Mini Crab Cakes

How time flies and it’s already December and 2012 will come to an end very soon.

December has always been one of my favorite months (other than my birth month of September). The holidays are coming and December is all about baking and also year-end and holiday parties. This time of year, it’s all about recipes that you love and also ones that will sure to please your guests, if you’re hosting holiday parties.

I love party foods—little appetizers, treats or hors d’oeuvre served on sticks or small plates. They are always such eye-candy but also big in flavors. This is Dungeness crab season and I thought I would share a mini crab cake recipe that you can serve to your guests this season. They are absolutely delicious and the mini package makes it perfect for parties.

For the crab, I strongly recommend using fresh Dungeness crab and pick the flesh out of the shells. If you have a great seafood store where you are, you can also buy lump crab meat. Otherwise, you can always use canned crab meat but the result will be pale in comparison.

(Click Page 2 for the Crab Cakes Recipe)

Pages: 1 2

View the original article here

Pistachio Olive Oil Mini Tea Cakes

Ever buy yourself a little treat, something that sounded perfect and tasty, but after biting into it disappointment ensued. Maybe the bakery wasn’t as skilled as you hoped, or perhaps the pastry had been waiting a little too long for someone to come by and savor its original deliciousness. Whatever the case, you were left with the “wha waa” feeling.

It happens occasionally. Sometimes even from a good bakery. Like so much in life, these moments can be cause for a little bitch and moan session, or they can be inspiration.

I’m not all sugar and spice and everything nice, but there are times when I suck a little less than at other moments. Theses little pistachio olive oil cakes are the result of such inspiration. After being disappointed in a pistachio cake we had recently to accompany an afternoon espresso, I was determined to make them myself to the level of deliciousness I had hoped the afternoon’s treat would originally be.

After a little modern day research (aka google) I stumbled upon Farm to Table Geek’s Pistachio Cakes. First drawn in by the great photos, by the perfect looking crumb, and the cool aesthetic use of graphics with the images. But what really spoke to me was the mortar and pestle used to crush the pistachios.

The mortar and pestle is an underrated bad boy of the kitchen. Once you are down with the pound, you never go the other way round. And if this guy is taking to the pistachios with a mortar & pestle, yet still has the delicate touch to fold together the ingredients, then this is my type of cook.

After a bit of tweaking to personal taste and adjusting for ingredients we had on hand, I worked out just the treat I was hoping for. The slightly sweet nature of the tea cake, the flavor and crunch of the pistachios playing off of the flavor from the olive oil and the softness of the cake. Pull me an espresso and call me happy.

One quick note on the olive oil, in remaking the recipe to double check that all was well and ready to share with the world, I testing using an average olive vs our house favorite to see if there would be a noticeable difference. End result, there was quite a flavor difference. After first shooting for Lucina Italia almost a couple years ago, we fell in love with their oils and vinegars, and in this recipe the exceptional flavor of their olive oil helped make the taste magical.

If you were to make them with nice oil vs an exceptional one, would I be able to tell? To paraphrase the original Mostly Martha movie, “It’s not that I can tell which one you did use, but I could tell which one you didn’t.” A movie which, btw, is still one of my all time favorite food movies. I’m dying to discover another great food movie, so if anyone has any suggestions, spit ‘em out! . So far my top 10 (in no particular order) are: Mostly Martha, Big Night, Dinner Rush, Eat Drink Man Woman, Tampopo, A Chef in Love, Soul Food, Chocolat, Babette’s Feast, and Bottle Shock.

Cheers to not sucking and good pastries! And afternoon espressos!

Todd

Yield: 12 Mini Tea Cakes

Total Time: 30 min

Adapted from Farm to Table Geek's Pistachio Cake. One could easily make this as a loaf or a larger tea cake, however the mini cakes are fun and easy when using a muffin pan.

Your choice in olive oil will be reflected in the flavor of the cakes. Choose wisely. We love Lucini olive oil. It's a little higher price point, but oh so tasty. If you don't have creme fraiche on hand, sour cream makes an acceptable substitute.

2 Eggs, yolks and whites separated1/3 cup (66g) Sugar1/3 cup (73g) packed Brown Sugar1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked Black Pepper1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt1/4 cup (50g) good Olive Oil1/2 cup (125g) Creme Fraiche1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract1/2 teaspoon Orange Bitters1 cup (120g) roasted Pistachio Nuts, lightly crushed or chopped1 1/4 cups (150g) Flour1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 12 cup muffin pan.

Whisk egg yolks, sugars, salt, pepper, olive oil, vanilla extract, orange bitters, and creme fraiche together until well combined. Stir in pistachios. Set aside.In another bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder for 20 seconds. Set aside.Whisk egg whites to soft peaks.Fold flour mix into egg yolk mix. Gently fold egg whites into egg yolk mix.Divide batter between the 12 muffin cups (should fill each about 2/3's full). Bake for 18 minutes or until slightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

View the original article here

Crispy Scallion Tofu and Rice Cakes Recipe

Crispy Scallion Tofu and Rice Cakes Recipe - Viet World Kitchenwindow.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init( { apiKey: 'a279adbe87e2b3c505e777af99a5260d', xfbml: true } );};( function() { var e = document.createElement( 'script' ); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById( 'fb-root' ).appendChild( e );} )();Viet World Kitchen Home Asian DumplingsRecipe IndexClasses+EventsFav SitesAbout MePermission+Credit Welcome! Join me to explore, create, and contribute to the culinary traditions of Asia.

