Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Ốc Bưu Củ Sắn Cuốn

Apple Snail Roll





14 oz apple snail meat washed and sliced
1 big jicama, julianed
5 green onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T vegetable oil
fish sauce, pepper to taste
4 heads taiwanese lettuces, cut into 3 crosswise
1 cup mint leaves
20 6-inches diameter rice pappers


Heat oil, add garlic and fry until fragant then add apple snail, stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Drain excess liquid to a small bowl (for dipping sauce) and remove snail meat. Add more oil and stir fry jicama for 3-5 minutes or until soft and translucant. Add snail meat and green onion. Fish sauce and pepper to taste.

Moisten rice paper with warm water. Place on flat surface until soften. Top with 4-5 piece of Taiwanese lettuce, several mint leaves, 1/2 T apple snail mixture.

Roll up paper into cylinder. Trim both ends to make your rolls even.

Dipping sauce:
2 T fish sauce + 5 T apple snail juice + 2 T fresh squeeze lemon juice + 2 T sugar (or to taste)+ 2 clove minced garlic + 2 minced red hot chilli pepper + 1 T minced ginger.

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Đậu Phụ Ruốc Bông

Steamed Tofu with Dried Pork







1 block soft tofu
1 T dried shredded pork
5 green onion, finely chopped
1/2 T vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste


Cut tofu in cubes or any shape you like. Steam for 5 minutes or microwave (wrapped) for 3 minutes. Remove excess liquid from tofu. Sprinkle with green onion, vegetable oil, salt, and pepper; microwave uncovered for 1 more minute. Top with dried shredded pork. Serve hot as an appertizer or a side dish along with flavored rice.

Friday, October 21, 2005

Bì Cuốn



Pork Skin Roll

1/2 lb pork skin mixture
10 8-inches diameter rice paper
8 large lettuce leaves, chopped
1 cup mint leaves
1 T finely shredded carrot
1/2 cup sweet and sour fish sauce


Moisten rice paper with warm water. Place on flat surface until soften. Top with 1 T lettuce, several mint leaves, 1 T pork skin mixture
Roll up paper halfway into cylinder. Fold sides of paper inward, continue to roll paper into cylinder. Cut each roll in half and serve with the sauce.

Sweet and Sour Fish sauce: 1 T fish sauce + 2 T hot water+ 1 T sugar+ 1/2 T vinegar+ 1 clove minced garlic. Mix well.
Add shredded carrot and chilli sauce(optional) when serve.

Pork Skin Mixture: 1/4 lb cooked shredded pork skin + 1/2 lb cooked shredded pork ham + 2 T roasted rice powder+ 1 cloves minced garlic+ salt and pepper to taste.

Friday, October 14, 2005

Monday, September 26, 2005

Ốc Giác Hấp Sả

2 lbs conch snail
2 stalks lemongrass
2 T white wine
1/2 cup ginger fish sauce


Steamed Conch

Soak conch in salt water, wash and drain.
Lemongrass: Cut the woody tip, remove loose, dry outer layers, trim off the fibrous end. Cut into 3-inches length. Smash with the back of the cleaver to release the aromatic oil. Put conch,lemongrass and white wine in a medium pot, covered over high heat. Cook until all the wine vaporated (3-5 minutes) add water if needed.
Serve with ginger fish sauce.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Bánh Tôm

Shrimp Cake


1 lb medium shrimp, leave shell
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t fish sauce
pepper to taste
1 box tempura mixture
1.5 cups iced water
2 medium sweet yam, cut into strips
2 cups of vegetable oil
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 cup of perilla, mint
2 cups of sweet and sour fish sauce dip
2 T of green papaya, thinly sliced


Marinade shrimp with garlic, 1 t fish sauce and pepper.
Mix tempura batter as directed in the box with iced water. Add yam and shrimp, mix well.
heat oil on high heat, reduce to medium. Spoon yam into the oil, make any shape and size you want, try to put shrimp in the middle of the cake. When the cake turns lightly golden, turn it over and cook for 1 more minute or until golden brown. Drain them on papper towel before serving.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Gỏi Râu Mực

Squid Head Salad


1 lb small squid head, eyes removed
2 cups green papaya, shredded
1 cup long bean, cut into 3-inches length
1 tomato, cut into wedges
2 T basil, julianed
1 T fish sauce
1 T chunky peanut butter
2 lemon
1 t Siracha chilli sauce or to taste
1 T sugar or to taste


Blanch long bean in boiling water for 1 minute or until they turn deep green and nicely soft.
Cook squid heads for 3 minutes, drained.
In a salad bowl, put green papaya, long bean, squid head, peanut butter, fish sauce, lemon juice, sugar, chilli sauce and mix well. Add tomato and basil, chill for 2 hours and serve.

