How Many Motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City?

I want to share a few snaps with you from our visit to Ho Chi Minh City over the Easter long weekend.

Yes, I had to have the hat

I was seriously excited about my first Vietnamese adventure, primarily because I love Vietnamese food so much!  A bowl of phô and some fresh prawn spring rolls is pretty much my idea of food heaven – fresh, healthy, fragrant, tasty... (I could go on and on...)... 

So first things first, the food:

First up we wandered around the Ben Tanh markets – a chaotic mix of fresh food (vege and meat), souvenirs, clothing, luggage... whatever you want, it’s there.  I love fresh food markets (some of the best ones are in India, but that’s another post entirely), and I’m one of those weird people who likes to take photos of food.  I thought it was brilliant that the stereotypical Vietnamese hat is not actually so far off the mark – everyone wears one – and the women there all seemed to be wearing matching pyjamas as day wear (oh god, how un-PC am I?!).



The hat, the hat!



Obligatory phô, first sampled from Phô 2000 (named after Bill Clinton phô-ed there in 2000) lived up to expectations.

On the Saturday we took a day tour on the Mekong Delta.  Our tour guide was excellent – good humour, not too cheesy and in-your-face with lots of interesting information.  If anyone is heading there, the tour company is called Tuan Travel and our guide’s name is Diem – she’s a keeper.

Our Mekong tour had us off and on the boat, motoring through where they hold the famous floating markets (we missed them – not dedicated enough to get out of bed at 5am) and jumping ashore to see how locals make the various Vietnamese delights – banana/rice wafers, puffed rice coated in caramel, coconut caramel, candied coconut and rice paper.  I’d always wondered why dry rice paper rolls had a criss-cross pattern on them – you can’t see it in the finished roll, so why bother?  Well, now I know...

We feasted like kings for lunch on our tour – fresh spring rolls, fresh fish and veges washed down with a cold beer.  Delicious!  Some of our fellow tour-mates were a bit taken aback by our fish dish, but I didn’t think we were being particularly intrepid when we chowed down on our fish.  Why would you not try it right?

Look at those lips!

I think it is durian season – the durian trees were laden with big spiky green fruit, and the unique durian smell (pungent vomit/poo) lingered in the air.  I haven’t tried it yet (I can’t get passed the smell), but it’s considered a huge delicacy and is really expensive (and also banned on public transport due to aforementioned smell).

Pay by the gram for seriously stinky fruit

We also had some delicious meals out in HCM over the three nights we were there - Ngon Restaurant and Temple Club.  I just can’t get passed the (sadly standard) level of service I seem to come across in Asia.  So attentive that I’ve barely taken my last bite when my plate is whisked away, even if no one else on the table has finished, or constantly refilling my wine glass so it’s ¾ full the entire time, or finishing off the bottle on one person’s glass and presuming we want another bottle instead of spreading it evenly around the table.

Ngon Restaurant

Another highlight was the Cu Chi tunnels – very touristy, but very impressive.  I tried to make it through the tunnel, but claustrophobia kicked in about a meter into the tunnel and I backed out in a huge hurry.  Luckily no one else was behind me because they would have been flattened.  And these tunnels have been enlarged for tourists – the original ones were smaller!!

Too much for me!

I think the activity which was the most fun for me was driving around on motorbikes.  HCM is Motorbike City.  A quick Google estimates a 2.5 million motorbike population!  Our motorbike rides had us ducking and diving through traffic, pedestrians, down narrow back-alleys and along motorways – excellent!  I was thankful I had a driver though – he had nerves of steel.

Where's Wally?

Ho Chi Minh definitely surprised me with how green it was – lots of trees, balcony plants and heaps of flowers being sold on every corner.   We had a few hiccups – scammed by a taxi driver and one of our friends was pick-pocketed by a lady-boy prostitute, but that’s all part of the experience right?

This weekend I’m heading home to New Zealand for my first visit in over a year.  I’m so excited!  Expect to see a few surprising blog posts if all goes according to plan.... stay tuned!

You Know It's Love When...

... You come home from a long day at work to this.

Seared Salmon with Thai Vegetables on Coconut Rice

Thai-riffic taste explosion!

From my new favourite baking book (Ladies, A Plate) there is a hot cross buns recipe I was intending to make for Easter, but instead of chocolate eggs (can you believe I forgot to even have one?!) and hot cross buns, we spent the Easter long weekend in Ho Chi Minh City. It was my first Vietnamese adventure, and hopefully one of many more to come. I'll post some photos with my next post and tell you more about it.

The hot cross buns can wait for another weekend - it doesn't have to be Easter, right?

Sizzle for a Cause

Two great food moments in two days, and not what you might expect - lucky me!


Sizzle for a Cause

How great is a sausage sizzle?

Yesterday we went to the New Zealand Residence for a sausage sizzle fundraiser for the Christchurch earthquake.  It was a magical Singapore day, not a cloud in the sky and compulsory hat and sunnies weather.  Simply perfect for a sausage, tomato sauce and bread washed down with a chilled Steinlarger Pure... the taste of home... aaaaahh

A Man Who Knows His Way Around the Kitchen

Tonight I had a fabulous dinner cooked for me by my wonderful boyfriend - Salmon and Asparagus Frittata.

