Of Shopping and Sorting, Horseraces and Hors D'oeuvres...and Shakespeare

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

It was a busy day for me that started with a trip to my favorite Mexican market to buy some limes and a jalapeno pepper for this evening's Indochine Vietnamese appetizers. When I returned, Will and I sorted through all the boxes and files in my home office, some residual work after the move last winter, a task made less onerous while watching the Belmont Stakes. As anticipated, Afleet Alex won the race, revealing Giacomo as the true spoiler for the Triple Crown.

Afterwards, it was time for the appetizer phase of my Indochine dinner, so I made Shrimp and Crab Summer Rolls, Grilled Beef Skewers and Shrimp Brochettes with two different lime dipping sauces. Will and I enjoyed them while watching The Merchant of Venice, starring Al Pacino. Most excellent. Next to Hamlet, it's my favorite Shakespeare play, and the appetizers were equally stellar. More tomorrow on the details of how they turned out.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

02:29 AM PDT Permalink |

Revisiting My Vietnamese Appetizer Recipes

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Tomorrow afternoon, my son Will and I are going to watch the Belmont Stakes, the third leg of the Triple Crown horseraces, even though there will be no Triple Crown winner this year, since Giacomo's chances were nixxed by Afleet Alex in the Preakness. But Will and I plan to go the distance and watch it anyway. After that, I'm going to go shopping and make my Vietnamese appetizers, Crab Summer Rolls with Nuoc Cham dipping sauce, Beef skewers with Lime, and Vietnamese salt pickles.

My shopping list is quite short, with only a few fresh vegetables, herbs and seafood on it, so I'm going to shop in the afternoon just before preparing them. The recipes call for rice paper wrappers and bamboo skewers, lots of fresh lime juice, nuoc mam, garlic, ginger, chili peppers, carrots, cucumbers, leafy lettuce, mint, daikon radish, fresh lump crabmeat, and some kind of tender beef. And since it's the weekend and summer vacation too, Will is going to be here to share them with me. Too bad Rene has to work.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

10:14 PM PDT Permalink |

Serving Dishes for My Vietnamese Dinner

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

After more than a year of preparing and presenting Asian dinners, I have several baskets of attractive serving dishes in my cupboard. But with my newly-added photo of the day feature, I still crave more, if for no other reason than the sake of variety. Fortunately I have several good sources for eclectic tableware at our two local kitchen shops, the factory outlets here in town, and several excellent thrift shops. Oddly enough, I don't particularly enjoy shopping, except when it comes to preparing for a special meal. For that I will go the extra mile.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

02:42 PM PDT Permalink |

Special Vietnamese Cooking Utensils

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

The menu I have chosen for my 'Indochine' Dinner & a Movie requires no special cooking utensils beyond the basics this time: a wok, a rice cooker, garden-variety pots, pans, utensils and knives. The last time I made Vietnamese food, I bought a little clay pot for the Five-Spice Pork Loin but didn't use it. At the last minute, I changed my mind and wrapped the pork in aluminum foil instead. It turned out so juicy and tender that I have no regrets.

Since then, I've also bought a larger clay pot at a shop in Japantown, but I've yet to use either of them, and nothing on this month's menu calls for one. So I guess I'll have to save them for another meal, and resolve to find a reason to use them at my first opportunity. Now that I've decided it's time to put them to use, no doubt something I see on a shopping trip will inspire me.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

08:37 PM PDT Permalink |

Beverages to Go With My 'Indochine' Vietnamese Dinner

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Tea and coffee are Vietnam's most popular beverages. A special coffee is grown locally in the Vietnamese highlands in the South/Central part of Vietnam. The beans are roasted French style, and a dark coffee is made by dripping, which is usually served with condensed milk. There is no specific brand, but is rather known as "cafe sua" or "coffee with milk" - served hot or over ice cubes.

