Garten's Garlic Bread

Here’s another recipe by Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa. If you’ve noticed by now, I’m currently in possession of her book, Back to Basics.



Ingredients

6 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 loaf ciabatta bread
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Place the garlic in the bowl of a food processor and process until minced. Add the parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and pulse twice.

3. Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan and add the garlic mixture. Remove the pan from the heat.

4. Slice the ciabatta bread in half horizontally, and spread the butter on 1 half. Spread the garlic mixture on the other half of the bread, and put the halves together. Wrap the bread in aluminum foil.

5. Place the bread in the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Open the foil, and continue baking for an additional 5 minutes.

It’s a good recipe but I have a few suggestions if you’re planning to make it. Increase the garlic to 9 cloves. Reduce the olive oil by half. Spread butter and the garlic mixture on both halves of the bread loaf. The bread wasn’t garlicky enough for me. The original recipe called for way too much oil. By buttering just one side and “garlicking” the other, you end up with a half loaf of buttered bread and a half loaf of oil bread.

Happy eating!

Barefoot Buttermilk Cheddar Biscuits

Don’t you sometimes want to kick off your Sunday shoes, get in touch with your feminine side and prance around the kitchen like Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa? Yeah…me neither. But I do enjoy trying out her recipes. This one came from her book Back to Basics, page 228. This was my first time making biscuits and so I'm sure I didn't do it quite right, but it still turned out awesome. I just hope my local Red Lobster does not ban me for posting this recipe. (That's right. I’ll still eat at Red Lobster.)



2 cups of all-purpose flour, plus some for kneading
1 tablespoon baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
12 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup cold buttermilk, shaken
1 cold extra-large egg
1 cup grated extra-sharp cheddar
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk or water

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F

2. Place 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, add the butter and mix until the butter is the size of peas.

3. Combine the buttermilk and egg in a small glass measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. With the mixer still on low, quickly add the buttermilk to the flour mixture and mix until moistened. In a small bowl, blend the cheese with a small handful of flour and, with the mixer still on low, add cheese to the dough. Mix only until roughly combined.

4. Dump the dough out onto a well-floured board and knead lightly about six times. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 5 x 10 inches. With a sharp, floured knife, cut the dough lengthwise in half and then across in quarters, making 8 rough rectangles. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the tops with the egg wash, sprinkle with sea salt, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are brown and the biscuits are cooked through. Serve hot or warm

Polenta Taragna

Today I’m expressing my Italian side with an Italian polenta. This urge was partly due to the fact I love cornmeal and partly because I enjoy speaking with a fake Italian accent while cooking Italian dishes. I believe the louder one speaks with his or her best Italian accent while cooking Italian food, the better the food will be. The first time I did this 10 years ago, my wife thought it was hilarious. Today, she was much less amused.



1-1/4 cups of polenta
2-1/2 ounces of Taleggio cheese
2 tablespoons of butter (unsalted sweet cream)
4 cups of water
1 teaspoon of salt

1. Place water and salt in a large copper pot and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, cut the butter and cheese into small cubes.

2. When the water begins to boil, sprinkle the polenta into the water and stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir for about 40 minutes until the polenta becomes nice and thick.

3. While still stirring, slowly add the butter and cheese to melt all that creamy goodness together. As soon as everything is melted together, remove from heat and serve.

In the photo here I had it with some broiled bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and steamed broccoli.

Honey Vanilla Pound Cake

The one problem I ever had with pound cake is its name. I used to think it was because the cake weighed a pound. Then I learned that the name came from how it is traditionally made from a pound each of eggs, butter, flour and sugar. So “four-pound cake” would be a more suitable name because of the total weight of the ingredients and because that’s how much weight I gain eating it. Nevertheless, as a food blogger, I have pushed past the pain and pounds to give you the following. I hope this recipe and my increased risk of a stroke brings a smile to your day.



1/2 pound(2 sticks) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 extra large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease the bottom of an 8½ x 4½ x 2½ inch loaf pan.

3. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.

4. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until light.

5. Meanwhile, put the eggs, honey, vanilla and lemon zest in a glass measuring cup but do not combine.

6. With the mixer on medium low speed, add the egg mixture, one egg at a time, scraping down the bowl and allowing each egg to become incorporated before adding the next egg.

7. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.

8. With the mixer on low speed, add it slowly to the batter until just combined.

9. Finish mixing the batter with a rubber spatula and pour it into the prepared pan. Smooth the top.

10. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

11. Cool for 15 minutes, turn out onto a baking rack, and cool completely.

Source: Back to Basics by Ina Garten

Pan-fried Pomphet with Lemongrass

I’m told that my first solid food was fried fish. Whether or not that’s true, fried fish has been a long time favorite of mine. Sure, frying fish will make the whole house smell like, well, fried fish. And though I understand that some may gag at the thought of fried fish infusing the furrows of their fine furniture, for me, that beloved aroma takes me to a time when life was fun and fancy-free. This recipe for a pan-fried whole fish is deliciously simple and is a go-to dish for when I have little time to cook for 4-6 other fish lovers. Here I used whole pomfret but feel free to use your favorite fish. Any small fish that is firm and oily would be great, e.g., mackerel, herring, etc.

