My Wild Rice and White Bean Salad

Planning home cooked meals here in Hanoi, Vietnam can be challenging. I have leftover wild rice from last night and am thinking of making a wild rice salad. I go to the gym in Tay Ho  which is an area with a high population of ex-patriots and many of the stores (grocery and otherwise) cater to this clientele . So today I am looking for lemons/limes, green onion, cucumber, carrots & lettuce. The availability of thing in Hanoi is kind of hit or miss, either everyone has it and is selling it at every stall and shop  or you cannot find something and have to substitute. So I am playing it kind of fast and loose on this recipe. I could not find lemons or carrots at the 1st grocery store I went to in Tay Ho and when I tried to stop at another shop in a cab with my purchases thus far, the police were on the street so the cab could not wait for me to shop. I decided to just head back home vs. loosing the cab since it was getting close to rush hour (which is a mess as normal car traffic stays at a steady 30-40 mph and rush hour brings this down to 25 mph).  I ended up finding a woman selling limes as I was walking down my street from where the cab dropped me off…yea! Then I tried to do without the carrots but ended up going back out and picking some up at the last minute as I really wanted the pop of orange and sweetness of the carrots to counteract the vinegar in the salad. So here is my recipe for Wild Rice and White Bean Salad…off the cuff! I have already sampled several bites and it is yummy! Let’s see if Stephane my other half likes it too…

Salad Ingredients:
3 cups leftover wild rice pilaf (or wild rice cooked in chicken or vegetable stock)
1 can butter beans (or any other white bean you have on hand), drained and rinsed
2 small cucumbers (or 1 large), peeled, sliced and quartered
1 good size carrot, shredded (would probably be nice julienned)
2 spring onion sliced thin (include green part)
Dressing:
Zest and juice of 1 lime
3 T white wine vinegar
3 T olive oil
1T dried tarragon (fresh would be great if you have it!)
1T dried parsley (again fresh if you have it)
1/2 tsp. whole grain mustard
1/4 tsp. mustard powder
1 shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic (smashed through salt)
1/2 tsp. sea salt (more or less to taste)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Make dressing first so that the herbs sit in vinegar as long as possible. Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bottle, I used a recycled jelly bottle and shake. While this is sitting prep your salad ingredients and combine in bowl. Toss salad stuff add dressing and toss again. Let sit in refrigerator for 1-2 hours and you are good to go. Enjoy!

Bún chả…my ongoing addiction

Bun cha (Vietnamese: Bún chả) is a Vietnamese dish, which is thought to be originated from Hanoi, north Vietnam.^[1] Bun cha is served with a plate of white rice noodle (bún) and a bowl of sauce that contains grilled meat pork and slices of green papaya. Accompanying foods include nem (fried spring rolls) and different kinds of herd like lettuce and tia to (Perilla).  - Wikipedia

Bún chả

I have been living in Hanoi now for about 8 months after moving here from Atlanta, Georgia USA to say this was a  big change would be an understatement! One of the biggest differences is the food. I live close to downtown Hanoi on Tong Duy Tan commonly referred to as “Food Street”. Food street is open pretty much 24/7 and is lined with street food vendors, restaurants, café’s  and a couple other random shops.

Tong Duy Tan, Hanoi, Vietnam

In the beginning , I was hesitant to experience street food and concerned about stomach issues but soon I “maned up” and tried a couple  dishes like Pho Bo (typical breakfast noodle soup with beef) & mixed rice (stir fried veggies may include small bits of beef, chicken and or seafood) . Then it happened, I came across a Bun cha stand…the lightning bolt struck...clouds parted, the sun came out and I was in love! Two women run this stand on Tong Duy Tan and are open for lunch daily until about 3 ish, I usually try to get there between 12-1pm just to make sure they don’t run out of Nem, which is an essential part in my opinion to the bun cha experience. 

My favorite Bún chả stand

 One of the woman man’s the grill; cooking the tiny pork patties to perfection (for me this is very well done) and frying the Nem in a small pot on the same grill. The other woman brings me a small plate of bun (rice noodle), a bowl of broth with about half a dozen of the pork patties fresh off the grill with thin slices of green papaya floating on top and a basket of salad which varies by the day but usually consists of several kinds of Vietnamese mint, cilantro and butter lettuce. A small side order of Nem is the perfect compliment to this delicious lunch.

Side order of Nem

This is how I enjoy my bun cha. First I add some of the freshly chopped garlic and up to 3 slices fresh of chili pepper to  my bowl of broth, sliced green papaya and meat patties. Then I add some veggies and herbs from my salad basket and enjoy a couple bits of the sweet delicate flavors.

Add garlic, chili, herbs and veggies!

Next I dip a bit of the Nem into the broth while the Nem is still hot; enjoying  the crispiness of the wrapper while the juicy broth seeps out of the roll and into my mouth. Now I add more mint from the basket and add a bit of the bun to my bowl and enjoy. This step can be messy with chopsticks as you slurp up the noodles but who cares, I’m in heaven! Last but not least I add more herbs and lettuce and try to get the perfect bit of the meat patty with that bit of crunch. Repeat all steps over and over again until done.

