All posts tagged: featured

Inspirations for Fall Decorating

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The gathering of family and friends starts this season. I want to share some of my favorite Autum decor, from table settings to door wreaths, that can help make your reunions unforgettable. Color When hosting a dinner party, we want our table to look amazing. The key is to pick a color scheme and create contrast around it. For example, if you choose orange as a main color, deep greens and blues will complement it and make the color jump off the plate. If you choose light colors, then dark browns and gold will make the lighter colors shine.  Another color option is purple, which is a great alternative to the red, green and gold for the season. Candles Candles are this season’s favorite as they create a warm ambiance. You can add some spices, various nuts and leaves around them to enhance the cozy vibe. Wreaths Wreaths are another fall decor I see everywhere. They are hung on walls and doors. My suggestion would be to create your own palette with the inspirations above. I love how deep blues …

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 …

Weekend Unexplored: Lake Garda Area (Lazise, Italy)

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I was lucky enough discover this beautiful lake resort during my trip to Verona earlier this year.  Lake Garda is a pristine, beautiful lake overlooking the majestic snowcapped mountains in the back.  The view is breathtaking and the best part is that Lake Garda is a local tourist destination and is still relatively unknown.  It’s best to go in April to May time when tourist season has not officially kicked off. Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy. Located in northern Italy, the lake is about half-way between Brescia and Verona, and between Venice and Milan.  The drive from the airport to Lake Garda provides a picturesque view of orchids and wineries along the way. Notable Hotel Hotel Corte Valier Hotel Corte Valier (Via della Pergolana 9, 37017 Lazise (VR) Italy, Tel: +39 045.6471210, www.cortevalier.com) I was lucky enough to stay at Hotel Corte Valier for several nights.  This four star luxury spa hotel is conveniently located right on the lakefront. The hotel has 84 lake view rooms equipped with luxury amenities.  The Dome restaurant offers a …

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 …

Must Do’s: Must Eats in Hanoi

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Hanoi is the northern gastronomy capital of Vietnam that puts its own stamp on popular dishes such as pho.  Our contributor, Amy Dao, compiled a list of Hanoi specialties and local favorites. You will notice a variety of soups as Hanoi is colder than the hot and wet weather in the central and southern regions that people associate with in Vietnam. I hope you get to venture out of your comfort zone and try these delicacies. 1. Hanoi Tumeric Fish with Dill / Chả Cá Lã Vọng) Restaurant:  Thănh Long Resturant (31 Dường Thành Street, Old Quarter / +84 (04) 3824 5115) This is Amy’s favorite dish. It is especially delicious with a mixture of dill, vegetables and spiced fish. 2. Hanoi Style BBQ Pork with Rice Vermicelli / Bún Chả Restaurants 1: 47C Mai Hac Đé Street, Hanoi Restaurant 2:  Nem Restaurant (123 Biù Thi Xuân Street, Hanoi) 3. Hanoi Style Fried Crab Spring Rolls with Rice Vermicelli (Bún Nem Cua Bễ) Resturant 1:  47C Mai Hac Đế Street, Hanoi Restaurant 2: Nem Restaurant (123 Biù Thi Xuân …

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 …

Must Do’s: Mostar and Kravice Falls (Bosnia & Hercegovina)

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Mostar is my favorite place to visit in Bosnia, partly because of the astonishing scenery. The city is stunning in its own beauty and can easily be compared to a fairy tale setting. I’ve compiled a list of the top 5 things to do and see in Old Town, Mostar. I have been to all of these places and have enjoyed them immensely. Another thing about this charming city is that there is always something new and exciting to see and amazing people to meet. Mostar: To See 1. The Old Bridge (Stari Most) The Old Bridge (Stari Most) is one of the country’s most recognizable landmarks and a fantastic piece of Islamic architecture in the Balkan region. Sadly many memories of this Ottoman bridge stem from November 1993 when the Croatian forces bombarded the bridge. The bridge collapsed into the river. Thanks to the UN, the World Bank, UNESCO and several European countries including Croatia and Turkey, the bridge was rebuilt to its former glory. The original Stari Most was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent …

Big Box Scout: Mad About Plaid

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If you have not noticed lately, plaid has become the pumpkin spice of prints. You can find it on cups, throws, pillows, drapery, upholstery, and everything in between every Autumn. Plaid made a strong comeback since 2009 and has become a mainstay for the foreseeable future.  There are many ways to incorporate plaid into your interiors and I have selected a few inspirations below. Plaid is a popular fabric choice for cabin style interiors.  However, there is a way to make your space glow and be stylish without it looking like a recreation of a log cabin. Check out the  fabulous variation in colors and patterns.  You can mix and match to make the space appear more interesting. Plaid as Drapery Plaid in a Children’s Room Big Box Scout Report I went to my favorite local big box stores and found the coolest options with affordable prices.  The selections are numerous at various price points.  Here are some of the items that caught my attention at Target, West Elm, and CB2. 1. Target      2. West Elm …

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. …