Flossy pork buns (Banh mi ngot cha bong)

Hello again everyone! Summer is almost over for most of us. My boys are actually back to school for two weeks now. It just seems too short of a summer for us all, but I'm also glad that they are back to school so we all can get back to our own routine again.  

That means I also have to get back to my baking routine to get breakfast ready for the boys every morning. Breads and buns are the staples for breakfast in our house second to the quick-and-easy cereals.  This flossy pork bun recipe is quite easy to make and very tasty as well. If you don't have floss pork on hand, you can substitute with ham or bacon and cheese. I am sure they will taste just as delicious. Give it a try for your loved ones at home.

Steamed Pork Bun (Banh Bao Thit)

 

The origin of steamed buns is rooted from China. With thousands of years of history, steamed bun has been a staple diet in many Chinese families. They usually come in a variety of sizes and stuffed with different types of filling such as pork, chicken, cabbages, mushrooms, tofu, spinach, etc. 

Steamed buns have migrated overtime to many different countries and took on different versions. In Vietnam, the most traditional version is stuffed with ground pork that is mixed with wood-ear mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs or quail eggs and Vietnamese sausage (lap xuong). While steamed buns can be eaten at any meals, they are commonly eaten as breakfast. One of the best feature about these buns is that they can be made in large batches and stored in freezer for later consumption. All you have to do is re-steam them and in a short few minutes, you can enjoy a scrumptious steamed bun just as good as the freshly made one.

Crispy roasted pork belly (Heo quay) with vermicelli

It's Fat Tuesday, so why not getting fat together! And why not eating roasted pork belly before the Lent season starts. To me I can only afford to enjoy this dish a few times in a year unless I'm ready for a new larger pant size. That why whenever I prepare this dish, I always savor every single bite especially the most high prize part of the dish, the crunchy, crispy skin that tastes so divine. 
In my opinion, homemade roast pork is much more flavorful than the store bought one. Since the pork is prepared in a much smaller portion than the whole pig at the BBQ joint, you can easily control the marinade and able to let the meat mingle and absorb the flavorful marinade. The most important part to make this dish a success lies in the crispiness of the skin (of course without burning it). Once you can achieve this crucial step, you are more than half way being successful. To tell you the truth, if I could just eat all I want, I would definitely go for the skin. Tonight dinner, I serve it with mixed herb salad and vermicelli noodles, but you can also serve it with rice and it would make a wonderful entree.

Shredded pork and pork skin (Bi)

First, I want to apologize for my long hiatus. I don't know if I should blame the craziness of the holiday seasons or the lack of diligence, but I know I have been seriously lagging and necglecting my blog for a long while. 
Well now I'm back and still alive, just in case you were wondering, I want to introduce to you all one important component of the scrumptious Bbq pork rice dish aka "Com bi cha thit nuong".  As you may remember, I have introduced to you how to make the Bbq grilled pork (thit nuong) and the steamed egg meatloaf (Cha) in previous posts. So now it's time to bring to light the last, but not least, portion of the combo: shredded pork skin or "Bi". 
This sidekick dish is actually my favorite out of the three. I just love its versatility. Beside serving along side with grilled pork and the steamed egg meatloaf on rice, it also can be rolled up in rice papers to make delicious spring rolls called "Bi cuon" or stuffed in the baguette to make a lovely lunch sandwich. I also love to serve this with cold vermicille noodle "bun", mixed green mint salad and dressed in fish sauce to make a nice lunch (or dinner) entree. You can't go wrong no matter which way you like to serve it.

Crispy rice with shredded pork and Vietnamese sausage (Com chay lap xuong cha bong)

My carb days are over a few weeks ago when I decided to go back to the gym. I still have the crave for carbs every now and then. When I looked back at these crispy rice pictures, I realized how much I really miss eating these. The dish is super simple and easy to prepare, yet it makes a great afternoon snack.  All you need are just some left over rice, some Vietnamese sausages, shredded pork or Chinese pork floss and couple more ingredients. In no time, you will have a scrumptious appetizer.
The crispiness of the rice and the saltiness of the fish sauce bring everything together nicely in every bite. The secret to make this addicting appetizer is to pan-fry the rice until it's all brown and crispy. The crispier the rice, the better it tastes so be patient when frying this. I am still salivating while looking at these pictures, hmmm.... maybe I should reconsider my low-carb diet!

