Main Course
-
Continue Reading
When a restaurant has a side dish they refer to as an “accompaniment”, you know it’s good. The crab fried rice at Eddie V’s may be the main attraction. Don’t let those delectable center-cut filet mignons fool you—this side dish is center stage. On a whim I chose the crab fried rice as a side…
-
Continue Reading
Clam Chowder is one of those foods that brings back so many memories for me. It reminds me of walking down Cannery Row in Monterey, CA where each restaurant fights for the claim to “Worlds Best Clam Chowder.” It’s the perfect food to enjoy in that cold, cloudy, coastal climate with the waves crashing on…
-
Continue Reading
New Orleans Square at Disneyland has the best of everything, The Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Mickey Beignets (recipe here) and the Creole Gumbo from the Blue Bayou Restaurant and Cafe Orleans. The gumbo is rich and flavorful – made with chicken, andouille sausage, tasso ham and served with rice. Sadly at the Blue…
-
Continue Reading
Bánh Xèo is a dish destined to please any picky eater. Lets face it, we all have that one friend or family member who’s not known for their “adventurous appetite”. Sad but true. I propose Bánh Xèo to the rescue. Foreign, yet familiar. The crisp shell has a delicious smell and flavor of the coconut…
-
Continue Reading
This Vietnamese chicken noodle soup / Phở Gà is the ultimate comfort food. The broth is nourishing and delicious, it’s no wonder that Phở is growing in popularity worldwide. There’s no need to go out to a restaurant to get this when you can make it right at home with your Instant Pot. This version has…
-
Continue Reading
You won’t find this dish in many Vietnamese restaurants, but every Vietnamese family makes this dish at home, especially around Lunar New Year (Tết). It’s one of the most flavorful and delicious dishes—the pork belly is braised in coconut water and becomes super tender in no time thanks to the Instant Pot. You get that…
-
Continue Reading
Costco Samples have a magical way of influencing our eating habits. On a routine shopping trip my daughter tried a sample cup of Tasty Bites Madras Lentils—and proceeded to talk about them the entire trip. I reluctantly conceded and went back to purchase the package of pouches—thinking I’d be lucky to use just half of…
-
Continue Reading
These Japanese BBQ Short Ribs are inspired by the ones I get at my favorite local izakaya, Kappo Honda. I’m not sure if this is a common dish that you can find at other Japanese restaurants, because I don’t really see it on the menu at other places. It’s definitely a Japanese copycat of delicious…
-
Continue Reading
This is a Vietnamese fusion dish that was inspired by the spaghetti and meat sauce that I grew up eating. I’m not completely sure what ingredients went into the version that my mom used to make, but I know there was fish sauce and always a lot of extra mushrooms added. I’ve incorporated many ingredients…
-
Continue Reading
If you’re from Southern California you can understand my obsession with Tommy’s Chili Burgers. Their tomato-less chili con carne is very unique to the SoCal Region, often found smothered on anything you can imagine—from fries & hot dogs to burgers. The Original Tommy’s was opened in 1946 by Tommy Koulax. The original location is still…