Andrea Nguyen
Author & Teacher
Send a message

My Books + App
Book trailer, info on ebook w/ video, sample content
BUY NOW @ Amazon, B&N, iBooks, IndieBound, J. Biscuit & local bookstores
* * *

BUY NOW @ Amazon, B&N, iBooks, IndieBound, J. Biscuit & local bookstores
* * *

Info on e-book w/ videos!
BUY NOW @ Amazon, B&N, iBooks, IndieBound, J. Biscuit & local bookstores
* * *

The mobile app is here!
BUY NOW @ iTunes store

« Diep Tran & Good Girl Dinette: Viet Food in the 'Hood |Main| LA LuckyRice Festival VIP Ticket Giveaway »

July 19, 2012Crispy Scallion Tofu and Rice Cakes Recipe

Several people who read the post on Diep Tran and Good Girl Dinette remarked how tasty her tofu snack looked. And for those of you who’ve eaten it, you know that it’s true. I couldn’t agree with you more!

I kept thinking about it yesterday so I made my own version of it. I figure that what Diep was riffing on was a classic northern Vietnamese fried tofu dish in which the crisp tofu was retrieved from the oil and simmered in diluted fish sauce and green onion. The tofu sucks up all the seasonings and gets coated with the green onion. My mother made deep-fried tofu simmered in scallion (dau hu chien tam hanh la) on a regular basis for our family dinner. She still makes it today.

The classic Viet tofu dish is made with chunky pieces of tofu. For Good Girl Dinette's I cut the tofu into thin squares. Here they are hot from the wok:

And Diep’s rice cakes was a terrific mini-take on com nam, compressed rice logs. My father made that for us when we were kids, shaping hot rice into baguette-like fat logs. He’d slice it up and we’d eat it out of hand, pressing some caramelized minced pork on top of it. Oh my, what fond memories of my chubby youth. (The tofu and rice recipes are in Into the Vietnamese Kitchen, pages 191 and 241; the pork is on page 131.) This is what I made for the crisp scallion tofu: 

I combined that knowledge of classic Viet cooking and what I know about frying tofu to come up with this rendition.

You can fry the tofu in advance and reheat it in the toaster oven at 325F to 350F till gently sizzling. Use leftover rice and reheat it in the microwave oven. If for some reason your tofu is bigger than your rice cake, cut the tofu in half. Can you save calories by pan-frying the tofu? Sure, but the pieces wouldn't be as scrumptious.

Recipe

Crispy Scallion Tofu and Rice Cakes

Yield: Serves 2 to 3 people

Ingredients

A block of firm or extra firm tofu, about 1 3/4 inches wide and 3 to 3 1/2 inches long (about 6 ounces total)About 1 1/2 teaspoons salt2 cups very hot or just boiled water2 cups cooked rice (long, medium or short grain)1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce or soy sauce2 tablespoons water2 slender green onions, white and green parts, cut into ringsCanola oil for deep-frying

Instructions

Cut the tofu crosswise into 6 pieces to yield squares. Put into a shallow bowl. Dissolve the salt in the water and pour over the tofu. Set aside to season for 15 minutes.Meanwhile, sprinkle a bit of salt over the rice to season it. If your rice is dryish, sprinkle on some water. Cover with plastic wrap and reheat in the microwave. If the rice is freshly cooked, skip the reheating! You want rice that’s a little on the soft side so it will stick together well.Shape the rice into a 6 inch log atop a piece of parchment. Use a silicon spatula or wet fingers. As if you’re making a sushi roll, roll it up, applying firm pressure to ensure that the rice is well squished together. It should resemble a fat sausage in size and shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside.The tofu should be ready by now. Pour off the water, set the tofu atop a dry dishtowel or paper towel t drain for 10 minutes. In the mean time, combine the fish sauce or soy sauce and water in a small saucepan, like a butter warmer. Bring to a boil over medium heat, add the green onion, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the green onion has wilted. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.Heat 1 inch of oil in a wok, deep skillet or saucepan t 360-375F on a deep-fry thermometer. Right before frying, blot the two dry one last time. Fry the tofu in 1 or 2 batches, without crowding, until crisp and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain atop paper towel and let cool for a few minutes.Remove the plastic wrap from the rice. Wet the knife blade, then cut the rice log in half crosswise, right through the parchment. Then cut each section into thick rounds, each about 1/3 inch thick. The ones in the center will be prettiest. You need 6 rounds. Save the extra rice for something else. If a rice cake falls apart, wet your fingers and smoosh the grains together.To assemble, put a piece of tofu atop a rice cake. Top with the scallion, leaving most of the liquid behind. If you want extra oomph, drizzle on extra liquid. Enjoy.

Related posts

Tofu Frying TipsHow to Stir-Fry TofuSalt and Pepper TofuPressed Tofu Stir-fried with CeleryTofu, Bacon, and Kimchi TacoFried Tofu and Egg PancakePan-seared Egg Tofu with Sweet Chile Sauce  Posted in Asian Tofu, Recipes: All, Recipes: Appetizer and Snack, Recipes: Gluten-Free , Recipes: Gluten-Free Adaptable, Recipes: Tofu, Recipes: Vegan, Recipes: Vegetarian, Recipes: Vietnamese | Permalink

| | |

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341ef22f53ef0167689d3418970b

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Crispy Scallion Tofu and Rice Cakes Recipe:

Comments Crispy Scallion Tofu and Rice Cakes Recipe

Several people who read the post on Diep Tran and Good Girl Dinette remarked how tasty her tofu snack looked. And for those of you who’ve eaten it, you know that it’s true. I couldn’t agree with you more!

I kept thinking about it yesterday so I made my own version of it. I figure that what Diep was riffing on was a classic northern Vietnamese fried tofu dish in which the crisp tofu was retrieved from the oil and simmered in diluted fish sauce and green onion. The tofu sucks up all the seasonings and gets coated with the green onion. My mother made deep-fried tofu simmered in scallion (dau hu chien tam hanh la) on a regular basis for our family dinner. She still makes it today.

