I'm going to be honest - I don't usually love Vietnamese food. In theory, I appreciate the right things about typical Vietnamese cuisine - the clean, earthy flavors, the balance of fresh ingredients, the general healthiness - but somehow, I've always been a little disappointed with my choices at restaurants. I love a huge variety of dishes from many Asian cultures, so what gives?

I still don't know. But what I do know is Rocco Dispirito's "Quick Vietnamese Noodle Soup with Beef" is a great starting point for cooks who want to get their feet wet with basic, easy, accessible-ingredient Vietnamese. Is it authentic? I don't know that either. But it's tasty, and easy to alter to your preferences. Try it - we loved it.

What did I change?

- I used spaghetti squash instead of the shirataki noodles recommended. I'm sure this cuts into the authenticity, but it also cuts into the calories and carbs and sneaks in some extra veggies. Additionally, the texture of spaghetti squash and bean sprouts is very complimentary.

- I added sliced pork that we had leftover and needed to use - it was gently spiced with garlic, and added a nice change of pace from the steak while bulking up the soup.

- I skipped the scallions and cilantro - they're not my favorite. Again, less authentic, but more personalized for the baby steps I'm taking into Vietnamese food.

For some people, soup is a cold weather food - warm & comforting, after a long day of being cold. For us, soup is an all-the-time food. We have three soups on the menu this week! So I am always on the lookout for different variants of soup to test out. I especially like pureed soups, where you can blend in vegetables you wouldn't or don't typically eat to add some variety to your weekly menu.

I found this recipe here. It's a pretty cool blog called the Wanderlust Kitchen, and the author Anetta has a variety of recipes that are based on different cuisines around the world. We followed the recipe as written fairly closely, with a few edits:

- In an attempt to make this smaller (~ 4 servings instead of 6), we used 1 lb of carrots instead of 1.5 lbs. Still made a huge pot of soup, so be mindful when buying ingredients! Even with less carrots, the balance of flavors was great.

- I'm not a fish sauce fan, so I used large grain Hawaiian Red Sea Salt (Alaea) to flavor the soup at the end. It has a strong but not overwhelming flavor, adding more than just ground table salt would.

- No cilantro. Never cilantro. I also didn't have peanuts, so I chose to use sunflower seeds I had in the cabinet to add a textured crunch. The lime, which I did add as suggested, was a perfect finish.

- Finally, I added a small amount of Nando's Garlic Peri-Peri sauce. I found this at Publix, but first had it in an actual Nando's in London when visiting TBird and never forgot the zing! It's technically South African, but who cares? Just a few drops in the bowl gave it a little extra heat and depth of flavor. I'm sure using Sriracha would have a similar effect.

This is easily a full vegetarian meal (made with vegetable broth and not chicken!), but TBird grilled us a chicken breast to top it with and the slightly smoky addition was perfect for us meat-eaters. Enjoy!

Ranch dressing is one of my weaknesses. I have been slowly phasing it out, as it's reallynotthatgreat for you, but it's so tasty. All substitutes have been inferior - what can really reach the heights of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing? Nothing.

That's still true. BUT, if you're looking for a good Southwestern version of Ranch dressing, a substitute IS just as good. This recipe was the inspiration for our Southwestern Avocado Ranch - the only changes I made was to use equal amounts of sour cream instead of any buttermilk, and I also cut the cilantro because it's not really my taste. This recipe made a great mild, creamy Ranch with a little tang that was perfect when paired with this Carne Asada, sauteed mushrooms and shallots, and a little white corn on a bed of pulled spinach. Next time, we'll add about half of a small jalapeno pepper to the blender for a little extra kick. New favorite salad!

Food prep Sunday! Roasted red and yellow tomatoes, roasted garlic chickpeas, sliced zucchini and yellow squash (for squash chips!), chopped basil, washed and separated red grapes, sliced shallot, and my favorite, a roasted tomato salad with shallot, garlic, basil, and salt, which will be eaten with chickpeas and Parmesan. Got a good week of healthy, tasty foods coming up.

Food can be so stressful - judgmental, hard to determine what's good or bad for you, confusing, time consuming - but so joyful. Don't forget to enjoy your pears.

