Vietnamese Street Food, Part 2 — Cơm Gà (Hội An style chicken rice)

During our recent trip to Vietnam, we took a few days in Hoi An, a little resort town on the central coast. The thousand-year-old town was a thriving trading port during the 15th to 19th centuries and still has a preserved ancient village in the center, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Hoi An’s buildings and streets reflect a unique blend of foreign and local influences due to the town’s constant contact with foreign traders. But over the years, merchant activity in Hoi An waned and it was known as somewhat of a backwater until the tourist industry saved the town. These days, Hoi An is a bit of a tourist trap, crawling with European backpackers. But in between the hundreds of tourist souvenir shops are little alleys packed with food stands where locals still come to eat. Because of Hoi An’s history as a port city, its food has a lot of influences from China and Japan. 

One particular dish I kept coming across was Cóm Gà — mint chicken salad with turmeric rice — which is one of the dishes Hoi An is most famous for. It tasted a lot like Chinese Hainan chicken rice, but with a Vietnamese flare. Cóm Gà is such a simple dish and yet it’s so refreshing and delicious. With the fresh herbs, it makes the perfect summer meal. And so this week I’d like to share with you my version of this simple chicken rice dish, which you can make with all the fresh herbs growing in your garden.

Ingredients:

For the chicken:
1 large chicken breast with skin and bone
1¹⁄₂ onion
1 inch chunk ginger
2 cloves garlic
2 scallions
2 tsp. salt
¹⁄₄ tsp. black pepper
1¹⁄₄ tsp. soy sauce
¹⁄₈ tsp. fish sauce
dash of sugar
handful of mint
¹⁄₂ lime

For the rice:
1 cup rice
1¹⁄₂ cup chicken broth
¹⁄₄ tsp. turmeric
¹⁄₄ tsp. salt

Toppings:
handful of basil
handful of cilantro
handful of bean sprouts
handful of perilla leaves (optional)
hot sauce

Direction:

Roast one whole onion directly over flame until all sides are charred. This will only take one to two minutes. Do the same with the ginger.

Peel both the onion and ginger. In a large pot, heat up 4 cups water with chicken breast, 2 scallions, ¹⁄₂ tsp. salt, ¹⁄₈ tsp. black pepper and the peeled onion and ginger.  Let it come to a boil, then turn the heat down and let it simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken breast. 

In the meantime, thinly slice up ¹⁄₂ onion and soak it in cold water; this will take away some of the spicy flavors and also keep it crunchy.  Set aside until needed. 

Once the chicken is cooked, take it out of the broth and let it cool for 10 minutes so it will be easier to handle. Cook the rice in the chicken broth we’ve just made along with ¹⁄₂ tsp. salt and ¹⁄₄ tsp. turmeric. Keep the onion, ginger and scallion in the broth — this will make the rice even more flavorful.

Once the chicken is cooled enough to handle, shred it into thin strips. Mix in the soaked onion strips along with 1 clove of minced garlic, 1¹⁄₄ tsp. soy sauce, ¹⁄₈ tsp. fish sauce, dash of sugar, ¹⁄₂ tsp. salt, ¹⁄₈ tsp. black pepper and a handful of mint. You may adjust the salt and pepper to taste.

 Once the rice is cooked, top it off with the shredded chicken and a handful of fresh herbs, bean sprouts and a scoop of your favorite hot sauce, such as sambal. 

recipe for Bahn Mi http://thewayriceshouldbe.blogspot.com/2016/08/banh-mi.html

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Bánh Mì

Last month, when my husband and I traveled back to Asia, we spent a good chunk of our journey in Vietnam. Vietnam is a stunningly beautiful country with scenic mountains and beaches, but our main objective was to sample the food. Traveling to such a far-off place where I can’t speak the language can be intimidating, but we were fortunate to have help from our chef friend Owen, who spends half the year managing a kitchen in the midcoast and the other half working in restaurants in Hanoi. So with his meticulously written itinerary, we set out to find his favorite restaurants and food stands from Hanoi to Da Nang. We were not disappointed! 

