Ingredients:
-100g rice
-50g glutinous rice
-250g milk or 100g cream
-1 ½ liters water (1.5kg, 1500ml/g >> approximate)
-salt to taste
-300g taro (approximate)
-1 bunch watercress (approximate)

What to Do:
Wash rice and add water. Simmer until rice grains are fine and “dissolved” into a homogenized mixture, add more water if necessary. Meanwhile, cut taro into bite size pieces, wash and cut watercress. Add taro into congee and simmer for 15 mins more before adding in milk. Bring congee back to a boil, add salt to taste. Prepared watercress goes into a bowl, right before the hot congee is ladled in. Serve with meat floss.

A French pastry prepared with a Vietnamese twist. Vietnam was colonized by the France for a while; as a result, French influences are visible in a portion of Vietnamese eats. I googled “Pâté Chaud” and most of the recipes I found contained beef; the Vietnamese version uses pork. So what did I was used my Vietnamese recipe but substituted the pork with beef. The results? Interesting and yummy! Authenticity wise, I’d have to rule that this recipe is neither authentic Vietnamese nor French. It’s a Vietnamese hybrid of a French pastry.

Puff Pastry “Shell”:
**Buy premade puff pastry or (why buy it when you can make it from scratch?):
-250g all purpose flour
-1 egg yolk
-130g water
-1/2 tsp each: salt and sugar
-4 tbs butter
-50g butter
-60g shortening

*Mix together flour, salt and sugar. Rub or cut 4 tbs butter into flour mixture. Add egg yolk and water; quickly mix evenly into a “dough”. Rest for 15 mins. Meanwhile mix together butter and shortening, shape into a square. Roll dough out and use to wrap butter/shortening square. Fold into thirds roll, turn, and fold into thirds again. Chill in the freezer for 15 mins and repeat 5 more times.

Filling:
-1/2lb ground pork or beef
-1/2 medium onion
-2 tbs butter at room temperature
-3 tsp pate
-1 tsp ground pepper
-1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp sugar
-1 medium carrot (optional)
-50g peas (optional)

*Chop onions, and carrots. Mix everything together and divide into 9-10 portions.

Making the Pastries:
Roll pastry dough and cut into 18-20 circles using a biscuit or cookie cutter (anything round). Brush 9-10 pastry circles with egg wash, add filling. Use “leftover” dough to form a circle around the filling. Brush on more egg wash and top with another pastry circle. Firmly press the dough layers together. Finally, brush with more egg wash and bake at 375’F for 15-20 mins. Serve hot.

Ingredients:
-10g agar agar
-2 cups water (480ml/g)
-2 cups cream, milk or half and half (480g/ml)
-150g sugar (adjust to taste)
-1 ½ tbs almond extract
-1 can jackfruit (drained, optional)
-1 can longan (drained, optional)
-maraschino cherries (optional)

What to Do:
Shred jackfruit, cut longan into small pieces. Boil agar agar in water until dissolved. Add sugar and milk. Mix in jackfruit, longan and almond extract. Pour into small desert cups and allow to set. Serve cold with a cherry on top.

Note:
The amount of water and cream can be adjusted, just make sure there is a total of 4 cups of liquid.

How can I justly translate “Bánh Cuốn” into an English? I have no idea. Bánh is a basic term equivalent of the English word, pastry. However, in Vietnamese bánh can be anything sweet or savory, from cookies to cakes and of course, pastries. Cuốn means to roll. With that said, this dish is called bánh cuốn because you take rice flour sheets aka “bánh”, you add filling and “cuốn”; roll it up. Bánh Cuốn is similar to Chinese rice rolls; the ones served at dim sum that are filled with either shrimp or pork and served with soy sauce. I must say this recipe is only for those truly into cooking. These rolls require time, lots of patience and endurance to hot steam. For those who want the easier road, just buy chinese rice ribbons (premade, the kind they cut up to make chow fun), add filling and roll. These rolls should be somewhat transparent, thin, and have a smooth silky texture.

