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Midweek gems #60
Paula Wolfert, the cookbook author and expert on Mediterranean cuisines, once told me that she didn’t like marginalia in cookbooks. The notes and scribbles soiled the book, she said. I didn’t respond because I was thinking of the countless times I’d jotted down notes in cookbooks. I didn’t want to forget my tweaks and preferences.
For me, handwritten notes and scribbles signal that a cookbook had value for the cook. I like finding marginalia in used cookbooks too because they feel more like artifacts. For those reasons, Pat’s email tickled my fancy.
It’s a cookbook author’s dream to know that their recipes are part of other people’s rotation. Feel free to email me your marginalia!
💎 PTFS in Parade Magazine!
A PTFS recipe got into Parade magazine last week! It was the one for Vietnamese egg coffee, which I wrote up alongside Vietnamese salt coffee in this dispatch.
Jessica Wrubel reached out to interview me for the story. Unknown to me, egg coffee has been making the trendy caffeinated rounds in the States. I’m totally stoked because ca phe trung (egg coffee) is a fun, different way to experience Vietnamese coffee culture. Read Jessica’s story and get the recipe.
Egg coffee is enjoyed in smallish amounts so you can have it in moderation while still adhering to a healthy diet, which brings us to . . .
💎 American Heart Association’s Dietary Guidelines
The Trump Administration’s dietary guidelines under RFK, Jr is full of holes for many reasons. The American Heart Association (AHA) recently weigh in. When I read about it in a Wall Street Journal article this week, I had to mark up the salient points.
If you can’t read the article by enlarging the image, here’s a gift link to the full story (click to close the subscription window so you’ll get to the story). The AHA aligns with the government’s definition of a healthy diet BUT pushes for less red meat and less full-fat dairy. The heart association’s guidelines make better sense for human and environmental health reasons and is more affordable and accessible to more people. Tallow and grass-fed beef are pricey!
Below is the AHA’s guidelines which showcases tofu as a healthy protein!
💎 Hot [Cross] Buns made healthier
Early last year I realized that DOH! — “enriched” flour had to had stuff added to it because wheat’s original nutrition had been removed during the modern milling process. I began playing with baking with whole grain flours.
One of the experiments was with a fluffy roll, which I adore making from Chris Tan’s hot rolls recipe. It’s lofty, tender and rich. When I substituted half of the regular flour with 50 percent whole wheat flour, the texture remained the same as usual but the flavor was much more complex. The rolls had bigger personality.
I’ve used the rolls as a side with ham or turkey. They’re also killer good with char siu pork steak or char siu chicken from Vietnamese Food Any Day (if the book is handy in your kitchen).
The rolls keep well for days and you can freeze them too. Decorate them with crosses to make hot cross buns for Easter. But I would make the rolls anytime, not just to celebrate a Catholic holiday or bunnies. Get the hot rolls recipe at the website. Play with the recipe!
💎 Down South + East Asian cooking
Recently, I wrote about Chinamaxxing, why I learned Mandarin, and how Chinese and Vietnamese cultures have rubbed shoulders and commingled for eons. Chinese chefs usually don’t discuss Vietnamese food unless they are Vietnamese Chinese. But then Chef Ron Hsu’s new cookbook arrived. Written with Hugh Amano, Down South + East offers Ron’s unique life experiences through recipes.
When I first opened the book, it fell open Ron’s take on Vietnamese caramel pork (pictured below); his version is somewhat like mine but he’s added his imprint by using sorghum syrup (a southern staple) plus makrut lime leaves and lemongrass. And he says it’s great with rice or grits. How is that?
His Malaysian-Chinese parents owned multiple beloved Chinese restaurants in the Atlanta area and Ron began peeling onions for those kitchens at a very young age. He got hooked, went to culinary school, cooked at Le Colonial, a Vietnamese restaurant in Manhattan, and then rose to be creative director for chef Eric Ripert at Le Bernardin, one of the best restaurants in America.
But Ron’s roots are in Atlanta, Georgia, where he now runs his Michelin-starred Lazy Betty. I’ve dined there and figured that Ron would showcase his cheffy chops in his debut book.
I was wrong. Down South + East is thoughtfully written for home cooks. It aims to simply present America’s cross-cultural flavors through the palate of a talented Asian American chef.
The book’s riffs on classics thoughtfully and matter-of-factly combine southern and East and Southeast Asian flavors and techniques. Tweaks are intentional — his mother’s take on Southern fried chicken includes lots of cornstarch, an Asian secret for crunchy coating. There are more great pro-chef tips tucked into the book.
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Coming this Sunday, I’ll share something I’ve cooked from Down South + East plus a sweet treat that Rory requested.
The weather in Santa Cruz swung back to being chilly, which is why if you see me, I may be wearing this super soft and cozy cashmere ascot. It’s designed by Kitty Nguyen of Semifinalist.
