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