Chickpea Salad

I’ve been lazy about cooking lately, but please allow me some grace. I spent the past several years actively working on a cookbook, and now that the manuscript is finished, I think I just needed a break. My creative energy has gone into the design phase instead: fonts, colors, format, all the micro decisions you take for granted. Plus, I’m cooking for one in a small kitchen with no dishwasher. Simple meals are about all I’ve got in me, which brings me to the simplest chickpea salad.

I love salads and have to eat them regularly. But I don’t always love lettuce. Is that strange? Hear me out. Not all salads need lettuce or kale or arugula. My favorite salads at restaurants are the ones that don’t come with any lettuce at all, like caprese, tabbouleh, citrus salad with beets and goat cheese, or watermelon and tomato salad with burrata. I love any salad that incorporates fruit. Add some pear, some citrus, some persimmons. Oh, and kumquat! It’s always a nice surprise to find kumquat in a salad!

Saying I don’t like lettuce in my salad reminds me of my mother, who once announced, “I want a chocolate muffin, but with no chocolate chips.” I looked at her like she was crazy. Was it her brain injury talking? Where can you find a chocolate muffin with no chocolate chips?! It’s like when she says she doesn’t like the beach because of the sand, and how she doesn’t want the sand to touch her toes. She thinks we should wear boots to the beach instead. Anyway, I digress. See? I can’t even talk about food without thinking of my mother. Hence, the memoir cookbook about her.

I came here to talk about chickpeas, and somehow we ended up at my mother’s beach preferences. Back to the salad.

I try to eat vegetarian at least three times a week, and when I do, I make sure I get my protein and iron. I always have cans of chickpeas in my cabinet because I also like to roast them, season them with Tajin, and eat them as a snack. This is an easy chickpea salad recipe, and you can serve it with additional protein on the side. I didn’t measure, so I’m sharing a loose recipe for your inspiration and modification.

Serves about 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1 long English cucumber, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced

• 1 red bell pepper, diced

• ½ cup of diced red onion

• shallots, optional (I had them on hand so I just threw them in)

• ¼ cup of diced pepperoncini

• ½ cup of fresh dill, roughly chopped

Dressing (I eyeballed these amounts, so taste and adjust as needed):

• about ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

• about 2 Tbsp white vinegar

• 1 Tbsp pepperoncini juice

• 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp oregano

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp red pepper flakes

• 1 garlic clove, minced, optional

Directions:

Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Combine the ingredients for the salad in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over and toss.

Optionally, add protein to your salad (like rotisserie chicken) or serve the salad over labneh or Greek yogurt.

Some Things I’ve Made Recently

I’ve retested so many of my Cambodian recipes this year while finalizing my cookbook manuscript. There were a few I didn’t feel completely confident about, so I wanted to double, triple, and quadruple-check them one last time.

At some point, though, I had to let go and trust myself. Recipes don’t have to be perfect. Everyone has different tastes, and people will naturally tweak and adjust a recipe to make it their own. Perfect is subjective, and my own tastes have changed over the years. So have my mother’s, which makes me especially glad I worked on this cookbook when I did.

As a soon-to-be self-published cookbook author, am I allowed to admit that I’m a little tired of cooking? 😂

I really do love cooking, but it’s a lot of work when you’re doing everything yourself. In my kitchen, there’s no dishwasher and barely any counter space. Every recipe has to be measured, documented, photographed, and tested, and then there’s all the mess to clean up. And all of this work is just for one person. Me.

I freeze a lot of leftovers, which is actually one of my favorite parts. There’s something pretty nice about pulling a homemade meal out of the freezer on a day when I don’t feel like cooking. These days, I keep things simple most of the time. I can’t make elaborate meals every day, but when everything comes together and I make something really good, it makes it all worth it.

So here’s a little collection of things I’ve retested this year, along with a few things I’ve made that aren’t part of the cookbook at all. They’re not always the prettiest because, this time around, I was cooking for the recipe, not for the aesthetic. Maybe these photos will inspire you to make something new in your own kitchen.

I’m curious: Do you recognize any of these dishes?

And does anyone know what I want for dinner tonight?

