A Food Lover's Journey

Happy Lunar New Year! - Vietnamese sticky rice, coated in mung bean

2012-01-24T21:41:00.001+11:00

Happy Lunar New Year, everyone! I hope this year will be a joyous one for all.

Today is the second day of Tết (Lunar New Year). If I were in Vietnam, we would spend today at my grandmother's house. She would cook this sticky rice dish again, and we would happily enjoy it with fried spring rolls (nem), pickles (đồ chua), poached chicken with lime leaves (gà luộc lá chanh) and many more delicacies.

Xôi vò (Viet sticky rice coated in mung bean) is not an easy dish to make. The final product requires each grain to be separated and coated nicely with mashed dried mung bean. My grandmother often makes it with chicken fat, making it extra tasty!

(I am trying to get back to work even though my mind is in Vietnam, thinking of Tết! I hope those who celebrate it will have extra fun time with their families, since it is the most important thing, really.)

On another note, I have been featured in an article on Vietnamnet, one of the most popular Viet language news portal :). The post talked about the Hanoi cafe I took, and also my life as an expat in Australia. If you can understand Vietnamese, read it here! Thank you!

Watermelon and rose granita - [summer]

2012-01-18T08:39:00.000+11:00

After the weird cold days, summer is shining back again in Melbourne. The heat is on, and I find it enjoyable.

Summer means stoned fruits, cherries, lighter meals, pretty blossoms and sunshine until late. I am so much in love with the light, and my gardens. We have so much basils, tomatoes and strawberries. And the most awesome crop is the 2 kilos of peaches from the miniature tree in a pot. Nothing beats fresh peaches/stoned fruits. They are slightly sour, and incredibly crunchy.

My home-grown peaches. So proud :>

Summers also means icey, cold desserts. While I love ice-cream, I am not a big fan of making custard and cream based desserts often. Granita provides the perfect solution. Light, fresh and cold. We can use up a lot of good summer fruits. Since it is hot again this week, I am thinking of a chocolate granita. But for now, let's settle with my favourite combo this summer – Watermelon and rose!

{Top photo by Mai Nguyen}

Watermelon and rose granita

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
juice of one lemon
1 kg ripe watermelon (weight after remove rind)
Petals of one chemical-spray- free rose (do not use ones from nursery. Mine is home-grown)
½ teaspoon rose water

Method

First, make the simple syrup by boiling the water with sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the lemon juice, and cool.

Coarsely chop up the watermelon and put it in a food processor. Add the rose petal. Process until fine. Pass the juice through a sieve.

Mix together the simple syrup with the watermelon mixture, together with the rose water.

Pour the mixture into a metal tray and freeze for 3 hours or until partially set. Using a fork, break frozen mixture up until it is quite slushy. Return mixture to freezer and repeat flaking process after 2 hours (at this stage tiny ice flakes should have formed). Return to freezer for a further 2 hours then repeat flaking process. Just before serving, repeat flaking process for the final time.

Happy Summer!

White Chocolate and Lemon Curd Truffles

2012-01-11T09:15:00.000+11:00

{And the art of balance}

It is only the start of January, but I have already started to feel the weight of work to be done over the next 12 months. I honestly do not know how to balance the work-life-study-blogging dynamic at this point in time. I think I just have to deal with each item, one thing at a time.

Speaking about the art of balance, have you read this post on Bakers Royale about "The cost of blogging"? A very honest read and it makes me reflect on my blogging experience in the past 5 years. Costs like camera gears, hosting, cookbooks can be estimated. But how about time? Somehow, somewhere, there need to be a balance. Kulsum and I were talking about a commitment of spending less time online, focusing more on our "real" life and enjoying other activities. I don't think I will quit blogging. It's part of my life that I want to keep. Hopefully I will be able to.

The recipe I am sharing today is a recent favourite. Lemon curd and white chocolate truffles. They are sweet, smooth with the lighter tangy note of citrus. A delightful after dinner bite.

White chocolate and lemon curd truffles

Making your own lemon curd is easy. I have used this recipe, but reduced the sugar a little bit. :)
I served the truffles "lollipop" style, but they do soften very quickly in warm weather. In such case, simply put them in small pretty paper cases.

Based on this recipe

Ingredients
100g white chocolate
1/4 cup home-made lemon curd
1/4 cup heavy cream
a tiny bit of orange blossom water (optional)

100g biscuit crumbs (I used my home-made biscuits and process it into finely ground in the food processor)

Method

Using a double boiler, melt the white chocolate.

Add in the lemon curd, heavy cream, orange blossom water and mix well to combine.

Place the above mixture in the freezer, and chill for 2-3 hours.

Take the mixture out of the freezer and shape into truffle-sized balls. Dust powdered sugar over your hands to stop the truffles melting around the edges.

Coat the balls with the biscuit crumbs. Put them on a baking tray covered with baking paper. If you want to make lollipops, insert the sticks into the truffle balls.

Place the whole thing in the freezer and chill overnight. Serve chill.

Simmered Soy Beans with ginger and soy sauce {Japanese inspired}

2012-01-05T09:41:00.002+11:00

We ended last year on a quiet note. A much needed getaway, far from work and obligations. It wasn't far away but we stayed in a quiet, tranquil Japanese inn called Shizuka Ryokan near Daylesford.

For a few days, we relaxed ourselves entirely. Bush walking, bathing in mineral water, wandering around in different stores. Most of the time, we were happy to read and reflect quietly in the room overlooking a private Japanese style garden.

Food, we did indulge ourselves. Trips to the Lake House have not disappointed unlike its cousin the Wombat Hill cafe. But the meal I like the most is the Japanese style breakfast. Although the salmon seemed a bit heavy for morning meal, the meal itself was nourishing and comforting. I love miso soup for the morning with rice. A few salad dishes were healthy and wholesome. Such a great start for the day.

Coming back, renewed, I continue that simplicity philosophy in food preparation. I remember a really nice, simple soy bean dish simmered in sweet soy sauce I had a while back. Traditionally, black beans are used, and it is a Japanese New Year dish called Kuromame. The version I made has an additional warm tone of ginger.

The beans are sweet, savoury and have that wholesome 'al-dente' bite to each piece. This is a kind of small dish you can offer in everyday Asian style meal. Serve it as you would serve pickles I say. The following recipe makes quite a bit, and we have enjoyed it for a few days.

I am sending this recipe to a lovely blogging event called My Legume Love Affair. It was started by my friend Susan of the Well-seasoned Cook. This month host is Claire of Chez Cayenne .

Simmered Soy Beans with ginger and soy sauce
based on a recipe here. This dish has a long cooking time, but it's really simple to make.

150g dried soy beans (or black beans)
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
A pinch of salt
A piece of thumb-size ginger, cut into three large pieces

Wash the beans and soak them in warm water for 3-4 hours.

Drain and simmer the beans in a pot with a lot of water and the pieces of ginger until cooked through (2-3 hours). The beans should be soft with a bite.

Now add the seasoning and continue to simmer with the lowest heat possible until most of the liquid evaporates (1-2 hours). Check the beans – you don't want them to be mushy but wholesome and 'al dente'.

Serve at room temperature. Store in an air-tight container for around 4-5 days.

