Rice Paper

Rice-paper-4

I arrived in Hong Kong at 6pm, bleary-eyed from a 24 hour flight but also fully aware that I should get a bite to eat and try to stay awake until 9pm. I headed down Wanchai Road in search of food and adventure.

I was intrigued since I had never seen such culinary action in the US. And so the quest began to learn how to make these two dishes. The la mein has been a long saga without a happy ending, so I won’t regale the details here. The rice noodles on the other hand…

I took two cooking classes during my trip to mainland China, but had to wait until my trip to Vietnam to see the rice paper/noodle in action. As I explored various cooking school options, I focused on a course that would teach me had to steam rice paper or rice noodles.

01 09_1820A woman in the Mekong Delta making rice paper

In the class at The Red Bridge Cooking School, we learned how to steam the rice paper for fresh summer rolls. The chef gave us instructions for making the batter… soaking raw white rice in water over night and then pureeing it with 4 parts water for 7 minutes. The batter was already made for the students to then steam on the steamer-contraption they had set up. Imagine a tambourine (without the jingle) with a taut, translucent fabric set over a steamer. The batter is poured onto the drum and smoothed out with a ladle; I made one rather successfully. As I started to make a second, the instructor stopped me… “No, no, no. Only make one.” I was disappointed but also felt I had enough resources to try again when I returned home.

Attempt #1 was an unmitigated disaster. I tried to fashion a steamer-drum using a cotton napkin and an extra-large rubber-band. I soaked the rice overnight and then put it in the blender to puree. And puree. And puree. The batter never became smooth enough to make the thin crepe-like batters, but I tried cooking a few anyway. The napkin smoldered around the burner, the batter seeped through the napkin leaving the grainy rice on top. I was defeated and didn’t think about it again until I saw the recipe for steamed rice rolls on Ravenous Couple’s blog.

For their batter, they used rice flour and tapioca starch. This seemed doable to me. So I set out again to make the rice paper. Making a steaming device remained the unresolved challenge. But then the flash of brilliance passed before me just long enough to realize that a silk screen (typically used for making art and t-shirts) might also work.

Did you know that silk is flame-proof? I learned this in the Arab markets in Jerusalem. If the salesperson claims the fabric is pure silk, ask if you can take a match to it. If they say okay, they know that the silk won’t catch fire. If they say no, then fabric is probably made of polyester or other flammable material.    This was a useful factoid to remember as the silk of the steamer dangled precariously above the burner.

Rice-paper-1

At the local craft store, I bought a sheet of silk (though I could have also bought the whole silk screen set up, the size didn’t seem right for me) and a large rubber band. I wrapped the silk around the bamboo steamer. Success #1.

I then made a filling of pork and mushrooms to go inside the eventual rice papers. Pretty straightforward, and another check in the success column.

Batter… Easy. I measured out the flours and mixed with water. Check.

Cooking the batter was a bit of challenge, but after a few attempts I was able to successful ladle the batter onto my steamer-drum, fill it with the pork and roll it up.

Rice-paper-2

As I was photographing the final dish, I thought to myself, “Self, this was good, but I don’t think it’s good enough to go through the effort. Glad I tried it.” And then I tasted it and thought, “Well, okay. That was pretty damn tasty. Let me think of an occasion when it would be appropriate.”
Rice-paper-3
And then I started to clean the kitchen….

Steamed Rice Noodle Rolls with Ground Pork

4 oz. rice flour
3 1/2 oz. tapioca flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 cups water
plain oil
filling (see recipe below)
dipping sauce (see recipe below)

1.  Mix together flours, salt and water.
2.  Put silk-steamer over a water bath.  Bring water to a boil.
3.  Brush oil over silk.  Brush oil over cookie sheet.  Brush oil over spatula that will be used to turn noodle.
4.  Ladle a scant quarter cup over silk-drum.  Spread the batter so it's very thin.  Cook for 2 minutes, or until it begins to look translucent.
5.  Sprinkle pork on top of noodle, and use the spatula to roll it up, starting from the edges.
6.  Gently remove from steamer and placed on greased cookie sheet until ready to serve.
7.  Serve with dipping sauce, garnish with scallions and fried shallots.

Filling

1/2 lb ground pork
8 shiitake mushrooms, steams removed, caps chopped
1 shallot, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
1 tbs fish sauce
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. oil
pinch salt and pepper

1. Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add the oil. When oil is hot, add shallots and garlic.

2. Season pork with salt, pepper and sugar.  Add to the pan, breaking up the meat.  Cook until there is no more pink.

3.  Drain excess fat.  Season with fish sauce.

Dipping Sauce
2 tbs. sugar
2 tbs. fish sauce
2 tbs. mirin
2 tbs. rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, smashed
1/4 lime juiced

Mix Everything together.

Introducing Katie from Eat this.

I’ve officially crossed over from novice blogger to experienced blogger. This comes thanks to Kristen’s (of Dine and Dish) great program, “Adopt-a-Blogger”. Kristen founded this program to pair experienced bloggers with novice bloggers in a sort of mentoring program. I missed being a novice (though I had some wonderful mentoring from Lydia — THANK YOU LYDIA!). And now I’m *experienced*.

So without further ado, let me introduce you to my adoptee: Katie from Eat This. She hails from a small town outside of East Lansing. She’s cooking up a storm of whole grain and natural foods while finishing up her PhD in neuroscience. I’m psyched to try some of her recipes because she’s cooking with interesting yet common ingredients, inspiring me to get out of my usual ruts. You know, things like venison, jicama and bulgur. Also, very cool — she has a "cookbook of the month." Each month she cooks several recipes out of one cookbook… it's a great way to really delve into one particular style or theme. So check out her blog and say hello!

