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11 articles Articles posted in noodle soup

Ga Xe Phay, Mien Ga, Chao Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Salad, Chicken Glass Noodle Soup, Chicken Congee)

by julie on August 19, 2014, 4 comments

Whenever I go to Vietnam, I’m always surprised by how much better theÂ ga xe phayÂ (chicken salad) tastes there than in the US or when I make it at home. Last year, a dear family friend took us to a street stall near her home, where the vendor not only makes a really great ga xe phay, but also uses the chicken stock to makeÂ chicken congee and chicken noodle soup, so you get a full meal all centered around the chicken. It was so simple but so good!

In tryingÂ to pin down whatÂ made that meal so good, I’ve decided it comesÂ down to these: (1) the cabbage is very finely shredded, so that the salad is light, not too chunky; (2) there is a generous use of Vietnamese coriander (rau ram), which lendsÂ that distinctive taste to Vietnamese chicken salad; and (3) last and perhaps most important: in Vietnam they will often include the whole chicken in the salad — bones, skin, and all.

That last tidbit is what I hadn’t really noticed before. In the US, I’m so used to chunks of skinless, bonelessÂ chicken in everything, and that’s typically how even my family makesÂ ga xe phayÂ at home. Not everyone likes to eat meat on the bone (my husband, for one — it’s too much work and too little payoff from his point of view), but my thought is that if youÂ take great enjoyment inÂ the sheer act of eating, then meat on the bone makes perfect sense. I think of gnawing onÂ bones as savoring every last morselÂ for as long as possible, with the added benefit that you’re not exactly taking in extra calories in doing so. :) Nowadays it seems people can understand the idea that the bones are where the flavor’s at. The only other American equivalent I can think of is eating a drumstick, which seems to unequivocally convey the joy of eating across cultures — it’s hard to imagine a drumstick tasting quite so good without the bone, right? (As for the deboned chicken wing, I don’t think I’ll ever figure that one out.)

I’ve written aboutÂ ga xe phayÂ here before, but I just couldn’t resist doing a second post on it with this new (to me)Â detail. Because if you’re tuckingÂ into a chicken salad that includesÂ all your favorite parts of the chicken… well, that makes it an entirely different type of salad. In that first post, I mentioned our family likes to make this dish for potlucks and parties, and we serve it on top of large shrimp chips. By comparison, this version here is more homey inÂ style, because it would be a little tougherÂ to serve, say, a chicken wing on a shrimp chip… but if you really wanted to, don’t let me stop you. :)

Accompanying the salad is noodle soup or congee, but instead of being the star of the meal, they are more like the starch component to round out the meal, though they are also perfectly delicious on their own.Â The meal is totally flexible, and at the street stall, they had a few typesÂ of noodles you could have in your soup. One of them was banh pho noodles, and you can indeed evenÂ turn the resulting chicken stock here into chicken phoÂ simply by adding a few extra ingredients to the broth.Â I’ve also seen Vietnamese restaurants offerÂ a duck version of theÂ shredded cabbage salad to accompany bun mung vit (duck and bamboo noodle soup), so substituting duck is also a fine possibility here.

If meat on the bone is not your thing, you canÂ simply throw those bones back into the stockÂ after you shred the poached chicken, so that the bones can lend more flavor to the broth (or you could keep the drumsticks and wings intact but throw the rest of the carcass back into the pot). If you do choose to keep all the meat on the bone, then you’ll probably want to add an extra pound of chicken bones into the stock to get more flavor into the liquidÂ (or, alternatively, poach the chicken in chicken stock to begin with), as I’veÂ notedÂ in the recipe.

In the end, it’s really hard to say which is the best part of this meal… the salad, all my favorite bits of chicken, or the chicken-broth-infused noodles and congee. That’s why I just had to make them all here. :)

Ga Xe Phay (Vietnamese Chicken Salad)
Serves 4 as a side dish

Because the chicken forms the basis of the mealÂ here, you definitely want to get the best chicken you can find. Organic, free-range is best. In Vietnam and much of Asia, the chickens tend to be “free-roaming” and are scrawnier, with denser meat, and more chicken flavor. The second important thing is that it’s really best to use Vietnamese coriander here, which is traditional to this dish. But if you can’t find it (as I could not in Beijing) or don’t like the flavor of it, then mint will suffice.

a 2- to 3-lb organic, free-range chicken, including organs if you like
coarse salt for scrubbing (optional)
1 tsp table salt (optional)
2 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1-inch piece ginger, sliced
1 lb chicken bones (back, neck, wings, etc.)Â (alternatively, you can use the bones of the poached chicken after it’s shredded if you don’t intend to keep the meat on the bone; or if you don’t add any extra bones at all, you could use chicken stock instead of the water listed next)
2 quarts water, or just enough for the chicken to be submerged
1/2 head of cabbage
1 medium-size red onion
1/2 cup packed Vietnamese coriander (mint is an acceptable substitute), leaves plucked off
1/2 cup packed cilantro,Â torn into small pieces
fish sauce dressingÂ (see below)
1/4 cupÂ fried shallots (homemadeÂ recommended, but store-boughtÂ will suffice in a pinch)
2 Tbsp crushed roasted peanuts

