When life gives you a storm, then cook like a storm!
This morning, we woke up with a beautiful scene of endless sparkling white snow blanket. The kids were super excited. The adults… not so much… Did I mention it was a 2-feet thick blanket?
Alright kiddos, since you like it so much, take the shovel and have fun. And hey, you missed a spot:
– Mom, I found our car!!
– Okay. Make sure it’s ours before you dig it out!
While the husky guy and the kids worked their biceps outdoor, I worked mine in the kitchen. Remember when I said “cook like a storm”? I took it pretty seriously. For this long weekend trapped in the house, we had:
- An enormous pot of phở
- A large pan of lemony shrimp pasta
- A pot of Xôi Gấc festive red sticky rice (recipe below) with steamed chicken
- An orange chiffon
- Freshly baked baguettes with grilled chicken skews
- Two batches of orange-honey madeleines
Our motto is Work Hard. Play Hard. Eat Harder.
Among all different sticky rice dishes, my husband loves Xôi Gấc the most. To know more about Gac fruit, click here. Since red is the color of luckiness in Asian culture, Xôi Gấc is served in every special occasion: Lunar New Year, wedding, and so on. For us, every meal is special 😉 So we have it quite frequently. In Vietnam, it’s very easy to buy a fresh Gac fruit in any market. However, it’s quite a challenge here. You can find a can of Gac paste in the frozen section in any Asian market.
Enjoy! And stay warm, friends!!!
Festive Red Sticky Rice (Xôi Gấc)
3 cups short-grain sticky rice (I like the Sho-Chiku-Bai brand)
1 can of Gac fruit paste + 1 tbs of Vodka or rice wine
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs canola oil
1 pinch of salt
- Put the rice with a pinch of salt in a bowl, add water to cover by 2 inch. Let stand for at least 2 hours (I left it over night).
- Put the rice into a colander and rinse under cold running water.
- In a small bowl, mix the Gac fruit paste with wine to create a thick red paste.
- Add the paste to the rice, and pour some oil. Mix well to coate the grains evenly.
- Use a steamer to cook the rice, covered until tender. Occasionally, lift the lid and stir.
- Add a tablespoon of sugar, and stir well. Add more if needed.
- Serve warm.
Nga's cuisine 