A Sweet Vietnamese Classic

 Everyone things of spring rolls and pho when Vietnamese food is mentioned. yet the country is also known for a classic South Asian cake.It reflects the ingredients of the area while providing a slice of comfort, not unlike a slice of Bundt cake.

Regular contributor and master pastry maker Genevieve KO wrote about banh bo duong or honeycomb cake in yesterday's New York TImes Food section,This is a dense cake with a verdant jewel green crumb thanks to glossy green pandan leaves. These give a citrus like flavor to the batter an d it's considered the vanilla of Asian cooking.There's also the addition of tapioca and rice flour to give the crumb its' stretchy bite/ It has to be made perfectly which has always been the bane of Vietnamese home chefs.It's a staple of pot luck dinners in teh Vietnamese community with "aunties" judigng and criticizing other's cakes.Los Angeles based Hannah Pham baked it for her mother and three sisters hoping they'd give it high praise. She has spent years refining the recipe , making sure it was up to her family's standards."They were so impressed after their initial clucking that their happy surprise was captured on camera. She now makes the cake for parties , letting others enjoy the cake's "squishy sweetness."The cake was fist recorded in 1895 and its name means grilled cake because it was first made on an open charcoal fire.

What is banh bo duong made ofThere is tapioca starch and full fat coocnut milk for body.Six large eggs are added for extra body and to give it a rich crumb. Then there are those pandan leaves that give the cake it's beautiful lime green coloring.These have been grounded into a paste , much like vanilla beans and can be bought only on Amazon or in some Asian grocery stores. As for the tapioca use the Erawan brand which is commonly found in Asian supermarkets. Erawan also makes rice flour which Ms Ko recommends using in the recipe.It needs finely ground rice powder similar to white refined flour in texture.Never use any rice flour bought outside Asian markets, glutinous rice flour , sticky rice flour or mochiko kind which is also glutenous.The recipe can be a bit labor intensive with all the dry ingredients being whisked together first and then adding in the wet ingredients.It's then put through a sieve two or three times before it's poured into a greased Bundt pan.it's baked in a low oven at 305 degrees Farenheit for forty five minutes. Melted butter is brushed over the top after it'[s been baked It's then cooled and should be nudged out fo the pan with a spatula. Serve with a cup of Vietnamese coffee to balance the sweetness.

Banh bo duong is a tasty alternative to a Bundt cake.It's using new flavors and ingredients to create a classic cake. Try it for a summer time treat.

S]'Mores Any Way

 S'mores a re always a special summer treat but imagine making them year round. They can be put under the broiler or turned into a pie. They cna be gobbled during the dog days of July then or the frosty days of December.

Regular contributor Melissa Clark wrote about two variations of this treat in today's New York Times food section.S;m ores are actually almost one hundred years old having first debuted in the 1927 Girl Scout book Tramping and Trailing with The Girl Scouts." even though they were called Some Mores ,one is quite enough the book admonishes. . Ms Clark gives a gooey broiler one and a pie that features a rich pudding like ganache topped with a meringue. The broiler version can be varied. Ritz crackers or even Saltines can be subbed in for the sweet cracker(although I would add chocolate grahams to the list). What is great is that Ms Clark also has the option of dark and light chocolate. Dark chocolate works very well and cuts down on the sweetness of the marshmallows. The snacks are assembled without the tops and then broiled for about two to three minutes Watch them carefully so they don;t burn and create a black gooey mess.(unless you like this).

The pie is more or less similar except the marshmallow topping is homemade as is the graham cracker crust. The crust is a mix of whole wheat flour and white as it is with a graham cracker recipe.Cinnamon and brown sugar are also added for flavor and  half a cup of butter is added to bind the crust together. The ganache is like a homemade pudding that uses chopped bittersweet chocolate instead of chocolate chips. These also melts better too. A pinch of sea salt also helps bringing out the sweetness too. As for the marshmallow filling six eggs whites will be needed along with granulated sugar and cream of tartar.A vanilla bean is also used for flavoring.The crust is baked first and then cooled before the ganache is added.The tart is then placed in the fridge anywhere between one hour and up to twenty four hours for it to firm up.The meringue is then made and whisked constantly in a bowl over simmering water. The mixture has to turn white and the temp should be 175 degrees Farenheit (use a candy thermometer for this)The meringue is then put into a mixer and whipped more as vanilla beans are added. Place the finished fluff on the ganache and use a blow torch to toast it.

