There would be rice, of course, a dish with egg, something with meat in it and another dish that was purely vegetables. I keep thinking of that one phrase: Chinese people carry their homes in their stomachs. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. I had to cook meals that cost little money. My mom told me about having to work in the summers between elementary school in order to afford books, and those stories made me realize that, well, we have stereotypes about the “typical Asian mom” but what we’re really talking about is a set of behaviors that are shaped by the experience of hardship and poverty. 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I had to cook meals that cost little money. You can use any dipping sauce you want. I don’t know what to do with it, to be honest. Why Are Tube Sites Suddenly Filled With… Porm? Otherwise, cook the eggs over medium-high heat until you can lift an edge and confirm the bottom is golden and crusty. Cover again. I had to eat Chinese food all the time, and when we went out, it was for Chinese food, too. It’s very simple, and not heavy at all — Taiwanese people don’t prefer heavy, rich flavors like they do in regions of mainland China. She told me this cabbage omelet was basically it. I hated tomatoes growing up, so it’s kind of funny that I made, version but never the cabbage omelet. Chop the cabbage into thin strips. Flip the omelet once to briefly cook the other side, then slide out onto a plate and eat. I just don’t buy cabbage. Add the garlic and stir 30 seconds. Saute the vegetables about 5 minutes, stirring often, until they are wilted but still crunchy and you see brown around the edges. I don’t know what to do with it, to be honest. In a mixing bowl, combine the cabbage strips, eggs and all-purpose flour. Add the broth mixture to the cabbage. This is a very basic recipe that you can use to clear out all sorts of veggies and odd garnishes from the fridge, in keeping with the dish’s pragmatic nature. Cooking with love! The Communist government had just taken over in China, sending nationalists fleeing into Taiwan, which created total chaos in the villages and big food shortages. Maybe three years ago, I asked my mom about the food she ate growing up in Taiwan. is brilliant.”, “sometimes I worry [MEL is] a psy-op meant just for me.”, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA. It’s not the image you associate with modern Taiwan, the place I grew up visiting. It just felt like a burden in the sense that my family didn’t do things the same way as the people around me in Tennessee. Mix well. Then, add to the cabbage mixture. My mom said her mother would do odd jobs for people in exchange for eggs. My mom is someone who cooks at light speed, the kind of person who can get dinner on the table in 35 minutes. Chop the cabbage into thin strips. It’s not the image you associate with modern Taiwan, the place I grew up visiting. My mom pretty much cooked dinner every day. Dissolve the chicken broth cube in ½ tablespoon hot water. Heat a little bit of oil in pan. I hated tomatoes growing up, so it’s kind of funny that I made that version but never the cabbage omelet. When the oil is glimmering and hot, add the garlic and dried shrimp (if you have it) and let the two sizzle and start to turn golden. One of the key ingredients in cooking cabbage omelette is the eggs. What’s more is that it is packed with healthy goodness from the cabbage. First, heat a small wok or a medium-sized frying pan (about 8 inches, preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. She ate cabbage constantly as a child, and it was something she actually really hated. Fry in low heat until light brown. What Is Ahegao, the Hentai Face That’s Suddenly Everywhere? It gets I added some all-purpose flour as binding ingredient but this is totally optional. Add a little more oil around the edge of the pan if you see anything sticking. I experimented in the kitchen and thought of how to cook the ingredients that are already available in my fridge. I chose strips cos I want to keep it crunchy and visible when I cooked it as omelette instead of being fully coated with eggs. When I was young, it felt like food was something that was kind of a burden. After chopping, wash and drain well. When I graduated from college, I was very poor, sleeping in living rooms and freelancing for cash, trying to get an internship. Thing is, she really hated it, but she told me, ‘We had nothing else.’’. My parents came to America in the mid-1980s, so I’ve asked her, why keep eating this cabbage omelet here, too? double points for managing to pull off that project with style and charm, not self-seriousness.”, “MEL f--kin rules they’re so consistently knocking it out of the park and everyone on the staff I imagine it was a lot like that, for a lot longer time. That’s how I came up with tortang repolyo. . “Smart and insightful reported features about modern masculinity.”, “@WeAreMel is phenomenal ... the best outlet covering digital culture today.”, “I just laughed out loud for a solid five minutes.”, “The rare men’s magazine that has taken upon itself to investigate masculinity, not enforce it. ‘My mom basically only ate this cabbage omelet while growing up in Taiwan. You can also put some meat on it. I just don’t buy cabbage. Make this even tastier by adding some chopped onions and garlic. Add oil to skillet and heat, do not burn. Stir vigorously for the next 10 seconds, then shake the pan to level the mixture flat. From our kitchen to yours…. But at least once a week, this cabbage omelet landed on the table. Tortang Repolyo, or Cabbage Omelette is a budget-friendly and yummy cabbage dish. This was back in the 1960s, and apparently it was very hard for people during that era. Crack and beat your eggs in a bowl, and when the cabbage has lost some volume but still has a little crunch, pour the eggs into the pan. So I followed my mom’s formula, but I often used tomatoes instead of cabbage. It’s not like I hated the stuff. https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/eat-your-heart-out-moms-cabbage-omelet My mom’s father was incapacitated by a car accident early in his life and that left my grandma to take care of the family by herself — five children in. The Google, , writing about diaspora and the cultural, political and economic issues that impact ethnic communities. To make the cabbage omelette tasty and savory, dissolved chicken broth cube was added, but this is optional too. The omelet helped me later in life, too. Frank Shyong is a columnist for the L.A. Times, writing about diaspora and the cultural, political and economic issues that impact ethnic communities. Add onions to hot oil and saute until well cooked but not yet browned, about 7 minutes. Cover the pan while cooking. During the quarantine period, I thought of making some recipes that can give people some ideas what to prepare on a tight budget. It is optional anyway. It was merely cabbage fried with some savory ingredients and salt and pepper, finished with egg. Just sauté’ some ground meat, be it chicken or pork. I’d rather eat a more nutritious type of green (laughs). After a few minutes, flip the cabbage omelet to cook the other side. When I graduated from college, I was very poor, sleeping in living rooms and freelancing for cash, trying to get an internship. In fact, when she goes back to Taiwan to take care of my grandma, she still makes it for her. Born to Taiwanese immigrants, Shyong grew up outside of Nashville and moved to L.A. in 2006 for college. So while I’ll never know the words to interpret it exactly — and I know I’ll never get the words from my mom — the conclusion I have to draw is yeah, she’s still looking for that reminder. It is very fulfilling and can also be served as snack with ketchup. Required fields are marked *. The omelet helped me later in life, too. I can’t imagine what my parents’ cravings were like, but I’ve spent time abroad and know that point at which you really, really start craving a burger or a burrito, and you’re so crestfallen by the options available. Dissolve the chicken broth cube in ½ tablespoon hot water. When both sides are cooked, remove from heat. So I followed my mom’s formula, but I often used tomatoes instead of cabbage. Born to Taiwanese immigrants, Shyong grew up outside of Nashville and moved to L.A. in 2006 for college. If you don’t have chicken broth cube, you can use chicken or vegetable broth instead.