Banh Mi....

it started in 1857. the french came and colonized Vietnam. my birthplace. there will be many more blogs to come regarding this dynamic relationship, so hold on till then.

this blog is just about banh mi. its the Vietnamese word for bread. but I'm not talking about just a regular piece of bread. I'm referring to this term as a sandwich. one of my favorite ways of eating bread, meat and spread. with the french influence this sandwich starts on a fresh roll baguette. cut and toasted, spread of pate on one side and freshly made butter (egg and oil) on the other. and that's pretty much all the french gets credit for. next comes the meats, made from pork a form a meatloaf or cold cuts what ever way you say it. its our Bologna or salami. its placed on top of the pate spread. then cilantro, slices of fresh chili to give it heat. pickled white radish &carrots to give it a tang and bite and if you're lucky some places put paper thin slices of onions that have also been soaked in vinegar. then a dash of nice soy sauce. and there you have a banh mi bale (bale being Paris since there is the whole pate and bread credits) but that is what you can order, its known now as the dac biet which is the special that has all the goods as described on it. its simply good.

i grew up on these sandwiches, i remember going to chinese school every weekend and my father would stop off to pick me up something to eat before my 4 hours of schooling in a language *Mandarin that would never stick to my tongue. nonetheless i loved getting these sandwiches for 4 years i knew what i was getting for lunch and i had no problem with it. although each weekend i tried new sandwich fixings. there was tit nuoung *grilled pork or garoti *rotisserie chicken all with the same preparation of pickled goods and the soft toasted baguette.

this blog was inspired because i was brought some "fast food" Vietnamese banh mi from Texas today. on a flight direct from Dallas to Pittsburgh in a box was a few Lee's Sandwiches.. this is the Vietnamese version of subway with great coffee instead of soda *pop. the fixings on the side of course to keep the meat dry and for better preservation of the bread. and after i toasted up the bread and meat adding the cold pickled carrots, onions, white radishes it was just yummy all around. reminded me of Los Angeles and the ease of driving up to a Lee's and getting one of these sandwiches for 3.50 and be filled for a few hours. I've tried many sandwiches of different sorts from various cultures and i must say for certain that this type is my favorite.. i think the runner up is still funny as it has a french background as well.. Le croque madam. i may be a little leaning towards the french Asian culinary side in this blog but I'm pretty sure there will be more about the love affair i have with Italian food and the best friend of Mexican food...

eat extraordinary everyday.

prime rib...

i remember the first time i really enjoyed prime rib. not the many times in the Vegas buffets that i learned what it was, but rather my best friends birthday.. i don't remember what age she was turning but that just shows the countless birthday dinners we've had for each other. this was the first of many that would come from our friendship.

we went to Lawry's prime rib house. i was the designated chauffeur of all the ladies in attendance. we all got dressed up.. we were in the whole just turning 20 years so it was pretty cool to be Beverly hills having dinner. i had the traditional everything that the place was known for. the spinning salad *which i think everyone should see and experience once in their life...then of course the slice of prime rib medium rare, with horseradish sauce, and mashed potatoes, a side of mushrooms and Yorkshire pudding. we didn't do dessert there.. but it didn't matter the prime rib was amazing.. just tasty and filled with just enough bite that after seconds it would just melted down your throat. it was simply amazing. and of course the beauty of going to Lawry's is that its a blast from the past. back when times were good and people came to these places to have someone in a tuxedo carve your meat right in front of you. and from this golden domed hot food station on wheels. it was simply a dream to see all the decant food service in front of you. and back to that spinning salad.. i knew it was going to be amazing as soon as she came and set up the spinning salad station... a large bowl filled with crushed ice. another bowl filled with our chilled salad... the dressing on the side waiting to be joined with the greens and a pair of salad forks. and in an instant she started the show..spinning the bowl of greens in the bowl of ice while from a high hand did the dressing drizzled down in a long stream as the other hand tossed the salad.. jeez all that for a salad.. i was sure the food was going to be amazing.. it was.

that was the last time i pretty much remembered moments with prime rib, that was until i was asked to cook two 14-16 lbs bone in prime rib for a private dinner i was catering on New Years Eve. After lots of research and prayer.. it came out perfect.. a bit terrifying actually. that a young self taught foodie/chef took on such a task. i guess i had to prove to myself that i was able to cook and people would like it. from that one event, i learned that i was naturally in love with food and cooking. simply that. tonight i made prime rib for the Christmas dinner. we didn't do trees or presents in the actual tradition but rather the dinner was the focus of the day. it was good. just right, perfectly pink and warm with Au Jus soaked into the meat. it was delightful. perhaps prime rib will always be a magical roast for me. it makes me think of happy times. times of truth and times of simplicity. i think for someone who loves meat.. having a perfectly done piece of beef is caveman gourmet. food at its simplest and at its best.

My Food Blog.

Welcome all!!!!!!

Thanks for coming and checking it out. This will be my blog only and or mostly about food. I figured since the new year is just around the corner and I have all this time and passion for food, why not talk about it here? I hope to get some pictures in making it somewhat of a photo blog as well as a regular rant on food and the people who eat it.

I'm going to start out by just introducing my food background so that there is a clear understanding of what types of food i lean towards and my opinion on the other foods I frown upon.
Grew up in a Chinese/Vietnamese household. Living next to Mexicans growing up. Always experimenting with different foods. Everything in my world that i eat would be considered "ethnic" to many but for me its a daily thing. I love cooking. I love watching people cook. I love eating. I love watching people eating. anything that pretty much involves that process is what tickles me. I think part of being a true foodie, is the willingness to try everything at least one. My palate is maturing into more simplistic taste but of course the skill of preparation is never a bore. I believe dining with friends and family and significant others show the building of good relationship. to have dinner with someone is to truly be part of their lives. I love eating alone but i also adore eating with friends and sharing great flavors and making memories. my favorite thing to do is to go to a new restaurant with people i care about. its always an adventure.