Family Dinner Brings On the FIRES OF MORDOR!!!!!!

September 18, 2015November 19, 2015 The Culinary Chronicles8 Comments

The Fires of Mordor!!!!

Only a little bit of it….but still– THE FIRES OF MORDOR!!!!!

But I’ll get to that in a bit.

It’s been a few weeks since we had our last Family Dinner and I have to admit, I want EVERY THING from that menu EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.

Since it was August, we were celebrating this pretty gal’s birthday. Yes folks, my little Nina is now 17. How is this even possible?! I feel like it was only the other day that I was zerberting my baby niece’s cheeks and now she’s a senior in high school, preparing to apply to college and driving me around. Well, the latter definitely has its perks.

So, the gang gathered at T’s house on a warm August afternoon for Family Dinner and birthday festivities.

There were cousins selfies……

Cuddle time…..

A little smooching…… (barf)…..

Dudes hanging out by the grill……..

Puppies running around and going BONKERS………

Leo-nators climbing on patio furniture….

Nini and Maya time…….

And lots of QT with this cutie..

We had A LOT going on.

Good thing T made a bunch of Green Sangria for us to sip on. It was filled with kiwis, cucumbers, pears and white vino. Light and perfect for the HOT day we had.

As you may recall, if it’s your birth month, we usually create a menu with your favorite things for Family Dinner.

But the challenge you face when you raise little foodie-lings is that they end up having a taste for high end ingredients and dishes.

Nina loves lobster, uni, premium steaks, sashimi, poke….

Don’t get me wrong, I ADORE all of those things too but I don’t recall having such a refined palate at our munchkins’ ages.

So her birthday dinner of choice was not something your average teenager would have.

Lucky girl.

Seester T’s neighbor had just gone deep sea fishing and they gifted her with a bunch of fresh yellowfin tuna. Now that’s a neighbor I would TOTALLY want!

We took a few pounds of it and my niece Nini made her infamous Spicy Tuna Hand Rolls for us to snack on as appetizers.

SO. FREAKING. GOOD.

I love that Nini has such a great palate and makes THE BEST Spicy Tuna Hand Rolls.… like, EVER. They far surpass any that I’ve had at sushi joints and it’s all because of that “crack sauce” she makes. And lucky for you all, she’s agreed to allow me to share the recipe {coming soon}.

Did I mention she’s only 15?

Remember those lobsters from a few photos up?

Seester N took those buggers and made a wonderful Lobster Bisque filled with chunks of lobster meat and finished with a drizzle of truffle oil.

Lobsters and Truffle Oil?!?

Yea…just keep thinking “17 year old birthday dinner”…..

And because that Lobster Bisque was so nice, I had to show it twice.

One of the sides for dinner were twice fried Parmesan Garlic Truffle Fries.

Go Big or Go Home.

Well, we went Big and then went home.

As for the main course, Nina is like her grandma and ADORES beef. She always wants some kind of steak on her special day.

So she got this beauty below. Dry-aged, Prime Ribeye Steaks with herb butter and crispy onion strings on top.

I’ll pause a moment to allow you to lick the screen……

Oh! And there was a Caesar Salad for a bit of greens.

And to wrap up the whole meal, a decadent birthday cake. Nina loves and I mean LOVES chocolate and green tea. With that in mind, I made her a rich chocolate cake and filled the layers with a matcha mousse. It was then frosted with a matcha buttercream and adorned with Matcha Pocky Sticks.

Not to toot my own horn but it was pretty fantastic.

Now, let’s spend some more time talking about those mouth watering, juicy steaks.

When we first started talking about the menu for Family Dinner, we knew steaks had to be on the menu. But we make steaks all the time–a TON of different ways. We had to do something special for Nina and that’s where my brother comes into the picture.

He and I have talked numerous times about that one episode of Good Eats where Alton Brown uses a chimney starter to “grill” porterhouse steaks.

Yup, you read correctly. A chimney starter that you typically use to heat up coals for a BBQ grill.

And what’s fantastic is that the thick steaks cook in 5 minutes!

It all started with the beef.

Now, Alton used porterhouse steaks but that ended up being tough for V to find that were prime and not choice or select. Why do you want prime beef, particularly for this method of cooking? Because of all that beautiful marbling in the meat. Lots of lovely marbling = taste bombs exploding in your mouth.

We ended up using prime ribeye steaks which were fantastic. V took those beauties and dry aged them in the refrigerator for four days. Click here to find out how A.B. dry ages steaks.

This is where the chimney comes in .

He filled the inside with a layer of natural lump coal………..

Then stuffed the bottom with newspaper…. well, actually, it was an old Trader Joe’s bag……..

