Kimchi Fried Rice by Steamy Kitchen

I cannot give you the recipe for this dish, because I got it from Steamy Kitchen's new cook book. I encourage you to buy the book and try out some of her recipes. This Kimchi fried rice was a hit and very easy to make. I think I liked the egg part the best. Here are some photos of me prepping the dish.

Look at the beautiful colors from the toppings

Buffet Style Chinese Doughnuts

One of the simplest dessert recipes that the kids will enjoy. I love Chinese doughnuts when I go to the buffet. They taste best at a warm temperature and even better when just taken out of the fryer. I actually googled this recipe and got it off the recipezaar.com site. To my amazement it was just too easy I don't know why it took me so long to attempt it.

1 can Pillsbury Biscuit refrigerated mix
Sugar

1. Open the can and roll the dough into medium-sized balls
2. Deep fry each dough until crispy brown
3. Drain on a paper towl and roll them into sugar

Water Spinach - Rau Muong

Water Spinach is locally grown in Southeast Asia. Commonly referred to as the "poor people's food" because it is grown in such abundance. It can also be thought of as comfort food to many. I love water spinach b/c it is quick and easy, and tastes best stir-fried as a side dish with rice or poultry. I find it is expensive here in the US and is hard find.

Korean Pancakes w/ Shrimp - Pajeon

I had a Korean Pancake obsession over the long holiday and made Korean Pancakes. I can't really give out the recipe because I cheated and used the pre-made Korean Pancake mix. Hey, it tastes just as good, so why not. It was mmmmm, so good.

I mixed it with shrimp, chives, and peppers. The key is to fry it sizzling hot, so that it's a little burnt on the edges.

Spicy Hoisin Chicken Wings

Package of chicken wings
1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce
5 T Soy Sauce
2 T Garlic Powder
1 T Sesame Oil
1 T Rice Vinegar
3/4 cup Korean Pepper Powder (Adjust according to spicy factor)

1. Mix all ingredients together depending on your tasting and how spicy you like your wings. On average, I'd say 1/2 cup of Korean Pepper Powder is fine.
   
2. I use a lot of the heavy ingredients, since I like my food flavorful. You might want to double-up on the ingredients if you like it very flavorful.
   
3. Marinate overnight or at least 3 hours before baking
   
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
5. Spray a light layering of cooking spray on to the baking tray
6. Stack wings side-by-side on baking tray
   
7. Bake at 390 degrees for about 40 minutes, depending on your oven temperature
8. Make sure to turn the wings once in the middle of the cooking time
   

Korean Style Dinner

Alright, I can't take credit for making this, but whenever I want an authentic Korean dinner, my friend alwayssss comes to the rescue. If I wasn't there myself I'd think that this is a restaurant.

Tofu Soup w/ Chives and Shrimp - Canh Dau Hu

Red Velvet Chocolate Cake Balls

My aunt made these for a party at my house last week. They are too DIE for. They remind me of my favorite dessert, petit fours. Red velvet cake dipped in chocolate.

More Stained Glass Jello

I made some more stained glass jello this week for Father's Day.

I Love Barcelona Spain

Fresh Paella anyone?? Oh my favorite meal of the entire trip. It was worth the $80 Euros.

Real Sangria! That thing was gigantic.

The most succulent seafood I've had in a long time.

These were flowers they sold on the streets. So cute!

La Sagrada Familia. A church that's been under construction for a long time.

Thai Shrimp in a Blanket - Tom Cuon Cha Gio

Gadsby's Tavern Restaurant

Gadsy's Tavern a little piece of history in Virginia. We went here recently for a work luncheon, and I probably won't ever come back. The food was too salty or too bland for my taste. You can read about the rich history of the restaurant from my link. If you absolutely want to eat where President George Washington and the others ate back in the 1800's, then this is a must try. Other than that the food tastes pretty bland and boring, probably like it did back in the 1800's!



A little peanut soup anyone? I didn't order this, but I was told it tastes like peanut butter soup, what a surprise!

My trip to Monte Carlo - May 2009

Casino Royale 007!

So many nice yachts in the French Riviera

Stained Glass Jello

I was bored yesterday and decided to make this from a recipe I found in a magazine

Ingredients:

Jello mix of any flavor you want to create the different colors (use the 3 0z. box)
2 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin
1 can of sweetened condensed milk


1) For each flavor dissolve the mixture into 1 cup of boiling water and stir well
2) Pour each flavor into square molds and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or over night
3) Cut the jello into cubes and mix into container
4) In a separate bowl place 2 packets of the unflavored gelatin and mix 1/2 cup of cold water
5) Wait until the gelatin becomes a little solid and mix 1 1/2 boiling water
6) Dissolve and add 1 can of condensed milk
7) Stir well and cool for about 15 minutes before pouring into cubed jellos
8) Chill over night and cut into square cubes or use cookie cutters

European Cruise w/ Royal Carribean International

Get fat on Royal Caribbean cruises! The best food of all.

Pineapple Fruit Basket Burst

For a small party I went to I made pineapples, strawberries, kiwis, and longans!

Pineapple Basket

Pineapple basket with longans and kiwis

Snapple Green Tea

Mmmmmm, my new favorite "healthy" drink! Good substitute to drinking soda during lunch.

501 Must- Drink Cocktails

I was browsing the book store yesterday and found this neat (cheap) book! Even BETTER than the previous book I purchased. Can you imagine 500 recipes in just 1 book! Who's ready to get their drink on??

Bo 7 Mon - Seven Courses of Beef in Vietnamese

Bo 7 Mon, literally means "Seven Courses of Beef" in Vietnamese. It's considered a "higher-end" dish. Think of it as a kind of Beef Buffet, but Vietnamese style. I've heard of this, since I was a little girl, but have never tried it until California. Considering, I'm not much of a meat-lover I thought it was ok. Nothing about it really wowed me, or made me want to go back for more.

The beef is cooked in front of you, then wrapped with rice paper, a variety of fresh herbs, lettuce, carrots, and cucumbers, and then dipped in "mam nem", which is a heavy fish sauce.

Van's Bakery - Westminster, CA

If it's one thing I love most in life it's dessert! I'm rather picky about my dessert though. I like dessert, but it cannot be too sweet, or else I'll have a couple of bites and that's it. I like it the "french" way, which is semi-sweet, often preserving the rest of the flavor. My favorite types of dessert I'd have to say are any type of cake and fruit tarts!

Here it is a window of fresh fruits tarts. This was taken as we made a pit stop at Van's Bakery in Westminster, California.

Nem Nuong Cuon - Grilled Shrimp Paste Rolls

Another one of my favorites was the Nem Nuong Cuon in Westminister, California. Oh my goodness, it was too DIE for. Never have I tasted anything that compares to this recipe. I think what really kicked off the flavor was the secret sauce it came with. I'd tell you the name of the restaurant, but I don't remember!!! However, ask the locals in Westminister and they should know. It's a really famous place.