Spring Break: Italy & Portugal

It has been awhile since I have written. Life can be so confusing. I think I’m going through a mid-life crisis. Is that possible? Something had been feeling off and it had been difficult to pinpoint. But I knew, I needed to change my environment, even if temporarily, to change my energy, flow, and focus. I took advantage of an opportunity to escape to Europe because my neighbor was going to be spending an extended amount of time in Italy. I had been to Italy so many times before, but it had been a decade since. Plus, I love Italian food, pasta particularly. At the very last minute, I booked a trip because nothing was really happening for me in LA and I had the time. I had been stressed. I had been overwhelmed. I had been stuck. So why not? And since I love exploring new countries, why not add in Portugal too?

Florence (4 nights): My first stop was Florence, where I joined my neighbor and her sister. This brought back so many memories. I had first visited Florence when I was 19 years old, with two friends, after we completed our summer abroad in the countryside of France. I was so young! A baby! This was pre-technology and pre-smart phones. I stayed in hostels and used guidebooks. Back then, hostels were not as nice, modern, or fun as they are today. I roughed it. I guess my curiosity and desire to explore was always a part of me and it felt good to get back in touch with that part of me again. Travel is a privilege but adventure is within you. Since my neighbor was staying in Italy for the month, she got an Airbnb a bit outside of the city. This was a little annoying because we had to walk to get to a tram to get into the city, and then walk a bunch more. If you can, stay in the city center. It will make your life so much easier. During this trip, we dined at some really lovely restaurants such as La Menagere (a little fancy and romantic) and La Giostra (charming). We did not have reservations at either. Since Europeans typically eat late, we were able to get tables without reservations because we arrived early. However, I think we got lucky. You should definitely make reservations if you want to eat at the best spots. Some of the random spots we chose were not as good, but we were sometimes desperate because we didn’t have reservations and didn’t want to wait hours. We went wine tasting in Tuscany. Walked all over the city, averaging at least 15,000 steps a day, which is anywhere between 5-8 miles. We indulged in gelato. Since I had been to Florence before, I didn’t feel obligated to wait in line to visit all of the museums. I don’t even think I have the patience now to do it. I was still very exhausted from all the walking though. We saw the Duomo, walked across Ponte Vecchio, shopped at the Central Market (bought truffle slices), climbed up to Piazzale Michelangelo for a view of the city, and explored many of the small, cobblestone streets. There were a few restaurants/bars that I wish we had time to try, such as Floreal (cool looking bar), lo Osteria Personale (small, quaint, wine-bar vibe, Michelin-rated), Gurdulu (casual, hip), and Zeb (casual, diner style, Michelin rated) in the Santo Spirito neighborhood. But I guess I’ll have to save that for next time!

Rome (3 nights): Rome was my second stop and also the first part of my solo adventure. We took the train to Rome together from Florence but then separated at the end of the day. They proceeded onto Naples and Pompeii and I decided to stay in Rome. I had not really traveled abroad solo since pre-pandemic. I was a little nervous about this when I booked the trip but once I got into my groove, I felt in my element. I stayed near the Trevi fountain at Relais 95 Trevi for one night but I would not do that again. The hotel was fine with a rooftop terrace and friendly staff. The room was small though and the area was overly crowded with tourists. The second two nights, I stayed in Trastavere, which I preferred. It’s close enough but away from the touristy sites. I stayed at Palazzo Baj, which is more like a guest house. The room was spacious and clean, but the bed was memory foam and super uncomfortable. Memory foam beds and pillows are something your body needs to get used to. It’s not something that should be offered for a random stay at a hotel. I’m surprised that they only provided memory foams beds because it’s not for everyone. I think a standard mattress would be more universally pleasing. The staff was super friendly and helpful but they were rarely to be seen on the premises. If you email the hotel in advance, it takes days to get a response. You have to make an appointment to check in. When you get your hotel confirmation, you can’t respond back to the email from which it comes from. You have to respond to the email listed at the bottom of the confirmation email. I made that mistake and waited days with no response. But even when you email the correct address, it still takes days and follow up. They didn’t provide complimentary water in the room but when I had written a review about this on Tripadvisor, the owner said that they provided complimentary water. I didn’t see it. I only saw small water bottles in the mini bar which had a listed fee. They had complimentary water in a large carafe in the lounge but they didn’t refill the bottle regularly. Since there was no staff around to inform, I couldn’t refill my water bottle from the water in the lounge and I wasn’t sure if the tap water from the faucet was safe. Sorry, don’t mean to go off about water but with all the walking, I was exhausted and dehydrated and sometimes did not get the chance to search for a market to pick up a bottle. The guesthouse was also a little isolated from the main area of Trastavere, about a 12 minute walk. There aren’t as many mid-range hotel options in Trastavere so you could also stay in Piazza Navona or Campe de Fiore or Vatican if you want something quiet. Airbnb is an option too. But I would stay away from Trevi, Pantheon, and the Colosseum.