Then he lit the paper and allowed the coals to burn.

And this is where the magic begins.

He lifted the chimney and placed one steak on the grill before placing it back over the beef.

He allowed the steak to grill for 90 seconds and then flipped them….

Then the chimney goes back over the steak for another 90 seconds….

Then he took the chimney off, placed the grate on top of the chimney and placed the steak on top………..

Then threw a metal bowl to cover the steak. It grilled for 60 seconds, the bowl was removed, the steak was flipped, the bowl was slapped back on top and then the steak grilled for a final 60 seconds.

And that’s it! The steaks were then rested before we dove in.

Wasn’t that freaking AWESOME!!!???

Not only did it produce a commercial-kitchen-salamander affect on the beef but it was SO FUN to do!!!

In fact, it was SO fun that I had to make a quick video about it. Check it out below and let me know what you think 🙂

All in all, it was a show stopping dinner.

Filled with kids inhaling pounds of lobsters.

And lots of laughter and vino.

Big, BIG thanks to my bro for overseeing our awesome steaks!

And I don’t know what’s happening in the picture below but I can’t stop cracking up over it.

And don’t forget about cake time!

Look at Luna and Leo’s faces below.

They kill me.

Happy Birthday Nina Love!

Speaking of love, take a look at the little photo bomber on the right.

Precious.

Delicious food, learning new cooking techniques, hanging out with the fam–it was a memorable summer family dinner.

With the fires of Mordor….

And Maya dancing behind them. 😉

Until next time gang!

xoxo ❤

This Month’s Family Dinner Menu

Cocktails: Green Sangria
Appetizers: Spicy Tuna Hand Rolls and Lobster Bisque
Entrees: Grilled Ribeye Steaks with Crispy Onion Strings, Caesar Salad & Truffle Parmesan Fries
Dessert: Matcha Chocolate Pocky Cake

Drinks

Summer Watermelon Sangria

September 12, 2015September 14, 2015 The Culinary Chronicles3 Comments

This summer, I have been inhaling watermelons like they’re going out of style. Now, for most, this wouldn’t be such an odd thing since chilled watermelons seem to be synonymous with summer.

Particularly when it’s been so flippin’ warm….

But here’s the thing about me….. watermelons aren’t really my fav.

Now before you start virtually bombarding me with the “WHY?” “WHAT THE?!”, let me clarify and say that it’s not that I hate watermelon–they’re just not the first fruit I reach for.

But here we are, near the middle of September, and I’m still plowing through pounds and pounds of watermelon. Maybe they’re right when they say that your taste buds change through the years.

And no, I don’t really know who “they” are……just go with me on this one.

With this inexplicable obsession, I decided to use some to make a few pitchers of Watermelon Sangria for a Family Dinner the other month. Sangrias are a great default cocktail I like to make because it’s easy to make big batches of and you can flavor it any which way you’d like. Plus, since it’s best to allow the sangria to chill a few hours before serving it, it’s the perfect make-ahead drink.

My sibs and I guzzled down 2 huge pitchers of these Watermelon Sangrias so I think they liked it.

But we’re Nguyễns.

So they’re really isn’t a sangria we’ve met that we haven’t guzzled down.

OH! And had I given it some thought ahead of time, I would have cubed a bunch of the leftover watermelon and stuck them in the freezer for several hours. Frozen cubed melons act as PERFECT “ice cubes” for your sangria that not only add to the flavor but also won’t water down your cocktail.

There’s always next time 😉

CHEERS!

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Watermelon Sangria

Ingredients:

3 cups fresh watermelon, cut into large chunks
½ cup chilled water
12 fresh mint leaves, divided
juice of ½ lime
1-2 tablespoons sugar, depending on sweetness of the watermelon
1 bottle (750 ml) Sauvignon Blanc or white wine of your choice
¼ cup Cointreau
1 cup sliced strawberries
½ small orange, sliced
4-5 lime slices
6 ounces lemon lime soda

In a blender, add the watermelon chunks, water, half of the mint leaves, lime juice and sugar. Blend until smooth. Pour watermelon juice through a sieve to strain.

Pour the wine into a large pitcher along with 2 cups of watermelon juice, and Cointreau. Stir well. Add in the strawberries, oranges, and lime slices. Chill for a minimum of 2-3 hours.

Before serving, stir in the remaining mint leaves, soda and pour into glasses that have been filled with ice. Enjoy!

Gỏi Cuốn Tôm {Shrimp Spring Rolls}

September 9, 2015September 9, 2015 The Culinary Chronicles2 Comments

Dear Mother Nature,

You know that I adore Spring and Summer. In fact, I’m a Sun Baby through and through.

