Buche de Noel 2008

Here we go again, what's new this time?  I figured I won't have much time to decorate...so I made the mushrooms ahead of time.  When it was time to serve I just stuck the mushrooms on and voila!Recipe for cake is here.For the mushrooms:You're going to need:-2 egg whites-100g granulated sugar-2 tbs powdered sugar -cocoa powder*Whip the egg whites until soft peaks, gradually add the granulated sugar and whip to stiff peaks, fold in...

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Drum-roll Please....

Introducing my newest project/blog:Áo Dài ProjectThe Project's MissionStop by when you have the chance and tell me what you think ;).Chee...

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I'm still alive....

Yes, I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything...If anyone cares or was wondering...I'm not dead, just busy.Doing What?The Maitreya Project brought sacred relics to Chùa Việt Nam (the temple where I volunteer), so we were busy busy busy.Then it was the Trung Thu aka the Moon Festival. So, it was moon cake making day and night to get orders out.Handmade PiggiesBoxes Ready to Be FilledTraditional Mixed Nuts MooncakeVietnamese Ping Pei MooncakesPrint...

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Let the Boy Eat Cake!

Cake? Where's the Cake?Today was another sunny day in Seattle. As usual, I was around 2 something p.m. I was sitting in Psychology and the class was discussing human behavior and cultural influences. One of the scenarios was "You have asked your mother-in-law not to give little Elliot a piece of chocolate cake because it will spoil his dinner. She says that she make the cake especially for Elliot and gives him a piece." The question was what would do next/how would you react?OMG! 2 of my classmates basically replied they would tell her the...

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Missed Comments

If you posted a question within the last 2 weeks and don't see it published/answered...it's because I accidentally deleted it. Sorry...anyways here are the answers to the questions. If I missed any please repost. Thanks.Re: Where to buy traditional molds for loveletters.-Try looking online.Re: Beating the eggs for Banh Bo Nuong-the main point is to mix everything evenly without adding too much air into the batter....

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It's all about Me...who wants Me?

Any takers? A quick lesson in Vietnamese. Me: a tree fruit also know as Tamarind. Me can either be sweet, or sour. The sweet kind makes a great snack as is. The sour kind is used in cooking to make anything from canh chua to soda Me (Tamarind soda). You can find sour tamarind at most Asian grocery stores in the spice section. It comes compressed in block, dark brown in color.All Purpose Tamarind Paste/Syrup:-200g sour tamarind-300g water-400-500g...

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What's Next?

This is a "5 year plan" that I recently did for one of my classes. I've always been the type of person that takes life a one day at a time and thus I don't put much thought into what the future holds in 5 or 10 years. After a few weeks (I had all quarter to do this) of deep thinking, of looking into what I'm passionate about and how/what I want to do with my life; here's what I came up with...don't laugh! The “Big Picture”I’ve dedicated my 20s to exploring the world and enjoying the freedom of being able to wake up everyday and do whatever...

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Vietnamese Food 33 Years After the Fall of Saigon

How has Vietnamese food changed after the fall of Saigon in 1975? This question constantly comes up whenever I think of Vietnamese food. I've always believed that in order to excel in something you need to dig deep into that subject's roots; in order to understand what conditions caused it evolved into what it is now. Born in Seattle, 10 years after the war ended, I grew up eating Vietnamese food with a hint of Seattle. During my trip to Vietnam last summer, I discovered a version of Vietnamese food that I had never tasted before. What...

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Comments....

Dear Readers,I was meaning to publish recent comments that were left by Visitors but accidentally clicked on the reject button instead of publish. Thus, if you posted a comment in the last week or two and don't see...please repost (if you want to).While we're on the subject of comments....you've probably noticed that I usually ignore comments that are left by 'anonymous' posters. Reason being, I don't see why I should spend my time answering someone who doesn't even care enough to leave me their name! Why should I? I don't owe them anything...some...

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Earth Hour - Turn Your Lights Off!

Let's Do This!!!!http://www6.earthhourus.o...

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Meme: 5 Facts About Me

I've been tagged by Do What I LikeFive facts about Me:....I'm going to let my visitors decide what they would like to know about me. So here's your chance! Post your questions about me as a comment below and I will answer the first 5.First Question:Oh goody... I get to post a question... Let´s see.. Hmm... oh yes, i have one. How come I no longer see u in NK?! :)>>The truth is I don't like you! Just kidding! ;P I've just been busy 'adjusting' to things. As you probably know, I recently graduated, traveled, then started culinary school....

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Friendship Ball

I was given this from Edith and Jadepearl. Thanks for thinking of me! I am truly honored.Friendship is always worth more if you pass it on, thus, I would like to to pass this ball on to:Lily's Wai Sek HongEast meets WestPusiva's Culinary StudioThe Budding CookZu's KitchenYochana's Cake DelightChee...

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