Author: Hannah (BitterSweet)

Author of My Sweet Vegan, Vegan Desserts, Vegan a la Mode, and Easy as Vegan Pie.

Never Say No To Banh Xeo

Captivated from the moment my plate hit the table, practically radiating with aromatic herbs and the subtle, sweet scent of coconut, I was instantly hooked on banh xeo. Magical, almost mythical, it was unlike any dish I had enjoyed before, and for many years, considered it out of reach as a DIY project at home. Little did I know, anyone can make their own banh xeo with a little practice, patience, and determination.

What Is Banh Xeo and Banh Xeo Chay?

Translated as “sizzling cake”, banh xeo is a Vietnamese delicacy that’s been prized by the upper classes for centuries. Legend has it that it originated in the imperial city of Hue, where it was served to the royal court. Over time, the dish spread throughout Vietnam and became a beloved street food, becoming more accessible to people from all walks of life.

For omnivores, the filling often includes seafood like shrimp or prawns and pork of some sort. Vegetarian (chay) versions are just as popular, however, swapping meat for mushrooms and tofu. Both versions include generous amounts of bean sprouts and onions.

Tips For Success

Making banh xeo is a labor of love. The batter is made from rice flour, cornstarch, turmeric, and coconut milk, giving it a bright yellow hue and a slightly sweet flavor. It’s then mixed with beer, which adds a lightness and crispiness to the crepe.

Granted, calling it a “crepe” doesn’t quite ring true. While it may share visual similarities, it’s an entirely different textural experience. French crepes, thin pancakes that can be either sweet or savory, are soft all the way through, tender enough to forgo a knife entirely. Banh xeo, on the other hand, have a resounding crispy finish that rivals that of a lacey florentine cookie. Liberal use of oil and a gossamer thin layer of batter are the culprits, creating a perfect bite that’s both rich and light all at once.

Don’t forget to let your batter rest. While you can certainly give it a go right after whisking everything together, you’ll get much better results that are less likely to tear if you can wait.

Serving Suggestions

Once stuffed and served, banh xeo is best enjoyed as finger food. Tear the filled crepe into smaller pieces and wrap them in crisp lettuce leaves for a cool, refreshing wrapper. Add fresh herbs on top and give it a quick dip in salty, sweet, sour vegan nước chấm (dipping sauce) before taking a bite. The combination of the crispy pancake, fresh lettuce, and fragrant herbs creates an ideal flavor and textural contrast.

Of course, you can also enjoy banh xeo on its own, or with rice noodles and additional vegetables. Don’t let me tell you what to do her! It’s a versatile and delicious dish that can be customized to your tastes.

Whether or not they’re the perfect texture, I promise you’ll have a delicious meal on your hands. Most importantly, don’t be intimidated like I was, depriving yourself of such a wonderful homemade meal for so long. Making banh xeo at home is a wonderful way to experience Vietnamese cuisine and connect with its rich cultural history. As long as you’re willing to try, there are no wrong answers.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)6 Comments

Corny But Tea-rrific

Summertime in the south means brutal heat, a profusion of sweet corn at every market, and endless streams of iced tea. Combine all three into one glass and you get Sweet Corn Milk Tea.

What Is Corn Milk?

Corn milk is nothing new, of course. A longtime staple in Vietnam, China, Indonesia, Guatemala, Brazil, and beyond, the uniquely sweet properties of fresh summer corn have frequently been leveraged in both refreshing and warming drinks, depending on the region. The original experience is a bit like cereal milk, predating processed cornflakes.

  • Guatemalan corn milk, known as atole de elote, is infused with a whole cinnamon stick and served hot.
  • Cachaça, a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice, plus sweetened condensed milk enter the picture for making the Brazilian version called batida de milho verde. Consider it a more tropical version of English milk punch.
  • Susu jagung, literally “corn and milk,” is a more recent trend emerging in Indonesia, often served more as a thick dessert soup.

What Is Milk Tea?

Boba tea shops have popularized the concept with the addition of tender tapioca pearls soaked in honey syrup, but in truth, any brewed tea with a splash of milk qualifies.

  • One of the bestselling drinks in Japan, Royal Milk Tea is made with a blend of Assam and Darjeeling tea leaves and milk.
  • Robust Ceylon or Pu-Erh is the base of Hong Kong milk tea, which is lightened with canned evaporated milk.
  • Brilliantly orange-colored Thai tea is intensely sweet and aromatic, flavored with various spices and enriched with a heavy pour of sweetened condensed milk.
  • Chai isn’t just a highly spiced brew, but the generic word for tea in India. It’s simply made by steeping black tea in milk and water, then sweetening with sugar, although it’s highly encouraged to avail oneself of the wide array of aromatic spices.

