Koshari

I am going to Vietnam in a little over a month.  I bought my ticket months ago.  I have been planning our itinerary.  The basic plan was just agreed upon last Sunday.

My friend who I am traveling with is willing to go along with whatever I suggest, which is pretty flexible and kind of her.  We fly into Ho Chi Min, but we will be traveling to a few northern cities during our visit too.

Spicy Bean Dip with Sriracha Sauce

A few weeks ago I went to a potluck.  The theme was Asian fusion.  I tend to think more about food than I should, and I spent way too much time thinking about the theme.

I thought about preparing an Asian inspired slaw, vegetables in oyster sauce, and even dumplings.  I decided on a spicy white bean dip I found in one of my myriad of google searches for "Asian fusion."

Garlic Tomato Sauce

Merry Christmas!  I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas.  I am at home visiting family.  It has been a marvelous break.  The time has gone by too quickly, of course.  I made and ate this tomato sauce the week before leaving.

Caramel Sauce

Last week I posted about a caramel apple pie. It was good, but the caramel didn’t turn out well. This week I learned from my mistakes and tried again. The second times a charm. In my earlier attempt, I don’t think I let the sugar brown enough before adding the cream. I also stirred the sugar and water mixture, which apparently is poor caramel sauce technique.

David Lebovitz says when making a liquid caramel, which starts with water and sugar, you must have a very clean pan. He suggests not using a non-stick pan because the high heat can damage the finish and unhealthy chemicals could be released. I used a non-stick pan because that is what I had access too. He also suggests not stirring the sugar and water. Stirring encourages the sugar crystals to bump and stick together, making a crunchy, crystalline mess. This happened when I made my caramel apple pie.   I read that a little lemon juice prevents crystallization, but I didn’t try it out.