Pho Party in the House!

 I've been chomping at the bit for the Banh Mi Saigon restaurant to re-open. Sadly, the Banh Mi restaurant was destroyed in an electrical fire in Hadley last October. We also lost other fine establishments, to include Mi Tierra Mexican restaurant, the International Food Market, an Ecuadorian food store and Greggory's Bakery. Greggory's is now open in a bigger and beautiful space in Hadley. Mi Tierra is opening in September in their own building.  I hope the stores re-open soon! 

I discovered that the Banh Mi restaurant had a huge following when I read the reviews on the restaurant after the fire. The reviews by customers were fantastic. I was saddened that I didn't discover this gem of a restaurant. I was thrilled to recently hear that they found a space and were re-opening. In the meantime, I learned that the owner was a wonderful and kind man. I'm pleased that he landed a perfect spot on Main Street in Northampton. 

Being a Foodist Dork, I decided that it would be a good idea to arrive 15 minutes before the soft re-opening at 11 am this morning. We were the second customers on line. The first arrivals were very excited about the opening and often frequented Banh Mi when they were open in Hadley. Another customer arrived who drove up from Enfield. Her sister lives in Hadley and she said they would often pick up sandwiches at Banh Mi. She was having lunch and then bringing to go banh mi sandwiches to her sister. We were greeted 10 minutes before opening by Hai Cheng, the owner of the international market. He is helping out the owner of Banh Mi for now, and was very excited about the opening. He said that everyone in the restaurant was excited and nervous. 

The doors opened, and everyone spilled in. We had big grins. The staff had big grins. We were all on cloud 9. It was fun to watch the joyous re-connections with past customers. There was A LOT of staff working and things were a bit nutty. We were prepared to be patient, because after all it was a soft opening and nuttiness is to be expected. The restaurant owners were new to a full service restaurant as the restaurant in Hadley was counter service. 

The atmosphere of the restaurant was lovely. They did a nice job on the re-design and there was a simple, airy feel with an added coziness from the brick walls. 

 We ordered the fresh spring rolls as an appetizer. I have to say that these were the best fresh spring rolls I've had. The rolls were wrapped nice and tight. As you can see from the picture, these rolls were chock full of shrimp and there was plenty of cilantro too. Sometimes, the rice noodles in the spring roll are a little too cold for my taste. Not so with these, which were the perfect temperature. The sauce for dipping was excellent. I do think they could serve a bit more sauce. We ran out about 3/4 of the way through devouring these lovely rolls.

 Blue ordered the pork banh mi sandwich. I had a big bite and it was delicious. The bread was perfect for banh mi sandwiches and I'm curious about whether or not they bake the bread. The sandwich is made with roasted pork, cucumbers, pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, onions, and scallion oil, with Vietnamese mayo spread. Blue started chowing and I waited patiently for the pho noodle soup to arrive.

 A big bowl of happiness arrived. The broth in the soup was fragrant and the noodles were cooked to perfection. They were generous with the beef portion, which includes rare beef, meatballs, brisket, tendon and shank. The soup had scallion, bean sprouts and basil for garnish. I give the pho a 10!

Slurp! 

We will be back very soon. I'm very happy for your return, Banh Mi Saigon!

Public service message: Pho is pronounced Fu 

Peace and Love (and Indian Food)

 My favorite spot in Western Massachusetts is the Leverett Peace Pagoda. It was the first Peace Pagoda to be built in the United States (more on the history of peace pagodas to come).We have been going to the peace pagoda for many years, and often bring friends who are in town visiting. I also have a running route with my friend Lars that includes a start and end at the peace pagoda. It's worth the hour plus round trip to be able to run and simply spend time in such a beautiful place and in such a peaceful setting. Their website has more information including history of the pagoda. 

If Western MA is within range of a day trip or if you have New England travel plans, I highly recommend that you build a visit to the peace pagoda into your roster. And, you can pop by the famed Montague Book Mill, which is less than 15 minutes away.

