“I think food, culture, people, and landscape are all absolutely inseparable"
I am not a 100 percent foodie, but I love to cook and bake. I also enjoy eating at local bakeries and popular local dishes when I travel. All the food here is mixed with inspiration from the food I ate when I traveled and a touch of Vietnamese food.
Table of Contents
Vietnamese iced coffee
When I came to Seattle downtown, I couldn’t buy coffee at the oldest Starbucks store across the Pike Place Market. Holly Molly! It was so packed that a long line wrapped around the building. Coffee is a well-liked drink worldwide, and it is also trendy in Vietnam. If you went to Vietnam, you could see many coffee shops along the road. It is not just drinking coffee – it is a way of life. Your social life and business could solve around the rusted, chipped wooden tables. All day long, people gather, chatting about all aspects of life while waiting patiently for the last drip from the coffee filter. This is a simple recipe for Vietnamese iced coffee.
Ingredients:
- Vietnamese coffee filter (Phin)
- 2 tsp sweetened condensed milk. Use more if you like a little bit sweeter (The best brand is the Longevity brand from an Asian store)
- 4 tsp French roast coffee, use the medium to coarse-ground coffee.
- Boiling water
Directions
- Boil water using the electric kettle.
- Add two teaspoons of sweetened condensed milk to the coffee mug.
- Preheat the Phin and coffee filter by running hot boiling water through them. Allow the boiling water to sit for 60 to 90 seconds to cool to a temperature range between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Boiling water will burn the coffee grounds leading to bitter or burnt coffee.
- Remove the coffee filter and put four teaspoons of ground coffee into the Phin.
- Place the filter on the coffee grounds and twist it until it stops. Don’t twist too tight because it will cause the coffee will not drip.
- Place the Phin on the coffee mug, then pour some water to wet the coffee grounds and allow them to expand. It helps remove small coffee grounds that might have made it through the coffee filter.
- Fill the Phin with hot water nearly to the brim and cover it with a lid. Let the coffee drip into the mug for three to five minutes.
- Wait for the mixture to cool, then pour it into a glass with ice.
Phở (Fuh)
Pho is all about broth. The chef will roast the beef bone, ginger, and onion, star anise, then simmer for about 6 hours. However, My Phở gà (chicken rice noodle soup) recipe is simple and cooks in a pressure cooker.
Ingredients:
- 1 organic whole chicken. Clean and Dry.
- 1 small ginger root
- 1 onion, peel and halve.
- 1 package of Pho Spice Seasoning Amazon.com : Old Man Que Huong Pho Bac Spice Seasoning (3 Packs)- Gia Vi Pho Bac : Grocery & Gourmet Food
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 ½ tablespoons fish sauce. Red Boat Brand is the best. You can find it at any Oriental Grocery store. https://redboatfishsauce.com/
- 1 (8-ounce) package of dried rice noodles
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chopped green onion.
- Bean sprouts
- Thai mint
Directions:
- Place onion and ginger halves on a baking sheet and roast until blackened and soft, about 15 minutes.
- Toast Pho Spice Seasoning on the frying pan with low heat for 5 minutes. Stirring constantly to prevent burning. Put it in the cheesecloth, gather it at the top, and secure it with kitchen twine.
- Place the chicken in the pressure cooker and add water to maximum level.
- Add onion, ginger, the spice sachet, and salt. Turn the valve to seal, apply the lid, and cook on manual/high pressure for 20 minutes with a controlled quick release after the timer beeps. Use the Quick Pressure Release, and when the Pressure Cooker is once again safe to open, skim the broth for excess fat and impurities.
- Adjust seasoning by adding more salt and/or fish sauce to taste.
- Boil the noodles following the direction on the package. Add cooked rice noodles to individual bowls with some shredded chicken and ladle hot broth. Garnish with green onion, cilantro, bean sprouts, and mint.
- Serve hot.
Chicken wings with balsamic sauce
This recipe was inspired by the Noth Carolina style, using balsamic vinegar sauce. You can cook the chicken wings in the Air fryer or barbecue pit. I cook mine in the oven.
Ingredients:
- Two pounds of chicken wings. Clean and dry.
- 3 tsp salt, 3 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp ground pepper. Mix them well together. Set it on the side to use as a dried mix.
- Two cups of balsamic vinegar. You can get balsamic from From Olives and Grapes company
Directions for Balsamic sauce
- Pour 1 cup of dark balsamic into a small pot with a pinch of salt and some pepper. Put it on low heat. Warm it up for about 5 minutes. Put it on the side.
Directions for cooking chicken wings
- Season the chicken wings well with the dried mix. Add one tablespoon of balsamic. Leave it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
- Turn on the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 Celsius)
- Place the chicken wings on the baking tray. Cook for about 20 minutes. Take the tray out. Basted the balsamic on the chicken, then returned it to the oven. Bake for another 10 minutes. Take the tray out. Flip the chicken. Basted balsamic again.
- Turn on the broil at 400. Cook the chicken for about 30 seconds or so to have a charred look.
- Serve with the balsamic sauce.