(Streets of Hanoi)

Vietnam has an incredibly rich culture with a long history of colonization that’s most visible in the country’s extraordinary French-style architecture as well as its cuisine. While it’s not as glamorous as sitting in a cafe in Paris, sitting and sweating on little plastic stools next to heavy Hanoi traffic in the humid 100-degree weather while eating the iconic Vietnamese sandwich (aka bánh mì) is, oddly enough, an extremely pleasurable experience. 

 (Bánh Mìat Bánh Mì 25 in Hanoi)

And in many ways, the Bánh Mì is a reflection of Vietnam’s complex cultural history — Chinese barbecue wrapped in a French baguette and piling it up with their own fresh ingredients. This is the first installment of my recipe series on how to make Vietnamese street food with local Maine ingredients.

Ingredients: 

(Serves 4 to 5 people)

For the BBQ pork:

1 lb. pork tenderloin 

2 tsp. minced ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp. honey

4 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 Tbsp. oyster sauce 

¹⁄₄ tsp. black pepper

¹⁄₄ tsp. Chinese five spice 

1 Tbsp. red yeast rice (optional)

For the pickle:

2 carrots

1 kohlrabi 

1¹⁄₄ tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. sugar

For the sweet mayonnaise: 

3 Tbsp. mayonnaise 

1 Tbsp. honey

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

Toppings:

4 to 5 French baguette rolls

2 cucumbers 

2 scallions

1 jalapeño pepper

handful of cilantro

¹⁄₂ cup chicken liver pate

Directions:

To make a classic barbecue pork Bánh Mì, the barbecue marinade is very important. But luckily it’s really easy. I did not realize that the barbecue pork is actually a Vietnamese version of a Chinese char siu pork. Char siu pork is usually a bright pink color, traditionally dyed with red yeast rice, which is what I’m using in this recipe. While you can find red yeast rice at most Chinese grocery stores, it doesn’t add much flavor, so you can skip this step if you don’t have it. Most Chinese restaurants now use red food coloring to get the pink color anyway. 

To marinate the pork, mix all of the ingredients and cover. Let it marinate over night. 

Once the pork has marinated, roll it up and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Double the wrap and secure it with butcher’s twine or an elastic band.

Now steam the pork for an hour. If your pork is bigger, you’ll need to steam it for longer. Once the pork is cooked, keep it in the plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least three hours.

Meanwhile, prepare the pickles. Cut the carrots and kohlrabi into thin sticks. Toss them in a teaspoon of salt and let them sit for 30 minutes.  This will allow the carrots and kohlrabi to sweat out some water and make the pickles nice and crunchy. Traditionally the pickles are made with carrots and green papaya, but since green papayas are hard to get around here, I’ve found that kohlrabi makes a great substitute as it tastes really similar and has the same texture. 

After 30 minutes, rinse and drain the carrots and kohlrabi sticks and mix in the remaining ingredients. You may add in a few dried chili flakes to add some heat. Keep it in the refrigerator until you need to use it. 

One of the condiments in Bánh Mì is Vietnamese-style French mayonnaise. If you’ve tasted Asian mayonnaise before, you’ve probably noticed that it’s a lot lighter and sweeter than the mayonnaise here. You can find Asian mayonnaise in most Asian grocery stores or you can take regular mayonnaise and make it taste like Asian mayonnaise by whisking in honey and olive oil. 

Once the pork is chilled, unwrap it and slice it thinly.

Vietnamese baguettes are a little different from the classic French baguette. They have a unique, chewy texture and are a little less crusty. I’ll be sharing my Vietnamese baguette recipe in the column next time. 
   
To assemble, prepare fresh cucumber, jalapeños, scallions and cilantro along with the pork, pickles, mayonnaise and liver paté. Make sure to use a plain paté without any herbs in it. Vietnamese paté is made with chicken liver and minced pork and I will be sharing my recipe for it in the next few weeks, as well. 

