ethnic – Page 5 – morestomach

bún riêu – vietnamese seafood noodle soup

Published on September 10, 2015February 14, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach3 Comments

lately i’ve been thinking a lot about
vietnamese food
specifically the foods i ate growing up.
it’s that weird, icky, emo
feeling,
akin to nostalgia,
an emotion that is so foreign,
and unwelcome,
to me
that i would like to punch it in the face.

instead, i think i will attempt to feed it
because starving is just not our thing.

bún riêu – vietnamese seafood noodle soup
loosely adapted from wandering chopsticks

*note: i seem to recall seeing snails in this dish growing up. that’s an ingredient that i cannot locally source and if i’m to be honest, it’s something that i like to consume when prepared by professionals. i’m not there yet to make it myself. instead, i made do with local maryland crab and csa tomatoes – hooray for in-season AND local. alas, the fish cakes were purchased frozen and already prepared. this is when dw will turn a blind eye, conceding that some things just cannot be helped.

this makes a lot. like, an ass clown amount. we’ve have it for leftovers for a week, and we shared this with cousins who recently welcomed a baby boy, leaving them with portions too.

i won’t post the full recipe, because ~~it’s fucking long~~ WC does a great job of writing it all out. below are my short cuts and methods that worked for me.

i used two 32 oz boxes of organic seafood stock. i wasn’t about to make crab stock. i did use shrimp shells though.
i purchased backfin crab meat from whole foods, because lump meat would’ve been a waste of good meat and money.
i did not use canned tomatoes, instead, we’ve been drowning in csa tomatoes and so i diced up 15oz worth of tomatoes and rough chunked 4 big tomatoes.
spare ribs were also purchased at whole foods, and i think may have been dw’s favorite part of the dish.
i added two extra eggs to the rieu, because i like it extra eggy. i did not bother with keeping it whole, i just free formed balls with spoons and dropped into the broth.
if you can’t get your hands on banana blossom, shredded cabbage is fine.

last, this dish was just ok on the first day, in fact, i was a little disappointed. but the following days were so much better.

BAM!

1 year ago: quinoa sushi rolls
2 years ago: blueberry breakfast cookies

other vietnamese goodness:
homemade bánh cướn chay
vietnamese bò kho – beef stew
phở gà
tôm rang muối – vietnamese salt & pepper shrimp
vietnamese vermicelli noodle bowl – bun thit ga nuong
chả trứng thịt hấp – vietnamese steamed egg meatloaf

chả trứng thịt hấp – vietnamese steamed egg meatloaf

Published on September 2, 2015September 9, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach3 Comments

by all counts we’ve had a good summer:
vacation
nephews!
on a national level: one love
the heat this week has made us turn on the AC uh-gain
and made me secretly relieved for the inevitable return of autumn
which means i will be forced to hit the kitchen
and cook again
taking advantage of the bay’s haul
i grabbed a half pound container of crab
and made something comforting
something so easy
something that’ll ease me back into the comforting rhythms of the kitchen

chả trứng thịt hấp – vietnamese steamed egg meatloaf
*note: the way my dad sent me the recipe it was all a bunch of words with guesses on measurements. i’ve made this a few times and the measurements below are what i generally stick with. i use 5 ramekins (like, individual creme brulee dishes) and 1 double sized ramekin, as shown in the picture, so the steam time is slightly abbreviated and done in batches. using a bamboo steamer is ideal but i use a steamer insert in a regular big pot, which works perfectly for me. alternatively, you can do it bain marie style in the oven, 350F for same amount of time, just make sure you cover with foil.

1 lb lean ground pork
8 oz crab meat, i bought from Whole Foods, but in a typical vietnamese household they use canned with liquid drained & discarded
1-2 cups worth of vermicelli noodles that’s been softened by submerging it in hot water for 15 minutes, rough chopped
2 good sized pieces of black fungi, submerged in hot water and then julienned
3 stalks of scallions/green onions, diced
4 eggs, reserving 2 yolks
3 TBL fish sauce, we use red boat
2 TBL sugar

in a mixing bowl, mix the ground pork, eggs, fungi, vermicelli noodles, fish sauce and sugar. seriously it’s like meatloaf, don’t over do it but make sure everything is well incorporated.
gently fold in the crab meat. don’t break the lumps up tooooooo much, but you want it to be nice mash up.
in a heat proof bowl or dish, smear a smidge of oil along the bottom and along the sides.
put the meat mixture into the prepared bowl or dish and steam for about 20-25 minutes.
top with scattered chili and spread a layer over the surface of the bowl or dish and steam for an additional 2-3 minutes.

(this is just for looks) serve with white rice and cukes, or between bread, sandwich style…
BAM!

one year ago: spiced poach pears
two years ago: meyer lemon bars

thai popsicles

Published on August 12, 2015August 20, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach15 Comments

it’s august,
it’s hot
i’m still obsessed with my
popsicle mold
i’ve made three flavors,
this one being dw’s favorite
and because anything the man loves
i want to recreate for him,
so i’m journaling it here.
for next blueberry season.
hoping your summer’s been loverly.

thai pops
makes 10

*note: if you can’t get your hands on Kaffir lime leaves, use organic lime rind, using as little of the bitter white pith as possible. it’s not exactly the same but it’ll still give you that bright citrus-y hint.

