Tofu Soup w/ Chives and Shrimp - Canh Dau Hu

Crab/Fish Cake Congee

Any dish that has crabs I cannot pass up. Have you ever thought of what crab congee would taste like? Well, this is my own little creation one winter day when I wanted congee, but I had nothing else in the fridge to work with. Crab congee!

OK, maybe not real crabs, but the imitation crabs, or otherwise called "fish cake" crabs. This Osaki brand is the only brand of fake crabs I would ever use in a dish. I think this brand tastes the best and the most real-to-life crabs you can get in your grocery section. I normally find these at the Asian/Korean supermarkets around my area. It's a little pricier than the other brands, but hence the taste is extraordinary during those cold, cold winter days.






Congee:

Fresh or canned Chicken Broth
1 cup of rice
Dried Red Onions

Cucuzza Squash Soup - Canh Bau

This is a Vietnamese squash soup that is normally a compliment to an entrée during dinner. The Chinese have it too, but since I’m Viet I’m going to say that it’s Vietnamese squash. You can add ground pork or minced shrimp to the dish. Pictured is my plain version of it. Cucuzza Sqash can be found in most Asian grocery stores.

Also known as "Italian Squash"

1 Cucuzza Squash
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 dozen shrimp heads
Fish Sauce, Salt Pepper to taste

1) Boil 3 quarts of water
2) Mince shrimp by hand or in a food processor with pinches of salt and pepper to marinate
3) Cut squash into long strands
4) Once water has come to a boil spoon bite-sized pieces of the shrimp into the water, until small clumps form
5) Add 1 cup of chicken broth and stir for more dense flavoring
6) Add squash and simmer on high for about 15 minutes, until you feel the squash softening

* Top with hot peppers or green spring onions and serve over rice entrée

Vietnamese Asparagus Crab Soup - Sup Mang Cua

A Vietnamese soup normally served at dinner parties or special events.

For a 5-quart stock pot:

1 can of frozen lump crab meat

3 cans of the large chicken broth

1 cup water

1 can baby corn

1 small bunch of fresh asparagus

2 or 3 eggs

3 tablespoons tapioca starch (bot nang), dissolve in water

Salt, pepper, fish sauce

1) Boil the chicken broth on medium heat, or you can use fresh cooked broth as well (works even better)

2) Wash asparagus and remove the hard bottoms. Drain and wash baby corn. Slice corn and asparagus into bite-sized chunks

3) Beat 2 or 3 eggs, depending on how many egg drops you want in your soup. Set aside for use in last step

4) Add corn and asparagus to the pot

5) Dissolve about 3 tablespoons of tapioca starch (bot nang) to 1/2 cup of cold water. Add the mixture to the pot and stir rapidly, until you see the soup becoming thick. You can add an additional tablespoons of tapioca if you like your soup extra thick, but remember after it cools the soup will thicken more than what it is currently

6) When your soup pot starts boiling, add in the crab and start stirring the ingredients

7) Slowly pour the bowl of scrambled eggs into the pot, while stirring rapidly in large strokes to create long egg strands

8)When the eggs are all in, turn the heat down to medium to simmer for 10 minutes

9) Add a pinch of salt and about 3 tablespoons of fish sauce to your desiring and taste the asparagus and corn to see if they have by now softened enough to your liking

Vermicelli Snail Soup - Bun Oc

Bun Oc translates into Snail Soup with Vermicelli. Depending if you like tart soups, this will be the flavor for you.


3 cubes rock sugar
3 packs of frozen periwinkles snails
9 spoonfuls of chopped lemongrass
1 big garlic, grounded
6 spoonfuls of chopped ginger
2 cans of chicken broth
1 ginger, sliced
1 large canned whole tomatoes
1 handful of dried shrimp, soaked
2 spoonfuls of paprika powder (sautéed in oil to get the color)
Fish sauce
Ground pepper
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 can of beer (any brand, but I prefer Heineken)
¼ package of Fresh tamarind or tamarind powder
3 Lemons
5 lbs chicken bonesgreen onion, cut
1 inch lengthGreen onion + parsley finely chopped
Mam tôm shrimp sauce


1) Defrost periwinkle snail and rub with salt to clean. Cook snail in chicken broth + sliced ginger until softened. Turn to low when boiled, slow cook around 1hr. When the snails are soft, drain and discard broth. Season snail with chopped lemongrass, fish sauce, ground pepper, rock sugar, sugar, chopped ginger.

2) Use chicken bones to make broth, add dried shrimp, slow cook without covering.

3) Add oil to skillet, when boiling, add green onion, garlic. Add tomato, paprika, saute’ until tomato get soft. Whenever the broth is almost done, add sauteed tomatoes.

4) Mix tamarind with hot water, drain to get just the juice. Mix tamarind juice with beer evenly and pour into broth. Taste broth accordingly to get a mixing of sour, sweet and salty.

5) Saute’ the seasoned snails. Keep separate as topping.Cook noodle, prepare vegetable.