Just Desserts: Cream Puffs

Cream puffs, my favorite dessert growing up... What's not to love? These bite size treats are light and airy yet rich and decadent, filled with whipped cream and dipped into chocolate. My Baba made these all the time for special occasions and, on request, when I needed to quench my sweet tooth. After eating countless cream puffs throughout my life, I figured it would be beneficial to learn the recipe from our family's master baker. So this Christmas Eve Baba and I had a baking class.

The Quick Dill Pickle

I've been out of the country for the last 2 months, away from the kitchen and totally removed from the holiday frenzy. Just hours after I landed from a 14-hour flight, my sister, mom, and I are back together, in the kitchen, doing what we love to do best - cooking!
Christmas is about being with family enjoying their presence, sharing memories, and rejoicing in traditions from the past. For my family, this dill pickle is one of many Russian traditions. It's a flavor of my childhood that has been served at every holiday meal. Eat this pickle for a refreshing and crunchy bite that cleanses the palate and cuts the richness of the holiday meal.

Just Desserts: Light Biscotti

The holidays are here and that means cookies! For a variation on the typical Christmas cookie, try this great biscotti recipe. I got this recipe from my grandmother, but I changed a few things (adding vanilla, dried cherries, and the final chocolate dip). The result is a decadent, flavorful, but not overly fattening biscotti.

Cooking in Chiang Mai: Pad Thai

Ahhhh...What is better than a plate of pad thai? A plate full of gooey rice noodles, rich scrambled egg, crunchy roasted peanuts, and fresh bean sprouts all seasoned with the sweet, salty, spicy, and sour flavors that are typical in Thai cooking. This is my perfect noodle dish. In Thailand pad thai is fast food, cheap food, and good food. The endless street vendors whip this dish up in minutes and serve it piping hot to drooling locals and tourists.

I took a cooking course at Asia Scenic in Chiang Mai, learned to make eight local Thai dishes, and chose to make pad thai as my third course, my noodle dish. I have made pad thai at home but my dish always fell far short of authentic. After cooking this dish in Thailand I understand my mistake - I have been over complicating the flavors and the technique, adding way too many and overworking all my ingredients. After cooking class I learned that less is definitely more when making this dish. This dish is aroi (delicious) so read below and learn how to make authentic pad thai in less than 15 minutes!

Welcome, DCBlogs readers!

To everyone visiting the site from DCBlogs, welcome and enjoy! There are plenty more SE Asian recipes to come once we get back to DC!

Lao Meatball Sandwich

We have had a wonderful week in Laos of swimming in waterfalls, riding elephants, boating upthe Mekong, and exploring the numerous Wats. All this activity left us hungry, and we enjoyed feasting our way through the country. And since we have been eating Lao food all week, I thought it would be a great time to post this particular recipe. I had made this dish before I left DC, after being inspired by the Lao meatballs from the Adams Morgan Day street fair a couple of months ago. After tasting real traditional Lao food here in country, I will admit this recipe is not completely authentic. However, it is very close to what I ate in DC and very reminiscent of the flavors here in Laos. More importantly - it tastes great!

Just Desserts: Honey Vanilla Frozen Yogurt with Fig Compote

Just because winter is just around the corner doesn't mean you have to give up frozen treats. In fact, when I lived in Russia, I quickly learned that you eat cold foods on the streets when it is cold outside, so as not to shock your system, according to folklore. As a result, in the dead of winter you could find vendors selling dirt cheap ice cream cones on almost every corner. This honey vanilla frozen yogurt with fig compote is the perfect treat for winter when you're desperately craving summer to return.

Good Eats: Ha Noi, Vietnam

It has been two weeks since we landed in Vietnam. We have been moving north during this time - from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An, to Hue, to Ninh Binh - and have now settled in our last stop in Vietnam, Ha Noi.

