Farewell Cooking Tour: Bánh Mì School with Cafe TH's Minh Nguyen

The grand teacher was so proud of his pupil's accomplishment

Everyone kept asking me if there were places I had to visit one last time before leaving. What was I going to miss the most? The only place that came to mind (and that I visited at least twice a week this last month) was the char-grilled Vietnamese wonderland known as Cafe TH.

The story of how everyone falls in love with TH seems to always be the same. A friend brings them along after months of raving about it, and in short time the new TH fan is repeating the cycle and bringing in even more friends to succumb to owner Minh's unparalleled spirit and food (it's quite the grand pyramid scheme).

While I never got my name on a menu item like my TH-sires Trey and Scotty (of Trey Way and Gluttonous Ellis fame), I had a lot of great memories and meals there these past 3 years. Every Thursday, our friends would gather together for one of Minh's unbeatable 4-course prix fixe dinners (which we turned into 5 courses thanks to the Trey Way), but my fondest food memories involve the grand Saturday tradition I used to have when I lived a mere 2 minutes away for a year.

Each Saturday, I would wake up, work out, and travel to TH for the greatest bánh mì known to man, The Heart Throb, and then take the most glorious nap on the couch in front of the TV. This behemoth took everything that made bánh mì great and turbo charged it beyond safe levels. Double char-grilled pork combines with bacon, fried eggs, and the freshest ingredients in the best baguette this side of Paris for a satisfaction your stomach will never forget.

Before I left Houston, I wanted only one thing- to make my own Heart Throb. But in order to do that, I was going to have to learn the art of the bánh mì.

Bánh Mì School

All I was expecting from my bánh mì making request was watching Minh masterfully make sandwiches while telling me what makes them so damned delicious, but he had much greater things in store. I was going to learn about bánh mì by getting in the kitchen and making them myself. First up was watching Minh's padawan Maria assemble 6 sandwiches before I had time to blink. The skill was evident, and I had lofty expectations to meet.

Next up, we traveled to the kitchen where I got to live my dream of cooking like a professional chef. We needed fried eggs and bacon to complete our sandwich, and this hairnet wasn't gonna wear itself. I was a little worried that I overcooked the eggs as the pan was quite hot (and that I would commit some unforgivable health code violation), but the bacon came out perfect.

Minh knew better than to let me play with the majestic fire for the char-grilled pork, but he did let me play with his sharp knives and cut up the greatest food item known to man. It took everything in my power not to just shove it all in my mouth.

Now it was time to survey our ingredients- char-grilled pork, 2 eggs, 2 strips of bacon, French butter (which every sandwich should be lucky enough to be graced with), pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, and jalapenos- all of which were fresh perfection. 

But we were going to need a vessel to transport all this goodness to my mouth, and a toasted French Baguette was just the ticket.

Maria was quick to let me know when I made a mistake. I could tell my uncanny natural abilities had her fearing she would be replaced. Too much pork, not enough carrots, and misplaced cucumbers were quickly corrected.

Exhausted, but relieved after 30 minutes of intense training, it was time to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

Thanks to Maria's pointers, it looked so perfect. I almost didn't want to touch it, but since I knew what it was going to taste like, I was willing to destroy this masterpiece.

At last, I got to enjoy that first earth-shattering bite of my Heart Throb. As you can see, my fear of having overcooked the eggs was unwarranted. Not Pictured: me devouring it then laying back in my chair with my stomach hanging out, unable to move and making the other patrons uncomfortable.

Yet again, Minh had found a way to give me another memorable experience at his little oasis of awesome. Thanks so much for the years of good food, great times, and ruining my expectations for every restaurant I visit in the future. I'll be lucky to find another place with half the heart in Charleston.

And now, it's time to get to know the man himself (although the best way is always walking in those welcoming doors).

An Interview with the Prime Minhister of Bánh Mì

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you end up here today?

In short, I’ve always had the entrepreneurial spirit but really had no mastery of any skilled labor. So, when an opportunity knocked where I could work next to where I live, help grow in an area w/ potential, and become self sufficient then I seized it. I went with a ‘gut’ feeling vs. a sensible one.

What's the best part of owning TH?