Stay Connected                    In the NewsBoston Globe, Wall St. Journal, Journal Sentinel, Food Gal, Herbivoracious, Zester Daily, The Daily Meal, The Kitchen, LA Times, Times Picayune, Bon Appetit, Splendid Table, M. Stewart Living, Tasting TableEvents 4-Hour Asian Tofu Hands-on Class!
Sun., July 29, 12pm @ Love Apple Farm, Santa Cruz

Asian Tofu @ Lucky Rice Night Market
Sat, Aug. 4, 7pm, @ Helms Bakery, Culver City, CA

3 Asian Masterclasses @ Books to Cooks
Sept 10-12, Barbara-Jo's Books to Cooks, Vancouver

Click for Pacific Northwest tour & more . . . new TWTR.Widget({ version: 2, type: 'profile', rpp: 3, interval: 30000, width: 'auto', height: 300, theme: { shell: { background: '#8f1414', color: '#ffffff' }, tweets: { background: '#ffffff', color: '#756875', links: '#8f1414' } }, features: { scrollbar: false, loop: false, live: false, behavior: 'all' }}).render().setUser('aqnguyen').start();Recent PostsLA LuckyRice Festival VIP Ticket GiveawayCrispy Scallion Tofu and Rice Cakes RecipeDiep Tran & Good Girl Dinette: Viet Food in the 'HoodVietnamese Food Trends: Viet-Cajun, Viet-Filipino, Viet-Italian?Beef Chow Fun RecipeCelery and Carrot Tossed with Sesame RecipeWest Coast Cooking Classes: Jul–Nov 2012Salt and Pepper Tofu RecipeMasala-Stuffed Indian Eggplant RecipeFive Food Faves from My FatherCopyright 2002-2012 by Andrea Nguyen | Privacy Policy

document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2012/07/crispy-scallion-tofu-and-rice-cakes-recipe.html", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});

View the original article here

Refrigerator Gold: Leftover Corn Cakes and Chile Sauce

Refrigerator Gold: Leftover Corn Cakes and Chile Sauce - Viet World Kitchenwindow.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init( { apiKey: 'a279adbe87e2b3c505e777af99a5260d', xfbml: true } );};( function() { var e = document.createElement( 'script' ); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById( 'fb-root' ).appendChild( e );} )();Viet World KitchenHomeArchivesRecipe IndexVWK StoreClasses + EventsFavorite SitesAbout MePermission and CreditWelcome to Viet World Kitchen where I explore the culinary traditions of Vietnam and the rest of Asia. Join me to learn, create, and contribute!

Andrea Nguyen
Author & Teacher

Send a messageMy Publications

Asian Tofu
Release date: Feb. 28, 2012
available for pre-order

Asian Market Shopper
mobile app is here!
"Never Be Lost in an Asian Grocery Again"
-- L. Andriani, Oprah.com

Asian Dumplings
Reviews & Press Release
Enhanced e-book with how-to videos now available!

Into the Vietnamese Kitchen
Reviews & Press Release
E-book released on 6/1/11!

Recent PostsTolerance Test: Are Gluten-Free Asian Ingredients for You?Refrigerator Gold: Leftover Corn Cakes and Chile SauceMoon Cakes: Love or Hate Them?New Crop of Asian Americans in FarmingFurikake Caramel Corn RecipeBarley and Asian Herb SaladAsian Tofu Update: Cover EvolutionAsian Tofu Update: First PagesSH** Hits the Phan: Viet Revenge on Round Eyes?Perfectly Peel Boiled Eggs (video tip)Awards + Praise
James Beard Foundation
Award Finalist
2007 Best Asian Cookbook

IACP Awards Finalist
2010 Best Single Subject Cookbook
2007 Best First Book
2007 Best Int'l Cookbook

National Public Radio
Best 10 Cookbooks of 2009

Cooking Light Magazine
Oct. 2009 "Editors' Dozen" Top Picks
2010 Editors' Favorite Cookbooks

CHOW.com
Winter 2009 Gift Guide

Popular DealsPopular Deals powered by Brad's Deals« Moon Cakes: Love or Hate Them? |Main| Tolerance Test: Are Gluten-Free Asian Ingredients for You? »

September 15, 2011Refrigerator Gold: Leftover Corn Cakes and Chile Sauce

I once knew a couple who, after every meal, dumped all of their leftover food down the drain. They’d pile up the dishes by the sink and use whatever handy utensil nearby to cast off the food. It didn’t matter what it was, how much it cost, how much time it took to make. Then, without blinking an eye, one of them turned on the garbage disposal. Away their meals went down the drain.

It always made me uncomfortable, if not somewhat angry, that they wasted so much food – especially when I’d made it. I was raised in a family where we saved every scrap to enjoy at the next meal. My mother’s approach to cooking was to prepare more than we could all eat because to her, leftovers were a bankable asset. They saved her time as there would be one less dish or meal to prepare in the future. After all, she is the woman who loves to cook industrial quantities of food and keeps two freezers in her home. (See "My Mother's Kitchen Quirks" for details!)

The other day, I realized that the food-wasting couple probably just didn’t know the potential of leftovers. They were not good cooks so they didn’t see the value of saving something for the next meal. They didn’t know what to do with the stuff and may not have even known how to reheat it well. 

When I am cooking, I often think of how I’ll use it for another meal. That is, I’m already planning how I can repurpose leftovers.

A case in point is these corn cakes that I made for lunch the other day. Daniel Tran, whom I wrote about recently, gifted me a box of organic produce that included 4 large ears of corn. My husband and I boiled off the corn to grill and cut off kernels for a salad. We still had a good cup of corn.

While I was making that salad, I thought of Vietnamese corn and coconut fritters that I used to make. The recipe is in Into the Vietnamese Kitchen and calls for uncooked corn and deep frying. But what if I just combined the cooked kernels with other leftover bits in the fridge – a couple slices of steak and wedges of grilled zucchini – to create a mixture that I’d panfry as little corn cakes?

