I don’t know any better way to say it than “my mom rocks.” Really, she does. She has an amazing sense of style, is smart, beautiful, and at 5 feet and one half inch I can almost fit her in my pocket. But, like me, she rounds up and says she’s 5′1″ (I tower over her at 5 and three  quarters, I mean, 5′4″). The little lady can also whip up some serious magic in the kitchen. Her chicken mole is so good you’d think you were in Oaxaca. She can create Asian meals so delicious you’d swear the chef was native. And I mean any kind of Asian food: Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, you name it. She just has a knack.

When I was in the 8th grade she spent what I remember as three solid days preparing what must have been considered an Imperial feast. I don’t remember who she invited or what the celebration was, all I know is she went to China for three weeks with her sister and came back part Chinese. Actually, I think she was probably Chinese in a previous life and was connected with her long lost Chinese spirit while touring the Great Wall. At least that’s what I tell her. Good thing, too, because she channels that spirit and cooks up some darn tasty morsels!

I was talking to her the other night and she told me about these spinach and pork wontons she’d made for dinner. My cell phone almost shorted out from all my drooling. So I made her send me a picture so I could share it with you. “Oh, and I added the recipe to Foodista, too!” she exclaimed proudly.

God I love that woman.

Here’s the recipe:

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Opa!

I love spinach, but sometimes just sautéing it or making a salad can be boring and tiresome. We still want those nutrients though, don’t we? If you want to mix it up a bit and serve spinach in a different way, try making spanakopita triangles. I lived on these delicious little packets while island hopping in Greece years ago. Now whenever I make them I’m nostalgic for Santorini, Naxos, Paros…

I’ve adapted the following recipe and cut out the butter. I find that using olive oil spray is faster, easier and healthier.

Spanakopita

Olive oil spray
2 packages baby spinach
1 cup feta, crumbled
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Fresh ground pepper
6 phyllo sheets, thawed

In a skillet over moderate heat, wilt the spinach with a bit of water. Remove from heat and cool, about 10 minutes. Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then coarsely chop. Transfer to a bowl and stir in feta, nutmeg, and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cover phyllo stack with plastic wrap and then a dampened kitchen towel.

Take 1 phyllo sheet from stack and arrange on a work surface with the longest side nearest you and lightly spray the surface with olive oil. Keep remaining phyllo sheets covered.

Put a heaping teaspoon of filling near one corner nearest you, then fold corner of phyllo over to enclose filling and form a triangle. Fold away from you towards the top edge. There will be about 1″ extra phyllo, simply fold that edge in to continue your triangular folding. Continue folding (like a flag), maintaining a triangle shape. Put triangle, seam side down, on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil. Continue with remaining phyllo sheets, then lightly spray olive oil again on top.

Bake triangles in middle of oven until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool slightly.

Makes 6 triangles.

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Trader Vic’s Part II:

One of my favorite soups at Trader Vic’s, actually anywhere, is Bongo Bongo soup. This signature dish is a spinach and oyster purée topped with a dollop of lightly whipped cream. If the thought of puréed oysters makes you gag, fear not, they add just a hint of wonderful background flavor and do not overpower the soup at all. You’d probably just think it was salt, but they give the soup that necessary rich, smooth, creamy texture.

Bongo Bongo Soup

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 10 oz jar of fresh shucked oysters (or shuck ‘em your bad self)
1/2 cup thawed frozen spinach (we’ve used fresh and it works quite fine)
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 cup clam juice
4 cup half-and-half
1 tsp A-1 Steak Sauce (I know, weird, but add it)
A dash of Tabasco sauce
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and fresh ground white pepper
2 tsp corn starch dissolved in 2 tsp cold water
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, lightly whipped, for garnish

Combine butter, oysters, spinach, garlic and clam juice in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Once at a boil, turn off heat and set aside to cool.

In a separate saucepan, heat the half-and-half, but do not allow to boil.

Blend the cooled oyster mixture until smooth, then stir into the warm half-and-half. Add the A-1, Tabasco, Worcestershire and salt and heat thoroughly. Slowly mix in the cornstarch mixture and whisk constantly until soup thickens. Adjust the seasoning as needed.

Pour into bowls, garnish with a dollop of lightly whipped cream. If you’d like, brown the top under a broiler. Makes approximately 4 cups.

This is also a fun soup to serve in tiny shot-sized glasses as an hors d’oeuvre.

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During the holiday season when our bellies are consistently being pushed to maximum capacity with baked goods, carb-laden sides, hefty meats and poultries, it’s nice to have a break and eat something light and healthy.

It’s a cold, crisp night here in San Mateo, California. Perfect for nabe (nabemono). Nabe, or hot pot, is a typical Japanese soup eaten in the colder months, and usually cooked in a pot at the table. These popular nabe dishes may ring a bell here in the States: Sukiyaki, Shabu Shabu, Oden. While typical nabes include vegetables and fish, seafood or meat, there really is no hard fast rule as to what you can throw in.

Tonight our nabe includes the following: Copper River salmon (one small fillet for the two of us), a few large shrimp, oyster and enoki mushrooms, mizuna (Japanese mustard greens), tofu and shirataki (konyaku) noodles. The broth is as follows:

2/3 C. mirin

2/3 C. sake

2/3 C. soy sauce

1, 1/3 C. dashi

2 T. sugar

Cook until sugar dissolves and alcohol reduces.

Serve with hot sake to make the meal complete.

Itadakimasu (let’s eat)!

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