Cheesecake Factory's Vietnamese Tacos, At Home!

Earlier this week I was slightly overwhelmed by stress, and decided to drop everything for a tried and true stress reliever - tackling a new (and complicated) recipe. Its was pure kismet that I had all of the ingredients at my house already, including leftover pulled pork that my dad had slow-cooked on his Big Green Egg a few nights before. It was just begging to be used.

I had been totally craving Vietnamese pork buns, which I've had at a few restaurants recently as an appetizer. Most recently, I had them at none other than the Cheesecake Factory, which far from being traditional Asian, were still downright delicious. I know I've had similar buns in other Asian restaurants, but the ones I made at home were directly inspired by the Cheesecake Factory's "Vietnamese Tacos."

The Inspiration: Vietnamese Tacos, from Cheesecake Factory

This was a learning process, and I still need to perfect it. I have very little experience with cooking Asian dishes but I really want to learn. I was very proud of my first attempt, and they passed with flying colors with the whole family. I adapted two recipes that I found online to make my recipe. Jaden from Steamy Kitchen made a version with Pork Belly, and I took the recipe for the buns here at Use Real Butter, but I cut the recipe in half. Both sites have some delicious recipes!

My Homemade Pork Buns!

The steamed buns are what MAKE this dish. Soft and pillowy, they were tricky to make and absolutely delicious. I have never attempted steamed buns before and was thrilled to discover I could make them, and not have to get them store bought and pumped with preservatives. I know you will love them as much as I did!

The August Rush

I am still adjusting to balancing daily life and fitting in time to blog. Its a gradual process that I am trying to commit to, but I think the habit will take a little time to develop.

My radio-silence has been mostly attributed to a feverish rush to build a presentable portfolio for job applications, job hunting, and a huge influx of family coming to stay with us over the last few weeks after a death in the family. After two weeks of madness at home, I escaped for a very last minute vacation to Florida, which was paradise. Things are now slowing down a bit.

So, now I'm back!

Florida!

In the Kitchen: Fresh Tomato Sauce

In Italy, I ate a lot of pasta.
I love cooking, and since I'm half Italian much of what I cook at home is inspired by Italian dishes. Surprisingly, even though I'm home now I am not tired of pasta and I was anxious to make one of my favorites.

This is a dish I love to make - pasta with a fresh tomato sauce along with chicken cutlets. It is comfort food thats easy and delicious. I have to say that the measurements are estimated because I do everything by "look" and "feel"... yes I'm that type of cook! But the beauty of it is that the sauce cooks slowly and it is easy to spice to taste. So be liberal with the spices, you won't regret it! My recipe makes enough for 4 people with leftovers. Just play around with the amount of tomatoes you use if you want to make more or less. Also, a quick disclaimer, this is different from the traditional pomodoro that you will find  in Italy, there are many that are similar but this is my personal take on when I make it at home. (I promise its just as delicious!)

1 small onion
4 cloves garlic
1 cup olive oil
1 package of cherry tomatoes OR about 4 normal sized tomatoes
1 can of whole peeled tomatoes (optional addition if you don't have a lot of fresh tomatoes)
2-3 Tbsp each of basil, oregano and parsley
2 tsp salt
creme fraiche to serve

Start by finely dicing an onion and a few cloves of garlic. Then dice the tomatoes and set aside. You can use any type of tomato, I used cherry tomatoes here. I prefer slicing them up so they will cook faster.

Heat up olive oil in a deep skillet and saute onions on low. When they are translucent and add the garlic. When they onions are garlic have cooked, turn up the heat and add the tomatoes. Let them sizzle and they will begin to break down. As they cook, add basil, parsley and oregano to taste, and then more olive oil and some salt. Keep in mind that this sauce will be chunky and the olive oil is an essential part of the sauce, so be liberal. If you wish, you can add some canned whole peeled tomatoes to the sauce at this time to add a little more flavor. Stir often, and as the tomatoes break down and the sauce cooks, bring up to a boil. Once the tomatoes have cooked, lower the heat to a simmer. Allow to continue to cook as you prepare the rest of the meal. The longer it simmers, the better the flavors will develop. Remember to cover and stir occasionally, so that the sauce doesn't loose too much moisture.

Boil the pasta while the sauce simmers. You can also take that time to make the other stuff - cook your chicken or meatballs or sausage, whatever your heart desires! I made breaded chicken breasts, greens tossed in vinaigrette, and fresh garlic bread! Just remember: prep the pasta sauce first, the "other stuff" next and make the pasta last so its fresh and hot when its time to serve.

When the pasta is done, drain, and then you are ready to serve! I used a very thick, ribbon-like pasta with ruffled edges, called mafaldine. Put a few large spoonfuls of sauce on top of the bowl of hot pasta and then add a dollop of creme fraiche. It will add so much creaminess to your pasta, its delicious! We made chocolate chip cookies for dessert, a perfect finish for Sunday night dinner.