Rice Paper Rolls

Ingredients:
0.5 kg of cooked or fresh prawns
0.5 kg of pork belly
lettuce
handful of mint leaves
a bunch of Chinese leek
a packet of dried vermicelli
1 pack of rice paper
For the sauce
A bottle of hoisin sauce
chili
garlic
unsalted peanut butter (salted peanut butter makes the sauce very salty)
crushed peanuts (can be substituted by crunchy peanut butter)


Other fillings that you can use: bean sprouts, thinly sliced omelet egg

Cooking:

• Boil some vermicelli and let it dry after cooked
• Clean the pork belly with salt and hot water, remove some fat if you want, then boil it. Once it's cooked, cut it into long and small pieces.
  
• Peel the cooked prawns' skins and cut each prawn into half along its length if you like.
• Wash the lettuce, mint and leek. Cut leek into pieces of around 5cm in length.
• Pour some oil onto a sauce pan, put some chopped garlic in and then half of the hoisin sauce bottle. Stir constantly, then put some peanut butter and some water ( you can use the broth that you got after boiling the pork belly), and fresh chili or chili sate in. Taste and put some sugar if needed
• Wrap: dip the rice paper into warm water to wet it, then place it on a plate, put some lettuce, mint and leek on one end of the paper, place prawn and meat next to the lettuce (not on top, so we can see the prawns after we roll it), then roll the rice paper.
• Enjoy your fresh rolls
  

Crab meat noodles

There are different recipes I found on the internet
http://www.vietnamese-recipes.com/vietnamese-recipes/rice-noodles/crab-noodle-soup.php

1 kg 1 kg 50 g 1/2 teaspoon 1 tablespoon 3 cloves 2 1 tablespoon 2 pieces 1 tablespoon 1 teaspoon 2 tablespoon 1 tablespoon 1 kg For garnishing 1 1 sprig 1 1 50 g 2-3 sprigs 2-3 leaves 2

Mud crabs Pork bones Dried shrimps Salt, or to taste Cooking oil Garlic, peeled and crushed Large tomatoes, each cut into wedges Annatto seed oil Firm bean curd, cut into small cubes and fried Tamarind pulp Sugar Fish sauce Fine shrimp paste Fresh rice vermicelli Spring onion, chopped Coriander (cilantro) leaves Banana but, outer layers removed, yellow centre shredded Red chili, thingly sliced Bean sprouts Mint leaves Thai parsley leaves Limes, cut into wedges Fermented anchovy paste

Method : Pound crabs with some salt then mix with 2 liters water. Strain to get liquid then stir residue into another 2 liters water. Strain once more and discard residue. Pour strained water into a large pot. Add pork bones and dried shrimps. Bring to the boil and add salt to taste. Leave to boil for 1 hour 20 minutes then strain stock. Heat oil in a pan and stir fry garlic and tomatoes. Combine with annatto seed oil and pout into stock. Add fried bean curd and tamarind pulp. Season with sugar, fish sauce, shrimp paste and salt. Divide rice vermicelli equally into 6 serving bowls. Pour stock over and garnish with spring onion. Serve remaining garnishes on the side.

Recipe 2
http://www.netcooks.com/recipes/Soups/Bun.Rieu.-.Crab.Meat.Noodle.Soup.html

1. In a large pot, combine 3 qts. of chicken broth with 2 qts. of water. Bring to boil. Meanwhile, peel and devine the shrimps. Chop it into small pieces. Add 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt and sugar and mix well. Chop green onion into small pieces. Place in a bowl and set aside. Also, chop the white onion in small pieces. Cut each tomato into quarters. Mince the garlic. Clean bean sprouts and green lettuce. Cut lettuce cross-wise about 1/4 inch wide. Also cut the mints into small pieces. In a bowl, mix bean sprouts, lettuce, and mint together. Set aside.

2. When the broth boils, reduce heat to medium and add ketchup to broth. Then, in a frying pan, heat 2 Tbls. oil. When oil is hot, add garlic. Mix for 10-20 minutes and add shrimp and chopped white onion. Saute the shrimp for about 2 minutes. Place the cooked shrimp in a bowl, add eggs and crab paste and mix well. Slowly pour the shrimp mixture into the broth. Add tomatoes and turn the heat down to low. Let it cook like this for 10 minutes and then turn the heat up to high. Do not try to stir up the shrimp mixture or else it will not form nice chunky clusters. When the broth boils, it will mix everything up.