From making the corn and coconut fritters, I knew that the mixture had to bind (stick together) so I applied the same kind of techniques: Pulse the kernels in the mini food processor and then mix in some flour, cornstarch, and egg. I needed some bright green zip and chopped up dill and cilantro. Then I added salt and pepper to taste.

Finally, I used two tablespoons to shape the mixture into little patties and panfried them in a skillet. I usually ate the Viet corn fritters with Sriracha hot sauce but decided to pair these with Thai sweet chile sauce for a change.

The result is what you see at the top of the page. While these corn cakes are not like the fritters of my past, they were totally tasty. All it takes to cook on the fly is applying some foundational food know-how. And you get that know-how from lots of cooking and eating.

RECIPE

Panfried Corn Cakes and Chile Sauce

This is a very flexible recipe. For example, if you are on a gluten-free diet, try substituting rice flour for the all-purpose flour. It should be fine. Vegetarians can just used leftover vegetables with the corn. 

Makes 8 corn cakes to serve 2 as a light meal, 4 as a snack

1 brimming to heaping cup cooked corn kernels
1/3 to 1/2 cup of chopped cooked meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetables
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped herbs or green onion
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons canola oil
Thai sweet chile sauce or Sriracha chile sauce

1. Put about 3/4 of the corn in a small food processor and pulse to create a coarse texture. Transfer to a bowl or container and add the remaining corn kernels.

2. Add the chopped protein or vegetables and herbs. Stir in the flour and cornstarch to coat, then add stir in the egg. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Use two tablespoons to scoop, shape and scoot off mounds of the corn mixture. Flatten them out a bit into disks that are about 1/2 inch thick. Fry gently, until browned on the underside, about 2 minutes. Don’t check till you can push the corn cake around on the skillet.

Use two spatulas to turn each corn cake. Fry the other side for about 2 minutes, adding extra oil, as needed, until browned.

4. Transfer to a serving plate and offer one of the chile sauces on the side.

Related posts:

My Mother's Kitchen Quirks Mom's obsessions with ice cream scoops and industrial cookingLeftover Panfried Noodles recipePosted in Cooking Tips & Tools, Recipes: All, Recipes: Appetizer and Snack, Recipes: Gluten-Free , Recipes: Vegetable Sides and Pickles, Recipes: Vegetarian | Permalink

Reblog (0) | | Digg This | |

Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

Mmmmm, these look so tasty, especially with the added freshness of the dill & coriander.

I love leftovers, couldn't imagine throwing any good food away. In the unlikely event that we humans of the household didn't get to eat them, our dog, cat or hens would quickly polish them off.

In a semi-related story of waste, I remember being surprised when an American relation told me that her daughter and family didn't eat from normal plates with normal cutlery – they used disposable table clothes, paper plates, plastic cups and plastic cutlery. Then when dinner was over, they gathered everything up in the table cloth and threw it in the bin! Et voila, dinner clean-up done! The mind boggles O_o

P.S Used your Asian Market Shopper app only yesterday to identify Thai basil and Gochu garu/Korean hot pepper powder. So handy to whip my phone out and compare pictures and original names. :)

Posted by:Lisa |September 16, 2011 at 12:05 AM

I have a friend who does that with leftover food, and it makes me panicky. I'm the queen of repurposing.

One of my favorite things to do is to make "hand pies" - whatever's leftover stuffed in some pizza/calzone dough or a short crust dough. Maybe add some parm cheese to it. Bake. Eat. Also do a lot of Thai fried rice - leftover meat/veg/rice, rice, garlic, chiles, fish sauce, maybe an egg. Mmmmm.....

Posted by:Diane |September 16, 2011 at 06:39 AM

call me lazy or efficient, i've always cooked to have leftovers .. pot roast on sunday, open-face beef sandwiches on tuesday, pasta with beef ragu on thursday - reseasoning each time.

i have friends like yours but i've screamed WAIT! before the crime .. then a brief lesson on what to do with, e.g., a platter of grilled veggies.

quite related:
one nite i was cooking pork chops for a small party at a clean-freak friend's house .. i had just removed the last chop from the pan to the warming platter in the oven .. i turned back to the stove to make my beautiful pan sauce - but no pan there!! .. yes, it was in the sink under running hot water and my friend was happily scrubbing the precious fonde off it.

Posted by:maluE |September 16, 2011 at 08:37 AM

To me, everything that is fried is delicious to taste. Unfortunately, they are not healthy to our bodies. But occasionally we allow ourselves to eat fried or deep fried foods.

And this is one of the foods I want to eat because it looks so yummy. Or next time when I fry fish paste (ch? cá chiên), I will add corns and herbal. My thinking doesn't tell me if it is good combination or not until I try. How about yours?

Posted by:TU DOAN |September 16, 2011 at 10:53 AM

OMG -- these are precious stories!

Lisa -- I once did a story on a family of immigrant farmers with 10 kids. They had no dishwasher and ate every meal with disposables. It was a matter of efficiency for them.

Diane -- Love the pizza/calzone idea. Isn't amazing how a bit of leftover food when put on a pizza turns into a 'topping'? Same thing with sliding the bit of food into a tortilla to make a taco on the fly. It does not take much food for us to feed ourselves.

Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |September 16, 2011 at 11:08 AM

MaluE: Yep, I have those neat-freak friends too. You kind of feel them cringe when you're about to mess up their kitchen. On the other hand, they're very good at cleanup. In your story, the friend was TOO good at clearing away things. At times like those, I have another drink.

Tu Doan: Fried food is healthier when you make it yourself. Splurge!

Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |September 16, 2011 at 11:10 AM

I guess. I know a number of people who just won't eat leftovers. It just makes me want to shake them. How can anyone so callously waste food? This is what's wrong with first world countries.

Posted by:rtuko |September 16, 2011 at 01:39 PM

oh andrea, what could i do but reach for my glass of wine! ;-) .. my friend is the sweetest non-cook .. i managed to teach her later, when i was calmer, how sauces are made from what's left in the pan.

hey, how about lettuce wraps for leftovers!