I love cooking, but I also love a man who knows his way around the kitchen.

Ladies Who Brunch: To South Beach and Back

Yesterday's brunch stop was South Beach down by the water at Marina Bay.  They served their coffee in the sweetest blue cups (I had a long macchiato, so mine was in a glass, but you can see the saucer).

I really appreciate it when a cafe serves their coffee with a little something extra - usually a biscotti.  It doesn't happen a lot in Singapore so I was very pleasantly surprised to discover a sliver of chocolate biscotti perched next to my glass.

Coffee rating: 3/5

Not as good as Loysel's Toy (earlier post), but pretty good.  Rating also lower because I think they served percolated coffee to my friends disguised as a long black...


On the walk home I captured a couple of interesting things with my iPhone (desperately want to upgrade to iPhone 4 for better camera but locked in - damned contract).  I love wandering around a city, just looking around.  You never know what you come across if you keep your eyes open.

Crane curtain

Long strings of beautifully coloured paper cranes outside a gallery on Hill Street - just imagine the work which went into making them all!

I thought this was interesting - a shop dedicated solely to selling possibly the oldest book in the world looking distinctly modern and minimal.

And I made it home just before the thunderstorm (currently a daily occurrence).

Pink Risotto? Yes please!

Friday night dinners can be a time challenge, and this Friday night was no exception.  Fortunately with a bit of forethought and preparation it was manageable.

Pink risotto

My thought process for deciding what to cook was perhaps more emotional than practical (I had been craving risotto like crazy), but in the end proved to be fairly easy.

On Thursday night I roasted the pumpkin and beetroot, pureed the beetroot, cooked the lentils and cooked the crumble filling, so all I had to do on Friday night was the risotto, the crumble topping and assemble the salad.  I also chose a risotto recipe which was baked in the oven rather than requiring constant stirring on the stove top.

Fortunately we have an open kitchen so getting dinner ready can be a social aspect rather than the chef feeling like their missing all the action cloistered away in another room.  A quick chop of some vege sticks (carrot, red and yellow pepper) by willing guests, some hummus in a bowl and a glass of wine for everyone means hunger pains are kept at bay and conversation flows around the food preparation.


Roast Beetroot and Feta Risotto

Source: BBCgoodfood.com

Ingredients

·         500g fresh beetroot

·         2 tbsp olive oil

·         knob of butter

·         1 onion , finely chopped

·         1 garlic clove , finely chopped

·         250g risotto rice

·         150ml white wine

·         700ml hot vegetable stock (I used chicken stock - go for low salt version)

·         handful grated Parmesan

·         4 tbsp sour cream

·         handful chopped dill

Method

1.       Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Peel and trim the beetroots (use kitchen gloves if you don't want your hands to get stained) and cut into large wedges. Place on a large sheet of foil on a baking sheet. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, season, then cook for 1 hr until the beets are soft.

2.       Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil with the butter in an ovenproof pan with a lid. Tip in the onion and garlic, then cook for 3-5 mins until translucent. Stir in the rice until well coated with the butter and oil. Pour over the white wine, then let the mixture bubble away for 5 mins.

3.       Stir well, then pour over the stock. Stir again, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 15 mins until the rice is soft. Remove the beetroots from the oven. Whizz ¼ of them to make a purée, then chop the remainder into small pieces. Stir most of the Parmesan, the beetroot purée and chopped beetroot through the risotto, then serve with some soured cream dolloped over and the dill and extra Parmesan scattered on top.



Keep the colour contrast - don't mix the feta too much




Spiced Pumpkin, Lentil, Feta and Spinach Salad

Source: Adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

·         3/4 cup Puy lentils

·         6 cups 1-inch pieces peeled seeded sugar pumpkin or butternut squash

·         3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

·         1 teaspoon ground cumin

·         1 teaspoon hot smoked Spanish paprika (I used normal)

·         1/2 teaspoon sea salt

·         4 cups spinach leaves

·         1 cup soft goat cheese, crumbled

·         1/4 cup thinly sliced mint leaves (I forgot this...)

·         1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (...and this)

Method

1.       Place lentils in small bowl. Cover with cold water and soak 10 minutes; drain.

2.       Cook lentils in boiling salted water until tender but firm, about 30 minutes. Drain lentils. Rinse under cold water, then drain.

3.       Preheat oven to 180°C. Place pumpkin in large bowl; toss with 2 tablespoons oil, cumin, paprika, and sea salt. Arrange pumpkin in single layer on baking sheet; roast 20 minutes. Turn pumpkin over. Roast until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

4.       Combine lentils, pumpkin, and oil from baking sheet with arugula, half of goat cheese, mint, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates; sprinkle remaining goat cheese over.

Apple and Raisin Crumble

Source: My Mum!!

