Author: La Vie Partagée

CB2 x Kravitz Design Limited Edition

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CB2 is one of my favorite stores to find affordable modern furniture. CB2 teamed up with Lenny Kravitz’s design firm to introduce a limited edition collection available in stores and online starting October 1.  The collection’s price point is slightly higher than the average CB2 furniture and the aesthetic has a strong 70’s vibe.  Check out the collection and let us know what you think. For related articles, visit the DESIGN page. Author:  Chau Hoang Featured photo: CB2

Vietnamese Coffee 3 Ways: Hot, Cold and a Starbucks Hack

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Vietnamese coffee is a symbol of the cafe culture thanks to the Dutch and French colonialism in the 18th and 19th centuries. Cafes are where friends and family meet up and hang out.  Most single people live with their family until they are married, so places like a cafe becomes a venue to hold social gatherings.  Vietnamese coffee can be served hot or cold and is usually very sweet due to the addition of condensed milk. Traditional Vietnamese coffee does not have the chicory flavoring that is popular today.  That popularity is due to the brand Cafe du Monde and its widespread use for Vietnamese iced coffee (cà phê sữa đá). In this post, I will demonstrate how to make Vietnamese iced coffee (cà phê sữa đá), hot coffee with condensed milk (cà phê sữa) and a Starbucks version of the iced coffee. Ingredients 1 single serving steel coffee press (You can buy one online). 1 can of condensed milk (the most popular brand is Longevity Brand’s condensed milk) Medium to dark roast coffee grind.  (Cafe Trung …

The Original Food Market: The Essex Street Market (NYC)

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Even though I have lived in NYC for a long time, I have never ventured into this particular market until one Sunday afternoon.  My friend lives in Manhattan’s Lower East Side for a long time and decided today’s field trip would be a great way to see what the original NYC food market is like before it moves into a new sparkling location across the street.  Essex Street Market opened in 1940 and has survived through tumultuous years before the revitalization of lower Manhattan.  With new residents moving into the area, the market is infused with a renewed vitality and offers a range of culinary products and interesting food stalls.  This market is run by New York City so it is not advertised as much as the newer and more upscale private markets. At first, the market did not look like much to me as compared to the newer ones popping up all over the city.  As I ventured through the maze of stalls, I found myself in markets similar to the ones in Europe. …

Light It Up

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I asked my friends what topic they want me to write about next and many agreed on lamps. Coincidentally, I had planned on writing about this topic for weeks. I know there are so many options to pick from ranging in price and style. It is a hard to make a decision. Lamps can be pricey, especially the ceiling lamps. Any good designer will tell you that there is a lot of time and work  behind a beautiful piece. Think of these lamps as if you are buying a valuable piece of art. So if you run into one that is a bit higher than your budget, don´t automatically eliminate it. Maybe you can adjust your budget with other things to make room for the lamp. The trend right now is to have beautiful and clean lines. It can be a wire shade. It can also be a structure that parts like branches in a asymmetrical way or in a very symmetrical design. My favorite colors are white, black, copper, brass and gold. The light bulbs have …

Blue Crabs Sauté in a Roe Sauce

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The northern Atlantic coast is known for its blue crabs. While vacationing in Virginia Beach, my family went to the fish market called the Shellfish Company and bought fresh blue crabs right off of the boat. My Aunt Qua created this simple and easy dish for us. Needless to say, the taste testers ate all of the crabs as soon as they were prepared. This recipe is rated easy and serves 4 people. Ingredients: 6 female blue crabs (as you will need the roe) 1/4 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder 3/4 teaspoon of sugar 1/8 teaspoon of salt 1/8 teaspoon of pepper 1/3 cup of yellow onion 3 cloves of garlic (approximately 2 tablespoons) 1 stalk of scallion 1 Thai Chili Directions: Prepare the crabs Twist the tail off of the crab and discard. Snap off the claws and legs. Use a towel and pull apart the shell of the crab and get rid of the grey, furry-looking thing (the lungs). One side of the shell will have the body of the crab. The other side will …

Chè Bông Cau / Sticky Mung Bean Pudding

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Chè is a traditional Vietnamese sweet pudding or soup like dessert often eaten in the afternoon or late at night. This dessert can be served warmed or chilled, depending on the ingredients.  There are over a dozen varieties of chè depending on the region of Vietnam.  Chè can be made with mung bean, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, tapioca, gelatin, dumplings or a variety of fruits and is usually topped with a spoon of coconut cream.  Today, we will introduce a basic but delicious chè made of mung bean.  Chè bông cau or sticky mung bean dessert is made of whole steamed mung bean cooked in gelatinous simple syrup.  This snack is often a favorite of high school students on their way home from school. Ingredients: 2/3 cups of dried split mung bean 3 tablespoons of tapioca starch 5- 6 tablespoons of sugar (for the chè and the coconut milk) 1 can of coconut milk 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla extract (not pictured) Directions: Part 1:  Cooking the mung bean Steam 2/3 cup of dried split mung bean for 20 …