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Greetings!
Welcome to Nha Trang, Vietnam a colorful waterfront city that has beautiful white sand beaches and is in the midst of a construction trend of high rise hotels along the beach front. We are on Holland America's Grand World Voyage 2013, an around the world trip where guests board in Fort Lauderdale, Florida January 3rd and disembark on May 1st. My nine-day trip as guest chef sails from Hong Kong to Phuket, Thailand with ports of call in Nha Trang; Singapore; and Langkawi, Malaysia inbetween.
In this publication we bring you the quintessential soup of Vietnam, pho. As many Asian soup-style dishes, the garnishes make the dish. Pho is a flavorful beef broth poured over rice noodles and garnished with layers of fresh herbs, bean sprouts, steamed fish cake, boiled eggs and large prawns. Delicious!
Building Community through Cuisine,
Naomi
Naomi Kakiuchi, RD, CD, CCP |
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The Pho Cure-All | |
Phở (pronounced "fuh") is the single city-dweller's replacement for Mom. Catching a cold? Got dumped? Stressed about work? Is it cloudy, cold, rainy, or snowy outside? Hungry? Phở is the answer. In most urban areas, ten dollars (or less) will buy you an enormous bowl of soul-satisfying Vietnamese beef broth with hanks of rice noodles hiding under the surface, pink slices of beef cooking and curling at the edges. Phở actually refers to the type of noodle found in the soup (a Vietnamese rice noodle) not the soup itself, whose full name is phở bō if it is made with beef, and phở gā if it is made with chicken.
The only time-consuming aspect of this soup is the broth. However, most of the time it is hands-off, similar to popping ingredients for a dish into the slow cooker and forgetting about it until dinnertime. Make the rich beef broth during the day and keep it simmering on the stove. Boil the rice noodles in batches, lay out platters of paper-thin sliced raw beef, bowls of condiments and bottles of sauces, and let your guests or family assemble their own steamy bowls of goodness. As they drop the pieces of beef into the boiling broth, it will cook to a perfect medium temperature while they add the rest of their condiments.
Take your condiment inspiration from almost every phở restaurant out there. When you assemble your phở bar, set out:
*Bottles of soy sauce-use quality soy sauce, and offer a low sodium option as well.
*Sriracha-also known as rooster sauce, this hot sauce originates from Thailand and has gained an almost fanatical following, taking the United States by storm after conquering Asia. If you're feeling particularly ambitious, you can make it yourself (recipe here).
*Hoisin sauce-a thick, sweet and sour dipping sauce lends a nice dimension of flavor to the broth.
*Lime slices
*Jalapeņo pepper slices-the seeds are where the heat lives in this powerful pepper, so offer a de-seeded option too for guests who can't handle the spice.
*Cilantro
*Thai basil
*Bean sprouts-these are crunchy, refreshing palate cleansers. Toss a handful in your bowl at the beginning, and a handful in your mouth at the end of the meal.
Traditional phởis made with thinly sliced beef, but at some phở restaurants the meat is mix-and-match. If your guests for the night happen to be especially carnivorous, consider setting out:
*Cooked, peeled shrimp
*Cooked, shredded chicken
*Cooked brisket
*Cooked meatballs
*Cooked tripe (the stomach lining of a cow), for the adventurous
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A Quicker Way Pho | | "Faux" Pho
Don't have the time or patience to wait for broth to simmer all day? Try this quick-fix pho instead, made with store-bought broth. Adapted from Bon Appetit..
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 small onion
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 3x1" piece peeled ginger
- 2 1/2 cups low-salt beef broth
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 3"-4" cinnamon stick
- 4 ounces (2 cups) mixed mushrooms (such as oyster or stemmed shiitake), thinly sliced or torn
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 2 packages instant ramen (preferably not fried; noodles only)
- 1 1/4-1/2-pound piece beef eye round, sliced crosswise 1/8" thick
- Bean sprouts, basil leaves, and thinly sliced serrano chiles
Preparation
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Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion, cut side down, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden, 3-4 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water, broth, star anise, and cinnamon; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until flavors meld, 7-8 minutes. Add mushrooms; simmer 2 minutes. Add scallion. Season with salt. -
Meanwhile, boil ramen until tender but still firm to bite. Drain; divide among bowls. -
Add beef slices to soup; simmer until just cooked through, about 20 seconds. Using tongs, transfer beef to bowls. -
Discard ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon; ladle broth into bowls. Garnish with bean sprouts, basil, and sliced chiles.
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Calendar Events | | |
U.S.-Japan Relations in a Changing World
March 24, 2013
2:00pm - 3:30pm
Kirkland Public Library
The World Speaker Forum is pleased to announce its inaugural program with Ambassador Michael W. Michalak, who will share his insights into the evolving nature of U.S. relations with one of our closest allies and important economic partners, Japan, as well as its implications for the Pacific Northwest.
In his over 30 years of service with the U.S. Department of State, Ambassador Michalak has served in Japan, Australia, Pakistan, China, as well as in Washington, D.C., where he was assigned to the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, the Office for Japan and the Office of Chinese and Mongolian Affairs. Ambassador Michalak has also served as the United States Ambassador to Vietnam. He speaks Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese.
 | | SakuraCon |
Sakura-Con is the oldest and most well-attended anime convention in the Pacific Northwest. Sakura-Con features cultural exploration and education through traditional and contemporary media, arts and entertainment. Sakura-Con includes: musical performances, Guest of Honor participation, discussion panels, games, contests (costumes and skit performances), theaters, traditional Asian arts and an exhibitors' hall for the sale of Anime related merchandise by third party vendors.
The Asia-Northwest Cultural Education Association (ANCEA) is a registered non-profit corporation. Every year, ANCEA participates in various cultural and educational events. Sakura-Con is ANCEA's main event and realization of the ANCEA mission to educate about Asian Culture, with a focus on Japanese Animation, Comics, Gaming and Cultural Arts. |
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