Cooking Videos — Week of 2026-05-16 to 2026-05-22#
Watch First#
The absolute standout this week is master chef Chen Zongming’s deep dive into traditional Shandong cuisine with his 跟师父学鲁菜 | 汤白味鲜，在家也能做传统鲁菜 - 奶汤核桃 #师父和我做鲁菜 #美食教程 #传统鲁菜. It is an indispensable masterclass in classic Chinese culinary technique, brilliantly demonstrating how to build a luxuriously rich, milky white soup base from scratch by carefully toasting flour to avoid any raw flavors.
Week in Review#
This week offered a thrilling contrast between high-level, hyper-regional Chinese culinary mastery and deeply practical hacks for the modern, busy home cook. We saw state banquet chefs demystifying complex, gelatin-rich braises and old-school street foods, proving that intimidating, classical techniques are accessible at home. Simultaneously, creators like James and MASA leaned heavily into weeknight efficiency, showcasing brilliant culinary fusions, convenience food upgrades, and entirely new ways to utilize humble pantry staples like instant oats.
Highlights by Theme#
Recipes & Tutorials#
The week was anchored by phenomenal traditional deep-dives, highlighted by the state banquet chefs at 老饭骨 (Lao Fan Gu) breaking down the incredibly complex, gelatinous beauty of Guangdong’s provincial dish in 【國宴大師•隆江豬腳飯】每一口都是滿滿的膠原蛋白和幸福感，香到靈魂出竅！學會可以開店～| 老飯骨. For a brilliant modern fusion, MASAの料理ABC delivered 台灣香腸卡邦尼拌麵/台湾ソーセージカルボナーラ/Taiwanese Sausage Carbonara, creatively marrying the sweet umami of Taiwanese street sausage with Italian pasta techniques to create a silky, remarkably delicious noodle dish without scrambling the eggs. Busy cooks must also watch 詹姆士官方專屬頻道 (James’s channel) redefine a classic with 螞蟻上樹 2.0｜絞肉總是很硬？用這個方法肉質軟嫩、步驟更簡單 新手也不失敗！[詹姆士], utilizing a water and soy sauce marinade to keep minced meat incredibly tender in the wok. Finally, James shattered breakfast stereotypes in 燕麥也能這樣做？！4種做法，從早吃到晚不重複！[詹姆士], transforming instant oats into savory masterpieces like a luxurious seafood mushroom gratin and a thick Malaysian-style hot pot broth.
Food Science & Tips#
This week was packed with essential technique breakthroughs, starting with Chef Chen Zongming’s vital temperature control tip: when blanching starch-coated meat, keeping the water at a gentle 80°C to 90°C sub-simmer ensures the velvety coating doesn’t get knocked off by violently boiling water. For cooking ground meat, Chef James shared a masterclass in hydration, warning that salting too early ruins the texture; instead, season with sugar first and let the pork absorb its liquid marinade before hitting the pan to prevent dryness. Additionally, 美食作家王刚 (Wang Gang) offered a heartwarming and practical guide to microwave safety, demonstrating how gently reheating tough, spicy cold beef on medium power melts the fat and softens the meat perfectly, provided you heat it in small portions.
Restaurant & Travel#
Culinary lore took center stage as Lao Fan Gu explored the hyper-regional Tangshan specialty Cu Liu Ge Zhi, sharing the delightful legend of how Empress Dowager Cixi accidentally named the dish after a misconstrued royal decree. The same channel also provided an appetizing window into old Beijing street food with Stir-fried Ma Doufu, a deeply localized, savory fermented mung bean delicacy that out-of-towners genuinely need to experience. We also received a fascinating glimpse into authentic Guangdong restaurant serving styles, where rich Longjiang trotter meat is beautifully balanced with Chaozhou pickled mustard greens and sometimes creatively stuffed into fresh flatbreads right at the table.
Skippable#
While this week was overwhelmingly filled with high-value culinary knowledge, the brief Costco 好市多 video featuring 清蒸檸檬帆立貝 (Steamed Lemon Scallops) offers a very straightforward, basic assembly rather than a substantial technique lesson. It can safely be skipped by home cooks who are looking for deep, skill-building content rather than a simple product showcase.