Vietnamese Peanut Hoisin Dipping Sauce Recipe (Tuong Goi Cuon)

We brought summer rolls this weekend for a barbecue potluck. Traditionally, the rolls are served with a sauce made from liver but as a child, I always had an aversion to it. So I made tương gỏi cuốn (which literally translates to "sauce for salad rolls" in Vietnamese) with ingredients that would be appealing to a Western palate.

The condiment is a blend of peanut butter, hoisin sauce, ginger garlic paste, đậu (lentils), coconut water and a few ingredients that balance the sweet and sour taste. For more crunch, the summer rolls are first dipped in chopped peanuts.

Whether you serve this sauce with summer shrimp rolls or veggie spring rolls, it will knock your socks off!

Octopus Sushi (Cooked Sushi Recipe)

We've been setting up my little sis-in-law’s school lunch menu as she's about to enter 1^st grade tomorrow. She participated in the entire process. The little munchkin mentioned that she loves sushi and wanted to have some for lunch this school year. It's a fast and easy way for her to have a quick lunch, so I was happy to oblige. She also mentioned she loves baby octopus but she doesn't want to scare her friends away with weird food so I coarsely chopped them and used them as the filling along with other vegetables. I cooked each ingredient separately, let them cool completely and then combined then into sushi rolls. The sushi got an “A” from my sis-in-law, so I'll definitely be packing them for her this school year.

Involving children in preparing their own food encourages them to eat with more enthusiasm. Cooking in a fun environment is also a way to learn. If your kids aren’t adventurous enough for octopus, you can try some of my other school lunch recipe ideas.

Fire-Roasted Corn in Miso Butter (Grilled Corn on the Cob)

We finally made it to Ashland, Oregon. The place we're staying at is fantastic and has a large barbecue grill. I decided to take advantage of it and grill fresh corn while the family was having fun in the swimming pool.

Instead of seasoning the corn with regular salt, I used white miso paste, which is a fermented rice and soybean combination. I chose white miso paste which is fermented for only a few weeks, as opposed to regular miso which is fermented for several months. I find the flavor to be less salty, with a subtle sweetness. Of course, if you don't have miso paste on hand, you could always use regular salt, but what would be the fun in that?

Asian-Style Strawberry Napoleon Recipe (Mille-feuille Fraise Noix de Coco Dessert)

Mille-feuille, called "Napoleon" in the U.S., is a very popular French dessert. Traditionally [according to Wikipedia], a mille-feuille is made up of three layers of puff pastry, alternating with two layers of cream pâtissière, but sometimes whipped cream or jam. The top is usually glazed with icing or fondant in alternating white (icing) and brown (chocolate) strips, and combed.

I’ve made traditional mille-feuilles many times before, and I was in the mood for a change. I assembled a gluten-free version using layers of Vietnamese coconut paper called bánh phông sữa. They are paper-thin sheets made of coconut milk, sugar, cassava and condensed milk. I flavored the dessert with fresh strawberries and a coulis de fraise, which is a strawberry sauce. This dessert is bake-free and so easy to create, that I had the girls do the assembly. They had so much fun putting them together and even more making them disappear!

Asparagus Chicken Stir Fry Recipe (Black Bean Sauce Chicken)

I receive many questions and recipe suggestions from readers. It might take a while for me to respond but I want you to know that I read every single one of them and they always fill me with joy. So here's Bill's (a regular reader) recipe for asparagus chicken. I didn’t make many changes; I just added a few more bold and spicy flavors to counteract the blandness of chicken. Specifically, I used black bean garlic sauce and red chiles, in keeping with the Asian theme of the dish.

The key to making sure this dish turns out well is not to overcook the asparagus. I chose to use baby asparagus in this dish but regardless, it should be bright green and still have some crunch . The texture, if cooked properly, is wonderful, and baby asparagus is visually appealing to boot.

For a little background, here's what Bill wrote about the dish:

"I got this recipe a very long time ago while taking a cooking class at “Isle of Skye Kitchen” in Saratoga [California], a combo antique store and vendor of exotic spices ... long gone. It has been a family favorite for years. Here it is with some personal experience updates."

Thanks Bill!