Bun Bo Hue (Hue style spicy Beef noodle)

Bun Bo Hue, another Vietnamese famous noodle soup that I'm long due to cover in my blog. It is my hubby's favorite noodle soup beside the egg noodle soup. I haven't really been making a lot of effort to cook this regularly enough for him since it's definitely not a quick night dinner meal. But last weekend, while we were looking a nice quick Vietnamese lunch to wrap up our San Diego weekend get away, we stumbled upon this 'hole in the wall'' restaurant that serves authentic Hue style dishes. The saying "Don't judge the book by its cover" is so true with place, who knew a place like this would serve such delicious food and of course, Bun Bo Hue is one of their specialty there. After tasting their scrumptious Bun Bo Hue, I was reminded that it's been a long time since I had cooked this noodle soup.
So in my version of Bun Bo Hue, I prepared the broth with beef bones, beef shank and pork belly. The tradition Bun Bo Hue also has pork hocks and coagulated blood cubes, but since they are not my cups of tea, I omitted them. Also, instead of the Cha Hue (Hue style pork ham), I made Cha tom (shrimp paste cake) and it's just equally delicious. I will be honest, it won't be an easy process (that's also one of the reason why I haven't cooked this for while), but the ending result is always satisfying and well worth it. All I can say is that I have made my husband a happy man with tonight dinner.

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 beef noodle (Pho Bo)

I don't know about what everyone else thinks, but to me this winter season seems to be a bit colder than other previous years. It is also a perfect weather for a hot, steamy bowl of Pho, especially during a cold, rainy day.

The funny thing is that whenever I go to the Pho restaurant in my neighborhood, the majority customers there are either non-Vietnamese or non-Asian.  Therefore, I don't think I need to introduce this popular dish to anybody since I am sure you all have tried or at least heard of this hearty and nutritious traditional Vietnamese soup before. 

To my childhood recollection, it's the best noodle soup in Vietnam and it's typically served as breakfast, but to me it's also as good any other time of the day.

For some beginners, Pho may look or seem too complicated and time consuming. But once you get the basic steps down, it is not really as bad as it may seem.  The best part about this homemade soup is that you can always prepare the broth ahead of time and freeze it divided in the airtight containers. This way, whenever the craving calls for, you can always have a steamy bowl of Pho in less than 30 minutes instead of the whole night of simmering. Enjoy cooking!

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!

Tamarind chicken wings and summer vegetable soup (canh ga chien nuoc mam me, canh rau cu)

 Tamarin chicken wings (canh ga chien nuoc mam me), a very addicting and finger-licking good appetizer dish that pair perfectly with a big glass of ice-cold beer in this summer heat. This Vietnamese version of chicken wing is listed somewhere amongst the top of my appetizer dishes. It is simple to prepare and yet full of bold flavors that make you reach out for more after the first bite. It is perfect when served as a finger food for any party and delicious as a meal on its own with some steamed rice. 

On my usual weekday of work, with not much time to prepare for dinner, I marinated the chicken the night before. Once I get home from work, I only need to deep fry the chicken and drizzle them with the pre-made tamarind sauce, then prepare a quick and easy vegetable soup to go with it. In no time we are ready for a delicious meal. The soup that I made today is a root vegetable soup that not only healthy and tasty, but it also pairs perfectly with the chicken wings.

I hope this simple recipe will help bringing a little surprised, delicious meal to your dinner table or your party of all occasions.

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.

Korean soft tofu stew

     I have to say Korean cuisine is my second favorite just right behind my number one, which you can pretty much guess, Vietnamese food.  Specially anything that cooked in a hot stone pot such as this soft tofu stew (SoonDuBu) or Bibimbap (which I will cover in another post).  This steamy and savory soup is best served on a rainy, cold winter night. The combination of the silken tofu, seafood, mushroom and the spicy broth bubbling in the scalding hot stone pot sitting next to a bowl of white steamed rice is like match makes in heaven.   
   To kick up the spice and the flavor a notch I usually add some homemade kimchi to the stew and always have to top it off with a freshly cracked egg.  The soup itself is not that complicate to prepare, but it is important to gather up the right ingredients to give this stew the authentic flavor that it deserves. If you happen to live nearby a Korean supermarket you won't have any problem finding the right stuffs to cook up this stew.
     Although my boys are still too young too fully enjoy this delicious stew, my hubby is a big fan of it. On a small note, if you decide to serve this to your kids, just reserve some the broth on the side and omit the hot chili powder so they can still enjoy this amazing stew.
     I found this great recipe at this Korean food blog, I made some modifications to match my taste buds accordingly. So next time when it's raining outside, feel free to give this wonderful stew a try, you won't be disappointed.

Lobster bisque

     I'm not a big fan of creamy soup, but lobster bisque is the only one exception that I will make in this category. 

     The taste is divine! The creamy, bold and thick body of the soup texture brings out the sweetness of the vegetables that intertwine with the sourness of the tomato sauce. Together with the buttery taste of the lobster chunks, it creates a party in your mouth.  

    This delicacy can be eaten alone in a cold winter day and also great with a piece of  prosciutto grilled cheese sandwich for a lazy Sunday brunch. 

    My first time making it turned out to be a huge success. My picky husband gave it two big thumbs up.  So I'm sure you will impress your loved ones with this simple yet so scrumptious recipe of mine.