I am back

Wow, time is really fly by me. I was shocked to realize that it has been 10 months since my last posting. Too busy having fun. Sorry to neglect the garden I have created. OK, I promise will keep you up to date with all of my activities during the last 10 months. Stay tune!!!!!

Rượu Mai Quế Lộ

I just got back from a romantic weekend get-a-way with my hubby for our anniversary. A 3-day weekend spent in Ashville, strolling through an art festival and staying at the Biltmore Inn. The place has a breathtaking view. There are lots of pictures to share and many many things to talk about. I will share this experience with you as soon as I got my work caught up.
For now, let's talk about rượu Mai Quế Lộ.

Mai Quế Lộ is a special kind of liquor that has a variety of herbs soaked in it for the special flavor that nothing can substitute. This special liquor has been used in making a variety of dishes such as Chinese pork sausage (lạp xưởng) or moon cake (bánh trung thu) or roast duck (vịt quay).

Mai Quế Lộ can be purchased in store also, but very pricey, about $22.00 for a 12-ounce jar, the last I checked. It’s very simple to make and if you are like me, take pride in making everything from scratch, you will like making this yourself.

The Mid-Autumn festival is coming in 3 months. We should start soaking herbs in the liquor today so we have it ready to make the moon cake for the festival in 3 months. 

Ingredients:

1 bottle of Vodka (1.75 litre)

10 pieces of star anise seeds (hột hồi/tai vị)

30 whole cloves (đinh hương)

30 black pepper corn (tiêu hột)

4 cinamon sticks (quế)

4 pieces of dried orange peels (vỏ quit khô)

Directions:

Roast all dried ingredients, except orange peels. Let cool.

Wash dried orange peels and dry with paper towel.

Add everything to vodka.

Let soak for at least 3 months before using.

Chia Seeds drink

I've read and heard many many good things about this tiny little seeds. So I ordered a 2 pound bag at Amazon.com. It came yesterday. Before going to bed, I soaked 2 Tbsp of Chia seeds to a glass of water and left it on the counter top overnight. This morning, I add a little honey to give it a little perk. To my amaze, it tastes exactly like "nước hột é".

I am so excited about something that claims to have so many benefits for your health and also taste that good. You probably heard this before "if it tastes good, it's bad for your body". This is not applicable here. But, I have had only just one glass of Chia drink. I will continue drinking a glass every morning and will report back to you about the results. Stay tune!!!!!
Chia seeds is known to be a natural remedy for GERD (Gastro Esophagus Reflux Disease). It is high in fiber, both soluble and insoluble. The soluble fiber has been found helpful in lowering cholesterol and diabetes. It also has omega 3 and omega 6. It naturally has boron in them which transfers the calcium into your bones.
On one of the episode on Oprah Winfrey's show, Dr. Oz said "Chia seeds may be one of the healthiest things around". However, I've read somewhere that people who takes blood pressure medication, blood thinner or having heart disease should not try Chia. The article did say that Chia can lower blood pressure to the dangerous level. So, be cautious if you have any of the conditions mention above.
This is what I found on the net about Chia seeds.

“A “super” food that all would agree on. Once valued so much that it was used as currency, this unique little seed has exceptional nutritive and structural benefits.

            Chia, is familiar to most of us as a seed used for the novelty of the Chia Pet™, clay animals with sprouted Chia seeds covering their bodies. Little is known, however, of the seeds tremendous nutritional value and medicinal properties. For centuries this tiny little seed was used as a staple food by the Indians of the south west and Mexico. Known as the running food, its use as a high energy endurance food has been recorded as far back as the ancient Aztecs. It was said the Aztec warriors subsisted on the Chia seed during the conquests. The Indians of the south west would eat as little as a teaspoon full when going on a 24hr. forced march. Indians running form the Colorado River to the California coast to trade turquoise for seashells would only bring the Chia seed for their nourishment.

If you try mixing a spoonful of Chia in a glass of water and leaving it for approximately 30 minutes or so, when you return, the glass will appear to contain not seeds nor water, but an almost solid gelatin. This gel-forming reaction is due to the soluble fiber in the Chia. Research believe this same gel-forming phenomenon takes place in the stomach when food containing these gummy fibers, known as mucilages, are eaten. The gel that is formed in the stomach creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, thus slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar.

