Banh Bot Loc (Clear Dumplings w/ Pork and Shrimp)

This is one out of the many dishes that my mother is making for the dam gio. I think her recipe beats store bought dumplings any day.

First, empty out two bags of transparent wet rice rolls flour into a bowl.

Pour in two cups of hot water and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is soft and smooth. If it is too sticky, add additional tapioca starch until it is easy to handle.

Cut the dough into quarters and apply my mother's technique (roll each piece into a thin, long rope and then use a scissor to snip off small pieces of dough).

Mold each piece of dough into a small, thin pancake. It should be no larger than the palm of your hand.

For it to be authentic, you have to fill it with shrimp and pork. My mom simply stir-fries the shrimp and pork, adding dashes of brown sugar and fish sauce.

Now, comes my job. I am the official dumpling pincher and I take my job very seriously. However, today my father jumps in with another one of his genius inventions. Using a piece of plastic, he attempts to make the perfect dumpling pincher mold, in hopes of making my job a bit easier.

Thanks dad.

When you're finished, you can either cook the dumplings right away or freeze them. If you freeze them, be sure to let them thaw a bit before you cook them.

To cook the dumplings, dump them into a boiling pot of water. When the dumplings float and are clear in color, they are ready. Top them off with some soy sauce or fish sauce.

Unfortunately, I was not able to document the cooking portion. My mother cooked them too early in the morning, when I was still snoozing in bed.

Che Troi Nuoc (Sticky Rice Dumplings w/ Ginger Syrup)

Tomorrow will be our annual family's dam gio. In Vietnamese, this is an event where relatives and family members gather to remember those who have passed away. This occasion is for my late grandmother and grandfather from my father's side. Even thought I've never met them before, it is accustomed that all members of the family must pay their respects with several bows in front of the altar.

But don't worry, it's not a sad event at all. It's like a mini party. About 15-20 people come over (family friends or relatives). A lot of drinking and jokes are involved (among the adults) and the children (like me) are subjected to a mini room with board games and cards.

My sisters and I are a bit skeptical about this entire ordeal. We're not sure that we can continue this when my parents grow old. Especially the cooking part.

My mother is the one who cooks ALL of the food for this event. These are the times when I realize how strong willed she is, willing to wake up at 5 in the morning to prep the food.

In honor of her hard work, I thought I'd kick off this blog with one of my favorite Vietnamese desserts.

This evening, I had a craving for something warm and sweet. So, I begged my mother to make some che troi nuoc, and she eventually gave in.

Che Troi Nuoc (Sticky Rice Dumplings w/ Ginger Syrup)

First off, fill a pot (about half-full) with water. Once it comes to a boil, add 2 blocks of brown sugar candy. Let it dissolve.

Set aside a separate pot of boiling water for the dough pieces later on.

Meanwhile, cut up some ginger into thin strips. The amount depends on your liking.

My parents love it, so my mother goes a bit crazy on the ginger. When you're done, toss them into the pot (with the brown sugar) and stir.

In a bowl, dump in one bag of boc nep, or glutinous rice flour.

Add approximately 1 1/2 cups of water. Knead until the dough is baby smooth.

Next is my mother famous technique. Instead of grabbing dough from the ball and rounding them off one by one, cut the dough into quarters. Then, roll each piece into a rope (like you would when making a pretzel). If you want bigger pieces of dough, then roll the rope thicker. If you want small pieces, roll the rope thinner. I prefer the small pieces of dough.

Using a scissor, snip off pieces of the dough. If you're lazy, you can just snip them right into the pot. However, I like my dough pieces round.

Add the dough pieces to the pot of boiling water and cook them for a few minutes until they all float. Be sure to mix every once and a while.

When they're done, empty them into a basket and rinse them off with some cold water.

Dump the delicious dough pieces into the other pot. Allow the soup to reduce and the dough pieces to absorb all of that ginger brown sugar goodness.

Now, it's time to prepare the coconut milk. I love coconut.

This is the brand that my mother likes to use, but I think any is fine.

Pour the coconut milk to a small pan. Add some salt and sugar until you are satisfied with the taste. Then, pull it off of the heat.

Toast some sesame seeds in a separate pan until they're nice and brown.

Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for.
Oh yes. It's time to eat.

Ladle some of that doughy goodness into a bowl.

Add a big dollop of the coconut milk. Don't be shy.

Sprinkle some sesame seeds over the top.

And voila. Time to dig in.

Trust me, you won't be sorry. This is the perfect thing to eat on a cold, winter day.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, and to all a good night!