Honestly, I still feel like a novice blogger… just this week I'll celebrate my one year blogiversary. As I peruse Katie’s site, it looks like she’s figured out a lot of the technical things of blogging that I’m still working on (like widgets). Since I know that so many of you are more experienced blogging than me, I ask:

What advice would you offer the novice?
__________________________
I never posted these Vietnamese Spring Rolls that I made during my cooking class in Hanoi.

¼ pound ground pork
¼ pound peeled and deveined shrimp
1 small bundle of glass noodles
2 eggs
5 scallions
1 handful wood ear mushrooms
1 handful dried shiitake
½ carrot
½ kohlrabi
½ small onion
4 small shallots
4 garlic cloves
Handful cilantro
1 tsp fish sauce3
1 tsp. black pepper
2 tbs. oil
1 pack rice paper
Vegetable oil for frying

1. Soak Mushrooms in warm water for 15 minutes
2. Soften glass noodles in a bowl of hot water. When soft, drain and set aside
3. Remove woody stems from mushrooms, and slice thinly.
4. Chop onions, shallots, garlic, cilantro and scallions. Combine in a bowl with the mushrooms.
5. Chop shrimp finely, and add along with pork to above mix.
6. Cut glass noodles into short lengths and add to the mix along with bean sprouts and remaining ingredients (except rice paper and vegetable oil for frying).
7. Mix well and let rest for 10 minutes.
8. Dip each sheet of rice paper in hot water for 30 seconds. Place a spoonful of the mixture onto the paper. Tuck in the ends and roll into a tight cylinder. Continue until all the mix is used up.
9. To fry: heat about 2 cups of oil in a frying pan. When it’s hot, a chopstick will sizzle when placed in oil. Put spring rolls into the oil, seam side down. Fry until golden brown, turning continually with a low fire.

Inspiration: Cinnamon

For as long as I’ve been cooking, cinnamon has been an integral part of my pantry… its sweet and spicy scent enhances so many dishes, both sweet and savory. I add it to chocolate desserts for a little kick or blueberries for a warm accent. Since I’m not much of a baker, I more often use it in savory dishes: Moroccan Style Chicken, Italian-Style Braised Chicken or Grilled Lamb Kebabs.

Beyond my staple recipes, I never really thought about cinnamon beyond the basic ground or sticks I keep in 4 oz. jars in the spice drawer. I first learned about Vietnamese Cinnamon just a few months ago, when reading White on Rice Couple's blog…. I was intrigued! First, because of its particularly spicy flavor, it seemed better suited to my style of cooking. Second, I knew I’d be traveling to Vietnam, so I’d have a chance to buy at its source.

Indeed I purchased several quills of cinnamon on my recent trip. When I returned home, I scoured on-line and in my cookbook library for recipes that use cinnamon, but little other spicing. I wanted the cinnamon to really be able to shine. Then, as I was procrastinating one day, reading “Equal Opportunity Kitchen” I noticed that Psychgrad had cinnamon rolls on her list of recipes she’d like to try. This seemed perfect… and even more fun, I thought we could cook together! I invited Psychgrad over for a virtual cooking party.

Cinnamon Rolls are a spin-off from Brioche or Challah. All three use a similar enriched yeast dough; the richness coming from either butter or oil, and eggs. The cinnamon roll dough gets an extra kick from the swirls of sugar and butter in the middle.

The Vietnamese quills of cinnamon, which come from the bark of a variety of evergreen tree, are huge – 15 inches long and 4 inches around.

I used my coffee bean grinder (which I cleaned first, of course) to break down the sticks into a coarse powder. I’ve normally kept my pantry stocked with both ground and stick cinnamon, and pull out the jar that is necessary for a given recipe. I’ve never actually ground my own cinnamon, so my initial thought with the coarse grind was that this is a liability. In fact, I rather liked the little bits of cinnamon sprinkled throughout – they offered an unexpectedly pleasant, spicy burst.

I further modified the traditional cinnamon bun recipe by adding a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon to the actual dough – ignoring Penzy’s recommendation to use less of the Vietnamese variety than what a recipe suggests of the usual variety.

Be careful with these… if you’re like me, and can’t tolerate a lot of sugar, you could be in trouble… the spicy sweetness is addictive. The neighbors have been complaining about the noise from me bouncing off the walls with too much sugar.

½ cup warm water
2 ¼ teaspoons dry yeast
½ cup milk
¼ cup sugar
½ stick butter
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs
3 ½ cups flour

1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon melted butter

1. In a small bowl, combine warm water and yeast. Stir to dissolve. Let sit for 10 minutes to let the yeast activate.

2. In a small skillet, melt the butter with the sugar. Removed from heat and whisk in the milk. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

3. Combine milk/butter mix, yeast and eggs in an electric mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook. Add ½ cup flour and begin mixing. Add salt and cinnamon.

4. Continue mixing and adding flour until the dough comes together in a firm ball, you may not need all the flour… or you could need a little extra depending on the day’s humidity.

5. Knead the dough for an additional 5 minutes or until it’s smooth and elastic.

6. Let dough sit covered in a warm area until doubled in volume. About one hour.

7. Meanwhile, melt remaining butter with ¾ cup of brown sugar over low heat. Stir until combined and sugar is dissolved. Pour into a 13 x 9 inch pyrex dish. Mix together remaining sugar and cinnamon

8. When dough is doubled, roll it out on a well floured table into a rectangle, about ½ inch thick and 18 x 14 inches. Brush with butter. Sprinke sugar mix on top.

Tightly roll up dough. Cut into 1 inch slices. Put slices in baking sheet. You don’t need to crowd the pan as the rolls will expand as they rise and bake.

Pre Rise….

Post Rise….
9. You can bake the rolls immediately, or refrigerate them overnight and bake first thing in the morning. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

10. Let cool for 5 minutes before flipping out of pan. Serve warm with coffee.

I'm submitting this recipe to Southern Grace's Cinnamon Celebration.

