The dress(ing) is blue and black.
Blue Cheese and Black Sesame Dressing (Yields 2 cups)
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
1. Whisk all ingredients together and serve chilled.
As I explore turning my passion for food and cooking into a career, it amazes me what a picky eater I used to be. Growing up, I would painstakingly remove any hint of green from my plate, refuse anything that was mildly offensive (admittedly, I didn’t even like fish sauce until I started cooking a couple years ago; you have no idea how much this irritated my parents), and along with my brother, beg to dine at restaurants that had TV commercials. Thankfully, nowadays I strive to consume as much fresh produce as possible, immerse myself in the local dining scene, and most importantly, make my meals as colorful as possible. Whenever I need to add some greens into my dishes, I can always rely on bok choy to bring a subtle yet tasty Asian flair, and lots of Vitamins A and C as well! It’s a great addition to soups and stir fries but equally delicious on its own! In this recipe, I feature some baby bok choy in a traditional Italian piccata sauce with lots of lemon and capers.
Sauteed Bok Choy with Lemon and Capers (Serves 4)
• 12 baby bok choy heads
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbsp salted butter
• 1 tbsp capers
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
1. Melt butter in a saute pan.
2. Add in garlic and saute until golden brown. Stir in wine, stock, lemon juice, capers, salt and black pepper and simmer until sauce thickens. Note: if some of the minced garlic is still fresh, the lemon juice may turn it blue. Fret not, it’s just a natural chemical reaction and your garlic is still safe to eat!
3. Add in baby bok choy and saute until leaves are soft.
Happy Lunar New Year! Tết is always a huge to do in the Bui household. Growing up in suburban New Jersey, my family was pretty Americanized compared to other immigrant families but on Tết we pulled ALL the stops. A week or two leading up to the new year, we would scrub, dust and polish every square inch of the house (the kitchen fairies supposedly come inspect the house the night before the new year; also wouldn’t you want to start the new year off fresh and clean?), break out the most Vietnamese decorations we possessed (think lots of jade buddhas and yellow flowers), and of course, cook enough dishes to last you a month. However, these weren’t your average Vietnamese dishes like phở or bánh mì. All of the dishes my mother slaved over for Tết literally translated into good luck. For example, we would eat bittermelon (khổ qua), which in Vietnamese literally translates to “let your troubles pass you by.”
Since I can’t be home this new year, obviously I’m going to celebrate with my favorite Tết treat, the persimmon, or trái hồng. Hồng, which literally means pink, also means to be healthy and to expand your business. Typically eaten raw or dried, persimmons are sweet yet crunchy and are primarily in season during the summer; my parents actually have two persimmon trees in our backyard that are the pride and joy of their summers. In honor of the new year, I’m trying something new and serving them up in a tart, combining Vietnamese tradition and my sweet tooth into a pastry. Although as a kid, I was only in it for the money, as a grown up (mostly), I cling to these cultural remnants and family traditions for dear life, hoping to share them with friends and my own family one day. Until then, chúc mừng năm mới! (That means Happy New Year, by the way, in case that wasn’t clear.)
Persimmon Tarts (Yields 6 Tarts)
For the crust:
• 2 cups flour
• 2 sticks butter, cubed
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp ice cold water
For the filling:
• 4 fuyu persimmons
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• powdered sugar, for garnish
1. In a bowl, mix flour and salt together thoroughly. Add to a food processor with butter cubes and pulse. Slowly add in ice cold water and pulse sparingly until dough has a crumbly texture.
2. Wrap dough into a ball with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before using.
3. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll into small, thin rounds. Press evenly into tart pans.
4. Slice the tops off of persimmons and cut into quarters.
5. Using a mandoline, slice persimmon quarters into thin 1/8 inch slices.
6. Mix persimmon slices with honey, sugar and cinnamon.
7. Arrange persimmon slices over tart crusts as desired. This is obviously my favorite part. I laid some slices over each other to create a spiral design and also laid some slices flat side down in circles to create a rose. Let your creative forces guide you! Optional: Brush tarts with an egg wash (1 whisked egg + 1 tbsp milk or water) to give them an extra sheen.
8. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Garnish with powdered sugar.
Happy Valentine’s Day! Whether or not you’ve got a honey, an amazing group of friends or some me time on your hands, tonight should be special. Start your evening off with a refreshing pink cocktail to celebrate the holiday. Grapefruit and lavender infused sake make this drink as sweet as cupid’s arrow. Sigh, I’m in love!
Grapefruit and Lavender Sake (Serves 2)
• 2 cups sake
• 2 cups fresh grapefruit juice
• 1 tbsp dried lavender
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• mint, for garnish
1. Bring sugar and water to a boil for 25 minutes until a thick syrup forms.
2. Add dry lavender to sake and infuse for at least 30 minutes.
3. Mix infused sake with grapefruit juice and 1 tbsp simple syrup from Step 1. Add mint for garnish.