 At Leverett Peace Pagoda

A plethora of origami cranes

Lars taking pictures of Tibetan prayer flags

following the Cave Hill Classic 5 Miler

Peace pagodas are Buddhist monuments that are spread across the world. Buddhist monk Nichidatsu Fuji built the first peace pagoda to inspire world peace following the end of World War II. There are five in North American and only 3 in the United States. We are fortunate that another peace pagoda is in our vicinity. It's a mere 2 hours away-just over the NY state border. We finally had an opportunity to pay a visit this past weekend. We made a fun day of it with a trip that included dinner in Williamstown, MA. This is the Grafton Peace Pagoda in New York State. Also a new Peace Pagoda is under construction in Tennessee.

Each peace pagoda has its own unique characteristics. The Grafton Peace Pagoda had a beautiful pond and some unique sculptural elements. With the encouragement of Jun Yasuda, a Japanese teacher who was taught by Nichidatsu Fuji, she led the pagoda to focus on supporting indigenous peoples. She also believed that the spiritual path of indigenous peoples would "open a new path of existence for the United States--a peaceful and sacred way of life for all humanity." This pagoda is known for its support of indigenous peoples of North America. Also, they hold an annual walk for peace on September 11th from the Peace Pagoda to New York City. You can learn much more about the incredible history of the Grafton Peace pagoda at their website. 

 Blue on the path around the pagoda

 On the path were postings of phases of Buddha's life

as well as reliefs of each phase. 

 One of the reliefs. 

 The Buddha's last words

 Lily pads and fleurs 

 After our visit to the pagoda, we picked up Maple Syrup.

Honor system Maple Wagon! 

 We stopped in Williamstown on the way back from the pagoda. This was my first time spending any amount of time in Williamstown. It's an adorable, quintessentially New England town. We'll be back soon with friends, I'm sure. We decided on dinner at the highly rated Spice Root Indian restaurant. I have to say, this is the best Indian Food I've had in Western Massachusetts. And the staff was very attentive and friendly. We ordered a Paneer dish and Lamb Biryani. 

Lamb Biryani

All in all it was a wonderful day trip. Feeling blessed with the beauty of the area and the opportunity to spend time at our nearby peace pagodas. 

Civilization is not to kill human beings; not to destroy things, not to make war; civilization is to hold mutual affection and to respect one another --Most Venerable Nichidatsu Fuji.

Captain Jack's French Fry Omelet

Last week, Blue's sister, Nancy, her husband Norm, and our niece Hannah came up for a visit from North Carolina. Mostly we cooked at home. However, we did take them to one of our favorite nearby restaurants, Captain Jack's Roadside Shack. It's a seasonal outdoor venue and a fabulous option on a beautiful summer day. 

We love Captain Jack's for their succulent and generously portioned Lobster Rolls, tasty Fried Clam Rolls and the famous Fish Tacos w/ Crunchy Cabbage and Cilantro. Their fries and onion rings are also excellent. I appreciate that they also try to use as many sustainable and local ingredients as possible.

The kiddos had the ever-popular homemade lemonade. They make delicious Strawberry Lemonade, Jalapeno lemonade and regular lemonade as well as very good iced teas. This establishment is BYOB, so the grownups partook of Ginger Libation from Green River Ambrosia and beer.

We had a great time at Captain Jack's and especially enjoyed the perfect weather, fine company, and the spectacular view of the Holyoke Mountain Range. Ahhh, summertime living! 

We couldn't possibly get through all of the fries that came with our meal. We decided to not let them go to waste. We took them home, envisioning a Frittata. Instead, I made a Captain Jack's French Fry Omelet. This morning's announcement of french fry omelet making was not met with enthusiasm. 

I tried to get everyone pumped up, but all I got was raised eyebrows. Great. Refusing to give up, I used the tried and true strategy of stuffing some of their favorites in the omelet creation along with the french fries, so they could "get on board." In addition to french fries, I added olive oil, roasted red peppers, parsley, salt and pepper.

 Well, it was a winner! Everyone gobbled it up and proclaimed it a very good breakfast. Cheese would be a good addition for the next Captain Jack's French Fry Omelet. 

