Spaghetti squash is something I’ve seen online and social media for YEARS that caught my interest. My girlfriend was actually craving spaghetti squash carbonara this week, so I finally gave in and wanted to see what the fuss was about. There are paleo and other ‘cleaner’ spaghetti squash recipes you could make instead, but if you want to indulge, this is…
There are LOTS of fresh veggies in many vietnamese dishes, wouldn’t you agree? Any time you have a wrap, or something being dipped into sauce, it’s almost a given fresh lettuce or herbs will be a part of it. And in how many other types of soups do you order and pretty much expect a side of bean sprouts or…
This recipe for fried & stuffed tofu in tomato sauce is a meatified version of the popular Vietnamese dish of tofu in tomato sauce (or Đậu hũ dồn thịt sốt cà chua). That version is great, and probably the one I’ve had more of, however, the version you’re going to make in this post is more substantial–enough that you don’t…
I’ll never understand why some people have an aversion to tofu. I suppose there can be a slight disconnect from what it actually is made of since it’s just a white jiggly block. We meat-hungry Americans are missing out on a lot of good stuff by not trying new foods. Are you one of those? 🙂 Tofu has been eaten…
My trip to Oregon was made possible because of my super-generous cousins Chris and Erica. They opened up their home up to me, gave me tours, fed me (!), put up with my insatiable junk food appetite & other nonsense I threw at them 🙂 The main event here was to celebrate [the talented] Chris‘ fancy backyard 30th birthday bash. On their days…
My employer recently presented to me a decision-making process and philosophy to consider: “heck yes, or heck no.” In other words, if you’re not fully excited about a decision or path presented to you then you should probably say no and move on. Maybe he noticed how I like to take my sweet time when making decisions (ha!). Anyways, it…
The tộ in cá kho tộ refers to the clay pot this dish is traditionally prepared in. I don’t have any spare clay pots on hand and I bet most of you aren’t going to have it either so we’re going to cheat a bit and make this in a good ol’ fashioned non-stick pan. Mom’s old restaurant served cá kho in a…
Many Vietnamese people fled their home country after the Vietnam War and ended up in Louisiana. The Vietnamese were exposed to new, local foods resulting in some current mainstays of Vietnamese cuisine, such as Cajun crawfish boil, chicory in Vietnamese coffee and of course, boiled peanuts. These are popularly boiled with just salt, or with Cajun spices, but in this recipe we’re going to keep it simple and…
As a youngin, my parents took me out to eat with them a lot. They were great cooks, so a lot of going out was about discovery and enjoying new foods. To be honest though, it was partially because I was a stubborn customer who couldn’t stomach homemade food. It’s mind-blowing now to think we did all this dining without some…
This pandan sticky rice dessert, or xoi la dua, is great blend of sweet, salty, and nutty flavors. Glutinous rice is used for this, not just regular rice that you can make sticky! The main flavor comes from pandan leaves, which is found in many Vietnamese desserts. These leaves have a wonderful, intoxicating aroma I’d say is a contender among my other favorites like…