Bun Moc (Vermicelli noodle soup with mushroom meatballs)

The weather is still very warm lately and yet here I am posting another hot noodle soup recipe. Since we are still on the noodle subject, I just want to introduce to everyone another great, common Vietnamese noodle soup called Bun Moc (Bun means vermicelli and Moc means wood ear mushrooms). 
Originally, Bun Moc is a Northern noodle soup. It's typically made from pork bone broth and pork paste (Gio song) mixed with wood ear mushroom to form the meatballs. It's usually served with vermicelli, pork sausage (Gio lua) and slices of pork belly. All together, they form a light, yet hearty bowl of vermicelli noodle soup. If you love Vietnamese noodles, I hope this will add another great noodle version to your recipe collection.

Vietnamese Udon noodle soup (Banh Canh Gio Heo)

Wow.... and summer is officially over for us starting last week when both of my boys started school again. It was such a fun filled, busy summer for us with all the kids activities and mini vacations here and there. Now that with the older one went back to school and the little one started pre-school, I'm having my Monday back to do my own things. Ever since I've been away from my blog, my food pictures keep on piling up in my camera. Now with all the time I have on my day off, I'm planing to put my body back on track with the help from the gym membership .... and also hopefully more blogging:).

Banh canh is one of the Southern Vietnamese noodle soups. It's quite easy to prepare and still taste as delicious as other noodle soups such as Hu tieu or Mi soups (rice or egg noodle soups). It can be served as a hearty breakfast, simple lunch or a quick dinner meal. The banh canh noodles, contrarily to the rice noodles, are shorter and much thicker strains which are made from tapioca and rice flours. The broth is prepared with pork bones and pork hocks. There is also another version of banh canh from the Central region of Vietnam that made with seafoods such as shrimps and crabs with a much thicker broth called Banh Canh tom cua. Hopefully I will be able to cover that version of Banh canh in a near future. For now let's enjoy this simple hearty noodle soup first.

Vietnamese vermicelli with Barbecued Pork (Bun cha thit nuong)

The weather has been warm enough lately for an early Barbecue event. Well, not quite yet at certain places on the globe, but we have been very blessed for living in Southern California with gorgeous weather of early Spring. So I have to take advantage of our new barbecue grill and the weather to make this delicious Northern Vietnamese noodle dish.

To me, this dish resemblances more of a salad than a noodle entree. Mostly, because I love to add a lot of vegetables with the  smallest amount of noodle possible to my bowl whenever I eat this. Also, the fish sauce serves as a dressing and ultimately brings everything together in this dish like a salad. That is why to me, making the fish sauce dressing is just as important as marinating and grilling the meats. The lightness of the minty vegetables and the smokey fragrance of the barbecued meats make you feel delighted and guilt-free when enjoying this noodle "salad".

Tender Pork Tamales

Hot... hot... hot... tamales! Mission accomplished!

I have been wanting to make these scrumptious, wonderful goodness for a long time now, but never got a chance to go through with it. Until last week, when I stopped by the supermarket for some butters. As I walked pass the Hispanic food aisle, from the corner of my eye, I saw bags of Maseca corn flour waiting to be picked up on the shelf. I was then reminded of the tamale that was long imbedded in my to-do list and almost forgotten now. I picked up a bag of Maseca and quickly gathered all other ingredients needed to get ready for my quest for tamales.

Although I had never made tamale before in my life, but I always thought of it as a real challenge to accomplish. And turn out, it was quite a complicating and time-consuming process. I didn't want to jam everything in one day, so I divided the preparation process into two days. The night before, I started braising the pork shoulder in my slow cooker overnight. I was glad that I chose to prepare the pork the night before, because beside saving some time on the second day for my tamales, I also harvested the moist and most tender pork roast ever. The meat was falling apart, juicy and full of flavors. My husband couldn't wait but helped himself to some of the meat with rice for lunch before I could fill them in the tamales. 

