Vietnam is a safe country. It is safe by means that you will probably not get mugged or attacked.
But there are many thieves in Ho Chi Minh City. And any opportunity for someone to steal something will happen.
In the past 10 months, these are the stories I heard about people having things stolen.
1. Cell phone grabbed out of the hand as a person is on a motor scooter.
2. Motor scooter stolen.
3. Thieves entering a house looking for laptop and motor scooters.
4. Purse stolen off a tourist with her passport in it.
5. Luggage searched by cleaning ladies and cash stolen.
6. A fake accident and motor scooter stolen.
7. Plants and planters stolen from in front of the house.
8. Necklace ripped off the neck.
9. A thief entering the same house 3 nights in a row.
10. Pickpockets in the markets.
How do you minimize these types of thefts.
1. Don't lightly handle your phone, put it securely in your pocket or belt case.
2. Put your scooter in a proper parking area with security.
3. Keep your house locked even when you are in it.
4. Put the strap in a cross shoulder, never just sling. You will have a grab and dash thief take it.
5. Don't leave valuables in your room. Put it in a safety deposit box, or if you are visiting me, I can put in a box and secure it with a lock inside my locked house.
6. Don't ride your bike too late at night.
7. Get really big plants and heavy planters.
8. Don't wear your very expensive jewellery when out on the streets (the wedding will be fine, no one will attack at the wedding hall, and you will go directly in a taxi).
9. Lock your door, even if you think they have taken enough. replace the locks, they may have broken them.
10. Don't carry all your cash in your pocket. Keep your hands near your pockets or put them in a pocket with buttons.
Other hints:
Don't carry your passport with you. Make color copies or your visa and passport with you. By VN law the hotel owner has to keep your passport and make a document with the police to show that you are legally residing at the hotel.
At the reception hall there are pickpockets and there will be crowds as you leave. Don't carry cash or a purse. You don't need to pay for anything (maybe a taxi ride back to the hotel).
Less obvious versions of theft:
Price gouging and counterfeit items are common in Southeast Asia. If a bad is too good to be true, it probably is. There are high quality counterfeits. There are shops that take factory seconds. It will be much more obvious and we know the shops.
You will eventually go to Ben Thanh Market. It is fun, but you will get grabby merchants that will overprice everything. They will grab you by the arm and try to guide you to the stall to buy tourist junk. If you see something take a picture and we can get it later. They would rather not sell at all then get a reputation for selling normal prices to a foreigner. You can haggle, but they will never go to a reasonable price. Same will happen at Saigon Square.
You should do a trip, take pictures and talk about sizes that fit you. We can then arrange some people to shop for you the next night. It is not the thrill of shopping, but you will get the best prices. At the cost of an extra shirt or bag for the shopper.
Counterfeiting will not only happen in the street markets, but also at the big shopping plazas. They will sell counterfeits all the time at the prices of the actual item (buyer beware).
I hope this does not scare you, you can get great things here, get hand crafted instead of name brands. And be smart, you will come out with a great experience.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
VN shortribs versus American countryribs
Pork is a common meat in Vietnam, many dishes use various parts of the pig. Even the blood of the pig is used in some dishes. One of the common dishes that is hard to find in a restaurant is the short rib.
The short rib is a rib cut by a heavy cleaver. It is big enough for a person to pick up with their chopsticks, place in your mouth and for you to chew the meat off the bone in your mouth and spit out the bone. Beware of the bone splinters.
The American country rib is a rib that is part of the infamous full and half rack of ribs that a person finds at a barbecue.
Here are the recipes:
Vietnamese Short Ribs
Serves: 2
500 grams pork short ribs
sugar
salt
fish sauce
pepper
2 shallots
2 cloves garlic
oil
1 young coconut
-Slice/chop the garlic and shallots
-Put the ribs in a bowl, place in a tsp of sugar and salt, about a tbs for fish sauce and mix it all together. Put the chopped/sliced garlic and shallots on top.
-Let marinate for 30 to 45 minutes.
-Heat up a pan, put in a small amount of oil and 1/2 tsp of sugar. Cook the sugar until it is a very light gold, remove from heat and put in the pork.
-Cook the pork ribs in the pan until the meat is cooked. As the meat is cooking, cut the top off of the coconut and pour out the juice in the pan.
-Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to low for a simmer. Cook the meat until the liquid is gone.
(You can eat the meat without cooking it in the coconut juice, but it is tough)
(You can replace the coconut juice with water, but the flavor is not as good)
(Do not marinate the pork ribs in sugar if you use canned coconut juice it is already sweetened)
(Make sure it is coconut juice and not coconut milk)
In Vietnamese tradition. You eat it with rice and fresh salad greens. I will detail the dressing/dipping sauce for the salad greens.
American BBQ Ribs
Serves 2
500 g (half rack) pork ribs aka country ribs
Barbecue sauce
Salt
Pepper
-Heat up the grill on a medium setting on one burner and off on another burner. Or mentally not the hot and cold spots if using charcoal.
-Rub salt and pepper on the ribs.
-Place the ribs on the direct heat or hot area of the charcoals. You want to sear the ribs.
-Once the ribs are seared, place them on the indirect heat or cod spot. Gently brush on the bbq sauce as they cook.
-Eat while hot
(If you can get Dave' BBQ Sauce from Kansas City, you are lucky)
(You can boil the meat first, it leeches out a bit of the flavor, but it makes the meat tender)
Americans are a bit more savage when it comes to ribs. We use our hands and even at the nicer restaurants we need excess napkins to keep ourselves clean. But we do not have to worry about splinters of bone. They are consumed with mashed potatoes and some vegetable that is usually pushed aside, unless it is corn on the cob.
VN BBQ Half Rack
Serves: 2
500 g pork ribs (country ribs)
sugar
salt
fish sauce
garlic
shallots
-Slice individual ribs and boil them in salty water for a few minutes.
-Chop the garlic and shallot. Marinate the pork ribs in sugar, salt, fish sauce, garlic, shallots and oil.
-Grill the ribs over direct heat.
If you are looking for agood quality fish sauce from Vietnam. My suggestion is Hanh Phuc Fish Sauce. It is such a good quality that it is used for dipping and not cooking (too expensive). There are many types of fish sauce from many different countries, each one will have a different flavor. Thai and Vietnames are the most commonly imported, maybe Korean fish sauce, but I am unsure.
The short rib is a rib cut by a heavy cleaver. It is big enough for a person to pick up with their chopsticks, place in your mouth and for you to chew the meat off the bone in your mouth and spit out the bone. Beware of the bone splinters.
The American country rib is a rib that is part of the infamous full and half rack of ribs that a person finds at a barbecue.
Here are the recipes:
Vietnamese Short Ribs
Serves: 2
500 grams pork short ribs
sugar
salt
fish sauce
pepper
2 shallots
2 cloves garlic
oil
1 young coconut
-Slice/chop the garlic and shallots
-Put the ribs in a bowl, place in a tsp of sugar and salt, about a tbs for fish sauce and mix it all together. Put the chopped/sliced garlic and shallots on top.
-Let marinate for 30 to 45 minutes.
-Heat up a pan, put in a small amount of oil and 1/2 tsp of sugar. Cook the sugar until it is a very light gold, remove from heat and put in the pork.
-Cook the pork ribs in the pan until the meat is cooked. As the meat is cooking, cut the top off of the coconut and pour out the juice in the pan.
-Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat to low for a simmer. Cook the meat until the liquid is gone.
(You can eat the meat without cooking it in the coconut juice, but it is tough)
(You can replace the coconut juice with water, but the flavor is not as good)
(Do not marinate the pork ribs in sugar if you use canned coconut juice it is already sweetened)
(Make sure it is coconut juice and not coconut milk)
In Vietnamese tradition. You eat it with rice and fresh salad greens. I will detail the dressing/dipping sauce for the salad greens.
American BBQ Ribs
Serves 2
500 g (half rack) pork ribs aka country ribs
Barbecue sauce
Salt
Pepper
-Heat up the grill on a medium setting on one burner and off on another burner. Or mentally not the hot and cold spots if using charcoal.
-Rub salt and pepper on the ribs.
-Place the ribs on the direct heat or hot area of the charcoals. You want to sear the ribs.
-Once the ribs are seared, place them on the indirect heat or cod spot. Gently brush on the bbq sauce as they cook.
