Last night we created and facilitated a rather amazing potluck at our home. I mentioned in a previous post that we were having a potluck focused solely on the cuisine of Vietnam. We had 8 people and 7 delicious meals prepared with wonderful detail to the nuances of Vietnamese cooking. Here I want to share the possibilities of creativity when combined with culinary curiosity.
Beef marinaded in fish sauce, lemongrass, shallots and garlic then hand-wrapped in betel leaves.
A couple of years ago I gave my wife a cookbook on Vietnamese cuisine since this has been her favorite for some time. The ‘dish’ to the left is one that we both enjoy and she (more than I) also likes the process.
First the ground beef marinates in a blend of garlic, lemongrass, shallots, fish sauce and curry powder. Then a tablespoon or so is wrapped in a betel leaf, which we were surprised to see are actually humongous in size – maybe a foot in diameter!
Once broiled for 5-10 minutes these skewers are dipped in a pungent sauce with more fish sauce, serrano peppers, garlic and other wonderful ingredients. These finger-foods were very popular and enjoyed by the few meat-eaters at the table.
Many Vietnamese dished require immense prep work. For my dish I had to slice, soak, mince and dice onions, chives, garlic, mushrooms, catfish and fresh mint.
My dish (no photo available) was called “fried noodles with fish,” and to be honest it required more prep time than I anticipated. The final dish was pretty good and may not have been worth all of the time preparing it. At the same time, the process of preparing this dish was exciting. Does that sound strange? What I mean is that the process of preparing each ingredient and then plating them all on the cutting board, showed me just how flavorful and fresh this food can be.
In a wok I fried bean noodles, catfish, all of the above ingredients and then tossed in some diced serrano peppers and piled the mass in a serving dish. Again, I forgot to take a picture of the final product but I like the image of the individual ingredients.
The other dishes below were made by our guests. Each dish was truly enjoyed by everyone who participated, and now we all eagerly await the next “Cuisine of the World potluck.”
Spring rolls with peanut dipping sauce.
Papaya Salad
Bun (pronounced boon) with tofu
With scores of ethnic cuisines to explore, this potluck idea will help all of us endure the long winter ahead. I am already excited to host again because I want to do Turkish food, though I will have to wait. The next theme brings us to Denmark! Danish food will be more challenging only because I have no idea what kind of food to create. But the challenge is what makes it all worthwhile.
Related posts:
- Cuisines of the World Potluck – Morocco
- Cuisines of the World Potluck – Portugal
- Cuisines of the World Potluck – Denmark
- A clouded vision (weekly menu 3)
- Success!
Tags: Recipes, wild mushrooms