Ingredients

• six peeled sliced apples
• handful of raisins
• cinnamon
• four handfuls rolled oats
• about a 2cm slice of butter, cut into smaller chunks
• couple of tablespoons of brown sugar

Method

... if preparing in advance

1. In a small pot, slowly heat apple slices, raisins and a good shake of cinnamon with a little bit of water.  Heat until soft.  Store in fridge until you need it.
2. When ready to cook, heat oven to 180 deg C.
3. Divide crumble filling between four ramekins
4. In a bowl, rub butter, rolled oats and sugar together and divide amongst ramekins as topping.  Press down if you want to.
5. Place in oven to cook until topping is golden (about 15 minutes)
6. Heat custard as per instructions on pack and serve

My Crumble Notes: If you're not preparing in advance do everything the same except put raw apple/raisin/cinnamon mix into ramekins and cook for longer.

Wrap a paper towel around the outside of the ramekins before serving because they are really hot!

I love crumbles - other good options are rhubarb, feijoa, plum, peach... you are only limited by your imagination here.

Intimidating Soup

There are a multitude of food courts sprinkled around Singapore - at least one in every mall.  I have tried a fair few of the options over the past year, but I have always avoided the one serving soup as I found it too intimidating.

How is soup intimidating?!

Well, picture this.  You're standing in a long line of people, bowl and tongs in hand.  As the line moves, you find yourself standing in front of a large bookshelf stacked full with ingredients - every where you turn you see piles of eggplant, carrot, spinach, broccoli, gai lan, bok choy, seaweed, mushrooms, fishballs, boiled eggs and that's just the ingredients you can identify (about half of them).  There's no opportunity for browsing as the line of hungry build-your-own-soup punters are pressing behind you to pick their veges and get to the noodle section.  Gulp!

On Wednesday's I work from home, and today when I ambled down to the food court for lunch there wasn't a line in front of the soup stall.  "Carpe diem" I thought, and I strode purposefully towards the tongs...

I went with gai lan, eggplant, broccoli, enoki mushrooms, fishballs and a boiled egg, chicken soup and rice noodles.

Not so intimidating after all

I'm not sure how healthy it is, but surely clear chicken stock soup can't be too laden with hidden nasties right?  And it's stacked full of veges.

Either way, it's definitely one of the better food court options available and not as intimidating as I first thought.

I'll just give myself a quiet pat on the back.

Keep That Cup

Last post I mentioned visiting Loysel's Toy for brunch on Saturday.  I was doing my due diligence on the menu and noticed that they sell KeepCups.  I immediately resolved to buy one.

Have you heard of KeepCups?  Essentially they're a barista-standard reusable coffee/tea cup but actually look fantastic.

You can even design your own - pimp my cup!



This is my cup - purple and pink!



I have to say I was left with a nasty, non-coffee related taste in my mouth when I took my KeepCup to the coffee shop in the mall under work (Spinelli's).  They give a discount if you bring in your reusable coffee cup, but neglect to mention it has to be a Spinelli's reusable cup.  They refused to give me a discount for my KeepCup.

Basically this implied to me that Spinelli's doesn't actually care about doing their bit for the environment at all - their campaign is to get people to buy their ugly reusable cups.  Does seem somewhat hypocritical when the principal of a reusable cup is to reduce waste.

Anyway, on to more positive things.

Today marks the one year anniversary of our arrival in Singapore.  It seems incredible how fast time has flown!  This time last year I was nervously anticipating my first day at work...

I would have loved to spend the time cooking something special to mark the occasion, but we didnt' manage to get home from work until just after 7pm... what to whip up in under an hour?

Black-Eyed Pea and Roast Vege Salad

• 1 small eggplant
• 1/8 pumpkin (sounds precise, just get a small chunk)
• Couple of garlic cloves
• 1/4 pack feta cheese
• Handful rocket
• 1 tin black-eyed peas
• Chicken
• Ground garlic, cumin, coriander seeds (a shake each)
• Salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to about 180 deg C
2. Slice eggplant, salt both sides and set aside for about 10 minutes.  Rinse well with water, pat dry.
3. Chop pumpkin (roughly same size as eggplant) and throw pumpkin and eggplant into a roasting dish with a good slug of olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pop garlic cloves in roasting dish and cook in oven until all are soft and eggplant is starting to caramalise (approx 30 mins, don't forget to stir veges frequently to prevent sticking).
5. Rinse black-eye peas and drain well.
6. Heat a pan with some olive oil, toss peas in ginger, cumin and coriander seeds and fry briefly.  Drain on paper towels.
7. Dice chicken, season with salt and pepper and cook in used pan.
8. When veges are cooked (don't forget to pop roasted garlic out of shell), mix peas, veges, rocket, chicken, feta on a platter, drizzle with olive oil and serve.

I love roasted veges

I was planning on using chickpeas but the supermarket was out of stock, so black-eyed peas was the next best alternative.  They were a bit mushy out of the tin, so if I was repeating I would probably go with quinoa or lentils if chickpeas weren't available.

Remember to rinse salted eggplant really well otherwise they will be really salty after roasting.  Don't neglect this step, even if you are in a huge rush.

P.S. A glass of NZ pinot gris went beautifully with this (and the pre-dinner glass on it's own was just as beautiful!)