Sponge cake ( bánh bò nướng )

 Ingredients (as photos)
-  tapioca starch 14oz
-  1.5 cup sugar
-  8 large eggs
-  14oz coconut cream or coconut milk (cream is better)
-  two bags of 7gr baking powder
-   Vanilla sugar or vanilla extract
-   Pandan extract

Turn oven on at  400°F.  Oil the baking pan and preheat it while we make the batter .  The hot baking pan will help it rise.

Step 1: Combine tapioca starch and baking powder, put aside.

Step 2: In a non-fine strainer, break the egg and put it in there. Using a fork or anything that’s comfortable stir the egg in one direction. It’s very crucial  to stir in just one direction throughout the whole process. This is to avoid creating bubble which will collapse the cake. Be patient and keep stirring gently.  You can use a spoon to force it down, or you can use a scissor to cut the egg to make them separate better, as long as you don’t create any crazy wave. This process can make or break the outcome, so be patience. (if it is too hard, skip the strainer, and just stir it until liquified). Add vanila extract or vanila sugar to cut the egg smell.

Step 3:  Dissolve the sugar in the coconut cream.  You can warm up the coconut milk, but doing so you will have to wait until it cools down. I am lazy, so I just dissolve it in the cold coconut milk.  I would listen to the sound or inspect the bottom to see if it really dissolves.

Step 4:  combine the coconut mixture and the eggs. Sift the tapioca starch mixture in and stir in the same direction. Add a few drops of pandan extract.  You may need to strain to help dissolve the whole thing.

* To this mixture, you can add half of a melted unsalted butter, or a tablespoon of coconut oil.

 The baking pan should be hot right now, bring it out with a globe,   Pour the batter into the baking pan through a strainer or a basket. It needs to look like rain to create the texture for this cake. If you just put it in, it still work, just not as well.

 §Turn the oven down to 375°F and bake it for 20 minutes,  then turn it down to 350°F, bake it for another 35 minutes to 40 minutes until you poke through the cake with a wooden skewer and it come out dry. If it’s wet, it is not ready.  I roughly bake this within 50 min. After is done, slightly open the oven and keep the cake in there until it cools down. This is to prevent the cake collapsing.

§To explain this process, you need high heat at the beginning to help the cake rise, after it rise enough, bring the temperature down to help it steady and not burn the cake. After 350°F, if you feel like you need to turn it down , You can turn it down to 325° no problem.

It is best to bake the cake about 2 inch high, about half to 2/3 of the baking pan. The cake doesn’t rise too much, if it rains too much you should be worried  it is best to bake the cake about 2 inch high, about half to 2/3 of the baking pan. The cake doesn’t rise too much, if it does you should be worried.

 Every body fails this cake once or twice or more. They may be successful at first, but fail later. The thing about this cake is you have to understand how it works. The main process would be stiring in One Direction gently.  After I understand this cake I can beat the eggs very fast and not too worry about ruining it. It’s everyone’s own lesson.

 I recommend round baking pan,  heavy and thick metal or ceramic or glass. They keep the heat evenly and hot, which is perfect for this cake to rise right at the beginning.

Bundt cake pan is commonly used and also recommended. Make sure it is thick and can keep the heat well.

Good luck!

CANH CHUA - Vietnamese Sour Soup

Canh Chua - Vietnamese's Sour and spicy soup
*Straight translation for this soup is: Sour Soup. But, it has sour, sweet, and spicy flavor. Vietnamese food is all about balance, have you heard? Hehe (Skip to the ingredients if you don't want to learn basic).

Basic broth knowledge:

Broth base: Whole fish or fish head.
- Salmon head
- Catfish is yummy

Pineapple:  The sweeter the better the taste for the broth. Use this to enhance the sweet and sour taste. Very importance. It makes a different. People may use other sour vegetable, fruit, or tamarind.

 *Tamarind: dissolve the block of tamarind with warm water and then boil it to dissolve, strain it, and then use the juice for the broth. I think Pineapple give the broth a more pronounced taste, aka fresh and strong but still gentle like tamarind.

Chili pepper: You can not believe how much more chili can give. If you feel like missing something from the soup. It's probably Chili. The kind they call "Thai chili" fyi.

Fish Sause: Necessary to enhance the sour taste and balance the overall taste.

Sugar: If you taste the soup and it is a bit too sour for you. It's probably too strong for your taste? Try sugar. Sweetness will balance the sour taste.

Vegetable: are forgiving. Usually people use bean sprouts, elephant ear stem, tomatoes, lady finger, and of course pineapple.


The bla bla bla:
Favorite Fish: Salmon or Catfish (I love catfish more because it's sweeter and taste more earthy)

Now if you want the best part of the fish, you have to keep the head and the bone. All of those that people throw away from cutting out the fillet. But hey, I have been choked a few time in my childhood from learning how to properly use my tongue to pick out the bone from my mouth. Skillful eh? You can do it too. Haha just kidding. Just cook the soup with those parts but you don't have to eat it. Just don't tell me k! One more thing, you have to use the skin, just clean it properly.

We Vietnamese are skillful at cleaning the fish skin. Yes we are! (Just let me out of it).


Cleaning agent for fishyyyyy: Salt, vinegar, or flour, and of course WATER.

First: Touch your slimy fish, smirk, and thanks it for the dish. Yike! Now, sprinkle some water, then some salt and brush skin with your hand, back and forth and back. Use a knife, with about 30 degree angle, and scrape it down. Scrape away the slimy skin. Some fish will appear to be whiter. If you are not happy with the result, use a bit of water + vinegar and clean away. It will take off the smelly part.

For flour: dust flour on the skin for 15 minutes, then wash it off. Check if it's cleaned. I have not try this because salt do fine and I don't have to mess with flour.

Optional: 
Flavor with Garlic oil. Heat the oil and fry the garlic until lightly golden brown. (If I don't feel well, I wont put any oil in my soup. So do what you want. It does smell great with a bit of garlic oil drizzle on top.)

Herbs and some vegetable in the recipes. 

(top two images are the elephant ear stems)

Ingredients: (no measurement for you, trust your tongue)


Fish: cut into steak or fillet it if you preferred.
Fish Head: can be cut into smaller sizes.
Pineapple: diced thinly, marinade with 1 table tsp Salt and 3Tbls of sugar. Let sit for half an hours to get the juice out.
Tomatoes: cut into cube or fry with oil until it is mashed to give it the red pretty color. 
Bean sprouts: use plenty
Elephant ear stem: Use a knife, peal the skin and cut it thinly, diagonally. (see picture)
Lady finger: cut it diagonally, but thicker (dont' cook this too long) (see picture)
Herbs: rice paddy herb, sawtooth herb, Thai basil (not the Italian sweet basil kind) chopped into smaller chunk. (2 handful of herb). (see picture)
Thai red chili: dice diagonally (to taste)

Let's Go:

Bring water to boil. Blanch the already cut fish for 20 second. Rince.

In a pot, stir fry some tomatoes with garlic oil until it is mashed (if prefer). Add water, then put fish in and cook the fish until tender with gentle boiling. Take the fish out.

You can add the pineapple and its juice in the soup now or:  In a sauce pan, add pineapple slices, no oil needed.  Use slow heat stir and cook until when the juice come out and well marinaded in the salt and surgar. Then, transfer to the soup pot.

Boil the soup up. Add some fish sauce and sugar to taste. Add vegetable and let it boil again. add half the herb and cooked fish. Add the pepper and garlic oil on top. Give it a taste one last time and adjust the taste. It should be fresh sweet and sour taste, a hint of spice (to your taste) and smell amazing now.

Bring it off the stove, serve imediately in a bow, add some more fresh herb to garnish.

*Note: you can enhance the sour taste with some tamarind powder or lime juice. Use as much as vegetable as you like. 

Serve with rice and other savory dishes. Make fishsauce and slice pepper to serve on the side. It enhance the flavor. Fresh fishsauce is always good in its own way.

 We pour the soup to the rice and eat away. But you don't have to. hmm yum!

Happy eating!!!

Sign,
Karen Icy

STEAM BANANA CAKE

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*** There is no critical measurement for this simple cake. This recipe yields a soft cake, and I don’t think it should be any softer.

Tapioca Flour : 1 Cup

(Fine) Rice Flour : 1/3 Cup ( ½ Cup instead for firmer cake)

White sugar : 1/3 Cup

Banana (ripe) : 3 (regular size) (I prefer 2 ½ banana, so it has enough batter to hold itself together)

Coconut Milk : 1 Cup

Warm Water : ½ Cup

Pinch of salt

Vanilla extract or vanilla sugar (optional)

Combine Flour, sugar, salt, coconut milk, and water in a bowl. Whisk until smooth, add thinly slice bananas. Set a side for half an hour.

Prepare the steamer; bring the water to a boil.

Use any baking pan that allows the mixture to fill up about 1 ½ inch (don’t make it too thick). There is no need to oil the pan. Whisk the mixture again (to avoid the flour weight down at the bottom), then add the mixture into the pan. Add vanilla at this time.

After the steamer is boiling, put the baking pan into the steamer. Let it steam for about 15-20 minutes.

Use a toothpick or wooden skewer to check if it’s done. Poke it through, if it’s clear, it is done. Let it cool down completely before taking it out of the pan or cutting it. The cooler it is, the firmer it is, the better the cut. I’m saying it’s better let alone for 3 hours. Be patient. :) (but I can never be patient enough)

· Banana: Not too ripe because it will be too soft after cooking. We want it ripe enough that can still hold its shape and also allow us to enjoy its beautiful flavor.

· Liquid: Less coconut milk could be used in placed of water, or only coconut milk can be used instead of water.

· Water and Coconut Milk: More = cake is softer; Less = cake is denser.

· Besides vanilla, pandan flavor is also a great choice. But since the banana smells so good, this is optional.

· Banana: Tend to float on top. To fix this, I cook one layer for 4 minutes, then add another layer. Color can be added for fun during this process.