In my opinion, a great tamale requires a balance between the juicy, savory filling and the light, fluffy texture of the corn masa. In the recipe that I used, the braising liquid was used to rehydrate the flour, so the homemade flavor was built directly into the masa dough to give it a great depth of flavor. You will see that the complexity of flavor is appreciated in every single bite. This mouth-watering tamale also makes a very filling and satisfying snack or meal. They will keep well in the fridge for a week and a few months in the freezer. But I doubt that you will hardly have any left-over for freezing.  

Cha Trung (Vietnamese egg meatloaf)

We had a great dinner last night with this Cha Trung (egg meatloaf), at least I know my husband did because it is one of his favorite dish. I prepared and marinaded the meat the night before, so last night dinner was a breeze to make. It is quite easy to prepare and simply delicious with some steamed rice. You can either bake it in the oven or steam it in the steamer, whichever method you choose, the result will be some moist, delicious egg meatloaf. 

Cha trung is typically accompanied with grilled pork (thit nuong), shredded pork skins (bi) and together they are served with broken steamed rice (com tam). This southern Vietnamese dish can be served as breakfast, lunch or dinner. For different variations, you can also add salted duck eggs to make "Cha trung muoi" (salted egg meatloaf) or some crab meat for a fancier version called Cha cua. Give it a try and I'm sure you will enjoy it!

Pate chaud (Vietnamese puff pastry pie)

Pate chaud is a fusion product, a cross between the East and the West, between pastry and savory. When we were little, we used to have this for breakfast before school. The size of the pie is just right, not too big, not too small, enough to hold you till lunch time. Now with a cup of coffee and I'm all energized for a new day of work. 

The process of making Pate chaud is such a breeze with some help from the frozen puff pastry that you can find ubiquitously any where in the frozen section of most supermarket nowadays. These mini pork pies are most scrumptious as they are just out of the oven, but can always be reheated for a quick snack any time of the day. The flaky, buttery and crispy layer of the puff pastry deliciously blends well with the savory spiced meat filling. And be warned, you may need two to satisfy the craving!

Buta Kakuni (Japanese braised pork belly)

Last weekend my hubby and I had a chance to get away from the kids for a little while to be on our own. So we decided to enjoy our date night dinner at this place called Ohshima Japanese cuisine. The place was recommended by one of my coworker and I'm so glad that I finally gave this place a chance because the food was so yummy-licious!

Beside the superb sushi with super fresh fish, one of the appetizer dish we ordered that made our palates danced was this Japanese braised pork belly called Buta Kakuni. My husband loved this dish so much that I decided to duplicate it for him at home. The taste and flavor came very close to the one that we tried at the restaurant and I got a thumb up from my judge. 

Buta Kakuni literally means "simmered-square pork". Traditionally it's served as an appetizer along with some alcoholic drinks, but in my opinion, it pairs really well with some green vegetables such as stir-fried bok choi and is perfect with a bowl of steamed rice for dinner. 

The taste and texture of the pork in this dish is very similar to the traditional Vietnamese dish called "thit kho tau" that we usually enjoy on "Tet" (Lunar New Year Day). The cooking technique is almost the same, the main difference in the seasoning is that Kakuni is seasoned with sake, mirin and soy sauce while the pork in the Vietnamese version is soaked in coconut water, fish sauce and sugar.

The braising liquid can be reserved in an air tight container and stored in the fridge for later uses as a seasoning sauce for fried rice or ramen broth. The cooking process may look intimidated due to the long cooking time it takes to simmer down the meat, but the end result is all worth it. I hope you will give it a try and enjoy it as much as we did!

Shrimp and Char siu egg noodle soup (Mi tom, xa xiu)

 

I know it's probably way too hot right now in the middle of summer for anything hot and soupy, but I just can resist making this egg noodle soup. Simply because I have a box of egg noodles sitting in my fridge for a few weeks now. I have to find some ways to turn it into some edible dish before the trash can consumes it. 

I guess I could make something less sweaty like stir-fried noodles, but since I already posted it my recipe for stir-fried noodle a while back, I thought maybe I should make something else different to share with everyone. The thought of making this egg noodle soup came to me when I saw my new ramen bowls got stacked away in the corner of my cupboard. It's perfect time to put my ramen bowl in its first good use. A couple hours later, a yummy looking bowl of noodle is staring at me, enticing! Enough talking, it's time to dig in now!

