An attempt to make braised short ribs this summer failed to take into account that I didn’t know the German word for “short rib”. Ribchen? Still don’t know. (Adapted from The Pioneer Woman’s recipe).

Filed under: Delicious Things I’ve Made Despite A Language Barrier

Yesterday’s umami-rific creation: fish-sauce marinated chicken drumsticks, dredged in flour and deep-fried, then tossed in a shallot and garlic sauce.

Parmesan Crisps made using this recipe from Giada De Laurentis. Turned out really well and are super easy and quick.

Photo Credit: Lingbo Li

Chicken on a stick from last week’s dinner party.

Super easy recipe:

1. Mix finely chopped garlic, grated parmesan, and seasoned bread crumbs. (I use an herbed stuffing mix with Japanese panko flakes).
2. Dip nugget-sized pieces of chicken into an egg wash.
3. Dip chicken into the breading. Double dip for extra crunch!
4. Place directly onto oiled oven rack. (Don’t forget to oil the rack first or your chicken pieces will stick!)
5. Bake at 450 degrees for ten minutes or until the meat thermometer says you’re good to go.
6. Serve on skewer with cherry tomatoes and dipping sauces (marinara, barbeque, honey mustard, etc.)

(I adapted my own recipe with one from my awesome hairstylist, Janida.)

Photo credit: Lingbo Li

Last Sunday’s brunch: corn and red pepper soup, roasted vegetables, and Parmesan crisps with tomato paste (and amazing fresh juice!). I’m going to try replicating the latter two for a dinner party tonight.

If there were any question about the consequences of procrastinating on your thesis, this is proof. The above photo is the tomato soup that I have survived on through the last three meals. Why? Well, I’m short on time, so I definitely can’t make anything from scratch these days. (Long gone are the days of farmer’s markets, homemade pasta sauce, and experimental baking!)

This tomato soup, though a quick fix, also happens to be healthy, super savory, and easy to customize. So even though it’s ridiculous that I’ve essentially been on a liquid diet for a day and a half, it’s not that tragic, especially in light of the red velvet cupcake I had this afternoon (um, yum). If you’re not into the idea of living off of soup alone (and I can’t blame you), then this recipe also makes a great supplement to a bigger meal.

The Thesis Writer’s 5-Minute Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
Trader Joe’s Organic Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Soup
Fresh spring onions, chopped
Seasonings (oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, etc.)
Carrots, celery, potatoes (optional)
Butter

Toppings:
Crispy onion bits (I recommend French’s Fried Onions or any Vidalia variety)
Cheese (either the cheap mixed variety or freshly grated parmesan)
Additional fresh spring onions, chopped

Directions:

1. Melt butter. Fry the seasonings and some of the spring onions. When onions turn soft, add the desired amount of soup (I like to mix in a bit of chicken broth for added flavor). Add vegetables, if desired. Simmer until hot, about five minutes without extra ingredients, but longer if you want vegetables to get soft.
2. Top with cheese, fresh spring onions, and crispy onion bits.

If you try this, tell me what you think!

Banana Coconut Milk Soup (The Elephant Walk Version)

Every since I visited The Elephant Walk a couple weeks ago, I’ve been smitten with their rendition of the Vietnamese dessert soup Che Chuoi. (They call it Chaek K’tih since they’re also technically a French/Cambodian place.) I knew that the recipe would be simple but I didn’t expect to find the exact one used by the restaurant. Turns out that The Elephant Walk has a cookbook accessible on Google Books. I tweaked their recipe because I lacked some ingredients (most importantly, tapioca balls) but here is the original version:

Ingredients:

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk, plus more for serving
l/2 cup water
2 tablespoons small Asian tapioca pearls, rinsed
12 small Asian bananas or 3-4 regular bananas
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dried split mung beans or sesame seeds

Directions:

Put the 2 cups coconut milk and the water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the tapioca and bring back to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring, until the tapioca becomes translucent and soft, 10 to 15 minutes for tiny pearls, longer for larger tapioca pearls.

Meanwhile, slice the bananas lengthwise in half, then cut crosswise in half; if using regular bananas, cut each half into thirds or quarters. Gently stirring, add the bananas, sugar, and salt tot he tapioca and cook for 10 minutes more. Remove from the heat.

While the bananas are cooking, put the dried mung beans or sesame seeds in a small heavy skillet and dry-roast over medium-high heat, shaking constantly, until light brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. If using sesame seeds, pound briefly with a mortar and pestle or pulse in a mini-chop two or three times to release their flavor.

Ladle the warm bananas and tapioca into shallow bowls, sprinkle with the toasted mung beans or sesame seeds and serve with extra coconut milk on the side. Serves four.