All posts tagged: favorite recipe

Rack of Lamb with Vietnamese Miso

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

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

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 …

Country Captain

I was first introduced to Country Captain from a Throwdown with Bobby Flay episode from The Food Network. Flay went head to head(s) with the charming, dorky, Lee brothers, Ted and Matt Lee. A few Google searches and one Amazon purchase of their  book, The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook, later,  Country Captain is now a frequent dish in our kitchen. Chicken thighs are lightly browned in bacon fat, then bake in tomato sauce with bell peppers, onion, currants, and a mix of curry and garam masala, served over steamed rice. This delicious dish is easy to make, and tastes even better the next day as leftover. This James Beard award-winning cook book, by the way, is a must have for your book collection. Recipe courtesy of the Lee Brothers and Food Network. INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/2 cup dried currants or raisins 1 tablespoon curry powder 1 tablespoon garam masala 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning 1/4 pound slab bacon or fatty country …