cookingandeating

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Charbroiled oysters (New Orleans).

If you follow my blog, you'll know that I LOVE oysters! I made a trip out to New Orleans for the first time this year and it was also my first time having oysters prepared charbroiled-styled. And...it was so delicious! I spent four days in New Orleans and had charbroiled oysters for three of those days--and I am definitely regretting not getting my fill in for the fourth day. Charbroiled oysters are offered and served in virtually any restaurant you walk into! I am hoping to test out a recipe to try making these at home myself soon.

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Chicken with garlicky mushroom cream sauce.

Chicken and mushroom recipes are my go-to dishes when I'm in a pinch and don't have time to be creative in the kitchen. Don't get me wrong, this doesn't means this dish boring or bland! It's packed with great flavors and is really easy to make, which is what makes it a "go-to" dish.

Recipe here: http://littlespicejar.com/one-skillet-chicken-with-garlicky-mushroom-cream-sauce/

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Kushii oysters.

These oysters are my favorite kind to eat raw; they are absolutely so buttery! Mutual Fish in Seattle sells a variety of different oysters and other seafoods as well. They've been around since 1947! Check them out! http://www.mutualfish.com/

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Thit tom kho (caramalized/braised pork belly and shrimps).

Growing up, this was a staple dish in our home. The saltiness of the flavors combined with a hot bowl of rice and fresh veggies (I chose cucumbers here) is perfect.

Recipe (closest to my mom's) here: http://www.theravenouscouple.com/2011/04/tom-rang-thit-ba-chi-caramelized-shrimp-pork-belly.html

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Pork and shrimp wontons.

I've made wontons plenty of times before but I didn't realize there were so many different ways to wrap them! After testing out a bunch of different wrapping techniques (aided by a YouTube video), this style--called "Szechuan Chaoshou"--is my favorite.

YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/GQ0lOvES1kw

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Pork and crab xiaolongbao from Din Tai Fung. If you like dumplings, Din Tai Fung is the restaurant to go to. It IS as good as all of its hype. My favorite is their soup dumplings--xiaolongbao--that's photographed here from today's dining. I have yet to have a successful run at homemade dumplings, but I'll keep trying. For now, I'll just indulge in some delicious dumplings made by the professionals.

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Cajun pasta. My all-time favorite dish to bring for weekday lunches is pasta. I try to pack lunches to work at least four of five days a week--eating out is expensive! But because pasta is generally really heavy, I measure out the pasta by its suggested serving sizes so I'm not overdoing it, or better interpreted as so my forehead doesn't smack the keyboard from "I-had-too-much-carbs" sleepiness! Here I used andouille sausages, chicken, jumbo shrimp (cut in half lenghwise so they curled up all pretty-like when they're cooked), and red bell pepper. For the sauce, I mixed in homemade cajun seasoning spice, chopped parsley, heavy cream, and a generous amount of grated parmesan cheese. Really simple! Recipe here for cajun seasoning spice: http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/diy-cajun-spice-mix-recipe/

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Cheese and bacon filled jalapeños.

I can guarantee that eating just one of these babies will not be enough—at least not for me! My cousin-in-law usually brings this tasty appetizer to our family parties and I had to get the recipe for myself. The jalapeños are de-seeded and halved, then filled with a softened cream cheese/shredded cheddar/bacon bits mixture. If that’s not enough flavor for you, add salt, pepper, and some garlic powder for an extra kick. Finally, top it off with some panko or traditional breadcrumbs and pop them in the oven! Even though the jalapeños are de-seeded, you’ll still feel the heat…but that won’t stop you from coming back for more!

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Chopsticks and soup spoon.

My previous blog icon was an image of four eating utensils: a fork, knife, spoon, and chopsticks. But that imagery for this blog–MY blog–isn’t quite honest… Because I don’t actually know how to use a fork and knife properly! This used to embarass me and make me feel self-conscious about eating around others, but the fork-knife etiquette is just something I was not taught, and that’s okay. Although I was born and raised in Seattle, WA, eating when I was growing up meant chopsticks and a big ol’ soup spoon. That’s right, specifically a deep, porcelain soup spoon and not a shallow, metal spoon. And even now, nearly 30 years later, I still feel most comfortable with chopsticks and a soup spoon as my utensils of choice. Sure, I certainly use the utensils I’m given when I’m eating out, but a fork and knife does make me feel a little out of my element. Thus, here’s my new blog icon because I gotta stay true to myself.