Ripley's Believe It Or.... Pancakes!

Have you heard about the newest pancake craze? Everywhere you look, you'll see this simple recipe for pancakes. The two major ingredients are Dani's favorites. So, I've been hoping for a few moments to whip these up for her. I was able to squeeze the time in this morning. This recipe calls for using cooking spray to fry up the pancakes. I used a little olive oil and butter.

These pancakes are obviously great for a quick and easy breakfast. I highly recommend using this recipe for a cooking lesson with the kids. They'll have fun and be proud of their little creations. Tip: make the pancakes very small, using 1/8th of a cup of pancake mixture. The pancakes are very thin and the smaller pancakes are easier to turn over. 

 Dani just got back from her run.

I foisted pancakes upon her. 

Thanks to Dani for being a taste-tester! I got a big thumbs up and I have a feeling she'll be adding this recipe to her pancake making repertoire. I tried them as well and they were delicious. You might think they would taste eggy, but they do not, due to the sweetness of the banana. They would be good with savories added if you like. You could also serve these as an appetizer with a sweet or savory topping. 

Manic Mediterranean Meltdown (Mmmmm)

It all began with the idea of making a simple Greek Feta pancake with salad for dinner. This somehow morphed into a Mediterranean style feeding frenzy. At some point, I had to call in reinforcements to help with plowing through all the food!

The lovely crowd of reinforcements

enjoying dinner on the porch

The Feta Pancake (Tiganopita Me Feta) recipe came from the Lemon & Olives Greek Culture & Food Blog. I made a few changes, to include adding more olive oil, fresh oregano and parsley to the feta mixture that is scattered on top before baking. And, I used more for garnish. I have to say, no changes were needed! I just happen to have a little obsession with making any recipe my own. This dish was fun & easy to prepare-well worth the effort. And, it was a hit, and received a resounding YES on the teenager front. I plan on showing the kids how to make this themselves.

For sometime now, Hushwee has also been on my mind. Hushwee is a traditional and very popular Lebanese dish, that is a peasant food and also known as "poor man's dinner."  It features Mediterranean spice flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. I substituted cardamom for the clove. And, as I do with many Mediterranean recipes, I subbed in toasted almonds for pine nuts, as they are much less expensive and are just as tasty. Here is the original recipe from The Lemon Bowl.

Hushwee pairs nicely with Mediterranean bread and salad. It is very commonly mixed in with rice that has been cooked in chicken broth. The version with rice is often used as a stuffing for chicken or turkey. And, it is delicious served over homemade hummus.

Hushwee

We had Patatosalata, a Greek Potato Salad. I added capers and lemon zest to the recipe. Also, this salad typically calls for peeling the potatoes and I kept them intact. 

Here is the recipe from Greekfood.about.com. 

Patatosalata

I roasted Romanesco Broccoli and carrot, which was mixed with roasted red pepper and topped with a Dark Cherry Balsamic vinegar from Cosimano e Ferrari, an olive oil and balsamic company from my hometown of Rochester, NY. The Romanesco broccoli was grown by Golonka Farm. They just started growing it this year. And, the carrots came from our CSA, Mountain View Farm. 

Roasted Romanesco Broccoli & Carrot 

with Roasted Red Peppers and Dark Cherry Balsamic

We also had a Mediterranean Salad of heirloom tomato, fresh mozzarella, cucumber, peppers and perilla. The Fresh Mozarella is made in Vermont and I get it regularly at The River Valley Market Co-op. I picked up the perilla at The Tuesday Farmer's Market in Northampton. I was so excited by the perilla as I have been trying to hunt it down for ages. Miraculously, my friend Christine just happened to get a tour at The Sawmill Collective, a culinary and medicinal herbs grower, and noticed that they were growing it on their farm. And, she pointed me to the Tuesday Market, where they sell their herbs. This lucky girl, got the one and only bunch they brought to market that day. Farmer Susan was excited that I was so interested in the perilla. 

One excited cook trying to do her 

best flower girl impression 

Mediterranean Salad

I worried that there wasn't enough food. Solution? Make pasta! 

