Tia Nguyen

Dong Khanh Restaurant: Round 2

2009-01-16T23:59:00.000-05:00

This is my favorite lunch buddy and her bowl of chao long (Cantonese pork innards congee) at Dong Khanh Restaurant. The Cantonese version is more viscous and bland compared to its Vietnamese counterpart, which is more like a savory rice soup.And the best part about eating congee when it's cold out are the gio chao quay (Vietnamese) or yau ja gwai (Cantonese)--Chinese fried bread sticks. Dong

Dong Khanh Restaurant

2009-01-05T23:59:00.007-05:00

Banh cuon are steamed rice rolls filled with seasoned minced pork, wood ear mushroom and onion and served with thin slices of Vietnamese lean pork cake, mung bean sprouts, julienned cucumbers, torn Thai basil, shallot crisps and a generous amount of nuoc cham.I had this banh cuon ($5) from Dong Khanh in Chinatown for lunch today. This is my best Vietnamese food find in Boston thus far.Although

Kabocha Soup

2009-01-02T02:57:00.025-05:00

Kabocha, also known as Japanese pumpkin, is a sweet and nutty winter squash native to Japan. E’s parents gave us one from their lovely garden to play with, and since I've only had kabocha served as part of the tempura vegetable mix alongside udon noodle soup, I decided to treat it like a pumpkin and made a comforting soup.This kabocha was relatively young, so I didn't have to remove the skin

Pan Tao or "Donut" Peach

2008-11-08T21:54:00.007-05:00

Behold, the pan tao peach, sweet and crunchy like other white peach varieties...But where is the pit?Ah, there it is, the size of a little berry. :)

Home is where the heart is

2008-09-17T22:49:00.013-04:00

It’s been exactly a month since my last blog post—the longest I’ve gone without posting since I started documenting my adventures in the kitchen almost a year ago. It’s not that I’ve thought of food infrequently in the past month, but I’ve just been settling into my new home. My real-life friends and regular readers have known that I’ve recently relocated to Boston from south Florida, but my

New Jumbo Seafood Restaurant

2008-08-17T23:15:00.003-04:00

E and I made it to this smallish Cantonese restaurant in Chinatown shortly before 7pm on Saturday night and the place was already packed.We stood in line and waited patiently for about 20 minutes. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their food immensely, so I got really excited as I made mental notes of which lobster or shrimp I wanted from the tanks of live seafood at the doorway.We settled on the

Dragon Fruit (Thanh Long)

2008-08-17T22:38:00.000-04:00

Not the fruit of my sister's dragon fruit plant, but tastes just as sweet! This is another reason why I love Super 88 Market! :)

Han River Restaurant

2008-08-16T11:48:00.004-04:00

Han River Restaurant, a tribute to the Han River in Korea, is a tiny mom-and-pop restaurant with a few tables that serves up good Korean basics in Brookline.The gal bi ($10.95) comes with a generous side of steamed rice, kim chi and cold boiled bean sprouts with sesame oil. We ordered the "deluxe" size, which is an added half portion (good for sharing between 2 people) that costs $14.75. I've

Vietnamese Braised Pork Riblets with Daikon (Suon Kho Cu Cai Trang)

2008-08-15T14:10:00.002-04:00

Daikon is an East Asian giant white radish that’s very popular in Japanese and Korean cuisine. In Vietnamese cuisine, it is usually pickled and added to fish sauce and sandwiches or braised and sautéed with meat. It’s a great vegetable to braise because it absorbs much of the flavor from the broth. This low-calorie root vegetable is high in vitamin C and helps with digestion.Braised Pork Riblets

Vietnamese Braised Pork Belly (Thit Heo Kho Tau)

2008-08-12T22:44:00.009-04:00

The name of this dish in Vietnamese translates to “Chinese braised pork,” but since this dish has been Vietnamized with the addition of coconut and fish sauce, I can’t really classify it as Chinese. :) Thit heo kho tau is eaten in so many Vietnamese homes and is traditionally cooked with coconut juice, but my family makes it with coconut milk, so I will continue our tradition. I generally try to

Vietnamese Grilled Meatballs with Rice Vermicelli (Bun Nem Nuong)

2008-08-07T23:51:00.013-04:00

Grilled Meatballs with Rice Vermicelli (Bun Nem Nuong)(Yields 2-3 Entrée Portions)Meatball marinade:1 lb minced porkFish sauce & salt to taste 1 tbsp granulated sugar ½ tsp ground pepper 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 shallots, minced 2 Thai Bird’s Eye chilies, seeded & minced 2 tbsp Chinese rice wine 2 tbsp cornstarch A touch of freshly ground cinnamonAdditional ingredients & supplies:Soaked bamboo

Garlic Love: Roasted Garlic Hummus

2008-08-02T22:43:00.004-04:00

If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you probably already know that I absolutely LOVE garlic. So, to celebrate my romance with this glorious herb, I decided to make roasted garlic hummus today. The sweet and buttery taste of roasted garlic turns ordinary hummus into a luxurious spread that goes well with toasted flatbread or a hot, crispy baguette.Roasting garlic is super simple. Remove

Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops (Suon Nuong Xa)

2008-07-30T23:11:00.006-04:00

Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops (Suon Nuong Xa)(Yields 2 Entrée Portions)1 lb (4 thin slices) center-cut loin pork chops, bone inVietnamese fish sauce to tasteFine sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste1 tbsp granulated sugar2 stalks fresh lemongrass, minced1 shallot, minced1 clove garlic, minced1 Bird’s eye chili, seeded & mincedDrizzle of extra virgin olive oilMarinate pork

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (Nuoc Cham)

2008-07-30T22:46:00.005-04:00

There are endless variations of nuoc cham (Vietnamese dipping sauce), most of which contain the key ingredient fish sauce. Fish sauce is widely popular throughout Southeast Asia and varies significantly from one region to another. I like to use top-grade Vietnamese fish sauce or Three Crabs Brand, which is a product of Thailand that is processed in Hong Kong and tailored to the Vietnamese

Grilled Turkish Meatball (Kofte) Sandwich

2008-07-30T12:17:00.001-04:00

Toasted whole wheat flatbread (a healthful but also less satisfying alternative to the thicker pita bread) stuffed with kofte and a salad of vine ripe tomato, sweet Italian pepper, onion and parsley. Top with cacik and/or hummus.