1 whole fish about 3 pounds, cleaned
1 teaspoon salt
1 stalk of lemongrass
1 whole Thai chili pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Mince the lemongrass and chili pepper until nearly fine. Add the salt. Continue mincing until fine. A food processor saves time but I try to use a mezzaluna when possible. If using a food processor, make sure to chop the lemongrass into quarter-inch slices or smaller (like chopping green onions) before processing otherwise you’ll get unpleasantly long strands of lemongrass fibers.

2. Pat the fish dry. Cut 3 slits into each side of the fish. Thoroughly coat the fish with the lemongrass mixture making sure to work the seasoning into the newly made slits.

3. In your favorite fish-frying skillet, fry over medium heat about 10 minutes each side or until you can lift the meat at the slits and the bone underneath looks cooked through. Serve with rice and your favorite greens, which is ong choy for me.

Stir-fried Ong Choy

Growing up, one of the few ways my mom got me to eat my veggies was by stir-frying them. Looking back, I’m glad it was this and not a broccoli milkshake.

As you can see, ong choy is a green leafy vegetable native to East and Southeast Asia. However, because it has grown like a weed since its introduction to the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated it as a “noxious weed.” Just to be clear, the USDA uses “noxious” in reference to the plant’s effect on the environment, not my stomach. Ong choy, like the potato, was historically a food source for the poor but is now a common offering on menus.



This is an extremely quick and easy recipe for those nights your short on time.

1 bunch of ong choy (approximately 6 cups uncooked)
6 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup of vegetable oil

1. Thoroughly wash the ong choy of any dirt. Discard about 1 inch from the thick ends of the stalks. Cut into 2-inch sections. FYI, I was taught a much more involved process of breaking these long stalks down into shorter strips for frying but just cutting them is much more efficient and doesn’t degrade the taste of the dish.

2. In a large wok, heat the oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and cook for 15 seconds or until fragrant. Immediately add the ong choy (before the garlic burns) and toss until all the leaves are evenly wilted, about 2 minutes. Serve with your favorite Vietnamese savory dish (such as braised pork and eggs or catfish in caramel sauce)

Shrimp & Scallion Pancakes

For some reason, it seems that many things can be improved when made in pancake form. Maybe it has something to do with sizzling batter in a large pan of grease. Whatever the reason, you’re about to learn how to make some delicious discs full of shrimp and scallions. Whether you call them pancakes, omelets, or frittatas, I assure you this recipe will taste the same regardless of its name.

3 eggs
½ pound of medium shrimp, peeled (devein optional)
1 stalk of scallion, chopped
1 teaspoon of salt

1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, salt and scallions. Add shrimp and mix until even.

2. In a large, heavy-bottom skillet, heat a liberal amount of vegetable oil (enough to cover the bottom of the pan). Test the heat of the oil by adding a few drops of the egg. The oil should sizzle immediately upon contact.

3. Using a ¼-cup measuring cup, ladle in the batter similar if making pancakes. You should be able to make about 3 at a time. Make sure about 3 shrimps are in each ladle. Once added to the oil, flatten out the shrimp into a single layer immediately, before the egg mixture sets. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. Serve with rice and soy sauce for dipping.

Vietnamese Banana Cake

If Vietnam were to have a national fruit, it would probably be the banana. With so many different varieties available, there’s a banana for practically every culinary need. Today we’ll make a cake with bananas.

The Vietnamese banana cake is similar to fruitcake in density and texture but is unlike fruitcake in that people would love to receive this banana cake as a gift…at least I would.

1-½ lbs extremely ripe bananas
1 large egg
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
¼ cup coconut milk, the creamy white stuff, not the juice
1/3 cup sugar
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon of sugar in the raw

1. Preheat oven to 375. Oil an 8-inch round cake pan.

2. Choose the least ripe banana and set aside for decorating the top of the cake. Peel and slice the remaining bananas into ¼-inch slices and place into a large bowl.

3. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg and then add the sugar, coconut milk and butter. Mix until blended. Pour over bananas and fold with a rubber spatula until even.

4. Sift the flour directly onto the banana mixture and continue to fold with a rubber spatula until even. Pour the batter into the cake pan and shake or tap until the batter evens out.

5. Cut the remaining banana into 1/8-inch slices and decorate the top of the cake with all your creativity and none of you inhibitions. Sprinkle on the raw sugar.

6. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top is a nice golden brown. I personally bake it for an extra 15 minutes so that the edges get extra crusty with the hardened caramel.

Vietnamese Pork & Eggs

This is the second of two sweet-n-savory recipes this week. Thit kho (pronounced like “tit caw”…yeah, it sounds dirty in English) is a dish where the pork is slow-cooked in a caramel sauce with hard-boiled eggs. This one can be considered the Vietnamese version of bacon & eggs except it’s not usually consumed for breakfast.

1-½ lbs boneless pork leg with skin & fat, cut into 1-inch by 2-inch chunks
¼ cup of sugar
¾ cup of water
3 tablespoons of fish sauce
6 medium eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
12 oz of your favorite canned coconut juice, strained of coconut pieces

1. In a large bowl, evenly coat the chunks of pork with fish sauce and coconut juice. Marinate for an hour.

2. In a 4-quart pan, caramelize the sugar with the water over medium heat for 15 minutes or until the sauce is a deep brown.