Fish Sauce Dressing (nuoc mam cham)
1 clove garlic
1 Thai bird chili
4 Tbsp raw cane sugar
4 Tbsp lime juice or vinegar
4 Tbsp fish sauce
1 cup water

1.Â Clean the chicken and discard any excess fat. If you wish, you can give the chickenÂ an exfoliating salt scrub to get the skin nice and smooth. :) This step is totally optional, but I love the skin so I make the effort. If you do it, make sure to rinse the salt off afterward. Pat the chicken dry. Next, marinateÂ the entire chicken with 1 teaspoon of salt, both inside the cavity, under the skin, and over the skin. This step is also optional, as the chicken will be eaten with a dressing or sauce in the end anyway, so not a lot of salt is needed here, but I like to have the flavor permeate the meat a little better, so I do like to marinate it for at least an hour and up to overnight.Â Put the pieces of scallion and ginger in the cavity. If you do let the chicken marinate overnight, take it out of the fridge about an hour before you start cooking to let it come closer to room temperature again.

2. In a stockpot pot large enough to hold the chicken, heat about 2 quarts of water, or just enough water to cover the chicken (but don’t put the chicken in yet). (If you’re not planning to add any extra bones later on, then you’ll want to start out with chicken broth as the poaching liquid here.) When the water boils, slide the chicken gently in. You can have some extra hot water at the ready in case you need to add more to fully submerge the chicken. If you end up with too much water, scoop some out so that the broth doesn’t end up too thin and diluted. You can also add the organs now, if you want to eat those as well. Let the water come back up to boiling, and then cover the pot with a lid. Turn off the stove, and let the chicken poach in the residual heat of the covered pot.

3. After 45-50 minutes, the chicken should be just done.Â It can take a few trialsÂ to get the hang of the timing, and it depends on the size of the chicken. I like my chicken just barely done, with the barestÂ hint of pinkness still left, so for a small bird of around 2 pounds, I wouldÂ tend to take it out aroundÂ 40 minutes. And since we’re shredding the chicken in this recipe, there isn’t any pressure to keep the chicken intact or looking nice, so it’s easy just to throw any underdone pieces back into the pot for a little longer. But if you definitely want your chicken to be fully done with no pinkness, then go by the longer time period.

4. A few minutes before taking the chicken out, prepare an ice bath large enough for the chicken to be submerged. Gently lift the chicken out of the stock, drain any juices back into the pot, and plunge the entire chicken into the ice bath. You can turn the chicken a couple times to make sure each part gets covered by the ice water. This step helps to stop the cooking and, most importantly, it firms up the chicken, giving the meatÂ a nice, tight springiness andÂ making the skin crisp.

5. Once the chicken has cooled enough to touch,Â tear itÂ into pieces with your hands. If there are any bones you don’t plan to eat, take the meat off those parts and toss the bones back into the broth to simmer longer. If you intend to keep all of the bones, then you’ll want to add about a pound of chicken bones into the broth, and let the broth simmer for about another hour. Set the shredded chicken aside as you prepare the salad.

6. To prepare the salad, cut the cabbage into the finestÂ shreds that you can manage. It should feel as light and satisfying as running your fingers through shredded paper packaging. Slice the onion as paper-thin as possible, then soak itÂ for a few minutes in cold water to take some sting out of the raw onion. Drain well. You can give the onion a gentle squeeze to get the excess waterÂ out, so that it doesn’t dilute your dressing later on. Set cabbage and onion aside.

7.Â To make the dressing, pound garlic, chili, and sugarÂ into a paste with a mortar and pestle (the sugar helps create friction as you pound). You can also justÂ mince the garlic and chili with a knife, but I recommend pounding to release all the juices and flavor. Add lime juice or vinegar, and scrape the sides of the mortar to release the paste. Pour all thisÂ into a bowl or jar, add the fish sauce and water, and mix. Set aside until ready to serve.

8. OnceÂ all the components of the meal have been prepared (including the noodle soup or congee), and just before you’re ready to serve, gently toss together the cabbage, onion, whole coriander leaves, torn cilantro, half of the shredded chicken (reserving the other half of the chicken for the noodle soup or congee), and about 1/3 to 1/2 cup of the fish sauce dressing. Add the dressing incrementally toÂ taste, and adjust as you go along — feel free to be generous here; it’s ok if the dressing ends up poolingