This has definitely become one of my favorite preparations for duck breast. I first tried it in DC over the holidays at my MiL's house, but both of us had difficulties with the prescribed cooking time. I botched it twice, and with the price of boneless duck breasts I was about to give up on the recipe entirely.

I gave it a couple more shots and I've come away from it very pleased. Turns out if you use a duck breast twice the size of the one the recipe calls for it's going to take a little longer to cook.

The five spice combination of star anise, clove, cinnamon, anise seed, and Sichuan peppercorn is the perfect accompaniment to the richness of the duck breast. The sesame noodles are flavored just enough to please, but simply enough to complement the rich, aggressive flavor of the duck.

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When TA and I went to DC for New Years we had the chance to dine at Tenh Penh with the MiL and sFiL. While the service could have used a little polishing, the food was particularly delicious. At the end of the meal, in lieu of the traditional fortune cookie, four gorgeous little cakes were dropped off at the table.

They were about the size of a half dollar and smelled gloriously of almonds. They were chewy and dense and sweet and ridiculously delicious. TA and I are both fans of Asian cuisine, especially any sweets made with mochiko, a glutinous rice flour.

First attempt - not enough liquid, too puffy, and not enough sugar or almond extract.I decided right then and there that I absolutely had to try and make these at home and after two failed attempts I finally succeeded. Although these would be even better if I had a mini-muffin pan, they are nevertheless satisfying.

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Ma Po Tofu. Mapo Dofou. Mabo Dofu.

Whatever you want to call it - it's delicious.

Ma po tofu is a Chinese dish that hails from Sichuan province. It's a gravy-like sauce filled with vegetables and tofu served over rice - with enough scoville units to fry your face off.

Like most other foods indigenous to Sichuan, it's spicy. Very, very spicy. Which makes it delicious in my opinion. If that's not how you float your boat you can always tailor the heat level to your liking.

Apparently Ma po tofu stands for "pock-marked mother's tofu," or something along those lines. Not a great name, but that's OK. It more than makes up for it in awesomeness.

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