Watching the Bánh Mì stand assembling the sandwich was one of my favorite part of buying the sandwich.

 (Bánh Mì stand in Hoi An)

Smear the sweet mayonnaise on one side of the bun and the paté on the other side.

 

Stuff the roll with all of the remaining ingredients and top it off with your favorite hot sauce. 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Maneuljjong bokkeum (Stir fried garlic scapes)

If you have planted garlic in your garden, then this is probably the time of year you harvest garlic scapes and make pesto out of them. If you are looking for more creative ways to use up your scapes, I have a really simple and delicious Korean garlic scape stir-fry recipe to share with you this week. For many of us who love Korean food, the best part is the tasty banchan (side dishes) that come with the meal. Maneuljjong is a pretty common banchan when you go to a Korean restaurant and is often made at home during the summer when the scapes are in season. Not only is it a great side dish for a summer meal, but it’s also easy to make.

Ingredients:25 garlic scapes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. water
1¹⁄₂ tsp. honey
1 tsp. sesame oil
¹⁄₄ tsp. sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:
Separate the stems and the scapes. Cut the scapes in half so they will cook evenly.

On medium-high heat, stir-fry the scapes with olive oil for two minutes until they are soft and translucent. 

 Now add in the stems and cook for another minute. 

Stir in the soy sauce, honey and water and turn the heat down to medium-low. Let it cook for two to three minutes until the liquid cooks down.

Remove from the heat and drizzle in the sesame oil. Garnish it with some sesame seeds and hot pepper flakes if you like a little heat.

These can be served both hot or cold, makes a great addition for a summer meal.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

ADMIRAL LYONS ON OBAMA'S STRATEGY: 'IT'S ANTI-AMERICAN...PRO-ISLAMIC, IT'S PRO-IRANIAN, AND PRO-MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD!'

By Michael W. Chapman | March 2, 2015 | 6:18 PM EST.        

Admiral James “Ace” Lyons, Jr. (Ret.), the former commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said that President Barack Obama does have a strategy for dealing with Islamic radicals in the Middle East and it is an “anti-American” and “pro-Islamic” strategy,” as well as “pro-Iranian” and “pro-Muslim Brotherhood” strategy.



In his remarks at a recent Defeat Jihad Summit sponsored by the Center for Security Policy, Admiral Lyons spoke of a number of failed opportunities the United States had, since the late 1970s, to deal a crippling blow to Islamic jihadism and “change the course of history.”

Towards the end of his comments, Admiral Lyons, who commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet under President Ronald Reagan in 1985-87, said, “You know, we all say we have to identify the threat. Well, I think the one who identified it the best was [President Recep Tayyip] Erdogan from Turkey when he said, ‘Islam is Islam. There are no modifiers [e.g., Islamic extremism]. Democracy is the train we ride to our ultimate objective.’”



“He couldn’t have said it any plainer,” said Lyons. “And until you recognize that Islam is a political movement masquerading as a religion, you’re never going to come to grips with it. And as far as a strategy – let me just conclude one thing, as I just had in my latest op-ed -- the Obama Administration has a strategy.”

“It’s very simple, any thinking American should be able to grasp,” said the admiral.  “It’s anti-American, anti-Western, it’s pro-Islamic, it’s pro-Iranian, and pro-Muslim Brotherhood!”



Lyons, a Naval Academy graduate who served 36 years in the U.S. Navy,  currently is the president and CEO of Lion Associates, an international consulting firm that specializes in anti-terrorist security services. Further commenting on the threat posed by Islamists, Admiral Lyons said, “We’ve had many opportunities to change the course of history. And it hasn’t mattered whether it’s been a Republican or a Democratic or a administration, we failed every one of them, starting with Carter and the takeover of our embassy [in Iran in 1979].”



