越南牛肉粉

•米棒(banh pho)是半透明的扁面条形状的干面，在亚洲市场有售。对于河粉，买小的，1/16英寸宽的品种。准备时，先把它们泡在冷水中30分钟，然后沥干水分。然后把一大锅水烧开。当你准备好上菜时(不是之前)，把面条，一次一份，放在一个筛子里，然后把它放入沸水中。用筷子或长勺搅拌，使面条散开，均匀地煮。焯水大约10到20秒，直到它们变软但仍有嚼劲。沥干水分，然后放入预热好的碗中。用同样的方法煮剩下的面条。如果你为几个人做饭，你也可以把面条直接放入沸水中，一次煮熟。 Just make sure to serve them immediately. • The Vietnamese believe that "a meat dish should taste like a meat dish," says Pham. Cooking the meat with vegetables would distort its flavor, so all veggies (except for aromatics like ginger and onion) are added after cooking. Since Vietnamese food is so simply prepared, using the freshest, highest-quality ingredients is essential. Pham recommends seeking out organic, antibiotic-free meat and purchasing it on the same day you plan to use it to ensure freshness. • Fish sauce (nuoc mam), a pungent, salty liquid made from fermented anchovies, adds depth and flavor to numerous Vietnamese dishes. For best results, choose bottles priced at $3 to $4 rather than $1, and pass on jars that are dark, which indicates oxidation or the presence of additives. "Look for fish sauce in glass jars. Avoid plastic," says Pham. "The fish sauce should have a nice, even color, like iced tea." She suggests Three Crabs, Lobster Boy, and Phu Quoc brands. When cooking with fish sauce, always add it to other liquids: Never place it directly in a hot, dry pan, which would broadcast its pungent, fishy odor throughout your kitchen in a less-than-pleasant way. Soy sauce is an acceptable vegetarian substitute, though it does lack fish sauce's smoky complexity. • When prepping ingredients for Vietnamese cooking, Pham recommends cutting everything into small, even sizes, which cook more quickly and evenly. A mandoline makes quick work of the paper-thin slices of onions that top this soup. • Asian basil, also called Thai or holy basil, has a delicate anise flavor. Regular (sweet) basil does not make a good substitute, as it's too strong. "Use mint instead," says Pham. Saw-leaf herb has a floral, cilantro-like flavor and three- to four-inch long, dark-green leaves with serrated edges. Cilantro or Asian basil make good substitutes. Both herbs can be found in the produce section of Asian grocery stores or in farmers' markets. • The Thai bird chile, a short, narrow, pointed, green or red variety, is not exclusively Thai — it's also the Vietnamese hot pepper of choice. "In Vietnam, we just call them peppers," says Pham. Thai bird chiles can be found at Asian grocery stores and better supermarkets, or ordered from Asian foods supplier Uwajimaya at (800) 889-1928. If you can't find them, Pham suggests substituting fresh red serrano chiles, which are hotter and sweeter than their green counterparts.