Tucked into West Town, Lao Peng You is a Chinese spot centered on dumplings and noodles - dishes rooted in memory, ritual, and family. Founded in 2019 by brothers Daniel and Eric Wat, the restaurant is a tribute to their childhoods; the pair learned how to make dumplings from their grandmother, who immigrated from just outside Shanghai. Nearly seven years in, Lao Peng You is consistently packed.
Researchers link eating together with higher life satisfaction and lower negative emotions across regions and age groups, a reminder that dinner can act as social glue, not only fuel. You can see it in small scenes. A pot that needs 20 minutes to simmer gives a household the same 20 minutes to talk about a test or a hard day. A familiar smell in the kitchen tells guests they showed up at the right house.
Even without the specter of covid hanging over us, it's been a long time since my extended family gathered together and had a good old-fashioned Thanksgiving meal. I miss my mother's turkey and my aunt's dressing (she always made two kinds: oyster and non-oyster). I miss my other aunt's collard greens and her black-eyed peas and the sweet potatoes she garnished with marshmallows and pecans. Most of all, I miss my granny's dinner rolls, who no one's been able to recreate since she passed away.
Recipes carry stories, and often when they have been passed down from generation to generation, these tales have a chapter added to them each time they are made. Family members concoct elaborate treats and seasoning mixes, which in some cases travel across oceans to end up on our dinner tables. We would like to hear about the recipes that have stood the test of time for you, and never fail to impress.
With a focus on her Italian immigrant roots and a deep passion for both family and food, Lidia Bastianich is always ready to share tips, tricks, and favorite family recipes that she grew up loving. In a video on her official Facebook page, she reveals her Grandma Rosa's recipe for mashed potatoes with savoy cabbage. Bastianich explains the dish is ideal for making in large quantities and reheating the leftovers. This certainly makes it food fit for a feasting family and an easy recipe you can prepare on your own at home.
Husband-and-wife team Hakeem and Zura started cooking together when grounded in Morocco during the pandemic, and on returning to London, it evolved into the Duda Diner concept, their love letter to Malaysia. After popping up with it all over town, the pair have now found a permanent home for Duda Diner in Nunhead, taking over cafe Goodcup on Thursday to Saturday evenings.
Growing up as a Greek American, certain dishes were always part of my family's weekly dinner rotation. My parents used food to help my sister and me connect to our Greek roots, introducing us to dishes like pastitsio (like lasagna, but better), avgolemono soup (similar to chicken noodle), and baklava (a holiday classic). But no recipe is as quick and easy as my dad's Greek meatballs - or keftedes, as we call them. They're the perfect companion to some fries, pasta, or his Greek roasted potatoes.
"Pamana always stuck, because at the end of the day, what we do is for our family and what we learned from them, and that's how we keep a lot of our stories and our culture alive," says Geri.
Pastitsio is a baked pasta dish with ground meat and a béchamel sauce. It's creamier than a baked ziti and meatier than your classic lasagna.