"What’s your favorite thing about your mother?" "She loves life more than anyone I’ve ever known. I hope she doesn’t mind me telling you this, but recently she’s had some health problems. And her health got so bad at one point, she called me and said: ‘I was starting to wonder if there was any reason to go on. But then I had the most delicious pear!’"

Roxane Gay at Community Bookstore, 5/6/14

Man salad to the left, lady salad to the right.

Last week we had a fantastic vacation to our home state. That means tons of friend and family time, great trips out on the ocean and rivers, relaxation time off work, and delicious, coastal, tasty food. Of course, we ate out a lot, drank a bit, and generally took a week off from managing our health as well. So to get back in the swing of things, tonight I put together my weekly spinach salad in continuation of my challenge to diversify my salad repertoire.

I tried Marzetti's Simply Dressed & Light Caesar dressing for the first time while at home, and wow - the best bottled Caesar I've had. This brand is kept in the refrigerated section - no preservatives! - and the Light versions are yogurt-based. The Caesar has a great flavor and you'd never even peg it for a "Light" dressing, unlike the vast majority of light salad dressings I've tried. We paired it with:

- Spinach greens

- Sauteed shallots

- Sauteed mushrooms

- Oven-roasted chickpeas (makes a great substitute for croutons!)

- Shredded Parmesan cheese

- Grilled chicken flavored with salt, pepper, and garlic

On the whole, this salad is simple, classic, and surprisingly delicious. Even the boy was impressed (and ate every bite of that monster salad).

After the reaallly sweet recommendation I received from our friend over at What To Eat In Birmingham, I have a confession to make: my primary skill, as it relates to Cajun food, is eating. When it comes to producing Cajun masterpieces, I am not quite Emeril. But when it comes to sampling boudin, crawfish bisque, gumbo, etouffee, pepper jellies...? Sign. me. up.

In an effort to improve our Cajun repertoire, TBird and I took a little trip over to my favorite Homewood spice store, Penzey's. Penzey's has a great mail-order service if there's not a store in your area, but a visit to their establishment is a really fun way to spend an hour on the weekend if they're conveniently located. Penzey's has a ton of spices and they keep samples in small bowls, which you can open and smell before you buy. The employees are also really knowledgeable and can help you make the tough decisions (i.e., Should I really buy all four of these spices today? Answer: Yes.) So, after much deliberation between their 250+ options, we bought Penzey's Cajun spice mix on the recommendation of the cashier... and the Gumbo File, for some future Cajun creations. And just like that, we are basic-Cajun-food ready!

Cajun Catfish with Remoulade:

- Catfish = simple! Penzey's has done the work for you. Just spray or rub down your fish with a little oil (to stick the spices on) and shake a ton of seasoning onto the fish, both sides. Rub it in gently, and then pop the fish in a pan. Or, if you have a grill cover for fish or some tinfoil to cover the grates, get into the beautiful summer outdoors and get grilling.

- Remoulade sauce: I used the recipe found here for inspiration. It's essentially impossible for me to follow a sauce recipe to the letter, so here are the minor changes: 1) tripled the garlic (cause why not?). 2) used honey dijon (more convenient, given that I didn't have Creole mustard). 3) skipped the horseradish and the green onion (cause ew). 4) added dried onion flakes (thanks again, Penzey's!) to get some of that onion flavor back in there. 5) subbed Cajun seasoning for paprika (just because I was out).

The remoulade turned out tangy and delicious, just like my favorite sauce from my old Florida seafood restaurant. The key? Capers. Do not skip them - they are absolutely essential to making this remoulade taste right. Perfection with the Cajun catfish.

Make it a po'boy or eat it as a filet, whip up some spiced baked sweet potato fries, and enjoy - then pat yourself on the back for a Cajun job well done.

A couple weekends ago, T and I were thrilled to attend the wedding of our friends in Athens, GA. The very happy couple hosted their beautiful reception in a botanical garden, which provided such an amazing backdrop for the celebration. During cocktail hour, as we admired the grounds, the waitstaff passed appetizers through the crowd. Oh. my. goodness. They were Southern-style perfection. Pimiento cheese on a cracker, miniature bbq sandwiches, and my personal favorite: the small fried green tomato BLTs with chipotle sauce. Seriously, I think I ate 4 of them - and made friends with the waiter so he'd bring me more. I loved them so much I immediately made a mental note to recreate them at home so I could eat them all the time (ok, in moderation, right?).

