Bun Thit Nuong / Bun Nem Nuong (Vermicelli with Grilled Pork Patties)

So as of late I am pretty obsessed with Vietnamese food spicy salty limey a little sweet ah! Here are a couple of recipes that I have found and will try them out here's to Vinh, Cindy, Ben and Ashley and our lunches together! xoxo

Nuoc Mam Cham (Dipping Fish Sauce)

• 1/2 cup of water
• 1 tablespoon rice or plain vinegar (optional)
• 2 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 hot chile pepper or Jalapeno (at least)
• 3 clove of garlic, use more or less according to taste
• ~1/8 cup fish sauce, adjust to taste
• pickled carrots and daikon, optional.
• Rooster brand chile garlic sauce (optional)

Add water and sugar to mix well to dissolve. You can heat the water up before hand to make it dissolve quickly. Add lime juice and vinegar (optional). It should taste like a very very bland lime-ade. If you have a morter, crush the garlic and chiles (if not, finely mince them) together and add to the mixture. Finally, slowly add the fish sauce a few tablespoons at a time instead of all at once. Taste frequently and stop when you feel it’s just right. It’s much easier to adjust the flavor of the dipping sauce by adding the fish sauce at the end bit by bit, adjusting to your personal taste. For a deeper red color, add some chile garlic sauce. You can also add pickled carrots and daikon into the nuoc mam cham as well.

Nem Nuong (Vietnamese Grilled Pork Patties)

* 2 lbs. ground pork (you may mix ground turkey or chicken to reduce fat)
* 2 head of garlic (cloves, peeled; we love the intense garlic flavor but use more or less according to taste)
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1/2 tbs salt
* 1/2 tbs pepper
* 4 tsp or 1 small package of Alsa baking powder prefered
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 drop red food coloring or 1 tsp caramel syrup (optional and found in most Asian groceries

Using food processor, process garlic until fine puree. Combine pork, garlic, salt, pepper and sugar in mixing bowl and mix well. In separate bowl, combine baking powder and water and stir. Mixture will fluff and foam. Add drop of food coloring or caramel syrup (this adds a very nice color to the pork when grilled).

Fold the baking powder into mixture and allow meat to chill for about 30 min to 1 hr or longer. The baking powder adds more bouncier texture. Now you’re ready to form the patties. Keep meat mixture in the fridge for a few hours to let it set and easier to handle when forming patties, balls or what I prefer, mini sausages.

Bun Nem Nuong (Vermicelli with Vietnamese Grilled Pork Patties)

• 1 (14 oz) bag of vermicelli noodles (serves about 4)
• Grilled nem nuong (above)
• Any combination of a variety of fresh herbs and vegetables such as fresh mint (rau thom), basil (rau que), perilla (rau tia to), coriander (rau ram), cucumber (julienned)
• Pickled carrots and daikon
• Fried Shallots
• Roasted Peanuts
• Dipping fish sauce (nuoc mam cham)

Place vermicelli in boiling water for about 6-8 min, stirring regularly so it won’t stick to the bottom of the pot. To check for doneness, take a strand and taste. Should be still slightly firm but easily breaks apart. Drain and flush with cold water to stop cooking process.

Combine in bowl with nem nuong, lots fresh herbs, pickled carrots and daikon, fried shallots, crushed roasted peanuts and dress with fish sauce vinaigrette. So easy to put together and so so delicious!

Vietnamese Grilled Pork with Lemongrass-Thit Nuong

• 1.5 lb pork butt or shoulder, thinly sliced just under 1/4 inch or so (not too thin as you do not want it to dry out when grilled. Ask your butcher to do this for you. Also, do not use lean pork as it will become dry.)
• 1/4 cup minced Lemongrass (xa bam). Many Asian markets will sell minced lemongrass in the freezer section.
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs ground pepper
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (use more according to taste)
• 2-3 shallots, minced.
• 3 tbs sesame oil
• 1 tbs thick soy sauce (not regular soy sauce–has molasses, making it thicker and adding great color. If not available, can use caramel sauce. Both can be found at Asian groceries)
• 3 tbs roasted sesame
• flexible grilling basket or indoor grill

Cut any large pieces of sliced pork into roughly 2-3 inch strips. Again, not too small as you do not want it to dry out and also so that it doesn’t fall through the grilling basket. For best results grill outdoors using a flexible grilling basket. Grilling on an indoor grill however, is perfectly acceptable.

For the marinade, combine in large mixing bowl the lemongrass, shallots, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, pepper, dark soy sauce, sesame oil. Add pork and mix well and marinade for at least 1-2 hrs.

Dr Pepper Cupcakes

Dr Pepper Cupcakes
1/2 C butter
2 1/2 C brown sugar
3 eggs
3 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
1/2 C buttermilk
2 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 C cake flour
2 tsp vanilla
1 C boiling Dr. Pepper

Cream the butter and add the brown sugar.
When well blended, add the eggs, one at a time, beating well.
Add the chocolate, slightly cooled.
In a small bowl, add one teaspoon of baking soda to the buttermilk.
Mix your remaining dry ingredients in another bowl.
Add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture alternately.
Add the vanilla, and finally mix in the Dr. Pepper.
Pour into cupcake molds
Bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees.

Dr Pepper Cupcake Frosting
1/3 C soft butter
3 C confectioner's sugar
1/2 C dark cocoa
4 Tbs heavy cream
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 can cherries in syrup (or in liqueur)

Cream the butter, cocoa and sugar together and stir in the cream.
Add the ginger and enough cherry syrup to create the desired consistency.
Refrigerate if necessary, and spread over the cupcakes when they have cooled.
Top each cupcake with half a cherry.

Joel Robuchon pomme puree

These are not low calorie but they are DELICIOUS!

2 lbs. yellow-fleshed potatoes, 

   such as yukon gold, unpeeledKosher salt, to taste1⁄4 cup milk1 lb. unsalted butter,    cubed and chilled

1. Boil potatoes in an 8-qt. pot of salted water until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain potatoes and set aside to let cool slightly. Meanwhile, bring milk to a boil in a 1-qt. saucepan; remove from heat, cover, and set aside.

2. Peel potatoes and pass them through a food mill into a 4-qt. saucepan set over medium-low heat. Using a rubber spatula, turn potatoes frequently until they take on a drier, fluffier consistency, 2–3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Working in batches, vigorously stir in the butter until mixture is creamy. Whisk in warmed milk, season potatoes with salt, and transfer them to a warm serving bowl.

SERVES 6 – 8