I have tasted so much Pad Thai across the country and have tried to recreate my experiences eating out, in my home kitchen. I have been tweaking this sauce for nearly 20 years and its finally ready. I think it’s the perfect sauce for an authentic Pad Thai at home. Its the wonderful balance of sweet, salty and sour flavors that are part of nearly every Thai dish, especially Pad Thai.

This recipe is for 2 cups of Sauce and Can be Used for 2 Large Batches of Pad Thai. A large batch would be about 1/2 package of noodles and feeds 3 -4 people

2 round Palm Sugar discs

1/2 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup tamarind concentrate

1/4 cup lemon Juice

1/2 cup water

2 shallots finely chopped

4 medium garlic cloves chopped

2 tablespoons of oil

Step 1: Saute chopped garlic and shallots in a bit of oil and set aside

Step 2: Measure out Fish sauce, Tamarind, Lemon and water

Step 3: Chop up the Palm sugar

Step 4: Heat the palm Sugar to soft crack, about 5 minutes on high. don’t Burn it

Step 5: Stop the carmelizations of the palm sugar with the water and heat for 2 more minutes. The sugar won’t immediately melt, but it will in time

Step 6: Add Fish Sauce, Tamarind, Lemon and aromatics

Step 7 Simmer for 5+ minutes or until the sugar dissolves again

Pad Thai Sauce - Step by Step Video: Part 1

Pad Thai Sauce, Part 1 - The Ingredients and Aromatics

Pad Thai Sauce Part 2 - A Balance of Flavors!

A Perfect Thai Balance of Salty Sweet and Sour

Pad Thai Sauce Part 3 - The Assembly

A Mega Disappointment

I am very sad to give this restaurant 1 star. I had high hopes but was disappointed at every turn.      

To start the Cucumber Sunomono salad. You can judge a good sushi restaurant by its Sunomono dish. Normally this is a delicate, slightly sweet, citrusy salad with a touch of soy for balance. Crab or Octopus are often added for a bit of protein and texture. Here, The presentation was uninspired and ultimately it was flavorless. For $6 it should be more than a pile of thick cucumbers in a watery sauce topped with a tablespoon of imitation crab. The dressing could not pick a direction other than water. Not only was it lacking flavor, actually there was very little dressing at all. It was merely A pile of crunchy raw cucumbers that were sent searching for a swim in anything prior to being consumed, but no citrus bath could be found. Ideally, they should have been slightly sweated. A dreadful start.   0 for 1      

Next, Miso Soup. The miso soup was not note-worthy. Again, for a $4 price tag, I should be presented with something more than rehydrated kelp and a few pieces of tofu. It should be hot but not boiling. Mine was served just past lukewarm so I had to try to sip it super quick before it became a chilled soup and my taste buds regretted this quick approach. Mostly yuck, no balance of flavor, nothing warm nor nourishing. A good Miso soup can set the stage for an exciting culinary event, this one was lifeless and uninteresting.   So far 0 for 2.      Next up, albacore tataki

