Cơm Tấm, or Broken Rice, is the name of a Vietnamese dish prepared using a Jasmine rice that is crushed into finer pieces during the milling process. You can buy prepackaged broken rice at the Asian grocery store.There are quite a few fantastic Vietnamese restaurants in San Jose dedicated to serving Cơm Tấm. I always... Continue Reading →
Tết, or Lunar New Year, is the most popular and exciting Vietnamese holiday during the year. A few weeks prior to Tết, Vietnamese shopping centers are flooded with vendors selling beautiful flowers, festive decorations, illegal firecrackers, and distinct Vietnamese specialty food available only during Tết. I hate large crowds but love shopping during Tet. Trust... Continue Reading →
I love Luaus. Besides the beautiful Hula Dancing, my favorite attraction at every Luau is the Imu Ceremony. During the Imu Ceremony, a few buff Islanders present the slow roasted pig from a traditional underground oven called an Imu. The crowd claps, cheers, and goes crazy when they see a smoking pig unearthed from the... Continue Reading →
Gỏi Cuốn, directly translated to English as Salad Roll, is one of the freshest, simple, delicious, and popular appetizers ordered at Vietnamese restaurants. However, at my house, Gỏi Cuốn is commonly served as a full meal, family-style. All the fresh ingredients are prepared in advance and placed on the dinner table. When it's time to... Continue Reading →
Bánh Cuốn, Vietnamese Steamed Rice Rolls, is one of Jane's favorite food to eat . Her typical and predictable requests for Sunday breakfast is usually Bánh Cuốn with Chả Lụa. Normally, I buy a couple of pounds of Steamed Rice Rolls from Thanh Tri on Senter Road and all the accompaniments at the closest local Asian grocery... Continue Reading →
I love my Costco dutch oven. I bought one from Costco about 6 months ago, but never really had a chance to use it until NOW! I saw this recipe prepared on an episode of America's Test Kitchen (ATK) and found it in my ATK cookbook.I think carnitas are hit or miss and depending on... Continue Reading →
I never knew researching bitter melon could be so interesting and informative. Besides being just a bitter vegetable, I learned that there are health benefits eating bitter melon which includes helping improve diabetic and toxemia conditions. It is also known for being good for your skin and is packed with tons of nutrients and minerals. ... Continue Reading →
Did you know the "Ton" in tonkatsu means pork? If yes, maybe I was the only one who didn't know this. I always wondered why it wasn't called Pork Katsu like the chicken version is called Chicken Katsu.Anyway, I enjoyed making tonkatsu because I had all the ingredients in my pantry and this took me... Continue Reading →
Should it be this hot in October? By this time of the month, I expect a nice Autumn breeze as the leaves on trees are starting to turn color and scattering all over the streets. It was so hot over the past few days that I don't even want to be in the kitchen cooking,... Continue Reading →
The meat of choice for me when eating Mexican food is always pork! I would pick it over beef and chicken any day. I was super excited about making Chile Verde because I get to cook with tomatillos and use a blender to make a sauce (I've never done that before) and well...its pork! I... Continue Reading →
No Limit Cooking 