“We could have cut off [Ayatollah Ruhollah] Khomeni and Islamic fundamentalism at the knees,” said the admiral.  “We were going to take Kharg Island [in the Persian Gulf], and he [Carter] rejected it.   We could have walked in. The next time was the Marine barracks bombing [in Beiruit, Lebanon, 1983], and you all probably wonder why we never responded.”



“I won’t go into the long detail but the guy that sabotaged the strike – and I’m glad you’re all sitting down – was the Secretary of Defense [Caspar Weinberger],” said Lyons. “Not once, but twice. Reagan approved -- the French wanted to do a combined strike and Reagan approved it, and Weinberger wouldn’t issue the order.”



 “I have personally talked to [former Secretary of State] George Schultz and [former National Security Adviser] Bud McFarlane,” said Lyons. “They told me they pleaded with him and he wouldn’t do it. You have to say, who the Hell got to him or what got to him? I’ve never been able to get an answer on that.”



Lyons continued, “In the Gulf tanker war, in ’87, we were going to bring down the Khomeini regime. … The one who undercut us the most was our own chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, [Admiral James] Crowe at the time. Crowe at the time.

“If you go forward, you know we shot down [on July 3, 1988] by accident that Iranian civilian airliner [Iran Air Flight 655], a few months later,” he said. “And what did Khomeini do? He said, ‘I’m drinking from the chalice of poison.’ And he said I have to make a truce with Saddam Hussein because the Americans have shown they’re coming in on Iraq’s side.  Well, think of what the Hell we could have done had we executed the strike we wanted to do in August of ‘87.”



Speaking at the National Press Club back in January, Admiral Lyons said that “the fundamental transformation of America,” espoused by Obama, “has been in full swing ever since 2008.”



“President Obama’s no-show in Paris,” after the Islamist attack on the Charlie Hebdo office and personnel, “was an embarrassment for all Americans,” said Admiral Lyons. “But it also was a signal to the Islamic jihadis. It’s one of many signals he’s sent over the years while he’s in office.”



(Michael W. Chapman)  

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

 

EUROPE HAS LOST THE ISLAMIC WAR

 

By Giulio Meotti, INN

The Wall Street Journal just published a shocking article revealing what Patrick Calvar, France’s director general of intelligence, has in mind.

“The confrontation is inevitable,” said Mr. Calvar. There are an estimated 15,000 Salafists among France’s seven million Muslims, “whose radical-fundamentalist creed dominates many of the predominantly Muslim housing projects at the edges of cities such as Paris, Nice or Lyon. Their preachers call for a civil war, with all Muslims tasked to wipe out the miscreants down the street”.

Yes, France is heading toward the “inevitable confrontation”. 84 adults and children have just been tortured to death in Nice by a truck whose driver told a guard he was bringing ice creams to celebrants of the French holiday of egalitarian values. An apparent gesture of mortuary hysteria, but in fact a spectacular horrendous massacre celebrated by the international Jihad and by many European Muslims.



Meanwhile, in response, Europe just renewed its show of shallow rhetoric. Take the declarations of the French leaders after the attack at Charlie Hebdo, Paris’ theatre and restaurants and now in Nice. These are always identical.

Nobody is really fighting this war. Europe just wants to be left in peace.

On the ashes of the World Trade Center, George W. Bush rose to the fight. In those years, the United States and its European allies proved themselves “the stronger horse” and the forces of the “weaker horse” of Al Qaeda began to lose heart. When Islamists were thrown on the defensive, recruits dropped off. Attacks on Western cities diminished.

After eight years of Barack Hussein Obama and Europe’s retreat from the war on terror, the West appears to be the weaker horse and the Islamists the stronger one.

A few days ago, I asked Professor Bruce Thornton of California State University what Europe should do to reverse this horrible trend. His answer was revealing:

“There is no political will for waging total war against ISIS. It would require 100,000 troops and massive bombing to eliminate as many jihadists as possible. We would have to abandon rules of engagement that privilege the enemy’s people over our own. At home, we would have to increase deportations and publicly demand that Muslim communities in the West disavow Jihadism and Sharia law”.

