Goodies at home

Been back in MN for about a week and thankfully have not gone hungry. Here are just a few things that make me smile:

Eating at my friend's new Indonesian inspired restaurant BALI. Pictured is fried tofu, they're HUGE. I enjoyed everything: anchovies and peanuts, deviled eggs, shrimp curry. Open late, check them out if you can.



Baked goodies by my sister. Junk cookies: chocolate chips, dried cherries, caramel, banana chips:


And myself. Salmon tarts: garlic, onions, feta or goat cheese, and smoked salmon on a puff pastry. Seasoned with pepper.



Family hot pot.

Christmas candy

The classics are my favorites.

Study snack

Just got off of work and need to get some reading done. Too late for caffeine, but I need something in my stomach: pancakes with blackberry sauce. Used apple juice instead of water, no need for sugar.

Not food but...

It's snowing in Austin! Me and Chris went out to take some pictures and enjoy it, but then went back inside after 5 minutes. Can't wait for MN.

Basil shrimp

Veggie dumplings from My Thanh. They seem like a happy bunch.

Heat olive and sesame oil, cook dumplings for 1 minute. Add a little water, reduce heat, cover for 5 minutes. Remove cover and increase heat until sides brown.


Marinated shrimp in garlic, onions, tamari, and nuoc mam. Cooked with ginger, carrots, and green beans. Seasoned with salt, pepper, dry chilli flakes; topped with scallions and basil.


Basil. When I worked at a Vietnamese restaurant, a customer complained his basil wasn't fresh. The least I could do, he said, was give him fresh sides for his pho because he "liberated you (my) people." I smiled, politely apologized, and turned towards the kitchen. Instead of getting the jerk what he wanted, I simply washed his wilted basil so it looked "fresh", returned it to him, and he was statisfied.

Sam's kitchen

La Mexicana

Last night with Chris:


24-hour La Mexicana bakery
1924 S 1st St
Austin, TX 78704

Sandwiches everyday

Another dau hu banh mi, I can't ever get enough of any type of banh mi. I went to Fiesta too late to grab the regular baguettes, so I got the other ones. They're HUGE! The crust had a slight taste of garlic.

Pickled veggies and lemongrass tofu from My Thanh (stir fried with onions and garlic). Side of gingered tamari for steamed carrots and green beans.

Mango sorbet

I rarely get anything from the ice cream section. Ice cream sandwiches, fruit pops, fudgesicles, cookies and cream, strawberry, vanilla-I can never make a decision. So I walk away frustrated and empty handed.

Not this time though.

Haagen Dazs Mango sorbet: "This sorbet is made from a specific variety of mango called Criollos that grows in Ecuador and Peru. Widely considered the finest mango in the world, they're celebrated for their sweet, delicately orange-like flavor."

Happiness in a pint.

Tung Ho

Wikipedia: Garland chrysanthemum (Leucanthemum coronarium, Chrysanthemum coronarium), also known as chrysanthemum greens or edible chrysanthemum, is a leaf vegetable in the genus Leucanthemum. It is referred to as tong hao in Chinese (茼蒿), shungiku (春菊) in Japanese, ssukgat in Korean and cải cúc or tần ô in Vietnamese. I just call it the leafy thing for soup.

Lemongrass tofu, tung ho soup with shrimp, picked radish and carrots.

Soup: Mince shrimp and marinate with nuoc mam and scallions. Boil chicken broth and add tung ho. Add shrimp when water starts boiling again. Cook for about 5 minutes. That's it.

My busy week will end soon. I'm looking forward to having extra time in my kitchen. Or bed.

Still Full

Thanksgiving at Hieu's: Turkey, Tofurkey, candied yams, mashed potatoes, goi, sesame green beans, corn on the cob, apple and cranberry dumplings.


Serving 1:


After the 2nd serving:



Ended the night with WALL E.

I smell garlic

Linguine and Swiss chard with garlic chips, from Gourmet. Fry one head of chopped garlic and set aside. Stir fry onions and additional garlic with chard stems until tender, then chard leaves. Toss with Kalamata olives and garlic and parsley linguine. Season with salt and pepper and top with tomato basil feta and fried garlic chips.


Delicious.

Cafe Sua Socola

Cafe: Coffee (I like to state the obvious)
Sua: Milk
Socola: Chocolate

Not something you can typically get in a Vietnamese joint. I'm enjoying it while trying to get through my day.




+

The Trung Nguyen brand is pretty tasty. I don't know much about coffee, but the Creative 5 version is super tasty. Plus, the name is awesome.

Cafe sua da reminds me of Tina and Lily, cigarette smoke, plastic chairs, fake marble, and the last time I was in Vietnam.

cumin-scented stir fried beef

Slightly modified recipe from this month's Gourmet magazine: marinated beef in soy sauce, nuoc mam, ground pepper, and ginger. Stir fried with garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, ground cumin seed, and celery. Added rice vinegar and sugar to balance cumin.

I added too much pepper and chili flakes and sniffled all through dinner.

Banh mi!

Banh mi (bread), otherwise known as a Vietnamese sandwich. Lemongrass tofu and pickled daikon and carrots from My Thanh, cilantro, and cucumbers. Toasted french bread, filled with fillings, and topped with low sodium soy sauce and tuong ot (chili paste).

Thit kho

Caramelized baby pork ribs. Marinated in nuoc mam, dark soy sauce, and agave overnight. Boiled eggs and cooked for 1 hour. Just like Mom's!

Thanks LeLe

Breakfast. Whole wheat pancakes (plain, cinnamon, and banana) with spiced bananas and pears. Side of papaya.

Chris introduced me to this song, I'm singing it over the stove. Haven't mastered the dance routine. Yet.

mmmm chicken

Marinated chicken in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rosemary, oregano, and thyme. Topped with bread crumbs and baked for 30 minutes at 350. Boiled potatoes and stir fried with onion, garlic, butter, and rosemary. Seasoned with salt and pepper.

Mmmm dinner.

Breakfast of leftovers

Fried egg on top of leftover stuffed tomatoes, with a side of spiced french toast: 1 egg, soy milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla extract. Topped with agave nectar.

Who doesn't love breakfast?

Stuffed tomatoes

Veggie ground protein crumbles with old bay, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onions, and egg. Halved and carved out tomatoes, stuffed, and topped with whole wheat bread crumbs. Baked at 375 for 20 minutes and devoured in 15.

eat your veggies

Broccoli, carrots, green and red peppers in gingered oyster sauce.

Eat up.

the last bite

Pumpkin ravioli by Central Market with sauteed mustard greens and garlic, with a Gorgonzola cream sauce.


Heat some heavy cream and Gorgonzola until melted. Set aside. Stir fry olive oil, minced garlic, and the greens. Add ravioli and top with sauce. Easy.

Lunch and dinner in 218

Chris' lunch: curried noodle with tofu, green beans, and bean sprouts (He takes good pictures).

Our dinner: caramelized tofu and shrimp. I love all things caramelized (kho). Served with bun and fresh veggies.

Also, some green sides: sesamed beans with bean sprouts and chinese broccoli in gingered oyster sauce.

Using up this week's groceries!