3. Carefully, add the coconut juice that has been marinating the pork but not the pork itself. Return to a simmer. The caramel will seize temporarily but then dissolve once the juices simmer again.

4. Add the pork and eggs. Return to a simmer, then partially cover and cook for another 1-¼ hour, turning the pork every 15 minutes. Uncover and cook for another 15 minutes or until the sauce has reduce by half of its original amount.

5. Serve with your favorite boiled green veggies.

Catfish in Caramel Sauce

This past week was a sweet-n-savory week for me. In honor of my hankering, you’ll learn two Vietnamese recipes that incorporate caramel and fish sauce. To the uninitiated, these two ingredients are like Romeo and Juliet; the relationship may seem to defy the stars but it’s as natural as that light through yonder window.

The first of these two recipes is for catfish simmered in a caramel sauce.

1-½ lbs catfish steaks, 1-inch thick
2 teaspoons brown sugar
½ teaspoons black pepper
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced

1. Put the catfish into a large glass bowl and coat evenly with brown sugar, pepper, salt and fish sauce. Set aside.

2. In a shallow pan large enough for all the catfish to fit snugly in a single layer, caramelize the sugar with the oil and half of the water over medium heat for 15 minutes or until the caramel is a deep dark color but before it smokes.

3. Add the rest of the water and bring back to a simmer. The caramel will seize and there will be a lot of sizzling but when it simmers again, the sugar will dissolve.

4. Add the garlic and catfish. Be sure to pour in all of the fish sauce mixture collected at the bottom of the bowl. Return to simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until the liquid reduces to about half. Flip the catfish half way through cooking.

5. Serve with rice and your favorite boiled green vegetable. The sauce is edible liquid gold. Pour it over rice and try to have sauce, rice and fish in every bite you take.

Can hay-like stalks of grass make for a good ice cream flavor? Only if you follow the directions detailed below.

The recipes for Vietnamese ice cream, or kem (pronounced like “cam” in “camera”), vary as widely as spots on a Dalmation. In this recipe, instead of eggs and cream, we’ll use cornstarch. The result will be a thick, creamy consistency that is denser than a Blue Bell country day.


4 cups of whole milk
4 to 5 stalks of lemongrass, coarsely chopped
¾ cup of sugar
3 tablespoons of cornstarch

1. In a 1-quart saucepan, simmer 3 cups of the milk with the lemongrass over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. When the milk begins to bubble, remove from heat, cover and seep for at least 30 minutes to infuse the milk with flavors from the lemongrass.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rest of the milk, sugar and cornstarch. Whisk until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved.

3. Add the warm lemongrass mixture by slowly pouring through a sieve. Using a spatula, press down on the filtered pieces of lemongrass to extract as much of the milk out. Discard the lemongrass.

4. Whisk the milk mixture until even. Wash the saucepan to clean of all milk buildup accumulated during the initial simmering. Pour the milk mixture back into the clean saucepan. Simmer over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Once the milk thickens to the consistency of a custard (dip a spoon in and the back of the spoon should come out with a thick even coat of milk), remove from the heat.

5. Immediately pour into a glass bowl. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

6. Once the mixture has thoroughly chilled, prepare it with an ice-cream maker following the manufacturer’s instructions.

7. Serve with fresh mint leaves or chopped peanuts or both.

Ramen with Bacon, Egg & Char-Siu Pork

Just because ramen is the go-to food item for those on a tight budget, it doesn’t mean that we can’t indulge our inner chefs when feasting on some freeze-dried noodles. As I've mentioned before, for someone who grew up on this stuff, a package of ramen noodles is like a canister of Play-Doh where you're limited only by your imagination. The following is one of the myriad of ways to make instant noodles a wok to remember.

Before we start, it’s imperative that you forget the “old” way of making ramen and follow my steps below. Don’t worry; when food is concerned, I don’t lead people astray.


2 slices of bacon, chopped widthwise into thin 1/8-inch strips
1 clove of garlic, minced
6 cups hot water
1 large egg
1 good helping of char-siu pork from your favorite Chinese BBQ provider (actual amount depends the level of your char-siu pork hankering)
1 package of your favorite instant ramen (currently, mine is Nong Shim’s Shin Ramyun Gourmet Spicy)
2 cups of baby bok choy, leaves separated and washed
1 stalk of green onion, finely chopped (optional)

1. In a 4-quart pot or larger over high heat, cook the strips of bacon for about 3 minutes or until crispy brown, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and continue stirring for about a minute to release all the garlic’s flavors.

2. Just as the garlic begins to brown, add the hot water to the bacon and garlic and bring to a boil. I know it seems like a lot of water but, by the time we finish this recipe, most of it will evaporate.

3. Once boiling, crack the egg into the water and poach until desired doneness (3 minutes for soft, 6 minutes for hard). Turn heat to medium otherwise it'll boil over. With a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked egg to a bowl.

4. Now add the noodles and its seasoning packet(s). We don’t want to add the seasoning before cooking the egg otherwise the egg will absorb all the salty powdery goodness leaving nothing for the broth. The Shin Ramyun comes with two packets: one is the actual seasoning and the other contains dried herbs and veggies. When the water boils again, cook for another 3 minutes or until desired tenderness. I specify 3 minutes because I prefer my ramen chewy rather than mushy, though I understand some prefer otherwise. Using a slotted spoon or your finest chopstick skills, transfer only the noodles and pork into the bowl with the waiting egg.

