Canh Bun Tau (Vietnamese Fish & Noodle Soup) for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

This week Souper Sundays is heading to Vietnam as I am taking part in #FoodandLit, on my favorite book social platform, Litsy. It's an event where we read a book or books from a particular country each month and cook and/or eat food from that country. January was Brazil (you can see my Creamy Brazilian Black Bean Soup here) and in March it will be Ethiopia. 

Vietnamese food is a favorite cuisine of mine and I have ordered in already this month, (Lemongrass Tofu and Veggie Spring Rolls) but I wanted to cook something too, and I wanted to make a non-Pho soup. I have a tiny Vietnamese cookbook, literally called "A Little Vietnamese Cookbook" that I think my mom put in my stocking one Christmas, years ago. I decided on a simple fish an noodle soup. My changes and adaptations are in red below. 

Canh Bun Tau (Vietnamese Fish & Noodle Soup) 

Slightly Adapted from A Little Vietnamese Cookbook by Terry Tan

(Serves 4)

1/2 lb white fish (halibut or cod are excellent) (I used a mix of cod and local monchong)

1 tsp ground ginger or puree of fresh ginger

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1 tsp black pepper

2 Tbsp vegetable oil + 1 Tbsp peanut or sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 large onion, sliced

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

4 sweet basil leaves (I used Thai basil + more for garnish)

1 tsp dried shrimp paste or anchovy sauce (I used this Mam Tom shrimp paste)

5 cups water (I used water + shrimp stock)

juice of 1 lemon

2 Tbsp nuoc mam (Vietnamese Fish Sauce--I used this Thai Kitchen fish sauce)

1 1/2 oz cellophane noodles, soaked until soft (I accidentally bought rice noodles instead)

2 stalks spring onions, chopped

(I added the juice of 1/2 lime before serving and baby Thai basil leaves to serve)

Chop fish coarsely and cover with ginger, salt, and pepper, Set aside. Heat oils in a large saucepan and fry garlic and onions until light brown, then add turmeric, basil and shrimp paste. Add water (or broth), lemon juice, nuoc mam, and bring to a boil. Add fish and cook for 4 minutes or until fish is cooked mostly through. Add noodles and serve in individual bowls with chopped green onions (and basil leaves) on top. 

Notes/Results: A light and mild soup. I wanted more tang and added lime juice to the mix before serving. You might also try some chili garlic sauce stirred in if it's too mild. I used both cod and a local fish called monchong (sickle pomfret) and liked the former texture of the monchong best. This isn't my favorite of Vietnamese soup but it was good, it's healthy, and I would make it again. 

Now let's check out the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who is here!

Crafty Gardener is here with her "Soup'er SP Soup" and says, "I’m calling this soup the SP soup as it is made from split peas and sweet potatoes. There is probably a recipe out there that you can search but I used one of my other recipes and added all sweet potatoes. ... I love to eat soups the second day as they tend to thicken up and get more tasty. I made some for the fridge and some for the freezer."

Debra of Eliot's Eats shared her Gourmet Breakfast Sandwiches inspired by the #AllGirlsBlogParty we both took part in earlier this week. She says, "I was stuck on the “designer egg McMuffins.” ... I decided to make these for a weekend brunch for two.  It just so happened it was Valentine’s Day weekend so it was an added plus. ... I made my own ciabatta rolls using a recipe at King Arthur. This recipe is a two-day process, making the sponge to set overnight and then a total of 5-6 hours for other risings. Plan accordingly."

Judee of Gluten Free A - Z Blog brought a colorful Anti-Inflammatory Salad, saying "This colorful anti-inflammatory and nutrient dense salad is not only delicious, it also contains ingredients known to help reduce inflammation in the body. ... Did you know that inflammation is the number one predictor of heart disease (which can be a silent killer) and plays a key role in aggravating and contributing to many other diseases." 

