Vasilopita: A New Year Memory

New Year's Day of 1990 was a special treat for me at the home of my friend Diana and her family. I had a stressful year in 1989, undergoing a divorce and moving with my son to a new city. Diana's family embraced me with love and support during that visit. After a hearty meal with black-eyed peas...after all, we were in Virginia, and they are a southern New Year's Day tradition...Diana brought a cake to the table. Being ignorant of Greek Orthodox traditions for January first, I thought it was a regular cake...but I was quite wrong!

The cake was a Vasilopita, a sweet offering to an event that happened in the fourth century AD. There are different versions of the Vasilopita's origin, but they all are similar. 


One year, in Caesarea, there was either a siege or a cruel emperor. There was no food, and the emperor levied an excessive tax upon the people. Each family was forced to give up their coins and jewelry, even precious family heirlooms.


This injustice upset St. Basil who was the archbishop of Caesarea. In one version, St. Basil demanded that the emperor repent, which the emperor did. The coins and jewelry were turned over to St. Basil, but he was confused about their ownership. After much prayer, he decided to bake one huge sweet bread or cake and bake the coins and jewelry into the cake. Each person received a piece of cake and miraculously each person's piece contained the person's own valuables. Each year since that time, the event has been commemorated on January first. 


Modern Vasilopitas contain one coin generally, and the person whose piece contains the coin will be blessed during the upcoming year. The year that I was at Diana's on New Years Day, I received the piece with the coin. I always wondered whether Diana purposely gave me the piece with the coin because she knew that I needed good luck, after just being divorced. 


You can find more information along with the recipe at "The Tradition of the Vasilopita." The image above is also from that website. 

Crostini with Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese, and Apple Chutney

Epicurious came to the rescue for me! I needed to take an appetizer to a gathering this evening and I couldn't decide on a recipe. I found a recipe for "Crostini with Roasted Garlic, Goat Cheese, and Apple Chutney" at epicurious that sounded like it had an interesting mix of flavors. So I decided to try it, and it received a wonderful reception, and many complements.

It seemed relatively easy, and the chutney portion can be made ahead of time to avoid rushing at the last minute.The baguette slice base was covered with a layer of roasted garlic. The earthiness of the goat's cheese contrasted perfectly with the zesty chutney.

I had some chutney left over, so I will probably eat it on some toast or crackers tomorrow.

If you try this recipe, you will find that it is easy to transport. I put them on the serving platter you see in the picture, then covered them with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. I then put them on the seat in front of me, and even though I got lost and wandered around town for about 30 minutes, my appetizers arrived in great shape.

The picture on the right shows a closer view of the chutney. As you can see, there are golden raisins, tomatoes, and apples. The sauce is made of brown sugar, rice vinegar, cayenne pepper. A dash of mint adds a subtle addition to the chutney.

I enjoyed making this and hope that you can try it sometime!

Korean Cooking with Friends: Restaurant Fare

My Korean friends took me to a Korean restaurant in Austin called Shilla. We sat at a traditional Korean table, which was near the ground. It did have sort of a well under the table so that you could sit comfortably, and a grill was built into the table.


On the right you can see bulgogi cooking on the grill. Recall that bulgogi is "fire meat" which is because it is often prepared on a grill. The chefs marinated the beef pieces, then brought them to the table to cook.

On the left you can see me (in the back) with Kyung at Shilla. The large plate on the table is seafood pancake. I believe the Korean name is buchujeon. 




Notice all of the small dishes behind and beside the large plate. These are called banchan and traditional table settings are based on 3,5,7,9, and 12 banchan. Notice that on this table there are nine.


Banchan can include 

• kimchi which is fermented vegetables, 
• namul which are steamed, marinated, or stir-fried vegetables,
• bokkeum which are stir-fried dishes with a sauce,
• jorim which are dishes simmered in a seasoned broth,
• jjim which are steamed dishes, and 
• jeon which are pan-fried dishes.

In Korea, spoons generally accompany chop sticks at place settings. For this reason, the rice bowl is not raised from the table for eating as it is in Japan and China. 


Some close-ups of banchan are shown below.

An Austin Christmas Ritual

'Twas the day before Christmas when all over Austin

People were driving for last minute shoppin';

Thinking of presents we would soon share

We pulled to a stop at  the red light with care.

While visions of gingerbread danced in our heads

We would rather be home resting in bed.

When we spotted a sight by the roadside nearby

A sight that was so touching we almost could cry...

Wild cedar bushes at home by the road

Were dressed up for Christmas with ribbons and bows.