The best part is definitely greeting & meeting new and regular customers w/ good energy. Connecting w/ ppl some how some way makes my soul more complete.

What's the secret to a good bánh mì? Is it love? I'm betting it's love. 

It’s the love! hmmm… Quality ingredients made fresh in a timely manner.

What's your favorite bánh mì? Favorite menu item? 

Generally speaking, I really like simple foods. This constantly changes but if I had to stick w/ a tried and true one, I’d say the char-grilled chicken and tofu w/ a hint of kim chi. Wait, that seemed to be complex. Again, my favorite menu item changes day to day, but I’d have to go with the pho. It’s incredibly nutrious and can do wonders for your soul.

How were my bánh mì making skills? 

Your skills were top notch. I’d have to say that you were valedictorian of your class.

Any big plans for the restaurant in the coming year?

I always have plans but how much of it gets accomplished is another. We shall see bc if it happens, I’m sure you will notice.

What does Houston's most eligible restaurateur look for in a mate? (from Kevin and probably every single woman who has ever set foot in TH)

.

I'm pretty sure this is what heaven looks like

Hmmm…where did you get these questions from?..lol…... other than the typical traits ppl look for, I’d add: empathy, competent, assertiveness, there’s an endless list but I feel like if you know, you know. Some sort of feeling you have and it’s somewhat explainable in a few words but not really.

When will you be expanding to Charleston?

Whenever you and Robin are ready. Gimme the green light.

Anything you'd like to add?

I’d like to say that this anchorman persona is quite impressive and should put your engineering career away. Thx for being a good pal, and I hope that Houston finds you again.

Farewell Cooking Tour: Shrimp Creole and Cornbread

As the countdown to the big move reached its final week, it was time to kick-off one last series of adventures in H-town. In order to make the last week as memorable as possible, I was gonna need a new kitchen, and my cousin Melissa presented the perfect opportunity. After years of being a neglectful relative, it was time for me to suck it up and drive out to suburbia for one final family catch-up session.  After two decades of gathering over our grandmother's incomparable cooking, the pressure was now on, and I was going to have to win Melissa, Kevin, Ryan, and Olivia over with the Cajun food of our hometown (and teach Olivia what Cajun means).


Shrimp Creole
Modified from Emeril 
Servings: 6-8
Time: 1 hour

The smell of sauteing veggies in Cajun cooking always wins

4 oz butter or 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 white onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
3-4 celery stalks, chopped
4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
Cayenne to taste
Tony Chachere's to taste
1 tbsp dried oregano
Black pepper to taste
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco to taste
1 cup chicken broth
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 1/2 lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Green onions, chopped for garnish
2 cups long grain white rice

1. Melt the butter or heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. 
2. Saute the onions, peppers, and celery.
3. Season with salt and cayenne.
4. Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, tomato paste, and garlic. Season with salt, cayenne, oregano, Tony Chachere's, and black pepper. Let cook for 5 minutes.
5. Add in the chicken broth.
6. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer then let reduce for 20 minutes.
7. Splash in some Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco.
8. Thicken the mix with flour. Let cook for 3 minutes while it thickens.
9. Add in the shrimp and cook for 4 to 6 minutes until they turn orange and curl. Re-season to account for the shrimp.
10. Serve over cooked long grain rice and top with green onions.

One big pot of deliciousness

I was immediately taken aback by how nice and sparkly their kitchen was (complete with gas stove and awesome island). I almost felt bad for the mess I was about to make, but I figured the Cajun food coma would be enough to compensate and give me the time I needed to escape the damage. Clearly, I had made a mistake not upping my family game sooner.  The shrimp creole required an absurd amount of chopping, but then there was just a lot of time to hang around the aforementioned glorious kitchen and exchange stories about dance lessons, vacations, cooking adventures, and future plans.

Once dinner was finally ready, we were treated to a great reminder of the good old days back in Louisiana. The Shrimp Creole was really all about the glorious shrimp, as it wasn't overpowered by tomato as is too often the case. All the fantastic peppers and spices came together for a big, bold dish that hit the spot.

