good eats

well, here we are again…stateside.  it was a wonderful two weeks.  i am having a hard time readjusting, completely jet lagged still.

our first day.

11/12/11

we got up at 6 am to make our way to long thành district, which is a little over an hour outside of saigon, to visit my uncle. the hotel served breakfast with all of your vietnamese fixings; rice crepes, spring rolls, bread, laughing cow cheese, fruits (the fruits were amazing!), yogurt, etc. you are probably thinking who can eat spring rolls at 6am? ha I can! i don’t think vietnamese food has a distinction between breakfast, lunch and dinner.  we came back for seconds and thirds, couldn’t resist ourselves.

with our bellies full, we hopped in a van that was driving us to long thành. i know it has been a while since i was exposed to the traffic here, but seriously, people here put dc drivers to shame. it had been raining here the day we arrived and the flood hadn’t finished draining but people were still driving through it without being bothered by it dodging one another through traffic to make their way onward. incredible. scooters, scooters, everywhere causing congestion but driving here is almost like having a sixth sense almost. you immediately know what to do naturally. the three of us; munch, fox and myself successfully crossed the street during oncoming traffic, a mass caravan of scooters came at us like we were being lunged at by a massive football player. it was exhilarating at best. the trick here is you don’t stop once you cross, they will dodge you but it’s when you stop they don’t know what to do.

the ride felt short even though long thành is far. we turned into my uncle’s street, roadside vendors smiled as they see americans and việt kiều (loosely translated as a term that refers to vietnamese people who live abroad) making their way through the busy tiny street. we looked for a house with a bánh cuốn (thin rice cake) business and there we were, recognized by my cousins. we went inside and were immediately served refreshments. my uncle, the head of the house sat in a wooden chair greeted me with endless smiles, i was happy to see him. the man who partially raised my dad has become older, more frail, but still has ample energy. my cousins looked like they haven’t aged in years, what’s their secret?

one of my cousins who makes and sells bánh cuốn at the front of the house served everyone their own plate.  bánh cuốn is a steamed rolled cake that’s made from rice batter.  it is poured thinly onto a flat round surface. once it’s steamed, it gets stuffed with minced and seasoned meat, usually pork, and woodear mushroom.  you take a chopstick to roll the cake from the edge on one side and fold it over. the cake is plated with chả lụa, sprinkled fried onion and garnished with chopped mint, bean sprouts and dressed with chilli nước mắm (fish sauce). it was refreshing, just like everything i remembered.

our bellies full for a second time, we took a stroll through the market to buy fruits and flowers to take to my grandmother’s grave.  a moment i was dreading, not because i didn’t want to go, it just meant for me that she’s no longer here…permanently.  it’s something i haven’t come to terms with.  she passed when i was a junior in college. i still remember that phone call from my dad.  i didn’t realize the last i saw her would be the last time.  as i stood there by her graveside, i breathed in a moment to catch my breath.  tears started to fall.  i miss her…i said a silent goodnight.

we hopped back into the car to return home.  my aunt prepared a marvelous feast.  it was enough to feed an entire army of people.  we sat together at the table feasting.  i ate like a hungry vulture.  her food was just as delicious as i remembered when i was little.  i savored every bite, devoured every dish on that table.  then i remembered why i returned home.  every smell, every taste, every bite connected me back to my roots.

there was more, the camera didn’t capture all.

so now, how do i re-create these dishes?

happy eating!

dieu

bacon? pasta? yes, please!

i’ve been on a pasta frenzy lately and found one particular recipe that became a favorite for my little man. hearing him request pasta and bacon gets me eager to jump in the kitchen and make a batch for dinner and lunch the next day. everyone in my family loves bacon, especially my boy, so this was an easy go-to when i run out of lunch and dinner ideas. with fun-shaped pasta, i can throw some veggies in there without having to hide and trick him into eating it. just recently, not in the photo below, i added spinach to the bunch and what do you know, i ended up with a three year old demanding spinach in his pasta everytime. can’t argue with that. so here’s a recipe with a little bit of chef ramsay here, a little bit of my own simple twists there and some pasta mixing from my boy. nothing fancy, a little homey, but delicious, easy to make and fills the belly well.

yields about 6 servings.

ingredients:

• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• a handful of fresh sage leaves
• parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 packages of bacon, cut in 1 inch pieces (gordon ramsay uses fresh pork belly, yum! but realistically, bacon is attainable & economic for most households. when you can though, definitely try the belly!)
• 1/2 pack of frozen mixed vegetables (or a whole bag of yummy spinach)
• 1 box of bow tie pasta (or rotini, or any fun shape you prefer)
• 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream

1. bring water to a boil for pasta, add a good amount of salt and throw in pasta. drain and put aside.

2. i like to use a wok to cook my bacon since i find that it cooks faster this way. place bacon in a wok (or large saucepan), in medium heat and with no oil as the bacon creates its own.

3. in a separate large saucepan, bring to medium heat and add butter. once butter is melted, add in the garlic.

4. once garlic is golden brown, mix vegetables in and cook for 2 minutes.

