I love having friends over on Sundays to watch football. What I love the most is that it gives us a chance to get together, and also gives me a number of taste testers.
Wings and football pair perfectly together. They’re easy and fun finger food, and above everything else, taste really, really good. They are also extremely versatile and can be dressed up in every which way. Chicken wings can be fried, grilled, or baked, and who doesn’t love dipping anything into ranch or bleu cheese dressing?
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Korean style kalbi ribs refer to a particular type of cut. Unlike American style ribs, kalbi ribs are cut lengthwise across the rib bones. They are also referred to as “flanken” style ribs. I get mine from the local Korean market, but you can also ask your butcher to prepare this cut for you as well.
Kalbi ribs are sweet and salty, crispy and fatty. Most Korean markets sell these ribs pre marinaded for your convenience, or you have the option of buying a jar of the prepared marinade as well.
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Living in San Diego, you can pretty much bet it’s mid 70’s any day of the year. But who’s to say we can’t pretend like the leaves are turning, the weather is cooling down, and the outfits are getting substantially cuter?
This simple soup is warm and comforting. It takes less than 30 minutes to make, is healthy, and is the perfect dish to warm you up on a cold day - or the perfect dish to make you pretend like it’s cold!
It tastes great on its own, topped with fun toppings (shrimp and pistachios, pumpkin seeds, with Italian sausage to name a few). Served as an appetizer, along side a sandwich, or to bring to a potluck.
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I have strong ties for Phở bò, or “beef pho” but sometimes I just don’t have the time. Phở gà, or “chicken pho” offers a slightly more delicate broth with sweet aromatics that still hits the spot, but in a fraction of the time.
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Skirt steak is under-appreciated. It is much less-glamorous than a filet, yet it boasts maximum levels of flavor. It is deliciously fatty, and holds up well to marinades. I often enjoy it with nothing but salt and pepper, but days where you want to spruce it up even further, try this marinade! You can have it over a salad (as I did) or serve it on a bed of rice….
This is my favorite chili. It is made “chili con carne” style, a style of chili originally from Texas, that glorifies the simplicity of the meat and “gravy”. This is also the style of chili found in competition - one with no “fillers” (a.k.a. beans, pasta, corn). I love this type of chili because it seems so simple, yet the flavor is far from this. Instead, the flavors are rich, deep, complex, and literally layered. This isn’t a dump it all in a pot and call it chili type of chili. This is a, clear you schedule, add spices, let them meld, wait, add more spices, simmer, and repeat, type of chili. Make this for people you like, and they will like you back.
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Sweet potato salad. By simply adding a combination of sweet potatoes to your russets, it is an easy way to update an all time classic.
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Bánh bèo translates to “water fern”. These miniature cakes resemble the small water ferns found floating in the bodies of water in Vietnam.
This is one of my favorite dishes, but is a delicacy that people often order out. They are a bit time consuming to prepare…You see, you have to make the batter, steam all the dishes individually, prepare the toppings, and serve with a homemade sauce.
With that being said, I decided to accept the challenge. I cleared my schedule, swiped-right on bánh bèo, and committed to spend my Saturday morning with these tasty cakes.
These cakes were delicate, they were savory, and the variety of toppings add varying textures that are simply addicting. Enjoy these as an appetizer, or eat a dozen as the main dish.
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