Vietnamese Caramelized Shrimp (Tom Rim)

2008-07-28T22:30:00.005-04:00

Vietnamese Caramelized Shrimp (Tom Rim)(Yields 2 Entrée Portions)1 lb fresh shrimp, peeled & deveined 1 shallot, finely sliced ½ tsp grated ginger 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 Bird's eye chili, mincedVietnamese fish sauce & freshly cracked black pepper to taste Cooking oil 1 ½ tbsp granulated sugar 2 stalks scallion, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 tsp sesame seed oil Splash Chinese rice wine Toss

Extra Dwarf Bok Choy with Preserved Beancurd (Cai Thia Xao Chao)

2008-07-28T22:10:00.002-04:00

Brassica rapa chinensis or bok choy (Cantonese), bai cai (Mandarin) and cai thia (Vietnamese) is a versatile green that's great for stirfries. It has a generally sweet flavor with a hint of mustard. I prefer the extra dwarf bok choy not only because they are tiny and adorable, but because they are more leafy than the regular bok choy. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on really clean ones

Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Cha Gio) Revisited

2008-07-23T21:50:00.029-04:00

Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Cha Gio)(Yields 25 Rolls)Ingredients for Rolls:1 lb lean ground porkFine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste ½ tsp red chili powder1 tsp fine granulated sugar 1 tsp sesame seed oil1 tbsp Vietnamese fish sauce1 tbsp Chinese rice wine 2 cloves garlic, minced2 shallots, finely sliced 1 large carrot, coarsely grated 1 medium taro, coarsely grated2 oz bean

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Riblets (Suon Heo Rim)

2008-07-21T22:23:00.008-04:00

Vietnamese Caramelized Pork Riblets (Suon Heo Rim)(Yields 2 Entrée Portions)2 lbs pork ribs, cut 1-inch thick crosswise by butcher2 shallots, finely chopped½ tsp grated ginger2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp ground black pepper Sea salt to tasteVietnamese fish sauce to tasteCooking oil2 tbsp granulated sugar2 stalks scallion, cut into 2-inch pieces1 tsp sesame seed oil 1 tbsp Chinese rice

Winter Melon in Pork Riblet Broth

2008-07-21T21:31:00.014-04:00

Winter Melon in Pork Riblet Broth (Canh Bi Dao Suon Heo)(Yields 4 Portions)½ lb pork ribs, cut 1-inch thick crosswise by butcher¼ large winter melon, cubed1 onion, halved & charred2-inch knob ginger, halved & charredSeveral whole peppercornsSea salt & freshly cracked black pepper to tasteVietnamese fish sauce to taste1 stalk scallion, finely slicedSimmer ribs with aromatics in water for 2 hours.

Spaghetti with Clams (Spaghetti alle Vongole)

2008-07-20T21:24:00.008-04:00

Spaghetti with Clams (Spaghetti alle Vongole)(Yields 2 Entrée Portions)24 live little neck clams, cleaned & drained2 chilies, finely sliced3 cloves garlic, finely sliced2 shallots, finely slicedLarge handful flat-leaf parsley, choppedVermouthExtra Virgin Olive OilCooked spaghettiIf you love seafood and herbs like I do, then there is no better dish during a hot summer than spaghetti alle vongole.

Chicken Curry

2008-07-17T23:58:00.015-04:00

Chicken Curry(Yields 4 Entrée Portions)8 skinless chicken thighs, bone in & halved Sea salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste Curry powder to taste 2 potatoes, cubed 1 onion, diced 6 cloves garlic, minced 2 stalks lemongrass, minced bottoms & bruised tops 1-inch knob ginger, minced 2 Thai Bird’s Eye chilies, minced 2 curry leaves1 tsp red chili powderCooking oil 1 can Thai coconut milk1 cup

Vietnamese Bitter Gourd Soup (Canh Muop Dang)

2008-07-04T13:39:00.003-04:00

"Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food." -- Hippocrates This motto was taken very seriously by my family and must be the reason why I was forced to eat bitter gourd as a child. I pouted, cried and threw tantrums to get out of eating this horrible vegetable, but failed every single time. I’ve reluctantly acquired the taste for it over the years, and now bitter gourd soup is one of

My Sister's Garden: Dragon Fruit (Hylocereus undatus)

2008-07-02T23:52:00.005-04:00

My parents planted several dragon fruit cactus vines around my sister’s house, but unlike the other stuff they’ve planted, these have not been very fruitful. These plants have very ornate flowers that bloom only at night, and usually last just one night when pollination is necessary to set fruit. I think we’ve reaped only a few dragon fruits over the past three years. This morning, I got up

Winter Melon in Shrimp Broth (Canh Bi Dao Tom)

2008-07-02T13:30:00.004-04:00

Hailing from Southeast Asia, the winter melon (bi dao) is considered by many Vietnamese to be a “super food” chockful of nutrients and health benefits. It purportedly clears “heat” and is an anti-inflammatory agent. I’ve seen this melon turned into hot herbal tea, cold drinks, candy and various dishes. Its mild taste, similar to that of a zucchini, makes it a versatile vegetable with many