Monday, September 05, 2005

Bún Măng Vịt

Duck and Bamboo Shoot Noodle Soup


1/2 duck (or 4 legs)
2 lbs chicken bones
3 quarts cold water
1/2 package dried bamboo shoot
1 T vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 onion
1 piece of ginger
10 oz fine rice vermicelli
3 stalks green onion, chopped
1 cup Vietnamese coriander leaves, chopped
1 T crisp-fried shallot
lime, hot chilli pepper
fish sauce, sugar, salt, pepper to taste
1/2 cup ginger fish sauce


Place duck, chicken bones, onion, ginger in a large pot, add water bring to boil over high heat, skim off foam. Reduce heat to medium low, add 1 t sea salt, 1/2 t sugar and cook for 20-25 minutes. Remove duck from broth and cool off in iced water. Cut into bite-size pieces. Strain broth with a double layer of cheesecloth, bring back to boil, add fish sauce to taste.

Soak dried bamboo shoot in warm water a night before, tear into strips, boil and drain (3-4 times). Heat wok, add oil and garlic, shallot. Stir until fragant, add bamboo shoot and stir fry for 5 minutes. Fish sauce and pepper to taste.

Put rice vermicelli in boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and let it sit for 3 more minutes. Rinse over water.

To serve: Put rice vermicelli in a bowl, top with duck meat, bamboo shoot, crisp-fried shallot, coriander leaves, green onion. Pour the hot broth over, sprinkle with fresh ground pepper. Serve with ginger fish sauce, a lime wedge and hot chilli pepper.

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Chè Môn Đậu



Taro in coconut mung bean

5 oz mung bean, soak in warm water for 2 hours
1 medium taro, cut into bite cubes
1 can coconut cream
5 cup water
2/3 lb rock sugar
1 t sucre vanillé


In a medium pot, add mung bean and water, bring to boil over high heat, reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes. Add taro and cook for 15-20 more minutes or until all cooked and soft. Add sugar, vanilla powder, and coconut cream, stir evenly, bring back to boil, turn off heat.

Friday, September 02, 2005

Khổ Qua Xào Trứng



Bitter Melon With Eggs

3 bitter melons, thinly sliced
3 eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onion, chopped
2 t fishsauce or to taste
pepper to taste
1 T vegetable oil


Heat pan over high flame, add oil and garlic stir until fragrant, add bitter melon. Stir-fry until the melon tender, about 3-5 minutes, put eggs, sit evenly until egg is cooked, add onion, fish sauce and pepper to taste.

Thursday, September 01, 2005

Giá Hẹ Xào Huyết



Bean Sprout, Chive and Cooked Pork Blood

2 cups bean sprout
1 cup chive, cut into 3-inches length
1/2 lb cooked pork blood, cut into bite cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T vegetable oil
1 t fish sauce or to taste
pepper to taste


Blanch cooked pork blood in boiling water for 1-2 minutes.
Heat pan over high heat, add oil, add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add pork blood, stir evenly, add bean sprout and chive, keep stirring fast until bean sprout turns partially translucent. Add fish sauce and pepper, turn off heat.

Chả Xương Sông

Xuong Song Pork Roll




1/3 lb seasoned pork paste (giò sống)
1/2 lb pork, minced
2 shallots, minced
30 xuong song leaves with stems attached
2 t fish sauce
pepper to taste
2 T vegetable oil


Wash xuong song leaves.
Mix pork minced and pork paste together, add shallot, fish sauce, pepper, mix well. (Add chopped xuong song leaves if you have extra, optional)
Place about half to one teaspoon filling in the middle of the leaf then roll from the bottom toward the stem, pinch a hole in the roll and insert the stem to that hole to keep the roll in place.
Heat pan over high flame, add oil, reduce heat. Fry rolls in batch, about 7-10 minutes.

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

Bí Ngồi Xào Quế



Sautéed Zucchini with Basil

2 cups zucchini, sliced
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup basil, finely chopped
1 T vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste


In a medium pan, add oil and sauté onion over medium heat, cook until translucent, add zucchini stir for 5 minutes or until tender. Add basil, salt and pepper.

