute tamari if gluten-free)1 tablespoon (15 g) water1 teaspoon (5 g) fish sauce1 teaspoon (5 g) rice vinegarGARNISH¼ cup (20 g) Garlic Panko (page 14; optional, omit if gluten-free)Zest of 1 lemon (optional)MARINATE THE BEEFCombine the beef, soy sauce, wine, and 1 tablespoon of oil in a sealable plastic bag. Marinate for at least 20 minutes while you prepare the broccoli and the sauce, or up to a day in advance. COOK THE BROCCOLI Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).Put the broccoli on a baking sheet and drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle with the salt, then use your hands to toss and fully coat the broccoli. Roast for 15 minutes, then carefully flip the pieces of broccoli over with tongs. Roast for another 5 minutes, then check to see if the broccoli has a good char. If not, continue to roast, checking every 5 minutes, until well browned. MAKE THE SAUCEHeat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant and softened, about 2 minutes. Add the oyster sauce, honey, soy sauce, water, and fish sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook at a low boil for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until thick and sticky. Stir in the vinegar and taste for seasoning; if the sauce is too salty, thin with a little water or meat stock. Double Awesome_2nd Pages.indd 348/8/18 3:38 PMDouble Awesome_2nd Pages.indd 358/8/18 3:38 PMDouble Awesome_2nd Pages.indd 1258/8/18 3:38 PM126double awesome chinese foodSOY GINGER NOODLE SALAD WITH PICKLED CARROTS AND TOFU———— V, VV, GFO, DF ————I could eat this light, refreshing vegan noodle salad all day. Vinegary pickled carrots get tossed with mild, almost creamy bites of tofu, and the slick, briny strips of wakame provide ample personality to a base of chewy rice noodles. It’s a great dish to make ahead for dinner parties, picnics, or your hungry future self. If you don’t have Quick Pickled Carrots on hand, shred 3 medium carrots, toss with 1½ tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar, and let sit while you make the noodles. Serves 4, with other dishes ½ ounce (14 g/about 2 heaping tablespoons) dried wakame or nori seaweedKosher salt8 ounces (225 g) wide dried rice noodles, also known as rice sticksToasted sesame oil1½ cups (150 g) Quick Pickled Carrots (page 24)7 ounces (200 g) tofu, cut into bite-size cubes¼ cup (50 g) Soy Ginger Dressing (page 16), or as neededCrushed peanuts (optional)Chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, or whole pea tendrils (optional)Line a plate with paper towels. If using wakame, put it in a small bowl and add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Leave for 5 minutes to rehydrate, then drain and spread out on the prepared plate to dry. Slice any larger pieces into thin strips. If using nori, cut into bite-size pieces (pro tip: use scissors to cut the nori). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rice noodles and cook according to the package directions. Drain, rinse briefly under cold water, and drain well. Put the noodles in a large serving bowl and toss with a little sesame oil to prevent sticking.Add the seaweed, pickled carrots, tofu, and dressing to the bowl. Toss to coat the ingredients, adding more dressing if desired. If you can avoid refrigerating, do so; the rice noodles taste best at room temperature. Garnish with crushed peanuts and the chopped herbs of your choice. Double Awesome_2nd Pages.indd 1268/8/18 3:38 PMNext >