-Eat while hot
(If you can get Dave' BBQ Sauce from Kansas City, you are lucky)
(You can boil the meat first, it leeches out a bit of the flavor, but it makes the meat tender)
Americans are a bit more savage when it comes to ribs. We use our hands and even at the nicer restaurants we need excess napkins to keep ourselves clean. But we do not have to worry about splinters of bone. They are consumed with mashed potatoes and some vegetable that is usually pushed aside, unless it is corn on the cob.
VN BBQ Half Rack
Serves: 2
500 g pork ribs (country ribs)
sugar
salt
fish sauce
garlic
shallots
-Slice individual ribs and boil them in salty water for a few minutes.
-Chop the garlic and shallot. Marinate the pork ribs in sugar, salt, fish sauce, garlic, shallots and oil.
-Grill the ribs over direct heat.
If you are looking for agood quality fish sauce from Vietnam. My suggestion is Hanh Phuc Fish Sauce. It is such a good quality that it is used for dipping and not cooking (too expensive). There are many types of fish sauce from many different countries, each one will have a different flavor. Thai and Vietnames are the most commonly imported, maybe Korean fish sauce, but I am unsure.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The Traditions of a VN Wedding
This is edited from a very good entry in Wikipedia, this is not my writing. Click here to read the original entry.
The Wedding
The wedding consists of an extensive set of ceremonies: asking permission to receive the bride, receiving the bride at her house, and bringing the bride to the groom’s house. Both Vietnamese and oversea-Vietnamese who desire to have a hybrid traditional Vietnamese and Western-style wedding will often incorporate the last two ceremonies with the Western-style wedding.
At the end of the ceremonies, there is a wedding reception for the two families and guests.
Asking Permission to "Receive" the Bride
Before the wedding day, the groom’s family would make a trip to the bride’s home with a gift of food and gold to officially ask permission to receive the bride. At this time, the bride's family would confirm the wedding and further proceedings would take place.
Receiving Bride at Her House
On the day of the wedding, the procession of the groom’s family is led in specific order. The first person would be the representative of the groom's house followed by the groom's father, the groom, then the rest of his family and close friends
Interestingly, in the past, the groom's mother might not take part in the procession as a sign that she would not be a threat to the future bride; she would even "hide" for a short period upon the bride's welcoming to the groom's home. However, this practice has long been abandoned. The number of people participating in the groom's procession varies but is usually restricted to a smaller number (20 or so) to make it easier on the bride's family, which must receive all the guests.
In the procession, the groom, his family and friends bear elaborately decorated lacquer boxes, covered in red cloth. Inside these boxes are gifts representing the wealth that the groom's family will bring to the bride's family. Gifts are nuts, fruit, cakes, and an abundance of gold (earrings, necklace, bracelets, and rings, usually a full matched set) for the bride. Usually, the number of gift boxes varies between 6 or 8, but never 7 or 9 since it is seen as bad luck. However, it depends on personal view and might be reduced to 2-3 boxes.
The procession of the groom’s “family” is all males giving the gifts. In other countries this is called the “brothers of the groom.” The gift boxes will be received by females. They are considered “sisters of the bride.” One female for each male, a male gives a gift, the female receives a gift.
There will be prayers to God in front of the family altar (since it is a Catholic family, it will be an altar of Jesus) asking for blessing for a good life.
The bride and groom, in front of all their guests, will serve tea (or wine) to their parents. Each parent will then give advice about marriage and family to the couple. A candle ceremony will follow, symbolizing the joining of the bride and groom and the joining of the two families. The groom's gift boxes filled with jewelry will be opened by the groom’s mother, who will then put each piece on the bride for good fortune.
Due to Western influence in the concept of wedding rings, modern weddings still include the giving of jewelry to the bride but followed by the exchange of wedding bands between the bride and groom. However, Catholic Vietnamese families reserve the exchange of wedding bands for the separate church ceremony.
In most weddings, the wedding will occur on that day and a small feast with friends and family will occur at the brides house.
Bringing Bride to Groom's House
The ceremony to bring the bride into the groom’s house starts as a procession. The family will welcome the bride into the house and a prayer will occur asking for a blessing on the bride. Half of the food given on the bride’s ceremony will be returned for a feast with the groom’s friends and family
Following the ceremony at the groom's house, all of the bride and groom's family and friends are invited to a reception that traditionally takes place at the groom's house.