Ha Noi is electric, with the fast moving motor scooters weaving and honking through the narrow streets of old town and creating a frenzied musical soundtrack for the city. The markets and street vendors are endless; the streets are packed with vendors selling their prized dishes - pho, com, or bun. We have gladly taken up the challenge, picked up our chop sticks, and eaten our way throughout the city. We found a real gem when we stumbled upon Ly Van Phuc street, or as it is know by the local HaNoians, "chicken street". This is a narrow alley filled with open air grills cooking nothing but chicken parts marinated in honey. The aroma is enticing and will lure any drooling carnivore to take a seat in the nearest plastic chair and start calling out orders of wings, thighs, and feet - oh my! The heavenly chicken was served with the most delicious banh my (crusty french baguette) glazed with honey and toasted lightly on the grill pan. In addition, cucumbers quickly pickled in quat (similar to lime) juice, and khoai (potato) skewers accompany the juicy yet crispy chicken. All the delicious morsels are dipped into a lime, salt, and chile mixture and eaten off the skewer. This lime dipping sauce has become my new favorite condiment - salty, spicy and tart - cutting the richness of grilled chicken. It is addictive and will be making many appearances on my table once I get home. In the meantime, here is the recipe so that you can make it in your home.

Made It! Chilaquiles Soup

The weather has been rainy and cold in Victoria lately. As a student, I love to take soups to school to have a hearty, warm meal in the middle of my day that takes literally no time to prepare in the morning. This Chilaquiles is a great Mexican twist on the classic chicken noodle soup that will definitely be making many reappearances on my staple menu.

Tomatillo Poblano Chilaquiles

This dish was inspired by an episode of Rick Bayless's One Plate at a Time show. I watched it about a year ago, and the tomatillo poblano chilaquiles left me drooling - and running to the market to make my own version. What I discovered is that this traditional Mexican dish is easy to prepare, is a great leftover meal, and tastes oh so good! So grab your apron and your dutch oven, and get into the kitchen!

Good Eats: Cooking in Hoi An, Vietnam

Jeremy and I just left rainy Hoi An, Vietnam. We had previously left sunny, hot, and humid Sai Gon and had landed in central Vietnam to be greeted by winter – cold with grey skies and rain. The gloomy weather did not hold us back, however. In fact, we had the best time, cooking and eating our way through this quant old town.

Good Eats: Hong Kong

Jeremy and I have been exploring Hong Kong for the last three days – the harbor and its breathtaking cityscape, the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, and the packed, busy streets of Kowloon. We’ve been doing our best to take in the culture and, of course, the food. Walking through the Pei Ho street market in the Sham Shui Po neighborhood of Kowloon was an amazing experience in particular. Three floors of pure food delight – here you will find everything you need to make a delicious Cantonese dinner. Animal proteins are on the first floor - fresh whole pigs butchered on the spot, live chickens in cages waiting to be bought for dinner, huge prawns swimming in tanks, the freshest fish resting on ice. On the second floor you'll find fresh veggies, eggs, dried sausages, noodles, rice, and beans. And moving up to the third floor you'll find food vendors slicing and dicing all the ingredients from the levels below, offering locals (we were the only tourists) a delicious breakfast – including dim sum, chow mien, and congee.

Made It! Mushroom Migas

I was really excited to try this recipe since Lisa sent me some extra dried mushrooms from her Marx Mushroom competition. I changed the recipe quite a bit since I didn't want to make a special trip to the grocery store. Traditionally, migas is made from whatever is lying around the kitchen, so I felt my modifications would speak to the versatility of this dish.

I love having breakfast for dinner. But sometimes an omelet or french toast just doesn't cut it for me. This migas is a perfect way to elevate breakfast for dinner to another level. I loved how earthy the mushroom medley tasted. I made my pesto with fresh basil and jalapeno. I modified the gastrique by using balsamic vinegar and red wine instead of cognac and sherry vinegar. The final product had it all: heat from the jalapeno, sweetness from the gastrique, saltiness from the bacon, and creaminess from the poached egg. I tried to get a little bit of every flavor onto the crispy toast for the perfect bite each time. My only hesitation with this dish was that it required a lot of different pans. But if you don't mind a little extra clean-up and are looking for a special twist on breakfast for dinner, you should definitely try this recipe!

Good Morning Hong Kong!

As some of you may know, my husband and I will be backpacking around SE Asia over the next 2 months, living out a dream. Since I will be away from my kitchen, Sasha and I have invited some guest bloggers, who have graciously volunteered to share their favorite recipes. Let us know if you are interested in being a guest blogger yourself! I am not sure if I will get the opportunity to cook while traveling, but I fully intend to eat and post about my foodie adventure.

