Tom Yum Koong:

Yada Juntarapaso

(graduate-acoustics)

Vice President of Thai Student Association.

"Thai cuisine is one of the most popular international foods in the world, as an aspect of delicious and wholesome diets," Juntarapaso said. "Our traditional delicacies have subtle blends of flavors and also are varied in piquant tastes of herbs for instance holy basil, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal and chilies. One of the most favorite dishes for both Thai people and foreigners is so-called "Tom Yum Koong" a spicy and sour prawn soup."

Preparation time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 15 min (2 servings)

Ingredients:

100 grams medium-size fresh peeled prawns

100 grams straw mushrooms

2 halved lemon grass stalks, crushed and cut to 1-inch long.

5 slices of galangal

5 shredded kaffir lime leaves

6-10 slightly-pounded Thai hot chilies

2 tbsp fish sauce

3 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp roasted chili paste

2 tbsp evaporated milk

5-8 coriander leaves for decoration

3 cups chicken stock

Directions:

1. Heat the stock in a pot until boiling. Then, add lemon grass and galangal. Boil for 3 minutes.

2. Add mushrooms. Season with chilies, fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves and roasted chili paste. Stir well. Add prawns and evaporated milk; mix till prawns turn pink. Then remove from heat and add lime juice, stir until well combined.

3. Spoon "Tom Yum Koong" into a serving bowl. Decorate with coriander leaves.

Hong Kong Style Egg Tarts:

(recipe also available at http://holiday.allrecipes.com/az/HngKngStylggTrts.asp)

Linda Poon

Hong Kong Student Association

(junior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management)

"Egg Tart, is a traditional Hong Kong dessert. It is usually available in bakery stores in Hong Kong," Poon said.

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners' sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter

1 egg, beaten

1 dash vanilla extract

2/3 cup white sugar

1 1/2 cups water

9 eggs, beaten

1 dash vanilla extract

1 cup canned evaporated milk

Directions:

In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar and flour. Mix in butter with a fork until it is in small crumbs. Stir in the egg and vanilla until the mixture forms dough. The texture should be slightly moist. Add more butter if it is too dry, or more flour, if the dough seems greasy. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, and press the balls into tart molds so that it covers the bottom, and goes up higher than the sides. Shape the edge into an A shape.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (230 degrees Celsius). Combine the white sugar and water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Strain the eggs through a sieve, and whisk into the sugar mixture. Stir in the evaporated milk and vanilla. Strain the filling through a sieve and fill the tart shells.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown and the filling is puffed up a little bit.

Note: Whole milk will work as a substitute for evaporated milk.

Beach Coffee:

Torey Novak

(freshman-international business)

"I'm part of the Friends of Brazil club and I just returned from Brazil," Novak said. "I found a very simple recipe given to me by my host father's grandma, while we were living on the beach for a month. She helped me make the coffee every morning because I had to have it down to a T. This recipe, however simple, means more to me than just coffee, and every time I drink it, or make it, I am transported back to the beach and am standing there with my host grandma in that dank old kitchen."

Ingredients:

3 or 5 Soupspoons of ground coffee

1/2 Cup of Sugar

4 Cups of water

Directions:

Place a filter in a plastic basket and the ground coffee into the filter. Put the basket on top of the container you plan to store the coffee in. In a soup pot, bring the water to a boil. Add the sugar to the boiling water, making sure it evenly incorporates. Allow to boil for approximately 30 seconds then remove from heat and pour slowly over the ground coffee. Do not lift the basket because the heat will dissipate too quickly from the coffee. Drink slowly and with both hands. Makes four to five 'Brazilian size' cups of coffee.

Braided Challah Bread:

Cory Baumgarten

(freshman-marketing)

"Two braided loaves of challah bread are part of the Shabbat dinner among other Jewish holidays," Baumgarten said. "Challah bread represents the sacrifice made to the Jewish priests, the cohens, during the time of the Second Temple. Challah is the centerpiece of any Kosher meal. That's why it carries a nostalgic undertone that resonates the Jewish spirit."

Ingredients:

2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast or 5 teaspoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water,

divided use 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons salt

2 1/2 tablespoons corn oil

3 large eggs,

divided use 4 3/4 cups all-purpose or bread flour,

divided use 3 tablespoons poppy or sesame seeds

Directions:

Mix together yeast, 1/2 cup warm water (105 F to 115 F) and sugar in a small bowl. Set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes.

In a larger bowl, whisk together remaining 1 cup water, salt, corn oil, 2 eggs, yeast and 2 1/2 cups flour. Beat until elastic, about 5 minutes.

Gradually stir in about 2 1/4 cups more flour, working flour into dough vigorously.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Put dough in a greased bowl and turn to grease top.

Cover with plastic wrap and a towel, let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour.

Grease two cookie sheets.

Punch dough down, turn out and knead for 1 minute to get rid of air bubbles.

Divide dough into six equal parts.

Roll dough into ropes of equal length, about 15-inches long and make two braids of three strands each.

For the most uniform shape, start from the center and braid to one end.

Secure ends and tuck them under; turn unbraided ends towards yourself and braid them in reverse of the other side.

Cover braids with a dishtowel and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Beat remaining egg and lightly brush onto loaves in upward strokes.

Sprinkle with seeds and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Check after 20 minutes. If bread is getting too brown, cover loosely with a piece of foil. Bread should sound hollow when tapped gently on the bottom. Cool on wire racks. Makes two loaves.