Bún Thịt Nướng (Grilled Meat with Rice Vermicelli)

Bún thịt nướng (grilled meat with rice vermicelli) is a summer staple at my mom's. I actually associate barbecuing with this dish. We didn't really do hamburgers and hot dogs growing up... I also associate barbecuing with my mother, hair covered with a bandana, cooking over a charcoal grill. No propane for us, no sirree! My mom is a firm believer that charcoal adds more flavour to meat!

My mom makes thịt nướng (grilled meat) with both pork and beef although I think pork is more traditional. This is served with bún (rice vermicelli), fresh vegetables and sweet pickled carrots, and finally, doused with fish sauce. When we have a lot of people over, my mom cooks a ridiculous amount of meat and everyone assembles their own bowl of bún.

Thịt Heo Nướng (Grilled Pork)

The key to this recipe is marinating the meat overnight for maximum flavour. If you can't, at least marinate it for a good 3 hours. The main flavour for the pork is lemongrass; this recipe is really just a guideline and you can adjust the ingredients as you like! Adding sugar may seem odd but Vietnamese food tends to have a sweet side, even in savoury dishes. Traditionally, a fattier cut of pork is used for this but my mom uses leaner pork butt.

* 1 kg pork butt, sliced ⅛" thick
* 1-½ tsp salt
* 3 tbsp sugar
* 1-½ tsp garlic (3-4 garlic cloves), minced
* 1 heaping tbsp minced lemongrass (can be purchased frozen)
* 1 tsp dark soy sauce
* 1 tsp black pepper
* 1 tsp chili flakes
* ⅛ tsp baking soda

* bamboo skewers, soaked in water

* 1 tbsp sesame seeds, optional (my mom likes to add them but finds it does tend to burn)

Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.

Add the pork slices and let marinate overnight, making sure all the meat is well coated.

Skewer the pieces of meat (or use a metallic grill like my mom's below).

Grill on barbecue or broil in the oven.

Turn over the meat until both sides are cooked.

Marinating pork makes it tasty!

Thịt Bò Nướng (Grilled Beef)
The marinade below is the same as for the pork, except for the addition of sesame oil.

* 1 kg beef sirloin tip, sliced ⅛" thick

* 1-½ tsp salt

* 3 tbsp sugar

* 2 tsp garlic (5-6 garlic cloves), minced

* 1 tbsp minced lemongrass (can be purchased frozen)

* 1 tbsp sesame oil

* 1 tsp dark soy sauce

* 1 tsp black pepper

* 1 tsp chili flakes

* ⅛ tsp baking soda
* bamboo skewers, soaked in water

Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the beef slices and marinate overnight.
Skewer the pieces of meat (or use a metallic grill if you have one).
Grill on barbecue or broil in the oven.
Turn over the meat until both sides are cooked.

Vietnamese style grilled beef.

Cooking Bún (rice vermicelli) - Serves 4-6

Bún is the basis of many Vietnamese dishes, including fried spring rolls. I have difficulty cooking bún so I thought I'd write down how to properly cook it, if just for myself.

½ 454g bún package

Bring water to a boil in a big pot.
Turn the heat down to medium.
Add the bún (no lid), ensuring all the vermicelli is submerged in the water.
When the bún is no longer holding its square shape, turn off the heat (about 5-7 minutes).
Leave the bún to cook in the water for another 8-10 min.
Rinse in cold water until you can handle it with your hands.
Make little bundles and pile them in a strainer - this ensures it doesn't all get stuck together (that's usually my problem!).

My mom prefers bún that comes in little square shapes.

My mom makes little bundles and places them in a strainer.

Serving Bún
For grilled meat or spring rolls, you serve bún with fresh vegetables and fish sauce. Refer to the toppings for bún post!

* cooked bún
* hành mỡ (scallion oil)

* lettuce, sliced thinly

* cucumbers, sliced thinly

* mint, sliced thinly

* pickled carrots

* peanuts, ground
* nước chấm (dipping fish sauce)

Place bún in a bowl.

Mix in with some scallion oil.

Add lettuce, cucumber, mint, carrots and peanuts (or whatever you prefer).

Add as much fish sauce as you'd like.

Serve with grilled meats or spring rolls.

Tada!

A bowl of bún.

Cornmeal Crusted Sole with Asparagus

I have really been enjoying asparagus recently and I like it cooked pretty simply. On this day, I thought I would also have fish, cooked with a cornmeal crust. Super easy, super healthy!



Stir-Fried Asparagus - Serves 1
I've had a recent asparagus obsession. Asparagus carbonara, grilled asparagus in couscous, asparagus with eggs for lunch, asparagus with fish! No need for hollandaise sauce, I enjoy it quickly stir-fried.

* oil
* ¼ of onion, sliced thinly
* ½ a bunch of aspargus, cut into 1" sections (sliced in half lengthwise if the stalk is very fat)
* salt, to taste
* Italian seasoning
* red dried chili flakes

Heat oil in a pan.
Add onion and cook until slightly softened.
Add asparagus.
Season with salt and Italian seasoning.
Add dried chili flakes to taste.