Shaheen of Allotment2Kitchen shares a Yellow Pea Soup with Red Pepper and Tofu Croutons. She says, "Too much turmeric in a dish can be overpowering and that is what happened with this Yellow Pea Soup .  It was edible though, albeit not the flavour i was quite expecting.  To tone down the turmeric yellow flavour and colour, i first added in some minced red pepper for sweetness and for a change,. I also  made tofu croutons that were fried in a little olive oil and fried until golden on sides to add a bit of body.  It was okay but nothing to get excited about."

Thank you to everyone who joined me this week!

 

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week!

 

Chickenless Noodle Soup from The Friendly Vegan for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

Sometimes I just need a simple soup that reminds me of home and does the trick to clear a stuffy nose (allergies I think). So when I received a copy of The Friendly Vegan Cookbook: 100 Essential Recipes to Share with Vegans and Omnivores Alike by Toni Okamoto and Michelle Cehn as a giveaway prize from my friends at The Book Club Cookbook, the first recipe I tagged to make was their Chickenless Noodle Soup.

 

In fact, I had trouble making it further than the soup recipes in the book because I wanted to make them all, not to mention so many of the other recipes. I am excited to have this book on my shelves and look forward to cooking more from it. But first, let's talk about this soup.

 

It's quick, simple to make, and gets its protein from tofu, that the authors recommend that you bake to give it a chicken-ish texture and it actually did remind me of the pieces of chicken you find in canned chicken soup--but in a good, nostalgic way. The only changes I made to the recipe was to use up fresh thyme instead of dried, add a touch of celery salt (because it's my favorite) and since I neglected to buy fresh parsley, topped my soup with some lovely nutty celery leaves instead.

 

Okamoto and Cehn say, "There's nothing a steaming bowl of chickenless noodle soup can't cure, which is why we turn to this comforting dish whenever we're feeling under the weather. In place of chicken we use extra-firm tofu, which adds texture and substance."

 

Chickenless Noodle Soup

Reprinted from The Friendly Vegan

(Makes 4 Large Servings)

 

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 medium ribs celery, diced

3 medium carrots, sliced into thin rounds

4 medium cloves garlic, minced 

1/2 tsp dried thyme

8 cups vegetable broth (or equivalent amount of vegetable bouillon & water)

1 bay leaf

8 oz (half a 16-oz package) of your favorite pasta

1/4 tsp dried dill

8 oz (half a 16-oz block) extra-firm tofu, drained & sliced into small cubes

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, and thyme and saute until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the vegetable broth and the bay leaf and bring to a rolling boil. Allow to boil for at least 5 minutes.

Add the uncooked pasta to the pot and continue boiling until the pasta is cooked (using the cooking time suggested on you package of pasta).

As soon as the pasta is tender, remove the pot from the heat, remove the bay leaf, and stir in the dill and tofu. Serve garnished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley. 

Friendly Suggestion: If you like firmer tofu, which better, replicates that chicken mouthfeel, you can bake the tofu with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes before adding it to the soup.

 

Notes/Results: This hit the spot today with it's chickeny flavor and thick curly noodles and I love how quick and easy it was to put together. I liked the texture of the tofu (I pressed mine first, then cut it in half, seasoned and baked about 15 minutes, turning it over once, o get more of the lightly browned pieces of tofu). Next time i might try using some poultry seasoning on it first--although it does get flavor from the soup broth. I will happily make this again. 

 

Now let's check into the Souper Sundays kitchen

The Craft Gardener brought Lentil Soup this week and says, "I’m a soup lover and lentil soup is another delicious one to make. It is a great way to get lots of veggies and fibre all cooked together and served in a bowl. I like to blend about half the soup and mix with the remaining part to make a lumpy consistency. The choice is yours. Choose what you prefer – smooth, lumpy, chunky or soupy. If you like soupy you can add more liquid."

Judee of Gluten Free A-Z Blog shared her Vegan Fast and Easy Sweet Potato Soup, saying "Like everyone else, I make winter squashes, pumpkin, sweet potatoes. In particular, I like to make steamed sweet potatoes in my Instant Pot which is easy and comes out soft and juicy. Of course, I always make too many and have leftovers."

 

Thank you for joining me this week Judee and Crafty Gardener!

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
 

If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

 Have a happy, healthy week!

