Well, I decided to take on the challenge and did alot of research on the subject (for 3 months) learning alot about Vietnamese culture, history as well as learning about their cuisine.  My biggest concern when presenting was having the right knowledge and representing the Vietnamese culture correctly.

I made friends with a fella at our local Asian Market who ended up being Vietnamese and his uncle owns the best Vietnamese restaurant in the city!  His knowledge and the resources of the market was invaluable.

The presentation happened this past Wednesday evening and I was quite nervous going into the presentation…especially when I saw some patrons of the library from the Asian culture in the audience…(seated in the second row).  Well, the presentation ended up going very well and I had such a fun time presenting the material.  The audience (over 35 of them) was very responsive and asked a lot of questions…the best part was when I couldn’t answer some of the questions…two of my Asian “friends” in the audience helped me.  After the presentation was over and guests came to the front to taste the food, I was complimented on how much fun they had and when my two Asian friends specifically complimented me on the dishes prepared and told me I was “spot-on” with the taste, texture and selection of historic significance related to their cultural food - I was so happy!

I ran out of copies of the recipes to hand out so I have included them below for those who attended the presentation and were unable to taste all the food or not able to recieve a copy.

My advise to everyone reading this blog is if you are lucky enough to have an Asian market in your town; take some time and visit!  Try some of the different rices and noodles, explore the sauces and vegetables.  Ask questions and I am sure the people who work there will be willing to help.  They like sharing knowledge about their culture and types of foods they eat - it truly will be an experience and have fun doing it!

Enjoy culture at your dinner table tonight!  Have fun eating - Kathleen

Vietnamese dipping sauce

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 teaspoon ground chili paste

1 fresh thai bird chili, chopped (optional)

2 Tablespoons fish sauce

2/3 cup hot water

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, no need to strain

¼ cup sugar

2 tablespoons shredded carrots for garnish

1.      Make paste with garlic, chili paste in mortar.  Pound with pestle into a paste.

2.      Combine with remaining ingredients; mixing until sugar is dissolved.

3.      Garnish with shredded carrots.

Hoisin Peanut Sauce

1 cup hoisin sauce

½ cup water

¼ cup rice wine vinegar

¼ cup finely minced onion

½ tablespoon ground chili paste

2 tablespoons chopped roasted/salted peanuts for garnish

1.      Place hoisin sauce, water vinegar and onion in sauce pan and bring to boil; reduce and let simmer for 5 minutes adding a bit of water if too thick.

2.      When cool stir in chili paste and garnish with peanuts.

Rice paper-wrapped salad rolls

12 medium raw shrimp peeled

½ pound pork shoulder trimmed

8 (12-inch) round rice papers (extras may be needed in case some tear)

8 small leafs of lettuce, romaine, red leaf, or iceberg folded into 5”x 1” rectangles

¼ pound rice vermicelli, cooked in boiling water 4-5 minutes, rinsed and drained and tossed     lightly with vegetable oil.

1 cup bean sprouts

18 fresh mint leaves

1.      Cook pork in a medium sauce pan of boiling salted water until tender; about 30 minutes.  Cool and then slice into ¼” x 1” pieces.

2.      Cook shrimp in boiling salted water until just done, about 2 minutes.  Drain and refresh in cool water; cut in half lengthwise; set aside.

3.      Set up a prep station before making rolls by arranging all ingredients in separate bowls and in order of filling.  Work on a large clean counter.

a.       Fill a large bowl with hot water

b.      Line up ingredient as given: rice paper, sliced shrimp, pork slices, lettuce, vermicelli (1 tablespoon/roll), sprouts (1 tablespoon/roll), and mint leaves (3 per roll)

c.       Dip one rice paper disc into bowl; count to 5 and remove; place on counter

d.      Place filling in order given above neatly on top of each other at top third of rice paper working as quickly as you can

e.       Roll top edge of rice paper over ingredients and roll over once.  Then pull sides in together to create a package and then continue rolling making sure you press down on the ingredients and while you roll to ensure a tight package

4.      To serve, slice the rolls in 2 to 4 equal pieces passing Vietnamese Dipping Sauce and Hoisin Peanut Sauce.

Pho (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

2-2 ½ pounds beef chuck roast, trimmed of any visible fat, cut into 4 pieces

3 quarts water

1 ½ tablespoons salt

1 (5-inch) piece fresh ginger, unpeeled

2 large yellow onions, peeled and quartered

5 whole star anise

4 whole cloves

1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

2 ½ tablespoons sugar

Noodles: ½ pound dried small rice sticks, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes; drain