It may be a result of those early years where I froze in the Minnesota snow and now I’m at my best when I can feel the warmth of the sun on my face and can wear my flipflops 365.

But with that said, I think you’re playing a cruel practical joke on me this late in the game.

90+ degree weather EVERY day this week?!?!

And that’s with mi casa sitting on the coast. Where or WHERE did you send my beloved Pacific Ocean breeze?

My poor puggle and I are melting.

Melting….

And it’s already September.

Spring Rolls.

Lately, all I want are Spring Rolls and popsicles….and slurpees.

Gỏi Cuốn, as you know, are Vietnamese spring rolls….sometimes noted as “summer rolls”.

They’re light, filled with veggies and low maintenance.

Thankfully, because I can barely muster enough energy to boil water to cook the vermicelli noodles and poach the shrimp. And lucky for both of us, I don’t like poached pork belly which is commonly used in Vietnamese spring rolls. It gives me one less thing to worry about.

Now, if my face wasn’t melting off my head (is that T.M.I.?), I’d marinate the shrimp in a little garlic, fish sauce and then grill them. It really does add that extra oompf of flavor but trust me, poaching them are just as delish.

Oh–and Mother Nature, if you’re fixing up some spring rolls, feel free to add in other herbs and veggies you may have on hand….bell peppers, bean sprouts, Thai basil….

And thin slices of poached pork belly if it tickles your fancy.

And once you’re done making your rolls, could you find it in your heart to send back our “normal” weather?

We would love you even more….like, times infinity.

xoxo ❤ ,

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Gỏi Cuốn Tôm {Shrimp Spring Rolls}
Serves approximately 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup boiling water
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup julienned daikon radish
8 sheets round bánh tráng (dried rice paper sheets)
lettuce leaves
2 cups cooked vermicelli noodles
1 small Persian cucumber, sliced thinly lengthwise
fresh mint leaves
fresh cilantro leaves
fresh Thai basil, optional
fresh Vietnamese coriander, optional
1 dozen poached shrimp, sliced in half lengthwise
8 thin scallions or Chinese chives

Prepare the đồ chua (pickled vegetables). In a medium sized bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt with the boiling water. Add the vinegar and allow the liquid to cool to room temperature. Add the carrots and daikon and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. *This can keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks and are a must in Vietnamese sandwiches (bánh mì).

Dip one rice paper sheet in warm water and place on a flat surface. The rice paper will slowly become pliable. Lay one piece of lettuce in the middle of the rice sheet and top with vermicelli noodles, cucumber slices, mint leaves, cilantro leaves, Thai basil, Vietnamese coriander and some of the refrigerated đồ chua. Lay 3-4 shrimp slices, cut side up, in one line above the layer of vegetables.

Tightly roll the bottom of the rice paper over the mound. Fold the right side of the roll in and lay one scallion/chive above the roll. Fold the left side in and continue rolling the rice paper up until you’ve created a secured roll. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Serve at room temperature with hoisin peanut sauce or other dipping sauce of your choice.

Pizzas · Poultry

Game Day BBQ Chicken Pizza — Fight On!

September 5, 2015May 25, 2016 The Culinary Chronicles4 Comments

Alright y’all….this is a last minute post so please excuse the quality of the photos and any typos.

But it’s the SEASON OPENER today for my boys and kick-off is in less than 5 hours–a GOOD LUCK post was a must!

GO USC TROJANS!!!!!!!

Growing up, football always had a “shadow” presence in my childhood. We lived in Minnesota–land of the mighty Minnesota Vikings. So when football season came along in the fall, Sundays and Monday-nights were off limits for the TV.

Dad held permanent residence in front of the sole family tube during the season.

And as funny as it is now for me to think it, I didn’t really enjoy the game at that time. All I knew was that I had an unquestionable loyalty to the Vikes.

Then I found myself as a cheerleader all throughout high school (2-year varsity cheer captain–thank you very much! Go BRAHMAS!!) and spent every Friday night cheering for a CIA Champ Football Team. By then, my own appreciation and understanding for the sport had taken shape which only catapulted and grew a MILLION times when I went to school at the University of Southern California during the Coach Pete Carroll/Carson Palmer years.

It was extraordinary…

It’s been over a decade since I’ve been at USC but my loyalties have never waned. In fact, it’s such a serious thing for me during the season that I will rarely watch a game in public at a sports bar (unless I’m at the game) because this 5’2″ gal gets so heated, I become a sailor!

Well, my potty mouth becomes a sailor.

To cheer on my boys as they face Arkansas State tonight, I made a quick pizza using ingredients that take on the spirit of College Football tailgating– BBQ Chicken Pizza!!