Vietnamese Barbeque pork with Rice (Com thit nuong)

Summer is not only about vacations, the beaches, the heats, and all the fun activities, but also a popular season for barbequing.  The bright burning charcoals, the smoky burnt wood chips, the fragrant of the grilled meats, altogether, nostalgically and evocatively, they bring me back to my childhood in Vietnam. 

Back then we didn't have any fancy, luxurious barbeque gas grills like the one you would see in every family's backyard here. All we had was a little stove made out of red clay with three prongs to hold up the pot or pan while food being cooked in it. I remember we would use anything we had on hands to light up the fire ranging from dried wood branches to dried coconut peels or dried palm leaves. But whenever we wanted to grill any BBQ meats, it had to be with the charcoals, otherwise the meats would smell and taste like smoked wood chips. We used a small grilling rack to lay the marinated meats on top and flipped them every now and then to make sure they are cooked thoroughly but not burned. The smell of marinated meats combined with the burning charcoals always made my tummy growling and my mouth watering with its irresistible fragrant. In my believe, there is nothing, not even a fancy gas grill, could replace the wonderful, savory taste of Vietnamese BBQ meats that are grilled on the real burning charcoals. 

Well, back to reality, I don't have that clay stove anymore nor have yet to purchase  another fancy gas grill (we just got rid of our old one not that long ago, and still looking for the right one to bring home), so my only way of getting around this is to bake and then broil them in the oven. Although nothing could beat the smell and taste of the real charcoal grilled meats, this one will do in a mean time. It is actually quite tasty with the meats really soft and moist. Well I am starving, so I won't be so picky, would you?

Black pepper pork or pork in clay pot (Thit kho tieu or thit kho to)

Vietnamese "thit kho" is one of the most common and popular dish that one would encounter in any Vietnamese family dinners. Originate from the Southern part of Vietnam, it is one of the traditional dishes that I adore the most. Very simple and yet very mouthwatering and flavorful!

It's usually prepared in clay pots, which is an authentic way to prepare this dish and, therefore, the name "thit kho to" ("To" means clay pot). In a cold, rainy day, this is a perfect dish to go for with a bowl of white jasmine rice. The balance between the saltiness of fish sauce, the subtle sweetness of sugar and the spiciness of red chili peppers in combination of black pepper make your mouth want to savor every single bite.

Whenever I am away on a long vacation, this is the dish that I would long to come home to. Nothing fancy nor extravagant, just simplicity and full of nostalgia, and that is what I love about this dish.

Fish in clay pot and stir fried garlic ong choy (Ca kho to and rau muong xao toi)

 Oh boy! Am I glad to be back??? The vacation cruise was fun and memorable, but a week on the ship is too long for me to be without my Vietnamese food. I was miserable and craving a bowl of Pho or a bowl of rice with "ca kho to" so badly. We were feasting everyday on the cruise and now I am so afraid to face myself on the scale. 
On the fifth day, when we docked at Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, my brother-in-law was able to hook us up with some instant ramen noodle "Hecho en Mexico". Let me tell you how happy I was to finally get a taste of "Asian food".... I was in heaven!!!

The Mexican food that we tried at Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta was mostly delicious and authentic. I especially adore the little al pastor taco, where the meat was carved off the big giant skewer onto the cute little corn tortilla to be served. The guacamole, the salsa and the ceviche were pretty delicious and satisfying as well. Seafood was ocean fresh and cooked to perfection. Food and food everywhere I go, on boat, off shore... but nothing could curve my rising craving appetite for the traditional Vietnamese food. 

Luckily, I have another day off before back to work and back to reality. So, of course, the first dish I  make must be something very authentic and very traditional. While having dinner today, I told my hubby that I wish I could have this kind of meal when we were still on board. He laughed and asked me if I had to pay a hundred bucks for a piece of steak and a hundred bucks for a "ca kho to and rau muong xao" meal, which one would I pick? I was like "Don't you know the answer already? Of course the ca kho to and rau muong! He said he would pay that much too, not for himself but for me to enjoy.... That's why I married him!