  It was described as seared with ponzu and I envisioned a thin delectable appetizer with a heartwarming sauce and dressing adorning the fish on a plate. By seared they meant 1/2 cooked making the texture rather dreadful in the mouth. It was neither raw nor cooked and so it was a mess on the palate. Then instead of a thin slice of fish perfectly garnished with flavor, I was presented with huge thick chunks of sea meat piled carelessly on a bed of lettuce. The dish was not described as a salad or over a bed of greens. I would not have ordered that. On top of the fish were a bunch of onion crunchies, which don't get me wrong, I love the crunchies, but they are supposed to accent the texture and flavor of the tataki, not overwhelm it. In my case, I was hungry and happy that their excess disguised the odd texture of 1/2 cooked albacore. The uninteresting lime wasabi aioli dressing made the brownish fish look even more dreadful and added nothing to the experience. I tasted neither lime nor wasabi. Then to pile it high on lettuce was a complete miss. The garlic ponzu dressing was hard to find as it was sticking to the lettuce, rather than embracing the fish flat on a plate, You had to work to get the sauce on the fish without wrapping it in lettuce. You kinda had to shake and scrape the lettuce leaves to get a drop of the ponzu to accompany a bit of fish. And really, while I love lettuce, I just did not want a salad with my Tataki. A complete distraction. A very disappointing appetizer   0 for 3      For dinner I had the chef 6 piece nigiri special and the hunger games roll      First, the roll - Presentation was good. The description looked good and it matched well with what was brought to my table. Yum, torched tuna! This part was good and the flavors in the roll were all solid. Back on track? No!!!!! Oh my word, the rice!!! yuck. Some of the worst sushi rice I have ever had. good sushi rice should be seasoned well, at room temp, and should be sticky enough to hold its form but then fall apart in your mouth. It should never ever detract from a dish. It should be perfectly seasoned and perfectly complement each bite. This rice was a complete bomb. Absolutely no flavor and the texture was a thickish, gelatinous, gummy, chewy mess ( like chewing gum chewy). It was terrible. It was one of the worst rice experiences of my life and having eaten sushi all over the country I have had a lot of bad rice. this tops that list. What a miss.   0 for 4      Finally the chefs special. I was so hopeful. I love Nigiri with garnishes. But yep, gunky yucky rice globs. It could have been so lovely. I tried to take photos of the rice so you can see the globs of chew. The rice does NOT fall apart just a goo klump. I pulled most of the rice off the nigiri and tried to enjoy it as sashimi. None of it came together. For example, the salmon was topped with roe, (not tobiko) and nothing else. So they took a fairly fishy fish and added more fishiness to the fish so that palate was just hit with a fishy sea flavor, Yuck.   0 for 5      The service was not great.  A small restaurant with 1 person answering phones, dealing with take-out and other guests.  They gave me the world’s smallest dab of wasabi and I wanted to ask for a bit more, but I could barely catch my waitress.  No joy, no smile, no feeling of attentiveness.  Paying $70 for one person you would expect high-end service right?  Nothing like that here.

0 for 6      Pricing?  Out of this world expensive.  I left hungry.  I could have eaten 4 - 6 more nigiri or 1 more roll but I was already at $70 dollars and completely unhappy with everything.  $17 rolls?  $24 for 6 pieces of fish.  If I am paying that much the service better be exceptional and the rice better, the best in town.

0 for 7

Now for the positives.  The menu is creative, the rolls are thoughtful, you can tell this place has vision and ambition, but if they are going to make it Grand Rapids, they have a long road ahead of them and a lot to fix.  I won’t be going back where ever as there are so many other wonderful solid choices in GR that I can be confident will deliver exceptional results such as Mikado, Sushi Kuni, Tokyo Grill, Ando, Ginza.  We are very spoiled when it comes to sushi with many, many respectable options!

  I can not recommend this place to anyone. It was a Mega Disappointment

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This chopped salad will wow your group! Or for me, I simply make a small version to spoil myself. The Salad ingredients are versatile, flexible and are tossed dry to start. To serve, each salad is dressed individually and plated. When I crave a salad, this is it! The best part is you can swap in and out ingredients based on your preference. Chop up enough leaf lettuce for each of your guests, and then small to medium amounts of each of the toppings equally, except for the onions.

Ingredients

Salad

Red Leaf lettuce chopped medium small

Spinach chopped medium

Egg - Hard boiled or scrambled

Red Onion - go light here or they overpower

Celery

Tomato - cherry or graped sliced in 1/2 or 1/4

Ham/Bacon or both - When I use ham I saute it with onions to try and get it a bit brown and crispy

Carrots - I used sticks and then chopped a bit

Radishes - Diced

Cucumbers - Diced

Cheese - Gorganzola or Cheddar. Gorganzola is preferred

Avocado - Optional

Mushrooms - Optional, not shown. some in my crew don’t like them

Green Olives - Optional, not shown

Chives or green onions - prefer chives as the add more of a subtle flavor

Dressing

1/2 cup sour cream, or Ranch dressing, or Ceasar dressing

2 tablespoons lemon juice

10 - 15 basil leaves minced well

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 cloved minced garlic

Ground Pepper

Cayenne - optional or add to salads individually

Toppings

Prepared crispy onions - We used trader joes

And/Or

Small cubed Croutons - homemade or store bought

1.) toasted the cripsy onions in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes

2.) Prep the Dress by mixing ingredients together

3.) Prepare the salad ingredients and quantities you like and toss together - except for the tomatoes. The tomatoes can make your salad wilt if you don’t use it all at once.

4.) For each salad scoop out about 1 cup of your salad and 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Mix well, press it back into your measuring cup and then mound it gently in a salad bowl. Sprinkle the salad with either croutons or crispy onions. Enjoy.

