Now that my passport is getting some needed rest, I’m going to focus a little bit more on the fashion angle of my blog. I’ll be doing some serious spring cleaning and as a result, start a new series on how to change up some looks. Especially during these economic times I don’t have the heart to shop (much) and have blogged …
Wild, Wild West in the Far, Far East
 All this talk about Vietnamese food has made me a little homesick for Vietnam. Although we immigrated to the US way back in 1975, there’s not a single April 30 (the day Saigon fell) that I don’t count how many years we’ve been away from the first home that I’ve ever known. The first time I went back to VN all of my …
Recipes: Nem Nuong + Chao Tom
 NEM NUONG Ingredients 2.2 pounds/1 kg of ground pork shoulder; if leaner meat is used, add a bit of oil to the ingredients 6 finely chopped garlic cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon of Alsa (or any brand) baking powder, 4 tablespoons corn or potato starch, 7 or 8 tablespoons water, all mixed together 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons …
It’s All in the Wrist
 Today’s blog concludes my weeklong affair with the Vietnamese spring roll. As I’m helping my mom prepare the food for a small dinner party,  I figure I might as well make some videos of how the rolls are made. Tonight we’re serving nem nuong (baked pork flavored in ground, roasted rice) and chao tom (fresh shrimp ground into …
My Very Zen St. Patrick’s Day
 I wake up with nothing green to wear today, but my reward for visiting my parents is starting the day with stuff that I usually eat at home (fruits, purple yam, fresh corn, etc.), except it gets served up like this:  That’s my version of a breakfast of champions. But my meal this morning quickly turns into a …