Every once in a while the Santa Fe School of Cooking hosts a guest chef who cooks something other than native New Mexican food. Last week Hue-Chan Karels, the founder and chef of The Open Kitchen offered a Vietnamese Lunar New Year Tasting Dinner. It was spectacular. Chef Hue-Chan was a personable,engaging, knowledgeable host and the food which she and the cooking school staff prepared was simply wonderful. For me this was the best of both worlds-- an amazing dining experience combined with teaching about food and culture.
Hue-Chan Karels
Vietnamese Crispy Spring Rolls filled with ground pork, shitake mushroom, jicama, carrots and glass noodles served with a Vietnamese traditional dipping sauce
White Asparagus and Crab Meat Soup
This is an essential dish on the occasion of Tet (New Year's)--a savory glutinous rice cake filled with mung beans and seasoned pork, wrapped in banana leaf and served with ginger and star anise beef and an assortment of pickled vegetables.
Green Mango and shrimp salad tossed with Vietnamese lime dressing topped with roasted peanuts and crisp shallots
Pork belly braised in coconut juice and hard-boiled eggs served with jasmine rice and pickled bean sprouts
Steamed fish with ginger, Shitake mushroom and glass noodles
Candied ginger,lotus seeds and sweet potato
Such beautifully prepared and presented food is a great treat. Kudos to chef Hue-Chan and the Santa Fe School of Cooking.
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