Nowadays, however, the reception occurs immediately after the procession ceremony to the bride's house, and takes place at any desired location---such as either couple's house, a restaurant or a hotel banquet hall. It is not until after the reception that the bride is brought to the groom's house. The vast majority of newlyweds also have their own place. If so, they simply go to their house.
The number of guests in attendance at these modern-day receptions is especially large, usually in the hundreds. Elaborate 5 to 6 course meals are served, often starting with cold platters then followed by hot dishes such as seafood hot pot, and other Vietnamese and Chinese banquet dishes, often ending with a dessert.
Traditional Vietnamese Wedding Gifts
Guests are expected to bring gifts, and it is traditionally in the form of money in an envelope. As of January 2009, the appropriate amount is usually $50–$200 USD per person though more or less is possible depending on the locale. Immediate family, usually gives more money to the bride and groom. At one point during the reception, the bride and groom will go from table-to-table to thank guests for their blessings and sometimes collect the envelopes. Occasionally, the family and guests' monetary gifts will cover more than the cost of the wedding and reception. Most couples however leave a box at the sign-in table for guests to drop in their envelopes and cards, although this is frowned upon by older traditional conservatives.
The Bride's Change of Dress
In modern weddings, brides usually change into three different gowns during the reception. Her dresses are usually composed of the Western white wedding gown, a second Western dress to be worn at the end of the evening during the dancing, and a third traditional Áo dài to be worn during the traditional table visits to personally thank the guests for coming.
Modern Infusions in Religion and Culture
While most Vietnamese are Mahayana Buddhists, a significant number are Catholic. However, this does not change the traditional Vietnamese wedding. Vietnamese Catholics still incorporate all parts of the wedding ceremonies and reception. The only difference may lie in the ancestor worship at each newlywed's house. Some Catholics are comfortable with ancestor worship due to Vietnamese culture's deep history in reverence toward ancestors. Other Catholics who are not comfortable, however, may replace it with worshiping to Jesus or praying to the Virgin Mary.
Most current-day Vietnamese weddings—both in
Perhaps the most significant Western and Vietnamese infusion is the proceedings of the traditional three ceremonies. With the omitting of the first traditional ceremony ("asking permission to receive the bride"), the last two traditional ceremonies ("receiving bride at her house" and "bringing bride to groom's house") tend to no longer take place on the day of the wedding but instead are used in place of a Western engagement ceremony. Thus, the actual wedding day may only include a Buddhist/Church ceremony, and large reception.
Symbols
Traditional and modern symbols of marriage are often featured during Vietnamese marriage ceremonies as decorations on the wedding umbrellas, lacquer gift boxes (or the red cloth that covers them), or even the decorations in the homes of both the bride and groom. They usually include lanterns, doves, initials of the couple, among other things. However, one symbol that is indispensable are the words "song hỷ." This phrase also appears as the character 囍, which is reflective of
Friday, May 21, 2010
The Map
Here is the map so far. Nothing special. But I will continue to work on it. It will be useful for visiting me and later on visiting and living in Viet Nam.
My Big Silly Map
My Big Silly Map
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
The Tentative Schedule for the Wedding
Many times when people plan weddings, it is more a focus on the bride and what the bride wants. Usually the brides wants a picture perfect ceremony, a picture perfect reception, followed by a picture perfect honeymoon in an exotic location where they can do girly things.
My fiancee is different. She wants something memorable, so we will do a show, processions and pretty much let everybody have fun being a bit corny. The idea is that since she is Catholic and I agree with the concept, divorce is not an option. If you are going to have one wedding, make it something people can talk about.
So for those who are coming or are interested in what is going on. I will detail our plans so far.
The wedding reception will be on January 2, 2010 in a large reception hall. This is a wedding meal of 5 courses of okay food that will last from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The majority of time, when people are invited to a wedding this is what will happen. You come to a city, see a friend for a little time, skip the ceremony, go to the reception, get drunk and then go back home after your friend goes to some cool place for their honeymoon.