The last time I had been to Rome was with my college boyfriend when I was 22 years old. Even a second time around, the colosseum was still mesmerizing. I took a fun cooking class and learned how to make tiramisu and pasta from scratch without a machine. I ate so much pasta and dessert. I tried Maritozza con La Panna for the first time because it’s in the windows of every pastry shop. It’s a sweet bun filled with milk cream. I enjoyed it but it was a little too much cream and bread for me. But definitely worth trying or sharing with someone! I also had Sfogliatelle for the first time. This I could handle because they have mini versions. Though I could probably eat the entire full sized version because that’s how much I loved it! But I wouldn’t say that they are made equally at every café. I had quite a few of these and only one that I really loved. Usually, they are chocolate, custard, pistachio, or jam filled. I found one that was filled with Chantilly cream and that was heaven! I loved the crispiness of this pastry. I had the best charcuterie board at Pane E Salami (tavern style) near the Trevi Fountain. They also offer sandwiches, vegetarian boards, and bruschetta. The cured meats and tomatoes are just so much tastier in Italy! I dined at Coromandel (cozy breakfast spot near past Piazza Navona) and Tonnarello (very popular, casual family style restaurant with long lines), Osteria Ponte Sisto (charming, quaint), and Mama Eat (got pizza) all in the Trastevere neighborhood. I would have loved to have had time to check out La Rosetta (for seafood in the Pantheon vicinity, expensive), Roscioli (small, Michelin Rated, in Campe de Fiori area), Gelataria Valentino (Trevi), and Feffo for pastries (in Vatican). By the end of my Roman holiday, I could not eat anymore food or drink anymore wine. I wanted to try everything and my stomach was just not big enough to handle it all! I recommend having a coffee and pastry in the morning, a very light lunch, gelato or pastry as a snack, and then pasta or pizza for dinner. The Tiber river reminds me of the Siene in Paris. Live music, couples strolling by, dim lights. Very romantic. I will definitely be back in Italy and passing through Rome again. I would love to explore Puglia and I haven’t been to the Amalfi coast. Sardinia island sounds beautiful too. So many places to explore!

Lisbon (2 nights): My next stop was Lisbon, Portugal. It was my first time in Portugal and I absolutely loved it. People were not as friendly as in Italy, but it was still a great experience. Portugal reminded me of a European version of California. The food was delicious! All my favorites—clams and prawns simmered in garlic and wine. My meals were light because it was mostly seafood, which was more my vibe. Meals were significantly less expensive than the United States and for seafood too! I loved their Pastel de Nata egg custard tarts. Crispy, flakey goodness. Lisbon was still a lot of walking, with cobblestone streets and lots of hills, which was challenging for me after I had just completed an exhausting week in Italy. I wish I had more time in Lisbon actually. I stayed at My Story Hotel Ouro for 2 nights in the Baixa neighborhood, walked around the Alfama district, lunched at the Time Out Lisboa Market, explored the LX Factory (hipster, warehouse area converted into art studios, shops, a variety of restaurants with outdoor space and live music), and got Pastel de Natas at Manteigara. Many blogs suggest going to Bairro Alto for drinks, dinner, and nightlife. Personally, I did not like this area. It’s very hilly. The little cobblestone streets are charming but the area felt very trashy to me. Spring break college drunk vibe. I wouldn’t recommend this area or maybe I’m too old for it. I wouldn’t stay at My Story Hotel Ouro again. The service was not that friendly and the hallways wreaked of their perfume. The room was tiny. On my first night in Lisbon, I felt so worn down by all the travel and walking. My allergies were acting up and my body reacted to all the cigarette smoke. So all I wanted on my first night in Lisbon was noodle soup! Not too far from my hotel, I found Boa Bao and was pleasantly surprised at how delicious the Asian food was! I ordered the most amazing pho and duck bao. It’s a fun spot with a vibe. They offer a variety of modern Asian food. In addition to Boa Bao, I was surprised at how international Lisbon was. I also had the most delicious breakfast at Dear Breakfast in Alfama. I loved Antiga Wine Bar, bordering on the Alfama district as well. It’s small and quaint but has a really good light menu. I spent a day visiting Sintra, Pena Palace, and Cascais. This was part of a tour, but I personally, didn’t think it was worth it. I would have rather spent that time exploring more of Lisbon. The tour was $70 and didn’t even included tickets into the palace so basically it was a glorified taxi ride with multiple stops and a tour guide. If you want, you could visit the palace on your own by taking a train, which is so much cheaper. It’s only 30 minutes away. But my tour was all day because of all the stops. I found the tour sort of boring so I don’t recommend it. Spend more time in Lisbon. Avenida da Liberdade is their high end shopping district. I walked though it but unless you want to do some high end shopping, I didn’t think there was much to see. There might be some fun vibey restaurants to check out in that area though if you are looking for that.

