Skip to Malou in the Lou | Vietnamese Summer Rolls

A year ago, my husband got me on a flight bound for St. Louis.  I left San Diego filled with trepidation, as I did not know what adventures lay ahead.  I viewed one last time the beautiful So Cal coastline accentuated by the waves from the Pacific.  I will miss San Diego, the beaches, the weather, the park, the food and the friends we have left behind.

As our plane touched down that Friday afternoon in September, I had my first look and see what my new city is all about.  It was the end of summer and all our kids were off to college, so we thought that moving to a new city was very timely.  But just like in any move, adjusting to a new place, forging new friendships and building a new home can be very daunting.  But after a year, I am glad St. Louis has treated us well - way beyond our expectations.  I have fallen in love with St. Louis and its people.

We now enjoy the company of new friends...

Got a chance to have lunch with the Mayor:

Becoming one with Cardinal Nation...

Trekking to Food Truck Fridays...

And having a brief Taste of St. Louis...

... Continuing to be uplifted during Sunday services at the majestic Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis...

Even my blog has evolved, I've added a new segment on All Things St. Louis.

Now I've developed a new Modern Asian Cooking Series that I teach at Whole Foods and will soon have at the Kitchen Conservatory in the winter.

Another highlight is appearing on KSDK NewsChannel 5  and I look forward to another guest appearance on September 29, 2012.  

As my blog has brought me the opportunity to interact with a lot of friends and new acquaintances interested in Filipino and Asian cooking, I am reaching out to the local community to preach the wonders of Filipino and Asian food.  I want to share the unique flavors and dishes of Filipino cooking and broaden the palates of the community by highlighting Asian cuisine.  Not only is it quick and easy to prepare, but the ingredients are also readily available.

Anyone can prepare Filipino and Asian dishes that are very simple to make.  I hope you could join me in my next class Sept.11 at 6:30pm and we can start our journey to learn more about Modern Asian Cooking. Here's a link on how to register... for those not based here in STL, allow me to share with you another easy recipe called:

VIETNAMESE SUMMER ROLLS

8 sheets rice paper
green lettuce leaves, hand torn into pieces
1/2 pack rice vermicelli
1/2 bundle of cilantro, chopped
large cocktail shrimp (ready to eat from the store)
1/2 cup chicken strips, cooked (I used left over roast chicken)

Dipping Sauce
1 tablespoon premium fish sauce
3 tablespoons chicken stock
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon Chirashi sauce
1 tablespoon  sugar
2  tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped peanuts
2 cloves garlic, minced

DIRECTION
Boil rice vermicelli in a pot of chicken stock for 5 minutes or until al dente.  Drain and set aside.
While others dip their rice paper in a bowl, I use a brush dipped in a bowl of warm water, then let the wet brush make the wrapper pliable.
On a flat surface, lay the wrapper and layer lettuce, rice noodles, cilantro, chicken and shrimp.  Traditionally, summer rolls have mint, so feel free to add but for me, I omit the mint.
Roll the rice paper.

SAUCE:
In a small bow, mix the fish sauce, hoisin, Chirachi sauce, chicken stock, lime juice, garlic, sugar.  Season according to taste.  Sprinkle chopped nuts and minced garlic.

Best served cold

All Good Things St. Louis: The London Tea Room

Posh.

This is how my husband describes classy people and places.  When I hear this word, I imagine guys in khakis and sweater, or women like Jackie O.  Sorry but I don't think of Victoria Beckham, maybe David, but not Posh Spice.  

I also relate posh with nice things British.  And there's nothing more British than afternoon tea.  So when I discovered the London Tea Room in downtown St. Louis, I immediately said this is quite posh.  Although afternoon tea in England is meant more to fill in the gap between meals, I had lunch at the Tea Room.  The London Tea Room is our next stop for my blog's feature on: All Good Things St. Louis.

