1kidzdoc
This is a page where we can share recipes we make and enjoy, our favorite cookbooks, restaurants of special interest, etc. I didn't do much cooking in 2025, but that will hopefully significantly this year, and I'll post old recipes and new ones that I particularly like.
2ELiz_M
My new favorite cookbook, which I was luckly to find used for $10, is Tenderheart. I've made a half-dozen recipes so far and they've all been good to delicious. I love how it is arranged by vegetable. The recipes are fairly simple (equal or slightly more complex than Moosewood, but not as involved as The New Vegetarian Epicure) and they have wonderful flavor combinations.
She also provides free recipes on substack.
She also provides free recipes on substack.
3kidzdoc
>2 ELiz_M: Thanks, Liz. I requested Tenderheart from my county's library system, but this seems like a book to buy rather than borrow. I'll look at her substack page as well.
4rasdhar
>2 ELiz_M: I just picked up Hetty McKinnon's other book, Linger and I find all her recipes to be excellent.
5ELiz_M
From My Cambodia: A Khmer Cookbook
This is not a cookbook for vegetarians at all. It's difficult to even find pescatarian recipes, but I did enjoy a couple of items.
NGYOM MEE SOU (GLASS NOODLE SALAD)
4 ounces glass noodles
1/4 pound skinless pork belly (I used tofu, cut into small cubes and added in step 5)
Kosher salt
6 medium shrimp (about 3 ounces), without tails, peeled, and deveined
1 cup Tuk Trey Piam /Fish Sauce Dressing (page 37)
½ small red or green (or a combination of both!) cabbage, thinly shredded (1 cup)
1 small carrot, thinly shredded (1½ cup)
½ small bell pepper (any color), thinly sliced (½ cup)
1 Persian cucumber, or 1/4 English cucumber, unpeeled, sliced into 1/4-inch coins (1½ cup)
1 cup loosely packed mix of Thai basil, cilantro, and mint leaves
2 tablespoons chopped salted peanuts
-Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Drop in the noodles, boil for 20 seconds, then immediately drain and rinse well with cold water. Cut the noodles into 3-inch strands.
-Refill the pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the pork belly and 2 teaspoons salt. Boil until the water turns cloudy and a fork easily pierces the pork, about 15 minutes, then transfer the pork to a cutting board. Once cool, thinly slice the pork.
-As the pork cools, rinse out the pot, fill it halfway with water again, and turn the heat to high. Separately, fill a large bowl with water and ice.
-Once the water in the pot begins to boil, turn off the heat and add the shrimp and 1 teaspoon salt. Poach the shrimp by letting them sit in the water until they turn pink and are no longer translucent, about 5 minutes, then transfer them to the ice bath. Cool, then drain and pat the shrimp dry. Cut them in half, or into bite-size pieces.
-In a large bowl, stir together the sliced pork belly, shrimp, and dressing. Let the pork and shrimp soak up the dressing for about 10 seconds, then mix in the noodles. Add the cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, and cucumber and mix again. Top with the herbs and peanuts and serve.
TUK TREY PIAM (FISH SAUCE DRESSING)
1½ cup unsweetened rice vinegar
1½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (3 to 4 limes)
2/3 cup fish sauce
5 garlic cloves or Chrouk Khtoem
1 shallot, minced
2 bird's eye or Fresno chiles, chopped
-Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and water in a medium bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lime juice, stir, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
-Stir in the fish sauce, garlic, shallot, and chiles. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes before using. Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
This is not a cookbook for vegetarians at all. It's difficult to even find pescatarian recipes, but I did enjoy a couple of items.
NGYOM MEE SOU (GLASS NOODLE SALAD)
4 ounces glass noodles
1/4 pound skinless pork belly (I used tofu, cut into small cubes and added in step 5)
Kosher salt
6 medium shrimp (about 3 ounces), without tails, peeled, and deveined
1 cup Tuk Trey Piam /Fish Sauce Dressing (page 37)
½ small red or green (or a combination of both!) cabbage, thinly shredded (1 cup)
1 small carrot, thinly shredded (1½ cup)
½ small bell pepper (any color), thinly sliced (½ cup)
1 Persian cucumber, or 1/4 English cucumber, unpeeled, sliced into 1/4-inch coins (1½ cup)
1 cup loosely packed mix of Thai basil, cilantro, and mint leaves
2 tablespoons chopped salted peanuts
-Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Drop in the noodles, boil for 20 seconds, then immediately drain and rinse well with cold water. Cut the noodles into 3-inch strands.