Lagos (3 nights): After 2 days in Lisbon, I took the Rede Espresso bus (I purchased them online 2 days before) to the south of Portugal to explore Lagos in the the Algarve region. The bus ticket there was only $15 euro and the return ticket was $10 euro. It’s a 3.5 hour ride and it’s fairly comfortable with wifi and a toilet on board. Remember to bring 50 cents to use the bus toilet or get change from the driver during your ride. It’s located in the middle of the bus by the side entrance, labeled WC on level with the lower steps, lower than the seat level, almost hidden. I didn’t see it the first time because I was looking at the back of the bus or an elevated bathroom. On my first ride, I held in my bladder and didn’t drink any water for fear of needing to pee. I was dehydrated. I don’t want you to make the same mistake! The only reason I noticed the toilet on my second bus ride, back to Lisbon, was because I saw someone walk out of it. Anyway, that was a learning experience. You can also take a train to Lagos but I think it’s more expensive and not direct. You’d have to take the train to Faro and then switch trains to get to Lagos, whereas the bus is direct. Both take the same amount of time. I spent 3 nights and 3 days in Lagos and it was lovely! However, I would not recommend staying at the Tivoli Resort. It was awful! The photos on the website looked way better than reality. The service was terrible. My room was like a mile away from the front desk and uphill within the resort as well, and it was completely outdated and sort of creepy. The staff members were negative, unwelcoming and almost rude, unhelpful, and didn’t even offer to assist with my luggage. It was mostly occupied by senior citizens. The location was good though. It’s near the bus station and the train station and it’s only a 10 minute (uphill) walk into town. Old town is cute with so many shops and restaurants. Although, I’m not sure you need to stay near town. Uber is quite common in Portugal and a lot less expensive than taxis. You can stay further away for a better relaxed vacation vibe and just Uber into town. Or if you rent a car, even better. Some people I met in Lagos were staying at the Belmar Spa and Beach Resort and had highly recommended it. The reason I didn’t stay as far was because I was traveling solo and didn’t want to feel as isolated. But in hindsight, solo or not, being a little further away in a nicer spot would have made my trip more relaxing. There are only so many times you may even want to walk into old town. Casa Mae and Lagos Avenida hotels also looked like great options for a hotel in town, but a little pricier.