Accompaniments:

Finest quality top sirloin (raw) (optional)

Yellow onion, sliced paper-thin

Green onion, chopped

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Bean sprouts

Fresh Thai basil sprigs

Limes cut into wedges

Fresh red or green chilies, sliced

Fish sauce

1.      Fill large stockpot with water and bring to a boil; add beef pieces and boil for 5 minutes; remove meat from water and discard water.

2.      Return beef to pot and fill with the 3 quarts of fresh cool water; add salt and bring to a boil.

3.      While stock simmers, dry-roast ginger and onion in fry pan over high heat.  Turning occasionally so skins are evenly charred but not cooked, about 5-8 minutes; remove from heat and add to stock.

4.      Add star anise, cloves, fish sauce, and sugar and continue to simmer until meat is tender, about 1½ hours.

5.      Remove 1 piece of beef from pot and set aside to cool; simmer stock with the remaining meat to create a rich broth, about 30 minutes more.  Remove spices, ginger and onions at this time.  Broth may seem salty but will balance with remaining condiments and noodles.

6.      Arrange condiments on a platter and set aside.  Cut reserved beef into thin slices and serve with condiments.  If using sirloin beef (refrigerate the raw meat until ready to serve), slice into very thin strips and arrange on platter; pour boiling hot broth over top of beef and other select accompaniments and serve immediately.

7.      Serve soup in large soup bowls to hold generous amounts of steaming broth along with noodles (1 part noodles to 4 parts broth) and any accompaniments.

Curried Rice with Lime

3 tablespoons butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cups jasmine rice

1 ½ tablespoons curry powder

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ tablespoon salt

2 ½ cups water

2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Zest of 1 lime (optional)

2/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

1.      Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat; add onion and sauté until tender; about 5 minutes.  Add rice, curry powder, turmeric, and salt.  Toss for 2-3 minutes to evenly coat the rice. 

2.      Place water and coconut milk in the rice cooker with the rice mixture.  Stir to combine; cook.

3.      When rice is done stir in peas and lime; replace lid of rice cooker and let sit for 3 minutes; serve.

Siagon salad

We were invited to an inpromptu picnic later on today and I am making my old standby 4th of July Jello salad - I know it is old-fashioned and probably not good for you…but it is totally American and what we secretly yearn for on holidays like today.  I thought I would share with you and hope you enjoy!

Happy 4th - Kathleen

Sparkler Jello Salad

6 ounce package strawberry jello

1 1/2 cups boiling water

8 ounce package cream cheese

24 ounce package frozen strawberries

1 small container Cool-Whip

1. Combine Jello and boiling water in blender; blend 10 seconds.
2. Add cream cheese, blend until combined.
3. Add strawberries and blend until smooth.
4. Pour into large serving bowl and fold in Cool-Whip.  Refrigerate until firm.  Serve with fresh blueberries and an additional dollop of Cool-Whip for a festive presentation if you choose!

Side Note: Those of you not from Michigan; “Up-North” means any where north of Lansing/Detroit/Grand Rapids that is breezy, warm and sunny during the day, cool at night, close to water, sand, trees, grass, lake, stream, puddle, golf course, forest, or campsite.  Anywhere quiet and restful.

…The family owns a lovely cottage on Lake Huron, with long stretches of beach and beautiful sunsets.  She will have a great time!  On the other hand, my husband and son are getting all geared up to install a sprinkler system in our backyard this weekend.  They are so excited about the project.  Great father/son time! That leaves me contemplating exactly what to do with myself for two days.  I want to come up with something fun and exciting too!

I could wash the cars, sweep out the garage, shampoo the rugs, or clean out the spare room, but I have decided not to - not much fun.  I can start sorting through the hundreds of thousands (literally) of recipes that I have collect and have been given over the past 30 years - this is a great idea…the only problem is I get so wrapped up in the recipes…I drop everything and start cooking and then never finish the sorting (maybe I should lock my pantry first).

