Pho-King Fun Times

Last weekend, we celebrated Mitch's gorgeous new apartment with a miniature, test-run dinner party. The space he's joined is gigantic and open and has the Most Perfect Kitchen, complete with a food processor, solid knives, Asian tea cups and multiple funnels! Not to mention more than ample counter space that's strategically and perfectly placed.

I would like to cook there daily. Mitch: Please implore your roommates to let me.

Josie wasn't feeling so hot, so I figured Pho would be a healthy, soothing, delicious dinner. Plus I had some luscious lamb stock that I'd brewed with star anise, cinnamon and ginger. This was my real impetus, Pho sho! Additionally, I'd been craving eggrolls for at least one month straight, so I nabbed some wrappers and a promising recipe and got busy.

These fried suckers turned out beautifully, all packed full of ground pork, shredded cabbage and carrots, ginger and shitake mushrooms. Also alarmingly easy to make. I have a bunch of wrappers, mushrooms and cabbage left, so I'll have to concoct another batch with some additional improvised ingredients. Ideas swirl...!

As for the Pho, I'll come right out and say it was one of my biggest disappointments. To be fair to myself, the flavor was pretty outstanding, all deliciously spiced right propa, with every appropriate accoutrement you could ask for. Unfortunately, I was desperately short on broth, and the dish became a dismal, dry stew-like entity. Sad faces and disgruntled groans.

Still, I will focus on the educative (and therefore positive) points of the meal:

1) While shopping at my favorite local green grocer (To the World Farm on Grand St. in W'Burg) for some essential pho accoutrements--bean sprouts, basil, lime, chile pepper--I came across a very, very signature pho accessory whose name I've never known... Eryngium foetidum!! AKA sawtooth herb, culantro, Mexican coriander or--my favorite--spiritweed! Says wikipedia on the matter: "The plant is said to calm a person's spirit and thus prevents epileptic fits." I like spirit-calming weeds.

2) A zippier, aromatic style of Chenin Blanc (like the Ken Forrester "Petit" from South Africa, available at Alphabet City Wine Co.) pairs delightfully well with Pho.

3) Thinly sliced flank steak cooks nearly instantaneously in simmering broth. Do not put your steak into the soup until the noodles have just-just about finished cooking.

4) Skinny rice noodles are inferior to medium-thickness ones when it comes to pho. Dried noodles also take longer to cook than you hope, and they soak up lots of precious broth. Be sure to have lots of extra stock on-hand.

5) Someone should make a dessert to go with this meal, and that dessert should be green tea cupcakes with ginger-buttercream frosting topped with candied ginger sprinkles. Please send me one.