5. Bring the water back to a rapid boil. Add the leaves of baby bok choy. Stir and let it come back to a boil. Cook for another minute or until white stalks are slightly translucent and tender. Overcooking will result in mushy bok choy and 7 years of bad luck.

6. Ladle in the bok choy and broth, garnish with chopped green onions and serve.

I typically split this recipe into two bowls to share with my wife so the photo shows only half of the recipe.

Steamed Chicken with Ginger Scallion Dipping Sauce

This is one of my favorite recipes. It’s easy, delicious, and can feed two adults for 4-6 business days. Also, part of the reason this is a favorite recipe is because I get to use a mezzaluna (pictured below), one of my favorite tools in the kitchen. Growing up, my mama made me mince the old-fashioned way: constantly chopping with a heavy cleaver for 20-30 minutes. With one of these half-mooned miracles, I can get the same results in about 5 minutes. So using the mezzaluna is my way of letting my mama know she made me suffer for nothing. I still love her, though.

1 whole chicken (for less fat, see note below)
1 tsp ground pepper
2 tsp salt
3-inch section of ginger (about the size of both thumbs put together)
1 stalk of green onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tbsp canola oil

1. In a steamer the size of the International Space Station, bring a gallon of water to a boil.


2. Clean the chicken and remove the neck and innards from the cavity. Set these tasty morsels aside for use in another recipe or discard. Rub the ground pepper and salt into the inner cavity of the chicken. Place the chicken in 12x12 glass baking dish. Cooking will result in large amount of chicken stock. To avoid a chicken that’s half submerged in stock, I place the rack from my toaster oven over the baking dish. This keeps the chicken suspended above the pool of deliciousness that will soon form.
3. Once the steamer is ready, carefully place the chicken into the steamer. Steam for 2 hours. Periodically check the water level and add water as needed.
4. Meanwhile, peel and chop the ginger and garlic. Similarly chop the scallions. Combine ginger, garlic, and scallions onto a cutting board. Using a mezzaluna, mince these ingredients until fine and evenly blended. Transfer to a small bowl. Add salt and canola oil and mix until even.


5. When the chicken has steamed for 2 hours, remove from heat, remove lid, and let rest for 15 minutes before moving or cutting. This will set the extremely hot and tender meat; otherwise the bird will fall apart in your hands. Once cooled, remove the legs and wings. Chop the remainder into 1-inch pieces. Serve with rice (see below) and your favorite veggies.

With the clear, flavorful chicken stock you’ve now collected in the glass dish, you’re on your way to a myriad of other amazing recipes, including rice for the chicken. My favorite thing to eat with this steamed chicken is rice cooked in fresh chicken stock. Use this to cook 2 cups of jasmine rice and you’re well on your way to spiritual bliss.

Though I've called it "dipping sauce," I usually just mix a spoonful of the ginger-scallion goodness into the rice rice itself. This method also helps me save on soy sauce expenses.

FOR LESS FAT: Before placing the chicken in the steamer, pierce the chicken’s skin multiple times with a sharp knife or fork (12 to 20 times), especially the skin around the fatty areas, e.g., thighs. Be careful to not pierce the actual meat. These pierces will help the fat drip out into the baking dish. Before using the stock you’ve just collected, first pour it through a strainer into another container to remove impurities. Then, refrigerate for 3 hours or until the floating layer of fat solidifies. Carefully remove the layer of hardened lard and now you have yourself about a quart of 99% fat-free chicken stock.

Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding

One of the many quirks I have is that I prefer eating raw bananas while they're still greenish and unripe. By the time bananas turn yellow, they're too sweet for my preference. Luckily for me, I learned how to convert overly sweet bananas into a simple traditional Vietnamese dessert that exudes awesomeness.

"Chè chuối" (pronounced "chair chewy") is made with bananas and small tapioca balls. "Chè" refers to the traditional Vietnamese sweet dessert that is similar to soup or pudding. "Chuối" means banana. The fact you're still reading means you're awesome.

To make this delectable dessert, you will need the following:

3 cups water
1/3 cups small tapioca pearls
1 to 1-1/4 lbs of ripe bananas (about 4 regular bananas)
2/3 cups canned coconut milk
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 to 3 tsp sugar (see Step 5 below)
1/4 cups finely chopped peanuts (optional)

1. In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the tapioca and stir immediately so the balls don't stick to each other. Reduce heat to a slow boil and leave for 12 to 14 minutes until the tapioca is half cooked (mostly clear with a small white dot in the center). Stir occasionally to prevent the tapioca from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Be careful not to overcook; we want the tapioca chewy, not mushy.
2. Meanwhile, cut the bananas in half lengthwise and then again into 1-inch chunks. Set aside.
3. When the tapioca is ready as mentioned above (it will become thick and viscous), add the coconut milk and salt and stir until blended. Here's a little trick to make this dessert richer and creamier. Though the can tells us to shake well before using, I like to stick it to the man and not shake. Instead, I open the can and scoop out just the coconut cream that rises to the top. Of course whether you shake it like a Polaroid picture or not, the dessert will still taste great.
4. When the tapioca mixture reaches a boil again, add the banana pieces and stir until evenly distributed. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes or until the bananas are tender, giving the flavors a chance to meld together. Remove from heat.
5. Because the sweetness of this dessert depends largely on the ripeness of the bananas you use, it’s best to add sugar to taste. So before dumping in more sugar, first taste the soup. If you want it sweeter, add 1 tsp of sugar, stir until blended, and taste again. Repeat until desired.
6. Serve with the chopped peanuts as a topping.