5.) for our family I leave the tomatoes, eggs and avocados, cheese on the side and then when I toss each salad each person can select what they prefer.

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My relationship with Korean food goes back to 1989 when I was 19 years old and living in Champaign Urbana while not attending the University of Illinios. (Yes, It’s a long story - but I shared it here where you can read my testimony). Although I did eventually graduate there, I hung out on campus with all my friends who were actually in school and we would frequent the many Korean (and Thai) food shops near campus. In fact, I ended up working at one for several years to help pay my way through school. It was a Thai, Korean, Sushi restaurant called Miko. Ahh the memories. It was at one of these truly authentic Korean food joints I first discovered Bibim Guksu as well as a cold noodle soup called Mul-naengmyeon. Once you eat it you will understand, but really there is no way to describe how satisfying it is. Believe me when I say nothing, I mean nothing compares to it. Maanchi over at Maanchi.com says.

”Korean icy cold noodles are one of my favorite things to make all year ‘round, even in the cold winter. I can’t resist the texture of the chewy and thin noodles, no matter if they are served with cold broth or in a spicy sauce”

I know, I know, I Can’t resist either! Either in a cold broth, mul-naengmyeon, or a cold spicy sauce, bibim naengmyeon, these chewy gluten free buckwheat noodles are mixed veggies and proteins and form vivid memories that impacted my culinary journey through many ethnic cuisines for decades to come. I remember specifically, when I was really, really hungry, I craved naengmyeon or burritos as big as your head (if your from central Illinois you know what I am talking about right?) Those days of food exploration launched my quest to recreate these dishes at home.

We have several great locations in Grand Rapids Mi that serve respectable Korean dishes, but we don’t really find these naengmyeon dishes on Korean menus here locally. I have however, cooked up and conquered many a Korean dish in my home kitchen, but naengmeon really never arrived on my dinner table, until now. And now I ask myself what was I thinking? In part, I thought it wasn’t accessible at home. It seemed too mysterious, too evasive, too complicated or rather, unless I was born Korean, lived in Korea, or had a Korean mother adopt me, I simply wouldn’t be able to replicate it on my own. All that changed thanks to Jin Joo. And now I introduce you to…

Kimchimari.com

I follow JinJoo @kimchimari on Instagram and she recently posted the most delightful picture that looked wildly familiar, Bibim Guksu. I said to myself, I said i said, “could that be what I think it is”? Sure enough this was very similar to the dish from my college days. Her recipe used either syomen noodles or naengmeon noodles and the memories started to flood my soul with familiar cravings. My tastebuds were dancing with joy and anticipation, so I decided to give it a try. Her recipe was easy to follow and really does come together in 20 minutes. You make the sauce, boil the noodles, chop the veggies and throw it together. Wait, I am blogging, I mean put it together as beautifully as possible and spend crazy amounts of time arranging things in order to snap an amazing photo… Then dive in. Yes, it was glorious, thank you JinJoo.

I did a few things different that I wanted to share to explain my photo. This was made on Ash Wednesday and so as a Catholic we were fasting throughout the day and abstaining from meat. I wanted some extra protein and so I added fishcake and the traditional egg. Also a few changes to the vegetables. I didn’t have Perilla or Chrysanthemum leaves and simply used a generous portion of spring salad mix that had 50% spinach. I also used a mix of cucumbers, fresh shredded brussels sprout, and fresh julienned zucchini. Finally, I did not have an apple so I used an asian pear for the sauce. It was absolutely fantastic.

Here is a link to her recipe:

Kimchimari’s Bibim Guksu

But I also need to mention two other exceptional recipes that I used to compare to JinJoo’s

Maangi’e Naengmyeon

And finally

Korean Bapsang’s

All 3 recipes are excellent resources. If you love Korean food, consult one or all of them and give this a try at home

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FillaUP Your Wallet Now

Cost Savers Corner! Frugal Friendly!