Of course, Europe and the West are not adopting any of these important and clearly articulated measures.

-Radical Islamists have already infiltrated Europe’s universities, mosques and cities’ outskirts.

-Institutional Islam has been able to convince Europeans that terror “has nothing to do with Islam”.

-Mainstream media is refusing even to spell the name of the enemy and it is just preparing new articles about the next victims of Jihad.

-Pope Francis is busy in preaching clemency to everybody.

-The remnant of European Jewry is fleeing the old continent.

-Europe’s armies are getting smaller by the day.

Abandon any hope: Without a major cultural revolution and shock, Europe is lost, Islamists will win! And as it goes along, we will cede more and more of our freedom and civilization to the Grand Jihad.

Giulio Meotti

The writer, a gentile Italian journalist with Il Foglio, writes a twice-weekly column for Arutz Sheva. He is the author of the book "A New Shoah", that researched the personal stories of Israel's terror victims, published by Encounter and of "J'Accuse: the Vatican Against Israel" published by Mantua Books.. His writing has appeared in publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, Frontpage and Commentary.

###

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Filipino BBQ Chicken

Southeast Asia is well-known for having some of the most delicious dishes due to the region’s diverse cultural influences as well as its broad array of tropical fruits and vegetables and fragrant spices. But up until recently Filipino cuisine was ignored, despite the fact that Filipino-Americans are America’s second largest Asian ethnic group behind Chinese. Filipinos, who are sometimes called the Latinos of Asia, have a rich culinary history influenced by Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Spanish and American cuisine. I was first introduced to Filipino food while living in Taipei. Every Sunday afternoon my husband and I would head down to a little neighborhood known as “Little Manila” to hang out with our Filipino migrant worker friends in the park behind the Catholic church. Most of the men were factory workers, while the women were usually maids, nannies and caregivers. Many of them worked long hours under difficult working conditions, but they would really let loose on their one day off a week.

Even though they didn’t have much money, our Filipino friends always brought a huge amount of food and drinks to share, which I’ve often tried to make myself. Many Filipino dishes are made with a few simple ingredients but are packed full of flavors.

Summer is the perfect time to share with you this oh-so-simple Filipino-style barbecue chicken.
 

You will need:

(serves 4 to 5 people)

Ingredients:

8 to 10 chicken thighs, with bone and skin

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 scallions, chopped

the juice of 1 lime

1 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

¹⁄₂ tsp. black pepper

¹⁄₄ tsp. white pepper

1¹⁄₂ cup Sprite

¹⁄₂ cup soy sauce

¹⁄₂ cup ketchup

chopped scallions and lime wedges for garnish 

 

Directions:

Start by cleaning the chicken thighs and then butterfly them, leaving the bone and skin on. This will help ensure that the meat cooks evenly. You may use the boneless chicken thighs that are already butterflied, but I do think the bone and skin give it more flavor.

Mix everything in a Tupperware container or ziplock bag along with the chicken thighs. Then add the Sprite to the marinade. Although it may seem like a weird ingredient, the Sprite not only sweetens the bbq but, most importantly, it helps to break down the protein in the meat and tenderizes it while making the meat extra juicy when it’s cooked. Let the meat marinate for 8 hours to overnight in the refrigerator.

Once the meat has been marinated, it’s ready to go on the grill. Grill the chicken thighs on high heat with skin side down for five to six minutes. Then turn it over and let it cook for another five minutes until both sides are golden brown. Note: time may vary depending on the size of the meat.

Sprinkle some chopped scallions and lime juice over the cooked barbecue chicken.