Delicious Vietnam #20 Recap & Winners of Giveaways

2012-01-03T08:44:00.002+11:00

Happy New Year!!

We are back with the final edition of Delicious Vietnam. Although this blogging event has come to a conclusion, please join us on Delicious Vietnam Facebook page and share your recipes, stories and chit chat about Vietnamese cuisine. (Just a side note: I will be blogging as per usual, with Vietnamese recipes included :))

Without further delay, let's enjoy the feast! You will also find the winners of Indochine cookbooks and Red Boat fish sauce at the bottom of this post.

1 - A recipe for bì cuốn (and accompanying dipping sauce) - Aliette de Bodard

Bì means “pork skin”, and cuốn, of course, refers to anything that is rolled. And that’s what you get: cooked, shredded pork with pork rinds to give it a nice crunchiness, all wrapped up in a fabulous salad-rich roll, and dipped in nước mắm. Doesn’t it sound awesome?

2 - Bánh cuốn with prawn and vegetables (Vietnamese rice rolls) - Blue Apocalypse

Banh cuon is one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes. It’s a thin crepe like rice roll, filled with a mixture of ground pork and minced wood ear mushrooms. It’s freshly made and should be eaten straight away. I love the lightness of the rice rolls and the delicious pork filling topped with herbs and nuoc cham.

3 - Bún bò Huế - Angry Asian Creations

This... "reminds me of my stepmother. her mother is from Hue and this dish made an appearance regularly at the dinner table. it was not my favorite. in fact, i would usually make a sandwich to eat while the rest of the family slurped their way thru their bowls. like all the recipes in the cookbook i will refer to, food is used to show love, to show forgiveness, to bring home a lost child, and for me, it is home."

4 - Cà ri gà - Vietnamese chicken curry (cà ri gà) - Ginger and Scotch

These days, I make the curry consistency somewhere between a soup and a stew – not too watery and not too thick. If it’s too watery, I will add a little corn stach dissolved in cold water to thicken it up. Scotch now loves eating this curry and in a blind taste test, even preferred my own blend of spices to the store bought ones!

5 - Bánh bao (Vietnamese style steamed buns) - The things I eat

Banh Bao is a fluffy, steamed bun of rice flour filled with ground pork, veggies, Chinese sausage, hard-boiled egg, Chinese mushrooms and bits of vermicelli. They are basically awesome because they are easy to eat with one hand. Easiest way is to bite into it, add desired soya sauce, and continue to eat!

6 - Gỏi gà (Fiery Vietnamese chicken salad) - The Hungry Australian

Vietnamese salads always taste so amazing, and they’re so healthy and low-fat, too. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you burn more calories eating this dish than are actually in the dish. This is even more so if you cut the cabbage too big like I did as your jaw will get a real good work out. (Hot tip: grate the cabbage with a vegetable peeler).

7 - Gỏi hến trộn mít non (baby clams and young jack fruit salad) - rauom

This salad is a study of balancing various tastes and textures: sweetness of baby clams & tartness of tamarind, chewiness of baby clams & softness of baby jack fruit & crunchiness of rau om (rice paddy herb) and rau răm (Vietnamese coriander), rice crackling and peanuts.

8 - Bánh xèo (Vietnamese sizzling crepes) - The culinary chronicles

Bánh Xèo gets its yellow hue from the turmeric and is flavored with coconut milk. Traditionally, Bánh Xèo is filled with pork, shrimp, onions, mung beans, and bean sprouts. And just like chả giò (egg rolls), you wrap pieces of the Bánh Xèo with herbs and lettuce leave before dunking it into Nước Chấm–a fish sauce based dipping sauce. The freshness of the veggies is the perfect balance to the slightly fried crêpe.

9 - Thịt kho (Vietnamese braised pork) - Flavor Boulevard

"...no matter which region of Vietnam we are from and where we are living: the fatty chunks of pork so tender that a plastic chopstick can cut through, the amber sauce, with which the hard boiled eggs are imbrued from yolk to white. The fatty, sweet, and salty pork must be freshened up with the crunchy, sour, cold dưa giá (pickled beansprout)..."

10 - Sườn rang (Vietnamese glazed spare ribs) - Javaholic

Today's dish is a tasteful recipe for spareribs. It has the characteristically Vietnamese combination of salty (from the fish and soy sauce) and sweet (from sugar). I served them with quick pickled beansprouts and carrots, the pickled vegetables a nice counter balance to the richness of the spareribs. The recipe is from Nicole Routhier's The Foods of Vietnam, the first Vietnamese cookbook I ever bought and still one of my favorites.

11 - Kem cà phê (Vietnamese coffee ice-cream) - Phuoc'n Delicious

For this month’s Delicious Vietnam, I thought I’d make something to pay tribute to the last blogging event and also to the highlight of my year; this Vietnam holiday. This ice cream encapulates all that is associated with my beloved cà phê sữa đá; it is creamy, sweet and highly caffeinated.

12 - Bún bò Huế (with video of the making)- Ravenous Couples

Spicy, fiery red, and murky, the appearance of bún bò Huế is almost the antithesis of it’s better known Vietnamese soup counterpart, phở bò, which is valued for it’s clarity and pure clean flavors...

13 - Bánh chuối nướng (Vietnamese banana bread pudding) - A food lover's journey

This banana bread pudding is completely vegan and a breeze to make. No batter to be whipped up, we use up stale sandwich bread sitting on the counter. The bread is soaked in a mixture of coconut cream and brown palm sugar (or dark brown sugar). Then, alternate layers of bread and banana slices are assembled and baked. The result is a caramelised banana pudding that is soft, sweet with a really beautiful aroma of baked banana and coconut.

14 - Bò kho (Vietnamese beef stew) - By Jeroxie

I had Bò Kho a few times in Melbourne and always loved it. I thought I tried to make this for the last edition of Delicious Vietnam. It is very easy and totally a one pot wonder which is great for us. You can simmer it in a pot, cook it in a crock pot or even use the pressure cooker

***

Winners of the giveaways! - generated by random number generator

Two Indochine cookbooks go to: (1) - Alitelle de Bodard and (3)Angry Asian Creations

Two Red Boat Fish Sauce (US residents only) go to: (10) Javaholic and (8) The culinary chronicles

Congrats to the winners! And thank EVERYONE for being such a big part of Delicious Vietnam!!

Vietnamese Vegan caramelised coconut banana bread pudding (bánh chuối nướng)

2011-12-29T16:02:00.001+11:00

So, we are in the last few days of 2011. How fast has the year progressed? I still have a few resolutions that have not been ticked off. Never mind, that’s what the New Year is for!

This is perhaps my last post of 2011, which is also my entry for the last edition of Delicious Vietnam. It is sad to let this event go, but I hope there is more deliciousness to come no matter what…

And we have a cake of some sort this time! Vietnamese cuisine is not so famous for baked goodies, I know. But this banana bread pudding certainly won’t disappoint. Although the Viet called it “baked banana cake” (bánh chuối nướng), it is more like a really delicious bread pudding.

This banana bread pudding is completely vegan and a breeze to make. No batter to be whipped up, we use up stale sandwich bread sitting on the counter. The bread is soaked in a mixture of coconut cream and brown palm sugar (or dark brown sugar). Then, alternate layers of bread and banana slices are assembled and baked. The result is a caramelised banana pudding that is soft, sweet with a really beautiful aroma of baked banana and coconut.

