Monday, September 24, 2012

Pig Moon Cake



Pig Moon Cake
Moon cake is the traditional food during Vietnam Mid-autumn Festival. Besides many kinds of traditional moon cake, pig moon cake is more attractive to the children. It was first made in Hanoi in mid-autumn festival 1988 by a craftsman (in Nguyen Sieu Street, Hanoi) and “pigs” are made by hands. Up to now, there are many bakers make pig moon cake, but most of them now make “pig” with frames.
The crust of “the pig” is made from flour and their eyes are black beans. The filling inside is mung bean with salted eggs or scraped coconut with Chinese sausage and lemon leaf. After baking, pig moon cakes are put into small baskets or boxes. There are cute single pigs and pig mother with little piggy in different sizes.
It is not by chance that people make pig moon cake but not any other animal. It is said that the pig was considered as a symbol of wealth and comfort. Therefore, choosing the pig moon cake as a gift in the occasion of mid-autumn festival means a wish of luck to other people.  And pig moon cake is also an interesting gift for children in mid-autumn festival.






Mai Phương

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Vietnamese Spring Rolls - specific taste of Vietnamese cuisine


Known as one of the famous food cities in Asia, Vietnam is not only an attractive destination by beautiful landscape but also diversified cuisine. if you go to Vietnam, you will not forget specific taste by delicious food and hospitality of Vietnamese people. That was true feeling of my foreign friend after his coming to my home for the invitation of dinner. 

As a hospitable tradition, a welcome party was prepared by my mother with some Vietnamese food that I thought he will like. In menu, Spring Rolls is familiar dish with Vietnamese that we often make in celebration like wedding, new house celebration, special parties… as well as everyday meals, but with foreigners, this dish may be new taste, different from other place and only in Vietnam. When looking at my mother wrapping spring rolls, my friend was really interested and also tried to do as my mother’s guide. Standing by their side, I explained for my friend that we call "Nem Ran" in the North, "Cha Gio" in the South, it is special as its name “spring” by a combination of ingredients: natural flavors of vegetables (carrot, cabbage, green onions, sprouted beans), with dried ear mushroom, vermicelli, pork, egg … A dish is full of energy and nutrition. 

My mother said only in special celebration we would have chance to taste Spring Rolls because it also means to be comfortably off. From different kinds of food which are hard to plant or get, we combined in a delicious dish and hoped that everyone will be well-fed, get wealth in life. At that time, I understood that each dish is the art of Vietnamese cuisine and life idea of Vietnamese people.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls is easy to make and can be changeable depends on the taste of the cook. You can follow this recipe:


Ingredients: Makes 20 rolls
  • 20 – 25: Rice paper wrappers (some may be broken)
  • 310 g: Ground chicken (or half crabmeat, half ground pork)
  • 20 g: Green bean thread vermicelli
  • 1: Carrot, cut into thin strips
  • ¼: Cabbage, cut into fine strips
  • 2: Green onions (scallions), minced
  • 5 g: Sugar
  • 2.5 g: Salt
  • 2.5: White pepper
  • 15 ml: Oyster sauce
  • 3 cloves: Garlic, minced
  • 45 ml: Vegetable oil (extra oil may be required for deep frying)
  • 1: Egg
  • 100 g: sprouted beans
  • 4-5: dried mushroom
  • 3 ear fungus
Garnishing
  • 1 sprig: Lettuce leaves
  • 1 sprig: Mint leaves
Direction
“ Nuoc Cham” dipping sauce
  • 5 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (optional)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 fresh Thai chilies (2 to 3 inches; preferably red; including seeds), thinly sliced crosswise
Spring Rolls:
In hot water, soak vermicelli, dried mushrooms, ear fungus for 5 minutes until soft. Drain, cut into 2 in lengths and reserve.
  • Add 3 tablespoons oil to wok or pan. Add garlic and chicken (or crabmeat and pork) and cook about 8 minutes, mashing with a fork so they do not clump together.
  • Add cabbage, carrot, green onions (scallions), sprouted beans, vermicelli, dried mushroom, ear fungus to cook on high for about 3 minutes until vegetables soften.
  • Turn off heat, add salt, sugar, pepper and oyster sauce. Stir to mix well. When mixture is cool, brush each side of the rice wrappers or dip them hot water to moisten them or they will dry and break.
  • Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each wrapper, turn sides in first, roll and seal each with beaten egg. Refrigerate until needed.
  • Heat extra oil in wok or pan. Deep fry rolls until golden.
  • Serve on lettuce leaves garnished with lettuce and mint leaves.
  • Serve with bottled sweet chili pepper sauce or nuoc cham sauce.
LanAnh

 
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