I’ve Been Defeated

Vietnam_Snails-1

Before leaving on my trip, I had a lovely phone conversation with Diane from White on Rice Couple. She's Vietnamese and lives in southern California, has traveled back many times and is a huge foodie. Her insights gave me good background as I ate my way through the country.

In our conversation, she mentioned snails. Specifically, a street in Saigon that has a plethora of food stalls selling dishes of snails. I wasn't scared of snails… I had eaten them before in French restaurants, sauteed in butter with garlic and parsley. Escargot (French snails) are usually pretty small, about 1/2 inch. They have a mildly briny taste and firmly chewy texture. To me, they are more a vehicle for eating bread with garlic and butter.

I never found snail street, but looked for them every time I was in a restaurant. In Hanoi, at Quan An Ngon, I finally ordered snails. The couple sitting next to us romantically scooped out the meat, tilted their heads back and dangled them into their mouths.

Vietnam_Snails-2

When mine arrived, I tried to exude the same romance. The shells were huge, at least 2 inches. I wasn't able to pull them out as effortlessly, but nonetheless, popped the whole thing into my mouth. I bit into the first one and the juices burst in my mouth and trickled down my throat, making me gag a little and cough a lot. I tried again anyways. Oy. I couldn't do it. The flavor of the broth was nice with chilies, lemongrass and basil. But without a spoon or any bread to sop up the juices, I wasn't able to fully enjoy it.

So now on the list of things I've tried, but don't need to eat again:
1. Cow's Feet
2. Kidneys
3. Large Snails

What's on your list?

Cooking Classes in Vietnam

One of the best ways to learn about a foreign cuisine is to take a cooking class. In the past few years, dozens of options have popped up in Vietnam — capitalizing on the booming tourist industry. The larger hotels in Saigon and Hanoi offer upmarket classes at Western prices. In Hoi An, every other restaurants offers some sort of course. With little planning, you can arrange a class any day of the week. Your budget can help in deciding your best option. Here are some other considerations:

Hands-On or Off? For sure, the best learning happens when you try the recipes yourself. However, some people prefer to just watch a demonstration, especially when they’re on vacation. And there are varying degrees of hands-on — some schools will have all the vegetables and other prep done in advance, while other will have you chopping everything right down to the garlic cloves. In any case, most hands-on programs will offer a burner, cutting board and knife for each participant. This allows you to prepare the entire recipe and eat your own creation.

The Recipes? Most cooking schools have set programs and menus. Be sure to inquire in advance about the recipes. If you’re interested in learning a particular recipe or technique, you may need to schedule the cooking class on a particular day. If the menu doesn’t interest you, look for other options.

The Program? For sure, all programs involve some amount of cooking and eating. Some will offer a market tour as part of the program, others may offer a small section on ingredient identification or on the eating culture. The market tour can be especially interesting if you are unfamiliar with the open, central markets common around the world (except in the US). If you are new to a culture or cuisine, this also offers a great opportunity to become familiar with the more unusual ingredients.

Private or Group? The larger hotels and schools usually offer group classes for up to 16 guests. This can be a fun way to meet other travelers and hear about their adventures. A group class does not necessarily mean the class will be less “hands-on.” The smaller restaurants usually offer private classes. Depending on the skill of the instructor this can also mean more opportunity for customization.

On my trip, I took two cooking classes, both of which were recommended by the Lonely Planet.

Hidden Hanoi

These classes are offered in a small cultural center outside the center of town. The class is led by a lovely woman (An) who learned how to cook from her mother and learned beautiful English from an Austrialian in university.

The program begins with an informal discussion of Vietnamese food culture and a video that shows how the locals cook — with a small burner and a cutting board. No fancy equipment.

I chose the street food menu, which included the Bun Cha and Spring Rolls. In the kitchen, all the vegetables were washed, but nothing had been chopped. We chopped all the vegetables, seasoned all the meats, and rolled all the spring rolls. We started on the cooking of the spring rolls and the meatballs, and An had the assistants finish these tasks for us so we could move on. We also made roses out of tomato skins.
Vietnam_Hidden-Hanoi
Vietnam_Spring-Rolls

At the end of the class we received the recipes, beautifully wrapped in rice paper with a bow and cooking chopsticks in a little bamboo souvenir purse.

My thoughts
While An is a lovely and articulate woman, her cooking experience is limited. Her recipes, which are quite good, came from her mother. As such, if you have a lot of experience cooking, you may find her lessons a bit remedial. I would have preferred that we chopped less so that we’d have more time to prepare additional recipes. At $40/person, it offered mediocre value: the recipes are great and the gifts were lovely, but did not get added value from the personalized instruction.


Red Bridge Cooking School

This cooking school is located on the outskirts of Hoi An. I enrolled in the Classic Half Day Tour. The program meets at a restaurant in town, and begins with a market tour. Our group of 16 divided into smaller groups so that as we navigated the central market we could gather close enough to our tour guide. He identified many vegetables and gave us opportunities to taste some of the fresh, local fruit. We looked at the fish and fresh noodles. We were introduced to a vendor selling traditional vietnamese knives, and given a sales pitch.

After the tour, we boarded a boat to cruise down the scenic river to the cooking school.
Vietnam_Red-Bridge-1
Vietnam_Red-Bridge-2
When we arrived at the cooking school we were given a tour of the herb garden and then seated in an open air classroom around a cooking island. A large mirror was strategically placed so we could all see what was happening on the counter. The instructor was the chef at the adjoining restaurant. Behind the demonstration area were 16 cooking stations, so each participant could cook their own dish.