There are few more days to enter Delicious Vietnam – the final edition. We have some really good prizes to offer for participants. Do read the announcement here, and join us if you can!

Vietnamese caramelised coconut banana bread pudding (bánh chuối nướng)

Based on a recipe from Trieu Thi Choi. There's another variation of this cake which uses condensed milk as well. I like the coconut version much better :)

Printable recipe

Ingredients
About 4-5 large ripe bananas
20g castor sugar
80g dark brown sugar
200ml coconut cream
8-10 slices of white or wholemeal sandwich bread (if using whole meal, chose a lighter texture bread)
2-3 tablespoons of melted coconut oil (or butter)

Method
Peel the banana, and slice them lengthwise as thinly as you can. Sprinkle them with the castor sugar. Set aside.

In a small pot, heat up the brown sugar and the coconut cream. Stir frequently until the sugar is dissolved. Turn off the heat and cool the coconut mixture down a bit.

With the bread, remove the crust.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a spring form baking pan with parchment paper. Grease the side of the pan.

Arrange some banana slice at the bottom of the pan. Dip the bread slices into the coconut mixture, soak them briefly, and arrange them onto the banana slice. Repeat this process until you have used all the bread. Top the pudding with a layer of banana. Sprinkle some sugar (extra) if preferred.

Drizzle the pudding with the melted coconut oil or butter. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour. If the top is brown too quickly, cover with a layer of aluminium foil. Bake until the pudding is set.

Take the pudding out, and cool down completely before unmould and slice.

Food Photography in artificial light a LONG post

2011-12-18T12:41:00.000+11:00

Friends around me know I have a special interest in food photography. It has been 5 years since this blog was open, and I have learned a lot from experience and others. I am not a professional photographer. All my works are experimental, and perhaps are often on impulse. So in this post, I have only documented my experience. Straight and forward. I hope it helps some of you! :)

{Example} strawberry still life. The white umbrella was at 4pm, higher up.

1 – Light and food photography

Most of us have heard it before – natural light is the best for food photography! I tend to disagree. While natural light does work wonder in this line of work, it is not the only way. There is a larger degree of control when using strobe lighting. But of course, mastering strobe lighting is a very complicated process. And it is fairly costly compared with natural light. It also requires more disciplined approach to photography, and therefore it is perhaps more suited for more "advanced users". Having said that, there is a number of options out to start the learning process, too.

2 – My first basic set up

This is my first artificial light set up. I bought a cheap lighting kit from eBay – two stands, two white umbrellas, two lights.

And it works fairly well. After much experiment, I have come to use 30W 5400 bulbs. You can buy these lights pretty much everywhere. The light from these bulbs are soft after being diffused.

This is a good starting point for those who advance from natural light. The source of lighting is continuous, and it is easier to adjust the camera (more on this later). The kit is fairly neat to set up, unlike a lot of other "home-made" soft boxes I have seen around. More importantly, the two umbrellas are mobile enough for us to try different settings and positions. I don't really like the Light Tent, because the light is generally strong and eliminates most of shadow, making it a bit "fake". It is great for product photography. Not so much for food.

With the two umbrella set-up above, the coverage area is enough for small-medium still-life objects. I say "small-medium" because you need to understand the size ratio of light source vs. the objects. The larger the light source, you will get a better coverage and less strong shadow.

{Example} Matcha cookies – umbrella is at 9pm, almost same level with the cookies.

3 - The Elinchrom Set Up

I acquired two Elinchrom soft boxes recently. It is a flash system, so there are a lot more controls for me to experiment. I am getting used to light meter, flash meter and everything else (my head hurts sometimes!) I am nowhere close, but the Elinchrom has allowed me to explore some ambiance shots.

{Example} Cinnamon cookies – soft box is at 11pm,high up and point to side wall.

The major drawback, technicalities aside, is that more professional flash/flash kits are more expensive. I was very reluctant to purchase this kit, until I attended a food pixel's class and was shown briefly how they should work.

{Example} - Jam thumb print cookies. Soft box @ 11pm, slightly behind.

4 – So, A few advices on artificial lighting and food photos

Start with something simple – the two umbrella kit I mention above or a light tent. Better still, you can try to diffuse a few table lamps with white cloth and take some experimental shots. (I tried that before. It was ok, but too messy to organise).

Understand your camera mode – When using artificial light, I always use manual mode, because it allows me to control the camera settings. I have heard that the camera built-in light meter is not so good in limited light conditions. So Av Mode (Aperture mode) often leads to "camera shake".

{Example} - Back lighting with white umbrella. Heavily diffused!

Using a fast lens – which is good in low light conditions. I used the canon 50mm 1.4 (or its cheaper 50mm1.8 cousin) almost exclusively on the Canon 30D. Now I use 24-70mm and 100mm on the Canon 5D mark 2. I am sure you can find the equivalent Nikon lenses.

Make sure to use only the main light sources – If you set up something, and leave the normal ceiling light on, obviously it will affect the photos! The same goes to natural lighting actually.

Reflector – You will need this to control and fill shadow. Since artificial light sources tend to be smaller than say, a window, you will notice the effects of lights on the subjects a lot more.

Tripod – to prevent camera shake! (I have steady hands, but using tripods in these situations do HELP)

Check your white balance – Not all lights are equal. You will notice their properties in practice. (eg Flash light is warmer than natural light or the kit light). There are a lot of posts on this already. Google them :).

{Example} Sweet corn pudding - white umbrella on the right

Your choice background colours and materials – it is just my observation, but the darker and non-reflective materials are easier to control in artificial light. It might due to the fact that the objects are closer to the light sources. I've learned that further diffusing of light helps. I put extra layer of white linen on my soft boxes, just like I do with my window in natural light.

Be aware of shadows and highlights – sometimes, the light falls onto the cutlery and cause unwanted highlight. You may need to change the set up a bit, or experiment with moving the light to different positions.

All in all, it is all about lighting and how it affects your photography. Hope this little "guide" is of help for those who face the challenge of having limited natural light like me! It is a fun journey of learning ;) And occasionally, you will snap funny photo. Like this pic of my cat, Den. Priceless! =)

My family's cheeseburger recipe.

2011-12-12T21:33:00.001+11:00

*Announcement* We have some really fantastic prizes for participants of Delicious Vietnam (December, 2011). Read more here and join us!!!

I didn't appreciate a good burger until our trip in New York. It was midnight and we were jet lag, cold and hungry. We queued up in Shake Shack, waiting patiently. The food arrived fast, and was so satisfying. It was meaty, packed with flavours and substantial. That was the kind of fast food I could enjoy, occasionally!

More locally, I used to love Plan B's wagyu burger so much, I asked Gourmet Traveller to help me with recipe! It was published ages ago, and I still haven't found the time, efforts or money to gather the ingredients to make it.

Instead, I am stick to my go-to burger recipe. I learned it from my friend Kelly a while back and have then adapted to suit my taste. A "normal" recipe, with regular ingredients that can be quickly purchased in any supermarket. Burgers, IMO, should be fast, simple, tasty and substantial. I still love gourmet burgers on occasion, of course.

This recipe is my family favourite. We love our beet roots in burgers, because it is Australian to do so! (joking!). Seriously, beet roots are so good here. You should try, once! Also, we adore our sriracha sauce so much, ketchup has been replaced by it. Can I call this fusion food? ;)

My family's cheeseburger

{Printable Recipe}

Ingredients (make 11-12 burgers)

1kg regular beef mince

3 slices white or wholemeal sandwich bread, crust removed

2/3 cup milk

2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

4 tablespoons smoked BBQ sauce

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Half a bunch of parsley, leaves picked and chopped finely

Salt and pepper to taste

100g-150g mozzarella cheese, grated coarsely

2 onions, peeled and sliced

Oil to fry

Condiments: lettuce, sliced tomatoes, canned beetroot (drained), sriracha sauce

12 wholemeal buns

Method

Prepare the burger first. Put the meat in a bowl, together with the torn bread, worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, smoked paprika, milk, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form 11-12 patties from the mixture. Put on a plate, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, fry the onion with 2 tablespoons of oil until soft and start to golden. Set aside.

Now, bring the burgers out of the fridge. Pan-fry one side until golden. Flip to the other side, sprinkle with cheese on top and fry over medium-low heat until the burgers are cooked through and the cheese is melted. Set aside and keep warm.

Split the buns in haves and warm them up in the oven. Arrange lettuce, tomatoes, beetroot and one burger in each bun. Top with fried onions. Serve immediately with your favourite sauces.

Strawberry mocktail

2011-12-07T20:25:00.001+11:00

{Think colors!}

**Announcement**

Two of my photos are selected to the final of Eat Drink Blog Photography Competition. I would appreciate it if you can come here and "LIKE" my Hanoi Cafe & Tea Break Photos! Thank you! xoxo - Anh

Although we have less of an ideal start to summer, I am still eager that it will come eventually. Actually, I don't love the intense heat that much. Can we get a mild, sunny weather with all the bounties still?

As we move deeper in December, I cannot wait until the year is over. To start something new, something fresh. It is all in the mind, but I need that trigger. This year has been physically and emotionally draining. It will better if certain things become "history" for real.

"Think positive", I remind myself.

So let's do something bright with red, juicy and perfectly ripe strawberries. I have made jam and a lot of smoothie with them. But today, I have settled on a lovely drink which can quench the summer thirst.

The color of the drink is so bright and cheerful, it makes me happy. Perfect for the festive season (I made this for Eid, too).

Strawberry Mocktail

{printable recipe}

The strawberry syrup is really versatile. They can be reduced further to be more syrupy and used as topping for pancakes or ice-cream. I topped the syrup with soda water to make non-alcoholic beverage, but it also can serve as the base for cocktail.

Ingredients

500g strawberries (fresh or frozen)
250ml water
120-150g raw sugar
Juice from one lemon

To serve: lemonade or soda water (chilled), mint for garnish

Method

Wash the strawberries and chopped into pieces.

Place the fruit, together with the sugar in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a gentle boil until the fruit is soft. Add in lemon juice and water. Gently simmer.

Adjust sugar to your liking now, then turn off the fire. Leave to cool and put the syrup in the fridge to chill.

When ready to serve, put enough syrup for half of a cup(glass). Top with chilled lemonade or soda water. Garnish with mint and enjoy! Cheers!

Panna Cotta with mango gelee

2011-12-01T21:53:00.001+11:00

{Celebrating summer}

It is mango time, again.

I cannot get enough of them! The mango season this year has been great, and they are so reasonably priced at the moment. Summer is finally here, you know?

In Vietnamese belief, mangoes are considered to have properties of heat. "Enjoy them in small amount", I could almost hear my mom's advice now. But I can hardly ever resist the fruits, with their distinct tropical sweetness and flavours. To the very least, I am trying to be more moderate by not picking boxes after boxes of mangoes...

Today marks the first day of summer in down under. I wonder where the sunshine is. Never mind, I have these pots of sunshine with me - panna cotta with mango gelee. The panna cotta is perfectly creamy and smooth. It pairs nicely with the tropical flavours of mangoes.

The colors are so beautiful! I like to present panna cotta in a glass or small milk bottles like this rather than inverting them onto a plate. Much easier this way!

PS: I got these bottles off eBay a while back. I haven't seen them around here...

Panna Cotta with mango gelee

The panna cotta recipe adapted from David Lebovitz

Printable recipe

Ingredients (for 6 small bottles size 125ml)
200ml milk
300ml cream
80g castor sugar
2.5 teaspoons gelatine powder
For the mango gelee
2 medium mangoes
4-5 tablespoons sugar (depending on the sweetness of the fruits)
1.5 tsp gelatine powder

Method {I created the effects with mango gelee at the bottom of the jar}

Prepare the gelee first:
Peel the mangoes and cut away the flesh from the seed. Puree them finely.

Add sugar to the mixture. Adjust the level of sugar depending on the sweetness of your fruits.

In the meantime, heat up a few tablespoons of water, wait for them to go back to warm. Sprinkle gelatine powder (2.5 teaspoon), and then whisk to thoroughly dissolve. Pass this mixture into the mango, stir to combine.

Divide the mango mixture into 6 bottles. Leave to set in the fridge before proceed to the panna cotta. (If you want the "angle" effect, put the bottles into an egg tray, tilt them a little).

Prepare the panna cotta
Heat the cream, milk with the sugar over low heat. Stir regularly until the sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Warm 3-4 tablespoons of water. Sprinkle gelatine powder (1.5 teaspoon), and then whisk to thoroughly dissolve. Pass this mixture into the cream mixture, stir to combine.

Carefully ladle the cream mixture into the pot. Set in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Serve chilled.

Fried brown rice with Shiitake mushrooms. And a walk in CloudeHill.

2011-11-27T22:00:00.001+11:00

"I need a break. Let's go somewhere to free our minds".

With just that, Mr. B and I went on a short, daily trip together. Sometimes, it is better not to think about work or commitments, and get out there.

I am glad we did. We found ourselves wandering in a beautiful garden called CloudeHill up in Dadenong Range. The weather that day wasn't splendid. The outcast sky and light rain gave the place a lonely, somewhat melancholy look. But it was still beautiful. We stepped through the well-maintained, formal spaces. A minute later, the formal garden gave way to a more informal section, with high tree, narrow path, lots of clovers and random lily of the valleys.

We came back, energised and refreshed. I like to think of it as a "healing session". Healing food. I like that concept. I came home from the trip, thinking of that delicate balance and wanted something simple, clean and soothing. Fried rice that was, with brown rice, shitake mushrooms and a few ingredients from the cupboard.

Brown rice fried rice with Shiitake mushrooms

Printable Recipe
(Based on a recipe from martha stewart magazine)

Ingredients

2 cups jasmine brown rice
3 large eggs
300g fresh Shiitake mushrooms
2 cloves garlic
A small piece of ginger

3 tablespoons soya sauce
1 tablespoon Korean pepper paste
1/2 cup peas
1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons of neutral taste oil

Method

Soak the brown rice for a few hours. Drain well after that.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Slowly add the rice, stir to combine. Wait until the water get back to boiling poin, turn the heat down and simmer until the rice is cooked, around 20-30 minutes. Drain and keep warm.

In the mean time, crush the garlic and mince the ginger.