The tinsel, the colors, the garland, the stars

Were much more fascinating than all of the cars.

Some trees had stockings, some trees had presents,

Have you ever seen anything much more pleasant?

We laughed and we bellowed, we asked please pull over,

We want to see these Christmas trees much much closer.

Someone has decorated them with such care,

Yesterday morning they were still bare.

Who are the presents for, Aila and Gwen?
Did you decorate this tree to inspire again,
To leave holiday greetings beside the road,
Inviting people to be in a holiday mode?

Bees are buzzing around the sweet tree below,
Under the glittering, lovely pink bow.



If you look really closely you will soon find
They're made of recycled bottles and twine.
With translucent wings so light and so strong
To carry the bees through the air all day long
While they're buzzing and singing a holiday song.

Some trees were adorned with white folded doves,

To send messages of hope to the world with much love.

People used their talent to spruce up the land

To give us lots of good cheer on hand.

These teddy bears gave me a nice Christmas greeting

As the birds in the tree added their tweeting.

With cool air as fresh as new fallen snow

The excitement of Christmas had me aglow.

Silvery discs glow in the sun, 

A tree all in pink. Oh what fun!

A pink flamingo peering from a tree,

Who's sense of humor provided thee?

It must be the "weird" in Austin's personality!

A Barbie doll hanging from the garland I found

With butterflies, snowflakes, and joy all around.

Color coordinated with silver and green

But Barbie's unusual for a Christmas theme.

Plastic cup bells embellish this tree

Will they make some music to fill me with glee?

We even have stars to light up our way

And keep our spirits happy for the holiday!

Some decorators fell in love with tinsel

As the wind blows and makes it wiggle

The sun's reflection will make it twinkle.

Mom and baby trees seem to twirl

Could I join them on just one little whorl?

Are they waiting for Santa to fly overhead

After the children have all gone to bed?

Here is a small tree all decked out in finery

Proudly showing its jewels like an elephant its ivory! 

Little tree you stand so tall,

Your ornamentation can outshine them all.

Since we are in Austin I was barely surprised 

When I spotted a longhorn, a mascot so prized.

And the longhorn has a message to all with good cheer,

Merry Christmas to you and a Happy New Year!!

Korean Cooking with Friends: Tteokbokki

Our Korean Feast also included hot and spicy rice cakes, otherwise known as Tteokbokki. 

The centerpiece of this dish are cylindrical rice cakes are called garaetteok. They are made by pounding steamed non-glutinous rice flour. 


These rice cakes are so popular in South Korea that the government created Garaetteok Day on November 11 to honor them, complete with the mascots shown above.

 Garaetteok are shown on the left soaking in water before preparing the dish.



Fish cakes are also used for this dish. They are flat sheets that were cut into smaller pieces. They are shown on the right.


Red pepper paste is the other major ingredient in tteokbokki. It provides the reddish color and the zesty taste.


Maangchi has some videos and instructions for making tteokbokki on her blog if you would like additional information.


I thoroughly enjoyed the heartiness of this dish with the rice cakes to fill my belly, and the red  pepper paste and fish cakes to tickle my tongue. The dish was definitely zesty, but not really hot.

Korean Cooking with Friends: Kimchi

Certainly our Korean feast would not have been complete without kimchi, the fermented vegetables that are so beloved by the Korean people! The first Korean astronaut was even given kimchi specially prepared for eating in space.

I was worried that it would be too hot for me, but with each kimchi bite I included rice...and it was not too hot. I really loved its unique flavor. 

According to the Korean government, kimchi probably dates back to the seventh century in Korea. The practice of fermenting vegetables probably began in China about three thousand years ago and came to Korea from China. 

At first kimchi was made by salted vegetables. The salt operated as a preservative along with the fermentation process. Beginning in the twelfth century additional spices were added for flavor variety. 

Red hot chili peppers arrived in Korea with Japanese soldiers during the invasion of 1592. However, the red pepper began as an alternative to black pepper when black pepper was unavailable. During the eighteenth century, frequent crop failures occurred and there was a shortage of salt. The Koreans needed an alternative preservative, so red pepper stepped into that role. These hot chili peppers transformed kimchi, and gave us the pungent dish we know today. 

Kimchi was originally developed because ancient Koreans, who were mostly farmers, needed a way to preserve vegetables over the cold winters. The people developed creative ways to store the kimchi in ceramic vessels that were often buried in winter. Ceramic Onggi pots used to store ferment vegetables are still commonly used throughout Korea today.

