Eggplant Carpaccio

Sometimes cooking is about what you have on hand.   I had Eggplant. .. so here's what I concocted:

1 medium eggplant thinly sliced then set to marinate in some olive oil+ salt&pepper for about half an hour.   We grilled the eggplant for about 20 minutes., till it was soft.

Mozzarella, thinly sliced
Almonds
green onions
Spearmint
Arugula
Thai Chili sauce

Grilled Salad

We do a lot of barbecuing, and I'm always looking to add some variety to the meat heavy meals that in veritably come off the bbq.  So here's what we came up with last night:  A grilled salad:

Ingredients for 2 servings
2 chicken breasts + marinade
halloumi cheese
4 tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
olive oil
salt and pepper
spearmint
scallions

The chicken breast were marinated in a citrus marinade with onion and garlic powder.  But you could substitute for your favorite marinade.  Or even just smoked would be great.

The tomatoes and bell pepper were doused with olive oil and salt and pepper before being thrown on the grill.

To finish I added some sliced spearmint leaves and scallion from our garden.  The flavors from these herbs complimented the salad nicely but also added some color.

Pho Recipe

So today I got around to making Pho Bo.  I do follow a genuine recipe to start with, but of course I make it to taste.  So here's my recipe:

The broth is very important for pho.  This is what makes the difference between a good pho and a great pho.  It's what will make you keep coming back to the same restaurant to get your fix.  I use beef bouillon cubes as my base and then add lots of spices and let that simmer for a few hours.  Purists may scream at my using cubes instead of meat knuckles, but I just don't care for the taste of the marrow.

4 liters/ +- 1 gallon water

bouillon cubes (I use 8)
1x cinnamon stick
5x anise stars
8x pepper grains
2x bay leaf
1x onion, cutin slices
garlic
ginger
1 tbsp white sugar

I also like to add some sliced scallions, carrots or broccoli to the broth just before serving.

 For 4 servings I use a whole package of these Banh Pho noodles.  I can only get dried noodles where I am, so I have to soak them.  Be sure to follow the directions carefully or the noodles will get too mushy. 

I will often add the thinly slice beef to the boiling broth just before serving.  I like my beef done.  If you prefer a rarer beef than put the thinly sliced beef in the servings bowls and pour the boiling broth over it.

So then you get these great big bowl of steaming noodles in a fragrant broth served up with a plate full of greens.  

As you can see, I've got bean sprouts, basil, spearmint, cilantro and lime.  You can also add peppers.

Sriracha and hoisin sauce are great through the pho, but also on the side to dip the meat in or the veggies.

This is my basic recipe.  I've varied on this with what I have on hand.   I've also made the pho with fried up tofu, which is also delicious.

If you've never tried pho, I'd highly recommend that you do!

Pho

One of my most favorite foods has got to be pho.  The first time I had pho was maybe 5 or 6 years ago.  Of course I'd always seen the pho restaurants but just didn't have a clue what the were serving there.  

Luckily someone took me out for pho.  The restaurant we went to was a tiny little place in La Habra, California.  I remember that it just smelled fantastic when we went in.  She knew what to order and how to then eat the ordered items.  Thanks goodness!

We had spring rolls and fried rolls to start with.  There are these tiny little bowls on the table, this is for mixing your dipping sauces and you can start up with the appetizers, although these both came with their own sauce.  The spring rolls were pretty straight forward, just dip and bite.  So delicious with all the fresh herb flavor.  But the fried rolls were to be wrapped in a lettuce leaf along with assorted other vegetables and then dipped in to the sauce.  I'd never have known what to do with the 'salad' on the plate.

And then for the highlight, the main attraction - PHO!  My first pho was vegetarian.  And oh my gosh soo soo good!  The bowl of broth contains some vegetables, the tofu and pho noodles.  On the side there is a plate with bean sprouts, thai basil, cilantro, mint, peppers, lime - to name a few items.  The 'salad' items are to be added to the pho - to taste, of course.  Then there are the hot sauces and bean sauce that can be added to the soup.  So you then eat this wonderful steaming bowl with chop sticks and a porcelain spoon.  The trick is get some stuff on the spoon with some broth and eat that.  Also, dip the larger chunks in the soup  in to the sauce on the tiny plates.  It's definitely a taste sensation.

Since then I've not passed up an opportunity to have pho.  My last bowl in a restaurant was at Saigon Moon in Basel.  Should you be in town, definitely visit!

It's a little tough now for me to get pho, so I make it myself.  Well, something that is supposed to be like pho anyhow.  I think it's the best thing around!  Recipe will follow.

Honey and Whole White Wheat Bread

Whole White Wheat Bread with real butter

So a while ago I discovered that I'm kind of allergic to some soy by-products.  And once you start reading labels on bread it is just amazing how much soy is used.  Besides the fact that it simply tastes better, I now try to bake my own bread even more often.

I use a bread machine.  Usually just to mix the dough and let it rise.  I then form it and put it in a bread pan and let it rise again.  Why?  Well, I don't like the holes in the bottom of the bread that the mixing paddles leave.

I then bake it in the oven for about 40 minutes at 180C or 350F.  This is for a 1 kilo/ 2 pound loaf.

Here's the recipe:

1 cup + 2 tbsp       warm water
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp    honey ( I used wild flower honey)
1/4 cup                 vegetable oil
3 2/3 cup              white whole wheat flour
1 tbsp                  dough enhancer
2 tsp                    salt
2 tsp                    vital wheat gluten
1 3/4 tsp               instant yeast

I brushed some milk on top just before baking and pressed some sesame seeds in to the crust.   

Welcome to Spoon Tripping

So Hi, this is me!

It's about passion.  I am passionate about food...and traveling.  When I can't travel I am traveling from plate to plate, spoon to spoon in my own kitchen.  Putting my on twist on cuisine from around the world.  


When I'm traveling, I am 'eating' my way from location to location.  I love eating local cuisine, tasting the culture.  But I also love the twist put on 'foreign' food in each country.  

Sakura in Kingman, Arizona

BBQing in the snow

I love looking for and finding great food in unexpected places.  Fantastic Japanese food in Kingman Arizona at strip mall restaurant called Sakura.  

Or preparing something out of the ordinary or in a way that is out of the ordinary.  In this case we barbecued with snow on the ground.  No, there wasn't much snow, but it's the though that counts and just adds to the enjoyment of the entire experience.

Lily's Stomach Supply in Basel, Switzerland

To my mind, there's nothing that tells you more about a country or locality than it's food.  And eating out and being there with the locals just brings the experience home, as it were.

I hope to share recipes, experiences my passion and joy with you all.