Into the Vietnamese kitchen

Andrea Nguyen, who runs the excellent Vietworldkitchen website, recently published her first book, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen. It's a weighty, very comprehensive, highly detailed delve into Vietnamese cooking. Having said that, there are a few dishes, like Hu Tieu and Bun mam, missing. I'm guessing this was done on purpose. Before you know it you'll find 'Into another Vietnamese kitchen' on the bookshop racks. Andrea very kindly asked the publishers to send me a copy. As I've said before I do get offered all sorts of stuff thru the blog, most of which I turn it down. However, noting the contents of this book and my own passing interest in Vietnamese edibles, I was never gonna turn down the offer of a copy :) It took three days - from California to France - now that's efficiency. Wonder how long it'd take in the opposite direction... I'm busy thumbing it. I'm already tempted enough to have a bash at Cha Ca La Vong. And just looking at this page has me screaming for a real banh mi.... I'll have more on this tome when I've digested. And cooked... Yup. Rather than review it. I (think) I'm gonna cook from it which, when I thik of it, is reviewing it, innit?

Comments

[Lorna]

Andrea's book is remarkable, and a delight to read. By working my way slowly through it I am getting my Vietnamese cooking "sea legs," and am about to set forth tackling her wonderful array of recipes. One thing I love is that, remarkably, somehow she manages to slip in important tips for preparation, substitutions, etc, without ever talking down to the reader. I have been on a tear for some time now, trying to chase down the best preparation for banh mi, and this book has been invaluable for that. I intend to make my own pate and her easy-to-make charcuteries for my first stab. This is by far the most interesting, instructional and thorough Vietnamese cookbook I have found in either bookstores or numerous libraries in the many months I have been researching. I highly recommend it. You might consider doing what I did, which is to request that my library order it for their patrons to enjoy, then get first dibs on it. Once you have had it in your kitchen and used it once or twice you can either buy it or put it on your wish list for Christmas, as I have. If you love Vietnamese food you won't regret it.

[Andrea]

Pieman, I knew you'd pluck out the fact that hu tieu and bun mam (among your favorites) were missing from my book. Alas, I couldn't include everything in the noodle chapter -- the longest chapter of the book. It was important to present the wet, dry, and stir-fried categories of noodles. There are several noodle soups that are missing, I'll have to cover them on my website instead.

Ten Speed let me cram 175 recipes in there and you have to balance thing out. Plus, as Lorna pointed out above, I craft my instructions carefully. Noodle soup recipes are long because most cooks aren't adept at being their own little noodle vendor in a home kitchen.

Hu tieu is also kinda weird because many Chinese types of noodle soups have come to confusingly be known and "hu tieu." When I think of hu tieu, I think of the surf-and-turf combination with chewy clear tapioca noodles (or flat rice noodles) punctuated by the aromas and textures of pungent Chinese celery and crispy fried shallots. It's a classic bowl of Hu Tieu Nam Vang -- or Phnom Penh noodle soup.

But then, as you've got it on your hu tieu page, hu tieu sometimes features Chinese egg noodles. What's with that? Viet noodle soups are most often named by the noodle that they feature. Chinese egg noodles are called "mi" so Chinese wonton noodle soup usually goes by "mi hoanh thanh." I wouldn't call it "hu tieu mi" since "hu tieu" refers to the rice noodle. It confounds -- both in Vietnam and abroad.

So ponder and post to answer this question: what's the definitive bowl of hu tieu noodle soup?

[phaocao]

dear
pieman &/or Andrea
It very interesting that you are confuse by "hu tieu".
If i may i will say hutieu is rice noodle soup with cooked pork.Depend on who cook hu tieu you will get different taste of broth(nuoc leo) and different type of cooked pork.And you could have either he(chinese chive) green onion only or with some green lettuce.
As for noodle you will have flat noodle.
And when you have fish instead of pork it is said hu tieu ca.And before 1975 I never have hu tieu do bien(hu tieu sea food)May bei did not get any connection by this time

[Graham Holliday]

The other (obvious) thing about noodle soups Andrea is quantity. To make a good one, you really need to make a big one, bags of ingredients, stonking great meaty stock. For a big one you need lots of people - often not a problem with Asian families, but hardly one-is-fun cooking.

As for the definitive hu tieu... in my experience it's fairly inconsistently consistent in Saigon in that there are two or three varieties, namely straight hu tieu, the nam vang version and the less common My Tho. There is of course also the 'dry' variety. But, many stalls appear to be create-your-own outfits.

So, is there a definitve? Not really. Even at the soup level you can't say that. The My Tho and Nam Vang variants are both very different - Nam Vang tending to be sweeter, IMO.

I hear you on the surf and turf theme, but even there I have to disagree because over years of eating this soup from a tonne of streetstalls I realise my favourite way to eat it is with just slices of fatfree pork. I never order it with any offal (long). I normally always skip the prawns too.

