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The Hungry Bookworm

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cultural

Arsenic and Adobo + Ensaymada

May 25, 2021 by Megan 1 Comment

Mia P. Manansala’s debut novel, Arsenic and Adobo, is the first book in a new culinary cozy mystery series. Though I’ve never read a cozy mystery, I have always been intrigued by them — especially since there seem to be a lot of culinary cozy mysteries where food is front and center. When fellow blogger, Elizabeth from Dinner and a Novel, suggested we do a buddy read and each cook something to go with it, I didn’t hesitate! Not only is Arsenic and Adobo my first cozy mystery, it’s my first culinary buddy read too. 

Available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

In the story, Lila moves back home from Chicago to help her Tita Rosie save her restaurant. Right away, a local food critic heads into the restaurant to cause trouble and then drops dead at a table — oh, and he happens to be Lila’s ex-boyfriend too. Lila is quickly caught up in the investigation and trying to conduct her own so she can clear her and her family’s name. 

[Read more...] about Arsenic and Adobo + Ensaymada

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: book of the month, books about food, cultural, dessert, fiction, mystery, quick read, snack

Mango and Peppercorns + Vietnamese Macaroni and Cheese

March 16, 2021 by Megan 2 Comments

Mango and Peppercorns is a memoir told collaboratively from three perspectives — that of Tung Ngyuen, a Vietnamese immigrant; of Kathy Manning, an American who sponsored Tung; and Lyn, Tung’s daughter, born in Miami, where Tung and Kathy lived. It is a memoir not only of the immigrant experience (from both sides) but of food and family as well. Together, Tung and Kathy opened a successful, award-winning restaurant.

Mango and Peppercorns
Available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

This memoir is a great reminder of the opportunities that American can provide and the successes immigrants can realize when given the right support. The alternating points of view made the story whole and demonstrated that all relationships — even those that are long-lasting and loving — have their conflicts. 

Throughout the book, recipes were included. The one I chose to include may seem like an odd choice, but I loved that it embodied the combination of Vietnamese heritage and American culture shared throughout the book. This macaroni and cheese is one that Tung made for Lyn, who as a younger girl preferred American food over her mother’s traditional Vietnamese cooking — yes, the cooking that made Tung an acclaimed chef. But, as Lyn realizes in retrospect, sometimes children don’t always appreciate what’s in front of them until it’s no longer there. 

Anyway, Tung tried to bring some Vietnamese flavors to a very traditional American dish, primarily by adding fish sauce and Accent flavoring. I didn’t end up including Accent flavoring because my local supermarket didn’t have any and I didn’t have time to run to the Asian market, so that may have affected my experience with the recipe. 

It was really easy to make: start by boiling macaroni. Meanwhile, in a skillet, melt some butter, brown onions and garlic and add ground beef, cooking until browned. To that, add fish sauce and salt (and Accent flavoring). 

Ground Beef

Once the macaroni is finished, drain and rinse in cold water. Add the ground beef mixture and stir to mix. Pour it into a 9x13 pan — I found deep dish was best — and sprinkle with shredded cheese. Cover in foil and bake until the cheese is melted.

Vietnamese macaroni and cheese

I really loved the idea of this macaroni more than the finished product. I didn’t think the fish sauce was enough to bring out that flavor. I also didn’t like how the cheese was just melted on the top and not incorporated throughout. (I prefer a creamy macaroni and cheese myself.) To me, the dish honestly tasted like ground beef with noodles and some cheese. 

That said, I’m sure the Accent flavoring would’ve made a huge difference! I may experiment again with more fish sauce and creating more of a cheese sauce than just sprinkling it on top before baking.

I sort of wish I had chosen one of the many many more traditional Vietnamese recipes Tung serves at the restaurant, but honestly, a lot of them had ingredients that are hard to find here. They all sounded absolutely mouth-watering though! 

