Adventures in the exotic

Cuisine goes international with Vietnamese classics

STAFF PHOTO ALLISON CARTER 
Pho Bo, or Beef Noodle Soup, is a classic Vietnamese dish made with a rich, spiced beef broth, rice noodles, herbs and thin cut beef brisket. The soup can include other meats such as meatballs, chicken, pork and tripe or can be made as a vegetarian version.
STAFF PHOTO ALLISON CARTER Pho Bo, or Beef Noodle Soup, is a classic Vietnamese dish made with a rich, spiced beef broth, rice noodles, herbs and thin cut beef brisket. The soup can include other meats such as meatballs, chicken, pork and tripe or can be made as a vegetarian version.

Even before I started reporting, I was all about adventure. I'll go mountain biking, hiking, surfing, even sky-diving. I'm up for anything new or exciting -- unless it involves food.

Culinary adventures are not my thing. Andrew Zimmern's "Bizarre Foods" gives me the creeps, and if I can't pronounce the meat someone expects me to eat, there's no way I'm putting it in my mouth. I'll take good-old fashioned American cooking, thank you.

But my menu changed significantly a few years ago when I was introduced to Vietnamese food by an international student who was studying with me at the University of Arkansas. Fast forward five years, and this same food is on my plate once again. I have found myself in a relationship with a Vietnamese man who is a fabulous cook -- even though most of the time I have no idea what he's actually feeding me.

And you know what? These foods are delicious!

My new culinary experiences led me to the internet and local bookstores in search of Vietnamese-inspired dishes to make in my own home. And although both offered helpful guides, I was lucky enough to have more than just recipes. With a little help from my anh yêu, Đông Trương, his sweet brother, Huy, and advice from the kind owners of Springdale's Asian Amigo, these international adventures in the kitchen went off without a hitch.

All recipes are best made with fresh ingredients. Luckily, most of the vegetables and meats can be found at one of the local farmers markets. The more unexpected ingredients can be found at local Asian markets.

Beef Noodle Soup

Phở Bo (Fuh Bow)

3 pounds beef knuckles with meat

2 pounds beef oxtail

10 cups water

3 large yellow onions

Spice bag consisting of 1/4 cup peeled, grated ginger; 4 whole star anise, with pods; 1/2 tablespoon whole cloves; 1 tablespoon black peppercorns; 4 cloves garlic; 1 cinnamon stick

1 daikon radish, peeled and cut into three pieces

3 small shallots

1/2 cup rock sugar

1 cup fish sauce

12 ounces flat rice noodles

3/4 pound sirloin steak, sliced paper thin

Place the beef knuckle in a stew pot. Season with salt, and fill pot with water. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 2 hours, skimming the fat from the surface of the soup.

Add oxtail, daikon, onions and spice bag to the soup. Stir in sugar, shallots and fish sauce. Simmer on low heat for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Strain broth.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Soak the rice noodles in cold water for about 20 minutes, then cook in boiling water for 5 to 10 minutes until tender.

Place noodles in each bowl and top with several slices of raw, thin-cut beef. Ladle boiling broth over the beef and noodles. Allow to sit for several minutes.

Serve Pho with hoisin sauce and Sriracha sauce on the side for dipping. Top soup with onion, cilantro, mung bean sprouts, basil, green onions and limes.

Notes: This takes a while. Though Phở bases can be bought at an Asian market, I would take the extra time to make the broth. It's fresher than the canned variety and has very little salt. Pho is a very popular Vietnamese soup and can be made using chicken, beef, pork or tofu.

[Serves 6]

Asparagus and Crab Soup

Súp Măng Cua (Soup Mang Ku-ah)

6 cups chicken stock

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 shallots, finely chopped

8 ounces lump crab meat

1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper

8 stalks fresh asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

4 egg whites

Bring chicken broth to a boil. Add fish sauce and sugar and boil for 15 minutes. Reduce to a simmer.

In a medium skillet, saute garlic and shallots in oil for 5 minutes. Add crab, salt and pepper and saute for another 5 minutes. Add mixture to broth.

Add chopped asparagus to the stockpot and stir well. Slowly stir in cornstarch to thicket soup. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Just before serving, stir soup in a circular motion and add egg whites slowly. The egg whites should cook into a thread-like appearance, not in chunks.

Notes: I have been told that while this version is good, it is thinner than traditionally served in Vietnam. The soup should be served hot and garnished with cilantro, scallions and black pepper.

[Serves 6]

Coffee Jelly Cake

Rau Câu (Row-Koh)

1/2 cup cold water

2 cups hot, strong coffee

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

3 packages of Knox unflavored gelatin

Place 1/2 cup cold water in an 8-by-8 glass pan. Sprinkle 3 packages of unflavored gelatin over the water and stir to combine. Let this mixture set for about 10 minutes, until the gelatin blooms. Meanwhile, prepare 2 cups of strong coffee.

Stir the hot coffee into the bloomed gelatin until the gelatin is completely dissolved.

Pour in the can of sweetened condensed milk, stirring once, leaving the mixture looking marbled.

Place in the fridge overnight until gelatin is completely set.

Cut into 1-inch cubes and serve, or store in an air tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Notes: I use sweetened coconut cream for this recipe due to a milk allergy, but traditionally, the jelly is made with milk. By not fully blending the milk and coffee, the mixture separates, making a two-toned jelly that looks, and tastes, fantastic.

[Serves 4-6]

Cassava Coconut Cake

Bánh Khoai Mì Nướng (Ban Quoi Mee Noon)

2 16-ounce bags frozen grated cassava fruit, thawed

1/2 14 ounce can condensed milk

1/2 cup of sugar

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup tapioca flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease pan well and place in oven to keep it hot.

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Remove baking pan from oven and pour the mixture into it.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Insert a toothpick to check for doneness. The toothpick should come out clean.

Turn up the oven's temperature to 400 and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until top turns golden brown. Remove from oven and serve once cooled.

Notes: Cassava fruit or tapioca flour may not be something you have tried, but you really should. This is my new favorite cake. It's very similar to pound cake. If the ingredients seem too daunting, you may want to pick this one up from the Asian Amigo already prepared. In fact, I think I will do that right now.

[Serves 8]

-- For more culinary adventures, sweet coffee drinks and mung-bean desserts, follow Allison Carter on Pinterest at pinterest.com/scatteredplans.

NAN Life on 04/16/2014

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