This afternoon we had lunch at Pho Truc, a Vietnamese restaurant Joel and the band performed at a few weeks ago.   The food is AWESOME and owner is really nice.   He was a musician in Vietnam and he sang a song with them.   Since we were chatting with him at lunch, and since I am always trolling for Asian recipes, I asked for his summer roll recipe.    As he told me I took notes.  Later this afternoon I reported to the Asian grocery store, and tried my hand at it this evening. 

Summer Rolls

Ingredients:
-rice papers (banh trang in Vietnamese)-Three Ladies' brand
-rice vermicelli noodles-any Vietnamese brand
-chives
-mint
-shredded lettuce, romaine, green leaf, etc.
-cooked shrimp, halved
-plum sauce, as dipping sauce




There are different types of rice paper, some soften by dipping in a bowl of warm water and others require boiling water-different kinds suit different types of rolls.   Three Ladies is the kind that you soften in warm water and are much easier to roll.  Other kinds might be very sticky or very thin and difficult for a beginner to roll. This reminds me of when Viyada taught me pad thai-there are different types of rice noodles and you have to which is the right kind.  I actually couldn't find Three Ladies at the Asian store but the owner suggested a brand she uses.   She was also helpful because I choose the wrong kind of chives.  Don't get the kind of chives that have flowers on the end, get the plain flat chives.   Anyhow, to prepare, half your shrimp, rinse and dry several big handfuls of mint, chives, lettuce, and get a big bowl of warm water.  Set everything within easy reach of your working surface.




Dip a rice paper in the bowl of water, then lay on a flat working surface.  Put a row of halved shrimps in the middle, face down (in the photo above I had them face up, not realizing until I finished a few rolls that they look prettier face down-whoops!).  Put a few chives on, then top with a few springs of mint.




Put a handful of lettuce on top, and just a few strands of noodles, hold it tightly together, fold the ends over and roll it shut.   The rice paper is sticky so it isn't as hard as it seems.  Viyada also taught me her brand of spring rolls-I still remember her rolling technique.   Restaurant dipping sauce is a trade secret.  It is also pretty complicated to prepare.  I was advised at the store  to use a plum sauce.  The sauce can be garnished with crushed peanuts and shredded carrots and cucumbers.

Summer rolls are delicious and also very healthy.   You can use different filler ingredients, some versions have pork instead of shrimp, others have cucumbers and avocado instead of shrimp, etc.    I love Vietnamese food. 

Last night I went to a krav maga class held near my office.   Krav maga is an Israeli military self-defense system.  It reminds me of both boxing and taekwondo.  Practitioners know how to react quickly to repel and get an edge over an agressor.    We practiced basic boxing moves (distribute weight on both feet, back foot up at all times, fists at face, twist hips and shoulders for maximum impact, fists back to face) and also defense moves.    No one will be surprised to hear this did not come naturally to me.   I was surprised to hear that my form is good, but my fists hurt like hell, in just twenty minutes I ground the skin right off my right knuckle, and I'm also just not physically aggressive.  One move we practiced over and over again was a side hammer punch.   This move is helpful if you are ever jumped from behind.  Basically, you throw a solid punch from the side, immediately chop with your other hand, all the while rotating yourself to their side to get just behind their shoulder so that you are both out their punching radius and positioned to pummel their head and neck.   So much theory, such quick maneuvers.  Considering that I regularly use the Atlanta subway system I should really develop a few defense skills.  

Last night we saw Christian McBride at the Rialto Center.   Joel follows bass players, and Christian McBride might be the best one alive right now.   "Used Ta Could," is my favorite new song, even though in the pre-song banter he took a few cracks at Midwesterners.  He made a joke about the difficultly of trying to explain the intentional use of improper language to a Sioux City audience.   It was damn funny but I felt the sting of recognition. 



Before the concert we went out on a dinner date, where we had an encounter with a Japanese-style octopus carpaccio, which was so pretty I had to take a picture.  The raw octopus was layered on a plate, dressed with ponzu, and garnished with fennel.

I've been getting TV shows through Netflix more than movies lately.   I was excited to finally start watching The Wire  last week, and absolutely love The Boondocks.

I can't believe it is in the 30's in Florida today.   I talked to friends from Miami and Tampa this morning.   They reported seeing ice on the ground.   They have no idea what to do with themselves.   Atlanta hasn't been much better, it was warmer in Alaska than Georgia one day last week.  It snowed last week, the roads iced over and caused a 27-car pile up on the perimeter.  I grew up used to cold weather but forgot how to deal with it a long time ago.

We took a tour of the White House a few days ago.   We are huge fans of Valerie Jarrett.  

Last night we saw a friend play the part of Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn in The Music Man.  It was a fun show, I really liked the opening sequence, which was a barbershop quartet of sales men on a train singing a ridiculous medley about credit.   Joel knew several of the songs, as a few have been parodied on The Simpsons and The Family Guy.  

Our production assistant brings different kinds of Mexican fruit seasonings to the office, which is the main reason I show up for work lately.  My favorite is Tajin, a blend of dried lime, chili powder, and salt.   It is good on every kind of fruit.   We have large holiday fruit baskets in the office this week, and I have been eating spicy bananas, pears, and clementines for breakfast and snacks.   Happiness.

We spent the weekend in Augusta with Trena and Brent, where I learned another authentic Southern recipe.   We had the fish and grits for brunch on Saturday, along with biscuits and herb scrambled eggs.   The fish is really crispy and a little spicy, perfect when paired with rosemary cheddar grits.

Trena's ® Fish and Grits

Ingredients:
for the fish
-whiting fillets, approx 2 per person
-corn meal (plain, not self-rising)
-garlic salt
-oregano
-black pepper
-oil for frying
for the grits
-grits, the old-fashioned slow cooking kind, NOT instant
-shredded cheddar cheese
-rosemary

Prepare the grits per the box instructions, and when done stir in a liberal amount of shredded cheddar and rosemary.  No exact measurements are available, as it depends on how many people you are cooking for.    Cover.

Fill a large pan or pot with oil, heat the stove to medium high frying temperature.

Fill a baggie with cornmeal for dredging.  Also sprinkle garlic salt, oregano, and black pepper into the baggie and shake everything together.   Season the whiting with garlic salt and black pepper, dredge in the cornmeal, commence frying.   Fry until done.  It will continue to sizzle after you set the fillets on a serving platter lined with paper towels.

Serve together with the grits.   I like to stack the fish on the grits because that is how they serve another Southern favorite of mine, shrimp and grits, in restaurants.   We spent the rest of the afternoon walking it off at the Augusta Riverwalk: