Foot and Fire

SUMMER ROLL is how you call it if it is made of moistened rice paper with freshies inside. It is named so because it is usually eaten diring hot summer days as this is served chilled or at room temperature. It is more like our fresh lumpia! On the other hand, SPRING ROLL is the one we call pritong lumpia which is usually delish when served after frying...  SUMMER ROLL Cucumber Carrots Lettuce Mango Rice paper Water Julienne or slice matchstick thin all ingredients.  In a clean surface, lay the ricepaper and moistened it with water. It need not be soft right away as it will soften as you assemble the freshies.  Place small portions of all ingredients horizontally and work on folding it.  Repeat until done. PEANUT SAUCE 2 T peanut butter 1T Agave syrup (or dissolved brown sugar) 1t apple cider vinegar 1t soy sauce 1/2 cup hot water Mix all ingredients in a glass bottle with lid. Close and give it a good shake. Serve beside the rolls. 

Last Thursday, I went to the wet market and found a big ball of iceberg lettuce that is fresh and crispy. I did not think twice and bought the prettiest of them all right away. The key to a good cooking and to eating well is to eat the vegetables while it is still in the fresh stage.  My imagination sent me to a Lettuce Wrap for breakfast.   A head of Iceberg Lettuce Cubed cucumbers, tomatoes, and white onions Shredded roasted chicken Extra ground peanuts How to make the Peanut Sauce 2 T Hoisin Sace 1 C water 1 T cornstarch dissolved in water 2 T ground peanuts  In a sauce pan combine hoisin and water. Bring to boil. Add cornstarch to adjust consistency and peanuts.  To serve, in a lettuce leaf, add all ingredients in gusto and then devour. Happy eating!!!!

This is one of the dishes we cooked up at the Saigon Culinary Art Center in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Lotus stem is tasteless, aroma-less but super crunchy; perfect for salad. Since this recipe called for pork and shrimps, I omitted these two. In the following recipe, I shall include pork and shrimp for your perusal. Marinade 1 T lemon juice 2 T sugar 2 T white vinegar 2 T fish sauce (patis or nuoc mam cham) A pinch of salt and pepper 180g Lotus stem (cucumber, carrots, green papaya, cabbage or turnip may be used)  100 g pork tenderloin 100 g shrimp 10g celery 20 g carrots Garnishing 1 big chili 1 chili flower 5g knot weed (may use sweet basil) 5-7 g mint leaves 1/2 T fried peanuts 1/2 T fried shallots (may use onions) Preparation MARINADE: Mix all marinade ingredients except fish sauce, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve completely. VEGETABLES: Cut in julienne the lotus stem, carrot and big chili. Cut celery in 1-2 cm length. PORK: Prepare pork by boiling it over medium h...

By GERLIE M. UY Fillings 1 can corned tuna (spicy or regular) 100 grams vermicilli  Cucumber, cut into 2-in long stick Lettuce, cut leaves into strips Carrots, cut into strips Rice Paper Warm water in a big round pan see sauce in earlier blog http://beforesixdiet.blogspot.com/2010/12/vietnamese-summer-roll-with-two-dips.html     The delicate rice paper wrapped the veges and tuna  Up close and personal with the summer roll (salad type).  Another closer look at the summer roll. Stripped cucumber, carrots and lettuce with dried basil leaves The canned corned tuna. The tuna with calamansi is a good alternative. Vermicilli is soaked in a boiling hot water for 30 seconds or until done and then drained.  The Rice paper.  The rice paper positioned on the chopping board. The wet rice paper on the chopping board,  ready to be filled in with veges and tuna. (see photo above)

By GERLIE M. UY Summer rolls halved for presentation and served here with the two dips 250 g Vermicelli, rice or mung beans hot water 25 Rice papers Cold or warm water 100 g. boiled or steamed beef/pork/chicken cut into strips           (for my recipe, I used boiled beef) Also, shrimp, crab or fleshy fish may be used 1 medium turnip or singkamas, cut into strips of desired thickness 1 medium to large carrot, cut into strips of desired thickness and blanched, if preferred 1 young cucumber, peeled or unpeeled, cut into cut into strips of desired thickness 1 head of lettuce of any kind, cut into 1/2 inch-wide strips Place Vermicelli in a big bowl, put hot water all noodles are covered. Wait until the noodle is cooked. Add more water if necessary and just drain if the noodles are already are tender but not overcooked. Set aside the drained noodles. Half-fill a big bowl with warm water (some suggests cold water but I tried the warm on this one; no...