Thai Mangos with Coconut Sticky Rice

Sticky rice has been one of my long time loves. Really, I grew up on the stuff. We (Vietnamese people) have all kinds of variation on sticky rice, whether it be sweet versions or savory - both of which I am enamored with deeply. But I think one of my absolute favorite versions is the one the Thais have perfected.

Yep. It's utterly heavenly. Sweet rice that's mixed with some lightly sweetened coconut milk then topped with some perfectly ripe mango. Really, I don't think it gets better than this. Seriously though, it doesn't.

This recipe is overall pretty simple. I steamed the rice but I think it would easier and perfectly fine if you just used a rice cooker to cook the rice. Also, in the recipe I used it had a comment about soaking the rice overnight as opposed to 1 hour. Since the rice I made was a bit toothier than I wanted, I suggest soaking it overnight!

Thai Mango with Coconut Sticky Rice

Yields: 2 larger or 4 smaller servings

Original recipe here.

1 cup Thai sweet or sticky rice, available in Asian grocery stores

1 can coconut milk, unshaken

3 tbsn. raw or white sugar, divided

1 tsp. salt, divided

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

2 ripe mangos, peeled, seeded and sliced

toasted sesame seeds and mint, to garnish

Soak the sticky rice in some water overnight. When ready to use, drain the rice and rinse it thoroughly. Then pour 1 cup of water into a saucepan and place the rice in a steamer insert inside the saucepan. Cover tightly and steam over low to medium heat for 20 minutes. White the rice is steaming, make the first sauce. You will make two coconut sauces to go on the rice: one thin one to mix into the rice itself and a thicker sauce to spoon over the top. Start by opening the can of coconut milk and spooning out the thick cream on top. Place the thicker coconut cream into a small bowl (you should have about 1/2 a cup). Pour the thinner, lighter coconut milk left in the can into a small saucepan (it will be a little over 1 cup). Stir in 2 tbsn. sugar and 3/4 tsp. of salt. Warm over medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Do not let the sauce boil.

By now the rice should be done and the grains should be tender and shiny. Spoon the rice out into a bowl (the rice should be clumpy). Slowly pour the warm coconut milk over the rice in the bowl, stirring frequently. You want the milk to coat the rice but not leave puddles. Keep stirring, and stop pouring the coconut milk when it looks like the rice is saturated. You may not use all of the milk. While the rice is standing, make the coconut topping sauce. Rinse out the coconut milk saucepan and pour in the coconut cream. Stir in 1 tbsn. sugar and 1/4 tsp. salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together a few tsp. of water and the cornstarch. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the coconut cream and cook over low heat for about 3 minutes or until the mixture thickens considerably. Set aside. To serve, place about 1/3 cup of cooked sticky rice onto each plate, arrange mango sliced around it and top with the coconut sauce, sesame seeds and mint. Enjoy!

Dig in!!!!

Tailored Tuesdays

I lost my sunglasses this weekend - these would be a good replacement!

1. Alexander Wang 'Rocco leather tote'

2. Acne 'Amon printed chiffon blouse'

3. J Brand 'Low rise skinny leg jeans'

4. Benjamin Eyewear 'Kanye acetate sunglasses'

5. Lanvin 'Ribbon tie leather sandals'

all images can be found at net-a-porter.com

Bo 7 Mon {Garden Grove, CA}

Bo 7 Mon translates to "7 courses of beef." Doesn't just reading that make you happy? Who doesn't want 7 courses of delicious beef, Vietnamese style!

The first course you get is a hot-pot of sorts. They give you a burner filled with broth and a plate of thinly sliced beef that you can cook yourself in the hot liquid. Alongside, they also give you lettuce, mint, a variety of herbs, rice paper, cucumber, unripe banana slices, the works. All of these things are necessary so that you can roll yourself some delicious spring rolls!

I love all spring rolls and I love meat, so this is the kind of place for me! Plus, I grew up eating this stuff on special occasions, so it will always be near and dear to my heart. All of the rolls are served with this pineapple-shrimp concoction that's deee-licious and full of flavor!

My all time favorite of all the courses though, has to be the two shown above. I'm sorry I don't exactly know what they are called but it doesn't matter because they are delicious beyond words!! I could eat them all day long haha.

Yelp

Bo Tai Chanh/ Vietnamese Beef 'Carpaccio'

Since I can remember, for special occasions, my family has always been going to this one restaurant called Favori. It's not the best restaurant in town, but it has always been a tradition, one that we still keep to this day. Anyways, no matter what, two things were always true. First, my sister and I always had to get their delicious pineapple shakes! Second, we always started with the Bo Tai Chanh appetizer, because well, they make it the best and it's one of my absolute favorites!