3. Mean while, cook the noodle in a boiling water for 7-10 minutes or per directions on the package. When rice noodle is cooked, add 1 tsp. of oil, stir well so the noodles don't stick. Rinse noodles with cold water and drain well.

4. When the broth returns to boil and shrimp paste floats to the surface, taste the broth to see if more salt and sugar are need. If needed, add more salt or sugar depending on your taste. Add the green onion pieces and 1/2 tsp. of oil to broth and turn off heat. Cut the lime into wedges and set aside.

5. Put the vegetable mix on a plate along with wedges of lime. Place noodles in a bowl and pour hot bu'n rieu soup into the bowl on top of noodle. Serve hot with hot chili sauce, shrimp sauce, and fish sauce if needed.

German stuffing style Roast Chicken

This recipe I got from Lin and Tin long time ago:

Small home-grown chicken, stuffing with german sausages, sweet potatoes and stuffs
slowly cooked in the oven over 1-2 hours

very nice. dont remember the details

Ga Tay Nuong Cam

Nguyên liệu (làm 10 phần)

1 con gà lớn để nướng (3,6-4,5kg) .
3 muỗng canh nước cam vắt.
3 muỗng canh mật.
3 muỗng canh dầu ăn.
muối và tiêu.
2 tách nước lèo gà hoặc nước.
1/4 tách mức cam.
1/4 tách rượu vang trắng.
1 củ hành nhỏ, gọt vỏ, cắt nhỏ.
2 muỗng canh bơ.
1 viên súp gà nhỏ.
1/4 tách kem.
2 muỗng cà phê bột bắp, hòa tan trong nước lạnh.

Cách làm

1. Đun nóng lò ở 190 độ C.
2. Cắt bộ lòng gà thành những miếng nhỏ, bỏ qua một bên ( để làm nước xốt).
3.Gọt cam, chia thành từng phần, để qua một bên để trang trí.
4. Cắt vỏ cam thành những lát nhỏ khoảng 1,25cm
5. Cho bơ vào một cái chảo nhỏ, đun nóng cho tan, cho vỏ cam vào, xào nhanh trong một phút. Nhồi vỏ cam vào gà.
6. Trộn mật, dầu, cam vắt trong một cái chén. Phết lên gà và để khoảng nửa giờ.
7. Nêm gà với muối, tiêu, cột chặt gà và chuyển qua một cái chảo nướng lớn, nướng trong lò ở 190 độ C khoảng 1 giờ.
8. Phết hỗn hợp mật cam còn lại lên gà, cho vào lò lại và nướng thêm từ 60-90 phút cho chín. Bạn có thể kiểm tra bằng cái đo nhiệt, nhiệt độ của thịt ở giữa phải ít nhất lên đến 71 độ C.
9. Sau khi chín, tắt bếp và lấy gà ra khỏi lò khoảng 15-20 phút trước khi dọn.
10. Phần nước xốt (làm trong khi đang nướng gà). Cho bơ vào một cái chảo nhỏ, đun nóng cho tan. Xào hành và lòng gà trong 2-3 phút.
11. Cho rượu vào và hạ lửa trong 2-3 phút.
12. Cho mức cam, viên súp gà, và nước (hoặc nước lèo) vào, đun sôi nhanh rồi hạ lửa và hầm khoảng 5-10 phút.
13. Cho kem vào và làm đặc với bột bắp hoà nước.
14. Để dọn : Lấy gà nướng ra đĩa, trang trí xung quanh bằng những miếng cam và ít cải chanh. Múc nước xốt ra một cái chén nhỏ và dọn.

Pomelo Salad with Shrimp and Meat

Pomelo Salad with Shrimp and Meat
Goi Buoi Tom Thit

Serves 6

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless pork chop, or ¾ to 1 cup matchstick-cut gio (Vietnamese silky sausage)
1 medium pomelo
1 carrot, peeled and cut into fine shreds
¼ cup mint leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, leafy tops only
1/4 cup chopped unsalted, roasted peanuts
1/3 cup Crispy Caramelized Shallot

Dressing
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 generous teaspoon Vietnamese chile garlic sauce, homemade or storebought

1. Put the salt in a small saucepan and fill 2/3 with water. Bring to a boil and then add the shrimp. As soon as they've curled up, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.