Filling:
-1/4lb ground pork
-1/2 large onion
-100g chinese black fungus (woodear mushrooms)
-1 tbs fish sauce
-1 tsp pepper
-salt and sugar to taste

*Chop onion and fungus. Heat 1 tbs oil in a pan add meat and stir fry for a few mins, add onion, fungus, fish sauce, and pepper. Continue to stir fry on high heat until the onions are transparent. Add salt and sugar to taste.

For the “Wrappers”:
-150g rice flour
-100g tapioca starch
-4 cups water (960g/ml)
-1 tbs oil
-1 tsp salt

*Mix everything together, rest for 1/2 hour before making wrappers.

Making the Wrappers:
There are 2 ways to get this job done. The first is the easiest, but taste wise, the second method is the best.

1) Easiest, use a non stick frying pan, heat over medium heat pour in about 3 tbs batter. Tilt and the pan in a circular motion to cream a even round wrapper. Cover for 1 min, “flip” the wrapper out onto a serving try, add filling and roll. Roll and as you make the wrappers.

2) Fill a pot half full with water. Tightly tie a thin piece of cloth on top of the pot. Bring the water to a boil, ladle on some batter and spread it around (the batter will drip to the bottom). Steam for a few mins, now the real work begins. ;) Ladle on some batter and spread it thin, cover and steam for a minute or two. Add filling and roll (using a thin spatula dipped in water). Carefully transfer the rolls onto a plate.

To Serve:
Serve with cooked beans sprouts, fish sauce, chả lụa (Vietnamese ‘ham’), meat floss, and fried shallots.

Made using the recipe from Belachan's Blog. So easy to make and so yummy!

Reference:
Recipe
Step by step Guide

Strange name huh? “Lắc” means to shake in Vietnamese. The result of this dish is accomplished by vigorously shaking fried chicken wings in a large container with a generous helping of spicy butter sauce. Thus, renders the name Shaking Chicken Wings.

Ingredients:
-1lb chicken wings
-3 tbs ketchup
-3 tbs tương ớt (Chili Sauce)
-1/2 tsp soy sauce
-1/3 tsp salt (to taste)
-1/2 tsp sugar
-1 tsp ground black pepper
-2 tbs butter
-4 cloves garlic
-oil for frying wings

What to Do:
Wash and boil the chicken wings for 10 mins. Meanwhile, mince garlic and fry in butter until fragrant, add ketchup, chili sauce, soy sauce, sugar, black pepper and salt to taste. Make sure the flavors are balanced. Drain chicken wings and fry until golden (can skip this step if you’re eating healthy, just boil the wings longer). In a large container add chicken wings and sauce. Cover with a lid and shake vigorously to evenly coat the wings with sauce. Serve hot.

Reference:
Vongo from www.datviet.com

For the Bread:
-75g sugar
-340g milk (warm)
-1 tbs yeast
-90g butter (salted at room temperature)
-540g bread flour
-egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tbs milk)

* In a large bowl, mix together sugar, yeast and milk, let stand for 15 mins. Add flour and knead to form a smooth dough, add butter and knead another 10 mins. Prove until doubled, punch down prove again until dough is 1 3/4 it’s original size.

Filling:
-150g raisins
-100g grated coconut
-1 tbs sugar
-1/2 tbs cinnamon
-1 tsp almond extract
-1 tbs rum
-1 tbs corn starch

*Mix together all ingredients for filling.

What to Do:
Grease 2, 2lb loaf pans. After the dough has risen a second time. Divide dough into 2 portions. Roll out into a flat rectangle, spread on 1/2 of the filling. Use the palm of you hands to gently “push” the raisins into the dough. Finally, roll into a log, pinching the edges shut. Allow bread to rise in their baking pans until doubled before baking. Brush loafs with egg wash and bake at 400’F for 15 mins., reduce heat to 350’F and bake 15 mins more.

For the Pastry (Pau Skin):
*Use basic pau skin recipe, reduce baking powder to 1 tsp.