I know, BBQ Chicken Pizza is so “1990’s”–but after all this time, it’s still dang good!

And with that, I’ve got to get back to my usual game day rituals.

Here’s to an incredible College Football season– GO TROJANS!!!!!!

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Game Day BBQ Chicken Pizza
Serves 2

Ingredients:

6 ounces fresh pizza dough, rested and at room temperature
all purpose flour
¾ cup barbeque sauce, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes, divided
1 cup sliced red onions
1/3 pound thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
¼ cup diced scallions, divided
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
½ tablespoon corn meal
¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Take the pizza dough and flatten it with your hands on a floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll the crust to about ¼ of an inch thickness. Transfer the rolled out dough to a pizza paddle or lightly floured cutting board.

Spread ½ cup of the barbeque sauce over the dough. Next, top the sauce with the minced garlic and ¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes. Cover the pizza with the red onions, mozzarella cheese, 2/3 of the scallions, chicken, and tomatoes. Drizzle the remaining barbeque sauce over the top of the pizza.

Sprinkle the corn meal over a baking sheet. Carefully slide the pizza onto the baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake the pizza for 15-20 minutes until the crust becomes golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.

Remove the pizza from the oven. Sprinkle the remaining red chili pepper flakes, scallions and cilantro over the top. Slice the pizza and serve warm.

Breakfast/Brunch · Sponsored

Huevos Rancheros …..Be EGGS-ellent

September 4, 2015June 21, 2016 The Culinary Chronicles5 Comments

Brunch is my Spirit Animal.

In fact, if I had it my way, we would be allotted a few leisurely hours every day to create and enjoy brunch. Without a worry in the world….other than what delectable dishes we’d have and if there are enough mimosas….

Or Bloody Marys….

Who am I kidding–it’s your Brunch World…have both!

Sadly, with summer winding down, many of y’all with munchkins have either already sent them off to start a new school year or will be doing so shortly. And when that happens, daily brekkies become less elaborate and more about efficiency and time saving.

Heck–I totally get it.

I only have a fur-child and between getting her walked and my own act together before work, I can barely manage to guzzle down some coffee in the morning.

And thus, my brunch heart weeps.

So do yourself a favor….and your kiddos too!

Make them something a little special Monday morning to get them jumping out of bed….like Huevos Rancheros! Huevos Rancheros are easily one of my favorite dishes to have for brunch. Packed with flavor, various textures and all smothered with a beautiful runny fried egg.

Good lawd…I’m a sucker for eggs.

Wait–maybe runny eggs are my Spirit Animal?

Suddenly, EVERYTHING makes sense….

These Huevos Rancheros are the perfect addition to this month’s Safest Choice™ Darling Dozen. Not only does it affirm my adoration for the remarkable egg but it is sure to have your loved ones waking up with a pep in their step.

The whole process from start to finish takes about 30 minutes since I use some short cuts like canned refried beans and store bought enchilada sauce for the Huevos Rancheros “sauce”. But if you precook the sausage and prep everything ahead of time, you can have these gorgeous Huevos Rancheros on the table in about 15 minutes. Not bad for breakfast “cooking” during the weekday.

Much thanks to our friends at Safest Choice™ and to learn more about them and their pasteurization process to eliminate salmonella, please click here.

Have an EGGS-ellent weekend!

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Huevos Rancheros
Serves 2

Ingredients:

½ cup sour cream
½ tablespoon Tapatío Hot Sauce or hot sauce of your choice
½ tablespoon fresh lime juice
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
8 ounces breakfast sausage
vegetable oil, divided
4 small corn or flour tortillas
2 large Safest Choice™ pasteurized eggs
kosher salt
8 ounces refried beans, warmed
1 cup shredded Monterey jack or Mexican blend shredded cheese
8 ounces enchilada sauce, red or green, warmed
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
¼ cup thinly sliced radishes
½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
¼ cup pickled red onions, optional
½ small avocado, sliced
½ tablespoon gochugaru or other ground chili pepper
2 lime wedges

In a small bowl, mix together the sour cream, hot sauce, lime juice and garlic powder. Cover and refrigerate.

In a skillet, add the breakfast sausage and cook over medium heat. Use a wooden spoon to crumble the sausage and break into small pieces. Cook the sausage until browned — transfer to a plate and keep warm.

Take a paper towel to wipe out the grease left from the sausage. Return the skillet to the stove over medium heat. Add two tablespoons of vegetable oil. Fry the tortillas in the oil until both sides are crispy and brown. Add more oil when needed. Drain the crispy tortillas on plates lined with paper towels. Set aside.