Share this easy and delicious meal with your family and friends

Check out Korean BBQ recipe at http://thewayriceshouldbe.blogspot.com/2015/10/bulgogi-korean-bbq.html

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

THE POLICE OFFICER’S JOB, COMPARE 1960 TO 2016.

by Marshall Frank on JULY 1, 2016 in CRIMINAL JUSTICE

     Okay, all you old-time cops…what are the biggest changes in law enforcement that have taken place in the last 30,40, 50 years?  My rookie season was 1960 in the Dade County Sheriff’s Office, which later morphed into the Public Safety Department, now known as Miami-Dade P.D. Here’s some of my observations, from the top of my head:

• The police academy was eight weeks, followed by four months of riding with a trainer. Then you were on your own. (Today, academies are more like 9 months)

• Minimum standards to be a police officer: 1) male gender, 2) Age 21-35, 3) Height 5’9” to 6’ 4”, weight proportional. Physical fitness also included ability to swim. Nearly all new hires were white and Anglo, though not a requirement. (The Cuban migration situation had not yet begun until 1961.)

• “Policewoman” was a separate county classification which did not allow promotions for females. Women were hired to handle juvenile matters and female prisoner searches.

• Cops never routinely wore bullet proof vests

• Officers used .38 revolvers, 4” to 6” barrel, purchased privately.  We also had to buy our own handcuffs. Motormen wore clam shell holsters that flipped open with a push of the button.

• We patrolled in one-man cars, even in high-crime area. One two-man unit was sent out per shift, they were primarily used for prisoner transport, violent calls and back-ups.

• No computers, they were not yet developed for the marketplace. We used radios, wired to the vehicle. All calls and notes were hand written on clipboards.

• No cameras on the dash, or anywhere.

• Uniformed cars had domed red light flashers, no visibars.

• No air conditioning in police cars. Officers patrolled with windows open which enabled them to hear everything outside.

• Drug arrests were relatively uncommon

• Alcohol arrests were very common




• Public Drunk and Vagrancy were common catch-all charges when making minor arrests.




• Dade County was strictly segregated, including residences, schools and the County Jail. If a black person was found after dark, walking or driving on the beach side of the county…without a work permit, they could be arrested for Vagrancy.

• Yes, racial discrimination existed. New officers were taught that their statistical records would improve if they looked for blacks driving jalopies, because they usually hadn’t paid a prior ticket, or had failed to show up in court, thus the open arrest warrant.

• Minority hiring, including females and Hispanics, accelerated starting in the late 1960’s through the ’70’s.




• The breathalyzer reading for legal drunkenness was .150

• No overtime pay. When officers worked 40 hours or 80, same pay. (until 1973) Night shift officers attended court on their own time.

• PBA (Police Benevolent Association) emerged as a significant bargaining entity in the early 1970s, and later evolved into a full-fledged union.

• Restaurants usually accommodated on-duty officers with half-price meals, and in some cases, free. Drive-in movies, off-duty: Free

• Salary scale in 1960 was $312 monthly (gross) payable twice a month on the 1stand 15th.  My first take-home paycheck for two-weeks, in 1960:  $110.

• Most cops smoked cigarettes.  (Most people smoked cigarettes)

• There was no tolerance for officer incompetence or laziness. Officers whose morality, energy or courage were in question often found themselves out of a job.  Rookies who performed poorly did not pass probation.

• Officers had enormous discretion in making arrests…particularly lesser offenses like first-time DWI and Disorderly.  Persons with no prior police record, and a good attitude, could be taxied home. Cops cared about attaching police records to young people.

• Police officers were shown respect by 98 percent of the people, including teens.

• To young ladies, uniformed officers were like a flame to the moth.

• Not uncommon for officers, on midnight shifts, to sneak up on parked lovers. People could not afford motel rooms.

• Alcoholism prevailed with too many officers whose private lives were wrecked.

• Suicide rates were unusually high among police officers. In my 30 year career, I knew a dozen officers that committed suicide, many of them in the 1960’s and 70’s.

These are thirty items comparing the police job (in Miami) of 50 years ago. Let’s hear from some other old timers.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad