We’re back in on another cooking binge, and last night it was (retroactively) inspired by our time in Vietnam.
This is our fourth recipe card in a project that I imagine might culminate in some sort of self published cookbook that represents the food of our life. My mom is certainly interested in a copy, and in truth, she was a major inspiration to me growing up. Among other things, we’d explore and sample a lot of different ethnic foods (I still remember Brazilian banana donuts, for example, home made by her Portuguese speaking friends).
It’s gotten to the point that we try to take cooking classes in many of the different countries we visit, and we try these recipes out at home on a regular basis. Tina is the primary researcher finding new things for us to prepare and sample, so there’s another inspiration for me.
And so green is the order of the day, a melange of herbs and flavours mixed with ground pork, reproducing a salad that we partook of during our month in Vietnam (in 2015). Green – both the colour and the atmosphere – is so much a part of Vietnam for me. It’s such a shame that the variety of edible greenery is so underrepresented in local Viet cuisine, here in Calgary, since that light freshness is a great counterpoint to the steamy climate from which it comes.
Owing to La Petite Fille’s ™ sensitive palate, we can’t prepare this too spicy. So instead, a dollop of Garlic Chili Sauce in the middle satisfies my spicy cravings. Coincidentally, this sauce (Hoy Fung – it comes in a green cap – is a much better alternative to Sriracha) is also Vietnamese. The pork, especially if it were a bit spicier, reminds me of another favourite dish, Thai larb (look it up!).
So here is recipe 004 of the ongoing history of Ted’s Travels in Food, a true work in progress. I’ve made fonts smaller so that I can include a bit of story telling. The stories and the drinks that go with food are what will live with me.
You should cook this and let me know how it turns out!