Take another paper towel to wipe out the majority of the oil left and place the skillet on the stove over medium-low heat. Crack 2 Safest Choice™ pasteurized eggs in the skillet and fry until the center has set and the whites are opaque. Sprinkle each egg with salt. Transfer the fried eggs to a plate and keep warm.

Begin assembly. Place one crispy tortilla on a plate. Spread a thin layer of the warmed beans over the top. Sprinkle cheese over the beans and add a few spoons of the browned sausage over the top. Spoon some of the warmed enchilada sauce over the items and top with some tomato halves, radish slices and cilantro leaves. If you choose to, also add a few slices of pickled red onions.

Top the stack with another crispy tortillas and repeat the layering process. Once done, top the stack with a fried egg, avocado slices and drizzle some of the spiced sour cream over the mound. Top with cilantro and gochugaru (or other ground chili pepper) and serve with lime wedges.

*DISCLOSURE: As a brand ambassador for the Safest Choice™ Darling Dozen, I was compensated for the creation of this recipe and post. However, as always, all opinions are my own.*

Seafood · Sponsored

B.L.E.A.T.S. Sandwiches

August 30, 2015June 21, 2016 The Culinary Chronicles2 Comments

This week we’re giving one of my favorite ingredients some love.

Something so versatile, quick to prepare and that can send almost anything over the top.

Yep……

The beloved Egg.

Pizza? Throw an egg on it…..

Pasta? Throw an egg on it…..

Sandwiches? Throw an egg on it…..

Salads? Throw an egg on it…..

Ramen Noodles? DEFINITELY, Throw an egg on it…..

Eggs have that magical ability to bring almost anything it touches to the next level. When adding a poached or runny fried egg to a dish, it becomes something so decadently transcendent—unctuous, sinful, delicious.

All that with just an egg!

To close out National Sandwich Month and for my next contribution to Safest Choice™ Darling Dozen, I thought I would whip out a hearty and fun sandwich…. B.L.E.A.T.S.

B-acon

L-ettuce

E-gg

A-vocado

T-omato

S-almon

Oh yes…I went there.

It all starts with an easy sriracha mayo I mix up to hold everything together or you can use any other spread that suits your fancy.

Wasabi mayo, pesto, garlic aioli, dijon mustard……

You get the gist….

Next comes the salmon that is simply seasoned with kosher salt and then pan seared until it’s crispy on the exterior but still moist and tender in the middle. I happened to have a large fillet here but if you can’t find one big piece, just grab a couple smaller fillets.

Then, I cracked a few Safest Choice™ pasteurized eggs in the skillet and fried them until the edges were crisp and the yolks had just barely set.

I’m all about an ooey-gooey egg yolk…..it makes it seem a bit sinful—but don’t feel guilty. I sure as heck don’t.

Once that’s all done, everything gets layered in between some hamburger buns or rolls. It truly is a behemoth of a sandwich and incredibly messy to eat.

But so wonderfully worth it!

And if you can’t get a little messy at home while enjoying some B.L.E.A.T.S. then you’re just not living life.

Want to learn more about our friends from Safest Choice™? Then head on over here and while you’re at it, check out some more egg-a-licious recipes on their site!
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B.L.E.A.T.S. (Bacon, Lettuce, Egg, Avocado, Tomato & Salmon) Sandwiches
Serves 4

Ingredients:

½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sriracha chili sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
kosher salt
1 pound fillet salmon, skinned and deboned
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
4 large Safest Choice™ pasteurized eggs
½ small lemon
1 small tomato, sliced
1 small avocado, sliced
8 strips cooked bacon
4 lettuce leaves
4 hamburger buns or rolls

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sriracha, sesame oil, garlic and 2-3 pinches of kosher salt. Cover and refrigerate the sriracha mayonnaise.

Liberally season the salmon fillet with salt on both sides. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and swirl it around to coat the bottom of the skillet. Carefully lay the salmon fillet into the skillet. Allow the salmon to sear, undisturbed, for about 4-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillet. The salmon should be about ¾ cooked through. Gently flip the fillet and allow it to brown on the other side for another 2-3 minutes until the center is barely pink. Remove from the skillet and transfer to a large plate to rest.

Use paper towels to wipe the interior of the skillet. Heat ½ tablespoon of the oil over medium-low heat. Crack 2 Safest Choice™ pasteurized eggs in the skillet and fry until the center has set and the whites are opaque. Sprinkle each egg with salt. Transfer the fried eggs to a plate and repeat with the remaining oil and eggs.

Squeeze the lemon over the rested salmon fillet and cut into four even pieces.

