Today was an extra special lunch because chef Nicholas Toll joined me in the kitchen.  It was great to have an extra pair of very talented hands!We started by charring the yellow onions and ginger for the broth, which is a great way to get extra flavor. I learned this technique from my favorite food blog smitten kitchen – check out her recipe, which we loosely followed.A glimpse of the beautiful pho broth – anise, cloves, cinnamon and a bay leaf. We left the onion skin on which gives the broth a golden hue.Nicholas made a quick carrot and radish pickle! He flavored the brine (he used apple cider vinegar) with cilantro stems, cloves, a star anise, salt and pepper. The pickle added a much needed splash of red and orange. Oh and how can I forget to mention that we fried shallots in lard for a crispy flavorful garnish (insert heart eyes). Lard is the perfect frying oil, it’s a hardy fat that can handle high heat unlike vegetable oil, that is easily damaged. The lard did not smoke. The mainstream is finally catch up the notion that lard is in fact good for you. Check out this article by Food & Wine “Lard: The New Health Food?”. And if you’re ready to learn all about fat and oil check out the article “Oiling of America”.

Folks from the neighborhood were happy to arrive to such a cozy scene. A kitchen warmed with a stock cooking for hours and a community coming together.

If you can’t escape from the windy game of tug of war between winter and spring here in Santa Fe to a Caribbean vacation, just make ceviche.

If I get the timing right I stop by my sister and brother-in-law’s restaurant Paper Dosa when the kitchen staff is on break eating, an always delicious, lunch. One day when I conveniently stopped by, Ruben, one of my favorite people, had made ceviche. It reminded me of how much I love this dish. It was silly of me to think it was only to be enjoyed by the ocean with the feel of salt on my skin while also sipping a Dos Equis. When I looked outside this morning at the windy day ahead I thought to myself “I wish I was on a beach in Mexico”. Then I thought about lunch, naturally, and said – today I’ll make Ruben’s ceviche. 

At lunch we all were teleported to a table under a shady palapa for at least a little while while we ate. The ceviche was so easy and simple to make. I topped off the ceviche with avocado, lime, tostada shells and Valentina Salsa Picante. And alongside the ceviche I served a side salad made with cabbage, carrots, radishes, cilantro and red onion marinated in a lime vinaigrette.

Here’s Ruben’s Ceviche recipe, give or take:

Get a pound of tilapia, cut in medium sized cubes, and marinate in salt and fresh lime juice (about 10 limes) for an hour. The fish will turn white and you’ll be able to see the grain of the fish. Then finely dice 5 tomatoes, 2 jalapenos, 1 white onion and 1/2 bunch of cilantro. When the fish is done marinating mix it all together. Enjoy with hot sauce and tostada chips! Oh and a cold light Mexican lager.

One of my favorite food blogs is the Smitten Kitchen. I look at her blog to find inspiration for what to make. This Leap Day Monday morning I looked around and found this tasty-looking recipe.

At lunch time we all gathered around the table with our bowls of vermicelli noodles marinated in savory almond sauce topped with moist and delicious chicken with the fresh and crunch of carrots and cucumbers with sprigs of basil and cilantro. On the table was almonds, if the eaters wanted more crunch, a spicy cilantro and lime fish sauce for more tang, umami and spice. The more I ate the better it got, and to make it last longer I added more veggies and eventually a second serving of the those vermicelli noodles. Yum.

Note, I substituted the peanut butter for almond butter, because almonds are a healthier choice.

See the recipe here. 

Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

vietnamese spring rolls