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "The What to Eat When Cookbook" Served with a Recipe for Carciofi E Pepe

Happy Friday! Another long and crazy week, that still isn't over and one that had me wanting to stuff food in my mouth like it was going out of style, looking for a little comfort. Since I was still sneaking leftover Halloween candy at work all week, I am happy to have a new healthy cookbook in my collection and I am happy to be a stop on the TLC Book Tour for The What to Eat When Cookbook: 135+ Deliciously Timed Recipes by Michael F. Roizen, M.D., Michael Crupain, M.D., M.P.H., and James Perko, Sr., CEC, AAC. Accompanying my review is a recipe from the book for pasta, one of the ultimate comfort foods.

Publisher's Blurb:

This inspiring cookbook/strategic eating plan–sequel to the wildly popular What to Eat When–offers 125 delectable recipes geared to longevity, weight loss, and success.

In their acclaimed lifestyle guide What to Eat When, Dr. Michael Roizen and Dr. Michael Crupain revealed when to eat foods for healthier living, disease prevention, better performance, and a longer life. The key, they assert, is eating breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper. Now, in this mouthwatering sequel, they deliver 125 recipes to put these lessons into practice. From a fiber-rich pasta dish loaded with healthy and fresh tomatoes and a creamy lemon dip and homemade crackers to satisfy your snack cravings to a salmon burger you’ll love to eat for breakfast (yes, breakfast!) and a healthier, decadant chocolate mousse–a treat that also offers hormone-boosting ingredients before you hit the gym. Each dish is paired with practical information about the nutrients and benefits of the ingredients, plus expert cooking tips, what portion size to eat when, and helpful subsitutions. Covering breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert–and the best times to eat all four–this highly anticipated sequel to Roizen and Crupain’s best-selling eating guide offers a plethora of meals that will get you through the day, and extend your life by years!

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: National Geographic (October 20, 2020) 

Author Notes:

DR. MICHAEL ROIZEN is the Chief Wellness Officer at the Cleveland Clinic, Chief Medical Consultant on The Dr. Oz Show, author of four #1 New York Times best-selling books, and originator of the popular RealAge.com. He is board certified in anesthesiology and internal medicine. He’s been recognized with an Ellie, an Emmy, and the Paul G. Rogers Award from the National Library of Medicine for Best Medical Communicator.

DR. MICHAEL CRUPAIN is the Medical Director of The Dr. Oz Show. He is board certified in preventive medicine, a fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine, and part-time faculty at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Prior to joining The Dr. Oz Show, he directed food safety testing at Consumer Reports. He is an Emmy award-winning producer and sat on an USDA advisory committee.

JIM PERKO is the executive chef for the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute and the Center for Integrative and Lifestyle Medicine. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, he has apprenticed for the American Culinary Federation 1976 US Culinary Olympic Team and cooked for scientists on the 1977-78 US Antarctic Expedition. Perko is the founder of the national award-winning program Food Is Knowledge.

My Thoughts:

I had read just a little bit about the What to Eat when Plan (The When Way) but I am always interested in finding good healthy recipes to add to my reportaire, whether or not I follow the eating plan or not. The book starts with a chapter titled: What to Eat When: The Cheat Sheet which gives an overview of the plan. It's fairly simple with the two major principles being, "eat only when the sun is up" and "eat more earlier in the day." These are things I actually do with a heartier breakfast and lunch and a lighter dinner. There are some basic nutritional philosophies, nothing too radical, things like limiting red meat and pork to 4 oz and 6 oz a week respectively. There is a list of "No! Foods"--mainly added sugars, syrups, white flour, processed foods, fried foods and coconut and palm oil. Chapter Two is called The Kitchen Sink and it's all about cooking and food prep--probably most impactful for someone who doesn't cook much. Recipe chapters are divided by Dips, Sauces, Snacks & Apps, Pasta, Grains and Sandwiches, Vegetables, Soups & Salads, Fish & Poultry and Drinks & Desserts and the back includes a 31-day eating plan and a recipe index by both ingredient and by recipe.  