Cá Thu Sốt Cà



Pan-fried King Mackerel with Tomato Sauce

1 lb king mackerel (2 pieces)
2 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onion, chopped
1 T white wine
2.5 T vegetable oil
salt and fish sauce to taste


Fish: Pat dry, sprinkle some salt on both sides.

Tomato: Wash tomatoes, cut stem end, and core an X through the skin on the other end. Blanch them in boiling water for 5-30 seconds. Check the skin on the X, if it looks like it's peeling away then take them out, peel the skin off in cold water. Cut tomato in half crosswise between stem and bottom. Lightly squeeze over bowl to remove seeds then chop until almost smooth.

Put 2 T oil into a medium pan over high heat. Add king mackerel, reduce heat and fry until golden brown, one side at a time, let it cook throughly before flipping. About 3-5 minutes each side. Remove king mackerel.
Put 1/2 T oil into a small pan over high heat, add garlic and stir until fraggrant, add tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes, add white wine and simmer for 5 minutes, season to taste with fish sauce, add green onion. Pour over pan-fried king mackerel.

Monday, August 29, 2005

Cải Ngọt Xào

Stir-fried Cai Ngot with Pork



3 cups chinese flowering cabbage, cut into 3-inches length.
1/3 lb pork tender loin, sliced
1 shallot, sliced
1/2 T fish sauce
1 T vegetable oil
pepper to taste


Seperate white stems and green leaves after wash them thoroughly.
Heat wok, add 1/2 oil, shallot, cook until fragrant, add pork, stir-fry for 3-5 minutes, add some fish sauce and pepper to taste. Remove pork. Add remaining oil into wok, stir-fry the white stems first. When they are nicely soft (about 3 mins), add the green leaves and stir-fry for 2 more minutes. Add pork, fish sauce and stir evenly. Pepper to taste.

Tép Rang

Pan fried tiny shrimp



1 lb tiny shrimp (head on)
1 t sugar
1/2 t sea salt or to taste
2 shallots, minced
2 green onion, chopped
1/2 T vegetable oil
1/2 lemon


Heat oil on medium pan over high heat, add shallot, cook until fragrant, add shrimp and salt. Stir for 5 minutes, add sugar, cook for 5 more minutes or until the juice evaporates completely and the bottom of the pan dries out, add green onion. Squeeze lemon juice over when served.

Friday, August 26, 2005

Bún Gỏi Dà

Spring Noodle Soup



2 lb pork bones
3 quarts cold water
1/2 cup dried shrimp
5 T hoisin sauce
2 T tamarind paste
2 T fine shrimp paste
2 T fish sauce or to taste
salt to taste
3 shallots
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T vegetable oil
3 red hot chili pepper
1/3 cup roasted peanuts, crushed
1/2 lb fresh pork ham, cooked and thinly sliced
20 medium shrimps, cooked, remove shells
10 oz fine rice vermicelli
2 cups chopped green salad
1 cups bean sprounts, rinsed and drained
2 cups shredded banana blossom
1/2 cups chive, cut into 3-inches length


Place pork bones, dried shrimp and shallots in large pot, add water, bring to a boil over high heat, skim off foam, lower the heat and let simmer for 2 hours. Add tamarind paste, shrimp paste, fish sauce, bring back to boil. Strain broth with a double layer of cheesecloth. Add 2 T hoisin sauce into strained broth and let it simmer.

Put rice vermicelli in boiling water and cook for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and let it sit for 3 more minutes. Rinse over water.

In a small pan, add oil and cook garlic until fragrant, add 3 T hoisin sauce, 1 T broth, stir well until cooked, about 2-3 mins.

To serve: distribute salad greens, banana blossom, bean sprouts into large bowls, noodle on top, place shrimps, pork, and chive on top, ladle the hot broth over.
Add peanut, garlic hoisin sauce, hot chili pepper as desired.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Gỏi Bầu Cá Nướng




3 cups wax gourd, thinly sliced
1 cup carrot, julianed
2 cup grilled fish (filet)
1 T ginger, crushed
1 T vegetable oil
2/3 cup Vietnamese coriander leaves, julianed
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
3 T lemon juice or to taste
2 T fish sauce, or more to taste
1 T sugar, or more to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 red hot chili pepper, minced
2 shallots, thinly slice in rings and pan fried
2 T sesame seeds, roasted


Prepare wax gourd: peel off skin and scoop out seeds, slice, plunge into boiling water for 30 seconds, remove and plunge into ice water, dry off.