Cornbread

Modified from All Recipes

Previously sort of seen Here

Servings: 12

Time: 30 minutes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3/4 can of corn, drained

Olivia- The world's most talented sous chef (and the pickiest eater)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Convince a precocious 9 year old to do most of the work for you under the pretense of "teaching".
3. Mix all the ingredients except for the corn together in a bowl until smooth. 
4. Marvel that said child is far more skilled than you were at that age since no egg shell ended up in the mix.
5. Stir the corn in well.
6. Pour into a lightly greased baking pan.
7. Bake for 18-24 minutes or until the toothpick test comes back clean and the top has nicely browned.

It is also acceptable to forgo the rice and just pour the Shrimp Creole directly on top of the cornbread.

This sweet cornbread has been a go to for me for the past 3 years (Hey, what do you know? That's just when I moved back to Houston!), and it continued to amaze. I mixed things up this time by adding in the actual corn for some texture and added flavor (an idea I stole from Robin), and the decision proved to be a winner. More impressive than the golden cornbread, however, were Olivia's skills in the kitchen. I made about 5 times the mess she did (all those dance classes must have really helped her coordination), and she provided a perfectly smooth batter primed for making awesome cornbread.

The night was definitely a success and well worth the drive. It was great sharing a nice home-cooked meal with family on a Sunday night. It's a shame we can't do it again anytime soon, but I'm so glad we got around to it.

Cajun Cubanos

It's rare that a movie speaks to your soul, and even rarer when it manages to hit on just about every aspect of it. The magnificent foodie-porn film Chef combined my love of cooking with both my Cuban and New Orleans heritage for the most enjoyable and fun movie I've seen in quite some time (especially impressive given that I watched it on a plane). Immediately upon seeing it, I went about convincing Kevin he had to watch it, so we could quit our jobs and open up a food truck (At least 1/3 of that equation has now been completed. Stop holding out, Kevin!).

Finally, this Sunday we got together to watch the Saints dominate the Packers and did our best to reenact the movie in our fanciest guayaberas (or at least I did).

Would our Cajun spins on the most perfect sandwich (It's grilled cheese stuffed with pork!) provide us with all the mojo we needed to enjoy the Saints game, or would we learn that it's best to stick with tradition?

With enough prodding, I'm sure I could get Kevin to wear a guayabera. I mean he did wear nothing but Hawaiian shirts when we met.

The Ingredient List

Cuban Bread (see below)
Mojo Pork (see below)
Ham (we used maple glazed honey ham)
Prosciutto
Swiss Cheese
Havarti Cheese
Olive Salad (see below)
Mojo Spread (see below)
Remoulade (Previously seen here but with cilantro in place of parsley)
Kevin's mom's homemade pickles
Momma Kennair's fried shrimp
And most importantly- butter

1. Start calculating the cost of a food truck.
2. Decide it's far too expensive and that your friend's kitchen is "just as good".
3. Determine which of these 3 awesome sandwiches deserves your mouth's immediate attention. 
4. Recreate the stack-up as shown. I recommend putting the spread you pick on both pieces of bread.
5. Combine the two sides into proper sandwich form. Slather with butter.
6. Grill in a buttered skillet over medium to medium-low heat while applying pressure with a weight. Flip and repeat. We used a heavy cast-iron cover to weigh ours down, but you could be fancy and use an actual sandwich press.
7. Embrace your Cuban heritage in the most delicious way possible.

The Traditional

The Traditional Stack-up: Bread, mojo pork, ham (3 slices), Swiss cheese (3-4 slices), pickles, and Dijon mustard.

Now this was a sandwich. Our first attempt may have just been the greatest Cuban sandwich any of us had eaten (for the next few minutes at least). The mojo pork was fantastic, and Kevin's last second audible to add cloves paid off by really bringing complexity and uniqueness to the juicy goodness. His contributions to this sandwich's success weren't over, though, as his mom's homemade pickles were spot-on (and infinitely better than any store bought pickle I've ever had). Top it all off with poweful Dijon mustard, and this was all the joy that a Cuban sandwich is supposed to be.

This sandwich looked kind of like a sad duck following grilling and cutting. 

The Cuban Muffaletta

The Cuban Muffaletta Stack-up: Bread, mojo pork, ham (2 slices), prosciutto, Havarti (4 slices), olive salad, and mojo spread.

