Food and drink

Breakfast Tater Totchos with Sunny Quail Eggs, Avocado & Chicken It appears that  tater tots  are a thing right now. But to me, they’ve just always been one of my favorite ways to eat potatoes. I’m not picky about my potato consumption. I like potatoes in all ways and forms. I’m in no ways a potato snob. In fact, I’m quite the opposite, more like a equal opportunist potato lover.  Baked , boiled,  fried ,  mashed ,  smashed ,  roasted …I could go on, but I think you get the point: I love potatoes. What I don’t like are soggy tater tots. Tots should always be super crispy, almost to the point of having a chip-like exterior that yields to a creamy, fluffy interior. I believe that tater tots should be baked past golden brown to a more even, deep, almost burnished brown. Ironically the tots in these photos are more on the golden side, but let me assure you that they were incredibly crispy. Once I have crispy tots, all I n...

Vietnamese Fish Tacos with Quick-Pickled Carrots and Daikon Sometimes it feels like everyday is Taco Tuesday around these parts. I’m not complaining though – I’ll never say no to a fluffy, soft tortilla filled with deliciousness. Especially when that deliciousness is a decidedly Vietnamese take on fish tacos. The fish here is seasoned with fish sauce, sugar, and a wee bit of turmeric for a happy yellow hue. Toss it all up with some dill, tomatoes, mint, and cilantro and you’ve got a happy mash-up of Mexican and Vietnamese flavors. Vietnamese Fish Tacos with Quick-Pickled Carrots and Daikon serves 2-4 prep time: 10 minutes active time: 10 minutes total time: 20 minutes Fish: 1 lb firm white fish, such as cod 2 teaspoons fish sauce 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint 1 tablespoon sliced green onions 1...

Smoked Salmon and Avocado Summer Rolls Happy Monday friends! Did you guys have a good one? We had a big ol’ Vietnamese eating and drinking party on Saturday. According to Mike, these parties are called “nhậu.” Basically a bunch of people get together, drink and consume massive amounts of beer snacks. It’s kind of like going to an izakaya in Japan, or maybe heading to the bar for happy hour, only we did it at home since there’s no such thing as a Vietnamese bar around here. Funny fact about that: almost all of the Vietnamese restaurants around here are unlicensed because some Vietnamese people get angry when they drink. Just so we’re clear, I have no idea if any of this is true, but considering this theory comes from Mike–who actually is Vietnamese–I’ll take his word for it. Plus, there’s  this pretty crazy video of some girls throwing down in a pho restaurant  that kinda sorta supports his hypothesis. No word ...

Spicy Chicken Meatballs and Grilled Cheese Skewers I’m an extremist. I like excess, but I like restraint too. Sometimes, when there’s too much to choose from I get choice paralysis. If I’m not careful, when I’m at the grocery store, I’ll buy a bit of everything and realize that I don’t have ingredients to make any specific thing. It helps if I bring along lists or have a clear idea of what I’m going to make. Sometimes though, I make the best things when I’m restricted. Take these little spicy chicken meatball and grilled cheese skewers, for example. They’re made with just four ingredients (well, seven if you count oil, salt and pepper). Last year, I participated in the Tabasco 10 challenge where I created  5 recipes with only 10 ingredients . I had a blast, and when Tabasco approached me to create the list of ingredients for this year, I was stoked. I chose: Tabasco (original, jalapeño or chipotle), chicken, eggs, mozzarella, fennel,...

Green Grilled Cheese and Ranch Dippers May 9, 2016  •  16 comments     882 Are you a big fan of dipping? Heehee, now that I’ve said that, it sounds kind of wrong. Like, what exactly *could* dipping be? I mean dipping things into dips of course! I’m big on dips and I have been ever since I was little. I remember once, back when my brother and I were too little to cook anything, he made me a snack of toast and ranch dressing. I thought it was the best thing ever because I got to dip! He cut up the toast into little rectangles and told me they were chicken nuggets. They were kind of on the dry side, but the ranch kept me going. Ever since then, dipping sandwich-like things has been a thing. Nothing makes me happier than a crusty grilled cheese and something to dip it into. It’s funny how dips, like anything else, goes through trendy phases. When I was super little I was big into ranch. But then, somehow, in my teens, I lost the r...

Camp Cooking: One Pan Yaki Udon June 13, 2016  •  6 comments     227 I have a thing for fried noodles. They are and always will be one of my favorite things to eat. In fact, I kinda sort of dream about going to Japan in the summertime just so I can eat  yakisoba  at a summer festival. I mean,  I’ve been to Japan  and I’ve had yakisoba there, but not at a summer festival, which is supposed to be one of the ultimate Japanese experiences. Mike totally wants to go to Japan in the summer as well, but I keep hearing about giant summer bugs and mega humidity, so I’m hesitant to visit. Since we’re not in Japan, I thought I’d bring a bit of Japan, via noodles, to camp. And speaking about Japan and camp, did you know that there’s a big Japanese camp culture? Apparently people in Japan camp just to go camping, not as a means to an end for other outdoor activities. They really go all out with their  set ups  and c...