Serves 6-8 or 1 monster sweet tooth. Refrigerate unused portion and reheat before serving leftovers.

Another Amazing Birthday

Over the weekend, the wife and I traveled to Austin to celebrate her aunt turning 60. I dare say I was more excited about the get together than her aunt. Why? Because of the food, of course. Her aunt is an amazing cook whose poor bookshelf is under undue strain from all the cookbooks she owns. Put the same amount of weight on the back of a pack mule and you'll be charged with animal cruelty. So in tried and true Vietnamese tradition, a birthday celebration means the birthday girl hosts an elaborate meal for everyone traveling from afar. Needless to say, I was giddy with excitement.


For appetizers, my aunt-in-law (AIL) and my mother-in-law (MIL) rolled these picture-perfect spring rolls filled with lettuce, rice vermicelli, Chinese sausage, grated carrots, and fresh-picked happiness. What is it about mothers that everything food related ends up being near perfect? While rolling these, the two of them were gossiping like school girls and bickering like nemeses, both seemingly not paying attention to the food. However, this photo shows spring rolls that look more appetizing than those at most restaurants. I guess it's the secret superpowers of moms.


For soups, we had a choice of two options. And, yes, I chose both options. The first was the wonton soup made with a pork/shrimp mixture. The broth, unlike commercial versions that are basically salt water, was a flavorful orgy of fresh chicken stock, sweet radishes, and pungent green onions. The wontons were cooked perfectly so that the dough was not a mushy mess.


The second soup option was a tradition Vietnamese beef stew called bò kho (pronounced baw caw). Chunks of beef shank and tendons are slow cooked until melt-n-yo-mouth tender in a broth infused with lemongrass and star anise. The carrots are in the mix to successfully alleviate any guilt for the indulgence.


And for the main course we had crab fried rice and fried shrimp patties. Now don't go thinking it's patties of ground shrimp, which can also be delicious. These patties are made with fresh whole shrimp and mung bean both melded together with batter. So when it comes down to it, it's battered fried shrimp. The inclusion of mung bean, like the carrots in bò kho, is really just there to break up the richness of the oily fried goodness. This foto only shows two patties but I easily consumed half a dozen. The red peppers helped kick the party into gear. Take a bite of the shrimp patty, take a bite of pepper, stuff my mouth with fried rice, wash it down with beer, repeat until physically incapacitated. So many meals of my life follow these simple steps.

Believe it or not, this was only lunch. My AIL prepared enough food with a dozen people in mind but there were plenty of leftovers. But as always, the leftovers end up being like socks in the laundry; it all eventually mysteriously disappears.

Celebrating the Year of the Ox

To usher in the new lunar year, the year of the Ox, my wife and I had friends over for a celebration. Since most of our friends had never before experienced a Vietnamese new year celebration, it was incumbent upon me to show them a good time. We cooked up a storm, bought a whole-roasted suckling pig, and played some traditional games (bau cua) and some non-traditional games (Rock Band 2) into the wee hours of the night.

In other words, we all partied like Ox stars.


For appetizers, we fried up some banh phong tom (shrimp chips) and home-made banh tet. The shrimp chips we merely bought from the market. However, don't be fooled, the shrimp chips you see in the red bowl does not come in that form. When bought, these chips are packed in a rectangular box in the form of dense, semi-translucent wafers, reminiscent crackers. If you ate these uncooked wafer, you would just get a mouthful of yucky...trust me, I know. The magic happens when the wafers are placed into a deep-fryer. This is when the tiny, dense wafers undergo what I refer to as Hulkification, in which they explode to 10x their original size, resulting in what you see in the red bowl above. And these chips are just as fun to eat as they are to cook. Merely pressing a cooked chip against your tongue will create a suction-cup effect adhering the chip to your taste buds. Like a Disney movie, it's fun for all ages.

My wife made the delicious banh tet, which is a type of rice cake with pork and bean filling. She tells me that making these savory cakes is similar to making huge burritos. She started off with large sheets of banana leaves. Then she added a layer of uncooked glutinous rice mixed with coconut milk and some salt. Next, she added a layer of yellow mung beans. Lastly, she added the strips of raw pork seasoned with garlic, onions, salt and pepper. Once all the ingredients are in place, she tightly rolled this heap of rawness in the banana leaf, ensuring no openings. She then wrapped foil around the cake, turning the big green roll into a big silvery roll. The rolled cake is tightly bound as if she tied a roast. Then she boiled the cakes for 7 hours. During this time, the bound rice is cooked and tries to expand but ends up becoming a sturdy outer shell to the juicy pork inside. Once cooked, the cakes left to cool before serving. Though it's traditionally served by cutting into slices and dipping in fish sauce with chili peppers, we love these "Vietnamese New Year Coins," as a friend refers to them, pan fried to make them warm and crispy. And who can say "no" to some warm and crispy?


