Memories of My Mom: Bo Luc Lac

Bo luc lac translates to "shaking beef" because the beef is seared in a wok at high temperatures and you shake the wok to ensure even cooking. It was always a good day to come home from school and see this waiting for us on the counter. Mom would make the vinaigrette to pour over, but salt/pepper/lime is much easier and just as delicious.

The beauty of Vietnamese cooking, for me, is that it is peasant food. I'm always skeptical when I hear about 'high end' Vietnamese restaurants because frou frou would take the soul out of the dishes...it is like listening to a coffee shop singer in a 15,000 seat amphitheater, good concert but not a great one. The best foods are the street vendor foods like the pate chaud or the banh mi (sandwiches), but I am learning that my people are wizards with a grate, some charcoal and chopsticks - everything becomes street vendor food, even pho!

This dish is no exception - marinated cubes of beef quickly seared and served over a bed of mixed greens, cucumbers and tomatoes with steamed rice and a little dish of salt/pepper/lime to dip the meat in. Nothing fancy, but the flavor is so, so good! This is the first dish I ever made for David - it's my "secret weapon", if you will. One bite and he was powerless to resist me. ;) :) ;)

- 1 to 2 lbs of beef tenderloin, cut into cubes slightly larger than bite-sized

- 6 cloves of garlic, crushed (this is where pre-peeled garlic and a minichopper comes in quite handy)

- 2-3 T soy sauce

- 2-3 T fish sauce

- 1 T sugar

- 2 T oil (veg or olive) - optional

- freshly ground black pepper (lots!!!)

- one sweet onion, peeled and cut into wedges

- spring mix or watercress...or both

- 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced on the diagonal

- grape tomatoes

- hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges (optional)

- salt

- pepper

- lime juice

- Mix the garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar, pepper and oil together and marinade the meat for at least an hour...but if you can overnight, it will taste better.

- Heat a small amount of oil in a wok over high heat. Saute the onion until soft and translucent. Put onions in a bowl and set aside.

- In the same wok, sear the meat in batches so that they will brown evenly but still be medium-rare to medium in the center. If you overcrowd the pan, the meat will give off too much juice and start to braise. Try to avoid this.

- After the meat is seared, quickly saute the onions a second time in the same wok so that they will take on a golden hue and the flavors from the meat. Mix the onions with the meat and pour over the spring mix salad (with cucumbers, tomatoes and eggs).

- Each person should get a small dipping bowl of equal parts salt/pepper. Squeeze a wedge or 2 of lime juice over the salt/pepper.

- Serve the beef with steamed rice. It is best to dip the beef in the salt/pepper/lime mixture before eating.

Baked Penne with Italian Sausage

Another wonderful, comforting recipe from Kristin!!!!!

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese
Ingredients
1 (1-pound) package penne (or ziti)
1 pound Italian sausage (I am using Colosimo's red wine sausage)
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.
- Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Memories of My Mom: Bo Nhung Dam

Another specialty of my mothers. This translates to beef dipped in vinegar. Thinly sliced beef cooked at the table in a vinegary stock, then wrapped in rice paper with herbs and cucumbers, dipped in Nuoc Cham and YUM!!! You can't try to imagine the taste of this one as the ingredients probably won't make sense. Just know that the flavors are so perfectly suited in this dish! You'll need a heating unit that you can use at the table. Below is enough for 5 adults...6 if you count my little brother twice...

- 3 lbs of thinly sliced eye of round (if you go to a Vietnamese butcher, ask them to slice it for pho)

- 2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined. If they are large, slice them in half.

- Herb Plate: chinese coriander, cilantro, mint, perilla

- 1 head red leaf lettuce, leaves taken apart and washed

- 4 dua chuot (pickling cucumbers), peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced

- sliced fresh pineapple (optional)

- rice paper

Vinegar Stock (Hot Pot)

- 1 can Coco Rico

- 1/2 to 1 c rice vinegar

- 1-2 shallots, finely sliced

- 2 to 3 T lemongrass, finely minced

- 1 onion, thinly sliced

- juice from 1 can pineapple

- 2 to 3 T sugar

- pinch of salt

Serve with Nuoc Cham dipping sauce

- Saute the shallots and lemongrass in a little bit of oil until they are fragrant. Add the remaining ingredients for the hot pot and bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 20 minutes for the flavors to meld.

- At the table, keep the stock at a simmer, dip the meat in long enough to just cook them - alternate between beef and shrimp.

- Wrap the meat in rice paper, cucumbers, lettuce, herbs...dip in nuoc cham and enjoy!

Memories of My Mom: Chao Ga

Chao Ga is rice porridge or rice congee with shredded chicken. It would take the place of chicken noodle soup in our household. Mom would poach a chicken in a 'master stock' and then strain the stock to cook the rice to make a soup. Then she'd add the shredded chicken and some cilantro, scallions, caramelized shallots and lots of ground pepper. As a variation, she would make this with ground pork/shrimp or plain with salty scrambled eggs (I've made this version before, since it's quick and easy - Dave and Nora like it!)

My better half has been pretty sick so I thought I'd try this to help him feel better (or at least NOT make him feel worse).

For the stock:

1 chicken

1 onion, peeled and cut in half

1 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and lightly smashed

3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and lightly smashed

kosher salt

4 qts (plus) water

- In a large stock pot, heat over HIGH heat just a touch of canola oil and quickly saute the onion halves, garlic and ginger to bring out the flavors. Add the water , chicken and enough kosher salt to season the chicken. Poach until the juices run clear when the chicken is stabbed with a chopstick (and yet another great purpose for the amazing invention of the chopstick) - about 25 to 30 minutes.

- Remove the chicken and let it cool. Strain the stock through a mesh strainer lined with quadruple layer of cheesecloth (or a layer of cloth flour sack).

For the Congee:

- 1 cup (or so) jasmine rice

- 1 clove garlic, crushed

- 1 shallot, finely sliced

- stock from the poached chicken

fish sauce

cilantro

shredded chicken

ground pepper

- In a medium saucepan, saute the rice, garlic, shallots in a tiny bit of oil until fragrant. Add the stock (about 3-4 quarts) and cook the rice until it is very tender (even allowing the rice to break). The consistency should remain soupy. Add fish sauce to taste (about 1-2 tablespoons).

- Ladel the soup into bowls and top with shredded chicken, chopped cilantro and lots of freshly ground pepper for garnish.

Curl up on the couch with a good book and enjoy!