On my first full day, I Ubered (less than 10 minutes) to Praia de Don Ana because it was a recommended beach with dramatic cliffs. It was beautiful but the water had a lot of kelp which wasn’t pleasant to be in but was scenic for pictures. Near Praia de Don Ana is Carvi Beach Hotel where Lucas Rooftop restaurant is located. After the beach, I stopped here to have more Portuguese clams (Bulhao Pato). Then I Ubered (less than 10 minutes) to Ponte de Piedade cliffs where there are a group of breathtaking rock formations. These are the same rock formations that I saw on my boat tour the next day, but from a different angle. It was a little windy in this area so you have to be careful when taking photos as you can fall off the cliff! But it was seriously so beautiful. You can actually walk a lot of the coast of Lagos stopping at all the sights via Seven Hanging Valley trail, but I did not have the energy for more walking. I walked some of the trail because the walkway/path intersected at Ponte de Piedade and Praia de Don Ana. I walked by Praia de Camilo beach (another small beach with cliffs) from Ponte de Piedade but was too tired to explore that beach. It looked like it could have been nicer than Praia de Don Ana (perhaps cleaner without kelp?). It’s located right next to Camilo Restaurant, which looks like a good stop for good food and a view. I think that in hindsight, Praia de Camilo beach and Camilo restaurant for lunch would have been a better option vs Praia de Don Ana and Lucas Rooftop because you can walk there from Ponte de Piedade (which I really enjoyed). For laying out and enjoying the beach without kelp, I really enjoyed relaxing at Duna Beach. It’s an easy, white sand beach that stretches for miles. No dramatic cliffs or rocks but super relaxing, calm, clean, clear waters. It has several restaurants on the beach, so you can also stop for food and drinks easily without having to climb up steep steps. On my last day in Lagos, I went on an amazing half day (4 hour) Blue Cruise boat tour with Blue Fleet. It was so relaxing, which was the type of tour I was looking for. It was only $55 and included snacks, lunch, and unlimited drinks while you tour the coast and caves of the south of Portugal. They also give you time to swim. The boat has a small bathroom as well. I met the loveliest people on the tour. I had originally wanted to see the famous Benagil caves but all the tours from Lagos were speedboats and didn’t allow you to disembark so I didn’t think it was worth it. And it didn’t sound relaxing. April is preseason for boat tours though so there may be more options in the summer. Plus, Lagos is a bit far from Benagil. If you’re staying closer, perhaps in Portimao, there may be better tours offered to explore Benagil. My tour went up the coast past Ponte de Piedade, which is in the other direction. I dined at Mimar for wine and tapas and Don Sebastio (Michelin rated casual seafood restaurant with large portions) for seafood rice. I would have loved to try Restaurant de Artistas (also Michelin rated but fancier, small bites) but I was saving that special meal for my last night of my vacation in Lisbon. Mar D’Estorias was a cute little shop in town that also has a rooftop restaurant with a small menu. I also wanted to try Tasca Jota, London Tiger Coffee, Taberna Da Mo, Taninos Wine & Kitchen.

Lisbon (1 additional night): On my last night in Lisbon, Portugal, and my European vacation (2 weeks), I stayed at the My Story Hotel Figueira and loved it. Spacious room, lively restaurant, great service, and a central location. It was the perfect accommodation for the end of my trip. Not to be confused with the other My Story Hotels. I stayed at the My Story Hotel Ouro during the first part of my Lisbon trip and I did not like it at all. Tiny rooms, unfriendly, rude staff, and really strong, unpleasant perfume scented hallways and rooms. Fortunately, the Figueira location was so much nicer! Still had a similar perfume scent as the Ouro location, but a lot more mild. There are also alternative boat accommodation options (The Homeboat Company) at the marina that I think could be fun to stay at. If I had more time, I would have tried that! To celebrate my last night in Lisbon, I enjoyed a special 3 hour and 11 course meal at this charming Michelin rated restaurant on a cute street in the Principal Real district Chef Louise Bourrat won the French version of Bravo Top Chef and manages a women run kitchen. I sat front row at the kitchen bar and got to watch the chefs in action but their back patio is really charming as well. There were two tasting menus to choose from, one inclusive of seafood and meat and the other entirely vegetarian, with the option to add on a wine pairing. My favorite dish was the lamb, which is surprising because I hardly ever eat lamb. The amberjack hamachi was another favorite but all the dishes were delish It was the loveliest last night in Lisbon! I wish I had time to explore more of Principal Real because it looked charming and upscale. I would have loved to have had time for drinks and a bite at Lumi (upscale restaurant with a rootop terrace with a view in the upper part of Bairro Alto, need a reservation) and ceviche at A Cevicheria. If you’re looking for coffee shops, Comoba (near Time Out Market) and Hygge (near Avenue de Liberade) were also recommended to me. In addition to the clams and prawns, tinned fish, particularly sardines, are very popular in Portugal. I don’t love the idea of tinned fish so I didn’t try any at restaurants because I didn’t have anyone to share it with and preferred to pick other dishes. But I did buy some as gifts to bring back home. They serve their tinned fish on toast. Fish croquettes are also popular but I didn’t love it when I tried it. I much preferred ordering clams, prawns, and mixed seafood rice. Whenever I ordered clams or prawns, I’d order a side of rice and pour that into the leftover garlic sauce. Portugal very much reminded me of California. It was charming with it’s cobblestone streets, hills, views, coast, and colorful buildings with beautiful patterned tiles and romantic iron balconies. It’s very international and has delicious seafood. I would love to return and visit Porto and other parts of the Algarve region. I was surprised to have met so many Americans on this part of the trip, on my tours, and when I dined solo sitting at the restaurant bars.