The fried rice you see here was one of my contributions to the buffet spread. Like I've mentioned in my earlier posts, I'm a fan of balance and simplicity when it comes to food and this philosophy is evident in my cooking. To make this simple yet yummy fried rice, you'll need the following:

4 cups of uncooked Jasmine rice
1 16-oz. package of Chinese sausage, sliced thinly and uniformly
1 16-oz. bag of frozen mixed vegetables
5 eggs scrambled and broken into small pieces
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt & pepper
cilantro, chopped for garnishing

The night before, cook the rice as directed on the package. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Before frying, separate the cold rice by crumbling with your hands. Set aside.

IMPORTANT: Before even turning on the stove, make sure you have all the ingredients prepared and nearby for quick, easy access.

Heat a large wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil, which should begin to smoke almost instantly. Immediately add the Chinese sausage and toss with a spatula for 2 to 3 minutes, until deep red and crispy. Add the garlic and toss until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Leaving it too long will burn the garlic. Add the rice and toss. Now this is where strong forearms are handy. Unfortunately I'm a wuss and tire easily. The title Iron Chef is earned for good reason. But I digress. Constantly toss the rice in a folding motion, as if making souffle. Continue until the rice turns slightly yellow.

Side note - There seems to be some confusion about what makes fried rice yellow. Some will say that it's from the soy sauce added while cooking. Even though soy sauce effectively makes the rice darker in color, traditional fried rice does not incorporate any soy sauce, only salt. The source of the yellow color should come from adding raw eggs to the rice while cooking. Scrambling the eggs in the rice is what makes it yellow and at the same time results in small pieces of cooked eggs. However, this process tends to be time-consuming since it takes a little while for the eggs to become fully cooked. So for efficiency's sake, I scrambled the eggs separate to save my wrist from the throbbing pain associated with constantly tossing the rice until the eggs cooked. This is evident from my pale fried rice that's only lacking in yellow and taste.

As soon as the rice is evenly coated with oil and is a desired color, add the eggs and frozen vegetables and toss until evenly distributed. Then season with salt and pepper to taste and continue tossing until the vegetables are cooked. Serve immediately with some chopped cilantro.


My wife made these eggrolls from scratch. The only problem with these rolls of happiness was that she didn't make enough. There weren't any left over, which made me wish I had spent more time sneaking in eggrolls before the guests arrived than frying the rice. I'd normally share the recipe but this one's an ancient Vietnamese secret. All I can tell you is that the filling is a pork and shrimp combination mixed with a child's laughter and enclosed in the warmth of a mother's hug.


As mentioned before, we ordered a whole-roasted suckling pig. What made this pig different from the traditional Chinese-style roasted pig was that it was prepared in a Philippino style of pig roasting. The skin was crispy, like that of a Chinese pig, but that's where the similarities ended. Unlike a Chinese pig, where the meat is firm, this piggy's meat was fall-off-the-bone tender. So instead of chopping up chunks of meat like I would with a Chinese pig, I resorted to pulling the meat by hand, which was amazingly easy. The entire pig was seasoned through with a spice mixture that was new to me, though still based in salt and pepper. The entire pig was seasoned extremely well with no pieces of bland pork to be found. The skin, when eaten with the meat, added a nice crisp crunch that made everyone smile. As triumphant an effort all my guests made, we still ended up with 4 large containers of pork. Though my wife wish she had sent more pork home with our guests, I'm happy that she didn't. I'm still joyfully eating pork to this day and have not yet once thought, "Hmmm...is that too much pork?"


For dessert, my wife make this amazing cake from scratch. Yes, the cake layers and frosting were all from scratch. The only was it would have been more from scratch was if she were to grow the fruit, almonds and grains herself, which I think she's already doing for next year. Though there are strawberries on top, it's actually a raspberry-almond cake. The layers of white cake were separated by layers of almond cream cheese frosting and raspberry preserves. All four layers were enclosed in more almond cream cheese frosting topped with raspberry preserves, strawberries and sliced almonds. Yes, it was as delicious as it sounds. I'm not sure what angels eat in heaven but I think it looks and tastes something like this.

It was an amazingly successful party thanks to all our out-of-town guests who helped in the preparations. It was a great deal of fun thanks to everyone's adventurous willingness to experience a new type of celebration. I can't wait until the next year!

Home-Cooked Goodness

It's always busy right before the holidays. But for some reason, this is also the time I get really lazy, so I've been behind.

Today I'm sharing some home-cooked goodness.


This first spread was graciously served when I visited a good friend in Rowlett. I apologize for the foto's focal plane being to shallow. It's a build-your-own-spring-roll meal, similar to this one. The sliced beef was marinated in lemongrass, salt and secret spices. The shrimp wasn't marinated. For those unfamiliar with this set up, here's how things work:

1. Cook the meat in a lot of butter in the hot pot
2. Once cooked, combine meat with rice vermicelli, lettuce and cilantro and wrap in rice paper wrapper
3. Depending on your liking, dip it in the accompanying fish sauce (some folks may find the fish sauce too pungent, but, like Goldilocks in Baby Bear's bed, I found it was just right)
4. Guzzle some beer
5. Laugh with good friends
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5

As for how it tasted, IMHO, the combination of minced lemongrass and salt is as delicious as A and W. In the wild, lemongrass looks like a huge weed. In the grocery store, it looks like hard, dried green onions. But at the dinner table, it looks like there won't be any leftovers. It tastes like the illegitimate offspring of a lemon and lawn clippings. Sounds weird, I know. I really don't do it justice but that's what it tastes like. And once you had it, you won't forget it.