Our first Cajun fusion attempt managed the seemingly impossible by toppling our traditional sandwich in our personal rankings. The prosciutto added some extra New Orleans worthy decadence, while the Havarti proved once and for all that it should be the official cheese sponsor of sandwiches, and the mojo spread amplified everything that made the pork special. The MVP (can you tell I'm writing this while watching the World Series), however, was the distinguishing factor of any good Muffaletta- the olive salad (I really need to figure out how to get giardiniera in my life). Marrying together the best aspects of a Cuban sandwich with those of a Muffaletta produced the gold standard for all future sandwiches, and has surely ruined us for life.

I'm jealous of this picture because it has olive salad and I do not.

The Cuban Po' Boy

The Cuban Po' boy Stack-up: Bread, mojo pork, ham (2 slices), Havarti cheese (4 slices), fried shrimp (~10),  pickles, and remoulade.

My original vision of my hypothetical Cajun fusion food truck with Kevin was the Cuban Po' Boy. As a kid, my favorite Po' Boy was always the fried shrimp, and no one made better fried shrimp than my Cuban mother (full circle fusion!). After stealing the secret family recipe she keeps locked in a safe at the bottom of a bayou (read: calling my mother), I was ready to tackle the defining food of my childhood. While the end result was quite good, they did not manage to reach the heights I'm used to as the nice mustard finish was noticeably absent, meaning I'll probably need to train under my mother's tutelage until I perfect it. The sandwich itself was still pretty great, but it suffered from an overabundance of meat (yeah, I didn't know that was possible either), making it slightly dry. Future attempts at the Cuban Po' Boy will likely need either removing one of the ham or pork, using thinner pork, or really lathering on the remoulade.

Despite being absurdly full, we found ourselves still picking out and eating all the shrimp.

Between the Saints finally looking good and non-stop amazing sandwiches, Sunday was a resounding success and surely proved beyond any reasonable doubt or logical thought that a Cajun fusion food truck needs to be in our future.

All the Recipes You'll Need

Cuban Bread
Recipe from Taste of Cuba
Servings: 4 loaves
Time: 3 hours (plus 1 day for starter)

Starter
3/4 tsp active dry yeast (1/3 envelope)
1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup bread flour

Dough
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (2 envelopes)
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water, divided
4 tbsp vegetable shortening, room temp
1/2 batch starter 
1 tbsp salt
4-5 cups bread flour
Kitchen twine, dampened

The best and fanciest bread I have made yet. The slightly extra work involved with making a starter really pays off.

1. The day before you plan to make the bread, mix up the starter by dissolving the yeast in the warm water. Then mix in the flour until a thick paste forms. Cover with plastic wrap and "ripen" in the fridge for 12-24 hours (the longer the better).
2. The day of, dissolve the yeast and sugar in 3 tbsp water in a large bowl. Allow 5-10 minutes for a foam to develop.
3. Mix in the vegetable shortening, remaining water, salt, and 1/2 batch of the starter you made yesterday. 
4. Be kind of sad that you still have 1/2 a batch of starter that will never see its lifelong dreams of being bread come to fruition.
5. Add flour in 1 cup at a time and mix well with the dough hook attachment on a stand mixer. Continue adding flour until you have a workable dough that is not sticky. 
6. Let the dough hook knead the dough for 6-8 minutes until elastic, or knead it yourself on a lightly floured surface.
7. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise until it doubles (~ 45-60 minutes).
8. Separate into 4 equally sized balls. Roll out each into a long tube (~8-12 inches) and place on baking sheets spaced at least 6 inches apart. 
9. Cover with damp paper towels and let rise for another hour until they double again.
10. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
11. Place dampened pieces of twine in cool patterns on top of the dough. 
12. Bake until tops are brown and it sounds hollow when tapped (25-30 minutes), rotating once during.
13. Let cool on wire racks and remove the strings.
14. Turn into ridiculous Cuban sandwiches.

Muffaletta Olive Salad

Adapted from Cooking for Two 

Time: 5 minutes (plus a day)

3/4 cup pimento-stuffed olives
1/4-1/2 cup Kalamata olives
1/2 cup giardiniera
2 large pepperoncini
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Black pepper to taste
Red chili flakes to taste
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil

1. Drain all the ingredients.
2. Chop finely, mix in the pepper, red chili flakes, lemon juice and olive oil, and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld.