Posted by:maluE |September 16, 2011 at 03:48 PM

When I was growing up, I did not like leftovers. I never wasted food, but I wouldn't eat much at a meal with leftovers. It wasn't until I was on my own that I discovered that leftovers are good, and make a quick meal when reheated in the microwave.

Posted by:Sandy |September 16, 2011 at 06:52 PM

I never throw anything away. I call myself the frugal french housewife. I repurpose everything. It's my job.

Posted by:Pamela Folse |September 16, 2011 at 09:55 PM

products kitchen good thank you

Posted by:soonda44 |September 17, 2011 at 01:11 AM

Yes! It bothers me when people throw out perfectly good leftovers, too. Or when people order much more than they can eat at restaurants or even buffets and don't think twice about tossing it.

Posted by:William |September 17, 2011 at 09:25 PM

hi andrea. first off, i love reading your blog.
leftovers: i have an uneasy relationship with it, simply because my mother saves them in the fridge for eternity until someone finally eats them or it spoils. she is buddhist so she does not like the idea of waste.
as much as i hate to agree with her, my mother's has somehow rubbed off on me. i now try to eat most, if not all of everything i make. it is harder when you only cook for yourself and one recycles the same dish for the entire week. and i also understand that food costs money. my money as a consumer as well as the people who produced it for me i.e. farmer/fisherman/grocer etc. our appetites feed an industry.
i have trouble reconciling the fact that with every bowl of rice i don't eat or with every plate of takeway that goes rancid, someone else in the world goes hungry. i understand completely that perhaps my takeaway of fried noodles might not be their idea of the perfect meal but it still makes me feel guilty nonetheless.
i also realise that sometime, to use up leftovers, you end up expanding more energy (i.e. incorporating it into another meal) that you have to ask yourself is it worth it in the first place?
i don't admit to have a solution to this. i believe it boils down to personal preferences and common sense, each to his own. i used to cringe when my friends didn't even bother to take their pizzas away when they had only eaten a mere quarter of it. blasphemous but it continues to happen.
and i have lived in countries where you pay for every packet of ketchup that comes with your fish and chips.
i guess the moral of the story is: waste not want not?

Posted by:melissa tseu |September 19, 2011 at 03:21 AM

Looks so good, I will hve to give it a try. I never throw away left overs. I cook for one and I usally have left overs for a couple of meals. Thank you for sharing your recipes. I will have to come back and check for more.

Posted by:dvlokken |September 19, 2011 at 06:52 PM

The study of more than 50,000 adults ages 18 and older provides new molecular evidence that 11 DNA regions in the human genome have strong association with these diseases, including six regions not previously observed.

Posted by:best watches replica |September 20, 2011 at 12:54 AM

Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by:  | 

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Your comment could not be posted. Error type: Your comment has been posted. Post another comment The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Post a comment Comment below or sign in with TypePad Facebook Twitter and more... You are currently signed in as (nobody). Sign Out (URLs automatically linked.)

Your Information

(Name and email address are required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)

Name is required to post a comment

Please enter a valid email address

Invalid URL

Be Connected Get news via RSS or email
 Get updates in Facebook
 Follow me on Twitter
Search VWK

EventsONLINE LIVE Q&A
Washington Post's "Free Range on Food"
Sept 21, 12-1pm (EST)
Click to jump to the site & join the convo. I'm subbing for Editor Joe Yonan to field Q's about tofu!

Share Shots#flickr_badge_source_txt {padding:0; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif; color:#666666;}#flickr_badge_icon {display:block !important; margin:0 !important; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;}#flickr_icon_td {padding:0 5px 0 0 !important;}.flickr_badge_image {text-align:center !important;}.flickr_badge_image img {border: 0px solid black !important;}#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper {width:150px;}#flickr_www {display:block; text-align:center; padding:0 10px 0 10px !important; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif !important; color:#3993ff !important;}#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:hover,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:link,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:active,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:visited {text-decoration:none !important; background:inherit !important;color:#3993ff;}#flickr_badge_wrapper {background-color:#ffffff;border: solid 1px #000000}#flickr_badge_source {padding:0 !important; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif !important; color:#666666 !important;}www.flickr.comMore in Viet World Kitchen pool. Add yours!RecipesAppetizer and Snack RecipesBanh (Crepes, dumplings, cakes, bread) RecipesBanh Mi Sandwich RecipesBasic Sauces, Stocks and Garnishes RecipesChile Sauce RecipesClaypot (Kho) RecipesDeep-Fried RecipesDessert and Sweets RecipesDipping Sauces RecipesDrink and Beverage RecipesGluten-Free RecipesGrilled RecipesMain Course RecipesMeat RecipesNoodles RecipesOne-Dish Meals RecipesPho RecipesPoultry and Egg RecipesRice RecipesSalad RecipesSeafood RecipesSoup RecipesStir-Fry RecipesStreet Food RecipesVegan RecipesVegetable Sides and Pickles RecipesVegetarian Recipes Vietnamese RecipesNon-Vietnamese RecipesHandy InfoAsian IngredientsAsian MarketsBasic Vietnamese KitchenBook Reviews + moreCooking Tips and ToolsEssentials: Fish SauceEssentials: NoodlesEssentials: Pho Noodle SoupEssentials: RiceEssentials: Rice PaperGardeningHow to Find Asian Markets & IngredientsMama SaysTet New Year CelebrationTravelViet World Kitchen | Copyright 2002-2011 by Andrea Nguyen | Privacy Policy

document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2011/09/panfried-corn-cakes-and-chile-sauce.html", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});

View the original article here

Moon Cakes: Love or Hate Them?