Regards to the chef!

As you can see I have this down to a science and I should, my longest running bun cha streak so far is 14 days in a row of bun cha for lunch! I have tried bun cha at another stand when I was across town but it was no where near as good…if you are ever in Hanoi, you have got to try the bun cha on “food street” as part of your experience! Enjoy!!

For another intertaining bun cha story follow this link: http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/1031

Glass Noodle Salad w/ Chicken

This my first successful attempt at an Asian inspired meal since moving to Vietnam last September. It is mid May now and thankfully today was not as hot as it has been (mid to high 90’s already) so “no cook” meals have a definite appeal at the moment. I have adapted this recipe from Anne Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light, August 2010 to fit my needs and seasonal local ingredients available. See my notes on Additions and Substitutions at the end of the page, along with the definition for Sambal which I had to look it up and then still couldn’t find in the closest grocery store…my homemade version worked just fine! The original recipe (pictured below) yields 4 servings; mine however as you can see above is probably 6 main dish servings.  I do tend to live in the moment when I cook. It is easy for me to  get slightly carried away adding fresh veggies plus I threw in about 4 handfuls of noodles until it felt right. Dinner was super yummy and we have left overs for tomorrow…yea!

Ingredients:

• 1 (3.75-ounce) package uncooked bean threads (cellophane noodles)

Dressing:

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chile paste) or chile paste with garlic

Salad:

• 2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 1/2 cup matchstick-cut or grated carrot
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper strips
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup chopped unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation

• 1. Place noodles in a large bowl. Cover with very hot tap water, and let stand 10-15 minutes.
• 2. While noodles soak, combine vinegar and next 4 ingredients (through sambal), stirring until sugar dissolves. Combine chicken and next 5 ingredients (through mint), tossing well.
• 3. Drain and rinse noodles with cold water; drain well, squeezing to remove excess water. Snip noodles several times with kitchen shears. Combine noodles and chicken mixture, tossing well to combine. Drizzle noodle mixture with vinegar mixture; toss well to coat. Top with peanuts.

Additions:

• Sliced Shitake/Baby Portabella Mushroom
• 1 halved and sliced peeled cucumber 
• Blanched fresh baby peas
• 1/2 each julienned Yellow & Green Pepper
• I added more fresh cilantro & mint
• I made another batch of the dressing and added 4 T olive oil to serve on the side
• Serve on side: Sliced Fresh Chili, Lime slices, Homemade Sambal

Substitutions:

• Leek & Grn onion vs. shallots
• Marinated Chicken breast cooked on stove top, since I cannot find rotisserie chicken locally. My marinade was threw together spur of the moment using similar ingredients to the dressing.
• My own version of sambal: 3 small fresh chili, 3 cloves garlic, 3 shallots, 1/2 tsp chili sauce (Vietnamese), lime zest, 1T lime juice/pulp, 2 tsp. peanuts blend in food processer. Add 1 tsp. fresh cilantro & mint if on hand.

Sambal ulek (oelek)

Chili (bright red, thin and sharp tasting). Some types of this variant call for the addition of salt or lime into the red mixture. Oelek is a Dutch spelling which in modern Indonesian spelling has become simply ulek; both have the same pronunciation. Ulek is Indonesian special stoneware derived from common village basalt stone kitchenware still ubiquitous in kitchens, particularly in Java. The Ulukan is a pestle shaped like a hybrid of a dinner and soup-plate with an old, cured bamboo root mortar (ulek-ulek) employed in an ulek manner: a crushing and twisting motion (like using a screwdriver) for crushing lime leaves, chilies, peppers, shallots, peanuts, and other kinds of ingredients.

These stats apply to the original version only:
• Calories: 346 Fat: 11.7g
• Saturated fat: 2g
• Monounsaturated fat: 5.4g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 3.5g
• Protein: 27.1g
• Carbohydrate: 34.1g
• Fiber: 2.4g
• Cholesterol: 60mg
• Iron: 2.1mg
• Sodium: 589mg
• Calcium: 44mg

My walk along Long Bien Bridge in Hanoi, Vietnam

Today we set out on a walk along the railway tracks behind our apartment which leads to the Long Bien Bridge. It is amazing to see houses built right up to the tracks. When the train goes by there is only a sidewalk span of space, which is the shared stoop for the row of houses, between them and the roaring train. Yet people carry on with cooking, washing and other day to day things without really taking notice of the train on their doorstep. Walking along the train tracks I could see right into the houses and observe the lifestyle of the Vietnamese people that lived there.

The Long Bien Bridge crosses the Red River and you can see houseboats on the water. The train runs down the middle of the bridge with roadways on either side for motorbikes, bicycles and pedestrians. It was a nice walk of about 1 1/2 miles across. There were a couple of sections where the bridge got wider and locals had baskets selling fresh fruits, veggies and various types of seafood (some of the fish were still gasping).

You can see the newer bridges used for larger vehicles, cars and of course the ever present motorbikes, to cross from the "city" of Hanoi to the quieter outskirts of Hanoi City in the background.