This is all and good if you are only traveling a few hours to see your friend. But when you have to travel 2 to 20 hours on a plane, arrange a visa, and go to a place where you do not speak the language. The rules change. The idea is simple, do something fun and not always traditional, but everybody will like it. Just like us.
So enough of me jabbering. What we are going to do when you come to Ho Chi Minh City for our wedding.
Friday, December 31st, 2009 (The Day Before the Craziness)
I expect many people from other parts of the world to show up on this day. It will be meet and greet, welcome to Viet Nam. Have people settle down and realize that they are no longer on an airplane. Traditionally this is the day for the bachelor/hen party. You can do this and it can be fun. But we are not traditional. We are making this day a bit simple. We will be with friends, enjoy some food and relax with friends. Welcoming friends at the airport multiple times and getting them to settle down will be more than enough work for us.
As for the menu. We are not sure what we will eat. Something sturdy and stable for queasy stomachs after a long plane trip.
Saturday, January 1st, 2010 (The Day of the Wedding Ceremony)
This is the day of the wedding ceremony. Late in the morning we will have a traditional ceremony where the groom asks permission from the bride's family. I will detail the ceremony, what is done, who does it, later in another post.
We will then have a Catholic ceremony. Most of it will be in Vietnamese (we are still discussing if any of it should be in English, it will depend on what other ceremonies we will have). The Cathloic ceremony will occur in the Tan Phu District where my fiancee's family lives. The majority of the time of the four or five day feast/festival/party will occur in the Tan Binh District of Ho Chi Minh City.
After the ceremony, there will be a nice dinner of roast suckling pig, grilled chicken, a simple VN soup, and salad at the house of my parents-in-law. After the feast, the bride will stay at her parents home and the groom will return to his home. They will not sleep in the same home and be together as a bride and groom until the next day.
Sunday, January 2, 2010 (The Day of the Wedding Reception)
In the afternoon or late in the morning, the ceremony where the groom will welcome the bride into his home. For fun we will have a procession down the street where the house I am renting is located. The ceremony where we welcome the bride into my home and my bed will occur.
We will then prepare for the reception. The reception hall is a half block away and it will start at 7:30 pm and probably end at 9:30 pm. It will be a five course meal for 300 people. The menu is still yet to be decided. But the food will be good, but not exceptional. After the reception, we will continue the party with friends and family at our house with beer and snacks.
Monday, January 3, 2010 (Recovery Day)
I am going to assume that we will be massively drunk on Sunday night and jetlag will kick in. People will be tired and need a rest. On this day, we will assist people to visit HCMC or just stay around and chat. Nothing crazy. Many people will want to fly home on this day. So we will see people off as they fly back home.
For those who are still in HCMC, we will have a some nice Goat Hotpot.
Tuesday, January 4, 2010 (Last Day)
For those who are staying longer, they want to see more of Vietnam than HCMC. So we will arrange a small trip to Vung Tau. So people can have the fun at the beach and eat some fresh seafood. Then go back to HCMC.
Vung Tau is about a 2 to 3 hour bus ride. Not long.
My fiancee is different. She wants something memorable, so we will do a show, processions and pretty much let everybody have fun being a bit corny. The idea is that since she is Catholic and I agree with the concept, divorce is not an option. If you are going to have one wedding, make it something people can talk about.
So for those who are coming or are interested in what is going on. I will detail our plans so far.
The wedding reception will be on January 2, 2010 in a large reception hall. This is a wedding meal of 5 courses of okay food that will last from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. The majority of time, when people are invited to a wedding this is what will happen. You come to a city, see a friend for a little time, skip the ceremony, go to the reception, get drunk and then go back home after your friend goes to some cool place for their honeymoon.
This is all and good if you are only traveling a few hours to see your friend. But when you have to travel 2 to 20 hours on a plane, arrange a visa, and go to a place where you do not speak the language. The rules change. The idea is simple, do something fun and not always traditional, but everybody will like it. Just like us.
So enough of me jabbering. What we are going to do when you come to Ho Chi Minh City for our wedding.
Friday, December 31st, 2009 (The Day Before the Craziness)
I expect many people from other parts of the world to show up on this day. It will be meet and greet, welcome to Viet Nam. Have people settle down and realize that they are no longer on an airplane. Traditionally this is the day for the bachelor/hen party. You can do this and it can be fun. But we are not traditional. We are making this day a bit simple. We will be with friends, enjoy some food and relax with friends. Welcoming friends at the airport multiple times and getting them to settle down will be more than enough work for us.
