Vietnamese Foody's Won Ton Noodle Soup

Gearing up for the Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year as most people know it can be a manic experience. Having to make special dishes and deserts as well as buying exotic fruits to celebrate an auspicious year can be overwhelming! I wanted to make a batch of won tons to each during the week and in advance should the need arise.

In all honesty, I have made this based loosely around Vietnamese Foody's Wonton Vietnamese Noodle Soup (mi hoanh thanh)recipe, a mix of my mum's and my own interpretation! So the end result will be more catered to my own tastes, most likely a yay then!

Yay or Nay: Yay

I can't lie, it was good! Delicious in fact! The only downside was that I'd overcooked the won ton just to make sure that they were cooked on the inside. Chuc Mung Nam Moi / kung hei fat choi / Happy New Year

What Katie Ate Next's BBQ Ginger Ale Ribs

When I loaned the book What Katie Did Next (from food blogger and photographer What Katie Ate) I had already flicked through it to see if it was worth borrowing in the first place. I definitely had my eye on this recipe for Barbecue Ginger Ale Ribs. It didn't call for a million ingredients and was simple enough to follow. Plus you didn't need a smoker or a billion hours to make it.

 

Yay or Nay: Yay

I must admit that this didn't have the same finished as promised in the book - shiny and sticky. I followed the recipe to a T and made sure I basted every 15 minutes and yet no stickiness! It wasn't a complete fail as it did taste amazing and fell off the bone so it wasn't the method...the only thing I can think of is the ginger ale. The recipe needs 'good quality' ginger ale and I couldn't find any so used store brand which may have been to my detriment!

The Woks of Life's Ants Climbing A Tree

This recipe for Ants Climbing A Tree has been sitting in my Pinterest to-make list and finally I had an opportunity to make it. What enticed me was my husband's and I's love for Sichuan food. Both of us are not big fans of Chinese food (apart from Dim Sum), especially as the offerings are usually horrible greasy western versions of traditional dishes. However, there is a local joint that is Proper, with a capital P, Sichuan cooking. How do we know? The clientele is a big hint (no one speaks English as well as the staff!). We love the spicy, numb your mouth spices although we HATE the super s-l-o-w service!

So instead of waiting around, I decided to make this dish based on its ingredient of spicy fermented bean paste - I have no idea if I bought the right thing but based on the ingredient list I have to just cross my fingers...

Yay or Nay: Nay

It looked so promising, the ginger and spicy sauce making everything a hot shade of red. The flavour is spicy yes, but doesn't have that much depth. It's kind of bland, it could be because I didn't have the two types of soy sauce and just used one, or the paste was the wrong kind but it was a big disappointment. Lesson learned, don't be fooled by styled food pictures!

Chowhound's Easy Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Who doesn't love a mouthful of BBQ? I know I do so replicating this at home should be a breeze. I was first introduced to BBQ when I first came to Rochester and ate at Sticky Lips. The tangy sauce and the super tender meat all piled on top of a oh-so-right bun won me over that night. Fueling my love of BBQ was Man vs. Food which featured a lot and I mean A LOT of BBQ joints. Just thinking of it makes me salivate! Traveling around the US I have had my fair share of BBQ and Tennessee has some of the best! 

I must confess this isn't my first time making this so I know it is already a yay, but if you're looking for a decent and properly easy recipe for pulled pork this is it!

Yay or Nay: Yay

As above, it makes for some good pulled pork. I didn't have any brown sugar to hand so I used regular granulated sugar and it didn't change the flavour that much. I used it for two meals, tacos and sandwiches (burgers) the day after!