            In addition to the obvious benefits for diabetics, this slowing in the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar offers the ability for creating endurance. Carbohydrates are the fuel for energy in our bodies. Prolonging their conversion into sugar stabilizes metabolic changes, diminishing the surges of highs and lows creating a longer duration in their fueling effects.

            One of the exceptional qualities of the Chia seed is its hydrophilic properties, having the ability to absorb more than 12 times its weigh in water. Its ability to hold on to water offers the ability to prolong hydration. Fluids and electrolytes provide the environment that supports the life of all the body’s cells. Their concentration and composition are regulated to remain as constant as possible. With Chia seeds, you retain moisture, regulate, more efficiently, the bodies absorption of nutrients and body fluids. Because there is a greater efficiency in the utilization of body fluids, the electrolyte balance is maintained.

Chia seed, a muscle and tissue builder and an energizer of endurance with extensive hydration properties, possesses none of the above disadvantage, and because of its physiochemical properties, supports effective treatment in immediate problems of digestion.  Exactly why this should be true may be puzzling at first.  However, if we consider the effect of unusual irritation upon the nerves of the gastrointestinal canal, it is reasonable the think that a less violent and more balanced digestion might quiet the activity of the otherwise hyperactive gut.  Inasmuch as the same foods, which formerly produced irritation, may frequently be continued without harm when hydrophilic colloids are used.   The relief to nerve irritation seems to offer a logical explanation.

As a source of protein, the Chia, after ingestion, is digested and absorbed very easily.  This results in rapid transport to the tissue and utilization by the cells.  This efficient assimilation makes the Chia very effective when rapid development of tissue takes place, primarily during growth periods if children and adolescents.  Also for the growth and regeneration of tissue during pregnancy and lactation, and this would also include regeneration of muscle tissue for conditioning, athletes, weight lifters, etc.

Another unique quality of the Chia seed is its high oil content, and the richest vegetables source for the essential omega-3 fatty acid.  It has approximately three to ten times the oil concentrations of most grains and one and a half to two times the protein concentrations of other grains.   These oils, unsaturated fatty acids, are the essential oils your body needs to help emulsify and absorb the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, & K.  Chia seeds are rich in the unsaturated fatty acid, linoleic, which the body cannot manufacture.  When there are rich amounts of linoleic acid sufficiently supplied to the body trough diet, linoleic and arachidonic acids can be synthesized   from linoleic acid.

The Chia seed is also a rich source of calcium as it contains the important mineral boron, which acts as catalyst for the absorption and utilization of the calcium by the body. 

a “super” food that all would agree on. It is known as the Chia Seed. Once valued so much that it was used as currency, this unique little seed has exceptional nutritive and structural benefits.

            Chia, is familiar to most of us as a seed used for the novelty of the Chia Pet™, clay animals with sprouted Chia seeds covering their bodies. Little is known, however, of the seeds tremendous nutritional value and medicinal properties. For centuries this tiny little seed was used as a staple food by the Indians of the south west and Mexico. Known as the running food, its use as a high energy endurance food has been recorded as far back as the ancient Aztecs. It was said the Aztec warriors subsisted on the Chia seed during the conquests. The Indians of the south west would eat as little as a teaspoon full when going on a 24hr. forced march. Indians running form the Colorado River to the California coast to trade turquoise for seashells would only bring the Chia seed for their nourishment.

If you try missing a spoonful of Chia in a glass of water and leaving it for approximately 30 minutes or so, when you return the glass will appear to contain not seeds or water, but an almost solid gelatin. This gel-forming reaction is due to the soluble fiber in the Chia. Research believe this same gel-forming phenomenon takes place in the stomach when food containing these gummy fibers, known as mucilages, are eaten. The gel that is formed in the stomach creates a physical barrier between carbohydrates and the digestive enzymes that break them down, thus slowing the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar.

            In addition to the obvious benefits for diabetics, this slowing in the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar offers the ability for creating endurance. Carbohydrates are the fuel for energy in our bodies. Prolonging their conversion into sugar stabilizes metabolic changes, diminishing the surges of highs and lows creating a longer duration in their fueling effects.