Noodles and Sauce (without the fishcake)

• 2 Servings Buckwheat noodles - $.75

•  1/4 fuji apple (can use other kind of apple) 1 oz apple = 1/4 of an apple (see pic) = 2 Tbs grated

  $.30

• 0.5 oz onion 0.5 oz = 1 Tbs grated onion $.10

• 1 clove garlic - $.03

• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar - $.03

• 1 Tbsp Gochujang Korean red chili paste $.15

• 4 tsp Gochukaru (Korean red chili powder) $.05

• 2 tsp soy sauce (Jin Ganjang) $.10

• 1 Tbsp sugar $.02

• 1 Tbsp honey $.02

• 1 tsp sesame oil (more to taste) $.03

• 1 tsp Guk Ganjang (Soy Sauce for Soups) $.02

Vegetables

• 3 ounce leaf lettuce leaves - $.30

• 6 brussels sprouts - $.25

• 1 cup julienned zucchini $.25

• 1/2 cup cucumber (Korean/English/Persian/Japanese) julienned $.10

• egg - $.15

Total cost $3.26 serves 2 people, that’s $1.63 per person. In Chicago you can order it at several restaurants for as low as $8.95 a bowl.

That’s a costs savings of $7.32

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Homemade mayo is simply fun to make and this Fillaup Version is PACKED with flavor. Am I a bit odd to get excited about an emulsification? I mean the thought of a suspension is just mesmerizing to me. And the thing about homemade mayo is that there is so much you can do to kick it up an notch. My twist here was to create a creamy, spicy mayo with kick, color and zing. A bit of dijon and a splash of lemon at the end round out the mayo making this a stand out version that you will love to use in place of the boring standard average store bought varieties.

Recipe

Step 1: Grind together in a pestle and mortar

• 1/4 teaspoon Peppercorns

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed Red Pepper

• 1/2 cup packed fresh leaf Parsley

• 1 clove Garlic

Step 2: Whisk into the paste

• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

• The yolk of one Egg

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Step 3: slowly whisk in 1 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I said slowly, like a steady drizzle. You want to create an emulsification! Glorious!

Step 4: Whisk In 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice

Step by Step Photo Guide

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Spicy, Olive, Everything

You know that feeling you get, when you go to a middle eastern restaurant and you have an authentic cultural experience that makes you feel like you just dined near the Aegen Sea in a coastal Grecian town Like Mykonos? Well don’t get too excited. This recipe won’t take you there exactly. However, this hummus version is fun, versatile, quick to make and very accessible to the home cook. It is also extra smooth with an almost whipped texture that is light and airy without sacrificing any flavor. I especially like the unique texture created by combining both Garbanzo beans and Cannellini beans - the Fillaup twist. Truth be told, this recipe will create a fun and unique experience for you and your party as you can personalize it and serve it anyway you like. By dividing your 2 bean hummus into 3 or 4 different bowls you can create various flavors of hummus and serve them with veggies, crackers or both. For toppings I used greek olives, chili garlic, and everything spice, but you can also use roasted pine nuts, roasted garlic, roasted red pepper, or any of your favorite hummus flavors. Enjoy this Fillaupnow version of hummus

Recipe for 2 bean Hummus

3/4 cup chick pea

2 tablespoons liquid from can

3/4 cup navy beans drained - no liquid

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 lemon juice

2 cloves garlic crush

3 tablespoons Tahini

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

For toppings: Greek olives, Sambal Oelek, Everything But the Bagel Spice

Step 1: Combine all ingredients except the olive oil into your Vita Mix or blender and pulse to combine and then slowly increase the speed to medium low and then medium and mix for 2 - 3 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Step 2: Slowly add the olive oil, a slow drizzle, while the Vita Mix or blender is running. Test for flavors and adjust as needed.

Step 3: Divide into 3 serving Bowls and top with your favorite Hummus toppings including Greek Olives, Chili Garlic, and Everything spice, or create your own topping combinations and most importantly have fun!

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FillaUP Your Wallet Now

Cost Savers Corner! Frugal Friendly!

 Chickpea - $0.50

Cannellini - $0.50

Cumin - $0.03

Paprika - $0.02

Salt - .01

1/2 lemon juice - $0.25

2 cloves garlic - $0.07

Tahini - $0.25

Olive Oil - $0.26

Cost = $1.89 for 28 ounces. That’s $.07 per ounce!

Compared to Sabra

$3.29 for 10 ounces or $.329 per ounce

Savings = $7.32

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Recipe

Step 1: In a pestle and mortar crush the following into a past

• I teaspoon chopped garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon peppercorns

• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

Step 2: In a food process or Vita Mix Blender place the following in this order

2 14.5 oz cans of diced tomato’s and green chiles

1/3 diced onion

1 tablespoon Fire Roasted La Costena Whole Pepper Toreados (jalapeño’s) 

2 tablespoon of the toreados juice

1 tablespoon diced and seeded Fresh Jalepeno 

1/2 fresh squeeze Lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup lightly packed Cilantro Leaves. Some stems are okay but son use the long thicker stem pieces.