The rice vermicelli emulsified the oily, fatty meats with the crisp, fresh veggies so that you can enjoy all the flavors without getting sick of too much meat of veggies. The noodles also served as a means to capture plenty of fish sauce. With beef and shrimp in the same bite, it's the Asian version of surf and turf.


Our next home-cooked meal came from my mother-in-law. This woman loves to cook. See how the foto has enough food for 6 people? Yeah, all that was served for only 3. In one of my earlier posts, I covered Laotian nem. Well, here's one of the Vietnamese versions. Though I haven't asked her for her secrets yet, I have a hunch that it is a mixture of pork, beef and lemongrass. I know she then shapes it, steams it, and then grills the cooked meat mixture. Once cooked, it's split lengthwise and covered in cooked green onions. The green onions are cooked in plenty of hot oil just until fragrant. The Vietnamese term for the cooked green onion literally translate to "fat onions." The plate of greens consists of lettuce, a type of mint, and more green onions. In a bowl, combine the noodles, meat, and veggies. Add chili paste and fish sauce as desired and garnish with peanuts.

As I mentioned above, lemongrass and salt is a great combination, especially for beef and pork. And since the nem has both beef and pork, it's a no-brainer. The oil infused with green onion coats the meat and adds aroma and grease to the meat. Throw in the salty fish sauce and spicy chili paste and you have a symphony of flavors in your mouth. I ended up eating much more than I needed, as usual.

An Evening of Brie

The other night I obtained a small wheel of Brie from the cheese company Ile de France. In full disclosure, the company offered me the cheese to sample and blog about. Also, there's currently a recipe contest going on so I figure I'd try out a couple.




I had a few pieces of the cheese before incorporating it into recipes. This was an interesting Brie because it had a relatively firmer middle and softer rind than the double or triple cream varieties I usually buy. This resulted in a Brie that was extremely easy to cut and eat. The cheese had a nice strong flavor for a Brie. Texturally, the rind and middle worked well together due to their similar firmness; sharply contrasting textures can sometimes detract front the taste. It's easy to see why this Brie won a Food & Wine taste test. On with the cooking!


My first pass at cooking with this cheese came in the form of phyllo dough squares with snow crab. This was a simple recipe. Layer about 15 sheets of phyllo, brushing butter on each layer. Cut into squares slightly larger than the Brie pieces and pierce each square with fork to prevent too much puffing. Bake as directed and remove from the oven 10 minutes before it's done, i.e., 350°F for 10-15 minutes. Add the Brie and pieces of steamed snow crab leg meat. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until the cheese starts to look gooey. Remove, drizzle on a few drops of white truffle oil, and serve. If you're like me, you'll burn the roof of your mouth and love doing it. Modesty aside, these squares were amazing. The mild crab and white truffle together with the warm, salty Brie and the buttery, crispy phyllo made me glad I baked extra squares. Though I did regret eating more of these than I should have, guilt never tasted so good.

For the next recipe, I prepared a Brie souffle. To make this simple-as-it-gets souffle, I needed the following:

5 large egg whites at room temperature
4 oz of Brie, cubed and rind removed (half of the wheel above)
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water
¼ cup water
dash of cream of tartar
1 electric hand mixer or whisk and a hand that won't quit


After preheating the oven to 350°F and generously buttering the sides of three 4" ramekins, melt the cheese in a small pot with water over medium heat. Stir constantly. When the cheese is evenly melted, add the cornstarch and stir. As soon as the mixture starts to bubble, remove from heat, transfer to a plastic or glass bowl, and beat with the hand mixer on medium for 3-5 minutes or until cool. This helps maintain small fat particles evenly disbursed through out the mixture, otherwise puddles of oil form. Once cooled, in a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high until a stiff peak forms. It's very important the whites are at room temperature before beating. You could speed things up by putting the eggs in warm water before separating yolk from whites.


When the egg whites form a stiff peak, it's time to combine with the cheese. With a spatula, first fold in about 1/3 of the whites into the cheese. Once that's even, add the cheese to the rest of the whites and fold until even, but don't over do it, otherwise your souffle won't rise.


Once the egg whites and cheese are evenly folded, fill the buttered ramekins. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown.


Remove from oven and serve immediately. Make sure to say "Voilà" while you serve it. As you can see, 3 went in but only 2 are in the foto. This was because I had to eat one to make sure it was cooked...it's really the only way to be absolutely certain. These light, airy souffles had plenty of the Brie flavor. I intentionally avoided a complicated recipe to not detract from the cheese, one of my rare good decisions. The salty Brie puffed well and added just enough fat content to the souffle for some creaminess without preventing the rising. The crusty muffin top reminded me of eating slightly charred cheese, which I loved to do as a kid, so there was a slight nostalgic aspect to this recipe.