Hungarian egg noodles with kale 

and sun dried tomatoes

The spread minus the hushwee

Easter Feasters

Easter Peeps

Easter dinner was spirited, with fine holiday company and good food. For our entree choice, we captured the essence of our mushroom obsession in a Linguini with Cremini and Porcini Rosemary Cream Sauce. 

Did I tell you we love Seafood for any holiday? I called my family in Rochester, NY today and they were shocked by the lack of ham in our Easter. Yes, indeed, no ham. Seafood is on the menu for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas day and Easter. Groundhog day too. Why not? We prepared Roasted Shrimp from NPR's The Splendid Table to top off our pasta. This shrimp dish has become a mainstay in our household. And, it is unbelievably easy, requiring not even a handful of ingredients. We scattered a few of these tasty morsels over our Linguini-perfect. 

Pasta with Cremini and Porcini Mushroom Sauce

& Roasted Shrimp

I also tested out a couple of recipes in a timeless French classic, I Know How to Cook. Translated by the cookbook author Cothilde Dusolier at Chocolate and Zucchini, I regret that I've held onto this cookbook for three years until giving it a whirl!  I'm looking forward to delving deeper into these traditional French recipes. We made her Romaine Salad with Pancetta, with the addition of radish and orange. With this Springtime weather, I was  inspired to add some bright, springlike taste to this classic salad. 

I've been on a tear with eating wild greens and cannellini beans and Dani loves these too!  So we had a side of Cannellini, Dandelion and Potatoes with Roasted Red Peppers. 

We had teeny sides that paired well with crusty sourdough bread, Anchovy Butter from I know How to Cook and the Silver Palate's Green Sauce. The Green Sauce was a perfect way to use up a few dyed Easter eggs for a delicious result. 

The Green Sauce, in Progress

The Easter Feasters were successful in a quest for a scrumptious Easter meal and this feast was topped off by Toni's beautiful Mixed Fruit Pie. I regret that there are no pictures, this pie barely hit the plate before disappearing. 

Honey, I'm home!

I'm getting ready for a big road race and decided to cut out gluten and refined sugar for about a month leading up to the race. The toughest part of cutting out gluten is eliminating the glorious crusty, sourdough bread at Hungry Ghost Bread in downtown Northampton.

And, the biggest challenge when eliminating refined sugar is leaving it out of my morning coffee. I pondered a few possibilities for sweeteners and decided that I would give honey a try for a coffee sweetener. And, the honey I chose for the experiment was Red Barn Honey Company summer honey. This honey is local to Northampton. In fact, Richard, the owner, is our neighbor, so we can just stop on by whenever we need a honey refill.

I'm pleased to report that honey coffee is delicious-better than coffee with sugar. Blue started using honey and loves it too. I wondered, is this a THING? Yes, it turns out that other folks have been recognizing the benefits of honey as a coffee sweetener. Here is an article from the Examiner about the benefits of honey in your coffee. For starters, honey is an immune system booster.

There was one other food that I was woefully missing and that's Nước chấm sauce. This sauce is an essential ingredient in Vietnamese cooking and I have been on a bit of Vietnamese food kick as of late. Nước chấm sauce includes a good amount of sugar to counter-balance the fish sauce flavor. Well, I used honey to replace the sugar and it was at least as good as the original traditional recipe. Also, when you cook Nước chấm on the stove, you have to ensure the sauce reaches a temperature to melt the sugar. That worry was gone using honey.

 Vietnamese Rice over Greens with Honey Nước chấm

I shared my idea of using honey for Nước chấm with celebrated cookbook author Andrea Nguyen, and she kindly shared it with her Viet World Kitchen community. She's such a doll! And, her Vietnamese cookbooks are gorgeous and full of interesting information about Vietnamese food and culture. 

I'm looking forward to using honey as a substitute in baking recipes as well. And, I love the idea of using a locally sourced and thus more sustainable option for my sweetening needs. Perhaps you would be interested in this blog post from The Food Network on ways to use honey in cooking.