Fried Green Tomato BSTs with Chipotle Mayo, slightly reimagined:

- Green tomatoes, of course. Slicing the tomatoes on a mandolin makes them all equal thickness, which allows them to cook evenly. Dredge the tomatoes in a mixture of flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, dip the tomatoes in water to make the crust stick, and then re-dredge for maximum crust. Carefully drop them in a hot cast iron pan of oil, wait until they float, and flip. After they are lightly browned, pull the tomatoes out with tongs or a slotted spoon and lay them on a plate to cool. The entire frying process only takes a few minutes.

- Lettuce is out, spinach is in. That's really just because I hate lettuce, but the spinach leaves are a great complement to the green tomatoes.

- Turkey bacon had been the bane of my existence due to its floppy texture, but now I have found the secret: put a few slices on a paper towel and microwave for 3 minutes. It will turn out beautifully crispy. Crumbled up, it adds the perfect crunch that you're missing from using spinach instead of lettuce.

- Bun of choice: we used toasted wheat buns, but the wedding caterers used small sub-like rolls.

- Finally, the star of the show: Chipotle Mayo. I used this recipe as a guide: Chipotle Mayo Link. I doubled the mustard, added extra chipotle and lime juice, and seasoned with garlic powder instead of salt and pepper. This is the piece that made the original BLTs so legendary, and it's definitely what makes this version noteworthy too. Without it, this is just a fancy sandwich, but with it? Addictive.

TBird, who probably thought I was insane with my fried green BST obsession, inhaled his sandwich in about 3.5 seconds with a New Belgium Summer Helles and fruit on the side to complement. Thanks, newlyweds, for the inspiration!

While everyone else in the whole world travels to Europe this month (or so it seems), I have been reminiscing about my own few world travels - the sights, the smells, the culture, and especially, the food. On one of my favorite travels we spent two weeks sailing the coast of Italy on a yacht, starting in Naples and popping in to little seaside towns as we sailed south. Each night, the crew served caprese salad as the dinner appetizer, and each night I would eat every piece of thick Mozzarella cheese and basil I could get my hands on (my love for tomatoes hadn't shown up yet...). Nothing better than sitting on the open-air deck aft, munching on tasty Italian food, watching the coastline go by. Nostalgia is in full swing.

Anyway, there's not a ton of salt water hanging around Birmingham, but that didn't stop me from experimenting with my own caprese salad to take to work. When I need a mental break from writing (so, around 9 am - ha!), I'll just crack this lunch open and try to transport back to that sun-soaked summer in Italy.

Caprese Salad, the basics:

- Fresh basil. I picked ours from the teensy garden we are growing, which is still barely hanging on.

- Tomatoes. True caprese salad usually has raw, sliced tomatoes. Instead, I chose grape tomatoes, cut them in half, and roasted them in a 300* oven until they were soft and sweet.

- Cheese - this is supposed to be Mozzarella, and if I'd happened to actually plan this meal instead of just make it up on the fly, I would've bought a ball of Buffalo Mozzarella and cut it into chunks. Instead, what I had was Gouda, and I think that's a pretty good substitute.

- Balsamic (not pictured) - I usually mix some Balsamic with olive oil, plus a little salt and pepper to taste. You could reduce it to make it thicker if you prefer. I keep it separated from my salad because as much as I like carrying salad all-in-one via Mason jar, I don't quite trust it to not get my salad all mushy.

- Finally, I added chicken to make this a little more filling for a work lunch. Italian seasoning is the obvious choice for the seared chicken, but add garlic powder and Rotisserie chicken seasoning (on one side) too - it gives the chicken more depth of flavor. I heated up the cast iron in the oven while the tomatoes were roasting, then seared the chicken on one side, waited patiently (a la Julia Child in Julie & Julia - mostly antsy), flipped it, and popped it back in the oven to finish cooking through. Sliced, diced, and ready for eating, it will be a great complement to the overall salad.

