Foods for You

Biscuits are one of my most favorite breads. Warm biscuits that are fresh out of the oven are breathtaking good. It is the feeling of the warm biscuits and the buttery flavor of the biscuits that always make me eat more than enough. When eating biscuits, I like to eat moist biscuits, but also biscuits with a kick of cheese flavor that melts in your mouth as you chew. The fusion between the butter and the cheese melting and mixing in the biscuits creates a great sensation for food lovers like me. I love how biscuits are great for any occasion, whether it be a normal family dinner or a special gathering. Biscuits are the best way to warm any heart. Its aromatic buttery smell filled with fresh herbs make biscuits a special treat for the best in any occasion. I certainly hope that everyone will enjoy biscuits, as much as I do!!

Ingredients:

1 bag or 2 cups Bisquick batter
2/3 cups milk
1/2 shredded cheese
2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cups (3 stems) fresh chopped Italian parsley
1/2 stick butter

Steps:

1. Mix the Bisquick batter with cheese and milk. Mix well until it is dough like.

2. Form round shape biscuits and placed them on the baking pan. Bake for about 8-10 minutes.

3. With a saucepan, melt the butter. Wait until the butter is fully melted, then add the minced garlic and parsley. Stir.

4. With a brush, brush the butter over the biscuits evenly. This will make the biscuits buttery and moist.

Tips and Notes:

* Cheese: I used mild cheddar cheese because I liked its color against the white biscuits, but also because of its mild flavor. You can of course use any type of cheese that you prefer. Just make sure that it is shredded. Making biscuits should be about you and your passion about food. Don't be restricted to using cheddar cheese. Using Parmesan cheese is also a great alternative, but this is all up to you.

* Herbs: I like to use fresh chopped Italian parsley because of its strong smell. Italian parsley has such a strong and herbal smell that I enjoy. I recommend that you should also use freshly chopped herbs, but once again, you can pick your herb of choice. You should herbs that have a strong natural smell. It will make the biscuits more delectable. I suggest using herbs like basils, rosemary, regular parsley. Of course, you can off also choose not to use any herbs if you are a big fan of natural aromatic flavors.
* Bisquick Batter: I used the Bisquick batter because I can add the cheese and milk as I am mixing it. I also recommend you using the refrigerated biscuits if you prefer not to mix. If this is the case, I would slit each refrigerated biscuits just a little. With that small slit, I would add the cheese. Milk is unnecessary here. However, the butter topping is a must!!

* Biscuits are very sticky, so it is important that you spray your cooking tray with nonstick oil. If you don't, your biscuits will stick to the tray and make it difficult for you to remove.

Banh Ba Ti So is a Vietnamese puff pastry. It resembles American puff pastry in that it is made with layers and as you take each bite, the flakes of the pastry fall off. What differs from American puff pastry is that Banh Ba Ti So is both a savory and sweet pastry. The pastry itself is buttery enough, but as you take a bite of the pastry, you'll have yourself biting into minced meat. Banh Ba Ti So is made with meat fillings. Therefore, most of the time this pastry is often eaten as a snack or mini-appetizers. This pastry itself is a blend of the savory meat fillings and the flaky pastry that ultimately makes this a delightful munch!!

Ingredients:

1/2 lbs. ground pork
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tablespoon pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt
2 boxes of  Pre-made puff pastry
3 egg yolk
3 egg whites

Steps:

1. Marinate the minced pork by adding the chopped onion, salt, and pepper. Mix well so that the minced pork is well season. You can refrigerate this a few hours in advance, so the seasoning is soaked in the minced pork.

2. Open the puff pastry box and cut out the sheets into thirds vertically. Then from each of those vertical sheet, cut into thirds. This means that each sheet will make three squares. You should have a total of 18 squares for each box you open.

3. Preheat oven 350 F.

4. Take one of the square and place a small spoonful of meat filling on the bottom square. With a brush, brush around the edges of the square with egg whites. Take another square and layer it on top of the meat. The egg white acts as a glue to stick the bottom and top layer together. With the brush, brush the egg yolks on the top layer. This will give the pastry a nice golden color. Repeat this process for all of your other squares until finish. This picture below is the finished process of assembling the two layers together.


5. Bake in the oven at 350 F for about 40-45 minutes. The last 5 minutes, you should change from bake to broil. The pastry is done when it is nice golden yellow.

Tips and Notes:

* It is best to use the pre-made puff pastry dough when it is still hard. It is extremely hard to cut and separate the sheets when the dough is too soft.

* You do not have to cut the squares into thirds. Any size you desire, but of course this will affect your temperature and baking durations.

*It is VERY IMPORTANT to constantly keep an eye on your pastry while it is baking. It can easily get burn in a matter of minutes. Always check on the oven.