Asian Night

The proposed themed menu for this glorious day is:

Appetizer: Fresh Viet Summer Rolls

Entree: Chicken Pad Thai

Dessert: Mango & Coconut Icecream (back up dessert: Blueberry Tartlets)

We’ve inducted a new member today, our volleyball teammate Lindsay! She has been recruited as sous chef and takes on the important responsibility of making the sauce for pad thai and blueberry tarts. There are a lot of hands on cooking duties today which makes it fun and engaging. Mike is using his new sushi mat and rice paddle which I gave him. Mandy and Lindsay are learning how to handle rice paper and create their very own summer rolls! I’m in charge of the main course and wish so dearly on a magnificent sunny day like today, to be sipping on a Thai iced tea whilst basking in the sun rays.

with views like this, it’s no wonder Mark Twain said, “You can go to heaven if you want to. I’d rather stay in Bermuda.

In the kitchen we have an orchestrated flow going on, everyone’s got a job and no one is slacking off, not even Blister. Blister a.k.a. Mandy, acquired this childhood nickname from her dad, who noticed that Mandy would always show up after all the works done. No where in sight during prep work, but would arrive just in time to reap the goods, after all the hard works been put in. Hence the very befitting name. There’s a new rule now, if you don’t help cook, you help with the washing, which we all agree is very fair!

Rice Paper tip: flash wet both sides with warm water, this is enough to magically turn the hard paper into a soft doughy texture in a few seconds. work carefully as it can get sticky so don’t get overzealous filling the roll like a burrito. The dipping sauce also plays a vital role in this dish so invest in sauces: fish sauce, hoisin sauce, garlic chilli sauce, lime juice mixed with some crushed peanuts. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/24239/vietnamese-fresh-spring-rolls/

Summer rolls are an amazing treat during the hotter seasons, giving us a refreshing and healthy snack alternative. There’s are so many filling options that you can go with, which always makes me so excited to create these. Traditional rolls use poached shrimps, but you can try chicken, pork or grilled tofu! Mike picks fresh herbs from his garden box for our rolls, which really help them sing. We have both basil and mint!

• 

• 

• 

• 

Sushi Maki tip: if you don’t have a sushi mat, you can use a dish towel line with plastic wrap, this works just as well if you’re in a bind, but of course I vote for no plastic! make sure the rice has cooled down or else the heat will distort the shape and integrity of the crunchy nori paper. https://ohmyveggies.com/crave-worthy-vegetarian-sushi-recipes/

Pad Thai tip: STIR STIR STIR! I cannot stress this enough, when boiling the noodles, stir constantly or they will stick to each other and won’t cook evenly, resulting in hard chewy pieces. Substitute chicken for prawns or tofu! https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/pad-thai/

Dessert station had a bit of a mishap this evening. We couldn’t find the correct coconut cream and when I attempted it on another night, I panicked and froze the coconut cream instead of putting it in the refrigerator. This super easy dessert (I swear) is really tasty and has just the right balance of sweetness, fruitiness, and nuttiness!

• 

• 

Being such professional chefs that we are, we were prepared for any obstacles thrown our way. I had Lindsey on deck mastering the cookie dough for our blueberry cups and then she proceeded to skillfully shape them into the muffin tins. Successfully saving the night! À la mode: oh, and please do be generous with your serving of vanilla icecream. Dust with cinnamon at your desire.

Blueberry Tartlet tip: use fresh, not frozen blueberries, as the frozen berries acquire a tough and chewy skin. if possible, obtain from farmer’s market. choose plump and juicy berries – this will give a naturally sweeter filling. https://www.adashofmegnut.com/mini-blueberry-tarts/

Although the substitute dessert didn’t fit with our today’s theme, it definitely felt right in our tummies!

To conclude our Asian night, I wanted to touch on the fact that I have been giving Mike free virtual Mandarin lessons remotely. We’ve started on basics, like greetings and numbers. I’ve discussed the importance of the five tones, and that one simple phonetic sound, but enunciated with a different tone, could have a whole other meaning. For example: mā = mother and mǎ = horse, you do not want to call your mother a horse!