Vietnamese Pho Bo

It's official: I've hit the culinary jackpot. After months of devouring weekly bowls of vietnamese pho soup in a cozy central London eatery, I decided to attempt to recreate the incredibly well seasoned, fully satiating dish.

This soup represents the Vietnamese equivalent of chicken noodle, but it's so much better on every level. To begin, the base is composed of a rich broth that is seasoned with cloves, cardamom pods, star of anise, cinnamon, and a hint of sugar. To be honest, I was skeptical about the taste combination of such spices in an asian dish, but I was obviously proved wrong. Large chunks of beef (chicken, seafood, or even tofu) are added give it some serious substance. But what makes pho different from any other soup I've ever eaten are the fresh herbs that are added seconds before eating. I literally can't enough of this stuff. It's that good.

So, while feeling more confident than usual this afternoon, I ventured to Chinatown to pick up ingredients. However, you don't need an asian grocer to do so... For me, making pho was more so an excuse to peruse the shelves of rice noodles, chilli pastes, and dried mushrooms. Any Sainsburys, Dierbergs, or Provigo most likely carries everything you need (perhaps with an exception for flat rice noodles).

So, for a magical pot of Pho Bo (beef soup), gather the following:

Beef cubes that dissolve in water (I used five, but it went into a proper stock pot)
1/2 lb beef brisket
1 package of asian flat rice noodles
1 large bag of bean sprouts
1 package of baby button mushrooms (or any other mild mushrooms. no portobello!)
Handfuls of fresh mint, coriander (cilantro), and spring onions
A few small red chilies
soy sauce
1 lime
Asian chili sauce (I prefer the chilli/garlic combination)
1/3 cup whole cloves, cardamom pods, and star of anise
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar

First, soak the rice noodles in large bowl of lukewarm water for 15 minutes. While the noodles are soaking, begin the broth by dissolving beef stock cubes in boiling water. When they dissolve completely, taste the broth to make sure it's strong enough. If it's not, add more cubes. If it is too strong, add water.

Next, add all the spices to the broth and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Smash the garlic cloves with the side of a large chopping knife (so that each clove is fractured) and add it to the broth at the same time. After 10 minutes, remove the spices and garlic using a strainer-ladel. Make sure to get all the cloves, star of anise, and cardamom pods out, otherwise you'll bite down on them later and I promise it won't be pleasant.

Thinly slice the brisket and add it to the broth. Add the mushrooms, whole or chopped at the same time. Let this simmer for another 5-10 minutes. While the soup is simmering, roughly chop the mint, spring onions, red chillies, and coriander and put them aside.

Give the soup a taste. It should be mostly beefy, with a slight hint of clove and cinnamon. You can also add the chilli paste at this point, but be careful to only do so in 1/2 teaspoon increments.  As you all know, I'm all about following an improvised, taste-driven recipe, so feel free to add bits of more flavor to see what happens.
By now, the rice noodles should be soft. Drain them and spoon them into a large bowl. Next, do the same with the fresh bean sprouts. Top them with ladel-fulls of hot soup. Lastly, sprinkle the herb mixture. I like to add a bit of soy sauce, fresh red chillies, and a squeeze of lime juice at the very end.

Et voila! Vietnamese for dinner!

Eier auf Toast

I recently spent a weekend exploring Berlin with my friend Maysa, who currently lives in Paris. Although it was my first time there, Maysa had visited the city a few months prior and she happened to befriend a handsome Berliner with exquisite taste in cafes/restaurants/bars.

We went for Sunday brunch at Fuchsbau in Berlin's artsy/bohemian Kreuzberg neighborhood and I had a dish by the name of "Eier auf Toast." This translates to 'eggs on toast' in English. Fancy.

When the plate arrived, I was mesmerized... two soft-boiled eggs on grainy toast with a curry-butter, tomato/mango salsa, radish sprouts, and super intense mustard. In addition, the entire plate was garnished with fresh herbs. It was absolutely to die for.

In any case, coming home from a long dreary London school day, I felt the urge to recreate the dish for supper this evening. And to be honest, it's just as good, if not better than the original...

2 eggs

2 pieces of whole grain toast (or any other bread you enjoy... olive?)

1 generous serving of smoked salmon

1 tomato, roughly chopped

cilantro, basil, and spring onion, roughly chopped

a dollop of mustard

Put the eggs into a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. After letting them boil for 4 minutes, remove from heat and peel the shells. Toast the bread to your preferred level of brown. When plating, lay the smoked salmon on the bread and place the eggs adjacent. Make room on the plate for chopped tomatoes and mustard.

I must say, this dish is incredible if eaten with spicy mustard. Here in London, I buy Colman's Mustard. It's deep yellow and I can only handle a little bit at a time... But it's sooooo good.

The last step requires you to sprinkle the herbs on the eggs and tomatoes.

When you break the eggs with your fork, warm yolk should ooze onto the bread and salmon...

Enjoy with a cold glass of OJ and some freshly pressed coffee!

Nigella's Chorizo Quick Chili

Chili is divine. I'm actually quite surprised that in the two years forgottheeggs has existed, a chili recipe hasn't been posted. It's one of my favorite dishes to make, not only because it is a wonderful melange of flavors and super easy to make, but because it keeps well... very well. I've been eating chili for the past three weeks, and everytime I make it (approximately once a week), I divy the stock pot contents into tupperwares for the refridgerator and freezer and eat for days. Amazing. Especially if you're a busy student with a strict budget.

My friend Dan popped into my flat for dinner a few weeks ago, and as we were absolutely famished, we decided to go for something hot, quick, and fully satiating. (no pun intended)

Dan found this recipe in Nigella Lawson's "Nigella Express" book, and after making a few minor adjustments to the recipe, we skipped off to the grocery store and gathered ingredients and some hearty bread for dipping.

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped

3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

1 large bell pepper, roughly chopped (orange is perfect for this recipe)

2 cans of diced tomatoes

2 cans of beans of your choice, drained (I prefer black and kidney)

400 grams lean ground beef

150 grams uncooked chorizo, chopped into bite sized pieces (this is spicy!)

cumin

cinnamon

paprika

chili powder or flakes

ground cardamom

salt

fresh cilantro (coriander in europe) for garnish

sour cream or greek yogurt for garnish

your choice of rice or hearty bread

On medium heat, warm a generous serving of olive oil in a large stock pot. Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic and saute for about five minutes. When the onions are soft and translucent and the pepper looks like its warming up, add the chorizo. Cook the chorizo until a reddish-orange liquid starts to coat the pot. Next, add the ground beef with a sprinkle of salt, and paprika. Let it brown. When the beef looks cooked through, add the two cans of tomatoes (with the juice!) and bring up the heat to medium-high so that the chili can simmer. Add cardamom, chili powder, paprika, and more salt. There is no standard quantity for seasoning, so use your judgement and feel free to taste the concoction as its brewing. After about 10 minutes on a simmer, add the drained cans of beans and let simmer again. Technically, after 20 minutes, the chili could be eaten, but it's best to hold on for at least 30 minutes so that the flavors get a chance to marry.

When your tastebuds approve, remove from heat and spoon into deep bowls. I like to add a dollop of greek yogurt and sprinkle of freshly chopped cilantro. Dan hasn't been eating rice, so we opted for some toasted slices of hearty bread.

It was deeeelicious!