My kitchen is … cosy. I’ve always had to make do with tiny kitchens. The smallest one was as big as a closet, so cooking with housemates involved a special sort of dance. I’ve learned to be creative with cooking in a small space, and am slowly expanding the kitchen zone out to the living room.
My favourite kitchen tool is … chopsticks. Not only for eating; I beat eggs, fluff rice and flip grilled meat or vegetables with a pair of chopsticks. It’s also perfect for tossing stir-fries in the wok – especially noodles. Essentially, you can use a single pair of chopsticks from start to finish – beating the eggs, frying the ingredients, tossing the noodles, and eating.
My storecupboard staple is … a bottle of traditionally brewed soy sauce. You will taste the complexity of flavour from the long fermentation process – think craft beer versus cheap beer.
When I’m starving I … cook noodles. There was a time in my life when literally the only thing I could do in the kitchen was boil water. Back then, packets of emergency ramen were my late-night guilty pleasure (cue stereotype of Asian student feverishly studying while slurping cup noodles and then falling asleep in a pile of books and empty plastic tubs). While that is still sort of true, I’ve progressed beyond instant seasoning packets now, though – I make my noodle bowls from scratch, and they take no more than 2 minutes of active time in the kitchen. I either blanch noodles with vegetables then toss with a punchy sauce made from soy, black vinegar and chilli oil; or stir them into a simple miso soup, with spring onions and a drizzle of sesame oil.
My culinary inspiration is … my mum. She’s the reason behind Mummy I Can Cook. My humble blog grew out of my collection of kitchen adventures written to prove to her I wasn’t starving away. She taught herself how to cook from the age of 10 by watching and helping my grandmother in the kitchen. Her approach to cooking is simple: use good ingredients you understand. Growing up in a village, where the nearest shop was a 20-minute cycle away, she often had to make do with what was growing in the backyard. She learned to combine flavours and textures by making a mental note of what ingredients go well together. That’s the way I cook now, intuitively and often with what’s in season.
My best-kept kitchen secret is … to cook with people. I know some cooks are quite protective of their kitchen space but I love cooking with others, because you learn so much.
When I’m invited to dinner I always take … a homemade sauce or pickles.
Everything tastes better with … chilli. I love adding a kick to my dishes by sneaking in chopped fresh bird’s-eye chillies, or finishing with a dollop of sambal or a dash of chilli oil.
When I go shopping I … always make sure to eat before I go. I’m easily seduced by delicious colours and smells and tend not to have a shopping list, so it can get dangerous for my pocket.
For dinner tonight … I’m having pan-fried hake with crispy garlic, chilli and spring onions – with steamed green beans and rice. It’s already sitting in my go-to marinade of sweet soy sauce and rice wine.
- Shu Han Lee is a graphic designer, food writer, stylist and author of Chicken and Rice (Fig Tree) out now. @mummyicancook. She will be taking over Cook’s Instagram account this weekend. Follow @guardian_cook for updates.
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