Some travel tips: Most places accept credit card, but majority did not accept American Express. For the most part, you can get away with not bringing cash. However, a few coins were needed for toilets in public places, such as buses, bus stations, train stations, and tourist sights. Some taxis in Portugal did not accept credit card but that was before I discovered I could Uber. I didn’t Uber at all in Italy. It was not really available in Florence and in Rome, I didn’t even bother. It didn’t occur to me because in Florence, it wasn’t an option. We took the tram, mostly walked everywhere, and called a taxi if needed. But in Portugal, I’m thankful the hotel staff recommended Uber because it was less than half the cost of a taxi. Most people in both countries speak English. A great meal in Italy and Portugal are a fraction of the cost in the U.S. and you don’t need to tip. Wear comfy shoes because you’ll be walking a lot, over cobblestone, and uphill. I packed cute shoes, which I managed to wear to Boubou on my very last night in Lisbon but only because I Ubered. Most days, I wore sneakers. I brought one pair of day sneakers for all the walking (Vans) and a pair of nicer white sneakers for dinner and going out at night, that I could wear with pants or a dress. Nice shoes will be ruined with the cobblestone. Most hotels don’t provide water. If they do, it’s a small bottle and then they’ll over-charge you 3 euro to drink their small bottled water in their mini fridge. Better to go to a market and buy a big bottle of water for 60 cent to bring back to the hotel. Europeans often are on strike. You will encounter delays with flights, trains, and traffic because of protests, which they refer to as “manifestations.” Bring allergy meds because of the cigarette smoke. People will rudely smoke next you at a restaurant. Make dinner reservations. Europeans eat late. A lot of restaurants don’t even open until 12:30pm for lunch and 7pm or 7:30pm for dinner. If you want to eat at a restaurant without a reservation, I’d recommend going on the early end when it opens. Otherwise, you might get turned down or stuck waiting. Check out my Instagram for more photos and details of the restaurants I visited and meals I ate. All vacation story recaps are in my highlights. Make sure you like them, share, and follow me!

Oh gosh. Writing this blog post makes me really hungry. It also makes me wish I was still on vacay. The wonderful thing about vacation is that my only goal each day was to explore, try some place new, decide which delicious meal I’m going to eat next, go on a new adventure, and do something that brings me joy. It was all about embracing happiness and pleasure, which can be difficult to do at home when you’re stressed and overwhelmed. I enjoyed being forced to be present and disconnect a little bit from technology, reality, people, toxicity, and responsibilities. I haven’t done that in a long time. It was GREAT! I hope I can continue protecting those boundaries now that I am back home. I hope I can hold onto the peace that I felt there for a little bit longer. I’d like to practice integrating that peace and calm into my everyday life. I think I have awakened my travel bug. Where should I go next?

Beef Bourguignon

It has been freezing in Los Angeles lately. Hard to believe that we got hit with so much rain, a hail storm, and snow! Fortunately, the sun has started to show this week but the air is still quite cold. It has been hard to get out of my apartment and out of my sweat pants. I got my fireplace on and I just want to curl up on my couch underneath a big blanket. This is the time for comfort food and Beef Bourguignon is on my menu. It gives me all the cozy feels. I got leftovers. No need to leave my apartment for the next few days.

