Cookbookmaniac
  • Pho – Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup
    Pho – Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup
    Asian Recipes

    There is a grace that permeates through every nook and cranny of my home when this pot is brewing in the kitchen. It is the thing that gives my body a sense of safety and nurture. It is the meal that I call home, and whenever I catch a whiff of the precious spices simmering along with the marrow bones, my neck instantly arches up and my nose points up into the air. "Yes, a fresh pot is brewing". An engaged and knowing smile crosses my heart and I know I must give in to the temptation to what Vietnamese call Phở. There must be some magical formula that causes the hard-working people of Vietnam to participate in the ritual of eating this morning, noon and night. It is too good to save for one time of the day, and if your cravings dictate when you eat, you too may…

  • Ca Ri Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Curry
    Ca Ri Ga – Vietnamese Chicken Curry
    Asian Recipes

    Hello Everyone. I hope your Christmas and New Years were as heartwarming and fun as mine. I've been very quiet on this blog and on various social networking sites lately. However, I've been making a lot of noise and mess in the kitchen. This is the first time I've moved out of home and therefore I've been cooking up a storm trying to discover my favourite recipes for spaggy bol, lasagne and stir fries. Nothing too interesting to blog, but very important recipes for easy, tasty weeknight meals. What are your favourite weeknight recipes? I was overcome with a funny feeling a few nights ago. My dearest younger sister asked if she could stay with us for a few weeks while she worked nearby for a work project. I became very excited and realised that I really miss my sisters and parents. I miss their crazy, quirky, outrageous personalities. I…

  • 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.…