How 'meatballs' have been saving my relationship 🦁 - because it's actually getting us to sit at the table and talk after a long day
Alice Sun (@alicecsun) shares a unique view into her life through the ways she uses food to nurture wellness, cross cultural divides, and bring people together, all through the medium of storytelling.
Alice Sun•
April 7, 2026
Sometimes, it’s not about those big gestures, the big trips, or the grand date nights, it’s just about having more dinners together after a long work day, where we get to talk…like, really talk!
Recently we’ve made it our goal to have dinner together at least twice a week during the week, no matter how busy the day gets. but one of the ways we motivate each other to stick to our plan, is by making each other dinners from our cultures: chinese dinners for me, trinidadian dinners for him.
Tonight’s dinner features the lion’s head meatball, a different type of meatball that’s lighter, fluffier than its italian cousin. it’s the type of dish you can’t really get at a restaurant, which makes the boy even more committed to eating dinner together.
It’s also minimal prep. takes just 10 mins to mix all the ingredients together, then it just simmers in the background for a few hours. so by the time we’re both finally done with our day, the house smells incredible and dinner is just ready! here’s how to make it for your family dinners…
Prep ginger and scallion water by adding 2 slices of ginger and a scallion white to a bowl with ½ cup of boiling water.
Let the ginger and scallion steep in the water for at least 5 mins to create a ginger scallion tea that will flavor the meatball mixture.
In a separate bowl mix together the pork (1 lb), water chestnuts (¼ cup), shaoxing wine (1 Tbsp), soy sauce (1 Tbsp), sugar (1 tsp), salt (1 tsp), and egg (1).
Add 1 Tbsp of the ginger scallion water along with cornstarch (2 Tbsp) and mix very thoroughly.
Keep mixing until the pork mixture starts to naturally stick together.
To a pot, add 3 cups of water and 2 slices of ginger and 1 scallion.
Bring to a boil, then drop the lion’s head meatballs in, by first shaping the balls.
To shape the balls, toss the mixture between your hands until it forms a ball shape, then gently drop into the pot. The mixture makes about 7 balls total.
Cover the meatballs with a few leaves of cabbage (2–3 leaves) then let it simmer for 2.5 hours.
In the last few mins of cooking, remove the cabbage and drop in the peas (¼ cup).
Enjoy the meatballs, peas, and soup with a side of rice and veggies.
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