There’s no doubt that I love being Vietnamese; its rich and vast Asian culture and history with the influence of French fabulousness.  The fusion provides the best of both worlds and lets me appreciate the French without being an asshole.  I kid, I kid…  Anyhow, the sweltering heat lately has made my morning coffee ritual completely unbearable.  Gulping down a hot cup of joe in 100+ degree heat only makes my body an internal sauna, and let’s face it, that’s not how I’d like to start my day.   So what’s a girl to do to beat the heat and still get a morning caffeine kick?  A Cafe Sua Da, the sinfully delicious Vietnamese Iced Coffee, comes to the rescue. Each sweet sip brings me back to the nostalgia of being a little girl watching my Daddy drink a tall glass while eating Pho; all the while trying to keep my sticky fingers out of that sweetened condensed milk.

The history behind it all is that during wartime and with Euro influence, everyone had to tighten up those purse strings and make ingredients last longer.  So chicory root was added to coffee grinds in order to stretch the coffee supply, and today the Chicory Root Coffee blends are very well-known for their distinctive and bolder flavor.  Many swear by using only Cafe du Monde coffee (you’ll see the infamous yellow canister in many Pho shops), but your favorite blend of medium ground coffee will easily hit the spot as well when in a pinch.  Those with a sweet tooth and sugar addiction will easily fall in love with the sweetened condensed milk addition, which sets the Cafe Sua Da apart from the French Cafe Au Lait.

Café Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Coffee) Recipe

Ingredients and Equipment needed:

• 2 Tablespoons of Café Du Monde Chicory Root Coffee (or any good medium ground coffee)
• 2 Tablespoons of Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Boiling Water
• Vietnamese Coffee Press, a single cup brewer
• 2 Glasses – 1 filled with ice cubes
• Spoon

In the empty glass, add the sweetened condensed milk to the bottom and if you totally lick the spoon clean, I won’t judge.  Place the Vietnamese Coffee Press atop of the glass with the condensed milk and add the coffee grounds into the press.  Tamp down and screw on the lid tightly to get a slow drip after you add boiling water to the press.  Cover the press and let the brewing magic happen.  Depending on how you like your coffee, the ratio of coffee to condensed milk will differ.  Stronger?  Brew more coffee than milk, and for you sugar fanatics, you’ll have a lighter coloured coffee due to the condensed milk ratio.  When you’ve decided on how much of a caffeine kick you want, remove the press, fold the condensed milk into the coffee and pour over the second glass of ice.  Then sip, smile and thank the French for invading Vietnam and making culinary history.

[Birthday Week Kickoff - Fresh Dungeness Crabs, Carmenere, Mango Mochi, and Cookies & Creme]

For as long as I can remember or care to remember, I’ve celebrated my Birthday (February 5th) as a Birthday Week. Seven days filled with loved ones, wishes, cakes and candies, and oh so many hugs and kisses. Before you begin to think I’m some egomaniac, it’s not about the gifts or just little ol’ me me meeeee. But more so that people’s schedules never align, someone’s working or out of town, and that my birthday always falls around the Superbowl and Chinese New Years.

So every year like tradition, I have different themes for each day, varying each year as my tastes and likes change as I age like a fine wine. There’s always a dance party if not several, sometimes a sleep over, potluck dinners as of the last few years, karaoke is a must, pinata busting is a favorite, cupcakes and champagne, several young years of a fishing competition, intimate family celebrations, Superbowl Sunday, models and bottles, Asian festivals, etc etc etc. Yet each year is different and unique, but reminiscent of years prior.

My birthday becomes a reunion of family (blood and acquired), a celebration of life, and reminders of why I’m thankful for each person in my life. This year, I’m turning 26 and in a bit of a whirlwind situation. A certain someone made arrangements for us to go to Tahoe to get out of town to go skiing. Now, instead I have an ultimatum to literally get out of town.  You can’t rain on my birthday week parade…

(Dewars Discovery "Build Your Own Blend" Tasting)

Sifting through my e-mail inbox, I received an invitation from an editor to a Dewar’s Scotch event. Thinking this may perk J in attending with me due to the alcoholic nature, and I’ve gone to my fair share of liquor branded events in Miami,why not give it a go?  Oh geez, I forgot how things change when we’re in a recession.

It wasn’t hard baiting two of Jack’s friends to come along, “Scotch?  HELL YES!”  So our foursome trekked out to an Italian restaurant on Sunset, which I believe was Amarone Kitchen and Wine, but my memory escapes me at the moment.  Our dinner consisted of one mission and one mission alone: carb heavy to cushion the aforementioned Scotch.  Stuffed to the brim, we were ready to take on some power hour Scotch drinking.

