Traveling to Vietnam

Kim Fay'sbook is Communion: A Culinary Journey Through Vietnam. Her sister took the photographs.

Kim buys traditional Vietnamese ingredients from the following Southern California locations:

Bangkok Market – 4757 Melrose Ave

Bangluk Market – 5170 Hollywood Boulevard

Chef Huong’s Dalat Ragu

Because the key to this recipe is fresh vegetables, you can play around with it, substituting different kinds of beans and mushrooms, or perhaps adding white pearl onions, depending on what is in season. The one ingredient that is essential is tomatoes. You must get the freshest, best tomatoes you can find. It is the liquefied tomatoes combined with the fish sauce that creates the buttery flavor of this dish.

1 lb. pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 lb. carrots, cubed

1/4 lb. potato, cubed

1/4 lb. taro, cubed

1/4 lb. fresh beans (cranberry, fava/broad, lima/butter)

1/4 lb. fresh straw mushroom (button or crimini can be substituted)

1 small shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2/3 lb. fresh ripe tomatoes, skinned and thoroughly seeded, chopped. I blanch the tomatoes for easy peeling. Don’t overdo it with the tomatoes or the sauce will be sour.

1 French bay leaf

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

6 cups vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon + 1 tsp fish sauce

Loaf of crusty French bread for dipping

Serving: 4 as a main dish.

Julie’s Banana Flower Salad

Using recipes from our cooking classes at the Metropole in Hanoi and the Cargo Club Cooking School in Hoi An as a base, Julie perfected this salad. Highlighted by the hot-tart play of chili and lime off the crisp rings of the banana flower, it is a refreshing dish that is perfect for a hot summer day. If banana flowers are unavailable, a good substitute is peeled and shredded green papaya.

Salad:

2 banana flowers, thinly sliced (see directions)

2 Tablespoons peanut oil

Scant 1/4 cup shallot, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

1/2 cup fresh mint, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup fresh Thai basil, coarsely chopped

3 Tablespoons lime juice + 1 lime for the bowl of water

Large bowl of room temperature water

Dressing:

3 Tablespoons lime juice

2 tsp brown sugar

1 red Thai chili, chopped

2 tsp fish sauce

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1.

Serving: 4 as a side or 2 as a main dish.

Music Break: Barrio Bueno by The Cabildos