See you in Hong Kong soon!

Clam Chowder

I woke up craving clam chowder. I mentioned our dinner plans to my husband, who, having lived in Boston for 12 years, was not shy about sharing his advice.  So you could say I felt a little pressure to get it right, especially since this was my first chowder. But I am a San Francisco girl, born and raised, which means my idea of clam chowder involves eating from a sourdough bowl, sitting on the wharf, listening to the fog horns blow.

Head over Heels: Immersion Blender and Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

This week I am head over heels for my immersion blender, an inexpensive, space-saving, jack-of-all-trades kitchen appliance that is guaranteed to make your cooking experiences easier. The immersion blender, or stick blender, looks like a wand. On one end there is a handle with the power, on the other end there is the blending attachment, which is great for blending soups, smoothies, and purees. All the blending is done in the same pot, bowl, or other vessel you're already cooking in - a huge plus in my book because that means less time cleaning! Also, it is a great space saver, since most immersion blenders come with whisk and chopping attachments.  As a result, this single tool can replace the handheld mixer, food processor and stand blender - freeing up kitchen counter space, which is in high demand in my DC condo. After using the blender, just rinse, wrap up the cord, and store it in a drawer.  My immersion blender gets a lot of use in my kitchen, and I hope it can help you in yours!

Red pepper hummus (well, technically just a "chickpea puree" since there's no tahini):

• 1 can chick peas
• 1 roasted red pepper, peeled and seeded 
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• salt to taste

Place all the ingredients in a tall plastic cup or similar container (1-quart plastic yogurt containers work well) and use your immersion blender to puree until smooth. Garnish with a drizzle of good olive oil and serve with toasted pita chips for a delicious, nutritious snack.

Made it! Ravioli

I absolutely love homemade ravioli. I was so excited when Lisa made her goat cheese and sausage ravioli because it inspired me to take a few hours off in the afternoon and devote myself to making these delectable dumplings. Unfortunately, tomato season in Victoria has come to an end, so I decided to change Lisa's recipe to make sure I was cooking with products that were in season and local. The version I made was butternut squash ravioli in a browned butter sage sauce topped with roasted hazelnuts and I must say, this was the best ravioli I ever tasted!

Cooking with Friends: Goat Cheese and Sausage Ravioli

A couple of weeks ago my friend Ingrid and I hit up the U Street farmers' market with the hope of finding ingredients that would inspire a culinary feast and impromptu cooking lesson. We were in between seasons - summer's second tomatoes and fresh corn looked great, but there was also kale, squash and pumpkin, representing fall's best. We were torn between the two seasons' bounty until we tasted the fresh chevre from Cherry Glen Goat Cheese Co. At that moment our recipe fell into place - goat cheese and sausage ravioli with a fresh tomato jam sauce. We picked up some eggplant, zucchini and spicy goat sausage and were off to my kitchen to cook up our feast.

Good Reads: Fooducate.com

Fooducate is a blog that is trying to demystify the supermarket, making sense of all the nutrition labels with a kind of "Michael Pollan" approach. After reading a few postings this morning, I am left with with the same discomfort I had after reading Fast Food Nation, which changed the way I look at food and America's food system.

My personal favorites from the blog:

• Guess What's in the Picture?
• Can You Guess What’s So Special About THIS Happy Meal?
• Rethinking the Multivitamin
• 11 Quick Facts about Phosphoric Acid (Yes, that Chemical in Coca Cola) 

I thought the post on phosphoric acid was particularly interesting - see my comment!

The most recent post, Confusing Egg Labels, gives advice on how to buy eggs at the supermarket, and the video clip is eye-opening. When I visited Sasha in Victoria last May we bought fresh eggs from a local farm. The yolks were bright orange, and we made the most delicious creme anglais to pour over our chocolate soufflé. I always joke with my husband that I want to turn in my stethoscope, leave the city and build a small farm where I can tend my vegetable and fruit gardens and raise chickens... Maybe only half-joking - these are my dreams!

Help Me Win Mushrooms - Vote Today!

Polls open today at Marx Foods for their Blogger Mushroom Challenge... Support FoodieRelations and our Mushroom Medley Migas by voting here today! All proceeds will go to a good cause - more mushroom recipes on this blog!