Late last summer, my friends and I took a friend's trip to North Lake Tahoe for a weekend getaway. People were assigned cooking duties for each meal and on the last night, the friends hosted a seafood boil for our 30 friends and kids. They cooked a cooler full of fresh head-on shrimp, tons of … Continue reading Asian Cajun Seafood Boil
Category: Vietnamese Food
When I was a kid, one of my favorite chicken dishes my mom made was gà nước mắm, tiêu, đường. Literally translated to chicken with fish sauce, pepper, and sugar. Mom pan-fried the chicken leaving a beautiful fish sauce smell all over the house. The chicken skin crisped up and the meat was juicy and … Continue reading Fish Sauce and Pepper BBQ Chicken
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)
Over the past few years, these aromatic and delicious BBQ pork skewers have been a smashing hit at all family birthday parties and holiday events. It is the perfect protein option for fresh vermicelli bowls, banh mi sandwiches, or eaten straight off the skewer. It is also, in my opinion, best topped with roasted … Continue reading Grilled Lemongrass Pork Skewers
I'm a traditionalist when it comes to cooking food. I enjoy taking my time and following precise techniques and steps to properly cook food to 1) allow the flavors to mingle and develop, no matter how long it takes, from start to finish and 2) achieve consistent outcome each time. However, my two young girls … Continue reading Instant Pot Beef Pho
When I was a kid, my mom braised lemongrass chicken pretty frequently. She used to buy whole chickens from the store, cut it up into bite-sized pieces, and braised in fish sauce and coconut juice until most of the juices evaporate and tons of flavors get absorbed inside each chicken piece. I remember enjoying the … Continue reading Vietnamese Braised Lemongrass Chicken
When I was a kid, Mom used to make Bò Kho Sả Ớt for me all the time. She braised the tender and flavorful beef over low heat for a long time and the mouth-watering smell of the fragrant lemongrass and fish sauce spread throughout our house. When it was time to eat, the succulent … Continue reading Vietnamese Braised Lemongrass Beef
California weather has been perfect this week. We've been blessed with high 70-degree weather and plenty of sunshine..perfect start to the first week of daylight savings time change. This weather got me super excited for all the planned and/or impromptu BBQ sessions I'll be having in the upcoming months with my family and friends. There … Continue reading Chinese BBQ Pork (Xa Xiu / Char Siu)
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)