2. Return the water to a boil and add the chicken or pork chop. When bubbles form at the rim, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 20 minutes to cook the flesh. Remove and set aside to cool. (If you're using the Vietnamese sausage, skip this step because it's already cooked.)

3. Cut the shrimp in the diagonal into large pieces that will blend well with the pomelo and other ingredients. Hand shred the chicken or cut the pork into julienne. Set aside.

4. Cut off one end of the pomelo to reveal its fleshy pith. Then use your fingers and knife to remove the pith so that all that's remaining is the white covered flesh. Pry the pomelo open and split into two parts. Then use a knife, scissors and your fingers to peel away the skin from each segment and remove the flesh. Separate the flesh into bite size pieces and deposit in a bowl.

5. For the dressing, combine fish sauce, lime juice, water, sugar and chile garlic sauce in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.

6. Right before serving, add the shrimp, chicken or pork, carrot, mint, cilantro, peanuts and shallot to the pomelo. Toss with your fingers or tongs to combine well. Add the dressing and toss. Taste and adjust the flavors, as needed. Transfer to a plate, leaving any liquid behind and serve.

copied from:

http://vietworldkitchen.typepad.com/blog/2008/02/pomelo-salad-go.html

Chicken and sweet corn soup

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 litre chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
• 310g can corn kernels
• 310g can creamed corn
• 3 small chicken breast fillets, thinly sliced
• 3 green onions, chopped

Method

1. Place the chicken stock in a large saucepan with the soy sauce, ginger, corn kernels and creamed corn.
2. Cook over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the chicken and green onions and cook for 3-4 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
4. Serve sprinkled with extra chopped green onion.

Notes & tips

• There are many variations of this perennial family favourite. This is a very quick and easy version you can make from pantry staples and store-bought stock. You can also add noodles or extra green vegetables to this recipe and use salt-reduced stock for a healthier meal.

Sup Mang Tay Cua(Asparagus Crab Soup)

copied from
http://www.recipezaar.com/Sup-Mang-Tay-Cua-Vietnamese-Asparagus-Crab-Soup-137366

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 quarts water
• 2 lbs pork bones
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce (nuoc mam)
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 2 shallots or scallions, chopped (only the white part)
• 1/2 lb crabmeat (canned, frozen or fresh)
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 egg
• 1 (15 ounce) can white canned asparagus, undrained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander (Chinese parsley)
• 1/4 cup chopped scallion top

Directions

1. 1

   Dissolve the cornstarch in the 2 tbsp of water. Set aside.

2. 2

   Bring water to a boil and put the pork bones inches

3. 3

   Bring back to a boil, then cover and continue to boil the bones for 1 hour. Occasionaly skim the top.

4. 4

   Remove the bones from the stock and discard. Add the salt and the fish sauce to the stock.

5. 5

   Heat the oil in a wok and add the chopped garlic and shallots; add the crab meat and fry for 5 minutes over high heat.

6. 6

   Sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper, stirring constantly, then add the crab meat mixture to the soup and bring to a boil.

7. 7

   Add the cornstarch-and-water mixture and stir for a few minutes.

8. 8

   Break the egg open and drop it into the actively boiling soup while stirring.

9. 9

   Cook, still stirring, for about 2 minutes, then drop in the asparagus, along with the liquid from the can and the rest of the black pepper.

10. 10

    Continue to cook until the asparagus is heated through.

11. 11

    Sprinkle the coriander and scallion green over the soup before serving.

Che Sam Bo Luong voi Rau Cau

--1 gói thạch agar powder
--3 hộp nhãn nhục khô
--1/2 gói phổ tai (dried seaweed)
--1 gói táo tàu (loại đen)
--1 gói hạt sen loại lấy tim rồi, còn không thì mình phải ngâm hạt sen trong nước nóng khoảng 2 tiếng rồi tách lấy tim ra, nếu không hạt sen rất là đắng. Ăn chè thì không ngon đâụ
--1 cup bo bo trắng
-đdường

