Mi Fen (米粉) [Fried Rice Vermicelli]

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by Jessie on March 7, 2010

mi fen

It’s been a while since the scent of curry lingered behind the kitchen walls of my home. Growing up, that scent undoubtedly meant having “mi fen” (or rice vermicelli as most people know it) for dinner. I dreaded that. Actually, reflecting back, I dreaded just about everything that my mom made. It wasn’t until high school that I magically lost my disdain for Chinese food and yes, even began looking forward to having mi fen for dinner.

Back then, I thought- “What could possibly be worse than the dry, rough texture of an impersonating noodle made from rice?” It was delicate and fragile, two qualities that it in my mind definitely didn’t qualify it to be worthy of liking. But now as I appreciate the story behind mi fan, why the Chinese eat noodles on birthdays (for good luck, of course!), and how mi fan wholly captures spices that few other noodles can, I’ve developed a fond liking for it.

mi fenMi Fen (米粉)

Mi fan is one of those foods that bridges the cultures between Asian cultures including Chinese, Filipino, Malaysian, Vietnamese, and even Pakistani. In Filipino, it’s called “pancit,” which actually means “pian i sit” or literally, “something conveniently cooked fast.” In America, they’re labeled as “rice vermicelli,” or rice noodles. One of those lightbulb clicking moments where I realized that I actually liked mi fan was when I found it in the vegetarian spring rolls they sell at Costco. Go figure. Fake American Chinese food made me realize how much I liked authentic Chinese food.

So my mother, who is actually home for the next week (or two) cooked a heaping batch of her mi fan which will last me for a good three packed lunches. There are tons of variations on this dish, but I’ve never seen anyone make it the way my mother does because she uses curry powder. I think it provides an intriguing flavor, which only a thin noodle such as this, can pick up.

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Posted in Asian, Cooking Recipes

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Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

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by Jessie on March 5, 2010

buttermilk pancakes

Look familiar? A pancake version of the crepes I made before

I should probably purchase Ina Garten’s cookbook or something by now since it seems as if all I cook are her recipes. But after her snubbing of Jennifer Garner (I was the hugest Alias fan ever!) I can’t seem to find the will to shell out  $20+ out of my pocket that’s only going to go into her already big fat piggybank (bolstered by her husband’s run on Wall St- betcha didn’t know that huh!!). I guess that’s what foodnetwork.com is for, eh? Free recipes at the convenience of a button.

So awhile back, I made these crepes and while they were awesome, I wanted something that was uh, not a crepe. I made pancakes. But what I really don’t like about pancakes is how full you get after eating that large stack (I still like the idea of stacking, just not the thickness of the stack) so I made my pancakes extra thin. Of course, the recipe still works for regular pancakes. Just pour more batter!

Ina Garten’s Banana Sour Cream Pancakes
Adapted from here (makes 6 pancakes)

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 extra-large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • Unsalted butter
  • 1 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
  • MELTED CHOCOLATE, PEANUT BUTTER & HONEY

Recipe:

buttermilk pancakes

Sift together the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest (I had none, so you can omit). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

step2 [click to continue…]

Posted in Breakfast, Cooking Recipes

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