However, now I come to think of it there is a reason behind this choice of composition. My favourite hu tieu seller in Saigon had such amazingly good soup I didn't really want any junk interfering with the taste of the stock. I wanted stock, with the noodles and pork along for texture/bulk, nothing more. I'd add chives (he), deep fried shallots and a squeak of chilli, if I was feeling naughty.

As for the hedegeow, a little bit of everything please with mucho chinese celery. That's my combo, but it's hardly definitive...

And thanks phaocao, I don't think I've ever seen hu tieu ca. Only ever served with shrimps (tom) in my experience. Pork, offal and shrimps for Nam Vang. Hoof, or was it knee of pig, for the My Tho rendition.

Bloody great soup. Very, very fine stuff.

[Andrea]

Phaocao, thanks for the summary. But you have to admit, the various versions are somewhat divergent. I'm totally there with you about the noodles being flat rice noodles. But those fat clear ones are killer too. Either way, noodles for a bowl of hu tieu ought to be chewy.

As with all noodle soups, the broth is key. The great thing about the broth (nuoc leo) for hu tieu is that it's *normally* a combo of pork bones (leg bones are great) plus some dried squid -- which gives the broth savoriness. A little rock sugar (duong phen) rounds out the flavors.

I particularly enjoy hu tieu Nam Vang because it's got the thin slices of pork liver, lean pork, as well as ground pork. Oh yes, shrimp too. The minerally depth of the liver is a nice contrast to the more delicate ingredients.

Like Pieman, I need lots of Chinese celery too and chives, which help to pop the flavors so that there are highs and lows on your palate.

Making noodles soups is indeed an artful endeavor. I often laugh at shortcut methods presented in the mainstream American press about using canned broth. One time, a well-respected magazine suggested using sliced deli roast beef for pho. Whoa, that meat has got no pho flavor.

Then there are the Viet spice mixture packets sold in Vietnam and abroad. Read the instructions and you still have to simmer for hours. It's just easier to gather the rather meager ingredients, put them in the pot, and settle in for hours of basically passive cooking. The house also smells nice from a pot of brewing broth.

I tried to emphasize that in the book, that there aren't shortcuts, and that if cooks want to make Viet noodle soups, they need to be patient. Once you've made your own noodle soup, you immediately have respect for the pros in Vietnam who make a career from mastering the techniques for preparing just one one type of noodle soup.

When I have a chance, I'll develop a hu tieu recipe and let you all know about it...

[Clark]

Andrea, Is you book available in the UK? I looked at your Pho Bo recipe and when I feel brave enough will give it ago. I'm especially interested in getting hold of some fish dishes with tamarind sauce and a decent Banh Khoai recipe.

[Mike]

Hi Andrea,

Couple questions.

Do you have any NYC Vietnamese restaurant recommendations other than Le Colonial? I quite like Bao Noodles. Viet Cafe has a great gallery space and the appetizers I had there were tasty.

I've eaten at several Chinatown Vietnamese restaurants and had decent food but nothing too outstanding. I miss the Vietnamese restaurants of Falls Church and the Bay Area, and of course, Vietnam. New York is definitely a bit slim on Vietnamese. I'm guessing the Flushing area may have some but I've only eaten Chinese out there so far.

In regards to recipes, I have admittedly ventured little into Vietnamese food. I'm quite intimidated. Thai curry just seems so much easier to cook! But do you have any recommendations for how to make nice fried tofu (with a crunch outer layer). I really like Vietnamese tofu in tomato sauce (dau hau sot ca chua).

Thanks,

Mike

[Joe]

Andrea (or Mike),
I college roommate got me hooked on Vietnamese cuisine because of his mother's homemade meals. While the Twin Cities in Minnesota have several Vietnamese restaurants to enjoy there is one recipe I cannot find and would love to make myself.
My old roommate often back to college with jars of pickled vegetables. I believe there were carrots and, most notably, a white vegetable which I could not identify. It was starchy and, presumably large as it was obviously cut up and it was delicious.
The pickled vegetables were eaten cold on a bed of hot rice.
Any idea what the starchy vegetable was or how this might be prepared? I am guessing it was some kind of root.
Thank you,

Joe

[Andrea]

Mike,

I don't know of good NYC Viet restaurants. You've been to a number of them and well, I imagine that if you did a little cooking at home yourself that you'd craft food that rivals the restaurants. There just isn't a large enough Viet population in NYC as in Falls Church, the Bay Area, or Orange County.

So as for your tofu question, is the tofu stuffed? I have a recipe in the book for panfried stuffed tofu that's served with a fresh tomato sauce. Is that what you're looking for? Or, are you looking for deep-fried tofu cubes?

Let me know...