5. once bacon is cooked, mix it in with the vegetables. add whipping cream, sage and mix together.

6. combine pasta into the mix and bring down the heat while mixing. cook for a good minute.

7. serve while warm and sprinkle some parmesan cheese and that’s it!

enjoy!

*kat

arrival

we finally arrived in saigon after 23 hours of travel time. for once, the flight was actually comfortable. i didn’t feel like it was too long. we connected through seoul, korea after three hours of layover. we purused through the airport to waste time. we boarded and headed to our final destination. at long last, the anticipation was over. the plane touched down at tan san nhat airport at exactly 2240pm. as we stepped off the plane the warm musky air greeted me like we were old friends. i stood still and took a big whiff of the air and gave an internal smile and thought, “i’ve come home.”

after clearing with custom, which was surprisingly easy we waited for our baggage. at one point, i thought for sure that our suitcases were lost as we stood there watching the carousel go round and round without our items. but after 40 minutes, they came out of the chute. we exited and looked for my family. we shared a long embrace as my aunt whom i haven’t seen in 14 years.

the airport was still chaotic, noisy, busy, bustling even for almost midnight. we were half alert and half exhausted. at that point, we were in no shape to negotiate cab fare. luckily my aunt was there. she “negotiated” with the cab driver, who was reluctant and adamant about her price stating that if she gets pulled over by the police for carrying over six passengers it’s a huge fine. we all know that’s not true. she was looking to make extra fare. ah, the haggling, how i miss it. that’s how you know you’re home.

as we made our way back to my aunt’s house, my old house, i felt lost, unfamiliar, nostalgic and a sense of wanting to feel connected to where i came from. we turned into my old street. somehow, it became a lot smaller over the years or maybe because i was away for too long.

we dropped off my aunt’s stuff as was instructed by my dad and made our way to our hotel. long day ahead of us the following morning.

dieu

homebound…in 2 days

it is hard to stay present in the moment when i’m constantly battling vrittis (chatters) especially knowing i will soon be home in just a few measly days; two to be exact. i started packing over the weekend, made myself a checklist to make sure i won’t forget anything important. it’s hard to know what to pack when it’s a long trip, although i wish it was longer. i’m not entirely sure if i have any expectations at the moment, i really don’t know what to think, i just want to get there and bask in the sun and soak up the food. mmm, sweet, sweet, sweet food. i’m more excited to indulge in the food than anything else. i’ve already put in a request with my cousin to have a bag of beef jerky ready and on standby for when he’s picking us up at the airport. until then, i have to get through today and tomorrow (wednesday) before i’m officially on holiday mode.

i have been trying to eat everything in my fridge so that we don’t waste whatever’s in there. i made chicken in a tomato and white wine sauce. the chicken was tender and the sauce was bursting with flavors because of the fresh tomatoes. it cooked slowly in the sauce on low heat for over an hour until the meat absorbed all the flavors.

• 4 pieces of chicken – 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs
• 3 tomatoes – diced
• 1-2 garlic cloves – chopped
• 1 italian onion – chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 C white wine
• 1/4 t fennel seeds – roasted first
• 1 T butter
• 1 T olive oil
• salt & pepper – to taste

in a hot pan or something big enough to fit everything, i combined butter with olive oil to pan fry the chicken, skin (always always with the skin) side down first until golden brown, then i switched to the other side.  i salted on both sides.  after the chicken has browned on both sides, i removed from heat and set aside.

next, in the same pan, i added the garlic, gave it a quick toss then combined the onions until translucent. then the tomatoes were added, sizzled on the pan like they were playing the perfect tune. music to my ears. i let them do their work, to release all the juices and flavors before adding in the wine.

while the mixture was working, i toasted some fennel seeds. when you toast seeds, they release more fragrance and oil. all you need is a hot pan and the seeds. you don’t need to add in anything else. when you can smell the fragrance, that’s when you know they’re done toasting. shake the pan quite often to prevent burning.

i tossed the seeds in the chicken, gave it a quick stir and covered the pan. it was simmering for the next 45 to an hour or so over low heat. i checked in on it quite often, everytime i opened the lid, i get a big whiff of aromas from the garlic, the wine, the tomatoes and the seeds. i was actually more excited for the sauce than i was for the meat.  i seasoned with salt and black pepper.

