I work near this incredible Deli/Cafe, Gateway Cafe, near the San Jose Airport, which serves up fresh sandwiches, salads, and yummy daily specials for breakfast and lunch daily. Every Tuesday, they serve this amazing Spicy Thai Chicken Wrap as a lunch special item and it is my absolute favorite lunch item walking distance from work. … Continue reading Spicy Thai Peanut Salad
Category: Quick and Eazy
Every time I eat canh, I think back on some of the best childhood food memories I have of mom cooking my favorite family-style meals for dinner. The traditional family-style meals we ate always included at least one savory braised protein dish, a bowl of hearty green canh, and a pot of freshly cooked steamed … Continue reading Canh Rau Den (Vietnamese Amaranth Soup)
I love going to taquerias and birthday parties where the taquero cooks al pastor directly on a flat top iron grill and serves up a hot plate full of beautiful al pastor tacos fresh, delicious, and made to order. Sometimes when the al pastor cravings creep up on me, and I want to cook … Continue reading Taqueria Style Al Pastor
One of my favorite things to do with leftover proteins is to make fried rice. It is super easy to make and one of the best ways to get rid of all the leftovers in the fridge. Not to mention, 99% of the time, it is kid-approved. That's super important in my house. With the … Continue reading Chinese BBQ Pork and Shrimp Fried Rice
In 2019, as a personal challenge, I gave up drinking alcohol for the entire year. I got used to being sober and didn't really crave hard liquor or beer, but occasionally, I did crave for an iced-cold sour, salty, and refreshing Michelada. At the beginning of 2020, the San Francisco 49ers made a great run … Continue reading Michelada
When I use a whole chicken to make my Chao Ga, we usually end up with lots of leftover chicken. I started tossing the leftover chicken with fresh shredded cabbage and other crunchy veggies for Goi Ga so it wouldn't go to waste. This recipe is super easy and you can mix and match your … Continue reading Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga)
In my house, I always stress the importance of eating veggies. I do this all the time to the girls, without trying to be annoying of course. Why? Because it is healthy for you and it helps you POOP! The girls have bought into this belief and blame lack of veggies for any bad poops … Continue reading Chrysanthemum Soup (Canh Tan O)
The entree ain't as good without something on the side, ya know? Every time I hear these beautiful rap lyrics from Fabolous, I think about Rau Muống Xào Tỏi, the perfect Vietnamese side dish. Fabolous might be talking about something else in the song, but it makes me daydream about delicious, nutritious, and tasty Rau … Continue reading Stir-fried Water Spinach with Garlic (Rau Muong Xao Toi)
In 1990, my parents became really religious after my grandfather died and started following Caodaism religiously. My dad started reading countless Cao Dai books and spent most of his days listening to Cao Dai teachings on his cassette player. My parents met some people from a Cao Dai temple and started taking us to the Cao … Continue reading Fried Lemongrass Tofu (Dau Hu Muoi Sa Chien)
Weeknights are super busy! The girls are receiving plenty of homework and projects from school and participating in various extracurricular classes after school. While I'm at work, even if it's at six in the morning, I am constantly thinking about food and what to cook for the girls for dinner. I always think to myself..we're … Continue reading Beef and Broccoli