Assemble the sandwiches by spreading sriracha mayonnaise inside each of the hamburger buns/rolls. Top the bottom of each bun/roll with lettuce, avocado slices, tomato slices, bacon strips, salmon piece and then a fried egg. Place the top of each bun/roll on and serve.

*DISCLOSURE: As a brand ambassador for the Safest Choice™ Darling Dozen, I was compensated for the creation of this recipe and post. However, as always, all opinions are my own.*

Seafood

Ahi Shōyu Pokē

August 28, 2015 The Culinary Chronicles8 Comments

Happy Aloha Friday, Folks!!!!

Seester brought it to my attention that I have yet to post a recipe for my ahi pokē –well, any kind of pokē for that matter. Which is actually kind of surprising since I’m kind of a Pokē Monster….and no, that’s not my Pokémon name.

Just consider the delay a sign of my Island Time …….

But what better time than now as it is Aloha Friday and it’s almost pau hana!

First things first….

Hawaiian Pokē is pronounced POH-keh.

Rhymes with crochet.

And is not POH-kee because that’s just hokey.

Get it? Got it? Good.

Pokē is the Hawaiian take on a seafood “salad” usually consisting of raw seafood —though there are some variations with cooked proteins as well. While in Hawai’i, I eat it by the pounds…DAILY. And if you’re ever there and you don’t–well, you’re just missing out….big time. Particularly since the seafood is so darn fresh there and plentiful!

One of my fav thing to do while on the islands?

Grab a cooler filled with ice and run to the nearest Foodland or other local grocery store where there are Pokē Counters! Rows and rows of fresh pokē of all different types that are so affordable—averaging $8-$12 per pound when I was last there. Once you’ve got your tubs of fresh pokē in your cooler with some Hawaiian Suns and adult beverages, plop yourself down at a nearby beach and Live A’loha.

Perfection.

Luckily for us, the love of pokē has finally caught on in the mainland as there’s been a surge of pokē shops springing up in SoCal for us to get our fix in.

But don’t fret if there’s not a pokē shop nearby because the standard ahi pokē is really easy to make at home as long as you know of a trusted fishmonger or have a grocery that has sashimi-grade fish on hand.

Ahi Pokē is often referenced as “ahi shōyu pokē” as it is flavored with Japanese soy sauce {shōyu}. There are many different variations but at minimum, it typically consist of ahi, shōyu, onions, sesame oil, and some type of seaweed. Many folks like to also add Hawaiian chili peppers and macadamia nuts, too.

The recipe below is my standard go-to but sometimes I’ll swap out the ahi for yellowtail and throw in some avocados for extra richness and gochugaru (Korean chili powder) for a kick. As with anything, you can add or omit to suit your fancy but be sure to use sashimi-grade fish. I also like to use a marinated akame (sea kelp) that I pick up in the refrigerated section of my local Japanese grocery store. But ogo (also known as ogoniri) can be a bit easier to find at Asian grocery stores (or online) as it’s often sold dried.

I tend to serve my pokē as an appetizer with noriten – seaweed tempura chips. But it’s equally as onolicious in sushi rolls or pokē bowls.

But I warn you, this pokē is always a hit–even with the munchkins (ours inhale it!), so make a big batch!

A’lohas... ❤

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Ahi Shōyu Pokē

Ingredients:

1 pound sashimi-grade ahi
¼ cup finely minced shallots or Maui sweet onion
¼ cup chopped scallions
2 heaping tablespoons minced marinated arame or ogo
¼ teaspoon sea salt, more to taste
2½ tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, more to taste
½ tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Using a very sharp knife, dice the ahi into 1/3 – ½ inch cubes. Transfer to a large bowl and fold in the shallots, scallions, arame, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, soy sauce and sesame oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Once chilled, stir the pokē and taste. Add additional sea salt and soy sauce as needed. Sprinkle the fish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

For pokē bowls, divide the pokē into 2 portions and serve on top of bowls of steamed rice. Top bowls with additional items such as gari, avocado slices, tobiko, pickled cucumbers, and nori strips. For an appetizer, serve the pokē with tortilla chips or noriten chips.

Sunday Family Dinner

Our Shellfish Boil and a Nguyễn Siblings Reunion

August 25, 2015November 19, 2015 The Culinary Chronicles3 Comments

There are 5 Nguyễn Siblings.

I know what you’re thinking…..

How can THAT much awesomeness exist in the world? Oh, but let me assure you…we’re real.

And although I’ve written this little blog for over 5 years now, I’m not sure if I have ever introduced each of my sibbies to you. Let’s break it down….

First up, we’ve got the eldest seester, N, who lives in Orange County. She’s a PT extraordinaire by day and expert bowler by night. N and her husband, C, have two daughters—my nieces Nina and Stephanie….and are the fur-parents to my pug niece, Princess Leia.

