Foot and Fire

              In 2010, my friends and I went to Saigon and it was followed by a trip to Hanoi in 2012. One of the most memorable thing I did on my first day in Saigon is the trip to a grocery store where I spent more than 500,000 dong for food items including rice noodles and rice papers, and another more than 500,000 dong inside the mall for souvenirs which includes a pretty tea set. We were a bit feeling bad because we all spent at least a million dong. Of course, the numbers are just numbers because a dollar then is 20,000 dong.          When we left for home, I was teased by everyone when instead of throwing a pack of rice noodles, I unpacked it and placed the lump of noodles in every pocket of my bags. It was crazy.           In Hanoi, we brought home coffee and condensed milk because the vietnamese iced coffee is worth bagging and carrying back home. Well, what else can y...

Summer Roll is a favorite! The rice paper is found in the International section of any supermarket. Here is how to prepare your own: Sauce: Combine Hoisin sauce, chopped cashew nuts and a little soy sauce and water.  Bring to boil until desire consistency. Rolls: In a chopping board, lay a piece of rice paper, moisten with water. Place desired vegetables and cooked fish, meats or prawns. Fold and roll as you would a regular spring roll!  Option: You may serve with dip or include in the roll, the sauce. *** *** Lettuce *** Carrots and cucumber ***

Tuna and Corn Summer Rolls    I already prepared and posted summer rolls in this blog. For this recent one, I used canned tuna and sweet corn. See more of Summer Roll here and here for the Vietnamese dipping sauce: Peanut-based and the Fish-Sauce-based ones. Since the ingredients as well as the recipe are in the links above, please go over the same after looking at these photo instructions on how to make your own Summer Roll. In a tablespoon of canola oil, saute minced garlic, add canned tuna in oil or in brine (If using in oil, use the oil of the canned tuna) and simmer for a minute and then add the canned sweet corn, water drained. Simmer for two minutes and add the sliced white onions. Let stand until the mixture is dry.   Prepare the cucumber by slicing it julienne fro about 2 inches and tear or slice the lettuce in strips. Add fresh basil is desired. In a very hot water, soak the 200gms of Vermicelli (mung beans) until cooked and drain.   Now that the ingredie...

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...