            One of the exceptional qualities of the Chia seed is its hydrophilic properties, having the ability to absorb more than 12 times its weigh in water. Its ability to hold on to water offers the ability to prolong hydration. Fluids and electrolytes provide the environment that supports the life of all the body’s cells. Their concentration and composition are regulated to remain as constant as possible. With Chia seeds, you retain moisture, regulate, more efficiently, the bodies absorption of nutrients and body fluids. Because there is a greater efficiency in the utilization of body fluids, the electrolyte balance is maintained.

Chia seed, a muscle and tissue builder and an energizer of endurance with extensive hydration properties, possesses none of the above disadvantage, and because if its physiochemical properties, supports effective treatment in immediate problems of digestion.  Exactly why this should be true may be puzzling at first.  However, if we consider the effect of unusual irritation upon the nerves of the gastrointestinal canal, it is reasonable the think that a less violent and more balanced digestion might quiet the activity of the otherwise hyperactive gut.  Inasmuch as the same foods, which formerly produced irritation, may frequently be continued without harm when hydrophilic colloids are used.   The relief to nerve irritation seems to offer a logical explanation.

As a source of protein, the Chia, after ingestion, is digested and absorbed very easily.  This results in rapid transport to the tissue and utilization by the cells.  This efficient assimilation makes the Chia very effective when rapid development of tissue takes place, primarily during growth periods if children and adolescents.  Also for the growth and regeneration of tissue during pregnancy and lactation, and this would also include regeneration of muscle tissue for conditioning, athletes, weight lifters, etc.

Another unique quality of the Chia seed is its high oil content, and the richest vegetables source for the essential omega-3 fatty acid.  It has approximately three to ten times the oil concentrations of most grains and one and a half to two times the protein concentrations of other grains.   These oils, unsaturated fatty acids, are the essential oils your body needs to help emulsify and absorb the fat soluble vitamins, A, D, E, & K.  Chia seeds are rich in the unsaturated fattyacid, linoleic, which the body cannot manufacture.  When there are rich amounts of linoleic acid sufficiently supplied to the body trough diet, linoleic and arachidonic acids can be synthesized   from linoleic acid.

The Chia seed is also a rich source of calcium as it contains the important mineral boron, which acts as catalyst for the absorption and utilization of the calcium by the body. 

Isn't it amazing?

Gỏi Cuốn & Tương Đen Pha Me

A piece of thin rice paper softened in hot water, encased inside is some rice noodle, a few shrimps and a few pieces of paper thin sliced pork, together with chives, lettuce and herbs, dipped in prepared peanut sauce. Such a simple, easy to make dish that wins its way to the menu of every level of  eating establishments, from vendors on the street of Vietnam, to mom and pop café to high-end restaurants overseas, from the US to Australia to France.

This roll, some called it spring roll, some called it steam roll (as opposed to fried spring roll “chả giò”), but the name “gỏi cuốn” can be literally translate as mixture in a roll.

Take a bite, the soft texture of rice paper, the fatty juicy taste of pork bacon, the sweetness of fresh shrimps, plus the savory taste of the dipping sauce, add to that the cool taste of fresh lettuce and noodle, plus a tingly feeling on the tip of your tongue by all those fresh herbs and chives together like a symphony that wakes up all the tones in your taste bud.

The spring roll doesn’t require any particular place on the menu. It can easily be a snack in a hot afternoon, an appetizer to prelude any other fancier dishes or even a main entrée when you can eat until you are full.

It can also welcome any kind of dipping sauce, depends on your taste. Some likes it with anchovy dipping sauce (mắm nêm), some preferred dilute fish sauce (nước mắm chua ngọt) or fermented soybean sauce (tương Cự Đà), but the favorite for most people is the mixture of hoisin sauce and tamarind (tương đen pha me). It’s easy but at the same time very picky, because you have to have spring roll with some kind of dipping sauce. Without the dipping sauce, the spring roll just lost its entirety all together.

