Category Archives: Recipes

‘Tis Always the Season for Shortbread Cookies

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Chris Galvin

In my family, Christmas just isn’t Christmas without shortbread cookies. Both my parents loved cooking and baking, but my father and I usually made the shortbreads, creaming pounds of butter, combining it with icing sugar, cornstarch and flour, and forming … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Cookbook review: Istanbul and Beyond

Posted on May 5, 2018 by Chris Galvin

Istanbul and Beyond: Exploring the Diverse Cuisines of Turkey Robin Eckhardt, with photography by David Hagerman Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35 (352p) ISBN: 978-0-544-44431-7 *Note and disclaimer: When I originally posted this review, I somehow managed to leave the disclaimer out when I … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews, Books, Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Recipes | Tagged , , , , | 18 Comments

P is for Preserves and my Favourite Vietnamese Chilli Paste

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Chris Galvin

Viet cuisine is known for its fresh ingredients. At my mother-in-law’s table, greenery abounds, the fish and shrimp come from my sister-in-law’s family pond, and Mother buys fresh meat daily at the Đông Ba Market. Canned, bottled, and dry ingredients … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Cooking, Food, Recipes, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

X is for Xửng…Mè Xửng

Posted on September 12, 2017 by Chris Galvin

In the Việt kitchen, the letter X is tasty. I considered writing about xào, stir-frying, or xoài, mango, or perhaps xôi, sticky rice. Then my in-laws sent a huge package of goodies from Huế. Among the many local specialties were … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Cooking, Food, Photos, Recipes, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

G is for Ginger / Gừng

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Chris Galvin

Sao mặt bạn nhăn như khỉ ăn gừng? Why are you wrinkling your face like a monkey eating ginger? (A Vietnamese expression) I don’t know what I’d do without ginger. I use so much of it that I grow it … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Cooking, Food, Photos, Recipes, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , , | 25 Comments

F is for Fish Sauce, Flavour, Phan Thiết and Phú Quốc

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Chris Galvin

The Vietnamese alphabet has no letter F. But it does have the letter PH, as in phở, and also Phan Thiết  and Phú Quốc, two places famous for fish sauce. The former is a southeastern coastal city. The latter is … Continue reading →

Posted in A to Z, Cooking, Food, Photos, Recipes, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , , | 78 Comments

Communion, A Culinary Journey through Vietnam: book review

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Chris Galvin

Kim Fay’s Communion, A Culinary Journey through Vietnam, is a book that lives up to its title. The author takes the reader along as she travels Việt Nam from north to south, researching, cooking and tasting along the way. It’s also a … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews, Books, Cooking, Creative Non-Fiction, Food, Recipes, Viet Nam | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Watermelon, Watermelon!

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Chris Galvin

seedless watermelon – no pip-spitting contests fruit for serious adults (a haiku for dVerse Poets Open Link Night, week 52) Chef Shane Brierly’s kitchen team at Lifestyle Resort Đà Nẵng knows what to do with a watermelon. This is commis … Continue reading →

Posted in Chef Shane Brierly, Cookbooks, Cooking, Food, Photography, Photos, Poetry, Recipes | Tagged , , , | 19 Comments

Cookbook review: Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Vietnamese Recipes from the Heart

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Chris Galvin

Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Vietnamese Recipes from the Heart By Pauline Nguyen, with recipes by Luke Nguyen and Mark Jensen Secrets of the Red Lantern is really two books in one: a memoir and a cookbook. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Book reviews, Books, Cooking, Food, Memoir, Recipes, Viet Nam | Tagged | 7 Comments

Early Morning Muffins

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Chris Galvin

tiptoeing at dawn- buttering tins in silence scent of fresh muffins This morning, I arose very early and decided to bake muffins for breakfast. As the first rays of sun found their way into my kitchen, I eased the fridge open … Continue reading →

Posted in Cooking, Food, Haiku, National Poetry Month, Photos, Poetry, Recipes | Tagged , , | 8 Comments