Ingredients:

·      1 lb beef stew meat

·      3 slices of bacon, diced

·      2 carrots

·      1 sweet yellow onion, diced

·      12 oz mushrooms, cremini + shiitake (or all cremini or white button mushrooms), halved or thick slices

·      10 pearl onions, trimmed and peeled

·      4 cloves of garlic, 2 minced and 2 crushed

·      1½ Tbsp flour

·      2 tsp tomato paste

·      4 sprigs of fresh thyme

·      1 bay leaf

·      2 Cups of wine

·      1 Cup of beef broth

·      salt + pepper

·      1 Tbsp butter

·      vegetable oil

·      parsley, chopped

Directions:

1.    Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.    Pat beef stew meat dry. Season generously with salt and pepper.

3.    Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat on the stovetop. Add diced bacon and cook until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside.

4.    Pan sear the sides of the beef stew meat in the bacon fat. Remove beef and set aside.

5.    In the same Dutch oven, add onions and brown. Add carrots and garlic. Cook for a minute. If the pan gets dry, add a couple tablespoons of water.

6.    Add tomato paste and flour and mix thoroughly. Toss in bay leaf and thyme.

7.    Pour in wine and let reduce for a couple minutes, turning heat down as liquid starts to bubble.

8.    Add beef broth and stir.

9.    Carefully place the beef and bacon back into the pan, making sure that the meat is fully submerged in the liquid. Cover and place in the oven. Cook for 2 hours.

10. Meanwhile, heat a medium frying pan with vegetable oil. Add pearl onions and brown.

11. Toss in the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt. When the mushrooms begin to shrink, add a tbsp of butter. Stir and allow the mushrooms to slightly brown.

12. When the beef bourguignon has finished cooking, add the pearl onions and mushrooms to the Dutch oven. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or noodles.

Air-Fried Wings with Spicy Sweet & Sour Herb Sauce

When I dip, you dip, we dip. I love dips, condiments, sauces. Just give me more so I can smother my food in it. I created this sauce originally to eat with my air-fried wings and then I ended up eating it with everything and anything I could dip into it. I love the combination of spicy, sweet, and sour with herbs. My love of herbs comes from Cambodian food. The more, the better! Sharing with you the recipe and I hope you like it!

Spicy Sweet & Sour Herb Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1½ Tbsp Sambal sauce (Chili Garlic Sauce)

• 6 Tbsp water

• 2¼ Tbsp vinegar

• 1½ Tsp sugar

• ¼ Tsp fish sauce

• ¼ cup scallions, finely chopped

• ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

• 1 clove of garlic, minced

Directions: Mix everything together and let sit for 30 minutes. Serve with air-fried chicken wings, grilled shrimp, rice, or noodles. So good on crispy fried eggs with rice. You can also dip cucumbers into it or serve with fried eggs as well.

Boston Trip, Food, and Random Thoughts

So August came and went and somehow we’re in October already! I spent most of August trying to pick myself back up again post-Covid isolation. Being social helped bit by bit. I even did some retail therapy and ya know what? It worked! Lol. I hadn’t really shopped all year but treating myself to some new outfits, expensive French perfume, and a fancy facial made me feel brand new again.

I went back to Boston to visit Mom for a bit in early September. While in Boston, I had the best food! As I always do. Had so many oysters! Mom always liked oysters but even more so now because after her injury, they go down her throat more easily than other foods. She still struggles with her appetite as a result of her brain injury and hospitalization. So I’ve been taking Mom and my stepdad out for oysters and cocktails and now I enjoy it even more myself because it makes her happy and that makes me happy. My parents aren’t really motivated to go out to nice places and explore on their own so it’s sort of up to me to help bring them joy because they don’t know how to do it on their own (not that I want that responsbility, I struggle a lot with it myself). They’ve worked so hard their entire lives and have survived so much hardship. They don’t know how to indulge, enjoy life, and have fun or seek joy. How could they? It’s something I have had to learn myself. Not that I’m an expert but my generation is more open to self-care, community, open dialogue, and reaching out for support for mental health than my parents’ generation. I also cooked for my parents while I was home. I made them some dishes they have never had before like my Steak with Colombian Aji Sauce, Coconut Turmeric Chicken Soup and my Mushroom Marsala. And I couldn’t leave Boston without making Mom my version of Cambodian Kuyteav Noodle Soup.

