Sweet & Spicy Baked Baby Back Ribs

I use very similar ingredients in my marinades, but to change up the flavors, I do try to change up the ingredients. Most of what I cook is based on ingredients readily available in the kitchen so dishes are never really the same every time. Sometimes when I'm shopping (which I don't do much of surprisingly!), I'll pick up ingredients that I wouldn't normally use in my cooking. I few months ago, I picked up a bottle of Clay Pot glaze with the intention of re-attempting to make Ca Kho To, a vietnamese dish prepared by braising catfish steaks in a clay pot. Of course, that never happened, so I decided one night while making baby back ribs, that I would incorporate the glaze in my marinade! It actually turned out pretty delicious and I've made it a few times since, each time - it turned out a little different.




 The first time I made it, I got a nice glaze and char on the ribs. I documented the second time making these ribs, my attempt to re-create the ribs pictured above... This is the marinade for 3 racks of ribs, so you'll want to adjust your seasonings and ingredients depending on how much you are cooking.  Prepare: 2 yellow onions, 10 garlic cloves, 6-8 stalks of lemongrass.  Wash the racks of ribs with salt and water. Let drain in a colander.  Cut them into pieces by bone-length.   Cut the lemongrass into 1.5-2 inch pieces and mince them in a food processor.   Add the garlic and onions, process until all three ingredients are minced.  Mmmmm. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ribs, lemongrass mixture, 1 cup of the clay pot glaze (1/3 cup for each rack of ribs), fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sambal chili paste, light brown sugar, hot pepper flakes, garlic salt and black pepper to taste. If you want sweeter - add more brown sugar and  clay pot glaze. For a more spicy kick - add more chili flakes.

Let marinade for 30 minutes or longer

While the ribs marinate, cook the vermicelli rice noodles   When you're ready to bake them, place them onto a baking sheet (marinade and all) lined with two layers of aluminum foil (will help prevent the pan for burning from the sugar. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds. Bake them for about 45 minutes. Flipping the pieces ever so ever so often. Then set to Broil-Hi to give the ribs an nice color and char, the marinade will thicken and coat the ribs as you continue to turn them to give each side time under the broiler heat. Each side will only need about 1-2 minutes if the broiler is set on Hi.   While the ribs bake, prepare the raw veggie/herb platter (Lettuce, cilantro, mint, bean sprouts, etc). Cucumber and mint would be must haves for this dish, but...I didn't have any cucumbers in the fridge.  Also prepare fish sauce to pour over your noodles. In a bowl, stir sugar and warm water until sugar is dissolved, add fish sauce, lime juice, crushed/mince garlic and thai chilies that's been cut into small pieces with kitchen shears.   They're done! ( I should have broiled it just a tad longer) If you want, garnish with more sesame seeds.   Serve with the rice noodles, raw lettuce and herbs, and fish sauce.
A great summer dish that can be prepared indoors! I'm sure it's would taste even better coming off the grill  or on some chicken wings... =)

Baked Pork w/ Rice Noodles | Bun Thit Nuong

It's not often that I dine at a Vietnamese restaurant - but when I do, I'm ordering Bun Thit Nuong almost 4 of 5 times. It's just that good.

I was being lazy and didn't go out to purchase what I needed. Missing ingredients; cucumber, bean sprouts, and garlic. I substituted the garlic with garlic salt.



Par boil chunky pieces of pork shoulder. Rinse and slice into thin pieces. Marinade with 1 finely chopped onion, fish sauce, oyster sauce, garlic salt, black pepper, pepper flakes, sesame seeds, and sugar.


Instead of grilling the meat, I pop them in the oven. It lacks the barbecue flavor and aroma so sometimes I marinade the meat with Char Siu mix - I didn't this time since I didn't have any available. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spread a thin layer of the marinaded meat onto the lined sheet.


Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Or until the meat is cooked and golden brown. Broil Lo for another 3 minutes.

Serve with vermicelli rice noodles, variety of lettuce and herbs, crushed roasted peanuts, and fish sauce.

A little heavy handed with the fish sauce for the marinade and it would've tasted better if there were cucumber and bean sprouts. Next time...

Fish Spring Rolls | Goi Cuon Ca

Feels good to come home and someone has already cooked dinner! Came home the other day, opened the door to the house, smelled something delicious cooking and breathed a sigh of relief. I was tired and not in much of a mood to cook, but ended up making a dish anyway. Big brother was firing up a pot of Ca Kho To. I'm guessing after my attempt, he'd show me he could do better.


If only you could take a whiff of this stuff =)
Last night we made spring rolls:


Prepare mix of lettuce and herbs, I used green leaf lettuce, mint, and cilantro


Small vermicelli noodles


Meat from boiled mackerels, take the time to carefully remove small bones


Roll up lettuce, herbs, noodles, and fish in a rice paper


Serve with a dipping sauce (garlic, fish sauce, chopped chilies, lime juice, and a little water)

Beef & Shrimp Pan Fried in Butter | Bo Tom Chien Bo

I usually don't like eating alone and very rarely do I have to cook for just myself. When the folks don't come home and many of the sibling are out and about, we usually do not cook dinner. We'll just rummage through the pantry or fridge and grab whatever. One night last week when I was home alone and hungry - I made dinner for one, but prepared enough for the whole family just incase.