Add the crushed spices from the Pestle and Mortar

Step 3: The best part of this recipe is that you choose the consistency. I pulse mine continually on and off until well blended but slightly chunky. If you prefer more of a puree, blend longer, Its up to you.

The reason the pestle and mortar works so well is that you don’t leave up for chance how blended the garlic becomes. I have found when I don’t grind it by hand I sometimes end up with chunks of garlic that over power the bite and the other bites are left without. I am also careful not to use too much garlic as a little goes a long way especially when grinding it by hand. The end result is the perfect balance of garlic in every single bite. Finally can we talk about the peppercorns and cumin seeds? The seeds and peppercorns explode with flavor when grinded by hand. You get a depth you just don’t get from store bought ground spice. Again, a little goes a long way so be careful not to over do it. I have ruined too many batches by being too excessive with my spice, especially the garlic. But this recipe is fool proof and following it precisely will yield exceptional results. It is Simple and easy and while it wont be the same without the La Costena Toreados, if you have to use ordinary pickled Jalepeno’s it will still be good, just not fantastic. I guess the same is true with pepper and cumin, if you have to use the powdered stuff, try it out and let me know how it goes.

Step by Step Photo Guide

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For the best restaurant style salsa that inspired this version go to

Las Palmas

Westmont Il

FillaUP Your Wallet Now

Cost Savers Corner! Frugal Friendly!

Fire Roasted Diced tomatoes – $1.58

Garlic - $.05

Jalepeno - $.20

Lime - $.1

Onion $.20

Spices $.10

Toreados (jalapeño’s) $.10

Cilantro - $.25

Cost = $2.58 for 36 Ounces That’s $.072 per ounce!

Compared to Pace Salsa

$1.98 for 16 ounces or $.123 per ounce

Savings = $1.89

Compared to Jacks fresh Salsa

$3.98 for 16 ounces or $.248 per ounce

Savines of $6.39

My Korean food adventure continues this weekend and I have one more dish to share.  Since the rest of the family is out of the house this was the perfect time to heat up the kitchen with a fiery skillet and some fiery hot chili peppers.   Whenever I cook stove top with spices at the heat level I enjoy, I fumigate the house with an almost toxic capsaicin cloud that leaves everyone choking and gasping for air - no joke. Since Xavier won state the tournament, in basketball the rest of the family stayed to watch the other final games and so my Saturday night is free!!! Now was my moment to indulge in the heat and explode the kitchen with flavor…. and fumes.

It would be hard to pick one favorite Korean dish, but this one is definitely in the top 3 -Ojingeo bokkeum - spicy stir fried squid. It is mouthwatering and delicious.  The slightly sweet yet spicy gojang sauce that coats the veggies and squid in a quick flash frying red glaze of heat is almost intoxicating to me. Can you tell I love food? Its sizzles on the plate and dances on the palate. The only thing I did differently in this recipe was use frozen prepared squid and I turned up the heat a bit with additional crushed red pepper and fiery hot chili peppers. Otherwise, I followed Hyosun Ro’s recipe over at Korean Bapsang to the letter. What was most exciting in this experience was how quickly I was eating it.

https://www.koreanbapsang.com/ojingeo-bokkeum-korean-spicy-stir-fried/

My only comments about the recipe would be that it served one (me) not two, but I did go carb free and did not use rice. Additionally, Hyosun’s photo’s have squid nestled in almost a puddle of the red hot Bokkeum sauce. Following her instructions my sauce was not as plentiful, I wanted more. The flavors were great though! In many restaurants I get a slight charred effect that was elusive to me at home. As Hyonsun suggests I did not want to over cook the squid and even though me skillet was sizzling I had to pull it before any charring. Always learning and forever a student. All in all, none of that mattered as every bite was exquisite; tender, spicy, umami and slightly sweet.

I really have nothing to add to the conversation when it comes to the recipe itself except for the love and passion that I put into cooking and finding the best recipes to try. I owe a big shout out to Hyosun for her version - Bravo and thanks! Okay, I confess, I secretly wish I would be adopted by a Korean mother so I could experience all these original authentic meals!!!

Here is are few pics of my cooking process tonight

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For Hyosun’s Recipe click button below!