We could be here all day talking about various milk teas, so suffice to say, these are a few of the many different styles.

What Is Sweet Tea?

Finally, we have classic southern sweet tea. Brewed hot in large batches to ensure that every grain of sugar has fully dissolved, it must then be chilled and served ice-cold (by law, I believe) in comically oversized glasses. Pure black tea is classic, but lemon, raspberry, and peach are common, equally beloved variants.

Put That Together And You Get: Sweet Corn Milk Tea!

Somewhere along the way to heat stroke and an afternoon nap, sweet corn began to blur the lines into sweet tea, corn milk into milk tea, and before I could stop myself, the connection had been made.

Juicy golden kernels of fresh summer corn blend into a silky-smooth pourable cream. A touch of sugar (or your favorite sugar-free alternative), salt, and vanilla heightens the naturally rich, floral, and subtly savory flavors within. This would be a brilliant topper for oatmeal, poured over pound cake, or even blended with frozen bananas to make a sunny yellow smoothie.

I’d implore you to trust the process and go forward to the full tea experience. While you can use any leaves you prefer, I’d suggest a robust black variety, such as smoky Lapsang Souchong or astringent Pekoe for a bold, bracing, and invigorating contrast. Milk tea should be soothing, while ice tea is refreshing,balancing both elements in one tall glass.

Let’s make this the summer of corn milk, shall we? If oats can hit it big, why can’t corn, the third leading grain crop in the world, do the same?

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Hannah (BitterSweet)8 Comments

Talk Of Tomatoes: 10 Best Fresh Tomato Recipes For Summer

Nothing in the world compares to a ripe summer tomato. Taut skin gleaming in the dappled midday sunshine, it beckons with a ruby red blush. Firm, meaty, and substantial, it needs only a pinch of salt to erupt with savory flavor, naturally sweet, acidic, and subtly peppery. If you’re really lucky, it will still be warm, straight from the garden, the green aroma of its twisted vines still lingering like fading perfume.

For a fruit that’s been around for over 80,000 years, you’d think the novelty would have worn off by now, but humans and animals like simply can’t get enough. At least, I know that’s true for me, especially if we’re talking about heirloom varieties. The more gnarled, colorful, and bulbous, the better. Those beauties never see the heat of the kitchen, too perfect to bear cooking. For the rest, however, I have more than a few winning recipes to make the most of the season.

Maximize your own fresh tomato intake with a few of my favorite recipes:

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Hannah (BitterSweet)7 Comments

Avocado Toast Millionaire

Given the choice between avocado toast and home ownership, you can probably guess which one is more closely aligned to my goals. While it would certainly be nice to set down roots, or at least stop throwing money away on monthly rent, there’s nothing that could convince me to give up this brunch staple. What can I say? I’ve got expensive tastes.

Luckily, avocados often go on sale here for absurdly low prices. When they hit 29 cents apiece, you’d better believe I’m stocking up. Don’t try to tell me that there’s a limit to “stocking” avocados, those highly perishable fruits that go from ripe to rotten in a minute. Powerless in the face of a bargain, I’ll inevitably end up lining my kitchen counters with the surplus, calculating how many lavish toasts I can fit in before they all rot in place.

What To Do with Too Many Avocados

Even if you’re not dealing with such excess, this idea is still a great trick to keep in your back pocket for those avocados that simply get overripe, aren’t the most beautiful, or are otherwise unfit for slicing. Transforming it into cool, refreshing Avocado Toast Soup makes it a respectable entree for any meal. The base is an adaptation of my garlic bread soup from Real Food, Really Fast, enriched with gorgeous green avocados for a perfectly hipster twist. Crunchy croutons lavish the top to give it a satisfying crunch, just like the classic open-faced sandwich.

Topping Ideas and Serving Suggestions

Simplicity is beautiful, but there’s always room for more flavorful garnishes. Think of your favorite avocado toast toppings and incorporate those to taste. A few front runners include:

As a standalone dish, it’s already a nicely balanced and well-rounded brunch or light lunch. For a more substantial meal, a plate of roast vegetables or a hearty kale salad would be a welcome addition.

More Avocado Recipes to Indulge In

If you’re with me on team avocado, here are more avocado-rich recipes you’ll love:

I’d like to believe that one can have their avocado toast and financial security, too. If there was ever a way to do it, this easy, breezy, creamy soup must be part of the solution.

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Hannah (BitterSweet)12 Comments