The London Tea Room is located in the Washington Avenue Loft District in downtown St. Louis.  The high ceiling gives you a loft feel but the walls done in pastels and the traditional farmhouse tables and cupboards traded the industrial feel to a warm and friendly Tea Room. 

I ordered a turkey-bacon panini with a waldorf salad.  The salad was a surprise, it had a hint of curry, which I truly enjoyed.  I also tried their tomato bisque, which was refreshingly not as thick and creamy as others I've tried.    

Of course I savored on the English blend tea with clotted cream (or heavy cream).  You'll have to request for this specifically, and the server was surprised that I requested for it as they usually serve it with scones. 

 This is also the perfect place for afternoon tea, as they sell scrumptious pastries.  A slice of their decadent chocolate cake is to die for.  They also serve scones and tea cookies but  I need to try them on my next trip. Overall I was delighted as a first time customer that I found myself going back there on the same week.

The London Tea Room is now one of my go to places for a light lunch or afternoon tea.  Although we do not consider being an integral part of the British empire, afternoon tea is one English custom that we can still all enjoy.

Now who's up for the season finale of Game of Thrones?  haha! Have a great weekend!

finding your oasis

Oh how peaceful.

We all need our little oasis where we could sit, relax and be still until we hear our  heart murmur. Until we can feel our breathe under our nostrils and the stillness around us whisper into our ear like soothing music.  It's calming, almost magical... we feel renewed, and the best thing is that it's free.

I used to have my own little oasis in San Diego.  This place is where I go to when I feel like I'm carrying the burden of the world.  I sit and marvel at nature's beauty... The mystic sound of the ocean resonate like music from the frets of a guitar ... while the sun's gentle rays and the subtle breeze caress me until I have calmed down and feel warm and fuzzy inside. The bonus is this seaside spot was only 5 minutes away from where I lived.

So I am euphoric when here in STL I found my new "home". There's a secret garden that revealed itself to me slowly.  It is a serene garden hideaway.  Slowly I realize that beneath the lush green leaves, there is a small pond and down the steps, it reveals itself.  Oh how serendipitous indeed! I heard my heart sing!

While it's true that the terrain in California is a lot different from St. Louis, I believe that I have to embrace my neighborhood and most importantly make it my own.  Although I miss the spring flowers and the Pacific Ocean in San Diego, I also found a beautiful place in St. Louis. I see GREEN: green lush trees, green ponds, green grass...everything glowing GREEN!

So for my glowing green season inspired dish,  pandan leaves came in handy for me to whip up a dessert called Buko Pandan, a refreshing sweet dessert made of pandan jello and buko (young coconut) laced with the creamy goodness of cream cheese and condensed milk. The trifecta of the jello, buko and cream will reveal a beautiful symphony of goodness in your mouth.  Trust me, your feel good hormones will kick in, haha!

 Buko Pandan 

Ingredients:
5 pieces pandan leaves
1 pack unflavored gelatin
2 packs frozen buko (young coconut)
1 bottle nata de coco
1/2 can condensed milk
1/2 c heavy cream
2 tbsps cream cheese

Directions:
Thaw out packs of frozen buko.  Drain and set aside.

Prepare the jello as per package instructions.  When boiling water, put the pandan leaves, then add the jello.  Remove pandan leaves and pour the jello in a flat pan.  Let it cool.  When the jello solidifies, slice the pandan jello into small cubes.

Mix the condensed milk, cream cheese and heavy cream together.  Add buko pandan jello and nata de coco .  Gently mix the salad altogether.  Refrigerate before serving.

Enjoy!

Here are some snapshots around my "green" city of St. Louis:

I hope you have enjoyed touring around my piece of heaven... may  you find yours!

xo,
Malou

All Good Things St. Louis: Pappy's Smokehouse

Before we even landed in St. Louis a few months ago, friends and family were already recommending we go to Pappy's Smokehouse to have a taste of St. Louis barbecue.  So we were not surprised when the locals also gave their head-nodding approval by saying: "Have you been to Pappy's?" when I ask them where to go to taste something "local".

