All posts filed under: In My Kitchen

Ginger Creme Brulee

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Creme brulee, a French dessert that is a rich custard made of eggs and heavy cream, top with a layer of caramelized and harden sugar. The term creme brulee means “burnt creme,” as you normally torch or broil sugar to create a crunchy shield above the velvety custard. To make this French sweetness a little Asian, I infused the cream and sugar with ginger. It was so delicious I skipped dinner and ate three of these. Worth it! 3 cups heavy whipping cream 1 large ginger root, about 3 inches long, peeled and cut into slices. 10 large egg (yolks only) 1 and 1/2 cups of white sugar 1. In a sauce pan, warm up your heavy cream, add 3/4 of the ginger slices and simmers until boiled. Set aside to cool for about 30 minutes. 2. While the cream cools, add the rest of the ginger slices to the sugar and mix well. Also let it sit for for about 30 minutes. 4. Strain the cream and discard the cooked ginger. 5. Remove the ginger …

Tenderloin Steak Rolled with Prosciutto and Sage

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I love cooking with sage. I love the fragant smell and the earthiness to it. I normally use sage with turkey. The combination reminds me of Fall and of Thanksgiving. Today, I tried sage with beef tenderloin and prosciutto. This is a fun recipe that requires very little time and effort. It makes a great appetizer but you can also serve it as an entree. Enjoy! 2 lbs of beef tenderloin 1/2 of prosciutto, sliced thinly and cut in half lengthwise 1 small bunch of fresh sage leaves 2 carrots, cut into thin, long strips (about 1.5 inches long and 1 cm wide) 2 stalks of green onions, cut into strips about the same size as the carrots (use green parts only) olive oil, salt and pepper Skewers (soak them in water for about 30 minutes before cooking) 1. Use a meat tenderizer to soften the beef. This is great to do after a bad day at work. 2. Slice the beef crosswise to get long, thin strips. You want it long enough to be …

Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (Thit Heo Quay)

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There is nothing like a bowl of crispy pork belly over rice for lunch. The pork is well seasoned in five spice powder, moist and tender while the skin is extra crispy. I served it over steamed rice and poached chinese bok choi. This is one of my favorite recipes, I made this dish yesterday and I already want to make more today. Making crispy pork belly is easier than you think. With this recipe, you’ll never have to buy roasted pork from Chinatown again. 2 lbs skin-on pork belly 3 tsp salt 2 tsp sugar 1 tsp five-spice powder ½ tsp pepper 1 tbsp hoisin sauce 1 tsp white vinegar 1. Clean the pork belly and pat dry with a paper towel. Then make a few scores on the meat side, about 2 cm deep, to help marinate the meat. 2. Mix 1 tsp of salt, add the sugar, five-spice powder, hoisin, and pepper into a paste. 3. Rub the paste onto the meat on all sides except the skin side. Try to keep the …

Vietnamese Crab & Lobster Noodle Soup in Tomato Broth (Bun Rieu Tom Cua)

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If you’ve ever been to a Vietnamese restaurant, you know we love our soups. The most popular Vietnamese noodle soup is, of course, pho. While pho is a national dish, its cousins such as Bun Bo Hue, Hu Tieu, or Bun Rieu deserve just as much attention. I grew up in Vinh Long, Vietnam. For a while, I lived with my grandmother on the country side of Vietnam. My parents and sisters had moved to the city. Because they made this decision in the middle of the year, I had to stay behind with my grandmother to finish the rest of the school semester. I think I was about 9 or 10 years old. Every weekend, I would take the ferry-boat to the city to visit my family, then take the ferry back to my grandma again. My youngest uncle, Cau Ut, was also finishing his high school years and living with my grandma. My grandmother owned a lot of land, which she used partially as rice paddy field. My uncle used to catch a lot …

Thai Dinner ft. Coconut Chicken Soup, Beef Larb, and Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice

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I had a few good friends over for dinner. It so happen, one of my good friends love, no, she’s obsessed, with pineapples. We have tried pineapple fried rice in many different restaurants, but she was always disappointed that it did not come in an actual pineapple, as most restaurant ads suggest. So, to surprise her, I carved out a pineapple to serve my fried rice in. She was impressed. She even kept the pineapple “bowl.” For appetizer, I made beef larb and coconut chicken soup. Recipes for all three items are below. Enjoy! BEEF LARB I have made this dish before using chicken. Here is the recipe once again, using ground beef. 1 lb of ground beef 1/2 thinly sliced red onion 2 small stalks of green onions, chopped A handful of  fresh mint leaves (approximate 1/2 cup), roughly chopped 1/2 cup of cilantro, roughly chopped (avoid using the stems) 3 to 4 red Thai chiles, thinly sliced 3 tablespoon of roasted rice powder 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice Lettuce, cabbage or shrimp chips for …