Grill fish: Wash fish (stripe bass) well, pat dry, brush fish with oil, ginger, salt and pepper. Grill, then debone.

In a medium salad bowl, mix wax gourd, carrot, red onion, lemon juice, sugar, fish sauce, garlic, chili pepper and chill for 30 mins. Add baked fish and Vietnamese coriander leaves, mix well. Top with roasted sesame seeds and fried shallot rings.

Tuesday, August 23, 2005

Mực Xào Ruốc Sả

Lemongrass cuttlefish


2/3 lb cuttlefish filet
1 T lemongrass, minced
1 T fine shrimp paste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 white onion
10 dried chili pepper
1 T vegetable oil
fish sauce, sugar, pepper to taste


Make diagonal cuts to 2/3 deep on the inside surface of the cuttlefish filet, turn and make diagonal cuts to 2/3 deep to form diamond-shape cuts. Cut into pieces, it will curl when cooked.

Heat pan and add oil, add garlic and cook until fragrant, add cuttlefish and stir-fry. when they start to curl, add lemongrass, chili pepper and onion, stir evenly, add shrimp paste and continue to stir until onion are translucent. Add sugar, fish sauce to taste. Sprinkle with black pepper.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

Bông Hẹ Xào Tôm



Stir-fried Chive Blossom with Shrimp

1 lb chive blossom, cut into 3 inches-length
1 cup medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T vegetable oil
fish sauce and pepper to taste


Heat pan and add oil. Fry 1/2 garlic until fragant, add shrimp and stir-fry until 3/4 cooked. Add chive blossom and 1/2 garlic lightly stir about 5 minutes or until nicely cooked. Fish sauce and pepper to taste.

Sunday, August 07, 2005

Gỏi Cuốn




2 ounces fine rice vermicelli, cooked
15 medium shrimp, cook, shell, devein and cut in half lengthwise
10 8-inches diameter rice paper
5 large lettuce leaves, chopped
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup mint leaves
chive sprigs (optional)
1/4 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, finely crushed
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 T peanut butter
Siracha chili sauce
1 T tamarind paste, soak in warm water, remove seeds and pouches
Sugar to taste


Sauce:
Put hoisin sauce, chicken broth, peanut butter, tamarind paste in a small pan, cook and stir evenly. Add sugar.
Top with peanut, carrot and Siracha chili sauce when served.

Roll:
Moisten rice paper with warm water. Place on flat surface until soften. Top with 1 T lettuce, 1 T noodles, few bean sprouts and several mint leaves.

Roll up paper halfway into cylinder. Fold sides of paper inward. Place 3 shrimp halves. Tuck few chive sprigs under shrimp, leaving about 1 inch extending outside (optional). Continue to roll paper into cylinder.

Cut each roll in half and serve with the sauce.

Saturday, August 06, 2005

Chè Sen Huế




300 dried lotus seeds
3 cups water
1/3 lb rock candy


In a medium pot, add water and lotus seeds bring to boil and reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the seeds are nicely soft. Add rock candy.


Thursday, August 04, 2005

Đậu Bắp Chao Mè




10 okras
2 cubes fermented tofu
1/2 t sesame seeds, roasted
1 t sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lemon wedge
Siracha chili sauce to taste


Cut off the hat from the bottom of the Okra, wash throughly. Cook in microwave for 1.5 minutes.
Mix fermented tofu, sugar, lemon juice, garlic. Add sesame seeds and siracha chili sauce.

Canh Bí Cạo




1 small hairy gourd
1/2 cup shrimp, peeled and minced
2 cups water
1 green onion, chopped
4 sprigs cilantro, minced
1 T. fish sauce
pepper to taste


Scratch the gourd's skin with a knife just enough to leave some skin on the flesh. Clean out the seeds, wash and cut gourd into small triangles.
In a medium pot, add 2 cups water, bring to boil then add gourd in bring back to boil. Add shrimp and skim off any scum. Reduce heat and cook until gourd translucent. Add fish sauce and pepper to taste, add green onion and cilantro.