Beat the eggs with a dash of soya sauce and pepper. Fry in a non-stock pan into thin omelette. Cut into fine strands.

Cut the mushrooms into 1cm thick slice.

When the rice has cooled down, heat up the oil in a large wok. Add ginger and garlic, then the mushrooms. Cook, stir occasionally until the mushrooms are just cooked through, then, throw in the rice, peas, Mix well, season with soy sauce, pepper paste.

Just when the rice is done, gently stir in the eggs and sesame oil. Dish out and serve immediately.

+++

Travel Information:
CloudeHill Nursery Gardens
89 Olinda Monbulk Road
Olinda, Victoria, Aus.
Nursery: 03 9751 1009

Easy spicy lamb skewers & a tangy burghul salad

2011-11-21T22:09:00.001+11:00

It rained the whole Saturday, and then the sun came out brightly on Sunday. It felt so sudden, but we are used to (or rather, fed up with) this typical Melbourne weather. I was thinking of my trip to Preston market the previous day, how I got soaked in the rain. And driving in and out of the chaotic car park was not a pleasant experience.

But then, I got a beautiful box of cherries, mangoes, asparagus and other seasonal produces. Stone fruits have also made their appearance. Just lovely. My trusted butcher also managed to "up sell" a leg of lamb to me. I initially thought of doing a lamb roast on Sunday, but the sunny weather changed my plan. Instead, we had BBQ lamb skewer.

At our house, we only do BBQ over a char coal kettle. No gas BBQ for us, since we love the char flavours a lot. I make satay and Vietnamese meat skewers this way. No compromise!

I have adapted a lovely marinate recipe from Gref Malouf for my meat. The spices go particularly well with lamb. I even consider that cumin is the perfect partner to lamb, even more so than rosemary. The end result is spicy, juicy spring lamb skewers.

We enjoyed our BBQ lamb pieces with a simple burghul salad, wrapped in fresh lettuce and radish slices. The salad itself is something I should make more often this summer. It is wonderfully tangy, spicy and refreshing with the use of pomegranate molasses, Turkish pepper paste, cumin and a lot of fresh herbs. It was a lovely dinner. Although I ended up smelling like charred meat!

{Printable Recipe}

BBQ lamb skewer

We are blessed with good quality lamb in Australia. Use high quality spring lamb leg for this recipe. Use different color bell peppers (capsicums) for a vivid presentation.

Ingredients (serves 6 or more)
1.8kilos lamb leg, bone removed (ask your butcher to do this for you)
Marinate ingredients:
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoons Turkish pepper paste (mild or hot)
2 tsp cumin powder
1 tablespoon amchoor powder (Indian dried sour mango powder)*
½ tsp or more cayenne pepper
2.5 tblp salt
Generous amount of freshly cracked pepper
2-3 tbp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, smashed

To assemble the skewers:
2 brown onions, slice to "half moon" shape
2 bell peppers, deseeded and cut to large pieces

Condiments: mayonnaise, chili sauce, slices of red radishes, lettuce leaves

Method

Trim off the fat and sinew from the lamb leg, cut into cubes of 0.5cmx0.5cm.

Combine all the marinate ingredients with the oil, stir to combine and "massage" into the meat. Cover, and let marinate for 3-4 hours. Meanwhile, soak the skewers in cold water.

Around 40 minutes before the BBQ time, thread the meat, onion and capsicum pieces onto the skewers. Set aside. You would want to start the BBQ about 30 mins before starting time as well. Do not BBQ the meat when the coal is hot and red. This will burn the meat. It is best to wait a while, until the coal is greyish . This way, the meat will cook evenly with beautiful smoky flavours.

BBQ the meat skewers until cooked to your liking. Serve with burghul salad, or other salads of your liking.

(*) If you don't have amchoor powder, substitute with a few spoons of yoghurt.Don't marinate the meat overnight though.

A tangy burghul salad

My interpretation of Kisir, a traditional Turkish salad. I have made them a bit less sour, and add more herbs to my liking. I imagine couscous will be a good substitute.

Ingredients (serves 4 or more)
2 cups of fine burghul
2.5 cups boiling water
2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon Turkish pepper paste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
A small bunch each of mint and parsley, finely chopped
Lemon juice – to taste

Method
Pour the boiling water over the burghul. Cover and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Use a fork, separate the grain. Add in the pepper paste, tomato paste, pomegranate molasses and mix well to combine. Adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon juice. When you are happy with the taste, mix in chopped herbs. Serve with plenty of lettuce.

Delicious Vietnam, the final edition. And some awesome giveaways!

2011-11-21T15:11:00.001+11:00

It is time to say goodbye to Delicious Vietnam blogging event!

Delicious Vietnam has been running for nearly two years. I love the event to bit, and I'm sure a lot of my blog friends also feel the same way. However, maintaining an online event is a bit above me at the moment. Work, life, study. The usual things :)

So we have decided that the December issue of delicious Vietnam will also be the final edition! Of course, this is not the end of Delicious Vietnam. We have created a Facebook page for the event! (Thanks to Phuoc for making this happen!) Please share your delicious Vietnamese recipes, restaurant reviews there with others!

But for now, let's get together one more time celebrate our love for this vibrant cuisine!

Delicious Vietnam, December 2011 will be hosted by me. And since this is December, the due date for this has been extended to December 31, 2011.

For more information on eligible entries, please see this post.

Please send your entries to anhnguyen118[at]gmail[dot]com with Delicious Vietnam in the subject line.

Giveaways are now CLOSED. thanks!

~~On this occasion, I will also be giving away two copies of Indochine, the new cookbook from Luke Nguyen. I have been "reading" it from cover to cover. A must have for Vietnamese lover!~~

~~The cookbook giveaway is open to all entries for Delicious Vietnam December 2011 worldwide.~~

(Note: I will purchase the book from fishpond for Australian winners, and from Book Depository if the winners are outside of Australia)

PS: My blog is still running, and I will be blogging as usual. We only discontinue the blogging event called Delicious Vietnam! Sorry if I confuse you!

After hearing about how awesome Delicious Vietnam is, Red Boat Fish Sauce has decided to give away two fantastic prizes for our US participants.

Each winner will receive 1 bottle of 500ml 40N and 1 bottle of 80ml Family Reserve 50N. (Fish sauces are rated by N, indicating the amount of nitrogen; higher numbers mean even more concentrated and refined flavor).

Especially, the 50N small bottle is very precious and is not sold at retail. Red Boat calls it "Family Reserve" because it is such small production that they generally save it for for family and close chef friends. They are offering to our "foodie" audience because they know we will appreciate it.

Good luck to all! :)

Weekend Herb Blogging #309 – The recap

2011-11-15T08:37:00.001+11:00

As usual, we have an array of interesting dishes for WHB!

I certainly enjoy reading all the ideas and recipes. A special thank to Haalo, who has been the driving force for WHB for a while now. WHB #310 will be hosted by Christina from La Cucina di Cristina! Please see the details in this post.

{Purple Sweet Potato Chiffon Cake} by Cheah from No-frills Recipe

A light and pretty cake. Perfect with a cuppa.

{Tunisian Vegetable Ragout with Quinoa} by Janet of The Taste Space

Colorful, healthy with lots of spices. I can see myself making this again, and again.