(photo taken with an iphone)

dinner was served and a few lunches left for later.

next post will be from across the pond.  catch you on the other side.  bon voyage to me and my sidekicks.

happy eating!

dieu

“hearty”, har, har

another batch of soup was made.  soup, soup, soup all around.  i bought all these vegetables that need to be used before we depart for our trip.  i was in a mood for minestrone, not necessarily to eat but to make.  the good thing about minestrone soup is you can basically use whatever vegetables you have in your fridge.  i used an easy to make recipe from mark bittman, how to cook everything.  it was as easy as it can get.   very low maintenance.  the list of ingredients is very straightforward as well as were the directions.  i upped the amount a little and made a little change, but everything else was from the recipe.

i find minestrone soup to be very hearty and warm especially on a cold day or night

• 5 C assorted vegetables – i used yellow squash, green peppers, carrots (separate from the rest)
• 2 C tomatoes – diced.  you can used canned tomatoes also.
• 2 onions – minced
• 10 parsley sprigs – chopped
• 5 c chicken/beef/vegetable broth – i used vegetable.
• 1 T – tomato paste
• grated parmesan cheese

with the minced onions, i sweated them over medium heat with olive oil.  after they were translucent, i tossed in the carrots first since they take longer to soften for about ten minutes followed by the rest of the vegetables.

after the vegetables were softened, i added in the stock and let it simmer for about 15 minutes before the tomatoes went in.  it continued cooking for the next hour or so before i added the noodles in.  i know some use pasta, but i used these little pieces of egg noodles.  and topped off with parsley.

and soup was served with sprinkled parmesan cheese.  i love how the cheese melted right in the soup bowl.

happy eating!

dieu

halloween is here…again?

well, happy halloween to you all.  another season is upon us.  where in the world did 2011 go?  it is almost over.  i do have to say though it’s actually my favorite time of year, from september leading to the end of the year.  so many holidays and festivities to look forward to.  my favorite holiday is thanksgiving.  i’m actually sad that i won’t be here for that this year.  i trust that you all played safely this past weekend in celebration of halloween?

so this year i gave in and played the part.  i embraced the american pop culture and dressed up as the infamous dorothy from wizard of oz.  ever since i moved here, every year i chose not to participate in halloween except to hand out candy to the kids who stop by the house.  even when i was younger, going trick or treating, i played myself.  people often asked, “what are you supposed to be?”, i simply replied, “myself” to which they expressed a blank stare.  off i went to the next house.  i collected a lot of candy still though and that was all that mattered.  i was convinced by my friends and fox, and was motivated to dress up because i was invited to my coworker’s party.  strict rule, “you’re not allowed in my house if you don’t have a costume”, said the invite.  sigh.  luckily for me, my friend found a costume at a store close to where he lives a few days before the big holiday.  i even found matching shoes the day of!  it was meant to be! i couldn’t fight fate, the universe wanted me to dress up!  you like the melodrama there?

the plan was for our friends to come over, eat a little food and play our characters.  after all, halloween is the one night where we can shamelessly be someone else.  i was thoroughly impressed with everyone’s costumes.  one was marie antoinette with her sidekick, king louie, the other was the main character from the book the girl with the dragon tattoo, fox was indiana jones, another friend was one of sucker punch’s character.  the funniest moment of the night was our friend who was a pink fairy with these outrageously looking pink eyelashes.  she ended up being called nikki minaj.  i still don’t know if she found it hysterical or offensive.  we all just laughed about it everytime she fluttered her eyes, her long pink eyelashes batting like butterflies.  everyone looked hot with their costumes.  don’t tell anyone, but i actually enjoyed it.

for food, i made braised ribs until the meat fell of the bone, along with bread, cheese, olives, and an arugula salad with sun dried tomatoes.  oh and pumpkin soup, appropriate for the bizarre snowy day we had.

• 2 lbs beef ribs
• 1 italian onion – thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic – roughly chopped
• 1 small piece ginger – roughly chopped
• 1/4 C soy sauce
• 1 T thick soy sauce
• 1/4 C chinese rice vinegar
• 1 T palm sugar
• 1/2 C red wine

i seared the ribs over some oil until they browned on all sides.  the casserole pan i was using was really hot and that’s what you want.  a hot pan.  as soon as i put the ribs in, they sizzled and oil popped and rocketed in different directions.  i made sure to avert my face so i didn’t get hit.  after they browned, they were removed from the heat.  i threw the garlic and ginger in for them to release their aromas and onions went in shortly after to sweat.  the onions picked up flavors from when the ribs were seared.  after the onions were sweated, i put the ribs back in and added soy sauce, thick soy sauce, palm sugar to balance out the salt, and chinese vinegar for about 20 minutes.  after 20 minutes had passed, the wine followed.  i made sure they were turned quite often so they can absorb all the juices.  the ribs were cooked over medium to low heat for about two hours.  the meat became so tender that they nearly fell off the bone.

i wanted to make rice but my friend said we have enough bread to go around, no need to make extra.  so bread was passed around until no more was in the basket.  we dipped our bread in the sauce, wedged a little piece of meat in between our bread and enjoyed every bite.  frodo was thrilled, he got so much leftover he didn’t know what to do with himself.

for the talapia, i used the same seasoning.  i started off by searing the fish and carefully removed them from the hot pan as not to break them.  talapia is such a tender fish, i had to be really carefully as to not break them. i sweated the onions, tossed the fish back in along with the all of the remaining ingredients.  covered and let rest.

i cut manchego cheese into slivers and tossed them over the salad.  dressed it with a balsamic vinaigrette that had a little touch of honey and chopped sun dried tomatoes.

our bellies fed, our hunger gone.  we were ready for the night to start.

happy eating!

dieu