Cornmeal Crusted Sole - Serves 1

I often pan fry fish simply with a bit of flour. My sister mentioned that cornmeal gives a great crust and she was right. Nice, crispy and a beautiful golden colour, without too much oil!

* 2 small sole fillets

* salt, to taste
* black pepper, to taste

* 1 egg, beaten
* ½ cup flour
* cornmeal
* Parmesan cheese (optional)
* oil

Pat your sole fillets dry and season with salt and pepper.
Place the egg and flour in separate deep dishes.
In a third dish, add a bit of cornmeal, and mix with some Parmesan.
Dredge your fillets in the flour first, then the egg and finally the cornmeal mixture.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add your fillets and cook on both sides.
Tada!

Dredging your sole fillets and pan frying them.

Nice golden crust!

Stir Fried Cabbage

Sometimes I just feel the need to eat vegetables. Maybe it's my body trying to tell me something. I don't understand people who dislike ALL vegetables. How does one function without? Anyway, I had a cabbage in my refrigerator and decided on making a stir fried dish I frequently made when I moved out on my own and didn't really know how to cook.

It's a very easy dish, with pretty much just two ingredients: cabbage and soy sauce. I like it pretty salty so I add a lot of soy sauce. I know cabbage (and its small relative, Brussel sprouts) is not a very popular vegetable. I don't really understand. I like both the taste and texture of cabbage.



Stir Fried Cabbage
You could add some onion to this dish but I like it just this way. I used a Savoy cabbage, but any cabbage will do.

* oil
* cabbage, sliced thinly (about ¼" thick)
* soy sauce

Heat up oil in a pan.
Add cabbage slices.
Add soy sauce to taste and mix well.
Cook until the cabbage is cooked through.
Tada!


Sliced cabbage and some soy sauce (the more the better for me!).

India Palace (Toronto)

257 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario
416.593.7272
website

MC and I spent her last day visiting me in Toronto. The plan was to shop on Queen Street West and at the Toronto Eaton Center. We picked a great rainy day to shop outside. Once we were soaked and dirty from the rain, we decided to call it quits and have lunch. We discovered Indian food is a great relief when you feel cranky from the rain. We picked India Palace because the Indian restaurant next door had a long waiting line and we were not willing to wait in the rain. I did notice that there were a few Indian restaurants in the same block, all offering a $10.95 buffet.



I like Indian buffets because you can try different things. Having said that, I usually just stick to what I like. Some will argue the quality of the food at a buffet is not as good. This is especially true for deep-fried appetizers like pakoras and samosas; they are never at their best at buffets because they're not freshly fried. I tend to overeat at buffets, trying to get my money's worth. I had three plates that were very similar, as you can see below. MC and I both really enjoyed the saag paneer (spinach and cheese). You can notice that by my last dish, I was only getting sauce and naan bread to sop it up. MC and I tried to minimize waste by re-using our plates but were chided for it. I guess it's not a hygienic practice...

My three plates mainly containing butter chicken, saag paneer, naan bread and aloo gobi.

Before we stopped for lunch, we were shopping for shoes near the MuchMusic building. We saw people setting up for the MMVA's. While we were looking at shoes, the salespeople started dancing and screamed out that Lady Gaga was singing. So we went outside to watch her rehearse. I thought it was funny because I only recently discovered Lady Gaga and I find her songs are perfect for running (maybe just slightly too slow). When I mentioned this to MC, she was very unimpressed and thought Lady Gaga will just be a one year wonder. I guess we'll see... Meanwhile, I'll keep running to Just Dance!

MMVA stage.

Lady Gaga rehearsing.

Zooma Zooma Café & Upper Canada Cheese Company (Niagara Region)

Since the forecast called for rain AGAIN, MC and I planned to spend the day shopping at Canada Factory Outlets and then checking some wineries on our way back. We were lucky that the day actually turned out to be beautiful!

Zooma Zooma Café
3839 Main Street
Jordan Village, Ontario
905.562.6280
website

After our shopping, we made our first winery stop at Cave Spring Cellars and noticed Zooma Zooma Café across the street. It looked like the perfect spot to have lunch, with tables and chairs set up outside. However, we were weary that it would be on the expensive side. When we checked out the menu, we were pleased to find that the prices were affordable.

Since we were in the Niagara wine region, MC decided to have a glass of wine. We both ordered sandwiches. MC had the roast beef sandwich with havarti and sweet peppers while I got the turkey with melted Brie. The sandwiches were served on a baguette with a side of mixed greens. We were rather disappointed that the meat were just plain old cold cuts but really enjoyed the dressing on the mixed greens. The portion was very big and we were both extremely full afterwards. I didn't notice their thin-crust pizzas on the menu but noticed one brought out that looked very good. I should definitely have gone for a pizza!

Our not-so-impressive sandwiches.

Cave Spring Cellars (at the top), Tawse Winery (bottom left) and Vineland Estates Winery (on the right).

Upper Canada Cheese Company
4159 Jordan Road

Vineland, Ontario

905.562.9730

website

We not only checked out wineries but also stopped by a cheese shop. However, the service was disappointly subpar. There were no customers at all, but we were still ignored by the employees. When I was finally acknolwedged, it was to be told to wait while they finished their work discussion. You would think that customers come first...