Well, I've always wanted to make this at home and I've been eyeing The Ravenous Couple's recipe for it for quite some time! Well I've finally made it, and with some improvisations of my own, it turned out to be quite the meal. Basically it's almost like a mix between beef carpaccio and ceviche; thinly sliced beef 'cooked' only by the acidity of either lime or lemon juice. Then, topped and mixed with all kinds of goodness (as you can see below).
The beef is beyond tender, then mixed with an uber refreshing combination of herbs, mixed with a tangy and sweet sauce, and you get the great texture from the toasted peanuts and fried shallots. Also, you can make it spicy if you want to, like I did, by adding tons more jalapeno or Sambal. I didn't have jalapeno or Vietnamese corriander on hand so I used Sambal for spiciness and a mix of cilantro, mint and other herbs.

Mmmmm, see all that red Sambal? That's my favorite!

Mise en place: Vietnamese herbs, fried shallots, fresh shallots, toasted peanuts, cilantro.

I know this looks gross, but it's informative: how the beef should look as it's 'cooking' in the lemon/ lime juice. I like my steak rare, but if you like it cooked more - just marinate it for longer.

Bo Tai Chanh/ Vietnamese Beef 'Carpaccio'

Yields: 2 salad servings, 4 appetizer servings

Adapted from this recipe.

1/2 lb. beef (beef eye round or tenderloin), thinly sliced

1/2 cup lemon or lime juice

1 1/2 tbsn. sugar

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

2 tbsn. dried shallots (from Asian grocery stores)

2 tbsn. peanuts

2 tbsn. nuoc mam

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced

handful of cilantro, coarsely chopped

1/2 bunch of mint, basil or rau ram (Vietnamese corriander), coarsely chopped

In a large rimmed plate, spread the thinly sliced beef evenly throughout the plate so that it creates one even layer with the meat evenly exposed and not overlapping. In a small bowl mix together the lemon/lime juice and sugar until dissolved. Pour the mixture over the meat evenly and make sure all the meat is covered in the juice. Let the meat 'cook' in the juice in the refrigerator for 20 - 25 minutes (till the done-ness suits you). In the meantime, heat a small pan over medium high heat. Add the peanuts and toast until fragrant and golden brown. In the same pan, add enough oil to create a very shallow pool (about 1/4 cup) and heat. Once hot, add the dried shallots and fry until golden brown, then drain on a paper towel. Once the meat is ready, drain and squeeze any excess juice from the meat. In a bowl, toss together the meat, raw shallots, herbs and nuoc mam until dressed well. Assemble on a plate, then top with the fried shallots and toasted peanuts. Add more nuoc mam, if desired. Enjoy!

Mise en place.

The best mix of textures and flavors, seriously.

Tailored Tuesdays

1. Chloe 'Paraty leather and suede bag'

2. Proenza Schouler 'Long sleeved sequin top'

3. Citizens of Humanity 'Avedon slick mid rise legging jeans'

4. Pedro Garcia 'Emelyn satin pumps'

All images can be found atnet-a-porter.com.

Sweet Basil Gimlets

I've been posting a lot of drinks lately, and I think rightly so! When the summer heat is oh so sweltering, that's when my mind is focused on only one thing: how to cool down and quench my thirst.

I happen to think these sweet basil gimlets are perfect after a long day. They are the perfect mix of sweet and tart but have this unexpected 'herbiness' that comes from the basil. The basil in them also makes them that much more refreshing. Mmmm.

Sit back, relax, and sip on this!
Sweet Basil Gimlets

Yields: 1 serving

Original recipe here.

2 oz. gin

1/2 oz. lime juice

1/4 to 1/2 oz. simple syrup (or to taste)

2 basil leaves, thinly sliced or torn

lime wedge, for garnish

In a glass, combine the gin, lime juice and simple syrup. Tear or add in the sliced basil and mix well. You can add more lime or simple syrup to your preference. Garnish with a lime wedge or some fresh basil leaves. Add some ice and enjoy!

Lychee Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly & Granita

I love pomegranates. But I didn't really experience them until probably 3 years ago. Late bloomer, I know! I love the crunchiness of fresh pomegranate seeds but I also love the tangy kick you get from pomegranate juice.