Mojo Spread

Adapted from The Cooking Channel

Time: 5 minutes

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp cilantro, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

4 cloves garlic, minced

Juice of 1 lime

1. Mix all the ingredients together until smooth like your sweet Cuban dance moves.

Mojo Pork

Adapted from Tyler Florence

Time: 1 hour

How could that not turn out awesome?

2-3 lbs boneless pork shoulder or tenderloin

Salt

Pepper 

Red chili flakes

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp dried oregano

2 tbsp olive oil

5 cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed

1 onion, sliced

1 cup orange juice

Juice of 1 lime

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 bay leaves

Cloves

So tender and juicy and delicious

1. Cut the pork into 4-5 pieces. Season well with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.
2. Saute the garlic, onion, and chili flakes in olive oil in a pressure cooker on the brown setting until fragrant and soft
3. Brown the pork on all sides. 
4. Add the orange juice, lime juice, chicken broth, bay leaves, and cloves. Cover and set the pressure cooker to high for 40 minutes. 
5. Follow all the safety precautions and wait for the pressure to be released before opening. 
6. Lightly pull the pork into large, juicy chunks.

Momma Kennair's Fried Shrimp

2 eggs, scrambled

Milk

Mustard

Soy Sauce

Flour

Salt

Pepper

Garlic Powder

Cayenne Pepper

Shrimp, peeled and deveined

Oil for frying

One day I will properly honor your fried shrimp, Momma Kennair.

1. Heat oil to 375 F.
2. Mix the eggs, milk, mustard and soy sauce into one bowl and the flour and spices into another.
3. Dip the shrimp in the liquid mixture with one hand and into the powder mix with the other. Shake off excess batter.
4. Fry until golden brown (~ 2 minutes). Transfer to a plate covered in paper towels to remove excess oil.
5. You can store these in an oven set to 200 F for later if needed.

Lazy Sunday: Korean Short Rib and Kimchi Tacos

On this rare occasion of actually being home on a Sunday with nothing to do aside from trying to meld with my couch, I realized that I needed something equally lazy to make. Following some of Cafe TH's addictive Vietnamese tacos for lunch Saturday, I decided to stay with the Mexican-Asian Fusion theme of my weekend and to revisit an old friend long neglected since I left L.A.- the powerful and pungent kimchi.

Would having to go to two stores for supplies ruin my lazy Sunday? Would my tacos burn after their wonderful aroma lulled me into a deep sleep?

Korean Tacos
Adapted from Foodie with Family
Servings: 10-12 tacos
Time: 5 1/2 hours (inactive for 5)

The super packed braising liquid

Slow Cooker
10 oz pear juice
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 white onion, sliced
4 tbsp ginger, minced or grated
1 1/2 jalapenos, seeded and sliced
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup gochujang (which I couldn't find so I used Korean BBQ Marinade)
1/4 cup mirin
2 tbsp sesame oil

You'll somehow find room for the meat

1 tbsp soy sauce
1 pear, peeled, cored and grated
5 lbs beef short ribs on the bone
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp canola or peanut oil

Serving
Flour tortillas
Kimchi
Cilantro
Sriracha
Jalapenos
Pear slices
Sriracha

1. Combine the pear juice, garlic, onion, ginger, jalapeno, brown sugar, gochujang (or Korean BBQ marinade), mirin, sesame oil, soy sauce and grated pear together in a slow cooker. Cover and turn to high.
2. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper. 
3. Heat a large pan over medium. Add oil and brown each side of the short ribs until a crust forms (about 2-3 minutes per side). You may have to do this in shifts. You don't want to overcrowd the pan.
4. Add the short ribs to the slow cooker. Cover and let cook over high for 5 hours until tender and falling off the bone.
5. Take the ribs out from the slow cooker. Lightly pull the short ribs, removing the bones, excess fat, and connective tissue. You may want to let the fat separate out from the liquid before adding it back to the short ribs, or you may end up with an overly oily taco.
6. Serve in a flour tortilla topped with kimchi, cilantro, jalapeno slices, pear slices and sriracha.

Short ribs at their tender finest

I don't even know where to begin with these titans of the taco realm. The short ribs themselves were fall apart tender, but also maintained a lot of moisture and flavor on their own without the need for additional liquid. But that is not to say that you should ignore the braising liquid as it is a treasure trove of amazing (again, just make sure you separate out some excess oil). The dominant flavor is a wonderful sesame and soy combo highlighting the Korean origins, while the cooked down onion and jalapenos are perfect at delivering all that soaked up goodness. It only got better with the toppings, as the kimchi really stood out with the powerful, spicy, tangy and crunchy fermented cabbage, while the pears added even more juiciness and freshness, and the sriracha helped cement a wonderful lip-tingling spiciness. If only all Sundays could be like this.

Works even better with HEB Southwest Tortillas

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese

Following the crazed cooking bonanza of the Great Cooking Streak of '14 and Cafaux TH, I found myself in the ultimate groove. I was spitting out words almost as quickly as I was knocking out dishes, but then a work trip and lots of eating out forced an end to all that (until I finally figure out how to cook things in the hotel coffee pot). Tonight, the itch to cook became too great, and I decided to rectify things. Since autumn is finally upon us, I decided to celebrate it with not one, but three kinds of squash in a comfort food dinner featuring Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, as well as, roasted zucchini and yellow squash.

Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese
Adapted from Pinch of Yum
Servings: 6
Time: 40 minutes

One of these was a lot harder to chop than the other

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1 tbsp butter
Olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, & cubed
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
5 cups vegetable broth
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp salt
2/3-1 cup shredded cheese (I used Gruyére)
Scallions, chopped for garnish
Salt, pepper, and sriracha to taste

So boring and cheeseless. It looks like the lamest pasta ever, but it has a bright future.

Sauce that is practically a bisque

1. Get water boiling and cook your macaroni according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
2. While boiling your macaroni, sauté the onion with butter in a pan over medium heat until soft and translucent (about 10 minutes). When almost done, add the garlic and let cook for 1 minute.
3. In a separate large pan, sauté the jalapeno and red bell pepper with olive oil over medium heat until tender (about 10 minutes).
4. In a large pot, bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Add the butternut squash and let simmer until tender (about 7 minutes).
5. Drain the squash, reserving ~ 1/2 cup of the broth.
6. Combine the broth, butternut squash, milk, onion, garlic, and salt together in a blender and puree until smooth. Add additional milk to control the desired level of creaminess.  Adjust the flavor with salt, pepper, and sriracha.
7. Add the macaroni to the large pan with the peppers. Stir in the sauce and cheese until melted and well distributed.
8. Top with scallions and serve.

Much, much better.

Now this was a mac & cheese experience unlike any other. The butternut squash sauce added a richness, creaminess, and fullness that was seriously bisque-esque (fun new word!), while the peppers brought a little kick and delicate crunch. This might not be everyone's idea of a proper Kraftian adventure since the cheese itself is actually somewhat understated (although this is easily remedied by seriously upping the cheese quotient), but it doesn't have to be the star of the dish since the sauce is just that good. If you want to keep the semi-healthy nature intact but add a little more flavor and protein, I'd recommend crumbling in some tempeh "bacon" (which my store was sadly out of). After tonight, I am a lot more excited about the many delicious prospects of the fall season.

The full meal- complete with 2 more kinds of squash and Gardein "chicken"

Cafaux TH: Dessert- Café du Monde Cake

By this point, my picture taking and staging abilities had greatly deteriorated with tiredness and fullness.

Back in the original days of Cafe TH dinner specials before Minh hired a pastry chef, two desserts were frequently rotated in and out- Fried Bananas and Café du Monde Cake. These two brilliantly executed sweet treats actually managed to prove that you can never have too much of a good thing, as we never found ourselves tired of either. When it came time to choose the hammer to our evening of gluttony there was no discussion. Cafe TH's greatest, and longest lived dessert (which just so happened to callback to my New Orleans roots) was the clear choice.