Finally, I asked if they offered a sampler package that we could eat right away. No, but we'll package anything you buy here. We're just too busy. I don't know why cheese shops don't offer a sample of three of their most popular cheeses. I think it would be a hit with customers like me! So I asked to sample some cheeses that they had on the counter. We tried two artisanal cheese: Comfort Cream and Niagara Gold. I really enjoyed the Camembert-like Comfort Cream, while MC really digged the oka-like Niagara Gold. Both were sold in the store, but pieces were close to $20 each and we couldn't stomach paying that much. MC ended up buying a small goat cheese called Operetta for $9.

Operetta cheese. Can you see the two different compositions?

When we got home, we got to really enjoy the operetta cheese. It was quite good. MC said she knew she'd like it when she cut through it and noticed the two different compositions (the middle looks whiter); to her, that's a sign of a good cheese. MC also commented that she wasn't sure which she preferred better, her sweet treats (she has a sweet tooth!) or a good cheese. While I do enjoy all cheeses, I don't find I eat "special" cheeses often and decided I should really try to change that! Here's too more cheeses in my future!

Chicken and Mushroom Orzo

After playing squash with friend MC, we hit the supermarket to buy food for dinner. I told her I was out of inspiration for meal ideas and she would have to figure out what we would be eating. She responded that she only needed to walk through a supermarket and get inspired. Perfect! When MC saw mushrooms, she immediately thought it should be our main ingredient. That's when I realized that you can divide people into two groups, those who LOVE mushrooms and those who HATE mushrooms. I've never met anyone who's neutral about mushrooms. MC remembered a Rachael Ray orzo recipe she had previously made and we bought all of the ingredients we needed.

Before dinner, I served some kielbasa and Monterey Jack with Garlic and Basil cheese that I bought in Wisconsin. I discovered kielbasa, a Polish sausage, in Hamilton when my sister introduced me to it. My sister used to work with a Polish colleague who brought her to a Polish deli. I should really write a post about it one day. I thought MC should experience kielbasa since I always buy some to bring back to Montréal (although I'm sure could find some there!). As for the cheese, though the basil flavour was great, I thought the cheese was rather mild. Nothing too exciting...!

Wisconsin cheese and kielbasa.

Chicken and Mushroom Orzo - Serves 2
Adapted from Rachael Ray's Chicken with Mushrooms and Balsamic Cream Sauce. I think sun-dried tomatoes make any pasta taste better and its addition to this dish proved I am right! One trick that MC thought very useful is that if you buy chicken broth and you do not use it all, freeze it into ice cubes and you use it for next time!

* ¼ lb orzo pasta, cooked and drained, saving some of the cooking water
* 1 boneless chicken breasts, grilled and sliced
* butter
* 1 large shallots, thinly sliced

* a good amount of mushrooms of your choice (we used portobello and oyster mushrooms. remember mushrooms shrink - we cooked a lot!)

* 1 garlic cloves, chopped
* fresh thyme leaves, chopped
* a glug of Marsala wine

* ¾ cup 1 L (4 cups) homemade chicken broth, or store-bought
* a glug balsamic vinegar
* 1-2 tbsp heavy cream or half-and-half

Add butter to a pan on medium/high heat.

Once the butter melts, add the shallot.

Once the shallot has softened, add the mushrooms and brown for about 4-5 minutes.

When the mushrooms are browned, season with salt and pepper then add the garlic and thyme.

Add the Marsala wine and let it reduce.

Add the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream.

Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened.

Add the pasta cooking water if needed.

Add the chicken back and sun-dried tomatoes, and let it warm up.

To serve, pile orzo on dinner plates and top with the mushroom and chicken mixture.

Tada!

Grilling chicken and cooking mushrooms.

I really liked the addition of sun-dried tomatoes!

Poco Loco

131 Ottawa Street North
Hamilton, Ontario
905.545.5626

On the second day of MC's visit, it was still raining. So instead of playing tennis, we changed our plans to another racquet sport: squash. However, I needed to find a second squash racquet. My friend Superfly was nice enough to lend us his and met him at Poco Loco for lunch so we could pick up his racquet.



Even though Poco Loco is two minutes away from my old workplace, I never got a chance to visit it. It seems to be a popular lunch spot, as I found a few of my former colleagues sitting at the counter. The burrito seemed to be the most popular choice. MC and I decided to share a chalupa combo (for about $6), which includes a drink, because we did not want to overeat before our squash game. We payed an extra $0.65 for guacamole, which was definitely worthwhile.


Chalupas.

I thought the chalupas, which consisted of tostada's topped with ground beef, were good but nothing special. However, I am slightly biased after enjoying authentic chalupas in Chicago the week before. Poco Loco seems like the perfect lunch spot because the food is good, the prices are definitely affordable and the service was quick.

After lunch, we stopped by the first Tim Hortons store down the street to show MC. You probably have to be Canadian to know Tim Hortons but this is where it all started...!

First Tim Hortons' store.