Moon Cakes: Love or Hate Them? - Viet World Kitchenwindow.fbAsyncInit = function() { FB.init( { apiKey: 'a279adbe87e2b3c505e777af99a5260d', xfbml: true } );};( function() { var e = document.createElement( 'script' ); e.async = true; e.src = document.location.protocol + '//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js'; document.getElementById( 'fb-root' ).appendChild( e );} )();Viet World KitchenHomeArchivesRecipe IndexVWK StoreClasses + EventsFavorite SitesAbout MePermission and CreditWelcome to Viet World Kitchen where I explore the culinary traditions of Vietnam and the rest of Asia. Join me to learn, create, and contribute!

Andrea Nguyen
Author & Teacher

Send a messageMy Publications

Asian Tofu
Release date: Feb. 28, 2012
available for pre-order

Asian Market Shopper
mobile app is here!
"Never Be Lost in an Asian Grocery Again"
-- L. Andriani, Oprah.com

Asian Dumplings
Reviews & Press Release
Enhanced e-book with how-to videos now available!

Into the Vietnamese Kitchen
Reviews & Press Release
E-book released on 6/1/11!

Recent PostsTolerance Test: Are Gluten-Free Asian Ingredients for You?Refrigerator Gold: Leftover Corn Cakes and Chile SauceMoon Cakes: Love or Hate Them?New Crop of Asian Americans in FarmingFurikake Caramel Corn RecipeBarley and Asian Herb SaladAsian Tofu Update: Cover EvolutionAsian Tofu Update: First PagesSH** Hits the Phan: Viet Revenge on Round Eyes?Perfectly Peel Boiled Eggs (video tip)Awards + Praise
James Beard Foundation
Award Finalist
2007 Best Asian Cookbook

IACP Awards Finalist
2010 Best Single Subject Cookbook
2007 Best First Book
2007 Best Int'l Cookbook

National Public Radio
Best 10 Cookbooks of 2009

Cooking Light Magazine
Oct. 2009 "Editors' Dozen" Top Picks
2010 Editors' Favorite Cookbooks

CHOW.com
Winter 2009 Gift Guide

Popular DealsPopular Deals powered by Brad's Deals« New Crop of Asian Americans in Farming |Main| Refrigerator Gold: Leftover Corn Cakes and Chile Sauce »

September 11, 2011Moon Cakes: Love or Hate Them?

Sunday, September 11, 2011 has been a solemn occasion full of reflection on the past and future. During the past week, my husband and I watched several TV programs and read magazine and newspaper articles about the tragic events that happened a decade ago. Perhaps we overloaded ourselves with 9/11 but today, on the actual anniversary date of the attacks, I decided to switch gears to focus on tomorrow, Monday, September 12, 2011.

It’s going to be the Mid-Autumn Festival (Tet Trung Thu in Vietnamese, Zhong Qiu Jie in Mandarin). It’s also called the Moon Festival because the moon shines never fails to shine super big and bright. Referring to the festival legends behind the holiday, my mom once remarked, “It’s this time of the year that you can see the woman in the moon.” So tonight, I went into the backyard and looked up to see this moon:

The Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival, a time for giving thanks for the plenty of the year that has past. We no longer lead agricultural lives but we can still pause to feel grateful for life’s bounty.

The festival is one of the most important holidays of its kind among those of Chinese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese descent. People gather with friends and family to hang out and eat. I remember being in Hong Kong one year strolling along the Kowloon side of the harbor among throngs of people out to gaze at the moon. Kids carried colorful cellophane and wood lanterns to imitate the moon, reminding me of when I was a child in Vietnam.

Foodwise, at the center of the festival are moon cakes, called banh nuong/banh Trung Thu in Vietnamese and yue bing in Mandarin. The small cakes have a sweet or savory-sweet filling encased by a very thin sheath of dough.

I love them because I grew up on wonderful homemade moon cakes. I have learned to prepare them on my own but this year, I had a few in the freezer (pictured at the top; "w/o trung" means we ran out of egg yolks!). My mom made them last year and gave me a few. They seem to last indefinitely when kept frozen. Our family’s preferred moon cakes are filled with a finely diced mixture of sweetmeats, roast pork, nuts, sesame seed, and fresh lime leaf. At the center is a single salted egg yolk to evoke the moon. A touch of rose petal sorghum liquor (mei kwei lu chiu) in the filling makes things extra fragrant. Our homemade moon cakes are laborious to make so we savor tiny pieces with sips of fragrant tea or the rose petal liquor.

Here is one of my mom’s homemade moon cakes, unwrapped and thawing. I like to keep it in an airtight container so that it remains moist.

From this one cake that measures about 3 1/2 inches across and 1 1/4 inches tall, I can cut 8 to 12 wedges. My mom can cut hers into 16 but she’s a maniac. The point is that we really love our moon cakes and a little goes a long way.

But there are many people who hate moon cakes. I can certainly understand why as most commercially made moon cakes are lead-like and too sweet. Twelve months ago, when I was in China, my friends and I sampled moon cakes twice and all I can say is, this: A single small piece can stay with you for hours!

How can you avoid moon cakes? At the Walmart in Beijing and a wet market in Chengdu, food stylist Karen Shinto and I saw mountains of moon cakes on display for the holiday. Here is a sample from Beijing's Walmart:

My dad just emailed a Los Angeles Times dispatch from China, where yue bing has become a dreaded holiday gift, on par with the American fruitcake. (But I like fruitcake and make a Vietnamese fruitcake that’s flavored a bit like my favorite moon cake!) The Chinese sweet has been subject to a character assassination – people see it as a fattening, wasteful expensive gift, and bad tasting food.

Moon cakes have also become a tax issue as the Chinese tax bureau is forcing employees to pay income tax on cakes that they receive from their companies. How’s that for deterrence?

The LA Times article quotes one man who comments, “As the Western saying goes, nothing is certain but death and taxes. I feel very uncomfortable about the ‘mooncake [SIC] tax.’” So moon cakes are perceived as bad as taxes.