Thai Chicken Wings

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Thai food – the hot, exotic cuisine of South East Asia. Thai food are oftens prepared with very strong, wakes-your-palate ingredients. While most Thai recipes tend to sway on the simplicity side, there is a complex harmonization and layers of flavors, a real treat for the taste senses. For this recipe, I seared chicken wings, then baked it in the oven at 400 degrees for a healthier alternative to the popular fried wings. Then, I dressed the wings in a creamy peanut butter, coconut milk and Thai hot chili sauce. The result was amazing. RECIPE 3 pounds chicken wings 3 tbs of melted coconut oil or vegetable oil 1/2 cup canned coconut milk 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, I prefer Reese’s brand 1 cup thai chili sauce 2 tbs fish sauce 1 tbs Sriracha, plus more if you prefer spicy wings 2 tbs lime juice or 1 tbs rice vinegar 2 tbs grated ginger 1 lbs finely chopped shallots 2 tbs sugar 1 tbs chopped lemon grass, fresh or frozen and thawed 1. Season your chicken with salt and pepper, 1 tbs …

Lamb Shoulder Braised in White Wine

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Lamb are usually a special treat, displayed proudly on menus from formal occasions. However, they can also be a comfort dish, served for dinner on a cold winter night. Lamb Shoulder Braised in White Wine combines simple household ingredients in a warm pot full of decadent flavors. Lamb shoulder is seared, then braised in white wine, stock, and herbs. The simmering process creates a tender and fall-of-the-bone result. The best part is, your stove will do most of the work. This recipe will work with beef as well. Enjoy! INGREDIENTS 2 lbs of lamb shoulder 1 onion, diced 1 carrot, diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 cup of white wine 2 cups of chicken or beef stock 2 bay leaves 10 sprigs of thyme 1/2 bunch of parsley salt, pepper, oil INSTRUCTION 1. Generously season your meat with salt and pepper 2. Heat a large pan in high heat. Add about 3 tablespoons of oil. You want a pan large enough to layer your meat in one layer without crowding. Pan should be oven proof, and has a …

Rack of Lamb with Vietnamese Miso

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I recently had an opportunity of writing a cookbook review for our local newspaper, the Georgia Asian Times. The given book was The Vietnamese Market Cookbook by Van Tran and Anh Vu. The book inspired me to get back in my kitchen and started cooking more often at home. One of the very first recipes I tested from the book was Shoulder of Lamb with Vietnamese Miso. Instead of lamb shoulder, I used two racks of lamb David and I purchased from Costco. I made it and my toughest critics, my very traditional, very Vietnamese parents, loved it. Truthfully, I’ve always been intimidated by lamb. To me, lamb are usually made by kitchen experts and served in restaurants where table manners are required, and your meal comes with 10 different utensils, each with an unnecessary purpose. Like the lady in the movie Titanic said, just start from the outside and work your way in. Growing up, we never ate lamb. Partly because of the cost, and also because it’s not a common cut of meat in …

Paella

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The first time I had paella was when David and I toured Spain for our honeymoon. As a true fan of all things rice related, I instantly fell in love with this Spaniard signature dish. There seem to be countless variations of paella. A layer of rice is cooked in saffrons threads, tomatoes, and stock. Then, you decorate your paella with endless options of protein and vegatables. This is what I love most about paella. It is a blank canvas that wakes your culinary creativity. While many paella recipes call for yellow food coloring instead of the authentic saffron threads, I highly recommend using saffron. You can usually find this at the spice section of your local market. It is a bit on the expensive side, but every thread goes a long way. Saffrons are tiny little stems hand picked from a type of flower called crotus. It gives a distinct sweet, floral essense to your dish. David and I created the recipe below using what we have in our fridge and pantry. Try it and …

Pâté Chaud

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After their colonization in Vietnam, the French left behind their love for bread, butter, pastries, etc. Overtime, Vietnamese cooks use their own adaptations of regional ingredients and create a fusion of French Vietnamese dishes that we all know and love today. Popular above all is the famous french baguette sandwich, the banh mi. From food trucks to Michelin star restaurants, banh mi is winning over America like mason jars have won their place at the dining room table. However, looking past the banh mi stand in most Vietnamese bakeries, you will find banh mi‘s less glamorous cousin, the pâté chaud. In French, pâté chaud literally means “hot pastry pie.” These savory puff pastries are so easy to make, and oh so delicious! INGREDIENTS 1 lb of ground pork 11 oz of pâté (You can make your own, or buy the canned pâté. I used 4 small cans.) 3 boxes of frozen puff pastries sheets (You can find these in the freezer aisle of your grocery store, next to the frozen desserts. I used Pepperidge Farm brand) 3 …