Another popular beverage is bubble or pearl tea, which originated in Taiwan. Tea is mixed with various fruit juices and large pearls of tapioca are suspended in the beverage.

Vietnam has no domestic spirits per se, such as brandy or whiskey, therefore most alcoholic spirits are imported. However, Vietnam has three domestic beers, Hue, 33, and Saigon Export.

The last time I made Vietnamese food, I served two mildly sweet Napa Valley wines, a reisling and a gewurztraminer. But this time, I think I'm going to go with beer. It's summertime, and the weather is perfect for a nice cold brew. I doubt I'll have much luck finding any of Vietnam's finest in our local markets, so I'll have to settle for the next best thing, perhaps another Asian label like Tsing Tao or San Miguel.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

08:14 PM PDT Permalink |

Deciding on the 'Indochine' Vietnamese Menu

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Last year's Vietnamese menu included Appetizers of Vietnamese Rice Paper Spring Rolls with Shrimp; Lemongrass Broth with Seafood Dumplings; Watercress and Green Papaya Salad with Cellophane Noodles and Hanoi Fried Yellow Fish Nuggets; for the main course, Clay Pot Pork Loin with Papaya, Mint & Green Chili Relish, Stir-Fried Spring Vegetables and Garlic-Ginger Rice; and for dessert, Papaya-Ginger and Mint Tea Sorbet with Ripe Papaya Slices and Fresh Mint Garnish. The menu below is my list of runners-up, a selection of Vietnamese dishes that were tempting, but didn't make the first round, for the simple reason that there are only so many hours in a day, and there's only so much room on the dinner table. Can't wait to try them all.

Appetizers: Seafood Spring Rolls, Beef Skewers with Lime, Vietnamese Pickles
Soup: Chicken with Lemongrass
Salad: Golden Fish Nuggets over Baby Greens with Watercress and Papaya
Main Course: Stuffed Crabs
Side Dishes: Asian Vegetable Medley and Spicy Vietnamese Noodles
Dessert: Creme Caramel with Coconut

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

Researching Vietnamese Recipes

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Although it's been a year since I made my first Vietnamese meal, I still remember the experience as if it were yesterday. I also remember all the tempting recipes that didn't make the first cut, so I am looking forward to including them on this month's menu. As always with southeast Asian food, Corinne Trang's Essentials of Asian Cuisine will be an invaluable resource, along with a mosaic of Vietnamese recipes available on the Internet.

Once the research is done, I will synthesize my findings into my own creations, while taking care to maintain the essence of the cuisine. I already have a long list of recipes in mind and will narrow them down to a five-course meal tomorrow. And as much work goes into any elaborate meal in unfamiliar cusine, choosing from among the kaleidoscope of irresistible dishes is always the hardest part.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

Stocking a Vietnamese Pantry

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Vietnamese cuisine has one of the most interesting arrays of ingredients of any in the world. They include Nuoc Mam (Asian fish sauce), which is the heart and soul of nearly every Vietnamese dish, as well as Soy Sauce, Rice Paper Wrappers, Chinese 5-Spice Powder, Tamarind Paste, Saw Leaves, Pickled Vegetables, Dried Mushrooms, Rice Noodles, Tofu, Jasmine Rice, Turmeric, Anise, Annatto Seed, Cinnamon, Rice Wine Vinegar, Tapioca, Palm Sugar, Sesame Seeds and Sesame Oil.

Fresh ingredients include Lemongrass, Green Papayas, Pineapples, Bananas, Tomatoes, Limes, Ginger Root, Coconuts, Daikon Radishes, Red & Green Bell Peppers, Asian Eggplants, Thai Chili Peppers, Lettuce, Bok Choy, Watercress, Bean Sprouts, Cilantro, Mint, Thai Basil, Scallions, Carrots, Cucumbers, Onions, Shallot, Garlic, Mushrooms, Roasted Peanuts.