As for the menu. We are not sure what we will eat. Something sturdy and stable for queasy stomachs after a long plane trip.
Saturday, January 1st, 2010 (The Day of the Wedding Ceremony)
This is the day of the wedding ceremony. Late in the morning we will have a traditional ceremony where the groom asks permission from the bride's family. I will detail the ceremony, what is done, who does it, later in another post.
We will then have a Catholic ceremony. Most of it will be in Vietnamese (we are still discussing if any of it should be in English, it will depend on what other ceremonies we will have). The Cathloic ceremony will occur in the Tan Phu District where my fiancee's family lives. The majority of the time of the four or five day feast/festival/party will occur in the Tan Binh District of Ho Chi Minh City.
After the ceremony, there will be a nice dinner of roast suckling pig, grilled chicken, a simple VN soup, and salad at the house of my parents-in-law. After the feast, the bride will stay at her parents home and the groom will return to his home. They will not sleep in the same home and be together as a bride and groom until the next day.
Sunday, January 2, 2010 (The Day of the Wedding Reception)
In the afternoon or late in the morning, the ceremony where the groom will welcome the bride into his home. For fun we will have a procession down the street where the house I am renting is located. The ceremony where we welcome the bride into my home and my bed will occur.
We will then prepare for the reception. The reception hall is a half block away and it will start at 7:30 pm and probably end at 9:30 pm. It will be a five course meal for 300 people. The menu is still yet to be decided. But the food will be good, but not exceptional. After the reception, we will continue the party with friends and family at our house with beer and snacks.
Monday, January 3, 2010 (Recovery Day)
I am going to assume that we will be massively drunk on Sunday night and jetlag will kick in. People will be tired and need a rest. On this day, we will assist people to visit HCMC or just stay around and chat. Nothing crazy. Many people will want to fly home on this day. So we will see people off as they fly back home.
For those who are still in HCMC, we will have a some nice Goat Hotpot.
Tuesday, January 4, 2010 (Last Day)
For those who are staying longer, they want to see more of Vietnam than HCMC. So we will arrange a small trip to Vung Tau. So people can have the fun at the beach and eat some fresh seafood. Then go back to HCMC.
Vung Tau is about a 2 to 3 hour bus ride. Not long.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Sinh To Dau versus the Strawberry Smoothie
In Vietnam on the hot days you can get a nice cold drink on the street, in a food shop, or at a coffee shop. It is called Sinh To Dau. In the shops you will pay about $1 or $1.50 for a small cup. It is usually 2 strawberries, a spoon of sugar, and lots and lots of ice.
If you want to make it go from okay to exceptional in the Vietnamese recipe I will share with you.
Vietnamese Sinh To Dau
yields: 2 large mugs
ingredients:
7 Strawberries
2 to 4 tbs of sugar
3 tbs condensed milk
4 tbs plain yoghurt
ice
American Strawberry Smoothie
yields: 2 large mugs
ingredients:
7 strawberries
1 banana
1 cup plain yoghurt
2 tbs sugar (or less)
milk (usually skim)
ice
In both recipes you will hull the strawberries. Put the strawberries in the blender, put in all the rest of the ingredients (except for the ice). Blend it all together. And slowly add the ice making it thick and smooth. In the VN version you will add more or less sugar depending on the sweetness of the strawberries. In the American version the milk is added to thin out the smoothie so it becomes easier to drink. The VN version it is made thick and you drink with a large straw and you eat slowly as it melts on a hot night.
The American version I find very plain and boring, it is meant to be healthy. For some odd reason "healthy food" is equated to dull and bland. This is a fallacy of the health food movement, the sins that they have done to tofu is almost painful.
The VN version is flavorful, the condensed milk is much better (I think). But it is not a morning drink, it is an after dinner dessert. But again in the VN version you can adapt to make it either sour or sweet, depending on your tastes. In Vietnam, the choices aren't as limited as the smoothie. You can choose: strawberry, avocado, custard apple, mango (green or yellow), pineapple, coconut, etc.