Café du Monde Cake
Heavily Modified from Frappuccino Cucpcakes
Servings: 2- 9" cakes

Hazelnutty and coffeey batter

Cakes
2 1/4 cups all-purpose gluten free flour (or cake flour if not going GF)
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts, peeled and chopped well
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Cafe du Monde coffee powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract

The greatest frosting in the history of fat

2/3 cup strongly brewed Cafe du Monde coffee

Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting
16 oz cream cheese, softened to room temp
6-8 tbsp chocolate hazelnut spread (I used Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter)
2-4 cups powdered sugar
2 splashes of heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

And now you can peel all of them!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Whisk the flour (use cake flour if possible), chopped hazelnuts, baking powder, salt and coffee powder together in a large bowl). Set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
4. Add in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated.
5. Mix in the vanilla extract.
6. Alternate adding in the dry ingredients and brewed coffee in 3 portions until just mixed.
7. Fill two, greased, lightly floured 9" rounds with batter. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until the toothpick test comes back clean.
8. Let cool on a wire rack.
9. Fail at removing the cakes from their pans and have 2, single layer cakes instead of a majestic double layer one.
10. Make the frosting in an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the cream cheese well. Then add the chocolate hazelnut spread and mix well.
11. Add in the vanilla extract and powdered sugar (I used 4 cups because my hippie spread was lower in sugar than your usual Nutella, so adjust accordingly). Smooth out the frosting with a couple of splashes of heavy cream. Realize you have just created the world's greatest frosting and make up for the fact that you've been too busy baking to eat all day.
12. Frost the cakes and sprinkle on chopped toasted hazelnuts. Serve slices on top of a smear of extra frosting.

One lovely cake stuck to the pan!

Flavor-wise, this cake hit all the fondly remembered Cafe TH notes, and was, in my mind, the dish that most resembled its inspiration. The coffee and hazelnut melded together with perfect harmony in the cake, while the chocolate hazelnut frosting should have a patch to combat the addiction to it that you will develop. The only downfall of the cake was its overly crumbly nature resulting from the gluten-free flour (easily fixed by using super gluteny cake flour for those of you who want to try this at home). My inability to separate the cakes from their pans to make a two-tiered dessert behemoth turned out to be a blessing as there is no way that structure would have survived cutting.

The next iteration might just be a giant bowl filled with frosting

I don't know that Kevin and I have ever put more into a night of cooking than we did for this ode to Cafe TH (and that's saying something), but it was absolutely worth it as we had a night we'll never forget (and not just because we were too busy cooking non-stop to drink). As amazing as the night was, we sure are glad that next time it'll be coming out of Minh's kitchen.

After a long day of cooking, Kevin and I were able to enjoy the fruits of our efforts and look damn good doing it.

Cafaux TH: Entremet- Mango Peach Smoothie Shot

Between the main course and dessert lies the most refreshing part of any Cafe TH Prix Fixe menu- the entremet. This lightly sweet fruit shot (or amazing hot chocolate during the winter months) is anxiously awaited each week as we see what new wonderful combo Minh has come up with. For this incredibly complex evening, it also represented a welcome respite from the rigors of the hard labor and hot kitchen.

Mango Peach Smoothie Shot
Servings: 6-9 shots
Time: 5 minutes

1 ripe mango, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 peach, peeled and seeded
Milk
Honey to taste
Pomegranate seeds

It's key that you convince some sucker one else to get all the seeds for you (and that you do it in water, so your kitchen doesn't resemble the elevator scene from The Shining).

1. Combine the mango, peach, milk, and honey together in a blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust the amount of milk to reach your desired level of smoothitude.
2. Pour into shot glasses and top with pomegranate seeds.
3. Enjoy the refreshing break.

For her efforts seeding the pomegranate and judging our test night, Michaela got the lone actual shot glass.

We decided on an entirely unique creation for our version of the entremet. Between two grocery stores, I was finally able to find one ripe mango for my subtly sweet and silky shot. The mango and peach really shined, while the milk provided a little creaminess to help it go down even smoother, and the pomegranate seeds added texture and that lovely burst of juiciness they're known for. While everyone used this rare moment where their mouths weren't full to enjoy great conversation, the final course had to be quickly on the horizon before their brains had a chance to realize just how grossly full they were.

Coming up next, the fifth and final dish- Café du Monde Cake!