On the menu were 4 dishes: Seafood Salad, Fresh Rice Paper Rolls of Shrimp, Hoi An Pancakes (Banh Xeo) and Vietnamese Eggplant in Claypot. The demonstration was rapid fire, we had an opportunity to try our hand at making the fresh rice paper, the rice pancake and the eggplant. Much of the ingredients and sauces were prepared in advance, so the class focused on the highlights of each recipe.

We sampled the spring rolls and Banh Xeo as we cooked them. At the end of the lesson, we retired to the tastefully appointed, open air dining room. We each enjoyed our individually prepared eggplant. The staff served family style the seafood salad and a behind-the-scenes prepared steam fished.

My thoughts
This was an action packed afternoon, hitting all the key points, but not delving too deeply into any one. Unlike the Hidden Hanoi class, so much of the prep was done in advance that we missed learning how to make the batters for the rice paper and pancakes, as well as all the dipping sauces. But with the recipe hand-outs, I would likely be able to recreate them on my own. The chef was well versed culinarily, but did not allow opportunities for questions.

One of my top goals on this trip was to learn how to make rice paper. I had my opportunity to steam one sheet, remove it from the cotton sheet and roll my own spring roll. I would have liked to practice at least once more, but the pace of the class did not allow for it.

At $22USD per person, this class offered great value – a full meal, a boat tour, a market tour and cooking demonstration. The recipes were deceptively simple because all the prep work was done in advance; they were good, but not great. Some of my classmates commented that they were not likely to recreate the recipes because of all the chopping. I especially enjoyed meeting other travelers, and we had plenty of time to talk to each other.

Vietnamese Street Food (Recipe: Bun Cha)

Vietnam_Street-Food-1
If you want to eat authentic Vietnamese, you must eat the street food, whether it’s a food cart attached to a bicycle or just outside a store front. While the tour books will recommend gourmet, “authentic” restaurants, you will rarely see a native Vietnamese. Why, you ask? Because most Vietnamese don’t eat this way, except on very special occasions. Their culture is to eat street food or at home. To me, this inherently makes an upscale restaurant lacking in the full authenticity — while the flavors of the food may be right, the atmosphere is not. The locals are accustomed to paying $2 or less for a meal. The price of a restaurant (which to many of us still seems cheap) is astronomical. The average annual salary in Vietnam is just over $1,000 USD. [[To be fair, I ate many meals at the “gourmet” restaurants when I was craving a little serenity (and a glass of wine) within the hecticness of the crazy metropolis]]

When I say street food, I really mean sidewalk food. Food vendors set up shop on the sidewalks. They will cart out a propane tank to fuel their wok or stock pot, a bucket of water to rinse dishes (and another soapy bucket) and a few plastic chairs and tables. They may have a glass display for their herbs and meats. It’s unlikely that they have any refrigeration. Some vendors have store fronts, and others just transport their cart on the back of their bicycles.
< Vietnam_Street-Food-2

Most people will caution you against eating the street food. In developing countries like Vietnam, the water sources are questionable at best, and drinking the water can make the uninitiated sick. You’ll be advised to only eat foods/vegetables that have been cooked or peeled. A good approach is to slowly ease your way into the questionable territory. Our systems aren’t used to the bacteria, so we need to slowly introduce it into our systems. On my first day in Vietnam, I even brushed my teeth with bottled water. On the second day, I ate a slice of raw cucumber. By the third day, I was brushing my teeth with tap water. And by the end of the trip I was eating with abandon and never got sick!

The best way to discover new dishes is to follow your nose. When wandering the streets of Hanoi, I smelled some incredibly delicious grilling meat the sign on the cart said, “Bun Cha.”
Vietnam_grilling-bun-cha

I watched for a few minutes, decided everything looked fresh and healthy, and plunked my big, American bum into the tiny Vietnamese chair. I held up my index finger, “One, please.” I wasn’t sure what I ordered, but there was a lovely woman to guide me through.

They brought me a bowl of broth with the grilled pork meat balls and floating slices of green papaya and carrot. On the side was a plate of fresh herbs, rice vermicelli and spring rolls. The condiment dish had fresh sliced garlic and chilies. With a combination of Vietnamese and sign language, she told me to put garlic and chilies in the broth. Dip the noodles in and eat with the meat balls. The spring rolls are wrapped in the lettuce and herbs, and eaten on the side.

Much to my delight, I learned this recipe in my first cooking class.
Vietnam_bun-cha
Bun Cha (adapted from Hidden Hanoi)
(serves 4)

1 pound fresh rice vermicelli or rehydrated noodles.
1 head boston lettuce
1 bunch mint
1 bunch cilantro
1 pound ground pork
1 large shallot, peeled and diced
2 stalks lemongrass
2 garlic cloves
1 small red chili
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons plain oil
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons coconut caramel (or palm sugar or brown sugar)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Dipping Sauce/Broth

1. Wash lettuce, mint and cilantro. Soak in salt water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside on a serving plate.

2. Finely chop lemon grass, garlic, shallots and chilies (or grind with a mortar and pestle). Mix with ground pork. Add remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Let marinate for 10 minutes.

3. Form meat into meatballs about 1 inch in diameter. Put on a grill-rack.

4. Cook meatballs over a charcoal fire until caramelized on the outside and cooked through, about 10 minutes depending on the fire.

Dipping Sauce
1 cup water
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 small kohlrabi or or green papaya
1 small carrot, peeled
1 small chili, seeds removed and sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt

1. Thinly slice kohlrabi adn carrot. Toss with salt and let stand for 5 minutes. Rinse.

2. Heat water to a boil. Add garlic, chilies, fish sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add kohlrabi, carrots and lime juice.