Kimchi is considered to be quite healthy. It is high in dietary fiber, low in calories, and high in vitamins C and A, thiamine, riboflavin, calcium, iron, and "good" bacteria.

So what happens when kimchi is made from cabbage?

• Rinse the cabbage and coat it with salt to draw liquid out of the cabbage cells. The salt also kills bacteria that will spoil the cabbage.
• After the salt draws the liquid from the cells for about six hours, it is washed off, and a mixture of other vegetables, fresh salt, sugar and spices are added to produce the desired flavor.
• The mixture is put into a closed container where the lactic acid bacteria that already exist on the cabbage grow and carry out fermentation. Anaerobic conditions are required for this process. During this process, the microbes break down carbohydrates into simple sugars and lactic acid. 
• The lactic acid, other organic acids, carbon dioxide, and alcohol prevent the growth of potentially harmful bacteria.
• The fermentation process preserves the vitamin C in the cabbage and adds B vitamins.

Maangchi is a blogger who has several kimchi recipes and a fun "Ballad for Kimchi."

• Linda at "Playing with Fire and Water" has an interesting recipe for an American version of kimchi.

Because kimchi is a wonderful example of fermentation, lesson plans that blend culture and science can be found on the internet.

And in the picture above, you can see the kimchi in the foreground surrounded by the other dishes along with the chefs ready to sample their creations. We had such a wonderful feast!

Korean Cooking with Friends: Bulgogi

Kyung and Youngok also made Bulgogi for our Korean feast. The Bulgogi was fabulous during our feast, but I have to admit that I had leftover Bulgogi for lunch today...and it was still fabulous. The sauce has a slightly sweet taste to balance the savory taste of the meat. 


The meat for Bulgogi is thinly sliced then soaked in a marinade for at least a few hours. Our Bulgogi sauce had pureed pear in it which added to the sweetness. As you can see there are carrots, onions, and mushrooms in the Bulgogi and sesame seeds on top.

Here you can see Young-ok on the left, Kyung in the middle, and my mother on the right. We are getting ready to enjoy the Bulgogi!


Bulgogi, 불고기, literally means fire meat. It is made from thin slices of sirloin or other prime cuts of meat. Often it is cooked over an open fire on a grill, however it is also commonly cooked in pans over a burner. 


According to Wikipedia, Bulgogi is thought to have originated during the Goguryeo era which lasted from 37 BC to 668 AD. It was originally called maekjeok and the beef was cooked over the fire on a skewer. 


During the Joseon Dynasty, it was called neobiani which means thinly spread. I wonder if that is because it is sliced so thinly. At this time it was often prepared for the king.


There are many websites that describe the recipe for Bulgogi. I like the maangchi website which includes reviews of Asian markets, a blog, and many recipes. 

Korean Cooking with Friends: Japchae

I just finished a wonderful Korean feast. My belly is full and my spirit is recharged! My friends Kyung and Young-ok visited this afternoon and prepared Japchae and Bulgogi. In this post I will focus on Japchae.


The picture on the left shows the ingredients we used. The noodles on at the top are dangmyun, sweet potato noodles. They are made from sweet potato starch. 


There are two types of mushrooms on the plate. The king oyster mushrooms have the thick white stalks. The black dried mushrooms are wood ear mushrooms. 


The plate also contains spinach, carrot, and onion.


The noodles and dried mushrooms soaked in water as the other ingredients were chopped. The spinach was blanched and the noodles were boiled. The rest of the vegetables were stir-fried. You can visit epicurious and visitseoul for japchae recipes.

The picture shows the finished product. The carrots, spinach, and mushrooms provided the perfect amount of color against the noodles. 


I loved this dish! Sesame oil was used for the stir-frying, so the flavor and smell was rich with sesame...which always stimulates my appetite!


Japchae originated in the 17th century when King Ganghaegun of the Joseon Dynasty asked Yi Chung to create a dish to please him. The king liked the dish so much that he promoted Yi Chung to a highly honored position. Although Japchae originated in the royal household, it quickly became popular in regular households. At first it included chopped vegetables only, but sweet potato noodles made their way to Korea from China and made the dish even more popular when they were added. Modern versions often contain meat also.


Japchae is a popular dish for special occasions such as a child's first birthday, weddings, and sixtieth birthday banquets. 

Although the picture above is obscured by steam, it is one of my favorites! You can see how much fun Kyung (left) and Young-ok and I were having as they were preparing the Japchae.