-Refill the pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Add the pork belly and 2 teaspoons salt. Boil until the water turns cloudy and a fork easily pierces the pork, about 15 minutes, then transfer the pork to a cutting board. Once cool, thinly slice the pork.
-As the pork cools, rinse out the pot, fill it halfway with water again, and turn the heat to high. Separately, fill a large bowl with water and ice.
-Once the water in the pot begins to boil, turn off the heat and add the shrimp and 1 teaspoon salt. Poach the shrimp by letting them sit in the water until they turn pink and are no longer translucent, about 5 minutes, then transfer them to the ice bath. Cool, then drain and pat the shrimp dry. Cut them in half, or into bite-size pieces.
-In a large bowl, stir together the sliced pork belly, shrimp, and dressing. Let the pork and shrimp soak up the dressing for about 10 seconds, then mix in the noodles. Add the cabbage, carrot, bell pepper, and cucumber and mix again. Top with the herbs and peanuts and serve.
TUK TREY PIAM (FISH SAUCE DRESSING)
1½ cup unsweetened rice vinegar
1½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (3 to 4 limes)
2/3 cup fish sauce
5 garlic cloves or Chrouk Khtoem
1 shallot, minced
2 bird's eye or Fresno chiles, chopped
-Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and water in a medium bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the lime juice, stir, and let it sit for 10 minutes.
-Stir in the fish sauce, garlic, shallot, and chiles. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes before using. Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
6ELiz_M
From My Cambodia: A Khmer Cookbook
STIR-FRIED CUCUMBERS WITH BLACK PEPPER + EGG
2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cup sliced (-inch thin and 1-inch wide) pork belly (optional) (I used tofu)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ tablespoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
1½ pounds cucumbers, unpeeled, quartered lengthwise, deseeded, and cut into 2-inch spears (5 cups)
2 eggs
Kosher salt (optional)
2 green onion stalks, sliced
Steamed Jasmine Rice, for serving
In a wok or large skillet over high heat, heat the oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. If you're adding pork belly, now's the time. Sauté the pork until the slices are nice and browned, about 5 minutes. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and½ teaspoon pepper and stir everything all together. Add the cucumbers and sauté until they've softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat them lightly with a fork or chopsticks. Make a well at the very center of the wok and add the eggs. Scramble them right in the well. Once they've set, about 2 minutes, sauté everything together for about another 5 minutes, or until well combined. Carefully taste. Add a pinch of salt if you think it needs more seasoning. Top with the green onions and some more pepper. Serve with rice. That's it! It's best to eat it up right away, but if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
(This is my favorite note)
Vegetarian and vegan variations: To make this vegetarian, omit the fish sauce and oyster sauce and add salt to taste. To make it vegan, omit the egg, too.
(In other words, to make it vegan just stir fry some cucumber with sugar, garlic and black pepper)
STIR-FRIED CUCUMBERS WITH BLACK PEPPER + EGG
2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1½ cup sliced (-inch thin and 1-inch wide) pork belly (optional) (I used tofu)
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ tablespoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
1½ pounds cucumbers, unpeeled, quartered lengthwise, deseeded, and cut into 2-inch spears (5 cups)
2 eggs
Kosher salt (optional)
2 green onion stalks, sliced
Steamed Jasmine Rice, for serving
In a wok or large skillet over high heat, heat the oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. If you're adding pork belly, now's the time. Sauté the pork until the slices are nice and browned, about 5 minutes. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and½ teaspoon pepper and stir everything all together. Add the cucumbers and sauté until they've softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
Crack the eggs into a small bowl and beat them lightly with a fork or chopsticks. Make a well at the very center of the wok and add the eggs. Scramble them right in the well. Once they've set, about 2 minutes, sauté everything together for about another 5 minutes, or until well combined. Carefully taste. Add a pinch of salt if you think it needs more seasoning. Top with the green onions and some more pepper. Serve with rice. That's it! It's best to eat it up right away, but if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
(This is my favorite note)
Vegetarian and vegan variations: To make this vegetarian, omit the fish sauce and oyster sauce and add salt to taste. To make it vegan, omit the egg, too.
(In other words, to make it vegan just stir fry some cucumber with sugar, garlic and black pepper)
7kidzdoc
>6 ELiz_M: This sounds great, Liz! I may try this recipe during next week, as I have many of the ingredients at home already, and there is an H Mart (Korean market) very close to where I live.