{Cauliflower and cheese sformato} by Cristina from La cucina di Cristina

A new dish to me! This is the Italian of savoury souffle!

{Spinach pancakes} by Johanna from Green Gourmet Giraffe Blog

A pancake recipe with personality. Look at that vibrant color!

{Risotto Venere with Cotechino} by Haalo @ Cook almostanything at least once

Another colorful dish! I have never heard of Riso Venere - Italian Black Rice before. Have you?

{Neapolitan potato gateau} by Cinzia from Cindystar

A perfect side dish for every table! Love the concept, and the name? So good!

{Beetroot chutney} by Bri from Briggishome

A essential, pretty pickles. I love the spices, the color, the atmosphere of Bri's post...

{Kimchi and potato pancakes} by Anh from A food lover's journey

A simple pancakes that use one of my favourite pickles, kimchi

That is for WHB #309! See you at later recaps :)

Kimchi and potato pancake

2011-11-14T06:30:00.001+11:00

(Hosting Weekend Herb Blogging!)

It is a busy weekend here on A food lover’s journey. Yesterday, I posted about Vietnamese preserved mustard cabbage for Delicious Vietnam. And now, let’s turn to another famous Asian pickles, kimchi.

I made kimchi once in a while, but most of the time I just buy a small container from a Korean grocery in the CBD. Uncooked, I am the only one who ever touches the stuff. But when the kimchi is used as ingredient for various dishes, it is a different story! We all love the chicken kimchi pizza. And recently, we have also enjoyed kimchi and potato pancakes!

These pancakes are a breeze to make, and so versatile, too. Add seafood, drained canned tuna, chopped cooked meats if you are in the mood for something more substantial. I am pretty happy with the vegetarian version though. They have that spicy tanginess that goes so well with the fried pancake texture.

I have the honour of hosting Weekend Herb Blogging #309, which turned 6 last week. WHB is now coordinated by Haalo from Cook (almost) anything at least once.

Kimchi and potato pancakes

Ingredients
3 large potatoes
100g sour cabbage kimchi
80g plain flour
100ml water
½ tsp salt
Pepper
(Optional) a small can of tuna (drained), or 100g or so of chopped seafood (fish fillet, prawns etc.)
Oil to shallow fry
To serve: kewpie mayonnaise or sriracha

Method
Peel the potatoes, cut into thin strings and soak in lightly salted water for 5-10 minutes.
Take the kimchi out of the container. Do not squeeze out the juice, cut kimchi into small pieces (best to use scissors).
In a large mixing bowl, put in kimchi, flour, salt, pepper, drained potato string and seafood if using.
Add enough water to combine all the ingredients together. Mix quickly until just combined.
Add oil in a hot frying pan so you have about 1cm of oil. When the oil is hot, spoon ¼ cup of mixture per pancake into frying pan. Cook two sides until golden brown. Serve hot with : kewpie mayonnaise or sriracha

Vietnamese preserved mustard cabbage (dưa muối). Preserving memories.

2011-11-13T12:02:00.001+11:00

Delicious Vietnam # 19

In my last trip to our home in Hanoi, I saw that my parents had been in the habit of making preserved cabbage (dưa muối) every week. They even invested in a special jar, just for that purpose. I was so tempted to bring that jar to Australia, to make the pickles myself!

Home-made preserved mustard cabbage is special. The readily available commercial ones from Thailand are often too soft and too sweet, I have long abandoned them.

In Northern Vietnam, most women know to prepare this. Starting from fresh mustard cabbages, the whole plants are dried in the sun for several hours or the whole day. The process is said to improve the texture of the pickles later. Fresh mustard cabbages are then washed and preserved in a solution of salt and a bit of sugar. This is a crucial step. A little too much salt, the preserves will be inedible. Too little salt, the cabbage may get spoiled. It is also important that the veggies are immersed in liquid at all times. Hence, we often see a small bowl placing on top of the jar, pressing the veggies underneath. Waiting for a few days later, the green cabbage will “ripe”, turning into a pale green-gold color. The pickles are ready then, with the right amount of crunchiness and sourness.

We eat it raw or use to cook all sorts of dishes, from soup to stir-fry. I have started making this pickle a few weeks back. This week is my second batch. I can see myself making it every week, just like my parents do back home.

I am sending this to Delicious Vietnam #19, hosted by Sandy from ginger and scotch .

My recipe for Vietnamese preserved mustard cabbage (dưa muối)

Here is a rough guide to make dưa muối. The important part of the ratio of salt and sugar to make the pickling liquid. Roughly, for every 6 cups of water, you need 3 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

2 large brunches of mustard cabbages. Leave to dry in the sun for at least half a day. (Yield 1.5 large jars at shown in the top photo)

Prepare 18 cups water, bring to the boil. Add in 9 tablespoons of salt, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Dissolve, and leave to cool slightly.

In the meantime, wash and cut the mustard cabbages into large pieces. Put them in a large sterilised jar. When the solution has cooled down but is still slightly warm, pour into the jar. Make sure that the veggies are immersed in the solution. Put an empty bowl on top to press down the veggies. Seal the jar, and leave it in a cool, dark place. The pickled should be ready in 4-5 days. Once it is “ripe”, eat straightaway or store in the fridge to slow down the fermentation process.

‘Mangomisu’. A summer dessert.

2011-11-06T22:35:00.002+11:00

Today marks an important event in the Islamic calendar. The Eid festival. Happy Eid to everyone who observes it!

This weekend also marks the 6th anniversary of my favourite blogging event, Weekend Herb Blogging! WHB must be one of the oldest food blogging events that are still running strong. Huge congrats to Kalyn who founded the event, and Haalo, who has been taking care of the event for the past few years.

A lot of reasons to celebrate, and I have turned to a rich, luxurious dessert which features mangoes, which are in season in Australia at the moment. The dish puts a spin on the much loved tiramisu, focusing on fresher and fruitier flavours. A perfect summer dessert!

Mangomisu

I’ve adapted the original recipe in Delicious magazine to be more children friendly! The original recipe said this serves 6. But I have served 8-10 with it and it’s plentiful.

Ingredients
500g mascarpone cheese
600ml thickened cream
80g castor sugar
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
300ml unsweetened orange juice
300g savoiardi (sponge finger biscuits)
3-4 ripe mangoes, flesh sliced 1cm thick
2 handfuls of dessicated coconut

Method
Place the mascarpone, thickened cream,sugar and vanilla seeds in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed until thick and well combined.
Dip half the sponge fingers into the orange juice and layer in the base of a large glass bowl. Spread with one-third of the mascarpone mixture, and top with one-third of the mango slices. Repeat the process, then top with the remaining mascarpone mixture. Top with the remaining mango slices and sprinkle with the coconut. Cover the cake and chill for 2 hours or until firm.
Serve chilled.

Momofuku Cornflake-choc-chip cookies

2011-11-02T20:54:00.000+11:00

You know I love Momofuku Milk Bar? In our last October trip to NYC (how time flies!), Mr. B and I frequently visited the place for yummy treats. Among the favourites was cereal milk, cornflake cereal and corn cookies. We were only partial to the pies there, since they were a bit too "American" to our taste.