On the other hand, modern moon cakes, such as the Haagen-Dazs ice cream filled ones, sell like hot cakes! (Haagen-Dazs is owned by General Mills and their ice cream moon cakes represent a huge business opportunity. Trader Joe’s used to carry a similar product in their frozen section and it was okay, not great.) Starbucks has even gotten into the moon cake business in China.

What do you think of moon cakes? Love them or hate them? Is there a kind or filling that you enjoy? What is your source for them?

Related moon cake links:

How to make moon cakes (video that goes with my recipe from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen)Tips on buying and making moon cakesVietnamese fruitcake recipeMid-Autumn Festival history, legend, and tradition General Mills' golden opportunity: China's moon cake market (TwinCities.com/Pioneer Press)Posted in Asian Food Culture, Miscellaneous, Vietnamese Culture | Permalink

Reblog (0) | | Digg This | |

Comments

You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.

I guess I'm not a big fan of them. I've only ever had the commercial ones, and while I quite like the taste, I dislike that "leaden" quality you mention. Every year I try them again hoping my perception was wrong, or has shifted, or something, but I have yet to care for them.

Posted by:Diane |September 11, 2011 at 08:19 PM

I actually like moon cakes..maybe because I grew up eating them as a child. By the way, your mom rocks! I had no idea you can make moon cakes! Very impressive!!

Posted by:Tuyet N. |September 11, 2011 at 08:36 PM

Commercial baked mooncakes are really bad - fillings too sweet, and the skins dry and brittle. The newish fad of snowskin mooncakes in all variety of weird flavors also does not thrill me (although the durian snowskin mooncake from Takashimaya in Singapore was exceptional!).

I much prefer our own homemade mooncakes to anything made commercially. Here's our Traditional Baked Mooncake recipe:

http://www.houseofannie.com/traditional-baked-mooncake-recipe/

Posted by:Nate @ House of Annie |September 11, 2011 at 08:38 PM

I married into moon cakes when I married my husband, and it is a match made in heaven. My husband is ok too (wink). I live in Berkeley not too far from Oakland Chinatown, and so have had reasonably fresh ones. But I also like really dense sweet things. My favorites are lotus seed pate with egg yokes, or date with egg yokes.

Posted by:Ellen Rigsby |September 11, 2011 at 08:45 PM

I have grown to like moon cakes a lot - probably coincided when I grew into liking salted egg yolks! No I love them and always buy the double yolk variety. I watched your video about making moon cakes at home... you are a BEAST Andrea! You were a cool cucumber when you unmolded that sucker. I don't know if I would have the nerve to take on such an endeavor on my own. I miss the days when all of my mom's friends would gather at our house to do these elaborate cooking projects.

I am hoping that I can get over to Koi Palace to get some moon cakes though I might get trampled to death by the older Chinese ladies!

Posted by:Karen Tran |September 11, 2011 at 08:46 PM

I love banh trung thu. I grew up with them too. I just asked my mom to buy me some earlier today. Would you consider sharing your mom's sweet meat & nuts filling? The black bean & mung bean mixtures found in most banh trung the are so blah.

Posted by:Xuanie |September 11, 2011 at 09:03 PM

Diane -- Keep hope alive for moon cakes tasting good!

Karen -- There was period when I made moon cakes for weeks, trying to get the technique down on paper.

Yeah, my mom is quite a woman. Bet she'll read this post. LOL.

Xuanie -- The filling recipe is in Into the Vietnamese Kitchen. It's the last recipe in the book and it's the longest.

Nate -- Thanks for sharing your moon cake recipe!!! :)

Ellen -- I had a red date (jujube) with egg yolk recently and it was divine. The red date had a slightly smoky quality. A friend had brought them back from Taiwan in a spiffy wooden box! High class moon cakes...

Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |September 11, 2011 at 09:45 PM

I don't really care for moon cakes, and certainly don't like them enough to learn how to make them, and I absolutely HATE how much I have to spend at the market on a tin box with 4 cakes in it.

But I surely hope I can keep buying, eating, and serving moon cakes every Tet Trung Thu, from now till I'm 95.

I may not love the moon cakes as food (and I prefer fruitcakes), but rightly or wrongly I value them as a very modest little reminder of a holiday that gets too little recognition in the US.

Plus, if I don't feed wedges of moon cake to my godsons, probably no one will. So I'm grateful for the cakes giving me an opportunity to make little kids laugh at ridiculous stories about Chu Cuoi, or an ambitious carp that aspired to being a dragon.

Posted by:Simon Bao |September 12, 2011 at 07:06 AM

I'm not a huge fan of sweets, but I LOVE mooncakes! I received a homemade one from my co-worker this morning with matcha & whole red bean filling... it was divine!

Posted by:star |September 12, 2011 at 01:13 PM

I always look forward to Indonesian style Mooncakes. It has different types of filling and different type of skin. My favorites are chocolate, cheese, raisin, cashews, durian, and of course pork mixed with winter melon, fried shallots, and sesame seeds. As far as I know, this particular mooncake isn't sold outside Indonesia. Thus, I always wait for the care package from home.

Enjoy your Mid-Autumn Festival, Andrea.

Posted by:Tuty |September 12, 2011 at 03:26 PM

I wonder if you can answer a question for me. I was in Bangkok in June/July and took a photo of some cakes and a friend identified them as moon cakes. Being completely unfamiliar with moon cakes, I took his word, but now that it is moon cake season, I don't see any that are like what I saw at all.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1867018917370&set=t.1331711470&type=1&theater any idea what those are?

Thanks in advance!

Posted by:Deanna |September 12, 2011 at 09:27 PM

Guess I'll have to be the lone voice of 100% dislike for Mooncakes! They've always been around my house for the holidays and believe me I've tried to like them but I just can't do it. Though, I've only had the commercial kind and gracious, I can't do it. Especially those who knows how old egg yolks.

