kai-chan

It has been over 6 years since I've had a VN baguette but I remember the crust to be crispier. When you bit into it, the crust crunched and pieces rained down your front. The crust wasn't too thick unless you were at the ends. The crumb was much lighter and softer. The baquettes I've had on the E. coast including a whole bunch of artisan breads ranged from semi-soft or giving crust to really hard thick chewy (more like gnawing) crusts. The crumb ranged from really dense in the artisan ones to kind of a little dry, spongy in the supermarket variety and one Italian bakery. I didn't know it was a VN baguette vesus a French one until I couldn't find a banh mi out here on the right bread. I've tried Boston and NYC. I heard there were a couple of VN sandwich places in the Brooklyn Chinatown which had pretty good sandwiches. Haven't managed to get there yet but from the descriptions, it sounds like the bread might have been frozen by a West Coast VN bakery (hmmm...I'll take it back if someone points me to a genuines E. Coast VN bakery) and sent to at least one of the three VN deli places. The crust was described as so crispy it literally shattered when one bit into it. I was told that could be a sign of bread that has been frozen. And supposedly that store imports their cold cuts (probably from the W. Coast unless they mean VN) instead of making them. I can't say any of this from first hand and it is just all supposition. Still if someone can tell me where I can find a VN bakery out here, I will be most grateful. Maybe I haven't turned up enough rocks. Goodness knows I have Googled it to death. Back to the advice on my probably futile attempt at bread making. I have to say, it was a bit wet for proper kneading.....and I sort of forgot. I definitely didn't develop the gluten which is especially important since half the flour used, rice does not have gluten in it. I also used all purpose flour which has less gluten than proper bread flour. I was 50 degrees off from the recommended oven temp. I guess I got too excited about trying out my new baking tiles that I used to line my oven racks. Besides I read an account of someone who did exactly what the recipe said and produced exactly the same result. So it might not have turned out right even if I got everything right. Actually that came out badly. This could mean I'm destined to be without a VN baquette unless I go back West or VN. No I refuse to give up. After all, I managed to learn to make pho after a ghastly encounter with a Thai restaurant attempt to represent VN cuisine too. They topped my pho with beef stir-fried with onions. Maybe it wasn't b/c they were Thai. Maybe it's just my city leaching anything remotely ethnic into a pale obscene imitation of its former self. Sigh...and this is why I go to Queens, NY every weekend. But never fear, I just brought bread flour and some wheat gluten. This time, I might produce something remotely edible rather than pale flat oval diskettes for the summer Olympics. I just wanted extra advice and possible alternative recipe (yet to hear of a sucessful attempt at Corinne Trang's Saigon baquette) in case I missed anything between the time of my bread disaster, perusal of Fannie Farmer Baking book and web research, and my second heroic attempt this weekend. May it not end up in the trash. Anybody with a good rec for a possible pate recipe for banh mi? Thanks, kai-chan

I live on the E. coast for 10 years and so far I've yet to meet a Vietnamese baguette. So I've decided to try my hand at breaking bread even though I have proven to be a barely competent baker. The only recipe I've been able to find is Corinne Trang's. http://www.cnn.com/2000/FOOD/news/04/28/co...iews/bread.html Unfortunately, it turned out pretty bad. Pale, flat, and dense. Can anyone give me advice as to what I should do with this recipe or maybe they have a better recipe?? Another problem I have is the crumbly rich pate. Where can I find a good recipe? I tried chicken liver but it somehow doesn't match the rich crumbly taste of the stuff I got in California. I'm not sure which recipes for the pork liver pate I should try. If somehow can help I would be grateful. I got the VN steam ham hit and miss and char siu (Chinese BBQ) one down. kai-chan

Hi! I'm trying to decide whether to make banh beo or banh xeo this weekend. About the banh beo, should I try adding tapioca starch to Mai Pham recipe or it cool on its own?? If yes, how much? What variations of toppings are consider good? I heard that beer makes banh xeo crisper but could leave a bitter aftertaste. Should I then just use carbonated water??? I remember having it with shredded jicama once. Is that a typical filling?? Should I add the yellow mung beans to the batter or is it better w/o. And I've seen several recipes including mushrooms. Does it taste better with them. If yes, what kind? Straw or button or any other kind you recommend. I haven't made this in years. kai-chan