So you can imagine how excited I am to receive the new release "Momofuku Milk Bar" last week. So excited I went straight to the kitchen after 9pm, whipping up cornflake crunch so I could use them the next day. I love the cornflake crunch! They have that added buttery taste to the cornflake flavours, which I totally adore. I can see myself sprinkling them liberally on my vanilla ice-cream in the coming hot months.

The cookies, well, the cookies. They are GIANT, a little chewy, crispy with that sweet and salt balance. I find them addictive, which is strange since I don't normally chewy cookies! Few words of warning though, like most American baked goods, they can be overly sweet for Asian palate.

I'd love to make the corn cookies next. But sourcing freeze-dried corn kernels in Australia will be a challenge. Any suggestion, please?

~ The recipe ~
{Printable version}

Cornflake crunch
Ingredients
170g cornflakes
40g milk powder
40g sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
130g butter, melted

Preheat oven to 275F (130C). Place the cornflakes in a bowl, and crush them gently into smallish pieces. Add in milk powder and sugar, mix well. Add in the melted butter and mix well.

Spread the cornflakes onto a lined baking pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, when they are golden and smell buttery. Take the pan out and leave to cool. Store the crunch in an air-tight container.

Momofuku Cornflake-choc-chip cookies

Recipe adapted very minimally from Momofuku Milk bar Cookbook. The original recipe also includes marshmallows, which I have opted to omit.

Ingredients
225 butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
200g granulated sugar
120g brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla extract
240g plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ tsp salt
270g (3 cup) cornflake crunch (above)
125g chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugars for about 2-3 minutes. Add in egg and vanilla, beat for about 7-8 minutes until pale. You will have to scrap down the side of the bowls from time to time. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and mix until the mixture just incorporates.

Paddle in the chocolate chips and cornflake crunch.

Using a 1/3 cup measurement, portion out the dough on a lined baking pan. Pat the top of the cookies dough domes flat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Arrange the cookies at least 4 inches apart on a lined baking tray. Bake for 16-18 minutes. Or until the cookies just begin to brown. Let the cookies rest on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool off completely. The cookies will keep for 5 days in air tight containers.

Marinated Avocado

2011-10-22T15:09:00.000+11:00

{Weekend Herb Blogging}

Avocado has a really interesting name in the Vietnamese language. We call it "trái bơ", literally means butter fruit. I remember being so curious about the fruits as a kid. Did it taste like butter? Was it white? Of course, avocado turned out to be a green fruit. It doesn't taste exactly like butter, but it is certainly rich and smooth enough, butter style!

The Vietnamese loves their avocado smoothie, something I would shy away from. Avocado, sugar and I are not friends. I love to use avocado in savoury dishes though.

Lately I have made an effort to bring lunch to work more often, and the idea of marinating avocado in sandwich has been on my mind. Cumin, coriander, lime juice, cayenne pepper, garlic. Inspirations: guacamole, can't you tell? The end result is really beautiful. The rich and smoothness of avocadoes pair well with the tartness and spiciness of other ingredients. I love having them with toasts, or in sandwich with bitter salad greens and cold cuts.

I'm sending this entry to the wonderful Susan of the Well-seasoned cook, who is the current host of Weekend Herb Blogging. If you want to have more information about the event, come to Cook (almost) anything at least once :).

Marinated avocado - the recipe

Ingredients
2 avocados, peeled and sliced to 1cm thickness
1 onion, thickly sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
½ tsp each of coriander and cumin seeds
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 lemon, thickly sliced
Juice of another lemon
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbp olive oil

Method
Arrange the avocados in a container, together with the onion, garlic, and lemon slices.
Lightly toast the coriander and cumin seeds in a frying pan until fragrant. Add in the above mixture.
Mix together lemon juice, sugar, salt and olive oil, cayenne pepper. Taste, you may want to adjust the ingredients a bit to suit your taste. Pour the mixture into the avocado mixture.
Cover and let it marinated overnight or at least a few hours.

Back and White Wednesday #14

2011-10-12T21:36:00.001+11:00

It's time to check back to Back and White Wednesday, a culinary photo event organised by a good friend of mine, Susan from the Well-seasoned Cook.

This time, I have a less-than-perfect photo of a vintage silver plate, and spoon.

I bought this plate in a op shop near South Melbourne Market. It was a nice Saturday. Mr. B and I enjoyed our peaceful walk, good coffee, and some moments for ourselves...

Each piece of items has its own story, and a tiny part of my memories attached. I sometimes wonder before my time, to whom did this plate belong? And what were their stories....

Mini bánh tiêu (Asian fried sweet sesame donut)

2011-10-10T21:20:00.001+11:00

{Delicious Vietnam #18}

Have I told you that Sunday is usually a big cooking day in my home? My MIL and I, having done most of our weekly chores, often cook together in the afternoon. We never really have a set plan. We cook whichever inspires us when we have our breakfast on the day.

We have made a lot of things, mostly Asian stuffs because it is our heritage. Sometimes my MIL and I are even crazy enough to serve yum cha (dim sum) items (a kind of brunch food) at Sunday dinner. Other times, we made lots of satays from scratch, on the BBQ outside despite the rain. Well, see how we can get along?

Yesterday I decided that I craved for fried Asian sweet donuts (bánh tiêu, or the Chinese name Ham Chin Peng). These donuts can be found across Asia. It's yeasted fried dough, which has been slightly sweetened and has a lot of sesame seeds. In a perfect world, the donut should be round and are hollow inside. ~~Our~~ Mine were not exactly like that.

"Isn't it gonna puffed up?" said my MIL.
"Maybe the oil is not hot enough"....
"Oh wait. This tastes goood. Like I used to have in my childhood"....

Just like that, she called my FIL and my sister down to share the food. Minus the ugly and not-so-authentic appearance, the texture of these donuts was spot on and they were delicious fresh. (That is why I don't like to make the ready-made bánh tiêu from Asian groceries. They are often stale and too chewy!).

The trick for a hollow-inside donut is to shape them fairly thin, let them rest plentiful before frying (I didnt do this!), and a lot of hot oil. Having learned my lesson, let's hope my next attempt will be better.

A little late, but I am sending this entry to Delicious Vietnam #18. This month host is the lovely bonniebella. Please head to her blog for the round up some time later this week.

Larger view of the recipe

Matcha and white chocolate cookies. And the celebration of life.

2011-10-05T22:00:00.002+11:00

I know that October won’t be easy.

One year ago, my friend Hoa lost her fight to cancer. I also had that same thought, and the pain of separation and loss. I thought of the life she could have had, of her pain and illness. I even felt inadequate, and empty.

Only until recently I had the courage to open and read her blog again. And cried, and understood something more meaningful. If she were here, Hoa would inspire me to live for tomorrow with dream and passion. She would tell me that although she had gone, it is not the end. I used to think Hoa lost her battle to cancer. But she did not. We are all heading to that inevitable end. She simple finished her task here a bit sooner than me. And she did it, lived her life in style until the end, with so much courage and passion.

Today is her birthday. Happy birthday, Hoa!

These cookies are great to share around. Perhaps they are not fit for special occasions and such, but why can’t we celebrate the simple things in life every day?

Larger view of recipe

Stewed beef pie in a buttery crust

2011-09-28T22:22:00.001+10:00

{Food for a sentimental time}

September 2001, the late teen me bid goodbye to my parents, friends and hometown and left for Melbourne. It was intended for a few years only, but ten years have passed and I have called Melbourne home ever since.