Recently, Ryan from POM Wonderful sent me a case of POM Blueberry juice and I was so curious about what I could do with the wonderful product other than drink it, which I think is probably the best way to enjoy the stuff! Well, I found two amazing uses for the juice - as a icy cool, uber refreshing granita and as a deliciously creamy panna cotta. Oh man, I really outdid myself with this one!
I took it to the next level by topping the creamy panna cottas with some of the granita. Yep, was it good. First of all, the panna cotta was sooo creamy and soft (the way they are meant to be). But I think my favorite part was the pomegranate jelly. Maybe it's because I love jelly but this one was really good. Then... granita on top?! Yeah, it was a good idea.

Tip though, BE PATIENT! I obviously was not and poured in my pomegranate jelly layer before letting the panna cotta fully set, which ultimately led to a mixing of the two. It pays to be patient!

Wonderous POM Wonderful.

Lychee Panna Cotta with Pomegranate Jelly
Yields:
Original recipe here.

For the panna cotta:
1 can lychees, in syrup
2 tsp. powdered gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 tbsn. sugar

For the pomegranate jelly:
1 1/2 tsp. powdered gelatin
1 cup pomegranate juice (I used pomegranate-blueberry)
1/2 cup sugar

Open the can of lychees and pour the lychees and syrup into a food processor. Process until smooth. There will be a lot of bits of lychee flesh and pulp, strain into a measuring cup until you get 1 cup of clear liquid. Place 3 tbsn. cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top, let sit while you do the next step. Combine the lychee liquid, cream, milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and it just comes to a boil. Remove the lychee mixture from the heat and add the gelatin. Stir until the gelatin is fully melted and combined. Divide mixture among glasses and refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours.

To make the jelly, place 3 tbsn. of cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Let sit while you do the next step. Combine the pomegranate juice and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat on medium, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Add the gelatin and stir until fully melted and combined. Remove from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour over the panna cotta and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

You can also just enjoy the granita by itself, which is perfect for the summer heat!

Lychee Pomegranate Granita

Inspired by this.

1 can lychees, in syrup

1 cup pomegranate juice (I used blueberry-pomegrante)

sugar, to taste

Puree the lychees with the syrup and strain the liquid to remove extra large parts. Add the pomegranate juice. If needed, add some sugar (this is not likely, as the lychees are pretty sweet). Place in a freezer safe container that is open, such as a medium baking dish. Let freeze, scraping every 30 minutes or so with a fork until frozen but a bit slushy. Enjoy!

POM Wonderful is right!

Tailored Tuesdays

A summery outfit, but probably not summery enough for the heat we've been having!

1. Yves Saint Laurent "Entral metal bib necklace"

2. Rebecca Taylor "Printed silk blouse"

3. Tory Burch "Zip back 1/8th skinny jeans"

4. Tory Burch "Holland snake effect leather tote"

5. Alexander Wang "Jact studded sandals"

all images can be found at net-a-porter.com

Thai Iced Tea

I freaking love Thai iced tea. But until now, I've always either bought it or asked my mom to make it. It's simple I know, but I never knew how to make it, arghh! So finally my mom taught me how, and since I love it so, I thought it imperative to pass the knowledge on. Please enjoy soon!

Slowly watch the half-and-half swirl around in the Thai tea goodness.

Tapioca pearls/ boba may be optional for you. They are necessary for me ;)

Thai Iced Tea

Yields: 6 - 8 servings

6 cups water

1 cup Thai tea

1 cup sugar

1 - 1 1/2 cups half-and-half

tapioca pearls/ boba, optional

Bring the water to a rolling boil in a large saucepan. Add the tea, then remove from the heat. Stir gently to submerge the tea into the water. Steep for about 3 - 5 minutes. The liquid should be dark orange in color. Pour the liquid through a fine mesh strainer or a coffee filter into a pitcher. Add the sugar, stir until dissolved. Refrigerate until cool. If you want tapioca pearls/ boba, cook them according to the directions on the package. Strain, then keep them in some warm simple syrup. When ready to serve, add some tapioca pearls/ boba, fill the cup with ice, then pour the tea into the cup until 3/4 full. Add the half-and-half until light orange in color (about 3 - 4 tbsn.). Repeat and enjoy!

Tailored Tuesdays

Haha, I'm all ready for winter in the middle of summer!

1. Preen 'Line moss wool blend cardigan'

2. J. Crew 'Plaid cotton flannel tunic'

3. J Brand 'Low-rise skinny leg jeans'

4. Missoni 'Basco oversized wool blend knitted beanie'

5. Belstaff 'Agnes leather boots'

all images can be found at net-a-porter.com