Bun Rieu Cua Recipe (Vietnamese Crab Noodle Soup)

This soup, called bún riêu, is typical Vietnamese comfort food. It's paired with the usual Vietnamese aromatic herbs and topped with other vegetables and fried tofu for a complete meal.

Just thinking about this seafood dish makes my mouth water! Tomorrow, my cousin Tri and his wife Tran are coming over to greet us for the Lunar New Year. So I spent today making a delicious, though a tad time-consuming (but oh-so worth it) soup dish for them. Bún riêu cua is a briny crab rice noodle soup garnished with feathery-like crab cakes in tomato and fermented shrimp (called mắm tôm) broth. Once you're ready to serve, shredded lettuce and mint finish the dish for added crunch along with lime and a drizzle of nuoc mam. 



If you love crab, this dish is ideal for you. If not, you could always try the veggie version (bún riêu chay) I make for the rest of my family members who are vegetarian. Either way, what a great way to start the year!

Hot and Sour Thai Soup Recipe

Tom Yum Thai soup has a unique taste. It's both spicy and sour and loaded with amazing flavors such as lemongrass, galangal, fresh kaffir limes leaves and coconut milk. For this version, I combined fresh water chestnuts, sugar snap peas, tamarind, red chili powder, baby squid and mackerel. You could also add shrimp or chicken. And of course, the soup is easy to make vegetarian as well.

Deep-Fried Fish with Lemongrass

Since I gave birth, I've been eating for my baby girl. I’m a sucker for old wives' tales, and anyone who tells me a certain food enhances lactation for breast-feeding mothers I rush into the kitchen and make it. I don’t know if they work, but at least some of them taste good!

One in particular comes from my Aunt Danielle. She suggested that boiled sweet potato leaves were great for mothers to produce milk. I was able to find the greens at an Asian market in San Jose. At the store, I saw that fresh pomfret fish (cá chim trang in Vietnamese) was available. I bought some and fried the whole fish in a small amount of oil in a shallow pan. The preparation is very simple; the fish is coated with a mixture of seasoned rice flour and lemongrass.  



The texture from the crispy skin of the fish contrasts well with the boiled sweet potato leaves, which taste similar to spinach, but with a thicker, more velvety texture (the texture is close to rau mồng tơi).

Roasted Lobster with Almonds

Oven-roasted lobster with almonds ("homard rôti aux amandes" in French) is Papa's (my dad's) specialty. Papa doesn't cook on a daily basis, except for Maman's birthday and special occasions such as New Year's Eve. Exactly one year ago, my husband Lulu and I were in Paris, celebrating the holiday season with my parents. And of course, Papa pleased me by cooking my favorite dish. First, the lobster is poached for a few minutes, then a drizzle of Hollandaise sauce covers the lobster meat along with a sprinkle of toasted almonds. Then, the lobster dish goes in the oven for a few minutes.

I absolutely love this seafood dish. The lobster meat turns out sweet and succulent. For obvious reasons, this luxurious dish isn't an everyday meal, but it’s a great way to make special occasions that much more special.

New Year's Eve Appetizer Ideas

If you're hosting a New Year's Eve party this year, you might consider serving bite-sized portions to allow your guests to easily mix and mingle. I’ve gathered some of my favorite appetizer recipes that would be perfect passed around or on a buffet table. I also listed appetizers that can be prepared in advance so you're stress free and ready to enter the New Year in a good mood. Bon appétit!