Vietnamese macaroni and cheese inspired by Mango and Peppercorns
Vietnamese macaroni and cheese
Print Recipe

Vietnamese Macaroni and Cheese

Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time35 mins
Course: Main Course

Ingredients

  • 1 lb elbow macaroni or 3 cups
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter
  • 6 medium garlic cloves minced
  • ½ medium sweet onion chopped
  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • ½ tsp Accent Flavor Enhancer optional
  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
  • 4 cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350-degrees F, with rack in the middle position.
  • Meanwhile, cook the macaroni according to the package directions. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
  • In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat, add the onions and garlic, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula.
  • Lower the heat to low, stir in the fish sauce, Accent (if using), salt and cook for about 2 minutes. Raise the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally to incorporate the juices, until the beef is cooked through, about 5 minutes more.
  • Off the heat, stir in the reserved cooked macaroni, then transfer the mixture to a 9x13 pan. Scatter the cheese evenly across the top. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, leaving some space between the top of the macaroni and the foil. Bake until the cheese is melted, 10-15 minutes.

Notes

From: Tung Nguyen in Mango and Peppercorns
If you had a deep 9x13 baking dish that would work best. When I used a regular one, it was too full to cover without the foil touching the cheese on top. The original recipe said to bake for 5-10 minutes but my cheese took closer to 15 minutes to melt, so I added additional time here.
Also, the original recipe called for 1¾ lbs of beef, but I used 2 lbs because that was what I had on-hand and didn’t want to save/waste ¼ lb of beef.

*I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This post contains affiliate links. This does not increase the price you pay, but I may receive a small commission for any products you choose to buy. Purchases made through affiliate links help to cover my blogging costs. Thank you for helping to support The Hungry Bookworm! Full disclosure here.

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: cultural, easy prep, memoir

Guest Post: The Stationary Shop + Zulbiā

February 15, 2020 by Megan 1 Comment

Today I'm really excited to introduce another book-and-food blogger like myself! Elizabeth reviews and bakes over at Dessert and a Novel. We recently got acquainted via social media, and I'm really loving her bookish and food taste, so I'm sure you will too. Without further adieu, check her out:

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Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: baking, cultural, dessert, guest post, historical fiction

The Island of Sea Women + Candied Sweet Potatoes

July 28, 2019 by Megan Leave a Comment

I recently joined a group of women in my town who were interested in starting a book club. With my other local book club disbanded (due to most of the members moving away), I was excited to have the opportunity to join another, and to be one of the founding members! The woman who brought us all together, Alissa, chose our first book, The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See.

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

My Meetup-based book club really enjoyed Lisa See’s previous novel The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane when we read it last year, so I was looking forward to this one as well! Unfortunately, most of us didn’t finish it in time for the discussion (including me), but I made sure to finish it up afterward. I thought the story was very intriguing. 

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Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: book club, cultural, easy prep, historical fiction, vegetarian, veggies

The Woman in the White Kimono + Miso Soup

May 23, 2019 by Megan 3 Comments

Ana Johns’ debut novel The Woman in the White Kimono is historical fiction inspired by true stories. It spans decades and continents, taking place in post-WWII Japan and the modern-day United States. I was intrigued by the description and excited to participate in this blog tour.

The Woman in the White Kimono by Ana Johns

In the late 1950s in Japan, Naoko has been promised to the son of her father’s business associate but she is in love with another—an American sailor. Though she attempts to get their approval of their relationship, Naoko knows it would bring shame on the family if she decided to marry him. Still, she can’t help but follow her heart. Will the consequences of her decision be something she can live with?

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Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: 5 ingredients or less, blog tour, cultural, easy prep, historical fiction, soup, vegetarian

Everything Here Is Beautiful + Chinese Almond Cookies

April 23, 2019 by Megan 3 Comments

Mira T. Lee’s debut novel, Everything Here Is Beautiful, is a tough book to discuss—though we attempted to do just that for my last book club meeting. It was suggested by one of our members last year, shortly after it was released, and when it finally got chosen as our monthly pick, I was looking forward to reading it. It’s a story about sisters, about immigrants, about mental illness. It’s a raw and powerful debut that I can’t recommend enough.

Everything Here is Beautiful by Mira T. Lee

The novel follows two Chinese-American sisters, Miranda the oldest and Lucia the youngest, in the years after their mother dies from cancer. Lucia is adventurous and full of life, and when it’s determined that she has schizoaffective disorder, Miranda does everything in her power to keep Lucia grounded and get her the help she needs.

[Read more...] about Everything Here Is Beautiful + Chinese Almond Cookies

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: baking, book club, cultural, dessert, drama, easy prep, favorites, tough topics

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As C.S. Lewis said, “Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.” Enjoy!

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