Since we are now STL residents and have a lot of restaurants to try, I thought that going to Pappy's will remain in our bucket list for awhile. But to my regret, we should have gone there first because this is the place to be in St. Louis for barbecue.  So come on in, it's time to talk about All Good Things St. Louis and today I'm taking you to Pappy's Smokehouse.

Now don't ask me how many times we've been here.  Since it's located a block away from my husband's work, the smokey goodness beckons us all the time.   Every chance the slow sear scent of barbecue from their pit sneaks into our car, my husband and I stare at each other, and voila, off to Pappy's we go.  Word of caution though,  just go there early, especially on weekends, because the lines get pretty long.  But it's still worth the wait.

Their walls speak for themselves, as it were lined with framed certificates of approval of food aficionados.  With no less than Zagat voting them as one of the Top 10 Barbecue Meccas in August 2011. They were also voted one of the 101 Best Places To Chow Down in America by The Travel Channel. Who would doubt that they are the best in town?

The ambience is unpretentious... very homey and casual.   It is sure a down home barbecue  joint. No frills, just a few memorabilia and a few merchandise.  As I've said it's a straightforward hole in the wall, and you know you are there for the barbecue.

What are those spices doing up there? I told you, it's a no frills barbecue joint.  So beats me why it's up there.

While the lines are long, they move quickly.  And you will be delighted to know that the staff are outright friendly and courteous.  When I told them that it was our first time, the waiter gave me a free sample that he sneaked out from the kitchen.  I was nibbling a piping hot rib fresh from the smoke oven and of course that set my excitement higher to grab the half slab of ribs for my fingers to dig in to.

The ribs are sensational!  They are fall off the bone tender.  You know that it is a result of hours of "labor of love" as the owner Mike claims it to be.  He said that St. Louis Barbecue is different not in the technique of cooking it but it's all in the butcher cut.  It's baby back ribs that's cut shorter but has more meat.

I should haven't  put the sauce on it since the ribs itself is so juicy, sweet and tangy.  There was no need for the sauce actually.  The coles slaw is so acidic-ly addicting.  It's something like your grandmother's homemade pickles.  It's tangy with a subtle sweetness at the end.

Not to be outdone is their soft and tender pulled pork sandwich.  You know it was slow roasted pulled-pork deliciously layered in a bun.  You have different options for sides and I picked sweet potato fries and baked beans for a change.  I didn't regret the choice as the fries were golden brown to perfection and  sprinkled with sugar and spices that are definitely finger licking good.

Now that I'm a local STL resident, I highly recommend Pappy's.  And it's my turn to say to new STL transplants, "Have you been to Pappy's yet?".  Because for sure, you'll love me for recommending this place to you.  It's one of those moments when you could feel your head lifting your chin up, and your cheeks slowly stiffing up until you smile, because you know you are in barbecue heaven.

All Good Things St. Louis: RUE LAFAYETTE

Back from the holidays, the months of November and December just flew by.  Both months greeted me with a lot of warm hugs and hellos with family reunions and celebrations, kids coming home from college and out of town vacations. I felt like I danced with different rhythms of life and loved it.  

January is almost over and all of a sudden the music changed into a slower rhythm.  Slow mornings like today made me realize that adjusting to life in St. Louis took a back seat.  The past two months were all things holiday and family fun.  As I go back to the "normal" rhythm of life I would also like to bring back a feature I started when I just moved here to STL: All Good Things St. Louis. Today I will take you to Rue Lafayette.

I still had a few more boxes to unpack when my kids from college and my brother from the Philippines came to visit in time for Thanksgiving.  So while I was showing them around our new neighborhood, we came across this French Cafe, which was a few steps away from where we live.  Guess what prompted us to stop by.... Was it the quaint facade?  Maybe... 