Here are some of the recipes I tagged to make, all of the Creamas (pureed vegetables like cauliflower, carrot, artichoke, and corn to use as a base for sauces without using dairy. I picked a recipe with the Artichoke Cream to try), Beet Muhammara, Cashew-Naise (a mayo substitute), Shallot, Mint and Lemon Yogurt, Fennel Bagna Cauda and Harissa Spice Blend, Whole Grain Waffles with Chia Berry Sauce, Mushroom "MLT", Cauliflower Masala with Lemon-Scented Millet, Linguine with Mushroom "Bacon," Onion & Tomato (When Way Amatriciana), Jamaican Jerk Jack, Leftover Celery Sicilian Style, Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Warm Vinaigrette, Asparagus with Cashew Basil "Aioli", Pesto Green Beans, Lentil Dumplings, Fennel with Coriander & Cumin Scented Tomato Sauce, Creamed Corn, Snap Pea Salad, "Addictive" Quinoa Salad, Roasted Vegetable Ribollita, When Way Black Lentil Soup, Trout Piccata, Salmon Rillettes, Salmon Burgers with Harissa Yogurt, When Way Golden Milk, Chocolate Espresso Mousse, Vitality Smoothie, Grape Escape, and Whole Grain and Dark Chocolate WTEW Bars. 

Many of the 135 recipes are accompanied by good color photos of the finished dish, and the instructions seem straightforward. There are some harder-to-find ingredients but most things can be purchased at a good grocery store. I did find a few of the recipe choices made a little strange, there are essentially three recipes for salmon burgers/patties--one even being just cooking up a frozen burger--maybe each of the three authors wanted a different salmon burger recipe in there? And there are two different chocolate mousse recipes, again it seems a bit of overkill. Overall, I think this cookbook is one I will use, both for the recipes and the inspiration with the different components. I like cookbooks that give me options and ideas for healthier recipes. It leans to vegetarian/vegan side, even with the chapter with fish (lots of salmon) and (mostly chicken) poultry recipes, which makes it good for me. People looking for the push to eat less meat and more whole grains should find it a good resource even if they don't follow this eating plan. 

So I was going to make one of the chocolate mousses but too much chocolate noshing lately, had me looking for a savory dish. I was intrigued by the When Way take on cacio e pepe and I usually have canned artichokes in my pantry. I did fail in using whole grain pasta as I just had regular linguine in my cupboard, so that's what I used. 

The What to Eat When Cookbook says, "Roman cacio e pepe is a simple yet delicious dish of just-cooked pasta served with freshlygrated pecorino cheese and a healthy dose of freshly ground pepper. Of course, on the When Way, we recommend limiting your cheese intake, so we came up with this version  made with a creamy artichoke sauce (crema di carciofi) rather than cheese. This is a pasta dish we prefer warm, so just make as many servings as you are going to eat immediately."

Carciofi E Pepe 

Reprinted with Permission from The What to Eat When Cookbook

(Makes 4 Servings)

Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook time: 10 mins 

Ingredients:  

1 can (13.75-oz) quartered artichokes, drained 

6 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 to 3 Tbsp water

4 quarts water

salt

8 oz whole grain linguine 

freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Place the artichokes in a Vitamix or high-speed blender. Add olive oil. start the blender on low speed and increase speed gradually--the mixture is very thick and may not puree if you increase the speed too quickly. Scrape down the side of the blender jar, then shake the jar, and start again as needed. Add water by tablespoonsfuls (up to 3 tablespoons), and continue to blend until a very smooth puree. This may take several minutes. 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add salt until it's salty like the sea. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Drain the pasta, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the crema de carciofi and toss to coat. Add agenerous amount of freshly ground black pepper and additional salt to taste,

Nutrition: Serving Size 1/2 Cup: Calories: 601 kcal, Total fiber: 10 g total Protein: 12.3 g Total Fat: 30.7 g total, Saturated Fat: 4 g, Healthy Fat: 24.3, Carbs: 48.7 g, Sugars: 3 g, Sodium: 61 mg, Potassium: 350 mg, Magnesium: 68 mg, Calcium 30 mg

Notes/Results:  I don't think anyone would taste this creamy sauce and think it was filled with cheese and dairy but I really liked it on the pasta--it is rich, creamy and has that slight "funk" in a good way that artichokes have. And of course I am a black pepper nut. I can see why the authors recommend you make just enough servings to eat fresh rather than reheating as the sauce does get a bit gloppy as it cools, but I had a concern it might be too fibrous and it wasn't at all after blending it for several minutes. I had no problem devouring my pasta and I am going to experiment with heating up and using my leftover sauce. It was so fast and easy, I will make it again and I plan on trying the other purees as well.  

