Spaghetti sốt cà chua đơn giản/ Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Parmesan

I didn't fully grasp the immense popularity of Italian food. Pizza, spaghetti and the like have become  household names that appear in my niece's illustrated dictionary. But after a while, I understand why Italian food is so loved globally. Italian cuisine really emphasizes the freshness and the healthiness of ingredients, which are inherent in the use of tomatoes and olive oil. 

There are two great things about this dish. One, it's simple with just a few ingredients to whip up in the weekdays. Two, the sauce is from the legendary Marcella Hazan, author of Essentials Italian Cooking. 

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce and Parmesan

Tomato pulp : 1 can 

Unsalted Butter : 70 g

Onion : 1, peel and cut in half

Salt : 1 1/4 tsp or to taste

 Combine tomato, butter, onion, and salt in a 5 quart saucepan on medium heat. When it starts to bubble, turn the heat to low and let it simmer, stir from time to time until the sauce is no longer watery and reduces to half, about 45 minutes. 

Boil some spaghetti and tip the sauce on the top, sprinkle some parmesan cheese. delicious !

Nha Trang Seafood

The coastal city prides on having one of the best beaches in the world. It is also famous for its abundance of fresh off the boat seafood at reasonable price. A meal consists of 10 dishes costs only 600,000 dong or $28. Eating in Vietnam is cheap overall. After our trip we are stuffed with Grilled squid, otter clam grilled shallot oil, scallops, sea cucumber...

Fish noodles with Jellyfishes in a deep fish stock

Món ăn Việt Nam bổ dưỡng / Vietnamese food is healthy

Spring rolls Da Nang style

   Một bài viết mình đăng trên tạp chí AM magazine online về sự lí do tại sao món ăn Việt Nam lại bổ dưỡng đến thế. Trang này mình quảng bá cho người nước ngoài xem nên chưa có Tiếng Việt. Mình sẽ dịch ra Tiếng Việt trong thời gian sớm nhất. Đây cho những ai quan tâm : link

   An article I published on AM magazine online on why Vietnamese food is healthy. I will translate to Vietnamese as soon as possible : link 

[ Burma 2014 Part 2 ] Burmese food

Burmese food tastes like a delicious fusion of India and Malaysia. You get curry but with less spice  and sweeter. You get typical South East Asian home dish such as fried fish, stew chicken and stir fried watercress. 

There are some unique traits such as the addition of dried shrimp in most dishes . There are condiments ( 1 st picture ) accompanied in every meal to eat with rice. This trait is similar to Indian but I think Burmese condiments can be eaten more easily ( fried green beans, curried chickpeas,veggies with peanut sauce ).

A very Burmese Dish is a dessert , whose name we don't know ( picture 2 ). You take a spoon, put on some tea leaves, some fried nuts, palm sugar and ginger and devour. 

[ Burma 2014 Part 1 ] Yangoon & Bagan

   

Hai bố con vừa trở về từ một chuyens Mi-an-ma. Đó là đất nước xinh đẹp ít bị ảnh hưởng bởi du lịch và công nghệ. Từ khi mở cửa, thủ đô có dấu hiệu của sự hòa nhập và phát triển : Xe ô tô đầy đường, các công ty nước ngoài xuất hiện. Xe máy bị cấm ở Yangoon, thật là may mắn so với Việt Nam. 
Khi bạn du lịch đến Mi-an-ma, đừng hy vọng chuyến di sẽ thoải mái bởi vì dịch bụ chưa phát triển như các điểm nóng khác. Một vài trường hợp hài hước đã xảy ra. Tuy vậy, người bản địa đã rộng mở đón chào. Những hy vọng về tương lai mới tràn ngập ở đất nước từng bị cấm đoán trong thời gian dài.

Bagan ở một tầm cao hơn Yangoon. Thành phố cổ kính này có cả một khu nhiều chùa cổ độc nhất vô nhị như chuyện cổ tích.



My father and I have just returned from a trip to Burma or Myanmmar. It's such a beautiful country merely affected by tourism and technology. 
Since the opening of the country 3 years ago, the capital shows sign of integration and development : Cars crowds the streets, foreign companies prevail. It strikes me that motorcycles are prohibited in Yangoon, which is fortunate unlike in Vietnam. 
When you travel to Burma, don't expect your trip to be convenient because the service isn't developed like in tourism spot. There were some pretty amusing situations. Nevertheless, the local tried their best to welcome us. There are signs of hope everywhere for a new future in this long suppressed country.