Buon appetito, y'all!

Spinach salad challenge, the original: There's a great restaurant in our neighborhood called Five, which has a somewhat limited menu based on the theme: five apps, five entrees + a rotating special, etc. Although there's not a ton of choices, everything we have had here has been delicious. So last month for my birthday, which happened to fall on fried-chicken-special day (Sunday - my favorite!), we tootled on over to Five for great drinks and tasty food. With each entree comes a big salad, and the toppings for this particular night were fantastic: sweet grapes, tart green apples, tangy goat cheese, savory nuts, and a white balsamic dressing. I immediately thought, I can make this. I can even make it better with spinach. And I can eat it. Every. Day. Hence the short and sweet recipe, below. I added salmon for protein and omegas to make a full meal, but any gently seasoned meat would make a great addition (or keep it veg, you won't be disappointed). TBird even said that this was his favorite salad so far, and that's a big step for a man who used to hate salmon. What you need: - Salmon, cooked (we like to cover it in chopped fresh garlic and rosemary, sear it in the cast iron, and briefly broil to brown up the garlic) - Red grapes, halved - Green apples, chopped - Goat cheese, Gorgonzola, or Feta - something with a little tangy bite - Nuts or seeds, I.e. walnuts, sunflower seeds, or pine nuts - Simple dressing - I used Publix brand Garlic Parmesan oil-based dressing - Lots of fresh, leafy spinach, chopped Voila! Five's salad, but better (or at least cheaper).

Shrimp Perlow for friend dinner. Such a good excuse for some delicious, non-diet-conscious food. You can't see it beneath the mountain of Gouda, but there's some shrimp and bacon in there too. Recipe not forthcoming, as it's a not-super-secret-but-still-special Bulls dinner from Granny 😊

Food prepping tomorrow's sinus-clearing soup for the sick husband. The love and heat in this soup should clear him right up (well, that and the antibiotics and steroids). Based on the Mommypotamus Chicken Tortilla Soup, with small modifications: - We like to pop this in the crockpot at the beginning of a workday. I am not a fan of the crockpot, but I do like how the flavors in soups meld better after a long day of slow cooking. We pre-sauté the onions, peppers, and garlic (as directed), then add the tomatoes, paste, and broth to the crockpot with the veggies. Put it on low all day, and seriously. So. Yum. - I prefer smooth soups, so we blend the veggies in with the broth after it's been simmering for hours. - TBird and I are huge grill fans, and the added grilled meat texture makes the newly smooth soup more interesting. So we rub the chicken breasts down with taco seasoning and grill them, then chop into pieces and add to the soup when serving. - I skip the tortilla chips, but they do add a nice salt to the soup. I also skipped the cilantro. - We put a big dollop of sour cream, a juicy lime wedge, and a sprinkle of cheddar on top and voila! Tortilla soup. http://www.mommypotamus.com/chicken-tortilla-soup/

A quote from Tolkien for our newest blog reader :)

I'm baaaaack! Getting my life back after the end of the spring semester = getting my blog back. So happy. To hail my return, I bring the first of many spinach salads I've been documenting. I have challenged myself (and Tbird, by proxy) to eat at least one spinach salad a week. Today's edition is grilled chicken, roasted grape tomatoes, sautéed shallots, chopped walnuts, chunky white cheddar, and homemade honey mustard dressing. So tasty, and fulfills my challenge just in time! - Home roasting grape tomatoes: Cut grape tomatoes in half lengthwise, spray or oil lightly, and roast in the oven at 350 until slightly dehydrated. - Homemade honey mustard dressing: olive oil mayo, Dijon mustard, honey, Worcestershire, and garlic seasoning. Proportions really depend on your preferences; start with roughly similar mayo and mustard, add some honey to taste, and a couple dashes of the Worcestershire and garlic. Adjust to taste after mixing.

Best soup ever. Minor edits: don't add cheese, use it as a topping. Ditch the cilantro. Grind carrots up if you don't like them, you won't even know. Eat a lot. http://www.runningtothekitchen.com/2012/09/buffalo-chicken-soup-with-orzo/

Saturday in with a friend, the boy and vegetarian food. Recipe forthcoming!