One of the dishes for our Tat Nien (Pre-New Year Celebration)was mussels baked in a scallion and sambal butter. I found some left over butter in the fridge and decided to pan fry some beef and shrimp in the butter.


Prepare thinly sliced beef


Prepare peeled and deveined shrimp


Throw a heaping spoonful of the scallion and sambal butter into a grill pan.


Cook the meats to your desired doneness. I like a nice browning. Serve with vermicelli rice noodles, mix of lettuce and herbs, and fish sauce. I prepared everything and who ever wants to eat just has to cook up their meat. Mmm!

It's pretty much a small scale version of Hot Pot w/ Butter.

Changed the music playlist. I think I've heard enough new years music to last me the whole year.

Chicken Noodle Soup with Bamboo Shoot | Bun Mang Ga

Day off! Working 7 days a week, it's nice to have a break that's not on a holiday. Stayed in and did some cleaning (room was looking a terrible mess), washed a few loads of laundry, watched two episodes of the Kdrama - Will It Snow For Christmas (recommended!), and helped Phuong make Sticky Rice Cakes (Banh It).

Steamed on pieces of banana leaves, topped with scallion oil & fried onions, served with a sweet fish sauce.

We tested the dough on the Kitchen Aid mixer I got Phuong for her birthday and it works! We now know that it can handle rice flour...but the ultimate test? Tapioca starch!

I've had banh it with a pork and shrimp filling. I've had che troi nuoc, a dessert made from the same dough but filled with a sweet mung bean paste. But I've never had mung bean & pork together in a banh it before, it's surprisingly good!

I'm also going through my credit card bills to pay off all the debt I created during the holidays and birthdays. Tet is only a month away and you know the superstition - it's good luck to enter the new year debt-free. So that's what I'm doing. One of my goals this year is to better manage my money. The past year that I've had this job - I've been spending way too much. Time to start cutting back.

The winter weather is really taking its effect up here in the Mitten and soup is always nice to have on cold days like these. One of my favorites, Chicken Noodle Soup with Bamboo Shoot.

Cut a whole chicken into serving-size pieces. Put the chicken into a large pot and flavor with fish sauce, sambal chili paste, salt, pepper, hot pepper flakes, a little sugar, mushroom seasoning, slices of ginger, a few cloves of crushed garlic, and 2 halved medium onions .

Prepare sour bamboo shoot (Fresh bamboo shoot if you can), sliced pineapple, and wedges of tomatoes.

Sear the chicken for 5-10 minutes on high heat, add 1 can of chicken broth and enough water to cover all the chicken. Add the bamboo and pineapple. Season the broth with salt and fish sauce. Bring to boil and let cook for about 30 minutes. Bring the heat down to medium and add the tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes and its ready. Don't forget to remove the unwanted foam that surfaces.

Serve over rice vermicelli noodles, a sprinkling of chopped cilantro and scallions, and a platter of your favorite herbs and lettuce. Condiments: Sriracha & Soy Sauce/Fish Sauce

Fish Noodle Soup | Bun Cha Ca

When I was younger and living in Louisiana, I remember watching my mom make fried fish patties (Cha Ca) quite often. I'd eat them right as she finished frying them. Fresh, hot, and good! Our family moved to Kansas after Hurricane Andrew hit and during the 3 or 4 years that we lived there, I can't recall mom ever making this. We moved to Michigan and it is back on the menu - YES!

Mom usually makes the fish paste by combining the meat of King fish, pork belly, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, salt, pepper flakes, black pepper, and baking powder in a food processor. The fish paste is formed into patties and fried in hot oil to make the fried fish patties or formed into balls and not fried to make fish balls (Ca Vien). Both types can be used for Sour Fish Soup (Canh Chua Cha Ca) or Fish Noodle Soup (Bun Cha Ca).

You can buy the fish paste labeled 'Cha Ca' in plastic tubs in the frozen food section of your local asian market. I've also used the already fried and frozen patties a couple times - they taste pretty good. Eventually, I will get around to making my own batch of fish paste. For now, I will use Mom's since she makes a lot, packs them into zip lock bags, and freezes them for whenever we want to use them. The latest batch was made from the King fish I brought back from my trip to Florida in late September.

Making Fish Noodle Soup:

Sour bamboo shoot, cut sour mustard, sliced shallots, minced garlic, and sliced fresh pineapple.


The fried fish patties flavored with fish sauce, pepper flakes, and salt.


Start off by infusing the oil, shallots, and garlic.


Add water, bamboo, sour mustard, and pineapple. Bring to boil.


Add the fish patties and bring back to a boil. Cook for 5 more minutes and its ready!


Serve in a large bowl with rice vermicelli, a handful of raw lettuce mix, and sliced scallions. Condiments: Sriracha and Light Soy Sauce