Upon the arrival of the Jim Henson studios, we all kept imagining what the interior would be like, and how Miss Piggy would be sipping scotch right next to us.  We entered the magical gates underneath Kermit’s gaze, and to our dismay no muppets could be found.  While waiting in line underneath the warmth of a heater, we made friends with the rowdy boys behind us that shared their pocketed whisky with my boys.  BYOB, it keeps the party going, or rather starts the pre-party before the event.

Once checked in, each person received a golden token admissible for ONE! Dewar’s drink within the heavily branded Dewar’s lounge.  There were 3 options: a mojito with Dewars, Dewars on the Rocks, and the third was completely forgettable.  Making the most of my singular token, I went with On the Rocks, easy on the rocks please!   Passed hors d’oeuvres tempted guests, but just not us.  So I surveyed the scene, super sausage heavy a.k.a. boy heaven for a single lady, if there was to be one in the entire soundstage.  After finishing our single drink, which was unusual compared to all the other liquor events I’ve attended, meaning open bar and yes, Stoli had an Ice House where many pillow fights went down.  I sweetly persuaded the male bartender, who was from the United States Bartender’s Guild, for another drink which I aptly shared with the boys as they were itching for more.

Finally after what seemed like an eternity of waiting, we were let into a tabled setup, each with a small station of test tubes, Dewars glasses filled with drips of Scotch.  While sitting through the Dewars spiel of the brand, the difference between kinds of scotches (single malt, blended), the regions of Scotland, and the flavors that compose a blend; I felt like a schoolgirl impatiently waiting to conduct my experiment.  Finally releasing us to the mysterious tubes, they contained each flavor/scent found in their White Label Scotch, and a corresponding vial of actual sweet Scotch nectar.  Sweet – Honey, Citrus – Orange Peel,  Sweet Again? – Vanilla Bean, Floral – Lavender, and lastly, Smokey – Peat (which the instructor wafted a huge amount directly into Jack’s face, and let me tell you it’s NOT pleasant).  After much, sniffing and swirling, we concocted our own blends using our favorite flavors. Learn from my mistakes, Smokey ruins everything.   Then you compare your blend to Dewar’s unaged blend, and lastly to the finished product of Dewars White Label.  Still fiending for more after paltry little tastes, they presented one last glass of Dewars with a singular ice cube, the way all Scotch should be had.

After herding us out of their hard sell, Dewars gifted each patron with a branded flask.  Still on the Jim Henson Studio lot, we were determined to find a muppet or something to photo-op with.  Insert, Littlefoot, the Apatosaurus from The Land Before Time, where we wrangled his wild dino ass, then showered him with affection.  If only Gonzo were there, imagine all the dirty things I could do to him or perhaps Beaker, I’d meep meep sweet nothings into your little ears.  As we left the lot in search of elsewhere to celebrate the rest of Repeal Day, Randy Jackson from American Idol fame, checked my ass out.  Oh, just another night in Hollyweird…

All my friends know me for a few things, specifically my sweet cheeks, sweet tooth, and sweet ass baking skills. Usually, I like to take creative license and try to venture out on recipes. However, this time was a bit different and my beau vehemently wanted Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies straight up Mom style. After enough pestering, I followed Mama Gallagher’s recipe to a T and let me tell you they are amazingly perfect the way they are.

So bake your little heart out, then curl up on the couch with your lovey, and wash these down with a tall glass of milk.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups Flour
2 cups Oatmeal
12 oz Chocolate Chips
1 cup Shortening
2 Eggs
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 tsp Hot Water
1 cup Walnuts, chopped
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl or a KitchenAid, cream sugars (brown & white) and shortening together until nice and fluffy. Add eggs in one at a time and beat until light. Then add the vanilla and hot water in, mixing well. Sift flour, salt, and baking soda, then add into the mixture until combined. Next, add in the oatmeal, again mixing well until combined. Rip open the chocolate chips (try not to snack on too many) and the chopped walnuts (optional if you don’t like nuts, but fantastic with them – trust!) and mix those babies in.

Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or butter it down. Spoon out hefty tablespoons of dough (about 1″ round) and round into a ball. Press down and flatten just a tad. Pop them in and bake for 12 minutes. Once they’re fresh from the oven, place on cooling racks. Enjoy!