It's Effin' HOT!

Even the candle is droopy.

(How embarrassing!)

Happy Birthday, Cookie Monster!

Cookie Monster recently got another year better, and since he likes to eat tasty things, I made him a special birthday breakfast: chocolate chip waffles with chocolate sauce and whipped cream, and bacon.

 

Since it was a weekday, I prepared the waffle batter the night before so it was all ready for me in the morning. I simply added the batter to the hot waffle iron, then added chocolate chips on top. They melted into the waffle, making it chocolatety and gooey. In the meantime, I made a chocolate sauce by melting chocolate chips with some milk. When the waffle was done, I poured the chocolate sauce over the top, then topped it with whipped cream. A few raspberries were a lovely garnish. Served with bacon, this breakfast ensured Cookie Monster's birthday started off sweetly. The way to a man's heart indeed!

Homemade Pho

Pho is one of my favorite things (it's pronounced "fuh.") It's a Vietnamese noodle soup that's slightly spicy, very tangy and is served with myriad extra fun things to dump in. Any dish that is automatically customizable is ok in my book. It's also great for a hangover (not that I would know.) 

Pho is one of those things I get cravings for sometimes, but satiating those cravings becomes difficult living in Baltimore; there are decidedly few pho options in the city. Boo! Coming from Portland, where there are many, this caused some consternation. Enter: White Girl makes her own pho. And while it's nowhere near authentic, it's a pretty damn good representation and will do when good pho is 3,000 miles away.

So here's how I did it.

I started by sauteeing onions and lemongrass in some sesame oil. When they were just translucent, I added chopped mushrooms. Then I added enough (homemade! so good!) chicken stock to make it into soup. Then I added all the Asian ingredients I had in my house: fish sauce (this really makes it--it gives it great umami), soy sauce, sriracha and grated ginger, along with some pho rice noodles. This seems like an exotic ingredient, but I found them at the regular grocery store. Same with the lemongrass.

 

I let it simmer for a bit, then added some frozen corn. Finally, I topped it off with fresh scallions. 

To serve, I even chopped up some typical garnishes that normally accompany pho in any restaurant: lime wedges, mung bean sprouts and peanuts. Ok, so the peanuts aren't quite typical, but they were a really nice touch. In restaurants, there are normally two sauce options, too: a sortof sweet plum sauce, and a spicy chili sauce similar to sriracha. I didn't have those and had already added some spice.

Homemade pho! Like I said, not quite authentic, but pretty admirable for a home effort.

Mango Pico de Gallo

This is a light salsa good on top of tacos or just for dippin'. You could even bulk it up with black beans and make it a side dish. I did just this for a picnic with some of my running friends, and they raved about it. Making it is so simple a Caveman could do it  any child could do it (I really effin' hate those commercials).

Start by peeling and cutting a mango (this may be the toughest step).

Then add the zest and juice of a lime.

Next, chop some tomatoes.

Then, add chopped cilantro. If you're like me and luurve cilantro, add a lot.

Next comes the chopped avocado.

Then add S&P and a bit of hot sauce. Had I had a jalapeno around, I would've added that too, but since I didn't, hot sauce sufficed. Give it a good stir (but don't crush the avocado) to coat everything in lime juice and the seasonings.

Isn't it pretty? So many bright colors. If you want to impress someone, make this. Just don't tell them how easy it was.

I served mine on top of some chicken tacos, which I also garnished with taco sauce and plain yogurt (which simulates sour cream).

And there you have it! Ole!

Rice Paper Rolls

One of my favorite appetizers at Thai restaurants is the vegetarian rice paper rolls. The rice paper is chewy and the vegetables are fresh and crunchy, and the accompanying peanut dipping sauce is salty and tangy. It makes for a delightful combination. I purchased some rice paper rolls way back in the day and needed to use them up, so I made some homemade. They turned out pretty damn good--a pretty decent likeness to my favorite Thai restaurant's version.

Here we have the assembly line for the rolls. You want to make sure to have everything ready to go before you wet the rice paper, lest you end up with a soggy, rice papery mess and no roll. And that would be sad.

 

So, I assembled all my ingredients:

*Scallions

*Shredded carrot

*Shredded cucumber

*Shredded yellow pepper

*Avocado

*Cilantro

*Spicy wasabi peanuts (which were leftover from a random road trip but worked perfectly for these)

Then, you simply take the rice paper and run it under warm water for about 10 seconds, making sure to saturate the whole thing. Next, lay it flat on your work surface and place all desired fillings closer to one end, then roll up like a burrito. Try to roll them tightly so they don't end up falling apart when you bite into them.

I didn't make a tangy peanutty dipping sauce, but instead used Trader Joe's teriyaki dipping sauce, which I could drink with a straw it's so good.

I paired these rice paper rolls with my attempt at homemade pho. Stay tuned to hear about that adventure!

Farmers' Market Fresh: In My Glass

One of my favorite cocktails as of late is the Strawberry Royale from one of my favorite Happy Hours as of late. Blue Hill is within walking distance of our house, and they have a lovely outdoor patio with great specials, so what's not to love? 

I wanted to recreate this drink at home, so when Cookie Monster and I picked up a pint of fresh strawberries at the farmers' market, I did. 

I muddled 3-4 strawberries with one shot of vodka, then dumped into a champagne glass. Then I simply filled the rest with sparkling wine. Voila! It was a pretty good replication, especially with the fresh berries.

A lovely happy hour cocktail, or something delicious for Sunday brunch.