So my sincere thanks goes to Ile de France for providing me some of their delicious Brie to sample. If ever a dish calls for Brie, I would definitely consider getting more, since my cooking experience with it has been a great one.

However, because all of the above happened in one night, it may be a little while before I crave Brie again, especially since my bastard of a scale mercilessly reminds me of how I consumed a wheel of cheese in one night.

Tony the Chef

So after a week of being evacuees in Dallas, the wife and I visited a good friend in Austin named Tony. During our weekend there, Tony prepared breakfast for us each morning.

Saturday morning


Clockwise starting with the center bowl: pepper-braise pork, rice, stir-fried ong choy with garlic, mushroom & green onion omelet, lemongrass pork chops (cut into smaller pieces), fresh cucumbers.

Our first morning there, Tony prepared Vietnamese food. For those who think this looks more like lunch or dinner, keep in mind that the typical Vietnamese breakfast is merely a cup of coffee. So a "Vietnamese breakfast" really just means we ate Vietnamese food in the morning, which balances out all those who get the Rooty Tooty Fresh and Fruity for dinner at your neighborhood IHOP. I really enjoyed his cooking, partly because I love pork for breakfast and partly because his cooking style is similar to my mama's (his family is from the same part of Vietnam as mine).

Sunday morning


Our second morning in Austin, we awoke to Tony preparing bò bía, which is another type of Vietnamese spring roll; typically people think of Vietnamese spring rolls with sliced pork, shrimp, rice vermicelli, and veggies. Bò bía is made with (clockwise) slices of Chinese sausage, fresh basil, fried eggs, dried shrimp, grated carrots and jicama, peanut sauce, and spring roll wrapper. Here, Tony's combined the dried shrimp, carrots, and jicama for easy assembly.

Assembly instructions:
1. Dip the dry, brittle spring roll wrapper in warm water briefly and place onto your plate. You won't want it to get soft while in water, just get it wet, transfer to your plate and it will soften by the time you start wrapping.
2. Add a small spoonful of each ingredient, tear off some fresh basil leaves
3. Roll like an eggroll or enchilada with the ends closed off.
4. Dip in sauce and enjoy.

Yes, I know these directions lacks detail but getting good at making spring rolls only comes after having made many ugly, broken ones.

We've never been in a position to have Tony cook for us, but we were pleasantly surprised. Tony's a great cook. If I could, I'd have him cook for me everyday. Though I've only said this to a handful of people, no one's ever taken my offer for some reason. I'm not sure why.

Hurricane Ike Evacuation, Part 4

Our fourth night as evacuees was spent at my mom's house. This night was special because she was hosting a prayer session in honor of my grandparents and great-grandparents. When she told me this, I was expecting a group of about 10-15 close friends over for dinner and prayer. But oh did I underestimate my mama. Her guestlist included over 70 guests and she prepared the feast for all the guest virtually single-handed.

It wasn't until the 11th hour did she ask for help, i.e., the event started at 7pm and she didn't call on us until 10am that morning. She bought all the groceries herself. The night before the event, she was up until 4 am preparing ingredients for sausage, two types of sticky rice, congee (rice porridge), stir-fried noodles and more. By the time we arrived to help, she had gotten most things to the point she just needed to combine items and put over fire. However, she did need me to grate the cucumbers. The problem was she didn't have a grater. So instead, I had to use a peeler. Yes, one of those things that peels the skin off potatoes and carrots, I used that. To effectively grate 20 lbs of cucumbers for the Vietnamese salad called goi. Yes, 20 lbs!!! I've never hated cucumbers more in my life.

Since I was busy grating cucumbers, I didn't get any fotos of the prep work. But here are some of the results:


Clockwise from the purple rice: purple sticky rice, peanut sticky rice, goi (Vietnamese salad, yay me for grating 20 lbs of cucumbers), stir-fried beef noodles, eggrolls, and fried shrimp chips. The coloring of the purple sticky rice is just for show. Sometimes it made red or just left as plain white. The peanut sticky rice is white sticky rice mixed with peanuts boiled soft so that it almost serves as a creamy compliment to the sweet rice. Because I grew up eating it, I never really knew what it was, but wikipedia can tell you more about sticky rice. The beef noodles are similar to what you'd find at a Chinese restaurant, except my mama's dish is much better. It's not drowned in sauce, not too salty and with a good balance of beef, veggies and rice noodles.


For those of you a bit squimish, you may want to skip to the next foto. Here are platters of all things pork not served in 99% of restaurants. In no particular order (because it's all mixed together), there's boiled pork intestine, stomach, tongue, belly, ear and liver. These tasty tidbits were added to the congee made with coagulated pig blood. If the previous 2 sentences sparked more intrigue than indigestion, consider yourself a foodie.


Here's the home-made sausage. Well, technically my mama only prepared the filling and had the sausages stuffed by professionals, though I'm sure she seriously considered doing it herself. As you can see that unlike the sausage at the store, which is comprised of evenly ground meats, this sausage is purposedly chunky. Though I'm unsure why we wouldn't just leave the meat chunks out for eat as is, it sure tastes good.

Though there were many other food items, I didn't get more fotos because with over 70 on the guestlist, once the food is laid out, no one waits for the cameraman to get a shot. I'll end this post with some words of wisdom: NEVER get in the way of a woman with a huge pot of boiling soup.