Ingredients: (for 6 rolls)
6 pieces of rice paper
1/4 bag of rice noodle
3 leaf of lettuce, cut into 2 to make 6 pieces
12 each of basil leaves, mint leaves
12 stems of Chinese chive
12 large shrimp in shell
6 ozs fresh pork bacon (thịt ba chỉ)

Directions:

1. put an inch of water in a small sauce pan, season with salt to taste, when boiling, add shrimps, stir occasionally until shrimps turn pink, about 1 minute, drained over a colander, run under cold water and let cool. When cool, shelled the shrimps and slice in halves.
2. put pork bacon in a sauce pan filled with cold water, add a bit of salt to the water to taste, bring to a boil, reduce heat, continue boiling until poke with a chopstick and clear juice, not pink juice coming out then it's done. Remove and put the bacon in iced water right away, this will prevent the bacon turning dark. Thinly slice cooked bacon.
3. There are several brand of rice noodle in the market, but I prefer this one

   4. Follow instruction on the bag to cook the rice noodle. Drained in a colander and run under cold tap water to remove excess starch. Let cool before using.
   5. Use a plastic picnic plate as a rice paper plate. Run hot tap water on each side of the rice paper, carefully lay it out on the plastic plate.
  6. How to roll the spring roll like a pro
      Step1: on one end lay a piece of lettuce first, then 2 basil leaves, 2 mint leaves. Add rice noodle on top of the vegetable. On the other end, lay 4 pieces of shrimp, the pink side down so that it will show on the finished roll, then lay pieces of pork bacon next to the shrimp

    Step2: fold one side of rice paper over the noodle

    Step3: Keep on rolling to hold the noodle encased inside the rice paper

    Step4: Now fold the left and right sides in



    Step 5: Add the chives and fold in the end

    Step 6: continue rolling tightly

Voilà, you have a plate of "gỏi cuốn" that shows off the shrimp and meat like the work results of a pro.

Now let's make the dipping sauce "tương đen pha me". You can make this batch and save in refrigerator for future use or cut the recipe down to your needs.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups hoisin sauce

1 cup water

4 oz or 1/4 package of tamarind

corn starch to thicken (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook the tamarind in water until all the meat dissove into the water

2. Strained and discard the seeds

3. Add hoisin sauce to tamarind pulp and bring to a boil

4. If you prefer thicker sauce, add a teaspoon of cornstarch dissolves in 2 tsp of cold water to the sauce mixture. Stir constantly until the sauce thicken, remove from heat.

5. Let cool completely before pouring in a container and refrigerate for months for future use.

When serving with "gỏi cuốn", sprinkle a litte bit of chopped peanut on top of the sauce.











Thougthful friends

Our anniversary is not until next weekend, my husband already made reservation for us to spend a couple nights at the Biltmore resort. Knowing that we will not be home on our anniversary, our thoughtful new, young friends came over with a bouquet of red roses last Friday. What a surprise!!!! How sweet and thoughtful of you, thank you so much. I got to enjoy the roses days before my anniversary. Hope that this friendship will last as long as we live and we will keep you guys close to our heart.

Welcome To Fourspice - Ô Mai Gừng Cam Thảo

Welcome to my fourspice blog. I am excited to launch the first blog ever in my life. This blog will be my refuge where I want to share with you my journey in life, my interest in cooking, sewing, crafting, gardening and much more. Why Fourspice? You know, there are 4 emotions in everyone's lifes, happy, sad, love, and hate (hỉ, nộ, ái, ố) and our life cycle include four phases; born, aged, sick, die (sinh, lão, bệnh, tử), hence, everyway you look there are FOUR spices in everything.
I came to the US in 1975 after the fall of my homeland Vietnam to the communist. In highschool I had always excel in home economic class, where we were taught to make áo dài, make fancy pillows for the sofa, make silk flowers, embroidery, cook bún bò Huế, fried chả giò to treat the Ameican advisors who came to visit the school. Through out those years back home, I've always enjoyed eating food, mostly from street vendors on the way to my school bus stop, or at the stalls in the market everytime I was sent there to get something.
I was at the age when some of the writers labeled this as lứa tuổi thích ô mai, 16. I still remember going to my aunt home in cư xá truyền tin to watch her making ô mai. She didn't have  store to sell her ô mai, but people who knows of her ô mai would refer others to her, and this kept her busy enough. She passed away a few years back in the West coast. In honor of her, I am making her ô mai today and share the recipe with you all as an introduction gift to my blog. Hope you will enjoy it.

Ingredients:
250 grs salted dried plum (xí muội)
250grs ginger
250 grs sugar
4 Tbsp licorice roots (cam thảo) - you can get this at any of the Chinese herbal medicine store
Directions:
1) Soak the salted dried plum in water to rinse off the color and salt. Do the soaking and rinsing process several times.
2) Let the plum dry off in a colander. Tossing the plum a few times while they are drying off in the colander.