  Here's a bit of the bridge's history...

It was built in 1903 by the architects of Daydé & Pillé, a French company. Before Vietnam's independence in 1954, it was called Doumer Bridge, named after Paul Doumer - The Governor-General of French Indochina and then French president. It was, at that time, one of the longest bridges in Asia with the length of 2,500 m.[1] For the French colonial government, the construction was of strategic importance in securing control of northern Vietnam. From 1899 to 1902, more than 3,000 Vietnamese took part in the construction.

It was heavily bombarded during Vietnam War due to its critical position (the only bridge at that time across the Red River and connect Hanoi to the main port Haiphong). The first attack took place in 1967, and the center span of the bridge was felled by an attack by 20 USAF F-105 Fighters[2]. The defense of Long Bien Bridge continues to play a large role in Hanoi’s self-image and is often extolled in poetry and song. It was rendered unusable for a year when, in May 1972, it fell victim to one of the first co-ordinated attacks using laser-guided "smart bombs".

The bridge now stands like a patched-up war veteran. Some parts of the original structure remain intact, while large sections have clearly been built later to repair the holes. In this way the bridge is a strong visual expression of history. Only half of the bridge retains its original shape. A project with support and loan from the French government is currently in progress to restore the bridge to its original appearance.

Today trains, mopeds, bicycles and pedestrians use the dilapidated bridge, while all other traffic is diverted to the nearby Chuong Duong Bridge and some newly built bridges: Thanh Tri Bridge, Thang Long Bridge, Vinh Tuy Bridge, and Nhat Tan Bridge.

Settling into life in Hanoi, Vietnam...the first three weeks.

My new favorite breakfast:

 

Phở (often written pho in Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom)




is a Vietnamese noodle soup, usually served with beef (pho bo) or chicken (pho ga).



Street Life seen when eating breakfast



 Exotic fruits and Green Tea Moon Cake with Egg:

Dragon Fruit (Round, often red colored fruit with prominent scales. The thin rind encloses the large mass of sweetly flavored white meat with black seeds, tastes similar to kiwi fruit), Ugly Ponelo (local grapefruit), Moon Cakes are sold/given to celebrate the 10,000 year fesival 10.10.2010.

My Hanoi Apartment




Street View: We are on the 6th floor

 


Apartment Lobby

  

Street Entrance





Building Entrance





Hustle and Bustle of the City



Light Traffic, Scooters/Motor bikes are the preferred mode of trasportation.




Many people wear masks due to the dust of new construction.




My prefered way to travel is to take a Scooter ride vs. a cab!



An easy way of life...

...Living the Dream in Hanoi, Vietnam

Scooter the jet set Cat...

Scooter's Preflight check up...

...i will not publish his post flight pics but wish us luck on our journey!

We are on the way my love, Viet Nam here we come!!

Relocation Countdown!

Only Four Days Left to take advantage of my current low shipping rates US $3.00 US to US $5.00 for Everywhere Else!

Convertable Mother of Pearl, Gold Chain,Necklace/ Shoulder Piece/Back Accent

On September 6th I will be temporarily closed while I am  relocating to

Paris, France via Hanoi,Vietnam.

Jet Black, Silver Frilled Tulle Collar Silver Pearl Charmed Chain

Shops will reopen once I am settled in &

 have researched the local shipping options

Tart Apple Green Chalcedony Briolette 5 Strand Sterling Silver Necklace

Updates will be posted on this blog along with posts and pictures of my travels as I begin the adventure of a life time with the man of my dreams :)

Gold Chain Maille/Mail Breastplate Body Harness/Body Armor

Thank you for visiting, see you soon!

When you are happy & in love it shows...

...be one of the first to preview new & unlisted Autumn 2010 designs,soon to be available in my online shops for a short time only.

Jet Black, Silver Frilled Tulle Collar Silver Pearl Charmed Chain

I  remember yearningly singing along to Depeche Mode's "Somebody" and wishing upon a star that I would find my "Somebody". Well it only took 40 years but I have finally found mine and he is well worth the wait.  Joy, happiness colors everything I see, the new  designs are bubbling from me and through my hands as I spend many late nights on video chat with my love, currently in Vietnam which is 11 hours ahead of Atlanta time. 

Lyrics

Somebody lyrics

As I am relocating to be with my love in Vietnam, then on to Paris and will be temporarily putting both my Etsy Shop and Art Fire Shop in "vacation mode"  starting on September 15th, I wanted to share a couple of my newest pieces which will only have a brief preview in my shops until i am settled in and have done some restructuring to accommodate international shipping options. 

New Gold Chain Maille Breastplate/ Chain Mail/ Body Harness/ Armor

(Shown as necklace)

Braided Gold Obsidian Jasper Shoulder Harness Body Armor

 New Gold Mesh Lariat Body Harness/Armor

 MOP Buckle Gold/Pearl Chain Neck Piece/Shoulder Piece/Back Accent

Stay tuned, I will be updating my progress and re-opening of both my Etsy Shop & Art Fire Studio on this blog and, Face Book  Fan Page.