All posts filed under: Eat

Aunt Qua’s Famous Fried Dumplings

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My aunt Qua is known for her juicy fried dumplings so much so that there are lines of people upset because she no longer sells them.  Luckily for me and for our readers, she decided to teach us how to make this deceptively simple dish.  The fried dumplings are juicy and sweet while the deep frying gives them a nice crunch.  Covered in fried sweet onions and dipped in a unique soy vinaigrette, these dumplings will be gone in seconds.  These are the best fried dumplings I have ever tasted and I’m excited to share the recipe in today’s post. There are three cooking methods to cook the dumplings. You decide based on your preference. a.  Deep frying (the preferred method) b.  Pan frying.  We used this method for this demonstration as the hotel did not have all the equipment we needed. c.  Boiling This recipe is rated easy and makes approximately 50 dumplings. Ingredients: 1 lb of ground pork 1/4 teaspoon of salt 1/2 teaspoon of pepper 50 round wonton wrapper 1 1/2 teaspoon of chicken …

Crab and Asparagus Soup / Súp Măng Cua

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Súp Măng Cua or Crab and Asparagus Soup is a traditional bisque usually served at dinner parties or wedding banquets. It is an easy soup to make that looks very classy once you get the hang of it. This is the go-to soup whenever my mom needs to make it for any parties. Guests rush to get a bowl before the pot is gone. I use real lump crab meat which makes a huge difference in this recipe. Many recipes use fake crab meat or canned crab meat, which is still good, but nothing tastes better than fresh crab meat. This recipe is rated easy and takes approximately 30-35 minutes to prepare. Ingredients 2 cups of fresh lump crab meat (frozen section or from a can if fresh crab meat is not available). I bought mine at Costco.  ½ of a whole chicken (rinsed so there are no impurities) 1 can of asparagus spears 3 eggs 4 cloves of minced garlic ½ of an onion 1 whole shallots, minced ½ teaspoon of sesame oil 8 tablespoons of tapioca starch …

Chè Ba Màu / Tri-Color Dessert

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Chè ba màu is is a staple dessert available anytime of the year. You can easily find it at a Vietnamese restaurant. It is a dessert comprised of yellow mung bean, red beans, and green gelatin strips served with ice and topped with coconut milk.  It is usually a time consuming dessert to prepare because you have to make all three components.  In this recipe, we will make the mung bean and gelatin from scratch. We will use canned kidney beans to make the red component.  The recipe does use a lot of sugar but you will only need about 1 to 2 spoons of each component for 1 serving. This recipe makes approximately 6 servings, rated medium, and can take over an hour depending on how fast you cook and multi-task. Ingredients: 2 cans of dark kidney beans  1 can of coconut milk 2 cups of dried split mung beans or 2 cans of cannellini beans (if you can’t find dried split mung bean) Approximate 3 cups of sugar total for the recipe 1 tablespoon …

Braised Pork Belly with Eggs / Thịt Kho Trứng

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If you ask anyone about their favorite home cooked Vietnamese dish, braised pork belly with eggs or thịt kho trứng will be among the top of that list. There is something very satisfying about diving into a bowl of pork belly and pouring the sweet and salty sauce all over the rice. This recipe is a guaranteed home run for any meal and is very simple to make.  The tricky part is making sure the caramel turns the right dark color without burning.  Once you get the hang of it, it is as simple as waiting for the pork belly to fall apart before you dig in. Ingredients 1.5 lb of pork belly (approximately 3 pieces) 6 hard boil eggs 2 cloves of garlic minced 1 peeled whole shallot 4 large slices of ginger ¼ cup of sugar ½ tablespoon of rock sugar 1 teaspoon of sesame oil 3 cups of coconut water 1 tablespoon of soy sauce 2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon powder ¼ of cup of fish sauce 2 tablespoons of vinegar salt …

Watercress and Beef Salad with Pan Juice Vinaigrette

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One of my favorite vegetable dishes that my mother whipped up in no time is sautéed beef over a bed of pickled onions, tomatoes and watercress.  She combines the pan juice with the pickling juice to create a refreshing vinaigrette that beckons to be poured over a steaming bowl of rice.  Over the weekend, I asked my mother to help me recreate this quick and easy dish for our readers.  With Fall in full swing, this is a refreshing dish to incorporate vegetables in your next meal. This recipe is rated easy and takes approximately 15-20 minutes to prepare. Ingredients 1 lb of beef such as sirloin that would be good for sautéing 1 bushel of watercress 2 ½ teaspoons of soy sauce Sugar Salt Pepper ½ teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder  ¼ cup of vinegar 1 large tomato ½ of a yellow onion thinly sliced ¼ of a yellow onion diced 1/4 of a red onion diced 2 cloves of garlic sliced 1/4 cup + 1 teaspoon of olive oil  1 stalk of scallion for garnish 1 …

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 …

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 …

Đậu Hũ Sốt Cà Chua / Stuffed Tofu Braised in Tomato Sauce

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Vietnamese cuisine usually consists of braising proteins or vegetables in a sauce.  Braising in a tomato sauce is a very easy and popular way to incorporate vegetables into a meal.  In today’s recipe, we will share a family recipe for tofu stuffed with minced pork, shrimp, and ear worm mushrooms braised in tomato sauce.  It is a simple and healthy dish.  The tomato sauce is great with chicken and fried salmon filet as well. This recipe is rated medium in difficulty and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. Ingredients: 1 lb of ground of ground pork 1 lb of tiger shrimp or any type of meaty shrimp ⅓ cup of dried ear worm mushrooms (This is commonly found in an Asian supermarket.  If you are unable to find it, just exclude this ingredient.) 1 package of fried bean curd (tofu). (This is a pre-made fried tofu which has a denser consistency.) Approx. 2 tablespoons of fish sauce 1-2 stalks of scallion 1/2 teaspoon of chicken bouillon powder 2 ripe tomatoes Approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons …

Phu Quoc’s Squid Simmered in Lemongrass, Pineapple and Thai Basil Sauce

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Phu Quoc is known for their sweet tasting squids.  You can see the locals fishing for these jewels right at the dock.  They taste incredibly sweet due to the pristine water surrounding the island.  We were lucky to have these local treats cooked by our first mate on our boat. Click on the link here to read all about our adventures in Phu Quoc. In today’s post, we will recreate the classic Phu Quoc’s style squid simmered in a lemongrass, pineapple and thai basil sauce.  This is a wonderful dish to serve at a dinner party because it is so simple. All you have to do is put it together and let it simmer before you serve. This recipe serves 2 people and is rated easy. Ingredients 1 pound of whole squids (cleaned, remove all of the guts) ½ cup of large sliced lemongrass (substitute with frozen lemongrass, available at asian supermarkets in the frozen food aisle) ½ cup of cubed pineapple (from can) ½ cup of diced Thai Basil 1 cup of water 1 …