Street Food in Vietnam

Rice Noodle with Chicken

Beef Noodle Soup – Pho

Stir-fried Rice Noodle with Beef and Vegetable

Beef and Lettuce Salad

Pigeon and Green Papaya Salad

Rice Paper Rolls

Baguette Sandwich

Smartphones May Be Taxing Your Eyes

People reading text messages or browsing the Internet on their smartphones tend to hold the devices closer than they would a book or newspaper, forcing their eyes to work harder than usual, new research shows.

This closer distance — plus the often tiny font sizes on smartphones — could put added strain on people who already wear glasses or contact lenses, according to the study, which appears in the July issue of Optometry and Vision Science.

“The fact that people are holding the devices at close distances means that the eyes have to work that much harder to focus on the print and to have their eyes pointed in right direction,” said study co-author Dr. Mark Rosenfield, a professor at the SUNY State College of Optometry in New York City. “The fact that the eyes are having to work harder means that people may get symptoms such as headaches and eye strain.”

Texting and browsing the Web on smartphones can also result in dry eye, discomfort and blurred vision after prolonged use, the study authors point out. Previous studies have also found that up to 90 percent of people who use computers experience eye problems.

There’s a simple way for smartphone addicts to minimize eye strain: Increase the font size on your device, advised Dr. Scott MacRae, a professor of ophthalmology and of visual science at the University of Rochester Medical Center and an eye surgeon.

Read more ….

Vietnamese Sago and Coconut Milk Dessert

Ingredients

50 g sago
50 g cendol jelly
2 cups coconut milk
150 g rock sugar
450 g baby banana

Method

1. Cook the sago in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and cover for 20 minutes. Drain and rinse sago. Set aside.
2. Soak the cendol jelly in water for 10 minutes. Cook over low heat until transparent. Drain and set aside.
3. Boil coconut milk and 3 cups water in a pot. Add rock sugar and cook for 15 minutes. Stir continually while cooking.
4. Slice baby banana. Add to the coconut milk mixture. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add sago and cendol jelly and mix well. Serve either hot or cold.

Source: Hong Kong magazine

See my related posts:

• Malaysian Sago Gula Melaka
• Thai Coconut Corn and Sago Pudding

My Recipe

A great accompaniment to any Chinese stir-fried noodle!

Vegetarian Quinoa and Rice Congee

Ingredients

1/3 cup – Uncooked quinoa
1/6 cup – Uncooked medium or long-grain brown rice
1/6 cup – Uncooked long-grain white rice
15 cups – Water
2 slices – Ginger (¼” thick)
1 Tbsp – Ginger (shredded)
one 19 oz can – Canned bean medley (rinsed and drained)
1 to 1¼ cup – Fresh or canned whole kernel corn
4 pieces – Deep-fried tofu (or 1/3 pack firm tofu)
6 pieces (large) – Fresh button mushroom
6 Tbsp – Green onion (chopped)
to taste – Sesame oil
to taste – White ground pepper

Congee Seasoning:

1½ to 2 tsp – Light soy sauce
1 tsp – vegetable broth mix
to taste – Salt

Method:

1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly to remove the natural seed coating called saponin which gives quinoa its bitter taste. Drain. Rinse white and brown rice. Drain.
2. Rinse and cut deep-fried tofu into small dices.
3. Rinse and drain canned corn, if using.
4. Clean and cut mushroom into small dices.
5. Boil 15 cups of water in a 6-litre pot or Dutch oven. Add quinoa and two types of rice and ginger slices. Bring to a boil. With the lid tilted, cook on high heat for about 1 hour until the grains open up and mixture reaches the desired consistency. Check and stir frequently so content in pot does not boil over or stick to the bottom.
6. While congee is cooking, sauté shredded ginger in a wok with 1½ Tbsp oil for 30 seconds. Add tofu and mushroom. Stir-fried for 30 seconds. Set aside.
7. When congee is ready, remove and discard ginger slices. Stir in bean, corn, tofu and mushroom. With the lid tilted, cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add congee seasoning, stir and bring to a boil. Remove and garnish with green onion. Serve hot with a dash of white ground pepper and sesame oil.

Note:

1. Brown rice can replace white rice but the colour of the congee will be darker.
2. Use a big pot because the content boils over easily. Constant attention is required when cooking congee.
3. If congee gets too thick, hot water can be added to thin out the mixture.
4. Leftover congee can be refrigerated and reheated on the stovetop the next day.

See my related post:

• Nutrients of Rice

Japanese Cold Noodle

Cool summer food!

Udon – Wheat Noodle

Soba – Buckwheat Noodle