Good Morning Vietnam

My favorite part of traveling is exploring other cultures’ cuisine, especially breakfast! I’ve never been a fan of American breakfasts – for me, eggs, pancakes and bacon induce naps within 30 minutes despite copious amounts of coffee. But breakfast abroad… Fried Rice in Bali, Congee with Meatball in Thailand, Salads and Cured Fish in Israel….. is a treat.

In Vietnam, the traditional breakfast is Pho: hot, steaming rice noodle soup with meat and onions, topped with lots of fresh herbs. And despite the hot climate – last week it was hazy, hot and humid – Vietnamese will slurp this dish throughout the day.

On my first morning in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City as it’s formally called), I scouted out places for breakfast. I wanted to find a café/restaurant that seemed busy with locals (I wasn’t quite ready to order straight from a street vendor) – an indication that the food was fresh and tasty. I had been told that the side condiments of hoisin and sriracha were an American invention, and indeed we did not see any on the table. Instead we saw fresh sliced chilies and garlic soaking in fish sauce. With each bowl is served a side plate of more herbs: a combination of basil, cilantro, recao (or long cilantro) and bean sprouts. We also had fried crullers, which we saw people dipping into their soup. They tasted stale to me, and to my taste did not add to the experience. On the first morning I was hesitant to add the fresh herbs (I am leery of eating anything that isn't peeled or cooked, especially on the first day). I enjoyed my soup that had slivers of ginger. Most shops sell pho for 20,000 Dong (about $1.25 USD)
Each noodle shop has its own secret recipe for the broth, and variation on the herbs. But you can count on the bowl being a balance of Yin and Yang – hot and cold foods. The broth, with its meat, onions and ginger are hot (yang) and the fresh herbs, sprouts and lime are cool (yin). The noodles are balanced, and all together this dish is in harmony.

Perhaps the best bowl of Pho was in the outskirts of Hanoi. This version was laced with slivers of kaffir lime leaves which gave the broth brightness. And by this time, I was less hesitant of adding plenty fresh herbs. A few places served hoisin and chili sauce on the side… had this been a Western transplant?

How to eat Pho

The soup is served with a plate of garnishes so you can season the soup just as you like it. I prefer extra scallions, basil, bean sprouts, chilies and a good squeeze of lime. Some people add extra fish sauce and cilantro. In some places you will see dishes of hoisin and sriracha. Add these to your taste. Whatever you like, just stir it in with your chopsticks.

Pho is a two handed meal. With your dominant hand (for me, it's left), hold the chopsticks and in your other hand a spoon. Pull up the noodles with your chopsticks and slurp (or shovel). Eat a spoon of broth. Alternatively, pull up the noodles with your chopsticks and use the spoon to help guide the noodles into your mouth. I try to alternative between bites of noodles and slurps of broth so that I keep everything balanced throughout the bowl.

During the second week of my trip, I ventured into Banh Mi Pate – another popular breakfast treat. [[ This is very much street food, in that the vegetables are raw and unpeeled and the meats are not refrigerated. If you have a weak traveler’s stomach you may want to avoid this.]] I had enjoyed this sandwich in the US, but always assumed it was a lunch treat. One of the few dishes that’s a holdover from the French occupation, this sandwich combines pork pates and cured hams with pickled carrots and daikon. With sprigs of cilantro and slices of chilies, this sandwich has a decidedly Vietnamese feel. To give it an extra Vietnamese touch, the pates are wrapped in lotus leaves before they are cooked. If you thought Pho was a deal, this is a scream – only 10,000 Dong – about 60 cents!

Tales from Vietnam – The Friends and Family Verison

I don't normally post non-food related pieces on my blog, but this seems the best way to share my travel-log and photos with friends and family. Be forewarned… it's long. Links will lead you to more food-related blog posts. Text by Julia, Photos by Emily.

The trip was off to a good start. After Emily and I checked in at JFK, we stood back finishing our bottled water before going through the security line. As we gulped, the ticket agent approached us with new boarding passes — we had been upgraded to business class! What a wonderful present and way to begin the journey — with a seat that reclines flat for the 15 hour flight. When we landed in Saigon, we were met by a Mercedes Limo provided by the hotel. The refined experienced halted as soon as we hit the streets. In Saigon — a city of 8 million people and 4 million motorbikes (and if you figure that on each bike there's usually an extra passenger or 3, it really amounts to one bike per person) — the traffic is insane.

As we snaked between cars, motorcycles and bicycles, we spent 30 minutes traversing the 8KM ride from the airport to the hotel. Saigon (or Ho Chi Minh City as it's technically called) is the largest city in Vietnam. During the dry/cold season, highs are in the 90's – just like the DC summers: hazy hot and humid. We arrived on 26 December — and the Christmas decorations were still up in full force — a light spectacle that lined the streets, hip-swaying, blow-up Santa’s, and light festooned Christmas trees. The kitschy Christmas music blared through shop doors onto the streets. Saigon can be a bombardment on the senses on a basic day, and the Christmas spirit added a whole new dimension.


On the first night, we took a walk to get a basic lay of the land. Our hotel was in District 1, the central business district — with lots of shops — both high end such as Versace and Louis Vitton, and typical street vendors — and lots of food stalls. We found a food stall along a small side street and made our first foray into Vietnamese cuisine. We ordered the fried spring rolls and traditional pancake (Banh Xeo) made with rice flour and stuffed with mung beans, sprouts, pork and shrimp. All is served with the ever present nuoc mam — a dipping sauce based with fish sauce and spiked with garlic and chilies. With 2 beers and a side of sautéed morning glory — our first meal was just over $4 USD.

