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"My
Secret Kitchen Sauces are my pantry staples. Because
they are so versatile, I use them in many of my dishes."
I prefer tastes that are simple, clean, and refined.
I have always been a fussy eater. How food feels on
my palate is very important to me. It can't be heavy,
sticky, or overpowering, and definitely not fatty or
oily. Complex flavors and textures must always be balanced
with freshness and lightness. Most importantly, food
must not only taste good, but also be good for you.
My philosophy of cooking is based on the healthy principles
of Eastern medicine and the healing properties of herbs,
spices, and roots. The balance between the taste factor
and its healthy principle is what I call my culinary
philosophy of "The Yin & Yang of Cooking. This
philosophy is reflected in all my dishes, and naturally,
in all of my sauces.
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example, when creating my Orange Ginger Sauce, I was
looking for a flavor that would not be too sweet or
too sour and definitely not too salty. I balanced the
sweetness and fruitiness from the orange with just the
right amount of zip and spice from the ginger. This
sauce wonderfully compliments the crispiness of some
my seafood dishes such as my Coconut Prawns. The fruitiness
from the orange and the zip from the ginger, balanced |
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with the sweetness of the coconut in the Coconut Prawns,
not to mention the many healing properties of ginger;
one specific healing property being its ability to
reduce possible allergic reactions to seafood.
Through
my study of Eastern medicine, I am very passionate
about using different herbs, and spices in my cooking.
I depend on shallots in my cooking to increase circulation,
chives to help respiration; dill to reduce high blood
pressure, turmeric to cleanse, detoxify, and reduce
stomach gas; and other Vietnamese herbs like Vietnamese
basil, tia-to and rau ram to increase digestion.
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Naturally,
herbs and spices appear in all my sauces. Henceforth,
came the flavors Garlic Lime, Orange Ginger,
Ginger Balsamic, Mustard Peanut, Soy Miso, and
Sweet Spicy Bean. With the vibrant mix of ingredients,
my sauces go with Eastern and Western diets,
as well as the blend of these styles. They suit
our contemporary lifestyle.
My sauces help speed up meal preparation. I
use the sauces both as condiments and as ingredients
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cooking.
I pour them directly on vegetables, poultry, seafood,
meat, or simply into little bowls for dipping sauces.
I pull them out of my pantry to marinate my favorite
foods or I use them as basic ingredients when making
appetizers, soups, salads, vegetables, and even desserts.
As I have been told by my granddaughter, Nina, "Grandma,
I have never had a better sundae than the one with your
orange sauce!"
I
have worked very hard to get these sauces to taste the
same way as they do in my kitchen without adding anything
but natural ingredients. I am proud and happy to be
able to share my sauces with you. I hope you enjoy them
as much as I do."
The Pantry Staple of the 21st
Century…
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