Posted by:Brian @ Castirontherapy |September 12, 2011 at 09:28 PM

Tuty -- Cheese in moon cakes? Wow. I need to learn more about the Indonesian take! The mixed savory-sweet filling you described is similar to the Vietnamese meat and sweetmeats version that I make. There's char siu in there, some mock shark fin, a little pork fat, lots of candied sweetmeats and various nuts and seeds.

Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |September 13, 2011 at 03:21 PM

Brian -- you're not alone. Here's an article from the Toronto Star by a Chinese-Canadian. His first line in the story: The Chinese make the worst desserts.

http://www.thestar.com/living/food/article/1050373--the-myth-of-the-mooncake

I disagree with that blanket statement but it was meant to provoke.

Posted by:Andrea Nguyen |September 13, 2011 at 03:23 PM

Thanks Andrea, that was a quirky read! I don't want to agree wholesale with the rather provoking statement, so instead I will query, what other nations have dessert menus that can compete with the Chinese for that rather dubious title?

Posted by:Brian @ Castirontherapy |September 13, 2011 at 08:18 PM

I hate to say it, as I'm a big fan of Indian culture, food, music, and damn near everything else about the place - AND I cook Indian food every week, even for breakfasts - but I do not like Indian desserts. Too sweet, and many are too milky for me. Sometimes I like South Indian payasams, kheer, or carrot halva, but that's about it. I think they could give China a run for its money in the bad dessert sweepstakes.

On the other hand, I love Thai desserts and sweet snacks.

But really - nothing competes with chocolate. Nothing.

Posted by:Diane |September 13, 2011 at 08:56 PM

We found mooncakes made by a local (Vancouver, Canada) bakery this year with nut, bean, pineapple and lotus fillings and they were so much better than anything we'd had before. The dough was fresh tasting and tender (not mooshy)and the fillings weren't as super sweet. I was a teacher in China for a year and around the Autumn Moon Festival I received mooncakes from ALL my students, which numbered in the hundreds. I did end up freezing and eventually eating most of them and they ranged from blech to bleah to yum.

Posted by:Lisa |September 14, 2011 at 07:44 PM

I love moon cake so much. That's all I can say.

Alvin

Posted by:restaurants in Laguna Philippines |September 15, 2011 at 07:29 PM

Mmn moon cakes, love them! I can eat the whole moon cake all by myself in the one go. Essentially love the mixed nuts and double eggs variety which are expensive in Australia during the Trung Thu season but are slightly discounted afterwards.

Posted by:Thuy |September 17, 2011 at 05:15 PM

The study of more than 50,000 adults ages 18 and older provides new molecular evidence that 11 DNA regions in the human genome have strong association with these diseases, including six regions not previously observed.

Posted by:best watches replica |September 20, 2011 at 12:54 AM

Verify your Comment Previewing your CommentPosted by:  | 

This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.

Your comment could not be posted. Error type: Your comment has been posted. Post another comment The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Post a comment Comment below or sign in with TypePad Facebook Twitter and more... You are currently signed in as (nobody). Sign Out (URLs automatically linked.)

Your Information

(Name and email address are required. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.)

Name is required to post a comment

Please enter a valid email address

Invalid URL

Be Connected Get news via RSS or email
 Get updates in Facebook
 Follow me on Twitter
Search VWK

EventsONLINE LIVE Q&A
Washington Post's "Free Range on Food"
Sept 21, 12-1pm (EST)
Click to jump to the site & join the convo. I'm subbing for Editor Joe Yonan to field Q's about tofu!

Share Shots#flickr_badge_source_txt {padding:0; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif; color:#666666;}#flickr_badge_icon {display:block !important; margin:0 !important; border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0) !important;}#flickr_icon_td {padding:0 5px 0 0 !important;}.flickr_badge_image {text-align:center !important;}.flickr_badge_image img {border: 0px solid black !important;}#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper {width:150px;}#flickr_www {display:block; text-align:center; padding:0 10px 0 10px !important; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif !important; color:#3993ff !important;}#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:hover,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:link,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:active,#flickr_badge_uber_wrapper a:visited {text-decoration:none !important; background:inherit !important;color:#3993ff;}#flickr_badge_wrapper {background-color:#ffffff;border: solid 1px #000000}#flickr_badge_source {padding:0 !important; font: 11px Arial, Helvetica, Sans serif !important; color:#666666 !important;}www.flickr.comMore in Viet World Kitchen pool. Add yours!RecipesAppetizer and Snack RecipesBanh (Crepes, dumplings, cakes, bread) RecipesBanh Mi Sandwich RecipesBasic Sauces, Stocks and Garnishes RecipesChile Sauce RecipesClaypot (Kho) RecipesDeep-Fried RecipesDessert and Sweets RecipesDipping Sauces RecipesDrink and Beverage RecipesGluten-Free RecipesGrilled RecipesMain Course RecipesMeat RecipesNoodles RecipesOne-Dish Meals RecipesPho RecipesPoultry and Egg RecipesRice RecipesSalad RecipesSeafood RecipesSoup RecipesStir-Fry RecipesStreet Food RecipesVegan RecipesVegetable Sides and Pickles RecipesVegetarian Recipes Vietnamese RecipesNon-Vietnamese RecipesHandy InfoAsian IngredientsAsian MarketsBasic Vietnamese KitchenBook Reviews + moreCooking Tips and ToolsEssentials: Fish SauceEssentials: NoodlesEssentials: Pho Noodle SoupEssentials: RiceEssentials: Rice PaperGardeningHow to Find Asian Markets & IngredientsMama SaysTet New Year CelebrationTravelViet World Kitchen | Copyright 2002-2011 by Andrea Nguyen | Privacy Policy

document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js'%3E%3C/script%3E"));COMSCORE.beacon({ c1: 2, c2: "6035669", c3: "", c4: "http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2011/09/moon-cakes-love-or-hate-them.html", c5: "", c6: "", c15: ""});

View the original article here