All these inspiring ingredients are used to prepare every imaginable cut of pork, beef, and poultry, as well as a bounty of fresh seafoods in seemingly endless ways, each more delicious and exotic than the next.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

06:32 PM PDT Permalink |

About Vietnamese Cuisine

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

A little over a year ago, I made my first foray into Vietnamese cuisine, and in the process, I researched the history and the ingredients involved in the creation of an authentic Vietnamese-style meal. And since the essence of Vietnamese cuisine has not changed since then, here is what I wrote about it the first time around:

Although Vietnamese cuisine is unique, it has evolved over many centuries from Chinese, Indian and French Colonial influences. Vietnam is also distinctly regional, from the cooler northern region, the rich cultural Hue region in the center, and the tropical southern region, each with its own indigenous vegetables, seafood and wildlife, each with its own style and spice. Northern cuisine is lighter and less pungent, the cuisine of the central Hue region, once the site of the ancient capital, is flavorful and elaborate, while the southern region falls under the influence of Chinese cuisine, with more pungent spices and stir-fry techniques. The southern region is also the melting pot of French and Indian influences characterized by curries and European ingredients such as bread, potatoes, asparagus, shallots, and fine herbs.

The quality of Vietnamese cuisine relies mainly on fresh ingredients lightly prepared and beautifully presented. Many classic dishes are simple variations on a couple dozen basic ingredients, including bean sauce, chicken stock, coconut milk, fish sauce known as nuoc mam, 5-spice powder, ginger, ground chili paste, hoisin sauce, jasmine rice, kafir lime leaves, lemongrass, mung bean sprouts, mushrooms, oyster sauce, rice noodles, rice paper and tamarind.

The preparation of Vietnamese cuisine requires remarkably few utensils. Most any Vietnamese meal can be made using only a mortar and pestle, a rice cooker, a wok, a small charcoal stove, a basic set of chef's knives and a large pair of chopsticks. The most common cooking methods are braising, stir-frying, deep frying, steaming and grilling.

With such succulent memories of my 'Scent of Green Papaya' Dinner & a Movie, I can't wait to try it all over again with a different palette of Vietnamese dishes and an evening spent enjoying them while watching Indochine.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

03:58 PM PDT Permalink |

Indochine: About the Film

This Month's Film: Indochine
Cuisine: Vietnamese

A novel variation on the 'Electra Complex' adds an element of tension to Indochine, as Catherine Deneuve in the role of Eliane, an iron-willed rubber plantation heiress and her adopted daughter Camille ply their feminine wiles for the affection of a handsome young officer in colonial Vietnam. The dance scene is not to be missed...

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

Welcome to Dinner & a Movie for the Month of June

This month I will be revisiting both the cuisine of Vietnam and the classic French-Vietnamese film Indochine, starring Catherine Deneuve. With the delightful, delicious and unexpected success of my first attempt at Vietnamese cuisine over a year ago, when I chose it as my very first Dinner & a Movie meal for The Scent of Green Papaya, I'm looking forward to trying some different dishes that weren't included on last year's menu. And now that I'm much more familiar with Vietnamese cuisine and am on a more relaxed cooking schedule, no doubt, the results will be even better.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

The chopsticks in today's photo were a gift from my friend and award-winning videographer extraordinaire Alice Jackson, the very first contributor to my 'Call for Chopsticks' campaign. The set was a souvenir from a trip that Alice took with her husband John to the city of Suzhou, China. Thanks again, Alice, especially for parting with such a cherished memento from your travels, and congratulations on your People's Choice 'Napacademy Award'.

12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

'Raise the Red Lantern' Photos & Recipes

This Month's Film: Raise the Red Lantern
Cuisine: Chinese

My 'Raise the Red Lantern' Provinical Chinese Dinner & a Movie is a fait accompli. With this being the first month of my new, more relaxed cooking schedule, it has been a very rewarding and enlightening experience. Instead of going crazy in the kitchen making a dozen dishes in one day, I prepared each one at various times throughout the month, which allowed me to focus on each recipe in much more detail. And the wonderful thing about that is if a dish doesn't turn out perfectly, I have the option of making another attempt the next day without ruining a whole meal. Taking photographs of the finished dishes is also much more relaxed and focused [pun intended], although it does present a daily challenge.