S'mores are a true treat. Make then under the broiler on into a pie. Both are tasty treats.

Those TikTok Food Crazes

 Can one app dictate what people eat? Yes if it's Tiktok. It's responsible for all sorts of fads, trends and crazes regarding food.Do people follow them? Yes!

It seems everyone is on this app. It's responsible for some of the strangest food crazes lately that everyone is passionately following.One that is super popular now is the pickle sandwich one coming out of New York's Long Island. Back in January a deli called Seven Brothers Gourmet Food market started to sell subs that were not based on bread but pickles!!!! The sandwiches didn't;t blow up until May when a popular food blogger posted her review back in May. She posted a few more videos regarding her love for them and people were curious about this twist on the classic hero. Now a New Jersey deli Elsie's Sub Shop in Red Bank has created their version of this tangy bite.It can be made at home with halving a fat dill pickle , scooping out the guts (save these for snacking or salads) and then filling it with your favorite cold cuts. Seven Birthers has a turkey, cheese and bacon one that people are going mad for. There are two and three hour waits , with lines heading out of the deli and down the block.

What are other TikTok trends? This new Summerween is one. This is where Halloween is stretched out into four days from July 7th to the 11th and all sorts of fun Halloween foods are melded with summer classics. There are TikTok videos that show how to make Jack o lanterns out of watermelons and pineapples with the fruits' insides being turned into fun cocktails and mocktails. Then there's the Jack o lanterns burgers where a pumpkin face is cut out on  a slice of cheese and then placed on a sizzling on the grill burgers. They melt over the meat so the patties sort of look like decorations. Another fun Halloween treat, mummy dogs , hot dogs wrapped in dough strips also were big on Tiktok recently. Then there 's vampire ice, basically shaved ice with cranberry or cherry juice and bloody s'mores where the treats ooze cherry juice.Tiktok has also been respomsible for the Dalgona coffee craze which had coffee lovers whipping their brew into dark brown mousselike peaks and create a zingy French cake using yogurt. It also had followers putting cottage cheese in everything too.

Tiktok is one of the most influential apps in recent history. It really guides people around the world to different food trends.What will the latest trends be? Find out on Tiktok.

Cooking Holidays

 Foodie sand gourmands have one thing on their mindc- creating the perfect dish. Even their vacations revolve around the perfect dish.Luckily there are vacations for those who love food > They 're everywhere from Tuscany to Cambodia.

How do you find  cooking holidays? The obvious answer is online. There are many to choose from so pick one that sings to you.The top countries foodies want to go to is France and Italy. THere are packages that feature four days in Normandy for $4000. This is i a crash course where you learn everything. from balancing to more elaborate cooking methods.All three meals are included as well.Some cooking schools are located in farmhouses so there students can pick their ingredients along with retrieving fresh eggs for dishes and desserts. There is also a Normandy pastry vacation where students can learn all the intricacies of French pastry making , form mille feulles to croissants.Of course Italy is another desired location  and there foodies and gourmands can be shown the intricacies of making a good homemade pasta along with the various sauces.Th Italian trip also features talking with local artesans , from wine makers to cheese makers and discerning how to buy the best.

More exotic locales can also be found too. Cambodia offered culinary trips. There foodies and home chefs learn about Khmer cuisine. These also include trips to local markets to become familiar with and shop for important ingredients. A Cambodian cooking vacation is actually cheaper than a European one. A few days is $2700 , as opposed to an Italian one of $5000. There is also a twelve day culinary tour of Vietnam which features seeing Hanoi with a well known food blogger and trying everything from pho to egg coffee.It['s mot just Southeast Asia that features culinary vacations. India offers a few interesting trips throughout the country. There is a three day culinary tour at Agra which also highlights a trip to the Taj Mahal. Four dishes will be featured along with breakfast, lunch and dinner included.Another Indian culinary trip features food walks in such famed cities as Dehli, Jaipur and Agra. A plus on this tour is an introduction to Indian spices which is important when the students return home and recreate the dishes.