Often or not, I think of these ten years as "being away from home". But lately, that sentiment has changed. Melbourne has become my second home, a place that I miss when travelling. There is a real sense of belonging, a quiet connection to this space and time.

Australians do love their meat pies, something I can totally endorse. At my new work place, we have "pie party" almost every week. Great for bonding, and not so much for the waistline!

During winter I made pies fairly regularly. The beef pies are definitely Mr. B's favourite. The filling is meaty, enclosed in a buttery crust.

This is my first time working with hot water pastry and I am sooooo happy to discover the technique. So easy to roll and shape.

Beef pies are great with ketchup, and a lots of salad greens. I think making them in small portions will be great for Grand Final Day. After 10 years here, I still do not understand the appeal of Footy. Soccer Rules in my house! Oh wait, not really. Beef pies rule! :D

Food photography session with Dario @ Food Pixels

2011-09-21T21:11:00.000+10:00

A few weekends back, I got a chance to participate in a food photography class taught by Dario from Food Pixels. The class was organized on the 2nd level of The Light Room, in a small street just off Elizabeth St in Melbourne CBD. The atmosphere was small and cozy and I got a chance to explore something I like! A good way to enjoy the weekend!

I suppose the content of the workshop was not entirely new. Technical information and tips on composition and styling can be found in books and various places on the internet. What really valuable was the hand-on approach. With limited space and time, Dario did a good job in organizing practical activities so everyone got a chance to explore their camera, and food photography.

Some tips I learned from the workshop :).

{Controlling your light}

Natural light or strobe, the key is control. With natural light, this means to choose the “right time” to shoot, which can be tricky. Sometimes the light can be very strong, so diffuse and even double diffuse the window is recommended.

Controlling light also involves the understanding of light sources. Say your main light is big window. But how other windows or lights in the room affect your food? Should you block them out? Or involve and control them?

{The discovery of artificial light}

I was skeptical about using artificial light at first. You know, most sources teaching food photography emphasize on natural lighting. But with artificial lighting, there is control and the ability to create different lighting mood that draw viewers in.

Did I tell you that I love the first photo? The shadow and highlight of the photo create such a perfect lazy, casual mood.

The drawback of artificial lighting is the cost. The rule has it that the larger the source of light compared to your subject, the better. Decent flash system is not cheap at all. The one I am looking at costs close to A$1000. So I ask myself, do I really need it? (Yes…. And no….lol)

{Props add personality}

Worn-out, vintage pieces will never go out of fashion and add a home-feel touch. Food memories, the sweetest kinds, often come from the home. I like Dario’s reasoning here.
Props can be hard and expensive. And I discover something called prop hire shops! I have not explored these options yet, but a Google search yields some promising results.

{Practise with cheap but interesting ingredients}

This advice is perhaps more relevant for those who are interested in building their portfolio. Look for things that are unusual and interesting. Practise with simple subjects with different lighting and styling...
Photo with herbs, and… instant noodles

{Lighting and texture}

Again, on lighting. Dario drew my attention to its relationship with the texture of the food, background and props. In particular, how the light is reflected and bounced upon these subjects? Cherries will reflect the light differently from cauliflowers (the former yields highlight on their skin). Taking note of these small details will help to improve the photos, avoiding flare and unintended highlighting area in the photos.

Playing with artificial lights (combination of soft boxes and grid light?)

I guess there are more an more I can write about the workshop. Like how lovely everyone was! I hope there will be more intensive workshop, focusing on artificial lighting, for me to learn and practice!

My family’s chicken congee (Cháo Gà)

2011-09-11T22:05:00.000+10:00

Delicious Vietnam #17

Back to the time I was in high school, one day a friend invited me to a small shop near the main cathedral in Hanoi. Supposedly, that shop had “the best chicken congee” in town. Tuned out, the shop did sell decent congee. But the horrible service was such a letdown, I vowed never to return.

The simple fact is while I did not mind queuing for food; I would not do so for a bowl of congee! My father and his mother make much better congee that it is hard to beat. Admittedly my father is more famous for his fish congee. I have never made one as good s his though. Gotta learn more in my next trip back home. :-)

Congee (or cháo) is Asian-style rice soup. It is our food of comfort, so much like pho I would say. The Vietnamese version of congee is similar to the one we find in Cantonese restaurants here – small grains of rice being cooked until soft and tender in a savory soupy broth. We like to eat our congee with fried Chinese doughnuts (quẩy), for extra carbohydrates!

What makes my father and his mother’s congee so special? I guess it is in the love and care in the preparation. Unlike a lot of other recipes, we cook our congee from a combination of normal Jasmine rice and sticky rice. The rice is pre-soaked, and then coarsely pounded before cooking long and slow in chicken stock. I love the consistency of our congee – smooth, with separated small grains.

We, Vietnamese, also like to eat out congee with a lot of herbs. Sisho leaves and spring onion are the to-go combination for congee, and it is known to help with flu and the likes. In this instance, I have used Vietnamese mint (laksa leaves) and spring onion from my garden.

Melbourne weather today has been cold; it feels as though we are back in winter. We had chicken congee for lunch, and it was so satisfying!

Phuoc from phuoc’ndelicious is hosting this edition of Delicious Vietnam. Please head to her blog for the round up!

My family’s chicken congee (Cháo Gà)

I never really have a proper measurement for this recipe. So use this as a guide only. You will need a whole small chicken for the stock, but there will be leftover meat. Use it in sandwich, or salad.

printable recipe

Ingredients (serve 4-5)
½ cup sticky rice
1 cup Jasmine rice
6-8 cups water (estimate only)
1 small free-range chicken
1 piece of ginger
2-3 spring onions
3 tablespoons fish sauce
Salt and pepper
Condiment: finely chopped laksa leaves and spring onions
Fried Chinese doughnuts, to serve

Method
Soak the two types of rice for at least 1 hour. Drain, and coarsely pound them with a pestle. It will look somewhat like this (broken rice!)

While the rice is soaked, cook the chicken. Bring 6 cups of water to the boiling point. Stuff the chicken with the ginger and spring onion. Put the chicken into the water, boil with high heat for 10 minutes, and then turn the heat down until the stock simmers nicely. Cover, and let it cook for 30 minutes. Take the chicken out, soak in cold water until cool. Shred the chicken meat, discard the skin and bone.

With the chicken stock, now add more water if needed to make a total of 8 cups of liquid. Bring to the boil, and gradually add in the rice. Bring the mixture to the boiling point, then, simmer with slow fire for at least 30-40 minutes until the grains are soft. Stir occasionally (nothing is worse than burned congee). Add more water if you feel that the congee is too thick.

Turn off the heat, cover the pot of congee and let it rest for 10 mins or so.

Now, to serve. First off, put the Chinese doughnuts under the grill in the oven until crispy. Cut thickly with scissors.

Put enough congee into another clean pot, add chicken, fish sauce. Adjust the consistency of the congee with extra water (the congee will be quite thick after resting) – you want a thick soupy consistency. Check the seasoning and add salt accordingly.

Just before serving, throw in the finely chopped herbs. Serve congee with lots of pepper, chilli powder (if preferred) and Chinese doughnuts.