As promised, here are some photos of my visit to the Pagoda Building and Chinatown Sacramento. Sorry for the quality.
I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard about this recipe for cake batter that magically separates into 3 layers (cake on the bottom, custard in the middle, cake on the top). It seemed too good to be true. Naturally, I had to try it!
To my absolute delight, the cake was fantastic! It reminded me of those orange chocolate balls that you get during the holidays. You know, the ones you have to smash to break apart. Biting into this magic cake transported me back 4 months, to Christmas.
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To prevent any confusion, I just wanted to note that I constantly use Chinese and East Asian terms/ methods interchangeably. Truth be told, many East Asian countries have either carried on or adopted Chinese traditions. Not to say that all Asian countries are alike, but nations like Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, etc. have many traditions that originated in China. Additionally, many non-Chinese countries were populated by immigrants of China at one point or another, dating back centuries or even millenniums ago! Which explains why multiple Asian countries have similar wedding traditions! Interesting, huh? So now that we’re done with that little history lesson, let’s move on shall we?
Alrighty, so in the previous wedding post , I mentioned that the traditional Chinese wedding consists of 8-12 courses. Yeah, I know, kill me now! Not only is this feast of kings full of complicated dishes, but the cost of having it catered will surely tear a hole through my bank account!
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I’ve been suffering from this intolerable cold on and off again for the past 2 months! Just when I start to feel better, this cold sucks me back in. Needless to say, I’ve been an utter mess. Jonah’s been super sweet caring for me. The other week he set up the vaporizer for me, stocked the fridge with yummy soup, and encouraged me to veg out in front of the TV all day. I slept, watched the entire first season of Downton Abbey, slept some more, ate soup, and slept again. The next day, I was cured! All symptoms were gone! “Thank Lord Grantham”, I thought. But…I spoke too soon. Not even a week later, the dreaded symptoms had returned. Yesterday, I ran a fever of 100.2F. Can you say “FML”? It’s as if my immune system decided to go on furlough for 2 months. I’m willing to do anything to finally be rid of this cold! Which brings me to today’s recipe.
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There’s just something about apple turnovers that makes you just want to huddle by a fire and read a good book. It’s one of those universal comfort foods that both brings us back to childhood and makes us feel a slight sophistication by eating such a dainty pastry. I decided to add an Asian addition to this traditionally Western desert by adding…yes, you guessed it, Chinese Five Spice!
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When people hear of Vietnamese street food, they automatically think of banh mi. Although it’s known to be essentially “fast food”, I’m glad to see this sandwich style making its way into both upscale restaurants and food trucks alike in this nation.
Banh mi is simply translated as “sandwich”. So, what makes a banh mi sandwich different from others? The answer is in the toppings! Rather than your boring lettuce-tomato-onion topping in your plain Jane sandwich, imagine biting into crisp cilantro, cucumbers, pickled carrots and daikon, fresh serrano peppers, and pate!
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My fiance, Jonah, has a little joke he likes to tell, it goes like this:
How do you know if someone listens to NPR?
They tell you!
It’s funny because it’s true. Annoying NPR listeners, like myself, are constantly quoting things we heard on NPR earlier that day. I’m reminded of the character from American Pie, the one that always starts a discussion with “one time, at band camp…”, except in my case it’s “today, on NPR…”. As the proud NPR listener that I am, I’m not ashamed to admit that this little bit on no-churn Nutella ice cream was inspired by an NPR piece.
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Bacon, beer, and banh xeo, a trifecta of all that is wonderful in this world! Banh xeo is my all time favorite dish! Not one of my favorite dishes, my favorite dish! I’m suddenly flooded with fond memories of my mom and I cooking these up, filling the kitchen with the smell of turmeric, drowning out sounds with the sizzling skillet, watching the pale yellow batter transform into a crispy and yet tender golden crepe. Once you’ve tried this Vietnamese specialty, you’ll wonder how you’ve gone through life without it.
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Happy Lunar New Year! I hope the year of the snake is treating you all well thus far. Visited my Dad’s temple today. It’s not unusual for Chinese, Vietnamese, and other Asian families to go to temple on New Years, and needless to say, it was packed! I was so overjoyed being back in the bay area for Chinese New Year! Here are a few photos I took today.
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Yes, I admit it…I am one of the many who’ve jumped on the bandwagon and made a new years resolution to be healthier. Making an effort to eat healthier doesn’t necessarily mean you have to sacrifice flavor. Mangoes were one of those once-in-a-while treats I had as a kid, mainly due to seasonality. Now that every grocery store carries mango in the frozen section, you can enjoy the tropical and sweet fruit all year round! I’ve been drinking chia seeds all my life, only recently did I learn about their many health benefits. Not only do chia seeds suppress hunger, they’re a great source of calcium, iron fiber, omega fatty acids and antioxidants. This wonder ingredient mixed the delicious and nutritious mango makes for the perfect drink for someone on a health kick!
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