I can finish all the sewing projects I have piled up on top of my sewing machine…but who wants to be inside sewing when the weather is so beautiful?  I can finish one of the 3 blankets that I am crocheting…hmmm same problem…who wants to be covered with an afghan when the weather is 80 degrees and sunny?  Maybe I will dig out my water color set and try to paint the pictures I have been wanting to paint for at least 3 years now…the frames have been sitting in my closet that long- this is a viable option.

But wait! I just received a text from my girlfriend…she wants to go shopping, have lunch and/or meet for happy hour on Saturday- what a great idea!!!  Her husband is working all weekend and her kids are at camp.  Now this sounds like fun.

I got it…I will sort through my recipes early in the morning, make a trip to the farmers market and then make a few recipes to share over lunch with my girlfriend, do a bit of shopping and then have her over for a cold beverage afterward…then if I am lucky, my husband and son will order out pizza and rent a movie…and we will call it a day.  On Sunday, I just might take the “paint-by-number” set out and paint some masterpiece!

Thanks for listening and helping me sort out my Independence Day Schedule.  I will leave you with one of my silly ideas.  While shopping for S’more ingredients today I thought of a great alternative to the standard “recipe”.  I love peanut butter and chocolate, so instead of using Hershey chocolate bars in our S’mores, we will use Reese’s peanut butter cups instead - YUMMMM!!!!!  Try it - you will love it!!

Hope there is sparkle in your beverage this weekend! Happy 4th! Kathleen

We connected with some of my Italian family we have never met before (except for email correspondence in the last 6 months), saw some of the most beautiful art and architecture, rode on trains that I thought would fall off the side of cliffs, hauled luggage up and down 5 million stairs, and ate the most amazing food on the face of this earth.  The most interesting aspect of our trip was how much everyone walked in this country and the state of physical fitness the majority of population is in.

I have been spending this past week dealing with jet lag, missing this beautiful country and cooking my way through an Italian cookbook I picked up while in Florence…of course it is practically all in Italian and measurements are all weighed by grams… 

I shall close now and get some laundry done.  I will be back in the next day or two.  I just wanted to assure everyone I am still alive.  I have pictures, some very interesting recipes and stories to share with you!  Please stay tuned!  Ciao, Katarina

In the summer we make a lot of salads - big bowls are great to serve salads from.  Nice round high sides to toss the ingredients and then scoop out.  We made homemade pizza the evening before the garage sale so the next evening I whipped up a salad from left overs in the refrigerator.  Italian salami (sopressata), fresh mozzarella, red onion, steam green beans, artichoke hearts, green olives, roasted peppers, cherry tomatoes, cheese, etc… Tossed with some romaine and drizzled with a bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Finished with some coarse ground sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and we had our selves one delicious salad … in one very attractive ceramic bowl I might add!

I have some pictures of the salad - in the bowl.  btw - I did not sell the bowl you see in the picture, it’s just too pretty.  Enjoy the beginning of your summer by tossing your cares aside this Memorial Day weekend and relaxing.  Enjoy a salad full of delicious fresh ingredients tossed in your own bowl of wisdom.

Well, I have done what I set out to do - make a few bucks to buy a new patio set and have a little spending money for our summer vacation…  But in the mean-time, my family has practically gone hungry since I was not available to make dinner this past week.  Don’t get me wrong - they are all very capable of preparing their own meals but not quite like what they are used to on a daily basis (not to mention their own busy schedules this past week).  Here is my solution: Pizza- I always have the number programmed into my cell phone and call when these types of emergencies occur.  This is one recipe I can’t prints…since my pizza number might be different than yours.  So to all my friends out there garage sale-ing and selling “stuff” at garage sales - enjoy the fun of this late spring mid-west ritual and always remember, “one woman’s junk is another man’s treasure!”

So here I am - finally having our garage sale tomorrow - ONE DAY ONLY!!!  And started to haul the “stuff” out of the basement.  OH-MY-GOSH…we have accumulated ALOT of “STUFF”!  I don’t even think I will have enough tables and it will take me all day and most of the eveningto sort and price everything.  I am sellingeverything from camp gear, snorkel masks, kites, Christmas decorations, comforters, window treatments, antique dresser, ping-pong table, pots and pans, utensils, books, beenie babies, and the list goes on and on and on!

