braised caramelized sweet pork and eggs! mmm

vanilla bean and star anise kumquat marmalade... so delicious!

either i have the most amazing friends or the littlest things make me happy! :)

earlier this week, i received a package from houston texas. it was a box of kumquats that my dear friend picked from her family's front yard and sent me; oh, how incredibly lucky to be able to grow such interesting little fruits! i've never had these before!

i can only begin to imagine what would be in my own garden if i lived in a climate where it was warm year round! 'til then, thank the universe for the great people i've been fortunate enough to befriend and call kindred spirits! i like to believe "your vibe attracts your tribe!" and when you find your tribe, love them hard!

using rice wine, pure honey, vanilla bean and star anise... i made a delicious kumquat marmalade. think: subtle notes of amazing flavors paired together on a citrus dancefloor! not to mention, the sweet fragrance that filled the air in the process! mmm. #happygirl

...and because the essential oils-rich peel is as edible as the fruit itself, it all stayed in and was just an added bonus that all the health benefits were concentrated even further during the cooking process! not to mention, the peels also served as all natural pectin for the marmalade and it all came together perfectly!

yeah, i'm kind of a cooking nerd too, haha. it's sorta ridiculous how excited i can get at the thought of playing with a new ingredient and learning all about it! you know what they say, "you are what you eat!" so make sure it's nothing easy, fake or cheap! ;D

i only love sleep because it's a time machine to breakfast! sure makes for another perfect companion to buttered toast and bagels..! a tangy and refreshing kumquat strawberry lemonade doesn't hurt either. if i close my eyes, i'd almost believe it were summer in wisconsin this early morning! bon apetit.

banana blossoms, whaaat!?

i love food too much to settle for mediocrity out of convenience... and that's where my passion for cooking and experimenting really developed. living in smalltown us of a, the ethnic food scene (notably my favorite!) is definitely lacking among a sea of more conservative and/or less diverse restaurants when you consider the landscape of my life! don't get me wrong, we have some amazing places with fresh new chefs among us moving away from the traditional, but my focus right now is mainly on the lack of a quality southeast asian spread in central and northcentral wisconsin!





i hate to admit this, but during my tenure in the big[ger] city i seldom cooked, if at all. and it was because authentic and quality cuisine across the board was available everywhere! from fine dining establishments to food trucks and hidden gems of mom&pop shops, there were always the joints that consistently lived up to their reputation and hype! in addition, there was always what seemed to be a new up and coming spot that offered cool little twists on traditional dishes and flavors too which were also a favorite passtime i regularly looked forward to exploring and enjoying.

the smell and nostalgia of asian marts and supermarkets are within some of my earliest childhood memories... fruits and vegetables that came imported fresh from asia were always readily available and considered staple ingredients for me growing up so i just assumed it was for everyone. little did i know what i thought to be common were actually "exotic" to the average person.

today, i bring you banana blossoms. another thing i'd not realized until recently was the amount of care and time we take in prepping these "exotic" vegetables for consumption! for instance, preparing these florets is no joke! you have to literally take out the stamen inside each piece before it goes in a bath of lime-aciduated water to keep it from browning... and it's quite time-consuming. no wonder they're not popular in menu item dishes... but i sure am glad i was raised with the knowledge and palate to be able to incorporate and appreciate them - heck, even experiment with them in various dishes like i did here - for my own satisfaction! :) yummm.

who needs takeout when you can master the simplest chicken padthai, ever!?

i think everyone should be able to make a good chicken padthai from scratch! i'm always trying to imrpove my own recipe by trying others and tweaking it to my own personal preference... and here's a super simple and balanced rendition!

sweet, sour, salty, tangy, delicious! it's a tamarind-based explosion of traditional southeast asian flavors in every bite... and definitely one of my favorite dishes to try when exploring a new restaurant because seldom do you find them made exactly the same.




note: i improvised with the ingredients i had on hand (as i usually do) - so instead of bean sprouts and roasted peanuts i threw in fresh chilies and cilantro! nonetheless, the sauce is what makes/breaks the dish and this one's delicious!


