I'm a breakfast gal. Sometimes I'll even swap another meal with breakfast. I mean, there's brunch...and then there's brinner, right? I like a good fan tuan rice roll for breakfast, but recently I also tried Vietnamese Bò né. I didn't know what the dish was, but it sounded cool. Apparently, it's steak and eggs done Vietnamese-style. Bò né means "dodging beef" because the steak comes out on a piping hot skillet--and you'd need to dodge the butter or oil. Of course, it's been tastily … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: French Beef
French beef: peppery steak What’s so Asian about French beef? Well, I’ve always eaten this dish growing up. It’s supposed to be the Chinese equivalent of Steak au Poivre. I don’t know if it’s authentic to that taste, but I do like its kick of spice on my taste buds. French beef is something I’ll eat once in a while. Most Cantonese dishes are sweet and salty, so turning up the heat works for me for a change of pace. If you’re inclined, you can make your own version by following this … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Oxtail Soup
Oxtail soup: savory broth made with the tender, fatty meat This tender meat falls right off the bone, particularly after hours of stewing. It also infuses a very hearty flavor into the broth. It's a bit of work to eat around the large bone in the center, though. I'm disappointed to learn that the meat does not come from an ox (a great Chinese zodiac symbol)--it used to, but nowadays, the cuts are from cattle. My favorite facts about oxtail: Origins: A French noble asked for a tail from … [Read more...]
Foodie Friday: Beef Noodle Soup
Beef noodle soup: hot soup with stewed beef, noodles, and vegetables I'm watching the rain splatter my windowpane, and I can feel the chill creeping in through the walls. It doesn't rain very much in Southern California (cue the Albert Hammond's song). When it does, though, I hanker after a hot dish. What's better on a rainy day than soup? You can find an award-winning recipe of beef noodle soup here. Beef noodle … [Read more...]