Russian Beet Salad

This is a salad my husband loves.  In fact, he entered this one in a international potluck competition at a gathering in Asheville several years ago, and won first place.  He says he ate this a lot in Tashkent, Uzbekistan back in the '90s.  And I know we had a variation of this on our visit to Moscow in 2007.  It's very good, and can be a great complement to other dishes.

Here's a simple recipe:

Boil and peel a few medium-sized beets
Cut them into small strips (or grate them) and put in a big bowl
Let the sliced beets chill in the fridge for at least an hour
Add mayo, a dash of salt and some fresh minced garlic
Mix together, taste, and then adjust ratio of mayo and garlic to suit your taste

If you need something more exact, here's a recipe for an easy Russian beet salad. 

Here's the write-up from the competition in 2008:

I do want to recognize the winners of the international potluck food cook-off. They were awarded fun prizes at Zambra's.  Well, those who attended claimed prizes!  Belated congratulations to the following:

Most #1 Votes
Russian Beet Salad, yours truly, 4 votes
Moroccan Lentil Soup, James 2 votes
French Crepes, Tracey, 2 votes

Most Total Votes
Russian Beet Salad, very yours truly, 8 votes
Japanese Aveline Kushi, Lesley Anna, 7 votes
Lebanese Fatoosh, Sarah, 7 votes

Just to show how interesting Asheville is, the people there (at the cook-off) were from Alabama, Long Island, Brooklyn, Canada, South Florida, North Carolina, the U.K., Chicago, Oregon, etc.,  

Red Velvet Cake

This was my first ever Red Velvet Cake.  Everything made from scratch.  I used a friend's recipe, but the cream cheese frosting was something I adapted from a few ideas I got online.  My husband and friends said the cake was delish.

Yum MAMA (Spicy Noodle Salad)



 

 

This is one of our favorite dishes, and it can be eaten hot or cold.  It's a modern Thai dish using instant MAMA brand noodles.  You can do many variations of this salad.  Experimentation is desired!  For example, we love fresh apples.  The texture and taste of apples gives the noodle salad a very nice touch.  Once you view the video, take a look at this recipe. 

Packaged instant Ramen noodles are also being turned into some amazing dishes.  See here.

Pork Satay

A few summers ago we went to an Asheville park with some friends.  We each brought a dish.  My dish was Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce.  I did all my marinating at home, and set the skewers for the barbecue ahead of time.  Although it was my first time preparing this dish, everyone said it was quite good.  See the video below to learn how it's prepared.  In Bangkok, people eat this dish all the time.  It's a comfort food.  The pork satay is usually served with a pickled cucumber salad - vinegar-based, sweet and a little spicy.  

 



Here's some Pork Satay we tried on a trip back to Thailand

 

a video we made of our favorite Thai comfort foods 

Food, Beer & Friends

Cucumber Bites*, Matcha (Green Tea) Cake Balls**, Nut Mix, Cherries

Red Curry with Chicken
Jasmine Rice
Spicy Seasoning Sauce

Kale Cole Slaw

Strawberry Chocolate Tart

Wicked Weed Beer (courtesy of Anthony)

Bouquet of Flowers (courtesy of Lisa)

I will link my dishes to some recipes soon.

  

* a raw food I make at Greenlife

** sent to us from Kana, a Japanese friend from Kyoto

Comfort Food Galore

A colleague/friend and her daughter came over for dinner recently.  This is what I served up.  I will put up some recipes for some of these dishes very soon.

 

Stir Fried Glass Noodles  (Pad Woon Sen)

Salmon Sour Curry Soup

Jasmine Rice 

Spicy Seasoning Sauce

Iced Lemon Tea (Thai style)
Sweet Corn Pudding (Thai dessert)

Buttermilk Cake w/ Lemon Glaze

Butter Cookies

Lovely Flowers (from guests)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secrets of Thai Street Food

Nine years ago, Australian chef and Thai food expert David Thompson was paid the ultimate compliment. He was invited by the Thai Government to establish a restaurant showcasing Thai food in the centre of Bangkok. But his invitation was not about teaching the Thai people how to cook, they wanted to learn how to take the food from the streets back into restaurants. David hit the streets of Bangkok to explore the culture of Thai street food.

 

Here's an example of street food that I purchase near my home in Bangkok.  My husband is filming me placing an order.  Incidentally, this video has 53,092 hits on YouTube.

Dinner w/ Friends

 Sliced Pears Topped w/ Parrano Cheese

Fresh Strawberries

Thai-Style Pasta w/ Meatballs

Russian Pickled Tomatoes

Cucumber Salad

Lime Meringue Pie

Vodka (served in Russian shot glasses!)

Margaritas

 

 

Thai Kale Coleslaw

Traditional American fare accompanied by a modern Thai dish and one tasty margarita.
When we eat beef, we try to use free-range meats.

Thai Kale Coleslaw
a living food

I got this recipe at the Raw Food Café in Bangkok, where we had lunch earlier this year.  The café is part of Rasayana Retreat, a holistic health center in the Thai capital.  I have since introduced this dish at Greenlife in Asheville, and it's been a very, very popular item.  Below is a video of the retreat.

 

Green Curry w/ Pork

 
My Green Curry w/ Pork – Gkaeng Kiow Wan Moo (or Kaeng Kiew Wan Moo)
Here's an easy Recipe

Sunday Evening Fun

Now that Spring is here to stay (we hope!), it was time to have dinner with some friends.  Everything was made from scratch. 

Our friend Sarah made the margaritas and the photos!

 

Margarita (per drink)

2 ounces Tequila

1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice

1 ounce Cointreau

a splash of Grand Marnier

 

Put these ingredients and ice into a cocktail shaker, and shake away.

Then pour and enjoy.

Put salt around glass rim, if that's what you like.

 

Oh, and she also made the delicious kimchi on the left.  I made a spicier version.

K-Pop stars show how to make kimchi, here.

A chicken stir fry, served over rice with a fried egg placed on top.  Chicken stir fry ingredients:  chicken breasts, bamboo shoots, carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, Thai basil, fresh garlic, red curry paste, fish sauce, seasoning sauce and oyster sauce. 

 

My husband always seems intrigued by the way I fry eggs.   But it's just the way everyone does it in Thailand.  Here's a video example.

Raw Food Salad.  Ingredients:  zucchini, cucumber, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, carrots, dill, parsley, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Something very close to what I do at Greenlife.

 

Dark Chocolate Strawberries.