soak your rice noodles in warm water. in a small bowl, combine all (pictured) ingredients to make the sauce. once your rice noodles are al dente, strain them and set aside. mince some fresh garlic and shallots. slice your chicken... and have eggs and chilies on hand. also, chop up your herbs and vegetables. it's important to have everything prepped and ready to go before the actual cooking because it's quite fast once you start! :)

in (preferrably) a wok, heat up vegetable oil and add in the garlic, chilies and shallots - until aromatic. add chicken and once it's almost cooked, move it aside in the wok and scramble your eggs. once the eggs and chicken is cooked, throw in the noodles (it's important to keep stirring to avoid sticking) - heat should be on high. drizzle in your sauce to preference; the more you add, the stronger the flavor! once your noodles are cooked through, take the wok off the heat and add the green onions... making sure they steam in the heat from the noodles. garnish with cilantro (and roasted peanuts + bean sprouts) and enjoy!

trust me, it took longer to type this out than it actually does to whip this baby up! :) enjoy!

a typical date with the bestie.

in the midst of our busy lives and relationships, my best friend and i try to get together at least once a week... whether it's to cook up our favorite foods to appease the day's cravings, run errands together, or just to do absolutely nothing but lounge around - it's always good for the soul and an even healthier outlet for our kindred spirits!

today, our day off was synced and since the boyfriend let me sleep in, i woke up refreshed and motivated. ambitious as i was, i decided to bring out the infamous picnic basket that's been hibernating since last fall and surprise her with a lunch date before our planned museum trip to check out the origami exhibit on this beautiful spring day!

mission; accomplished! we enjoyed it at my favorite spot that boasts one of the most incredible views in our quaint city... and it was definitely the perfect beginning to what would be a very good and productive day and evening! friends truly are the shelter from life's rainy days.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: khapoun

hands down, one of my favorite comfort foods, ever..! this dish is what we call khapoun. it's a savory coconut-based curry + fried chilies chicken and vermicelli noodle soup, quail eggs and bamboo... among a delicate combination of several other herbs and spices; garnished with cabbage, carrots, cilantro and green onions for texture and crunch! mmm... nostaglic complex flavors in this simple bowl :) absolutely divine!

although i've always enjoyed it, i don't think i've ever ordered it from a restaurant that had it on its menu. too easy of a dish to half-ass if not prepared with the love and care it deserves. even if it's "passable," i heart it too much to let anything less than amazing fly when it comes to khapoun in paricular. and like most soups, it's definitely the best serves after a day!

i've seen people adding similar condiments they do for pho - a vietnamese noodle soup - in their khapoun; call me old-fashioned, but i think that's the wrongest thing of all! maybe i've been spoiled all my life, but if made correctly, this dish needs no additional seasonings for it's the fusion of the herbs and spices stewing in tandem with the broth - coconut, fried garlic/chilies and curry - that makes it robust and hearty in and of itself! anything extra, other than a spritz of lime juice, just overpowers it - either that, or it's not good to begin with and needs to be masked. haha, jk. at least that's how i've always had it :) and yes, it's always been that good! mmm.


what's your go to comfort food?

rainbow cupcakes :)

i've been on a baking kick recently and was already smitten by the idea jamming a rainbow in a cupcake... but after making them, frosting them, and enjoying one, omg! these little cuties are like... a rainbow ;D in a cupcake!!! yes, i'm a dork! haha.

nonetheless, so gosh darn adorable though, they just make me so happy :) you've gotta be one cold, cold soul if they can't even brighten up your day, just a little!? and i can't seem to stop using exclamation points! hhaha.

!!!

rainbow cupcakes!

i've been on a baking kick recently and was already smitten by the idea jamming a rainbow in a cupcake... but after making them, frosting them, and enjoying one, omg! these little cuties are like... a rainbow ;D in a cupcake!!! yes, i'm a dork! haha.

nonetheless, so gosh darn adorable though, they just make me so happy :) you've gotta be one cold, cold soul if they can't even brighten up your day, just a little!? and i can't seem to stop using exclamation points! hhaha.

!!!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: an improvised [breadless] turkey n'herbs burger!

i put together a [breadless] turkey and herbs burger for "breakfast, lunch - not quite brunch" today. i've been thinking about trying out turkey patties, as a healthier alternative, for a good while now... and just so happened to have some ground turkey leftover from when i made banh cuon earlier this week.

it definitely helped that i didn't have any bread on hand when i had this genius idea while standing in my kitchen thinking of what i could quickly make for lunch, haha, and it turned out for the best! i grabbed the meat and folded in a variety of fresh herbs, then seasoned it with sea salt and fresh peppercorn. grilled it on the skillet while i fried up an egg - also chopped up some red onions, green peppers and tomatoes... oh my!

served on a bed of green leaf lettuce... with ketchup and mustrrrd. yum! the sconniegirl in me sure wish i had some cheese, though! don't judge me, kthxbye! lols.