Austin's Chinatown Center

I find these Vietnamese delicacies at an Asian Market here in Austin called MT Supermarket. To get there I drive north on Lamar, one of the major roads in Austin. I pass check cashing operations, taquerias, Salvadoran restaurants, signs in Spanish, decaying buildings and well-kept properties. Suddenly I see a shiny Chinese arch or gate on the side of the road. A new shopping area is behind the gate, and the pillar of the shopping area is the enormous MT Supermarket.

The shopping area is called Chinatown Center, and it opened in 2006, so the buildings look new. The koi pools in front of the market always attract my attention with the fish and many statues placed around  it. I walk through the doors and face an ocean of food. They specialize in foods from China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines, and Vietnam. And strategically near the door they have tables of these interesting sweets. How can I resist!

My visits can easily eat up half of a day for me. I love walking down the aisles and reading the packages. The fresh fruits and vegetables aisle alone is worth at least 30 minutes for just browsing. In the back they have live fish for people to select for dinner.

The delicacy to the right is Banh Deo Thap Cam according to the wrapper. It is made of sugar, rice flour, cashew nuts, almond, sesame, and water. I believe it is quite similar to Chinese Moon Cakes.I love the lotus flower shape. The soft outer part surrounds a nut filling.

For more information about Vietnamese food you can visit the gastronomy blog.

Xoi Cuom Banh Trang and the Vietnamese Rule of Five

The Xoi Cuom Banh Trang, shown on the right, attracted me by its colorful appearance. The glutinous rice mixed with coconut is wrapped in rice paper. The taste is subtle, but slightly sweet. Peanuts provide a slight flavor also.


I found these at an Asian food market that seems to be owned by a Vietnamese family. At the front of the market there are always some wonderful sweets that look like they were made by a local person in a home kitchen. That is where I found these. 


As I researched Vietnamese cuisine I discovered that the number five is quite significant. So is the principle of Yin Yang. 


Yin Yang is used by the Vietnamese in selecting the ingredients of a dish or the dishes assembled for a meal. For example, some foods are considered cold or cool. Other foods are considered warm. Warm foods should be paired with cool foods. Ginger is an example of a warm food and duck is considered cool. Therefore, ginger and duck should be paired.

The close-up on the right shows a better view of the five colors.

• White comes from the natural color of the glutinous rice and signifies metal.
• Green traditionally comes from the  pandan leaf and signifies wood.
• Yellow traditionally comes from mung beans, however this version does not have yellow. I think perhaps the brown takes the place of the yellow. Yellow signifies Earth.
• Red traditionally comes from the gac fruit, and this version does not include red. Orange perhaps takes the place of red though. Red signifies fire. Actually, I found a reference that says the orange coloring comes from the gac fruit.
• Black signifies water and is traditionally one of the five colors. This version has a darker brown element that might replace the black. 

Vietnamese food often includes five flavors that correspond to various organs. They are 

• spicy which signifies metal and is associated with the gall bladder,
• sour which signifies wood and is associated with the small intestine,
• bitter which signifies fire and is associated with the large intestine,
• salty which signifies water and is associated with the stomach, and
• sweet which signifies Earth and is associated with the urinary bladder.

Vietnamese food also includes five elements. They are

• powder,
• water or liquid,
• minerals,
• proteins, and 
• fats.

Vietnamese dishes are intended to appeal to the five senses. Food arrangement appeals visually, and the sounds of crisp vegetables and other elements appeal audibly. Taste is tantalized by the five spices, and the nose is stimulated by the smell of the herbs in the dish. Finger food is important in appealing to the sense of touch. 

So as you can see, the number five is quite significant in Vietnamese cuisine, and the Vietnamese consider eating to be significant and spiritual.

Bahn Phu The: Husband and Wife Cakes

These shiny little pillows are served at Vietnamese weddings. Traditionally, a man offered these to the woman he wanted to marry. The stickiness of the cakes symbolizes the strong bonds of marriage.


They have a gelatin-like texture on the outside and some have a creamy filling on the inside. Tapioca flour, pandan, mung bean paste, sugar, and coconut milk provide the mild flavoring of these treats.


"Things Asian" has an explanation of the cultural significance of these cakes. The blog "Playing with My Food"describes how to make them.

Banh Da Lon: Pig Skin Cake

These gelatin-like sweets are Vietnamese steamed cakes called Bánh da lợn or bánh da heo. The name literally means "pig skin cake."

Tapioca starch provides the main character of this dish. Pandan, mung bean paste, and coconut milk provide additional notes to the subtle flavor of these delicacies.

I wonder if they earned their name by being both thin and smooth.

"Playing with my food" is a blog that has a wonderful explanation about how to make these cakes.