Next up, seestrah P who lives in the foodie land of San Francisco. P is a clinical pharmacist but in her spare time she enjoys hazing her family by making them hike up and down the hills of SF….for MILES and MILES! She is the mama bear to our newest little niece – Kaelani.

Next up, we have our brother V who resides in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. V is a hustlin’ entrepreneur by trade and a Jedi Master/random knowledge guru the other 16 hours of the day. He and his wife, L, have two little munchkins….my niece —Luna and nephew —Leonidas.

V also loves it when people misuse the word “literally”. I literally just fibbed…..he hates it.

Last up, we have seestrah T. T is an attorney in the LBC and is a retired 90’s hip-hop back up dancer…..ok fine–it was dance team but it’s practically the same. 80% of the time she follows a strict all-meat, all-vino, forget-the-carbs diet. She and her husband, R, also live in Orange County with their kids Maya and Lucas.

Why all of this background info now? Because for last month’s Family Dinner…. we were ALL here!!! Yup, all 5 Nguyễn sibs with their fams in N’s backyard eating up a storm. With everyone scattered around, this doesn’t happen very often–maybe once or twice a year. So it’s definitely a special time when it can occur.

We started it all off with how fam dins always begin….grocery shopping.

We crammed the five of us into one car (which hasn’t happened for nearly 20 years!) and headed down to Little Saigon to pick up the goods. We had intended to remake our N’awlins Seafood Boil we did a couple of years ago with tons of crawfish, clams, lobstahs, etc. But even though crawdads were plentiful the week before–they were NO WHERE to be seen that particular day.

Seriously….10 stops and no fresh crawfish. Boo 😦

So instead, we went with a standard Shellfish Boil theme.

And we had a little fun while picking up the groceries too.

Shrimp, stone crabs, clams, locally made sausages, corn and taters.

Aren’t these clams lovely???

And there were also lots and lots of mussels.

So we put V and L to work cleaning the little buggers.

And while they did that, C had some cuddle time with Leonidas who had just spent time in the pool with his cousins.

Since it was Kaelani’s very first Family Dinner with us, we HAD to take tons of pictures with her. I mean, come on….look at that face. How could we not?

This also happened to be the first weekend where all 7 little cousins were together.

And can I just say how difficult it is to get a picture where all 7 munchkins have their eyes open, aren’t squirming and are looking at the camera??

This is the best one we got….and it only took 4.7396 trillion takes.

I counted.

In between takes, Nina and Leo would break out in dance…..

And Nini and Kaelani would be adorbs…..

But after a long morning and early afternoon of shopping and prepping…it was time to get down to business. And yes, by business, I mean cocktails.

I pureed a huge watermelon with a bit of lemon and mint to make some fragrant watermelon juice for the kiddos. And then took a bunch of it to turn it into Summer Watermelon Sangria for the adults. LOTS of Summer Watermelon Sangria.

To prevent a h’angry crowd, I steamed up some of the fresh clams and Nina used them to make a few of these White Clam Pizzas for us to nosh on.

And then N went to town and boiled up all the seafood for us.

SOOOO much seafood.

Yes, Friends….we got Seafood Wasted.

And P loves it.

Look at all that crab roe I schmeared on a baguette. Rich, decadent….perfect with a sprinkle of sea salt.

After an hour of gluttonous shellfish consumption, we put the kids to work.

“Lucas and Luna–no dessert until all the dishes are done!!”

Just kidding….not kidding.

For dessert, N whipped out two icebox pies. They’re quickly becoming our faves for the summer.

Here is her spiraled beauty — Peach Divinity Icebox Pie.

And since there was a ton of us, she also made a Key-Lime Buttermilk Icebox Pie.

We also celebrated all the July babies! N, P, bro-in-law R and Luna Bear.

With all of that sugar, the girls got a little silly…

And good thing Luna was there to document it all.

Watch out Annie Leibovitz….

And that folks, is how we do Family Dinner with all the sibs...Shellfish Boil style.

And I have to tell ya…as the youngest of the 5, it was sure nice to have all my older sibbies and their fam together again ❤

This Month’s Family Dinner Menu

Cocktails: Summer Watermelon Sangria
Appetizers: White Clam Pizza
Entrees: Shellfish Boil
Dessert: Peach Divinity Icebox Pie and Key Lime-Buttermilk Icebox Pie

Condiments/Sauces · Salads · Vegetables/Vegetarian

Tropical Summer Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing

August 17, 2015 The Culinary Chronicles1 Comment

When I used to live in San Jose, I used to go to a spot called the Sonoma Chicken Coop quite often. They had a pretty extensive menu with affordable prices…and the food was consistent. I used to always rotate between their Skillet Chicken Carbonara, Rotisserie Chickens and whatever specials they were offering for the day.

