Cookbookmaniac
  • Banh Mi Thit – Vietnamese Pork Rolls – Miniature version
    Banh Mi Thit – Vietnamese Pork Rolls – Miniature version
    Asian Recipes

    I grew up in a small suburb in Sydney called Cabramatta. It is a thriving, family-oriented Vietnamese metropolis. Taking a stroll through the shopping centre can be best described as, "a cleaned up version of Saigon." The streets are lined with bakeries, sweet shops, tiny restaurants, grocery shops and many other places touting to make the best vietnamese products outside of the motherland. When I was in primary school mum use to walk my sisters and I home almost everyday. There were two different routes that we could take. One was a quick walk through suburban streets and the other was a longer walk through the shopping centre. I always secretly hoped that we would walk through the shopping centre. It gave me ample opportunity to put on the desperately-hungry-act so that I could weasel a few dollars out of mama's wallet to buy whatever sweetie that took my fancy.…

  • Homemade Udon Noodles by Harumi Kurihara
    Homemade Udon Noodles by Harumi Kurihara
    Asian Recipes

    Regret. There is a popular saying that goes, "Live your life with no regrets." This saying does not ring true to me. I am not a perfect person. I have made mistakes that I wish I could undo. For example: * I started to learn how to drive in high school over 10 years ago, but I never went for my P's. I am now a sardine in the can that we call Cityrail. I went to get my L's again a year ago but I still have not had one driving lesson since. * My ability to save money did not start until a few years ago. I wish I had started earlier, my bounty would have been a lot more voluptuous today. However, that Alannah Hill dress that I bought many years ago and still have not worn was worth every cent. * I wasted many years pining…

  • Mushroom Risotto from Valvona & Crolla by Mary Contini
    Cheap Eats Recipes

    Cutting corners. If you have read my previous post about patience you'll know that I have very little of it... except when it comes to cooking. I will not tolerate waiting in line for a sandwich but I can stand over a pot and stir a risotto for ages. There is something about the stirring that brings me joy and comfort. However, time is not the kind of corner that I am writing about. It's the expense of ingredients. I try my best to stay faithful to a recipe when I am cooking. However, I am not opposed to substituting, adding or eliminating ingredients if I find them unnecessary, difficult to find, or ridiculously expensive. My jaw nearly hit the floor when I approached the cheese counter at the local delicatessen only to find that the fontina cheese that this recipe called for was $65.99 per kilogram. Good golly! Although…