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The Spices Of Life . . .: Bánh Tráng Mè (Sesame Rice Crackers)
I often forget to appreciate the basic things in life until I actually experience it. While making bánh tráng (rice paper) from scra...| vietspices.blogspot.com
Back in February, I received a message from a blog reader Audrey who just wanted to say hello and express her appreciation. After a few lines back and forth between us, she mentioned that she’s from Massachusetts and was currently on vacation in Buôn Mê Thuột, Việt Nam. Our charity connection started from here when I asked her if she has come across any villages in dire humanitarian crisis. Coincidentally, her mother-in-law who lives in Việt Nam often do charity work for the poor, e...| The Spices Of Life . . .
The rain and wind have been intense in the past few days. My neighbor's beautiful blossoming plum was uprooted, our American flag torn apart, and my lounge chairs tossed into the swimming pool. The only thing soothing coming from outside is the melody flowing from my wind chime swaying in front of the kitchen bay window. It seems to calm the storm inside and out. | The Spices Of Life . . .
I was in my vegetable garden early this morning - meaning after 10 am when it's nice and toasty - contemplating what to grow this year. The usual lush greens of various plants and veggies gave way to mostly brown with a hint of mustard greens and edible chrysanthemum. I suddenly thought of brussels sprouts and how my girls would be so excited to see their favorite vegetable flourishing right now. My girls won't mind if I feed them brussels sprouts every day, but it has to be cooked in a cer...| The Spices Of Life . . .
It's the Super Bowl. Are you excited about the ads, the game or half-time?| The Spices Of Life . . .
Happy New Year! | The Spices Of Life . . .
It’s hard for us to imagine life without a constant supply of water, let alone potable water. But at this very moment, this is life for many people in remote villages in Vietnam. | The Spices Of Life . . .
I have never felt this productive in my life since my older girl decided to join the cheer team. While there's certainly a lot of joy involved in parenthood, it is not unusual to also feel overwhelmed with a busy schedule between my two girls' band lessons, art classes, seven days a week of gymnastics and cheer practices, and competitions, leaving me exhausted by the end of the day. It's one of the main reasons why I have been blogging less. But today I was determined to block everything el...| The Spices Of Life . . .
This crispy fried tofu is simple and yet tasty to have as an appetizer. The bite-size fried tofu has a natural sweetness and tender center; the beautiful golden brown skin is full of hearty savory notes.| The Spices Of Life . . .
Within a year, our collective effort has transformed two remote villages of Ca Mau and Vinh Long Province, Vietnam. There are 250 families now have clean potable water. It may not sound like much to us, but it's essential to their existence. The Living Water Project (click here) was a massive undertaking and the result was nothing short of amazing. | The Spices Of Life . . .
If you have a chance to visit the mountainous region of Pleiku where I was born, you must try the dry noodle dish (phở khô) - the pride of Pleiku. When ordering your food, you just called out: "cho một tô phở khô" (give me a bowl of dry noodle) - and automatically they will bring you two bowls. How's that for service?| The Spices Of Life . . .
Once a year when the children are off school for the summer, I like to create an opportunity for them to learn about giving back and serving others. July of last year, a dozen of kids were eager to help and excited to get involved which speaks volume about their generous hearts. As parents, we hope this will inspire and motivate them to do well and become great successes so that they will be in a position to give back to the community.| The Spices Of Life . . .
Despite the sweltering summer heat, I enjoy eating hot soup anytime of the day. Peculiar isn't it? Yet, it's so comforting to be able to enjoy - slurp to be exact - a nice bowl of well balanced soup, preferably one with a zesty hit of citrus.| The Spices Of Life . . .
I am beyond excited to announce that we've accomplished our mission of providing clean water access to at least 250 families who reside in impoverished conditions in these 4 remote villages of Trung Thành Đông, Trung Thành Tây, Tân Qưới Trung in Vĩnh Long, and Tân Hưng in Cà Mau of Vietnam to alleviate some their hardship and help ensure their survival. | The Spices Of Life . . .
A Japanese housewife is what my friend Akiko described me as when I was in Japan a month ago :-). I spent the first and last few days in Tokyo sightseeing, and of course tasting delicious food, but the majority of my time in Minamiashiga was spent grocery shopping, cooking and eating authentic Japanese food with my host family, their neighbor, and friends. I had an unforgettable time experiencing the life of a local and seizing the opportunity to learn the culture, custom, and culinary delig...| The Spices Of Life . . .
Tower Cafe in Sacramento is known for its famous French toast. Once in a while, my husband would show off his romantic side by taking a few hours off work to take me there for breakfast. He knows I like this place best for its relaxed outdoor garden ambiance and the famous French toast, of course. I usually don't care much for French toast, but the setting sure lends itself at Tower Cafe.| The Spices Of Life . . .
First, I would like to apologize for being late on updating the charity work that we had been involved with in Hải Phòng, Vietnam. This past December, The Spices Of Life teamed up with Saint Joseph Charity in Austin, Texas to bring together people with disabilities in Hải Phòng, Vietnam not just to promote the International Day of Persons with Disabilities which is observed annually on December 3rd, but also to reach out to them during the Christmas season. We appreciate the help of Car...| The Spices Of Life . . .
For the last few days, I woke up in the morning wanting to blog this bún riêu recipe, but it was so difficult to do so from home. Housework is endless and somehow there's too many distractions at home. I had to force myself out of my PJs and get to a place where my creativity can flow and my thoughts are clear and I can just daydream of noodle. A coffee shop always does the trick. | The Spices Of Life . . .
Nhã-Hân and Ân-Hy were half way through their crème brûlée when I finally had a few minutes to sit down and watch them enjoy their dessert. As Nhã-Hân dugged her spoon into the crisp caramel, it cracked open and revealed a beautiful pastel green, creamy, decadent custard. She exclaimed, "Why is this so good?". It triggered my curiosity about the history behind this wonderful crème brûlée. Though the exact origin is uncertain. France, England, and Spain all claim to be the country ...| The Spices Of Life . . .
As I was driving by Pleasant Grove High School, an electronic message board running the word "Valenkinds" caught my attention. I thought to myself Valentine's Day is more than a festival of romantic love, but it's also about kindness and friendship. Thinking about this reminds me of a high school friend of mine. She is smart, kind-hearted, witty and super funny. She and her two happy children live in a home that she bought a couple years ago. But things weren't always this rosy and the past w...| The Spices Of Life . . .
There's nothing quite like fresh, salty, and succulent crabs. Every year, I patiently wait for November to come because that's when crab season opens in California. When the supply swells, I would seize the opportunity to buy them at the lowest prices of the year at my local Asian markets. This year, I was able to get them for $4.29 per pound, not the cheapest by far but still pretty good for dungeness crabs.| The Spices Of Life . . .
Just two more days and you may hear the Fiery Rooster crowing. It's gonna be the year of the rooster. Lunar New Year is the biggest festival for the Vietnamese families, at least traditionally, as it brings family members together to celebrate and give blessings to one another for a healthy, happy, prosperous and spectacular New Year. | The Spices Of Life . . .
Happy New Year! | The Spices Of Life . . .
As our flight was landing, the Southwest flight attendant announced, "Welcome to San Antonio," along with a reminder for everyone to go out and do something nice for someone to pay it forward. Somehow, it always warms my heart to hear someone say this out loud.| The Spices Of Life . . .
The best feeling in the world| The Spices Of Life . . .
Every major holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas, my girls have no desire of traveling anywhere but being comfortable, enjoyi...| vietspices.blogspot.com
Tamarind, ginger, lemongrass, basil, annatto seed, garlic, shallots, and fish sauce are some of my favorite and fundamental ingredients that are pervasive in my cooking.| vietspices.blogspot.com
I often forget to appreciate the basic things in life until I actually experience it. While making bánh tráng (rice paper) from scra...| vietspices.blogspot.com