3) Peel the ginger, boil in water couple times to reduce the bitterness. Use a pestle and mortar to grind them up. Put ginger in a piece of paper towel and squeeze off excess moisture from them.

4) Finely chop licorice roots using the chopper blade of the Magic Bullet http://www.buythebullet.com/

5) Mix 2/3 of the sugar with ginger, put in a non-stick pan over low heat and stir constantly until the sugar melted and incorporate with the ginger.

6) Add remaining sugar into the plum, then add this mixture into the ginger sugar mixture in the pan, cook over the lowest heat and stir constantly (the stiring helps sugar to crystalized and drying up the mixture).

7) Take the pan off the heat, mix in ground licorice. Let cool, store in airtight container.

Get To Know You, friends!!!!

Where was the month of May went? I took early retirement a few years now. Have tried to have a meaningful life since retirement, but still haven't find a niche yet. Even though I am a pretty busy body myself. Lots of hobbies.... cooking, sewing, dancing, singing, even getting my hands on pottery, but still not feeling fulfill. Something is still missing. The first few months of the year, up until tax day, I am pretty busy with my work, that's enough to keep me busy and feel productive, but the rest of the year? I have to find something to do to fill up the time. 
On friendship, on April 13, I ran into a real bad situation. Two persons that I knew for over two decades and considered best friends teamed up to back stabbing me for no reason. I was hurt real bad. I cried over the situation, and beating myself to death trying to find what have I done to them to deserve this. One of them got real sick last year and was hospitalized for over a week, I kept a vigil by her bedside. I cooked for her family while she was in the hospital. I watched her grandson so that her husband can have a break. The other, even though she is such a self-centered individual, I still befriend with her and hoping to have my influence over her, to help make her a better person. I have tried my utmost to help her improve her weakness and have done anything but supporting her when she needed me. There were times that I felt tired, but I kept on doing what I believe was right, be a good friend. I have done everything I can in my friendship with them. Can't find a reason for their actions. Finally, I realized that it wasn't me, it's them, they are not who I think they are, so there should be no love lost, and I am doing OK since. The only damage from this is my ego - I used to be proud of myself about judging characters and thought that I know how to pick friends. This incident prove otherwise, bruise my ego and make me more reserve now.
Anyway, I don't think about them any more. I haven't talk to them since, but I won't avoid them if I ever ran into them any where, I probably just say hi and go on with my business. I have lots of friends, and I categorized them into different levels. These 2 persons used to be on level 10, which is the highest level. The level where I can spill my guts to. Now, they are demoted to level 1, acquainted level, they don't deserve to be my best friends.
This year, after tax season, I started my school reunion right away, on the last weekend of April. T'was a time to reconnect and reflect. Even though we were out of high school for many decades now, we still find or create an opportunity whenever we can to get together annually, just gather to eat and enjoy reminiscence of years past. One of the teacher wrote in our yearbook "I wished you can forget the highschool years, the years that I can't forge". How true it is now. We can't forget either.

About 3-4 times a year, when the weather change season, I throw a party with karaoke and dancing to my local friends. These friends, some of them I have known for years, some I just know, regardless of time, some clicks right away and I want to know them better, some are just come and go to the party, have fun and that's it. With the bad situation I've just experienced, I have to be more careful of whom to know and what not. My party always has a theme, this party theme is all about school and friends. The food list include most of everything you can find in front of the school. from bò bía, gỏi đu đủ khô bò, xoài ngâm to cơm tấm bì, bánh da lợn, chè đâu đỏ bánh lọt.

With only one weekend off - meaning no party, no traveling, my husband has to go on a business trip in San Franciso. My son and his wife just moved there couple weeks ago. So my husband asked me if I want to tag along. Of course I will, first to see how my children settle in, then visit my sister and last but not least, seeing my highschool friends in San José.

with my friends in San José

I spent almost a week in the west coast, came home and sleep in my own bed for one night, then packing and heading to the beach, camping for a long weekend again. I camped with the families of 2 other friends. We had a good time.

I guess my body has its own limit. I came down with bronchitis after running like that the whole month of May.
OK, today I start this blog. Hopefully I will feel better and start back into cooking and baking to share with you some of my delicious recipes.