Our first morning — Emily went to the gym and I began to scout out places for breakfast. We knew that the traditional breakfast is pho – a noodle soup with beef or chicken, lots of fresh herbs and onions. I wanted to find a spot that seemed busy with locals (a sign of particularly good pho?). When we sat down, we ordered two bowls, Pho Bo (with Beef) for me and Pho Ga (with Chicken) for Emily. I had been told that the side condiments of hoisin and sriracha were an American invention, and indeed we did not see any on the table. Instead we saw fresh sliced chilies and garlic soaking in fish sauce. On the side is a plate of more herbs: a combination of basil, roucal and cilantro. We also had fried crullers, which we saw people dipping into their soup. They tasted stale to me, and to my taste did not add to the experience. On the first morning I was hesitant to add the fresh herbs (I am leery of eating anything that isn't peeled or cooked, especially on the first day). I enjoyed my soup that had slivers of ginger.
We walked the streets, learning the art of inching across 4 lanes of traffic. Though there are street lights, lanes and crosswalks, these are merely suggestions — and usually ignored. Motorcycles will go into the lane of opposing traffic if they want to turn or just get where they want to go faster. Everyone honks — I think just as a way to say, "Hey, I'm here" more than "get out of my f*#&@# way!" But sometimes, it is "get out of my f*#&@# way!" I'm starting to get a feel for the different horn blares. It's loud and begins grating on ones senses after just a few hours. To get across the street, you inch one moped at a time. As you start to make your way into the middle of intersection, the bikes will go behind you to make way for you to start moving forward. Within all the chaos there seems to be an organized system.

We wandered the markets — big, loud, smelly (mainly from the durian) and crowded — with anything you could possibly want for sale — kitchen supplies, fabrics, clothes, fruits, meat, etc… We wandered through the markets in Chinatown and through the crowded streets. We bought rambutams and dragon fruit.

Every once in a while we'd see a respite in a small park or a pagoda.

More often, we'd see, streams of mopeds with everything imaginable strapped to their bikes: chicken cages, 100's of pounds of onions, bouquets and baskets of flowers, 5 gallon water jugs.

After a long day of sightseeing and walking the streets, our feet were tired. So we ducked into a foot massage place recommended by the Lonely Planet. After soaking our feet for 5 minutes in a warm mineral bath, they massaged our feet and legs for 45 minutes. And though the place advertised itself as a foot massage, we got a full body massage (fully clothed, of the back, neck, arms and head) for the last 20 minutes. Probably the best $12 spent on the trip.

Most mornings we eat pho. For lunch, we'd find a little shop for dumplings or stir-fried banana blossoms. One day, we ordered a Vietnamese pancake (banh xeo) in the central market.

Overall, Saigon was hot and draining. We spent an afternoon at the hotel pool on the roof deck and ate evening meals at more upscale restaurants. We knew we were not getting the "real" Vietnamese experience, but we needed the respite from the chaos. Our best "refined" meals were at restaurants recommended by the NYTimes in a recent article about things to do if you have 36 hours in Saigon. The first was a Quan an Ngon, across the street from the Reunification Palace (which some say is the best site in Saigon, we thought, "if this is the best, then Saigon's sites are probably not worth much.") We had more spring rolls and banh cha –grilled meat on rice vermicelli. And more sautéed morning glory — our best attempt at getting vegetables into our diet without risking health. The other meal was at the Temple Club – a beautiful colonial style dining room. The food was traditional Vietnamese. We ordered more spring rolls – that came in 4 varieties the traditional fresh, fried, wrapped in batal leaves and, and… I can't remember.

Yes, we did see a few sights. Since much of Vietnam's history is entrenched in war and occupation, the sights reflect this. We visited the Reunification Palace and the Cu Chi Tunnels just outside the city. During the 1960s the Viet Cong maintained control of the rural areas: They created a network of tunnels 10 meters underground in which they lived for 20 years. The created all sorts of decoys and booby traps to keep the enemy from discovering this underground hide out. We crawled through just a small passage — extremely claustrophobic — I could barely handle 5 minutes, I can't imagine living there for 20 years!

Hanoi is the capital but a much smaller city. I would liken the difference of Hanoi and Saigon as Boston to New York. It is still very much a city with a hectic downtown, but the buildings are smaller and the architecture is far more interesting. The weather is more pleasant too, which makes sightseeing more enjoyable. We walked through the crowded streets of the Old Quarter. The sidewalks are narrow, and most people park their bikes on them, forcing pedestrians to walk in the streets, dodging motorcycles and cars.

Several lakes dot the city making for pleasant walks and we have enjoyed them… one has a lovely building in the center, another has an interesting pagoda complex, and another is lined with interesting cafes. Today, New Years Day was an exception –there was a festival along the banks of one lake creating such density it was nearly impossible to traverse the neighborhood. In fact, one woman had to carry her bike over head in order to pass through a particularly dense section.

Our hotel is outside the central district which at first seemed like a bad thing. In fact, it is far better to be on the outskirts of town. To be sure, it's more quiet (though this is relative). But more importantly, there are hardly any tourists. As we wandered the streets of our new neighborhood, we felt we could really get a sense of Vietnamese life. We spent one day just walking in one direction and then the other… One street was lined with Orange Trees. The only time we ran into other tourists was when we passed a pagoda or the Ho Chi Minh Palace Complex.Ho Chi Minh was a revered ruler in Vietnam's history. He is recognized for freeing Vietnam from French Rule. His body is embalmed in a tomb in the center of the Palace Complex. The entire complex is beautiful with manicured gardens, lakes, a palace and a few other buildings. What is truly fascinating is that people line up to take a look at HCM's body. He looks like a wax figure.
In Hanoi, I've been more adventurous into the street food. My new favorite dish is Bun Cha: Grilled Meatballs served in a light fish sauce/dipping sauce/broth. It's garnished with carrots and green Papaya. The woman at the cafe guided us to adding the rice noodles, fresh chilies and garlic to the broth.
Our first bowl of Pho was laced with Kaffir Lime Leaves.

