Xoi lap xuong

I just purchased tickets to see my family for Thanksgiving this week and it's making me feel like Thanksgiving is just around the corner, even though we've barely reached Halloween. My family makes a mix of Asian and typical American Thanksgiving foods for our big meal -- a turkey marinated in Peking duck spices, stuffing and cranberry sauce along side a bowl of quick pickled cucumbers, onions & radishes, and always always xôi lạp xưởng -- sticky rice with chinese sausage. My mother has perfected a quick method of cooking this dish in a microwave, so if you exclude the time spent soaking the rice this meal takes less than 20 minutes. Awesome. A small price to pay for a taste of home.

The soy sauce and sugar quantities listed below are a minimum suggested amount -- it is easier to add soy sauce to taste when you eat. You can adjust accordingly when you become more comfortable cooking this dish.

2 cups of sticky rice (it may be labeled as "nep" in an Asian store)
8 dried shitake mushrooms or fresh shitake mushrooms
1 tspn. vegetable oil

1 1/2 chinese sausages, halved and cut into half moon shaped pieces
1 1/2 carrots, diced

1/4 onion, diced
handful of dried baby shrimp (optional)
1 1/2 tbspns. soy sauce
1 tspn. white sugar

In a large microwave safe bowl, cover the rice with warm water and soak overnight.

When ready to cook, drain the water and then cover the rice again with enough water to just cover the rice. Place a paper towel over the bowl and cook in the microwave for 8 minutes. Take the bowl out and stir the rice, cover again with the paper towel and cook for an additional 5 minutes. If the rice is still soggy and all the water hasn't been absorbed, keep microwaving it in 3 minute increments until the rice is moist and sticky, but not too wet.

In the meantime, if using dried shitake mushrooms, bring a pot of water to boil. Cook the mushrooms until tender, drain, rinse with cold water, pat dry and slice.

Heat the oil in a sautee pan. Add the chinese sausages and sautee until lightly browned. Add the carrots, onion,  mushrooms, and dried baby shrimp (if using). Sautee until the onions are translucent. Add the soy sauce and sugar, cook until the sugar dissolves.

Combine the sauteed mixture with the cooked rice. Makes 4 servings.