OK, it was because of these signs! What with my brother who just came from a tropical country and my girls from California, the cold temperature begged for a cup of hot chocolate... and boy did these signs call our names. 

We were greeted with an ecclectic entry way... and my heart skipped a beat as I loved the vibe of the cafe. The cafe is within a boutique where you find antiques, jewelry and even French soap.  A kindred spirit enclave, and I felt right at home.  In retrospect it was not the ambience that made me fall in love with the place, it was the friendly staff and owner, Araceli. She came up to us and figured we were new in town.  And our conversation flowed like we've met before.  Being a transplant herself she knew how it was to be in a totally new place so she made us comfortable.  She even gave us tickets to take my visitors around.  Her gesture was like a warm hug that said we got the right place in the right neighborhood.

Our firsr order?  You bet it had to be "the best hot chocolate in the world", and boy did it really delight us.  With temperatures in the mid-40's (Farenheit), a warm frothy mug of chocolate hit the spot.

The croissant is also highly recommended.  It's flaky, buttery and fresh.  And the macarons, those delicate French macarons, transported us to Paris.

Ok we might have indulged a little bit... and to think that it's breakfast.  But for my girls who were just fresh from a red-eye flight from Cali, and for my brother who was still jet-lagged from his 30 hour flight from Manila, they needed the sugar... and it was a sure way to welcome them in my new city, and my new neighborhood.

I was glad we made the un-planned pit stop... Rue Lafayette showed the best of my new neighborhood... And as I saw the now empty plates, and the smiles from my brother and my girls, all are good signs to know that I am home...

P.S.

Guess who was at the Rue today?  It's Mayor Slay! Here are some snapshots we took.

Araceli (the owner) is the lady on the left and Mayor Slay is the gentleman on my right.

with Vicky Destre of Victoria Destre Designs and Richard Flemings

All Good Things St. Louis: Pi at the Delmar Loop

All Good Things St. Louis is my attempt to give you glimpses of what the city is all about. Being new residents of St. Louis, I thought of sharing with you our adventure as we explore our new city (just like my previous posts: The Big Change and Taste of St. Louis: My Gateway to the City).

So this is our third weekend, yes can you believe it?  Today my husband took a surprise turn at the Delmar Loop. It is an area six blocks long where you find good grub and vintage finds, theater, music (including an amazing vintage record/music store called Vintage Vinyl) and other entertainment activities.  The one that caught his attention was The Pageant, a concert venue. He suddenly parked the car and was excited that Beirut was playing tomorrow.  I don't particularly know the group and of course he bought 2 tickets before I realized what was going on.  So it will be an interesting adventure tomorrow, but we'll see.

Not knowing anything about the area, we saw groups of people dining across the street from The Pageant.  Besides Yelp, the best way to know where to go eat is by the number of people dining at the place.  We found ourselves walking towards that direction and voila what a lovely surprise.

The tables outside were mostly occupied, so we were escorted inside... and it was a blessing in disguise.  Because inside I was drawn to its artsy decors.  It was hip, cool and "green".  I bet the furnishings were collected from "thrift store" finds, along with vintage and antique store purchases.

The interiors has the industrial-chic look...

And at times also whimsical,

And I waited patiently as my husband tried to memorize the beers on tap, until he finally ordered a glass of Schafly Pale Ale beer, which was sweet and tasty.

More playful decors...

Now let's talk food, we ordered a deep dish pizza.

So we ordered a combination pie of marinara slathered South-Side Classico (which my husband preferred) and a sweet barbeque sauce infused The Delmar (which I really liked). It was a perfect combination.

How good was it?  Watch...

,,,as we enjoy it one slice at a time...

The sign outside was not huge but yet the place spoke for itself.

Are we going back there? You bet, maybe when we go watch Beirut in concert.  Did I say Beirut, ok then - I have to listen to their music to familiarize myself with it.

Have a great weekend!