Grandpa Bill's No Recipe Foods

Tri-tip comes from California’s Central Coast, where it earned its reputation as food meant to be cooked simply, sliced thin, and shared. It’s not a flashy cut, and that’s the point — when you start with good meat and don’t overcomplicate things, it doesn’t need much help. This version keeps everything intentional: salt, time, and a reverse sear that makes the process more forgiving and the results more consistent. Cut against the grain, serve it as finger food, and let peopl

Lumpia has always been one of those dishes that feels both comforting and endlessly flexible — familiar enough to feel like home, but open enough to become whatever you want it to be. At its core, it’s less about a single recipe and more about a method: wrap something delicious, fry it until crisp, and share it with people you care about. For this version, I leaned into that flexibility and made three fillings using the same base technique — a classic pork lumpia Shanghai, a.

MacFongo Balls are what happens when two comfort-food legends — mofongo made with plátanos and  creamy mac and cheese — meet each other and instantly realize they’re soulmates. This dish is part of my Decolonized Thanksgiving menu, blending the flavors I grew up with into the traditions I inherited. Grab the full recipe card below and bring some crispy, cheesy, plantain-powered joy to your table.