Andrea

[Mike]

Hi Andrea,

Thanks for your response.

I'm looking for deep-fried tofu cubes.

(But what is the tofu stuffed with?)

I think I might just buy your book because I don't have a good Vietnamese cookbook but if you do have any recommendations for how to cook fried tofu cubes, I'd love it. I have problems with deep frying. What should the batter consist of? And how hot should the oil be? Also, what should the oil be... olive oil? vegetable oil? or?

Thanks.

Mike

[Andrea]

Mike,

You don't have to batter the tofu at all! Just find some medium-firm/regular tofu. Cut it into 1-inch cubes. Pat them dry with paper towels. Heat some oil (corn, canola or even peanut, if you can afford it) up (about 11/2 inches) in a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium high heat to about 350F. Fry the tofu in 2 or 3 batches to avoid over crowding. You'll see the tofu sink to the bottom and then float to the top of the oil. Total frying time is about 4 to 6 minutes. The tofu will have a crispiness on the outside and be golden. When lifting the tofu from the oil, use a skimmer and shake it over the oil to drain away excess oil.

Once you have your fried tofu cubes, you can keep them around for a couple of days! When you're ready to eat, make a tomato sauce from 11/2 cups canned or fresh tomatoes that's been peeled, seeded, and finely chopped. Flavor the sauce with 2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, 1/4 cup water, and add sugar and salt to taste. (Saute the garlic first in oil, add the tomato and remaining sauce ingredients. Simmer the sauce until the flavors have concentrated to your liking.)

As the sauce simmers, reheat the tofu (if you have to; or maybe keep the freshly fried cubes warm in a low oven). Pour the sauce on a plate and put your tofu on top and that's about it.

A classic Viet dish is the put the tofu in a pot with fish sauce that's been diluted with water. Cover and simmer until the liquid is nearly gone. Then scatter in some chopped scallion, green part only, and serve.

Okay, for the pan-fried stuffed tofu, the stuffing has pork, mushroom, and egg.

If you get a copy of the book, see pages 189 and 191, for details on tofu frying. Use the sauce recipe on 189 and fry the tofu according to the recipe on 191.

Throughout the book are bits of handy kitchen information. "Fear of Frying" (p. 88) is a primer to help you deal with your initial forays into deep frying.

Let me know if you have more questions!

Andrea

[Andrea]

Joe,

Those pickled veggies you adore have just a few ingredients -- carrots and daikon radish -- the 'mysterious' white stuff. This pickle is an everyday pickle, the same crunchy, tangy mixture that's in a banh mi sandwich, that graces rice plates at Viet restaurants. In the book, there are a number of pickle recipes because they're an essential part of the Viet table. What you're looking for -- do chua (literally means sour stuff) is the most basic one!

To make do chua, take 1 large carrot, peel it, and cut it into thick matchsticks. Do the same with 1 pound of daikon (use ones that are no more than 2-inches in diameter). Massage these vegetables with 1 teaspoon salt and 2 teaspoons sugar until they're soft -- about 3 minutes. Then make a brine with 1/2 cup sugar, 11/4 cup distilled white vinegar, and 1 cup water. Put the vegetables in the brine for 1 hour and they're ready to eat. They get better the longer they sit. Keep in the fridge for long-term keeping.

The daikon can get a bit funky over time but just open up the container and let the pickle breathe before you use them.

Happy cooking,

Andrea

[Mike]

Andrea, thank you. I made the Tofu with Tomato Sauce recipe tonight (Dau Hu Sot Ca Chua). Oh my, rat ngon! Honestly, I have rarely been happier with a dish I made. Dau Hu Sot Ca Chau has always been one of my favorite veggie Vietnamese dishes, and with my girlfriend a veg-head, well, I've eaten it a lot. Tonight, my girlfriend said that the dish I made reminded her of the Tofu/Tomato that we had on a motorbike trip while traveling between Lai Chau and Sapa. I can picture the restaurant now.

Thanks.

[Graham Holliday]

Ha - maybe one of the recipes (guess which...) I wanted to cok first might prove troublesome. I'm having trouble tracking down fresh dill at this time of the year. Will pesevere. I have found a supply of catfish :)

And Andrea, many thanks for this. Very interesting and very Web 2.0 of you.

One thing I was thinking about your book and the blog possibilities. Have you considered shoting some video of you cooking some of the dishes. Doesn't have to be professionally done or anything. But, you could - potentially - put it all on YouTube, link back to a blog and eventually - if you did the whole book..... - would completely and utterly own the Vietnamese cooking space on the web in the eyes of Google and everyhone else. Then you can monetize it, or let it monetize itself.

Just a thought. And I know people who charge £2,500 per half day for thoughts like that. I'm in the wrong job. Hang on... I'm not 'in' a job.

[emilia]

I'm looking for the recipe for Mi soup where can i find it?