Yet, despite all of that goodness–what I miss the most is their Citrus Grove Salad. Essentially, it was a big ol’ plate of mixed greens, avocados, mangos, and various citrus fruits. But MAN—was it delicious! And there wasn’t even any meat!!! Which is a big deal for this carnivorous gal.

Since I’m no longer in the Bay Area (and because I heard that many of their locations are now closed… #SadPanda), I like to make my own variation from time to time–especially when summer fruits are wonderfully sweet like they have been as of late.

I like to use whatever leafy greens I have on hand. I used baby spinach in the pics shown here but an arugula-kale mix would be lovely. I top the greens with slices of sweet mango, avocados cucumbers, kiwis, and pink grapefruit. In addition to all of that goodness, I add some goat cheese crumbles for a bit of richness and toasted macadamia nuts for a bit of crunch. Then the whole thing gets a drizzle of a Sesame-Ginger Dressing that I shake up in a mason jar.

The end results in an incredibly bright and light dish that can be served as an appetizer or even a main course. But if you’re wanting something a tad heartier, some grilled prawns, chicken, or grilled fish on top of the salad would really send things to the next level.

With that friends…Have a wonderful week and enjoy the last few weeks of summer!

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Tropical Summer Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, roughly crushed
1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
1 garlic clove, finely minced
½ inch knob ginger, finely grated
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey or agave
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2-3 pinches red pepper flakes
2 pinches black pepper, plus more to plate
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
5 cups greens (spinach, arugula, romaine, kale etc.)
½ small ripe mango, peeled and sliced
½ small pink grapefruit, “supremed”
1 small kiwi, peeled and sliced
3 inch piece of cucumber, peeled and sliced
1 small avocado, peeled and sliced
3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
¼ cup toasted macadamia nuts

Prepare the dressing. In a jar, add the sesame seeds, shallots, garlic, ginger, mustard, honey, vinegar, olive oil, red pepper flakes, pepper and salt. Secure the lid tightly on the jar and shake vigorously for a minute until the items have combined and emulsified. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Set aside.

Divide the greens between two large plates. Top each plate with the mangos, grapefruit supremes, kiwis, cucumbers, avocados, goat cheese and nuts. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of the Sesame-Ginger Dressing over each plate and serve.

Salads · Side Dish

Watermelon, Feta and Arugula Salad

August 3, 2015August 3, 2015 The Culinary Chronicles2 Comments

Y’all know what today is?

National Watermelon Day!

I swear–I can’t make this stuff up. My Hallmark calendar on the wall says it is— so it must be true. And since I’m all about celebrating holidays, I wanted to share this delectable and light little number with you…

Watermelon, Feta and Arugula Salad.

This type of salad appears to be all the rage this summer as I’ve seen various renditions all over the place. And how could it not be?

Peppery arugula leaves mixed with sweet watermelon cubes and piquant flavors of feta cheese. When we made this for our June’s Sunday Family Dinner, I opted to dress the greens with a Mint-Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette but it would also pair nicely with a thick balsamic reduction and extra virgin olive oil.

Need a couple other ways you could celebrate National Watermelon Day?

How about toasting the day with these bright Watermelon Soju-tinis? They are the perfect cocktail for warm summer nights.

Want something booze-free? Then these Watermelon-Basil Aguas Frescas would be fantastic!

And if you’re looking for extra points, freeze some of it to make popsicles for your munchkins. Bright, refreshing, and you know exactly what’s in it.

And with that dear friends, have a wonderful week and have a delicious National Watermelon Day!

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Watermelon, Feta and Arugula Salad
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon finely minced shallots
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey or agave
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 pinches black pepper, plus more to plate
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
5-6 cups baby arugula leaves, washed and thoroughly dried
¼ cup thinly sliced red onions
15-20 fresh mint leaves, roughly torn
3 cups cubed seedless watermelon
10 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Prepare the vinaigrette. In a jar, add the shallots, mint, mustard, honey, vinegar, olive oil, pepper and salt. Secure the lid tightly on the jar and shake vigorously for a minute until the items have combined and emulsified. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.

Place the arugula, red onions and torn mint leaves in a large bowl. Drizzle a few spoons of the vinaigrette over the greens and toss well. Try not to overdress the greens as it will wilt and become too soggy. Plate the dressed greens on a large platter. Top with the watermelon cubes and feta cheese. Sprinkle the platter with additional black pepper and serve.