Today, I had my cooking lesson. This one was particularly interesting since it was my first since before I started working at Sebastians. She ran her program just as I did… with all the prep done ahead, enough work to keep the clients interested and plenty of staff to take over the tasks that became monotonous or not interesting. We even received a little present at the end with the recipes. I have mixed feelings in that regard. Maybe I can articulate later. In any case, we made my new favorite dish, the Bun Cha, and spring rolls. I definitely learned a few little techniques — such as frying the rice paper wrapped rolls slowly, so they crisp better. Overall, it was a bit remedial for me.

After the class, I walked through the local meat and produce market. Unlike the markets that I walked through in Saigon, this was less crowded, and I was the only tourist. I was able to watch more of the action without feeling in the way. One curious transaction — a woman was buying a live fish to cook for dinner that night (all the seafood is sold live). The saleswoman started to kill the fish by cutting the head off… a debate ensued, and the fish was killed instead by whacking at its head a few times. I thought, perhaps, the woman wanted to serve the fish whole, with the head attached. But then as I watched longer, the fishmonger scaled the fish, cut off the head and filets it. All parts went into the bag and given to the woman. Perhaps, she felt this method would yield better tasting fish. I would tend to disagree.

Also of note in the market — one woman was selling pates and bologna-type products. Clearly they were homemade. They were wrapped in lotus leaves before they were steamed/poached/cooked

In Hanoi, I experienced my first food defeat in a long time. I was told that the Vietnamese really know how to cook snails… but I couldn't eat them. When the bowl arrived, the snails were at least an inch and half big. I scooped out the first one with a long toothpick and popped it in my mouth. With the first bite, the juice squirted down the back of my throat and down the wrong pipe. It made me gag, but I tried again anyways. Oy. After two, I just couldn't do it. They were too big and chewy. The flavor of the broth was nice…

Halong Bay is a three hour drive east from Hanoi. The bay has thousands of outcroppings (or little islands) that create a dramatic landscape. Caves and tunnels with stalagmites and stalactites formed from hundreds of years sea water rising and falling within them.

The best way to experience the bay is by kayak. This allows the opportunity to explore the caves and other lagoons which are only accessed through the narrow tunnels. We opted for a 3 day, 2 night tour. We stayed on a “junk.” It was hardly junky, but rather a yacht with 8 cabins, a dining room and a full crew of stewards, cooks and a captain. The boat reminded me of river boats of the early 1920s that would cruise down the Mississippi River.

Upon arrival in Halong City, we boarded the junk and immediately began cruising into the bay. We were seated in the elegant dining room – Each table, flanked with wicker settees and white cushions, was set with linen and china. We were served an incredibly fresh (and light) seafood lunch in six courses: steamed shrimp, steamed clams with lemongrass and chilies, steamed crab, Whole fish with a lemongrass-tomato sauce, vegetables and fresh fruit for dessert. Other meals were equally elaborate but none as elegant and delicious in its simplicity as the first lunch.

On our first day, we kayaked en masse with the other tour groups within the bay – there were probably 20 other boats anchored in the same place as us. Unlike most tourists who only booked a single night, we were able to venture out farther into the bay on our second day – and for the most part we did not see other kayaks. We had a peaceful day exploring the bay and the caves, and navigating through tunnels with our tour guide Hai. We kayaked for about 3 hours before lunch with only one misadventure: One of the tunnels is about 40 meters – making a sharp turn after the first 3 meters which blocks all outside light – demands a light to navigate. We did not have any lights but our tour guide was convinced we could make it through. I was hesitant, but didn’t want to be the party-pooper… Emily seemed okay and I knew that Hai had been leading tours in the bay for over 3 years and knew each tunnel like the back of his hand. After about 20 meters in, in pitch black darkness (I’m recalling my first experience with pitch black in Hezekiah’s tunnel with my Dad), after a few head bonks on the ceiling of the tunnel, it became clear that Hai didn’t know his way around the tunnel as well as I had hoped. Our saving grace was the two cell phones Hai was carrying. No, we couldn’t make any calls for help. But we were able to generate enough light from the display screens to determine our location and begin to navigate out. We fumbled for about 20 minutes before we saw the light at the end of our tunnel.

In the afternoon, we kayaked through a floating village. These villages started to appear 3 generations ago when fishermen began building sleeping accommodation for their stints at sea. About 200 families now live in houses built on barges in the bay. They have little canoes to traverse the bay to each others’ homes, the school, temple or tavern. The school only goes for 5 years. For these fishing families, they value of education is not appreciated. Why should it? They live happily amidst the outcroppings with a simple lifestyle. Their main sources of income are seafood and selling snacks and water to the tourists.

On our third day, we cruised back to the mainland and made our way down to Hoi An. Hoi An is a quaint, “ancient” village flanked by the South China Sea and Hoi An River. It is one of the few places in Vietnam that has not been destroyed by war. As such, many of the homes and buildings are several hundreds of years old, and make for interesting exploring. The central part of town is blocked off to cars so the town is infinitely more pleasant to walk around than Saigon on Hanoi.

We stayed at the Victoria Resort and Spa, about 5 kilometers outside of town. We enjoyed morning walks along China Beach and afternoons sunning by the pool.