The sun is setting earlier and it’s getting dark sooner. This time of year always starts to make me feel sad, as endings usually do. I must have inherited this from my mother. She feels this way around this time of year in the east coast, when the cooler breeze floats through her windows and she can hear the sound of crickets from her garden. And my year is almost over as my birthday is in November. As with every birthday in the last few years, I have to plan some type of trip to give myself something to look forward to. So guess where I’m going this year? To Panama! I’m going to be attending a wellness yoga retreat at an eco-friendly holistic luxury beachfront resort situated away from the main civiliation on Panama’s coast. I’m VERY excited to get away and participate in this wellness journey. This year has been tough and I could use all the healing I can get!

Upwards and onwards.

Chinese Egg & Tomato Stir-fry

Chinese Egg + Tomato Stir-fry. Easiest thing to make when you’ve run out of most of your groceries and don’t know what to make. So yummy! This is my recipe but there are so many versions out there with subtle differences. Some use garlic. Some use ginger. You can make it saltier or you can make it sweeter. You really can’t mess up eggs and tomatoes! I keep it simple with three main ingredients. Try it! It’s delicious and comforting. Also, check out the reel I made for this recipe on my Instagram.

CHINESE EGG + TOMATO STIR-FRY (serves 2-3)

Ingredients:

·       4 eggs, whisked

·       8 plump Campari or pearl tomatoes, quartered

·       2 tbsp olive oil

·       ½ tsp salt

·       ¾ tsp sugar

·       ½ tbsp vinegar or rice vinegar 

·       ½ tsp sesame oil

·       3 tbsp water 

·       ⅓ cup scallions, diced

· 1 tsp minced ginger (optional)

Directions: 

Whisk eggs with ¼ tsp salt.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium frying pan. Pour in eggs and softly scramble. Plate and set aside.

In the same pan, add another 1 tbsp olive oil. Lightly sauté the ginger. Throw in tomatoes. Add ¼ tsp salt and ¾ tsp sugar. Let the tomatoes cook for a couple minutes. Pour in ½ tbsp vinegar, ½ tsp sesame oil, and 3 tbsp water. Let tomatoes soften for maybe another minute without letting the tomatoes get too mushy.

Sprinkle some of the scallions. Turn the pan off. Add scrambled eggs back into the pan and lightly fold into the tomato mix. Garnish with additional fresh scallions before serving. Eat with rice.

Hot & Sour Soup

Whenever I return from a trip, all I want is a hot bowl of soup. As you may know from following my Instagram account, I love all types of soup. One that I started making more regularly recently is the Chinese Hot and Sour Soup. It’s so flavorful. There’s something about the sourness, saltiness, and the spice that just hits the spot. I love the crunchy textures of the bamboo and water chestnuts as well as the softness of the tofu and egg ribbons. So yummy. It tastes so much better when you make it at home yourself. Restaurants sometimes overdo it on the cornstarch, soy sauce, or spice. I don’t use cornstarch in my recipe at all because I generally prefer thin, brothier soups. You may add cornstarch if you like a thicker texture. If you’re a soup lover, try my recipe!

Hot and Sour Soup (serves 4-5)

Ingredients:

·       32 oz low sodium chicken broth

·      1 quart & 1 cup of water

·       15 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrate in bowl of hot water for 30 minutes, thinly sliced

·       1 small 8 oz can of bamboo shoots

·       6 oz tofu, cubed

·       3 eggs, lightly whisked

·       1 small can of water chestnuts, sliced (optional)

·       1 clove of garlic, mashed

·       1 nubbin of ginger

·       4½ tbsp soy sauce

·       6 tbsp vinegar

·       ½ - 1 tsp chili flakes

·       2 tsp sesame oil 

·       ½ tsp black pepper

·       ½-¾ tsp salt

·      ¾ cup of scallions diced

Directions: Bring the broth with water to a boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes with ginger and garlic. Add tofu, bamboo, rehydrated sliced shiitake mushrooms, and water chestnuts. If there is not enough broth, add more water. Cook for 15 minutes. Season the soup with soy sauce, vinegar, chili flakes, sesame oil, black pepper, and salt. Cook for another 15 minutes. Create egg ribbons by slowly pouring in the whisked eggs into the pot. Stir the eggs in the pot of soup with a fork or chopstick. Toss in half of the scallions and then continue to cook for a couple more minutes. Top with additional fresh scallions when serving.