Ambitious Delicious(ness)

Happy Friday, everyone!

Continuing with my Thai meal from my last post, I’m going share a recipe for chicken satay with peanut dipping sauce. K did a great job putting the skewers on and grilling the chicken while I was running around making the entree . It made me happy that everyone seemed to enjoy the meal!

A while back, long before I started blogging, my friend J gave me this cookbook called Kao’s Thai Cuisine for my birthday. It contains some really easy to follow and delicious recipes. I finally got to use a recipe from the book. Thanks again, J!

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[Thanks to everyone for your support in helping me raise funds for Haiti. I can't thank you enough! Please keep clicking!]

Last time I made green curry, I added too many bamboo shoots, causing the curry to be extra sour (gross). This time, I got rid of bamboo shoots altogether and focused on slow cooking a flavorful curry. I achieved this goal by slow cooking the curry for about 3 hours total. The end result was a thick, hearty, harmoniously flavored curry that I am super excited to share about!

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In June 2009, I went to Haiti with a great team to work with a few organizations there. We distributed food, visited a few schools, and spent time with a lot of children. It was a great experience! I fell in love with the Haitian people – they are warm, kind, and hospitable. In light of the recent earthquake (and another aftershock), I’ve found a meaningful way to contribute.

Food distribution.

Marc of No Recipes (norecipes.com – great recipes, beautiful photos!) began an effort called Blog Away Hunger(blogawayhunger.com). The funds are donated to World Food Program(wfp.org), which aims to end world hunger. How appropriate that food blogging can help end world hunger! As a result, I’ve agreed to donate my January ad revenue to this great cause to help Haiti.

Since the amount is determined by the number of page views on this site, I sincerely need your help!

Here’s how to help:

- Go to the recipe index pages (here, here and here) and read through older recipes.
- Send links to friends, encouraging them click on recipes. (Maybe it will inspire someone to try a recipe in the process!)
- Help spread the word! Tweet, post on Facebook, or send out an email to friends, encouraging them to click away!

Beautiful mountainside in Haiti

I will update at the end of the month with the total amount raised. Thanks in advance for your help!

I went to Momofuku Noodle Bar a while back and sat at the bar, watching the chefs at work. As dinner went on, I noticed that one of the chefs was grilling three pieces of dduk(rice cake) on the grill. Then I watched, as they added the sauce to make ddukbokki, which looked very similar to my version.

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Happy Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a safe and memorable start to 2010! I’m humbled and honored that people want to read about my recipes. Thank you so much for reading this site!

I’ve been fortunate enough to receive a Dutch oven (aka French oven) for Christmas! I wanted to buy one for a while, as they are perfect for braising and cooking stews- something my stainless steel pots can’t handle. Modern dutch ovens are made of ceramic that is coated in enamel, distributing heat evenly once the lid is closed. It comes in handy for making wonderfully warm soups for bitterly cold winter days (like today).

After some research, I decided to go with a 5-quart Fontignac oven, from the same makers of Staub (since 1929!). I considered going with a Le Creuset, especially because of the lifetime warranty, but I think I’ll just wait to get that a little bit later.

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