Cách Làm:
-Cho thạch + 3 cup nước + 1/2 cup đường vô nồi nấu sôi lên. Ddổ thạch vô hộp hay khuôn vuông rồi cho vô tủ la.nh. Khi thạch cứng lại dùng đồ bào carrot, mặt có lỗ bư, bào thạch từng sợi dàị Nhớ đừng làm ngắn hay nát, thạch sẽ không đẹp
-Phổ tai ngâm với nước sôi cho nở, khi ngâm thì đem ra ngoài vườn, nếu không trong nhà sẽ bị hôi lắm. Rửa phổ tai lại nhiều lần cho đến khi hết nhớp, rồi cắt khúc dài khoảng 5 cm
-Cho 4 cup nước vô nồi, khi nước sôi cho hạt sen vô hầm cho đến khi hạt sen nhừ. Ddừng hầm lâu quá, nếu không hạt sen sẽ bị nát không đẹp. Trút hạt sen ra tô
--Bo bo ngâm cho nở rồi nấu sôi cho chín. Trút ra rổ cho ráo nước, rồi đổ ra tô
-Nhãn nhục ngâm trong nước sôi cho nở, đổ cả tô nhãn nhục vô nồi + thêm nước cho khoảng hơi đầy nồị Nấu sôi lên, cho đường vô thử cho vừa ngọt, hạ bớt lửa nấu cho đến khi nhãn nhục thật là nở và hút nước. Nước phải nâu nâu màu nhãn nhục. Nấu càng lâu thì nhãn nhục càng ngon. Khoảng 2 tiếng. Cho táo tàu vô nấu chung cho đến khi táo tàu mềm, cho phổ tai vô, để sôi lại nấu thêm khoảng 15 phút nữa thì tắt bếp.
Đdể chè nguội rồi múc chè vô hộp lớn để vô tủ la.nh.
-Khi ăn thì múc chè + hạt sen + 1 muỗng bo bo, rồi cho thạch lên, sau cùng là đá bào trên cùng.

Che nep dau xanh

It's a failure this time because I didn't understand the recipe I found on the Internet.

I cook sticky rice and mung beans at the same time, and mung beans take much longer time to cook.

Lesson:
Always cook mung beans separately in any dish (che, xoi etc...)
- Wash and cook mung beans in water until soft. Drain.

Ga Ham Thuoc Bac - KA Style :)

1 baby chicken (got it from a butcher in Ashfield, 2 for $7.20)
1 pack of herbal medicine
some red dates (if you have)
some dried kasaki mushroom (the name is not right)
2 carrots
a handful of fresh peanuts
4 big leaves of black fungus


Clean Chinese herbs and put them into the pressure cooker with the whole chicken.
Soak dried mushroom, fungus, peanuts in warm water for 1-2 hours
Then put dried stuffs into the cooker and cook.

Let the cooker steam twice.

Serve with bread or vermicilli

Different Xmas recepi with cherries

http://www.allthingschristmas.com/recipes/cherryindex.html

Thai style chicken

This one I had at Bangkok restaurant in Capital Square

Chicken fillet
Shallots cut in long stem
black fungus in medium-big pieces
beans (dau que)
a bit of lemongrass
red capsicum
and some other vegies

Sweet Mung Bean Soup Recipe

Ingredients : Serves 4-6
225 g 500 ml 50 g	Skinned split mung beans, soaked in water for 3 hours and drained Coconut milk Caster (superfine) sugar Toasted coconut shavings (optional), to serve
Method : Put the mung beans in a pan and pour in 500 ml water. Bring the water to the boil, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat and simmer until all the water has been absorbed. Press the beans through a sieve, or puree them in a blender. In a heavy pan, heat the coconut milk with the sugar, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Gently stir in the pureed mung beans, making sure the soup is thoroughly mixed and heated through. Serve hot in warmed bowls sprinkled with toasted coconut shavings, if liked. Mung Beans Be sure to buy the bright yellow, peeled, split mung beans for this soup rather than the whole green ones. If you do buy the whole green ones, they will need to be peeled before cooking, which is a dull and time-consuming task.

Be careful in buying food

Yesterday, I went to Ashfield for grocery shopping. All the way back to the station I dropped by a Chinese shop to get some dim sims ($2.6 for 4) and a box of vegetable rolls for $6.5. I thought i'd have a nice dinner.

It turned out that all the food was old, and salty.