Of course, while pricing 10,000 articles of “stuff” today, I have to think about feeding my family too so I made this black bean soup the other week and decided to make it again since it was so easy.  It’s made in the crock pot, takes all of about 10 minutes to throw together   The weather has been aweful - cold, wet and rainy so it will be perfect.  I serve it with a loaf of french bread which I tear in large chunks and set in a basket (this makes for a pretty neat presentation - like a cookbook photo) and a green salad on the side.

Here is the recipe and I hope you enjoy.  This soup is great chilled and served with a dollop of sour cream too!  Happy garage sale-ing this weekend!

Black Bean Soup – Crockpot Style

Serves 6-8

1 pound dry black beans, soaked overnight or 3-4 15.5 oz. cans

1 tbs. chopped jalapeno peppers

6 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 med. carrot, diced

1 med. onion, diced

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 tbs. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. ground black pepper

½ cup sour cream (optional)

1.      Drain black beans; rinse.

2.      Combine beans, and remaining ingredients except sour cream in a Crockpot.

3.      Cook on High 4 hours. Reduce heat to Low, and continue cooking for 2 hours.

4.      At this point the soup can be eaten as is, pureed with a hand blender for a creamy texture or served chilled with a dollop of sour cream.

Then I put everyone to work - even the friends…One makes the patties, someone else preps the asparagus, another sets the table and my husband loves to do the potatoes.  They are the best oven baked potatoes ever! 

Chris’s Oven Baked Potato Chips

4 large premium russet potatoes, scrubbed (peeling optional)

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon each garlic powder, salt and pepper

1/4 teaspoon lemon zest

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.  If your oven has a roasting option - use it.  Coat 2 large baking sheets with a thin coat of cooking spray.  Combine vegetable oil, bread crumbs, seasonings and lemon zest in large mixing bowl; mix well.  Slice potatoes 1/4″ thin if possible - and place in mixing bowl with oil and seasonings; toss well.  Place potato slices in a single layer on prepared baking sheet and roast for 25 minutes or until potatoes are crisp and golden brown.  Serve immediately - serves 4-6.

Let’s start with the basics - sautéing onions.  Chop, dice, slice - whatever it is - spread them out in the pan; not in a pile in the middle of the pan.  (See first photo.)  Pans are designed to distribute heat throughout the bottom of the pan and on some types - up the sides.  spreading the vegetables (in this case onion) over the entire bottom of the pan will insure 1) even cooking, 2) quicker softening and browning, and 3) less chance of scorching bottom of pan.

Now make sure you don’t have the heat on high…and don’t turn it all the way down to low…there are many degrees of heat other than “high” and “off”!  An average saute with onions in a pan as above with a few tablespoons of olive oil works well on medium-high.

Now stay close to the pan and move things around a bit every few minutes.  Within 5-8 minutes, your onions will be perfect - now.  Walla! you are ready for anything now; wine, tomatoes, garlic, broth for soup, cream etc…  Have fun in the kitchen! kathleen

Living in Michigan we have access to some of the best and freshest varieties of asparagus in the country.  I may sound a bit biased, but food has always been my love and asparagus at the top of my list of favorites – that being said, I feel I have eaten enough asparagus in my (barely) less than 50 years to make this statement with a bit of authority.

Its colors are so enticing to me – spring green like the fresh leaves on trees with tips of purple like someone painted then with a brush.  I typically steam these tender stems making sure they are still a bit crunchy and bright green or toss them with a bit of olive oil and roast them in a very hot oven then barely sprinkled with an aged balsamic vinegar and Sicilian sea salt.

Some stems are pencil thin and others are thick like my thumb.  As long as your bunch of asparagus is consistent in size – nothing else matters other than fresh wonderful flavor.  Here is a great web site to answer some general questions that you may have about asparagus: http://www.asparagus.org/maab/faq.html

I found some asparagus at the local grocery store today for $1.29/pound so I bought a huge bag and carried it home with much excitement.  I know what you’re thinking right now – this woman is nuts!  Well, some of my closest friends think that, so it’s ok if you think the same thing!  I am in the process of making asparagus soup this afternoon.  I really don’t have a written recipe so I thought I would spend some time today to perfect and measure all the ingredients and finally write down the Best Asparagus Soup recipe ever (I guess that sounds a bit biased too)!

The soup is in the fridge right now and chilling – send me a note and let me know if you want the recipe – I will be refining it this weekend.  Happy spring! k