Coconut Custard Filling:
-2 whole eggs (approx. 100g)
-1 tbs cake flour
-1 tbs custard powder (can replace with cornstarch and some yellow coloring)
-190g coconut milk/cream
-4 tbs sugar (adjustable)
-2 drops pandan essence
-1 tsp vanilla
-pinch salt

*Beat together eggs with flour, salt, custard powder and sugar until smooth; add coconut milk. Using a whisk constantly stir the mixture over high heat until custard thickens. Add pandan essence, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously to achieve a smooth texture, cool before using.

Making the Paus:
Divide dough into 12-15 portions, shape into round balls. Roll flat and add 1 ½ tsp custard in the center. Fold sides together and pinch edges together to seal in filling. Dot with some red coloring and steam for 15 mins, lift lid to let excess seam escape every 5-8 mins.

This is actually a Vietnamese cake but its named after Japan’s Mountain Fuji because the green pandan pastry cream and grated coconut makes in looks the snow covered mountain Fuji.

For the Cake:
Use spongefon cake recipe, and steam in rice bowls. Cool and cut each cake into 3 layers.

Pandan Pastry Cream:
-40g tapioca starch
-80g rice flour
-150-175g sugar
-400g coconut milk
-250g pandan juice or water + pandan extract
-1 tbs butter
-grated coconut

Making the Cream:
Boil together sugar and coconut milk. Meanwhile, dissolve flours with pandan juice. Once coconut boils, add flour mixture in slowly, while whisking constantly. Continue to stir until cream thickens, add butter.

Completing the Cakes:
This process has to be done quickly while the cream is still hot. Using a spoon, sandwich some pastry cream between cake layers. Next, spread on some pastry cream cover the entire cakes, sprinkle grated coconut on top. Cool and serve at room temperature.

What’s with the name “Spongefon”? Well, the method and ingredients for making this cake labels it as a chiffon cake, but the texture and the fact that it does not have to be inverted immediately after baking it is similar to sponge cake. This basic “spongefon” cake can be employed to create many different versions of “cakes”; from steamed to jelly rolls.

Ingredients:
-6 eggs (approx. 180g whites, 120g yolks)
-pinch of cream of tartar
-150g sugar
-75g oil
-100g water
-230g cake flour
-1 tsp baking powder

What to Do:
Separate the eggs. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy, add 100g sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. In a separate bowl beat together egg yolks and 50g sugar until light and lemon colored, add oil and water. Fold flour into egg yolk mixture, fold egg whites into yolks, and lastly fold in baking powder. Bake at 350’F or steam.

Different Variations:
Pandan Flavor:
Replace water with pandan juice

Pandan and Coconut Flavor:
Replace water with pandan juice and oil with coconut milk.

Coconut Flavor:
Replace both water and oil with coconut milk.

Lemon Sponge:
Add 1 ½ tsp lemon extract.

Orange Sponge:
Replace water with orange juice and add 1 tsp orange extract (optional)

Coffee Flavor:
Replace water with coffee or add 3 tbs instant coffee into egg yolks, add a pinch of baking soda.

Mocha Flavor:
Replace water with coffee and add 1 1/2 tbs cocoa powder, pinch of baking soda.

Chocolate:
Add 2 tbs cocoa powder and a pinch of baking soda.

For Jelly Rolls:
Reduce flour to 200g and add 20g corn starch. Bake in a jelly roll pan at 350’F until slightly golden. Roll the cake immediately as it comes out of the oven, cool completely, unroll, add cream/jelly and roll again.

Marbled Cake:
Divide batter into 2 portions, mix each with desired color/flavor. Randomly add batters 3 tbs at a time into a cake pan, then swirl a knife or chopstick around to create a marbled affect.

Marbled Jelly Roll:
Make batter as for making marbled cake, bake in a jelly roll pan prepare as you would a jelly roll.

Chinese Paper Wrapped Sponge Cakes:
Bake in paper cups.

Steamed Sponge Cake:
Steam on high heat, lift lid to release excess steam every 8-10 mins.