A vacation is fun. A cooking vacation is just special. Think about taking one sometime this summer for a fun and tasty trip.

Summertime Treat Grilled Fruit

 There are so many summertime harvests right now from late season cherries to peaches. what is great about the fruit of the season is that they can be grilled. Any can be used as dessert or even in side dishes.

Surprisingly any fruit can be roasted and grilled even the littlest ones. Grilled or roasted cherries are easy to make and can go with everything from pork chops to chocolate ice cream.All they need to be is pitted to make sure no one breaks a tooth and then tossed in a mix of olive oil, sea salt and ground pepper.YOu can roast these on a grate on your grill or in your oven. MInced parsley could be added to this for a savory quality which would make them perfect to add to a salad. These could also be added to a dressing too for a lively zing to a grilled chicken or steak salad. Going to the bigger fruit, peaches lend themselves to coals or oven. Again they need to be pitted and halved before cooking. Brush them with melted butter or olive oil and then cook for four to six minutes on both sides. Again these are versatile. Add some brown sugar to the melted butter for added sweetness and then serve the peaches topped with vanilla ice cream or vanilla yogurt. Grilled peaches are also perfect as a side to grilled chicken and combined they make for a wonderful salad with the addition of feta cheese and arugula. Serve with a balsamic dressing.

Most grillers usually stick to those backyard dessert classics - watermelon and pineapple. Although water melon tastes good when it's chilled ,it's equally as delicious grilled.Keep in mind to cut it into thick triangular wedges. Arrange the pieces on thee grill and cook for about two to three minutes or until grill marks appear. Some home chefs put a honey sauce on them but you can also just eat them plain as well. A watermelon salad is a nice side to burgers and hot dogs. Start with a dressing of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. You could use red wine dressing if the balsamic is too strong.Add arugula and a nice crumble cheese like chevre or goat cheese.Mix and serve. You could add grapes or walnuts too if you want more flavor. Grilled pineapple is always a treat at the end of a cookout,It's just brushing the rings or slices with a mix of melted butter and honey or brown sugar. Add a little sea salt to bring out the fruity flavor and grill for two to three minutes on each side. You could add it to  a salad but it does taste good with with just a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of mango ice.

We're in the full swing of harvest season. It's time to use the harvest in a number of versatile ways. Try grilling the local fruit for tasty sides and desserts.

Name Day Treats

 ONamastica or name day is always fun.It's the Saint a person  is named after and it's celebrated sort of like a mini birthday. Yes, there is religious significance and prayers but there's also favorite foods too.

Since today was mine and my Mom's and my bisnonna  - great grandmother's - St. Elizabeth's Day I went to my favorite store - Lidl and went wild with LidlIt's my favorite  grocery store chock full of new and exciting treats. Since I'm big on anything buttery, I bought these puffs.

These will be good with a creamy soft Brie for a different kind of dinner. I also love their Snack Day. I wanted something light and tasty so I tried their version of Popped Chips

These are very light and puffy - better than potato chips on these hot ,humid days. I like these and plan to have them at future summer parties.

Then there's there layered gelato. This was absolute heaven.

This is pure heaven. the gemalto is almost like whipped cream and contrasts with the layer of rich fudgy syrup and a bottom layer of  crumbled chocolate cookies.I'm not an ice cream girl by any means but this can convince me. I plan on trying their chocolate and cookies along with their strawberry. This was the perfect dessert for my day.

When ever you name day is, celebrate with your favorite treats and recipes. Go to your favorite grocery and pick up foods that give you joy. Enjoy them.

Happy Fourth Of July

 Americans around the world - enjoy today. Have that hot dog or hamburger. Enjoy a drink by the pool or ocean. 

What's your favorite barbecue food? Is it a plump and juicy hot dog? A side of potato salad? 

What's your favorite July 4th drink? Icy cold beer? Sweet and chill lemonade?

Whatever you have enjoy the holiday?