Steamed Rice. Bun Bo Xao (stir-fried beef & vegetables with rice noodles) Features of Steamed Rice: - Authentic Vietnamese recipes - Reviews of local Vietnamese restaurants - Rants & raves over delicious (or malicious) dishes - Culinary (mis)adventures of a near-broke college student About Steamed Rice Since childhood, I have devoured any Vietnamese dish my mother had prepared and placed on the dining table. Ranging from simple dishes such as stir-fried beef and vegetables over rice to complicated meals such as pho (rice noodle soup with beef or chicken) and bun bo hue (Hue style beef rice vermicelli), it is not difficult to say that I adore my mom’s cooking — or all Vietnamese food for that matter. However, I have to admit that I did not inherit her talents as a chef. As a current college student, the range of which I can cook hearty, healthy meals is very limited. I can probably only make salad, eggs, steamed rice, and cereal successfully. Everything else has been either created by the skillful hands of my mother or by my boyfriend. And while being waited upon with delicious meals is quite nice, being ridiculed and criticized by my more traditional family members for not being a “good woman” is not. So, tired of their complaining, I’ve decided to venture into the realm of cookery, where the recipes and food are foreign. And I figured that for documenting (as well as entertainment) purposes, this blog will be the perfect place for my culinary adventures. Goi Cuon (spring rolls) And so, follow me as I begin my journey into the world of cookery, where each week, I will be posting up recipes that I have accomplished, restaurants to check out (and what to order there), and more. --------------------------------------------Visit Steamed Rice at http://camillenguyen.wordpress.com/ Exploring the foods of my culture one grain of rice at a time. S t e a m e d Frequently Asked Questions Recipe: Bun Bo Xao Ingredients: 1. Thin rice noodles 2. Flank steak 3. Julienned cucumber 4. Chopped red onion 5. Finely cut lettuce 6. Bean sprouts 7. Sliced green onion 8. Finely cut mint 9. Parsley 10. Garlic 11. Cooking oil 12. Fish sauce (with sugar and lemon) 13. Finely cut hot peppers (optional) 14. Chopped peanuts Steps: 1. Slice the steak into thin strips, then in a bowl, marinate it with the fish sauce, garlic, green onions, and red onion 2. In a separate, smaller bowl, toss in the mint, parsley, bean sprouts, lettuce, and cucumber 3. Place a handful of noodles on top of the smaller bowl 4. Heating a pan, pour in a minimal amount of cooking oil, and throw the meat into it, allowing it to stir-fry 5. Once cooked, place the meat over the bed of noodles and vegetables 6. (Optional) Sprinkle the crushed peanuts and hot peppers over the dish 7. Pour fish sauce over the meal 8. Enjoy! What made you want to start this blog? In addition to it being part of the class curriculum, I’ve always wanted to learn how to cook (especially after being made fun of countless times by my boyfriend and family) and I realized that this would be the perfect –and most embarrassingly public — chance for me to do so. And the choice of dedicating it to Vietnamese cuisine was made so that I could explore the foods of my culture, which I feel that I am unfortunately very disconnected from. Although, I consider this some progress! Do you take all of the photos posted on the site? I have to admit that some of the photos that I have posted thus far have been accumulated from Google images. But these are just for the assignments and header. If I talk about food that I have made and/or has been made for me, those were taken from my own camera. R i c e . Ge t Yo u r G r u b O n ! If you ever find yourself in the neighborhood, be sure to check out these delectable restaurants! - Thien Long Vietnamese Restaurant (3005 Silver Creek Rd., Suite 138, San Jose, CA 95121) - Bun Bo Hue An Nam (740 Story Rd., San Jose, CA 95122) - Com Tam Dat Thanh Restaurant (1055 Tully Rd., San Jose, CA 95122) - Beef Noodle #1 (1611 E. Capitol Expy, Suite 206, San Jose, CA 95121) - Pho Hanoi (1759 E. Capitol Expy, San Jose, CA 95121 - Cao Nguyen Restaurant (2549 S King Rd., San Jose, CA 95122) - Tofoo Com Chay (388 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose, CA 95113) - Vung Tau Restaurant (535 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose, CA 95112) - Dac Phuc Restaurant (198 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose, CA 95113) Have you ever been to Vietnam and eaten the food there? Yes! I absolutely love visiting my homeland. Every time I go, I experience so many new and different things, it’s simply amazing. And honestly, the Vietnamese food here might be great, but it pales in comparison to that of its native land. What is your favorite Vietnamese dish? My favorite dish is probably my mom’s home-cooked pho, although that takes nearly a whole day for it to be cooked, so she only makes it on special occasions. I also love bun bo hue, which is a super spicy rice vermicelli noodle soup with beef served in the style of the city of Hue. But then again, I eat everything, so I guess you could say that all foods are my favorite. Dishes such as this (banh xeo, a Vietnamese pancake filled with bean sprouts, pork, and shrimp) can be found at Thien long Vietnamese Restaurant