I also found out the red dates I bought in Marickville few weeks ago were too old to eat.

Lessons:

- Don't buy cooked food in late afternoon
- Don't buy food just to try something new, make sure that it's good first
- When buying dried food, check the expiry date and the condition of the food carefully

Sam Bo Luong

Ingredients:

2-3 oz dried longan
6 cups water
6 dried red dates
12 ginkgo nuts
5 pieces snow fungus (soaked until soft)
Sugar to taste

Method:

Bring water to boil. Add the dried longan, red dates, ginkgo nuts, and snow fungus. Boil in low heat for 30-45 minutes or until the water turns brown in color. Add sugar to taste. Serve warm or cold with ice cubes.

Copied from:
http://www.rasamalaysia.com/2007/04/recipe-longan-dessertlongan-tong-sui.html

Snow Fungus, Ginkgo and Barley - sweet or savory

Snow Fungus, Ginkgo and Barley - sweet or savory

Trying to hit the right notes here (THIS...is...American Idol, NOT). Sing "Doh Re Me...". Sing "Hot, Tart, Sweet...". Presenting Snow Fungus, Ginkgo and Barley Drink Dessert. I know lime juice is available following the Assam Prawns dish, but can I serve you this sweet dessert instead?

Dessert - Snow Fungus, Ginkgo and Barley Drink Dessert

Snow Fungus, Ginkgo and Barley Drink Dessert (serves 2-3)
Ingredients:
-About 2-3 pieces snow fungus, soaked in water before usage
-About 1 cup pearl barley, washed
-Few pieces of ginkgo nuts, fresh or canned, with inner seeds removed
-Honey dates and/or rock sugar (ratio adjusted accordingly to your ingredient availability or liking)
-Pandan leaves, knotted (option)
-Water, quantity based on ingredients

Method:
1. Place all the ingredients in slow-cooker, and pour in water till ingredients are submerged
2. On high heat ~45mins-1hr till barley and fungus are cooked, then turn to low heat 1-2hrs to allow ingredients and textures to soften and flavors to infuse. If not sweet, add in more rock sugar, to taste
3. Can be served warm or cold

More about the ingredients:
All three ingredients (snow fungus, ginkgo and barley) can be used in sweet and savory cuisines.


Snow fungus :Practically tasteless, but prized for its jelly-like and crunchy texture. You can see them in sweet soups and desserts such as doubled boiled papaya and snow fungus (木瓜炖雪耳 ); and savory dishes such as doubled-boiled chicken soups. The wood ear/black fungus is another fungus species that can be used in stir-frys.

Barley: Pearl barley(above) or pearled barley is hulled barley which has been processed further to remove the bran. It may be polished, a process known as "pearling". Barley can be used in savory stews and soups, such as chicken stew and minestrone soup. But more common is the sweet barley drink/water- a good diuretic which is known to quench the thirst and expel toxins from the body.

Ginkgo : Expensive ingredient (due to labor intensiveness to crack the hard shell of each nut, removing the thin skin, and removing the young shoot that is usually bitter. So, usually what you eat is just the sweet flesh of ginkgo nuts. There are claims that ginkgo improves memory (it remains to be proven), and there are side-effects too. Usually used in sweet desserts - a popular dessert is barley, soya beancurd sheets(a.k.a foo chuk, in Cantonese) and ginkgo nut drink (can be almond-milky-based, or clear soup-like base). Due to their hint of sweetness, it complements well in a savory dish like this too. And it can be real yummy refreshing


copied from
http://teczcape.blogspot.com/2007/03/snow-fungus-ginkgo-and-barley-sweet-or.html

Cherry desert

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pitted fresh cherries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large banana, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

Preparation:

Combine cherries and sugar; chill for 1 to 2 hours. Combine chilled cherries with banana and nuts; fold in whipped cream. Serve in dessert glasses. Serves 4.

Bondi Iceberg Club in Bondi Beach

I will post reviews, tips and discounts about restaurants and cafes here too.

Went there with Vic, Tin and Yan. All of us had fish dishes ranging from $20-$22.

Later on, I realised the mussle pot is only $15.

And then I found out the poster in the Ladies room, $10 meals for Tuesday night, Thursday and Friday nights.

Tuesday night: all pasta dishes
Thursday: steak dish
Friday: ...?

Must try the specials next time!