3 cups blueberries
10 Kaffir lime leaves
2 lemongrass sticks, gently bruised
1 can of full fat coconut milk
generous knob of ginger, peeled
sweetener of choice, like agave, sugar, honey, maple syrup, completely optional

you’ll be using two saucepans:

in first saucepan, gently simmer the blueberries with lemongrass and Kaffir lime leaves. it’ll thicken and bubble, let it hang out and infuse. if you think about it, using a fork squish the berries. simmer for about 15 minutes and allow to cool. i left it rough textured, but if you want it smooth, discard the lemongrass and Kaffir lime leaves and zip in vitamix or blender.

in 2nd saucepan, gently simmer coconut milk with ginger. if you want, you can sweeten with whatever sweetener of choice. the goal is to infuse the milk with just the hint of ginger, should take about 20-30 minutes on low. allow to cool. discard ginger knob.

pour into pop molds, alternating between flavors. there is no science to it, and it should be enough for all molds but as you can see, it’s entirely up to you how strong you want the flavors to be and how full you want the molds to be.

freeze at least 3 hours. to unmold, run under warm water and gently pull out.

BAM!

1 year ago: blueberry pie smoothie – vegan
2 years ago: vietnamese vermicelli noodle bowl

other blueberry recipes:
blueberry breakfast cookies – vegan
blueberry clafoutis – dairy free
blueberry jam danishes – vegan
blueberry pie smoothie – vegan
blueberry swirl macaroons – gluten free, dairy free
blueberry swirl muffins – dairy free

pulled pork taco

Published on June 16, 2015June 25, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach14 Comments

tacos are having a moment in our lives right now
(and it’s not just because i’m featuring a recipe today)
it’s an easy meal to put together
each person gets to choose what goes in and doesn’t
it’s a meal that can repeat
but doesn’t feel repetitious
due to the change in seasonal staples:
shredded cabbage or leafy kale or spicy arugula?
crunchy radish or cooling cukes?
fatty cheese or luxurious avocado?
ALL OF IT!

lime spritz — SOOC shots. dw makes the best hand model

pulled pork
recipe for the preparation of the pork only. the filling/filler is entirely up to you!

*note: we buy our tortillas, chips and salsa at a local mexican restaurant. we purchase our pork from a local farmer, Farmer Steve, who used to do poultry and is now in the pork business.

*note: as stated before, how you stuff/top your tacos is up to you. i’ve seen fruit (think mango) salsa as a topper, you can add cheese (try queso fresco), do a cabbage slaw, but may i suggest stick to the season. whatever is fresh and new at your farmer’s stand is best. what we eat in our tacos in june is different from what our tacos look like in january.

1 bottle of ginger beer (this is flexible, we had a spare bottle in the fridge, beer would’ve been fine, or stock)
4-5 lb fresh ham roast (whatever hunk of pork you want to use), fat trimmed
5-6 cloves of garlic
1 onion rough chopped
3 TBL alton brown’s #19 taco potion

rub pork with the taco seasoning.

put the seasoned pork into the crock pot and fashion the onions and garlic cloves around it.

pour the bottle of ginger beer. (85% of the meat was covered)

cover, set on low and ignore for 4-6 hours.

shred the meat using two forks.

assemble your tacos to your heart’s content!

BAM!

1 year ago: intense strawberry + coconut ice cream and homemade almond waffles (gluten free)
2 yeas ago: crunchy celery salad

another taco version: lentils

sương sáo (grass jelly) with chia seeds

Published on May 29, 2015May 28, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach9 Comments

we got new windows installed last week
i can’t tell you how incredibly excited
and grown up i feel saying that.
serendipitously the temps have been pleasant,
as only may should be.
the windows have been flung open,
letting the breeze in,
though, i realize that the windows
could also be enjoyed closed,
especially since the insulation is finally on point.
still.
sitting on our sagging red elephant patterned couch,
with some home improvement show on tv,
after being without
it’s a treat to feel Spring.
it’s also a treat to have a childhood dessert to tuck into,
a cooling dessert that i don’t make often enough.

sương sáo (grass jelly) with chia seeds

*note: this is canned, which is not something we partake in usually. this isn’t so much a recipe, but more of a “oh hey, lemme put this all together and call it a day”. i will say, dw is not the biggest fan, which basically means more for me, BUT! it doesn’t mean that this sucks.
**note: the chia seeds gives this dessert a pudding-like texture. you can add as much as you want, though the more you add the thicker it is. alternatively, if you add more liquid, it makes the dessert runnier and not so overridden by the seeds.
***note: prior to my current love affair with chia seeds, i made this dessert with basil seeds which has the added crunch and something something that chia seeds have, but minus the thickening texture.
****note: last, dw thinks this tastes kinda medicinal, whereas i don’t. it has an herby-tea flavor to me.

1 can of sương sáo (grass jelly), found in the canned fruit aisle of asian markets
4 TBL simple syrup, 1:1 bee free honee and water
juice of one lemon or lime
3 TBL chia seeds
water, amount up to you, i probably had about 1/2 cups worth

so, the canned grass jelly, when taken out of the can will be like canned cranberry sauce that you see during thanksgiving. don’t be turned off. cut into cubes. i normally cut them into 6 horizontal pieces, then with one layer in my left hand, cut strips and then cubes. like this.

add in desired amount of simple syrup and squeeze that citrus over top. sprinkle the chia seeds and gently mix.

leave in fridge for at least 1 hour, to chill the grass jelly and bloom the seeds.

serve chilled.

BAM!