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Stir-Fry Dungeness Crab.

Now don't be jealous...yes, this is absolutely MORE seafood! My brother is a regular crabber so as his little sister, of course I reap the benefits as often as I can. Stir-fried with a little bit of ginger, oyster sauce, and leeks, the sweet dungeness crab meat is ready to be eaten off the shell!

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Scallops at Taylor's Shellfish.

Living in the Pacific Northwest, our access to seafood is abundant--lucky, lucky us! Taylor's Shellfish is my all-time favorite raw bar. Their selection of fresh oysters are always a go-to but they have some seasonal offerings too. The Pioneer Square location had seasonal scallops that were so buttery and felt like they instantly melted in your mouth. Delicious!

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I am obsessed with presentation of food and aesthetics so before hosting a meal, I like to lay out where all the dishes, settings, etc., will go ahead of time. This set up was for the last Thanksgiving preparation in our apartment in 2016. Being in a smaller space was challenging, but it gave my creative juices a chance to come through!

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Honey Balsamic Garlic Mushrooms.

A perfect side dish for steak!

Recipe here (I used baby portobello mushrooms): https://therecipecritic.com/2017/07/honey-balsamic-garlic-mushrooms/

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Cajun Seafood Boil.

At the special request from our out-of-town guests, I made a seafood boil for the first time! I'm an avid seafood eater so I've prepared and cooked all these delicious little water critters before, but just never all together together. You can use various different seafoods--we ended up with king crab legs, lobster tails, clams, and jumbo prawns with red potatoes and corn. The vegetables take longest to cook so those boiled in cajun spiced water for about 20 minutes. Then in went the clams and once those babies opened up, the lobsters, crabs, and shrimp cooked very quickly. Depending on what seafood you use, you'll want to vary when certain items go in the pot (i.e. those that cook quickly should go in last.) Served with melted butter ramekins and fresh lemon, the seafood feast began!

Recipe here for DIY cajun spice: http://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/diy-cajun-spice-mix-recipe/

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Slow cooker beef ragu with rotini.

I‘ve recently been gifted with an InstantPot (a pressure cooker) but sometimes a nice, long, and slow cook brings out the best flavors. The meat simmering in tomatoes and herbs was extremely tender and shredded so easily!

Recipe here: https://pinchofyum.com/slow-cooker-beef-ragu-with-pappardelle

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Vietnamese braised pork belly with eggs and bamboo (thit kho trung va mang).

This traditional Vietnamese dish brings back memories of cold Winter nights where I would rush home to eat a big bowl of piping hot rice with the pork and eggs just as hot off the stove. My mom would make variations of this dish with pork belly or pork spare rib, eggs, tofu, and/or bamboo, so I combined my favorites into one. And depending on which cut of pork meat you use, the cook time may need to be longer for the meat to truly be tender.

Recipe here: http://www.hungryhuy.com/how-to-make-thit-heo-kho-voi-trung-vietnamese-braised-pork-with-hard-boiled-eggs/

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Thanksgiving 2017.

I suppose I had set a certain standard with my fancy brunch spread, so it had to be done again for Thanksgiving! This year, we hosted my immediate family at our house. The preparation was a little stressful but well worth the effort to see a bunch of happy and full tummies at the end of the night, and only because Gordan Ramsey helped with the turkey ;)

Stuffed mushroom recipe here: https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/easy-stuffed-mushrooms/4c355bdf-1897-46cd-900e-4d2b5dd1e7c9

Crockpot mac and cheese recipe here: http://www.shortstopblog.com/2011/10/best-easiest-crockpot-mac-cheese.html

Crockpot mashed potatoes recipe here: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/slow-cooker-mashed-potatoes-recipe/

Bacon wrapped turkey recipe here: http://tiphero.com/bacon-wrapped-turkey/