I'm sharing this post with the Weekend Cooking event  being hosted by Marg at The Adventures of An Intrepid Reader. It's a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. Here's the link to this week's post.

Note: A review copy of "The What to Eat When Cookbook" was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for my review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own. 
 
You can see the other stops for this TLC Book Tour and what other bloggers thought of the book here.

 

Black Bean Soup from "What's Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Want" by Gaby Dalkin for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays & for #AbramsDinnerParty

I had heard of Gaby Dalkin and her blog What's Gaby Cooking but I had never really explored it or her recipes until I received her cookbook, What's Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Want: 125 Recipes for Real Life as part of #AbramsDinnerParty. I have just started going through the book and found many recipes to try, the first being her Black Bean Soup. I'll review this cookbook officially after I have tried a couple more recipes (the Baked Feta with Honey & Black Pepper, Goat Cheese Polenta with Cherry Tomatoes & Basil Vinaigrette are next up) so let's get right to the soup.

I stuck to the recipe with the exception of adding a slightly limp red pepper that I needed to use so as not to waste it. I also thought I had a can of chipotles in adobo and didn't buy one when I went to the store so I substituted McCormick Chipotle and Roasted Garlic Seasoning to taste.

Gaby says, "I have such fond childhood memories of my mom making this for us ... and then letting us pile on an insane amount of cheese. We were seriously aggressive.) For this version I've swapped all that cheese for sour cream, which gives the soup the perfect amount of tangy creaminess. It's easy to make, fantastic as leftovers, and freezes well too."

Black Bean Soup 
From What's Gaby Cooking: Eat What You Want by Gaby Dalkin 
(Serves 6 to 8)

2 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for serving
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 stalk celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp ground cumin
1 to 2 Tbsp adobo sauce from a can of chipotles in adobo, depending on desired spiciness
kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
4 (15 oz/430 g) cans black beans, drained & rinsed
2 1/2 cups (600 ml) vegetable broth
juice of 1 lime, plus more lime wedges for serving
1/2 cup (120 ml) sour cream
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and diced
fresh cilantro sprigs
fresh scallions, thinly sliced

Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Stir in the cumin and adobo sauce and cook until the vegetables are well coated and very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beans and vegetable broth and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, until the beans are very tender, about 30 minutes.

Transfer half the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Return the puree to the pot and stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and the juice of 1 lime. Divide the soup among bowls, Top with a drizzle of olive oil and some sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and scallions. Serve lime wedges alongside.

Notes/Results: This soup smelled really delicious while cooking and tasted just as good. Smoky, a kick of spice, just a good simple black beans soup. I especially liked that she used 4 cans of beans. It seems like I always add extra cans to bean soup recipes because when you puree half a soup and there aren't enough beans it just isn't chunky enough. This one is definitely chunky. I approve of the toppings too--the sour cream is delicious and you could use a vegan version if you wanted a vegan soup.

   

Many thank to Abrams Books and #AbramsDinner Party for this great new cookbook that I intend to cook a lot from. This post is sponsored by Abrams Books, as part of the Abrams Dinner Party however my thoughts, feelings and experiences cooking from it are my own. #sponsored 

Let's see who awaits in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week:

Shaheen of Allotment2Kitchen brought Pea Shoots and Asparagus Pasta Salad, saying, "Yes, I know what some of you may be thinking - another Pasta Salad! but you will be pleased to note that this one does actually have some homegrown ingredients - Pea shoots. The pea shoots and pea stems and leaves are all from the garden, not the asparagus - that came from the supermarket. ... The pea shoots pasta salad is not heavy in pea flavour, its delicate in flavour. And to punctuate the green, I stirred in some raw diced red pepper for colour and crunch."
  