Hi, I've been making pho for myself for 5 years. It was the only I could get it short of going to NYC. Actually according to my finicky roommate, my broth is second to none except for this little hole in the wall VN restaurant in Manhatten Chinatown. I couldn't pry the secrets from them. Most of their business is takeout for all the surrounding Vientamese vendors. Though last time I was there, this group of Japanese tourists came in and as we left, a family of four from the midwest came in time to take our vacated table. It's so tiny that they might be able to squeeze in 10 people in the sitting area. She's not coming back not even for the divine broth. They were condescending towards her. I pointed out that she was Indian and they might be afraid of offending her dietary habits. My pho stock tends to be light and aromatic. THough she is a ex-Hindu, she has an aversion to strong meat smells, especailly beef. I use to do can chicken stock and found the only one I like is a Chinese brand, Knor. Dump in a pho spice packet. Do a little shabu shabu action w/ the thinly slice beef to partially cook the beef and give the stock a infusion of beefiness. Than I started making my own chicken stock by the gallon and freezing it for future use. But for the past 2 years before the Mad Cow Diesease thing put an end to it, I've been experimenting with doing the actual beef stock. I derived a recipe from 2 sources, Pleasures of a Vietnamese Table and Food of Vietnam (out of print). Basically I go to my friendly butcher and take whatever beef bones he has, usually shank bones. Beggars can't be choosers. And a few cut up bone pieces from the neck....still has a bit of beef on it. Maybe a piece of a tough beef from the leg region or where ever (cheapest piece of beef). Blanch the bones of all its' impurities and dump it all in my 5 gallon stock pot (bones and piece of meat should fill it almost to the top) with cold water and a bare handful of sea salt or kosher salt. Be careful of putting too much salt because depending on the salt, some have more sodium than others....depending on the impurities if any in salt. Put it on really low overnight. Shouldn't even simmer, just quietly steam. skim off fat and scum on surface. Keep the marrow for spreading on toast. Than dump in my aromatics all wrapped up in cheesecloth, 1 huge onion or 2 large onions (studded w/ 10-12 cloves) charred, 7-8 shallots charred, a 5-6 inch of ginger charred and whacked to release juices, toasted star anise and chinese cinnamon. Keep on real low for another 4-6 hours until whole house smells like pho. Strain out the stock....freeze what can't be used. You can refresh w/ pho instant spice packet when defrost for next pho fest. It's so concentrated sometimes that I add water to dilute it. Makes for easy storage in freezer though. Season w/ fish sauce (a bit for added aroma) and salt to taste. I soak my dry pho noodles (if can't find fresh which is most of the time) until flexible. So it's easy blanching in boiling salted water. Put slices of beef (usually buy Korean sliced beef for BBQ, tend to be more tender w/ enough fat to keep it from drying out but not too much to offend picky roommate) that you swish through broth to partially cook. Maybe a few beef balls. Pour on simmering hot stock. Garnish w/ scallions, thinly sliced onions, and chopped up cilantro. Let diners garnish from their choice of thai basil, mint, saw tooth herb, bean spouts (mung bean spout are way too strong), thai chilis, and lime. The condiments should be rooster smooth chili sauce, hoisin sauce, and fish sauce (top grade, first pressing for the table). Of course this is the way we eat it in South Vietnam where my family is from. The northerners are purists and like theirs unardorned. PS Don't let the broth boil, it's turn cloudy. It'll taste find but it will look very unappetizing.

Hi, I like the very smooth HK style chuk/congee. I've has it in restaurants with mixed results. I've found one at the Sweet & Tart Cafe in Flushing, New York to be extremely smooth, savory, and white. Mine is never as smooth no matter how long I cook it and it's always tinged yellow from the chicken stock. I make my own stock and still my chuk isn't as tasty. Does anyone know what the secret is??? I'm working on the ex-head cook who is my friend's father but he's very secretive and refuses to divulge anything. He especially won't give me any pointers on his superlative shrimp dumplings (har gow).....they're the best I have ever had and I've been to dim sum joints on both sides of the coast. kai-chan

I think the chives are substitutes for Chinese leeks. B/c they are their height in the summer, goi cuon has also been called summer rolls to help differentiate them from the fried spring rolls (cha gio). Tran

Sorry about the consecutive posts....but the question appeared after I just posted my thanks. Hmmm. Well I use mint, thai basil, and occasionally the long leafed Vietnamese version/Mexican coriander/thorny coriander/culantro/saw-leaf herb/ saw-tooth herb/recao if it's in my fridge. I don't like using cilantro in my rolls. The saw tooth herb, I usually reserve for Pho (Beef Noodle Soup w/ basil and sometimes mint) and Vietnamese Hot and Sour soup (usually w/ rice paddy herb). The other herbs are Rau Dap Ca (Vap ca/Fish mint/fishscale mint), Tia To (Purple perilla/hojiso (Japanese)/beefsteak/ red perilla), Rau Kinh Gioi (Vietnamese Balm, Vietnamese mint), Rau Hung Cay (another variety of mint from the more common spearmint), and Rau Ram (Vietnamese coriander, hot mint). Though I kind of agree with Mai Pham (I own both her cookbooks) that rau ram/Vietnamese coriander, and red and green perilla leaves would be just fine along with the more prevalent mint and thai basil. But I get so excited when I can get the other herbs, I have to use them. I have found that, from the restaurants I have patronized, don't go beyond the common mint and occasionally thai basil. This site has pictures and descriptions. Also has some excellent recipes. http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/essentials/herbs.htm This site has bigger pictures and also encompasses some of the more uncommon greens to be found in Chinese and SE Asian food. http://www.nre.vic.gov.au/trade/asiaveg/thes-00.htm I hope that helps. Tran

Thanks so much. I think instead of fresh spring rolls (goi cuon), I'll make Sizzling Rice Crepes (banh xeo). I haven't made that in such a long time. Tran

Hi, I'm brand new and quite excited to be here. It's so hard to talk about food with my friends. They usually have a shell-shock expression and tell me they are simply content to just eat my dishes. Anyway, I want to make Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls. I can get thai basil and mint easily but it isn't quite as fragrant and homey without the rest of the herbs. I remember that I use to get the herbs from these two tiny Vietnamese grocer on Mulberry Street in Manhattan Chinatown. At least I think they're on that street. It's been a while since I have been back. My question is do they still exist and what are their locations? Are there any other stores that I should try? Tran