The VN versions are usually simple, they will just do one fruit. I will give two recipes for you.
Sinh To Coconut and Blackberry
Yield: 2 large mugs
1 pint blackberries
1/2 cup coconut milk (sweetened Thai)
4 tbs condensed milk
1/4 tps vanilla extract
2 tbs sugar
4 tbs yoghurt
ice
Sinh To Italian Berry
Yield: 2 large mugs
2/3 cup strawberries
2/3 cup blueberries
2/3 cup blackberries
2/3 cup raspberries
5 basil leaves (not dried, fresh)
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
4 tbs sugar (more or less depending on sweetness of berry)
ice
Follow the same instructions as above. These recipes are not set in stone. Adapt and change to fit your tastes. All my recipes are suggestions.
If you want to make it go from okay to exceptional in the Vietnamese recipe I will share with you.
Vietnamese Sinh To Dau
yields: 2 large mugs
ingredients:
7 Strawberries
2 to 4 tbs of sugar
3 tbs condensed milk
4 tbs plain yoghurt
ice
American Strawberry Smoothie
yields: 2 large mugs
ingredients:
7 strawberries
1 banana
1 cup plain yoghurt
2 tbs sugar (or less)
milk (usually skim)
ice
In both recipes you will hull the strawberries. Put the strawberries in the blender, put in all the rest of the ingredients (except for the ice). Blend it all together. And slowly add the ice making it thick and smooth. In the VN version you will add more or less sugar depending on the sweetness of the strawberries. In the American version the milk is added to thin out the smoothie so it becomes easier to drink. The VN version it is made thick and you drink with a large straw and you eat slowly as it melts on a hot night.
The American version I find very plain and boring, it is meant to be healthy. For some odd reason "healthy food" is equated to dull and bland. This is a fallacy of the health food movement, the sins that they have done to tofu is almost painful.
The VN version is flavorful, the condensed milk is much better (I think). But it is not a morning drink, it is an after dinner dessert. But again in the VN version you can adapt to make it either sour or sweet, depending on your tastes. In Vietnam, the choices aren't as limited as the smoothie. You can choose: strawberry, avocado, custard apple, mango (green or yellow), pineapple, coconut, etc.
The VN versions are usually simple, they will just do one fruit. I will give two recipes for you.
Sinh To Coconut and Blackberry
Yield: 2 large mugs
1 pint blackberries
1/2 cup coconut milk (sweetened Thai)
4 tbs condensed milk
1/4 tps vanilla extract
2 tbs sugar
4 tbs yoghurt
ice
Sinh To Italian Berry
Yield: 2 large mugs
2/3 cup strawberries
2/3 cup blueberries
2/3 cup blackberries
2/3 cup raspberries
5 basil leaves (not dried, fresh)
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
4 tbs sugar (more or less depending on sweetness of berry)
ice
Follow the same instructions as above. These recipes are not set in stone. Adapt and change to fit your tastes. All my recipes are suggestions.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Introduction
Hello all, this is a blog detailing the months coming to my wedding in Ho Chi Minh City on January 2, 2011. I will detail the restaurants and the food I enjoy eating in Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam. Plus, I will share recipes of Vietnamese food, their western equivalent, and then make a hybrid version of it (aka fusion) or I will detail an American, Italian, French, etc recipe using ingredients you can find in Vietnam.
First, a little about myself. I am a former five star chef that got tired of seeing the word from a kitchen. So I did a sea change as the Australians call it, and settled down in Vietnam as an ESL (English as a Second Language) Teacher. The picture above is one of me and my fiancee and two friends as we visited Da Lat. We met online in January 2009, and met in real life on May 15, 2009. In August 2009, I proposed to her. Now we are taking our time and make sure we are right for each other. But we both want a wedding that our friends will not forget. I will give you details later.
First, a little about myself. I am a former five star chef that got tired of seeing the word from a kitchen. So I did a sea change as the Australians call it, and settled down in Vietnam as an ESL (English as a Second Language) Teacher. The picture above is one of me and my fiancee and two friends as we visited Da Lat. We met online in January 2009, and met in real life on May 15, 2009. In August 2009, I proposed to her. Now we are taking our time and make sure we are right for each other. But we both want a wedding that our friends will not forget. I will give you details later.
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