Tina of Squirrel Head Manor was also feeling the black beans this week and made this unique Black Bean Gnocchi Soup loosely inspired by Kong Skull Island. She said, "I don't have a recipe but I'll tell you what I did. I sauteed an onion and several garlic cloves in olive oil. Once the onions were soft I added a can of black beans and chopped tomatoes. Mix this up well then add broth, salt, ground pepper, roasted garlic powder and basil. I used roughly 4 cups of broth as I like it soupy. Now add gnocchi and simmer."
  

Thank you to Tina and Shaheen for joining me this week!

(If you aren't familiar with Souper Sundays, you can read about of the origins of it here.
If you would like to join in Souper (Soup, Salad, and Sammie) Sundays, I would love to have you! Here's how...

To join in this week's Souper Sunday's linkup with your soup, salad or sandwich:

• Link up your soup (stew, chili, soupy curries, etc. are fine), salad, or sandwich dish, (preferably one from the current week or month--but we'll take older posts too) on the picture link below and leave a comment on this post so I am sure not to miss you. Also please see below for what to do on your blog post that you link up to Souper Sundays in order to be included in the weekly round-up.

and 

On your entry post (on your blog):

• Mention Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammies) Sundays at Kahakai Kitchen and add a link back to this post. (Not to be a pain but it's polite and only fair to link back to events you link up at--so if you link a post up here without linking back to this post or my blog on your post, it will be removed.)
• You are welcome to add the Souper Sundays logo to your post and/or blog (completely optional).

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Have a happy, healthy week and be well. 
 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "JD in the Kitchen: Indian Sweet Snacks" by Jasmine Daya, Served with a Recipe for Coconut Ladwa (Indian Macaroons)

Happy Aloha Friday! It's been another long and busy week and I am very happy the weekend is here. Weekends are a good time for indulging a bit so I am going to enjoy a few of these Coconut Ladwa with a cup of chai. They are one of the treats in JD in the Kitchen: Indian Sweet Snacks by Jasmine Daya, and I am today's stop on the TLC Book Tour for this little cookbook. 

 Publisher's Blurb:

Jasmine Daya is a seasoned home cook who loves creating sweet treats while collaborating in the kitchen with her mother, Shan. In her third cookbook, Daya shares recipes for delicious Indian sweet snacks with East African influences that include almond halva (a special occasion dish), coconut ladwa (an Indian macaroon), crushed bundhi ladwa (a soft, delightful treat often given at weddings), jalebi (a festive sticky treat known for its bright color and immense sweetness), pera (a saffron flavored snack), thepla (an Indian cookie that pairs perfectly with an afternoon cup of tea), and many more recipes for satisfying concoctions that tantalize the taste buds while comforting the soul. JD in the Kitchen: Indian Sweet Snacks is a collection of easy-to-follow recipes that will guide home cooks of all ages to create tasty treats that will leave their guests content and wanting more.

Paperback: 70 pages
Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services (January 22, 2020)

My Review:

I don't buy a lot of specialty cookbooks that delve only into one food item or category but I am always intrigued by Indian cooking and like to broaden my knowledge and cooking repertoire, always looking to learn in the kitchen. That's what I was looking for with JD in the Kitchen: Indian Sweet Snacks and I wish there was more information included in the book. I think there are probably two groups of people most interested in this type of cookbook--either those who grew up with these snacks and treats and are looking for easy recipes for how to create them, and those of us who maybe enjoyed some halva or burfi at a restaurant and are looking to know more about them and try them in our kitchens. The book would meet the needs of the first group, but not so much the second. It is basically a collection of 31 recipes for sweet treats and snacks. There is a brief, mostly one-sentence description of the recipe with an occasional note about when it might be served or that it is a favorite of the author and her family. What's missing for me is a list of unfamiliar ingredients. I recognized the basics and even some of the slightly less known, but I am not sure the average home cook who hasn't grown up with ingredients like semolina, custard powder, chickpea flour, milk powder, jaggery, and fried gundh (edible gum believed to have healing properties) will know what they are, and where to get them. So an ingredient list and resources to buy would be helpful including information about candy molds and sizes and other tools. I liked that there were good color photos of the snacks but some of them had embellishments that a home cook would probably not achieve without help. The burfi below is a good example--there is no mention of the decorative chocolate topping. A "this is what I use to make it festive but you could also serve it plain or with scattered ______ on top" would be helpful. There was mention of optional edible silver leaves on the Cardamon Burfi recipe but not on the other few recipes that used them later in the book.