So without further ado...Here is a link to all the Recipes and Photos.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

04:55 PM PDT Permalink |

Film Reveiw: Raise the Red Lantern

This Month's Film: Raise the Red Lantern
Cuisine: Chinese

Raise the Red Lantern was as good the second time around as it was the first time I saw it, and has now taken its place alongside Babette's Feast as my favorite international film. Here is a link to my Raise the Red Lantern Film Review .

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

05:57 PM PDT Permalink |

Luscious Lychees

This Month's Film: Raise the Red Lantern
Cuisine: Chinese

I have a confession to make. I have been so hyper-focused on finishing my manuscript and getting caught up on my gardening that I have no inspiration to bake Chinese almond cookies, not to mention that it's too hot in the kitchen today to light the oven. So I decided to focus on the lychee fruit instead, which is an amazing story all to itself.

Nearly two years ago, I interviewed Bill Mee and Crystal Folino, the owners of a lychee orchard in Florida, for an article on ThingsAsian.com. As part of my research, I had them send me a shipment of lychee fruit since I had never tried them fresh, only canned in syrup. Little did I know what an abundant treat was winging its way to me. When the package arrived, I was overwhelmed by a bag filled with two pounds of the perfumed treasures. Of course I couldn't resist the temptation to taste one immediately, so I plunged right in. I must have eaten a dozen lychees in that first encounter with the fresh variety, and shared a generous portion of them with Rene and Will that evening. But lychee fruit spoils very quickly, and therefore should be consumed as soon as possible so that none of its fragrant beauty is wasted. So I gave lots of them away to friends and clients. But since I'd read in my research that lychee fruit freezes remarkably well, I kept a dozen or so to save in my freezer for a rainy day.

Well...it wasn't raining today, but I got out the frozen lychees anyway. And amazingly, they were still as firm and sweet as the day they landed on my doorstep, and even survived the move to my new home. They do become slightly mushy upon thawing, so it's best to eat them while still frozen. Not to mention that a frozen lychee is similar in texture but better than any popsicle or sorbet I've ever tasted. So the next time you have the good fortune to find fresh lychees, be sure to buy a few extra to stash in the freezer for a rainy day.

Here is a link to my ThingsAsian article For the Love of Lychees.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

04:50 PM PDT Permalink |

At Long Last...Mandarin Chicken!

This Month's Film: Raise the Red Lantern
Cuisine: Chinese

With my busy social schedule this week, it took several well-intentioned but failed or postponed attempts to produce the perfect batch of Mandarin Orange Chicken. But tonight, I finally succeeded, and boy was it ever a success. I'd found a recipe on the Internet that looked tempting, but the only part of it I ended up using was the batter for deep-frying the chicken. I was a little skeptical at first, since it called for cornstarch and baking mix, but it fried up golden brown and crispy, and not the least bit greasy. The sauce, on the other hand, was a disaster last night, and not even remotely close to what I had envisioned. So I saved some of the uncooked chicken for another try today.

This time, I made a sauce from scratch, using nothing more than intuition and common sense. I started with a half cup of orange juice concentrate, a quarter cup of brown sugar, two tablespoons of soy sauce, a tablespoon of rice wine, and a tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with two tablespoons of water. I simmered it until it was thickened, and it turned out just as I had imagined, tangy and citrus-y with the perfect consistency for coating the golden brown chicken, which I tossed in a bowl with the sauce and sprinkled with a few sesame seeds. Perfectly cooked, perfectly beautiful and perfectly delicious!

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

10:34 PM PDT Permalink |