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Canh Nghêu Thì Là




1/2 lb clam meat
2 roman tomato
1/2 cup dill, cut into 2-inches length
3 cups chick broth
1 green onion, sliced
1 t tamarind soup base (optional)
1 T fish sauce
1 red hot chili pepper, thinly sliced
sugar and pepper to taste


Put a medium pot of water (about 6-8 cups) on high flame, bring to boil.
Wash tomatoes, cut stem end, and core an X through the skin on the other end. Blanch them in boiling water for 5-30 seconds. Check the skin on the X, if it looks like it's peeling away then take them out, peel the skin off in cold water. Cut tomatoes as desired.
Add 3 cups of chicken broth into a medium pot, add tomatoes, bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add tamarind mix, sugar (If using tamarind- optional). Add clam meat, bring back to boil. Add fish sauce, dill, green onion, chili pepper. Serve hot.

Saturday, July 30, 2005

Nghêu Hấp Bầu

Steamed clam in wax gourd


1 lb clams
1 small wax gourd, slice into 11/2-inch length
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 green onion, julienned
5 sprigs cilantro, minced
1/2 cup water
2 T white wine
1 t vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste


Use a small knife or spoon to scoop the seeds out of the gourd rings, put in a medium pan, add water, white wine, garlic, oil, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to boil and reduce heat, cook for 3-5 minutes or until partly translucent. Add clams, bring back to boil for 3 minutes or until all the clams are opened. Add green onion and cilantro. Serve hot with steam rice and ginger fish sauce.

Friday, July 29, 2005

Bò Cuốn Nướng

Grilled Beef Wheels


1/2 lb flank-steak
1/4 white onion, thinly sliced
1 t minced lemongrass
1 ripe tomato, slice into 1-inch length
10 small okra, cut in half
1 green onion, chiffonade
1 T vegetable oil
salt and pepper
5 toothpicks


Butterfly the steak: holding the knife horizontally, slice the steak in half leaving 1 inch uncut. Open the steak, pound it until uniformly thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper (and a pinch of fishsauce if desired), top with lemongrass and onion and roll tightly. Insert bamboo toothpicks through the roll's center at 1-inch intervals, cut into slices between the toothpicks.

Sprinkle tomatoes, okras with salt, pepper and oil.

Grill beef pinwheels about 5-7 minutes until well browned outside and still pink inside. Grill tomatoes and okras until soft about 3-5 minutes. Place the beef pinwheels on tomato slices, top with green onion.


Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Cơm Cá Hồi




1/3 lb salmon
1 small bunch cresson
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t fish sauce
2 sprigs dill, 1 minced 1 for garnishing
1 T vegetable oil
salt and pepper
1 cup steam rice


Put 1/2 T oil into a medium pan, add garlic and stir evenly until fragant, add cresson. Cook for 3 minutes, add fish sauce and pepper.

Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper, fry until cooked about 5-7 minutes. Scrub minced dill on when it still hot. Serve over rice and garlic cresson.




Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Wednesday, June 08, 2005

Friday, April 29, 2005

Hến Xúc Bánh Đa



Spicy Baby Clam With Rice Cracker

2 cans small clam (baby clam) (5 ounces(drain)each)
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 stalks green onion, minced
2 T vietnamese coriander, thinly sliced
1 T roasted peanut, grinded
1 T dried minced onion, fried
3 red hot chili pepper, thinly sliced
1 T vegetable oil
1 T fish sauce
sugar and pepper to tatse
1 lemon
1 sesame rice paper(cracker), toasted


Rinse the clams to get rid of any sand, drain well.
In a medium pot, heat oil over high flame, add onion and cook until translucant and fragant. Add clam and cook for 5 minutes. Stir well. Add green onion, fish sauce, sugar and pepper to taste. Turn off heat.
Add vietnamese coriander, chili pepper and mix well. Sprinkle with roasted peanut, dried minced onion. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice over, serve with toasted sesame rice cracker.

Thursday, April 28, 2005

Canh Bí



1 small hairy gourd, julienned (about 1 cup)
1 T small dried shrimp, soaked in warm water
2 cup water
1 green onion, chopped
4 sprigs cilantro, minced
1 T. fish sauce
pepper to taste


Put 2 cups of water in a small pot, add shrimp, over high heat bring to boil. Add gourd, bring back to boil for 2-3 minutes, add fish sauce, green onion and cilantro. Pepper to taste.

Wednesday, April 27, 2005

Dưa Chuột Đậu Phụ Nhự



5 suhyo cucumbers
5 cubes fermented tofu (packed in chili sesame oil)
1 T rice vinegar
1 t sugar

Use a spoon to press the tofu and mix them well with sugar and vinegar.
Wash cucumbers and make a long slit on each one. Soak in fermented tofu vinaigrette for 1 day.