Three course meal: lemongrass pork belly, saute green beans and napa cabbage soup

What is worse than working in the weekend is ...... working on a beautiful Mother's Day weekend. While other moms are enjoying their Mother's Day celebration, I am stuck at work and missing out on the warm, sunny weather. Just in case you are wondering what kind of work I do, I am a "legal drug dealer" by day and a devoted homemaker by night:)! Let me tell you, it's not easy to hold two full-time jobs like that, but I manage.
So as you can see, being that busy, I have no time for fancy weekday dinner meals.  Quick and convenient recipes are what I try to aim for everyday after work. These were what we had for last night dinner, simple, quick and yet satisfying.
Well, at least for tomorrow night I don't have to worry about dinner since my kitchen is going to be close for Mother's Day. Daddy and the boys are going to take mommy out for dinner... Yay!!!
Being able to hangout and enjoy dinner with my boys is the best part of the day. No matter where we are or what we eat, as long as we are together, that's all that matters.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there! Enjoy your beautiful day.

Thai crispy pork and Chineses broccoli

Another Thai dish that I've just discovered not that long ago. It is very simple to make yet very flavorful and ... hmmm.... "healthy" as well (.... If you don't count the crispy pork belly).  This was what we had for dinner yesterday with the "Ngeu kho to". 

"Warning ... warning... if anyone is on a diet please refrain yourself from making or looking at these dishes". Once you start, you won't be able to stop yourself from reaching for more. I am a good example of that! As you know, I'm trying to get myself back on track with my diet. But yesterday dishes have ruined it all. Well, that's OK, I told myself, there is still tomorrow... hehehe....  and did I mention this dish is "healthy" :)? So let's find out how "healthy" it is ok?

Baby clams in clay pot

    Back to my favorite cuisine, Vietnamese food, we are having a very unique and original dish for dinner tonight "Ngeu kho to" (clams in clay pot). I'm certain that if you are Vietnamese you would be no stranger to the usual "Thit kho to" or "Ca kho to", but "Ngeu kho to" would probably sound very surprising and strange to everyone.  But let me tell you this, the hubby of mine who doesn't really care much about the Vietnamese clay pot dishes, keeps on requesting me to cook it again and again after the first time tasting it.  The cooking process is very similar to its cousin dish "thit kho to", only the meat will be substituted by the baby clams.  One bite and trust me you will be hooked to this mouth-watering dish just like my husband.
   Thanks to my dear friend Eatlover for her ingenious idea to this great recipe, we have this wonderful dish to enjoy for dinner. If you have time, visit her blog and you can find a numerous numbers of amazing pictures and recipes. She is the one that gives me the admiration and  inspiration for the birth of this blog. Thanks El for all your support and friendship. This dish is for you!
 

BBQ and shredded pork with rice

    Finally we got back to our house after a weekend of busy eating. We have tried a couple of new places in OC, a Thai restaurant in Long Beach and a Japanese ramen joint in Costa Mesa, and they both turned out pretty good.
     My brother cooked for us some delicious "Hu tieu Nam Vang", a Nam Vang style rice noodle soup.
    My mother-in-law made some of her specialties, the shredded chicken rice and BBQ pork. We ate  our heart out and now I feel like I'm  gaining another person inside me after all that eating.
    It was good eat after all so I'm not complaining except I will have to spend weeks ahead of me to get back on my diet getting ready for the summer cruise... sign:(
   







     Today has been a very busy day as well although it's not about eating, it's clean up time! I've been on my feet all day cleaning, sweeping, mopping, dusting, washing and feeding my boys. So no time for cooking, luckily my mother-in-law packed some of her marinated pork and the shredded pork called "Bi" for us to bring home. So you can pretty much guess what we had for lunch today. That's right, the "Com bi thit nuong trung chien" was what we had for lunch. Actually it was what my hubby had for lunch, as for me I had the shredded pork sandwich (banh mi bi) instead.
     It was a quick lunch since I didn't have to prepare anything except putting the marinated meat in the oven, cooking some jasmine rice, frying an egg and cook up the mustard green soup to go with the rice. In about 30min everything was ready to be served.

     Since I didn't really cook this dish from scratch, I'm not going to post the recipe today. But I promise the next time when I really make it myself I will post it. Well, I hope you still enjoy my quick delicious lunch with .... your eyes :).