I wanted more detail and more stories as the author's background very interesting as a practicing lawyer and her mother was born in East Africa and immigrated to Canada. More detail about the food and her background is available on her blog, but I would have liked it in the book. The recipes are listed in alphabetical order and I would have liked an index of some sort to accompany them by ingredient. I did like the cover--perfect for wiping spills off and the spiral binding as it lays flat perfectly when you are reading and cooking from it. The recipes themselves are pretty clearly written and many could be made with a visit to a decent grocery store and a well-stocked spice rack, however others do require molds and other equipment. All in all, if you are looking for some Indian sweets recipes, this is a good compact book of them, just don't go into it expecting more than that.


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Author Notes: Jasmine Daya is the mother of three children and a practicing lawyer.  She is passionate about her work, life and children but doing it all means that her day starts early and ends late.  Jasmine decided to start a blog to share how she balances spending quality time with her children every day while accomplishing her career goals, enjoying time with friends and having a little time to herself in the hopes that aspiring young women can realize that they too can have it all.

Find out more about her at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Instagram.


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I tabbed several recipes to try from the book like the fudges--Burfi, more of a milk fudge and the Cashew Burfi with cardamom and cashews, and the Coconut Paak, a pretty pink coconut based fudge and Pistachio Paak--a crunchy and nutty fudge. I also thought about making the Jugu Paak, an easy peanut brittle, the Kokotende, an Indian cookie coated with a sugar glaze, the decadent (2 cups of butter) Mesub which is one of the author's mother's favorite treats or the intriguing Sev Paak, a sweet treat made with vermicelli.

Ultimately with timing and easy availability of ingredients, I decided to make the Coconut Ladwa, essentially an Indian version of a macaroon. They required only six ingredients including water and no baking--just cooking and time to set up.

Coconut Ladwa (An Indian Macaroon)
Printed With Permission From JD in the Kitchen: Indian Sweet Snacks by Jasmine Daya

1 cup sugar 
1/2 cup water
2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
2 tsp ground cardamom
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
1 Tbsp unsalted butter

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a pot over low heat, combine the sugar and water, stirring periodically until the sugar dissolves. Add the the coconut and ground cardamom and stir to combine cooking for about 5 minutes. Add the fennel seeds and butter and stir to combine, cooking for about 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat. Once cooled, take 1 tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat until all the mixture is used. Let set and place on a serving dish.

Notes/Results: These are tasty little macaroons. I love cardamom and fennel and coconut and all of those flavors are at the forefront so if you don't like any of those flavors, these are not your macaroon. I did have some challenges getting them to stick together to form a ball (it could have been the store-brand shredded sweetened coconut I had to buy as it seemed coarser & dryer than the Baker's brand I usually use) but I used my small ice cream scoop and once they were packed in, they held together well once set up. They did have a slightly gray-green cast to them that doesn't show up as much in the pictures, but I think with the two teaspoons of dried cardamom powder in the mix, that color is a given. With the way the week went, I didn't get a chance to make a cup of chai to enjoy with these treats, but I will this weekend.

I'm sharing this post with the Weekend Cooking event that was held at Beth Fish Reads, but is now being hosted with Marg at The Adventures of An Intrepid Reader. It's a weekly event that is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share. You can see this past week's post here.

Note: A review copy of "JD in the Kitchen: Indian Sweet Snacks" was provided to me by the author and the publisher via TLC Book Tours. I was not compensated for my review and as always, my thoughts and opinions are my own. 
 
You can see the other stops for this TLC Book Tour and what other bloggers thought of the book here.