Tuesday, April 26, 2005

Bắp Chiên



1 lb frozen cut corn
1 cup tempura batter mix
1 t sugar
2 T iced water
3 stalks green onion, chopped
2 cups vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste


Mix frozen corn, tempura batter, water, sugar, green onion, salt, pepper well.
Deep fry for 3-5 minutes, turning once to brown evenly.

Canh Mồng Tơi Nấu Riêu



1 lb ceylon spinach, thinly sliced
10 oz frozen Oceanic crab
3 T fish sauce
pepper to taste


Add 4- cups of water in a medium pot, bring to boil on high heat. Add crab and turn to medium heat, cook for 10 mins. Add Spinach, fish sauce, pepper to taste. Bring back to boil, serve.

Monday, April 25, 2005

Nấm Dẻ Xào Tỏi




5 oz Hon-shimeji mushroom
1 t. vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
5 sprigs cilantro, minced
salt and pepper to taste


Cut off and discard the base of the cluster, rinse lightly.
Heat 1 t. oil on a pan over high heat, add garlic and cook until fragant. Add mushroom in and stir evenly for 3-5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste, add cilantro.

Friday, April 22, 2005

Rau cần xào tỏi




1 lb water dropwort, cut into 3 to 4-inches lenght
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T vegetable oil
1/2 T fish sauce
pepper to taste


Wash water dropwort throughly, use hand to twist them off instead of cutting them by knife. Drain well.
Heat oil in a wok, ađ garlic and cook until fragant. Add water dropwort, stir well, add fish sauce. Cook about 2 mins over high heat. Turn off heat, add fresh ground pepper, serve.

Gà Ram Sả

Caramel Lemongrass Chicken


1 lb skinless chicken thigh, remove bones and cut into small pieces
4 stalks fresh meaty lemongrass, cut off leaves and finely chopped
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 T sugar
2 T fish sauce
salt and pepper to taste


Marinate chicken with lemongrass, shallot, garlic, 1 T sugar, fish sauce for 30 mins.
In a medium pot, add 2 T sugar and turn on high heat, cook until the sugar melt to golden caramel color. Add chicken and stir well, cook for 5 mins then turn heat to medium. Stir occasionally and cook for 20 more minutes or until the chicken well cook and has golden brown color. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Gỏi Gà




2 cups cooked chicken breast and cooked chicken liver, shred into bite-size piece
2 cup cabbage, shredded
5 T fresh lime juice
2 T fish sauce
1 T sugar or more to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 shallots, thinly sliced
3 red hot chili pepper, sliced
2/3 cup Vietnamese coriander leaves, thinly sliced
fresh ground pepper to taste


In a salad bowl, combine everything. Separate shallot slices into rings. let stand for 30 minutes. Grind pepper over when served.

Wednesday, April 20, 2005

Miến Gà




chicken half breast
1/2 lb chicken liver, cooked, thinly sliced
5 small packs cellophane noodles, soaked in warm water
2 shallots, thinly slices
1 T. fish sauce
2 green onion, diced
6 sprigs cilantro, diced
salt and pepper to taste.


Put 5 cups water in a medium pot, place chicken breast with bones intact in, bring to boil. Skim off scums, and turn heat to medium cook for 20 mins, remove chicken, sliced.
Fry shallot in a seperate pan until golden brown, add to the stock pot. Add fish sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Add noodle in and bring back to boil. Serve immediately with chicken breast and liver. Sprinkle green onion and cilantro on top.

Monday, April 18, 2005

Mực Xào Thơm

stir fried Pineaple with squid

Canh Chua Rau Muống




1 lb water spinach, remove all leaves and cut lengthwise in half.
2 T small dried shrimps, soaked in warm water for 15'
1 T tamarind soup base
1 T sugar
2 T fish sauce
2 red hot chili peppers, sliced
salt and pepper to taste


In a medium pot, add 4-5 cups water and dried shrimps bring to boil over high heat. Add water spinach, tamarind soup base, sugar, fish sauce. Bring back to boil, cook for 3-5 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste. Add chili pepper and serve.

Thursday, April 14, 2005

Rau Muống Luộc




1/2 lb water spinach
1/2 t. salt


Nutritional Value For This Serving
65 kcal, 5.7 g protein 132 mg
calcium, 5.3 mg iron, 6.2 mg vitamin A,
99 mg vitamin C


In a medium pot, fill water and add salt, bring to boil. Add water spinach, bring back to boil and cook for 3-5 more mins, drain.