With summer just around the corner, our root vegetable diets will slowly transition to a hot weather menu of all things grilled and boozy. I don’t get much of an appetite when it gets hot… Ok, no, I lied, I’m always hungry, but I know a lot of people who don’t like to eat heavy during the hot summer days. I’ve been making this dish for a couple of years after I managed to convince my friend’s mom to give me her prized lemongrass chicken marinade. I tweaked it a bit by including sesame oil and it came out successful when used with beef. This quick and easy dish is a great option for summer when you want to keep your evening meals light – leftovers make a great lunch as well. Packed to the brim with aromatic herbs and crispy lettuce dressed with a tangy fish sauce dressing, this noodle salad will fill you up and not weigh you down.
There isn’t denying when a restaurant is good, but what happens when the restaurant is great? Do you do the moral thing and spread the word? Or are you greedy, keep it to yourself a little bit long before letting people know? There isn’t anything that the public doesn’t already know about Impasto. This modest Italian eatery in the heart of Little Italy is the product of years of friendship, a passion for food and a shared devotion to the cucina by two friends and business partners, Stefano Faita and Michele Forgione.
This week’s dish is my interpretation of a very traditional dish that we ate around Chinese New Years in my family. I told my mom that I was going to put this recipe online and she mocked me; she said it’s a meal made with leftovers and that it shouldn’t warrant being shared. Our family ate this dish the day after new years; my mom would often debone leftover chicken and roast pork, toss it up in a wok with aromatics like ginger and scallion and let us have at it with a pile of lettuce and hoisin sauce to dip. My version of this dish obviously isn’t going to use your leftovers, but does include an awesome crunchy snack treat that we were never allowed to have as kids…!