We took a morning excursion to My Son – the ruins of a Champa Center that thrived between the 4th and 13th centuries. The culture blended Hinduism and Buddhism, which is illustrated in the remains. While much of the ruin have been preserved or restored, there have been, by my interpretation, some “excavation mishaps.” The brick that the Champa used to build their temples had a special resin that held it all together and resisted moss, even over 800 years later. Archaeologists have not been able to recreate this – the restored bricks are covered with moss after just a few years and have begun to crumble. Other structures were covered by aluminum hangers for the excavation and restoration. They discovered that when the old bricks dried, they began to irreparably crumble. Uncovering them, exposing them again to the elements, was not enough to reverse the erosion. Two major structures whither under their protective roofs.
In Hoi An, I took a second cooking class which was far and away better than the class in Hanoi. The class included a market tour, a river boat ride to the school which was several kilometers from the center of town, the cooking demonstration, followed by a sit down dinner. I already knew how to make the fresh spring/salad rolls and the bahn xeo, but I really wanted to learn how to make the rice paper. Finally, I had my opportunity. The batter is made by pureeing raw (soaked) rice with water. Cotton is stretch across a pot of boiling water and is the cooking surface for the paper. A ladle of batter is spread on the cotton and steamed for one minute. The rice paper can be rolled immediately into spring rolls, cut into noodles or stuffed with a savory stuffing (like my breakfast noodles in Hanoi). Alternatively, the rice paper can be dried on bamboo to be used another time.

Just beyond the hotel, in the delta of the Hoi An river are coconut groves. The coconut palms create a maze of canals within the river. During the “American” war (as the Vietnamese call it), the Viet Cong would hide in the groves, underwater, using hallowed bamboo to breathe. A fishing village lines the river. On a afternoon tour of the groves and river, we pad
dled in a round bamboo basket boat, and got a lesson in “industrial” fishing. We cast smaller nets and used a mechanical pulley to reel in the larger nets. At the end of our tour, we feasted on a meal of fresh seafood prepared by our boat’s captain – another star meal: Fried Shrimp Spring Rolls, Stuffed Squid with a Tamarind, Peanut Sauce, and an excellent Banh Xeo.

Hoi An was a great town to walk and explore. The central market is manageably mellow; you can even find women with a Karaoke machine… The fish market is on the shores of the river, on the southern edge of the market. And there are plenty of clothes, sundries and tchotchke shopping. Most people have cloths custom made in Hoi An, but I passed on this experience.

After Hoi An, we returned to Saigon to catch our flight back to the states. But not before we detoured to the Mekong Delta, 3 hours west of the city. The shores of the delta are dense with homes, stores and factories. Floating markets drift along the waterways – boats selling produce wholesale. The fertile soil and mild climate allow its inhabitants to grow a plethora of fruits and vegetables year-round. They make coconut candies and rice paper to export throughout the country. They use the coconut shells to carve spoons and other cooking utensils. The left-over rice husks and coconut shells feed the flames used to cook the candies and rice papers. The left over rice from making the rice paper is fermented into chest-hair-inducing rice wine. While this water-way was not as aesthetically beautiful like Halong Bay or the Coconut Groves in Hoi An, it oozed plenty of charm and intrigue.
Other random thoughts:
The street food was the best food we ate and also the cheapest. A breakfast bowl of pho or ban cha was $1.50 USD. The banh mi pate – a satisfying sandwich on crusty French bread with pate, mayonnaise, pickled vegetables, cilantro and chilies – only $.60

Restaurant meals were less consistent, we had some great meals, and some mediocre. And they typically cost closer to $40 USD for the two of us.

Miraculously and gratefully, we managed to stay healthy despite a heavy dose of street food and raw vegetables.

Farm Share Thursday

My neighbors were on vacation this week, and they offered me their weekly CSA subscription box. The vegetables come from Parker Farm. I knew Steve Parker back when he used to deliver to restaurants. He also used to be a fixture at the Central Square Farmer’s Market, but this year he’s only at the Saturday’s Market in Union Square, Somerville. I especially like to support the farmers I know.

In the spirit of Farm Share Tuesday, I invited a few friends over to enjoy a dinner in the garden eating farm fresh food.In my box this week: yellow carrots, cucumbers, corn, sweet onions, radishes and arugula. To add to the bounty, I still had a few things left from my visit to the farm: Cherokee purple and turtle gold tomatoes, eggs and new potatoes. And to round out the offerings: fresh herbs and celery in the garden.

CSA-Box

With Dina in the house, I had to make my now famous Smoked Chicken Salad¸ tossed with celery, carrots, and onion tops, mixed with mayonnaise. I canned peachy mamas at the farm, which made a lovely hors d’œuvre to accompany the chicken, served with crackers. Or if someone has celiac disease, you can use cucumber slices instead of crackers.

Garden-hors-ds

The main meal, which coincidentally was gluten-free, manifested itself into: Arugula, Tomatoes and Cucumber, Simply Dressed with Basil, Lemon and Olive Oil

Arugula,-tomatoes-cucumbers

Creamed Corn – the surprise hit of the night

Tortilla Espangola with Smoked Tomato Ketchup

Tortilla-espanola

Vietnamese Crepes

(Makes 16 8” crepes)

1/2 Pound Rice Flour
2 Ounces Corn Starch
2 Eggs
1 ½ Cups Coconut Milk
1 Cup Water
2 Teaspoons Salt
2 Teaspoons Turmeric
4 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 Pound Carrots, Peel, Julienned Or Shredded
6 Red Radishes, Julienned Or Shredded
½ Cup Mint Leaves, Julienned
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Cup Vinegar
1 Cup Sugar
Pinch Chili Flakes
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
1 Tablespoon Fish Sauce

  1. Combine corn starch, rice flour, salt and turmeric in a bowl. Stir in eggs, coconut milk and water. Add more water if the batter is too thick, more rice flour if too thin.
  2. Heat a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high flame. Add 1 tbs. of oil, or enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Add 1/3 cup batter to pan, swirl around to create a thin layer.
  3. Cook crepe until crepe is crispy and brown on the bottom. Fold crepe in half. Repeat process with remaining batter.
  4. Mix carrots and radish with salt and let rest for ½ hour, or until carrots are soft. Add mint.
  5. Combine remaining ingredients for sauce in a stainless steel sauce pot. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
  6. Combine carrots/radish with sauce.
    Serve crepes with salad.