Bagan was a different level than Yangoon. This ancient city has an unique archaeological zone full of pagodas, just like in a tale.

In picture : Bagan, School's over, Shwe Dagon Pagoda, Flocks of bird in Chinatown.

Gà Quay / Roast Chicken

Trói chặt gà, phết bơ lên mặt, ngâm sữa ( như công thức này ). Có nhiều cách để làm gà quay. Đây là cách yêu thích của mình., món gà quay kiểu Việt với sả và tỏi. Không cần đến kỹ thuật nào nhưng gà vẫn mềm và thơm.

Bạn cần : 

Nửa con GÀ TA. 5 nhánh cả. 5 củ tỏi. 5 củ hành khô. Muối.

Rửa gà sạch trong và ngoài. Thấm khô nước. Xoa đều muối lên bề mặt. 

Cắt ngang 2 củ hành và tỏi làm đôi. Số còn lại tách thành tép nhỏ. Không được bóc vỏ.

Cắt nhánh sả làm đôi.

Đặt gà trong một khay nướng lòng sâu. Của mình là khay 9x13 inch.

Sắp xếp tỏi, hành, sả lên gà và xung quanh

Ướp gà trong 1h.

Bật lò nướng ở 200 C ( 392 F ) trong 10 phút.

Nướng gà 1h. Mặt da lên trên trước.

30 phút còn lại, lấy ra hành, tỏi, sả để không bị cháy. Không bỏ mà ăn kèm. 

Lật gà. Nướng cho đến khi vàng thì thôi.

Để một lúc cho nước trong gà thấm vào rồi mới cắt. Cắt ngay nước sẽ chảy ra mất ngon.

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The most popular protein that is roasted, and the result is a glorious chicken dish that many countries pride on having their own version : from Peking Roast Chicken to American Roast Chicken. We are bewildered that there are so many ways and difficult techniques involved in making this dish : Truss the chicken? Soak in milk? ( as in this recipe )? Soy sauce? Butter ? Confuse enough.

But this, this is my family recipe that is passed down from my gramps - who cook for his 10 children often. Here's the secret : lemongrass. 

Avid fans of South East Asian cuisine should know this herb. It gives a wonderful, aromatic flavors to any dish. In addition, lemongrass has been known to prevent diseases like Cancer and Obesity. When used in this dish, together with garlic and shallot they make a very appetizing dish, in which the chicken meat is tender, flavorful and the skin is crispy. 

This recipe is easy and the ingredients should be in your pantry ( maybe except for the lemongrass). I recommend to buy Free Range chicken. As the Factory-food raised chicken has soggy meat.

You need :

Half a FREE RANGE chicken. 5 stalks of lemongrass. 5 garlic bulbs. 5 shallots. Salt. 

Rinse the chicken thoroughly. Pat dry. Pat some salt on the cavity and out of the chicken. 

Cut 2 shallots and 2 garlic bulbs in half. Tear the remaining shallots and garlic into cloves. Do not peal them. You don't want burnt garlic.

Cut the stalks of lemongrass in half.

Put the chicken onto a roasting pan. Mine is a 9x13 inch pan.

Arrange lemongrass, shallots, garlic on top and around the chicken.

Let the whole thing sit for 1h

Preheat the oven to 200 C ( 392 F ).

Roast for about 1 hour. Skin side up first. 

30 minutes left, take all the garlic, shallots and lemongrass out so not to burn. Eat these as a side.

Flip the chicken. Let it cook until skin is golden. 

Let cool. Don't cut the chicken right away the the juice wil drip out.

Best "Bun Cha" and "Spring rolls" in Hanoi

Bún Chả is a MUST when you visit the capital city of Vietnam. It's so so good. It's a charcoal grill pork patties, eaten with fish sauce, sliced papaya, vermicelli noodles and herbs. There are virtually no one who dislike it. I know A Malaysian expat working in Hanoi for three months ; everyday after work she ate Bun Cha.

 Bún Chả is often accomopanied by "Nem Cua Bể " or Deep Fried Crab Spring Rolls. Together they create a moreish dish.

You can find this dish easily in Hanoi. To me, a good place to eat is : " BÚN CHẢ NEM CUA BỂ ". What's special about this place ?

Those black-looking thing on top ! Don't worry, It's not black charcoal that gives you cancer. It's betel leaf. Pork Patties wrapped in Betel Leaf have earthly flavor. 4x delicious

I cannot describe the Spring rolls other than incredible. It's crunchy, mouthful and satisfying.

BÚN CHẢ NEM CUA BỂ ".

59 Hàng Mã, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội