Salted Eggs

12 eggs

1 L water

300 g salt

1 tsp sugar

Spices: star anise, cinnamon stick, cloves, Vodka (optional)

Bring water and all of the spice to boiling point then reduce to low heat to simmer for 5 mins. Turn off heat, add salt and sugar then stir them well to dissolve. 

Let the it completely cool down to room temperature. 

Arrange eggs in jar then pour the salted water in. Eggs can be used after 4 weeks (no more than 30 days).

*Separate the yolks, soak in cooking wine, pat dry, brush vegetable oil (or sesame oil) then bake them in 350 degree F oven for 5 mins.

*Store them in freezer for later use. 

Japanese Cream Cheese Cotton Cake

(Recipe from Savoury Days)

125 g Philadelphia cream cheese

110 g whipping cream 

20 g sugar

50 g sifted cake flour + 20 g sifted corn starch (or 40 g sifted all purpose flour + 30 g sifted corn starch)

3 egg yolks - room temperature 

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 egg whites - room temperature 

50 g sugar 

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

*Bật lò 300 độ F. Lót giấy vào khuôn. 

1. Cho kem tươi, cream cheese, đường vào âu. Đun cách thủy (trên nồi đựng nước đang sôi lăn tăn), vừa đun vừa quấy đều đến khi các nguyên liệu hòa quyện.

2. Bắc âu ra khỏi nồi chưng cách thủy, để cho nguội bớt khoảng 5 phút. Cho lòng đỏ trứng + vanilla vào quậy đều. 

3. Rây bột mì và bột ngô, trộn đều. Rồi lọc hỗn hợp này qua rây 1 – 2 lần.

4. Đánh lòng trắng trứng đến bông gần cứng (không đánh quá cứng sẽ rất khó trộn với hỗn hợp lòng đỏ). Trộn lòng trắng với hỗn hợp bột.

Bột sau khi trộn xong: mịn, bông, không thấy bọt khí lớn. 

5. Chia bột vào khuôn. Nếu dùng khuôn nhỏ, nên đổ gần đầy vì bánh sau khi nướng sẽ co lại khá nhiều.

6. Bỏ khuôn vào khay lớn, đổ nước sôi cách thuỷ. Nướng khoảng 60-70 phút. 

Ấn ngón tay vào mặt bánh thấy có sự đàn hồi là bánh đã chín. Tắt lò, để bánh trong lò thêm 15 – 20 phút rồi mở hé cửa lò, chờ bánh nguội mới lấy ra. 

*Bánh lớn nướng lâu hơn chút so với bánh nhỏ. 

*Bánh sau khi lấy ra khỏi lò sẽ co lại khá nhiều. Đây là hiện tượng bình thường. Bánh thành công không bị xẹp, lõm, thành bánh thẳng, bên trong bánh rất ẩm nhưng xốp và mềm, không bị bết, không có bọt khí to.

*Bảo quản trong ngăn mát tủ lạnh, dùng trong 1 – 2 ngày.

Thin Crispy Almond Biscotti

1 egg white

30 g sugar

40 g all purpose flour 

40 g raw whole almond nuts

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

-Preheat oven to 360 degree. 

-Beat the egg whites until it becomes bubbly. 

-Gradually add sugar while continue beating the egg whites until it becomes thick and glossy. 

-Gently fold in flour until they're all combined. 

-Add vanilla extract and almond nuts. 

-Line baking pans with parchment paper, pour the mixture in and bake for about 35 mins or until it's golden brown. 

-Let it completely cool on rack.

-Slice it into thin slices. 

-Preheat oven at 300 degrees. 

-Bake them for about 30 mins or until they're golden brown. 

Flan

Yield 14 molds

Caramel

1/2 cup + 1/3 cup water

1 cup sugar

Some lemon juice (to help slow down the crystallize process)

DO NOT stir while making caramel.

Wait until the sugar color turn to yellow to add lemon juice. 

Flan

6 eggs

6 egg yolks 

1 cup sugar

4 cups whole milk

1 bag vanilla powder (DO NOT use vanilla extract)

-Preheat oven 300 degrees. 

-Put milk into the sauce pan, heat the milk until it becomes simmer then turn off the heat. 

-Use mixer to blend eggs and sugar together (add sugar little by little while mixing with the eggs) until it becomes light and foamy. 

-Slowly pour the milk into the egg mixture while continue stirring it up together (so the hot milk doesn't cook the egg mixture). 

-Add vanilla and stir it up. 

-Discard the foam on top of the mixture. 

-Strain it and pour it into molds. 

-Place them in baking tray. Put in oven and pour hot water (not boiling hot water) in the tray about 2/3 way up of the baking pan. 

***If the water is boiling in the oven then you need to reduce the heat of the oven otherwise the flan will have bubbles in it.
-Bake for about 50 mins.

-To check if the flan is done, insert a toothpick into the flan, if it comes out clean, it's done. 

Nutella Dorayaki

*PART 1:

1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk 

15 g sugar

10 g honey

10 g oil

80 g milk

90 g cake flour

1/2 teaspoon bake powder 

Sift sugar/flour and mix all ingredients together. 

*PART 2:

1 egg white

20 g sugar

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar 

Use hand mixer to beat it to soft peak, then decrease the power and continue to beat until it becomes firm peak. 

*Mix part 1 and part 2 using folding technique. 

*Coat the pan with small amount of butter, use paper towel to dry up the pan before cook the pancake. 

Spam Musubi

1 can light spam (slice into 8 pieces)

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

1 Tablespoon mirin

1 Tablespoon oyster sauce

1/4 cup hot water

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

2 tsp mirin

2 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp garlic powder 

1/4 tsp onion powder 

1/4 tsp pepper

Bánh Cuốn

1 cup rice flour

1 cup tapioca starch 

2 cups water

2 cups boiling water 

(let it cool down a bit before add it into the flour mixture otherwise it will cook it)

Mix them together and let the mixture rest for about 30 mins to 1 hour. Pour the water and measure then replacing it with fresh water. Then add in 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 Tablespoon oil. 

Nem Chua (Fermented Beef/Pork)

3 lbs extra lean beef or tenderloin pork (ask the butcher to ground three times)

1 lb bag "Frozen Shredded Cooked Pork Skin" (bì tươi đông lạnh) 

1 Tablespoon roasted whole peppercorns 

1 teaspoon ground pepper

3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons Smirnoff Triple Distilled Vodka - optional

3 bags "Nam Powder Seasoning Mix"

Thai chile (sliced into small pieces)

1 head of Garlic (thinly sliced)

Mix all the ingredients together. 

Mix those 3 little bags (inside those 3 "Nam Powder Seasoning Mix" bags) in the end. 

Leave in cool place at room temperature for 2 days (in summer) or 3 days (in winter)

Ice-cream

DURIAN ICE-CREAM

2 cups (16 oz) COLD whipping cream
1 cup whole milk 

1 can (14 oz) condensed milk
1/2 lb durian

-Use blender to blend durian + whole milk + condensed milk until smooth. 

-Use mixer to whip the whipping cream until stiff peak.

-Fold them all together until all well combined. 

-Let it freeze in the freezer over night.

AVOCADO ICE-CREAM

2 cups (16 oz) COLD whipping cream
1 cup whole milk

1 can (14 oz) condensed milk
1 lb avocado

2 teaspoons lemon juice (optional)

-Use blender to blend avocado + whole milk + condensed milk +  lemon juice until smooth. 

-Use mixer to whip the whipping cream until stiff peak.

-Fold them all together until all well combined. 

-Let it freeze in the freezer over night.

Fish Paste

Part 1 ingredients:

2 lbs (tilapia) fillet

2 Tablespoons sugar

3 Tablespoons fish sauce

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

½ teaspoon salt

1/2 bun green onion (finely chopped)

Part 2 ingredients:

½ teaspoon ground pepper

½ teaspoon baking powder

2 Tablespoons tapioca flour

-Cut the fillet into small cubes. 

-Mix in "part 1 ingredients".

-Put it in the freezer for about 2 hours (for it to be extremely chilled).

-Grind it using mixer (remember DO NOT over grind it). If after this step and the fish is less chill, then put it back to the freezer again before continue the next step. 

-Add in the "part 2 ingredients". Put it in the standing mixer with paddle attachment and let it gradually mix on slow speed, then raise to medium speed, and continue mixing for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is well combined.