Vietnamese Cooking - the basics

Dear Babyboomers   (Warning - this post will most likely contain spelling errors - Blogger, in their wisdom, have removed Spellcheck along with the Video function.?????????  Not a happy blogger but others feel the same so hopefully these functions will be restored.  I was in the Spelling Remedial class at College in the days when spelling was important and only squeaked through in the last session - I used to spend so much time studying the spelling demons- perhaps this is why I didn't have much awareness of Vietnam.)

Re - Cook Books
R -  I have been searching for the dish you cooked from 'The Silver Spoon - and have just found it.  Florentine Beef Stew - Straccotto Alla Fiorentina.   We were really happy that you and B (Husband) have adopted this bible of Italian Food  too.  The recipes are always deliciously simple. By the way I received a lovely thank you note from future MOG after the Italian dinner so please tell B it was worth the risk. 

There are so many fabulous books out there which guide us re cooking and eating.  Can I ask B, why it is that even though I have heaps of Cook Books, and am confident re producing great food, that I somehow desperately want to still buy YET another one, which looks to be exactly what I have always wanted and needed.  This is the only area where these symptoms show through strongly.  Do I have a syndrome? There is absolutely no more room on the book shelf and the other day I was guilty of storing some cooking magazines under the couch so things are getting desperate.

Now that I have confessed I feel better and ready to start on  Dinner Party, Vietnamese Style, since it is obviously topical and G might be encouraged to pick up a few local hints (or at least buy me a regional cookbook).  it's good also to plan when you don't have to deliver.

I love Asian food and could eat it every night. 

Gỏi cuốn - Summer Rolls are a good example of tangy, crunchy.
Recipe tomorrow
Vietnamese cooking style has taken the lighter aspects of Chinese and Thai cuisine, and combined them with the subtlety of the French. It's all about mixing tangy heat with herbs, crunchy salad vegetables and seafood.
Wikipedia - Vietnamese cuisine is a style of cooking derived from the nation of Vietnam with fish sauce, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, fruits and vegetables all commonly used. Vietnamese recipes utilize a very diverse range of herbs, including lemongrass, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander and Thai basil leaves. Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for freshness of the ingredients and for the healthy eating style.

The most common meats used in Vietnamese cuisine are pork, chicken, fish, and various kinds of seafood. The Vietnamese also have a strong vegetarian tradition influenced by Buddhist values.  The cuisine of South Vietnam has historically been influenced by the influx of southern Chinese immigrants, French colonists and other nationalities.
The basics include:-
Herbs - Basil - (Thai basil is available from Asian Grocery stores), Mint (Vietnamese Mint is really easy to grow and is quite peppery) but the ordinary varieties will suffice.
Sprouts - Mung-bean sprouts add crunch - they have a short shelf life so ensure there is no browning.
Green Mangoes  Should be hard to the touch - an unripe mango - the harder the better, can substitute.
Fish Sauce - an essential condiment

Ready to go - 
More tomorrow with extra local hints from G
Cheers Clara

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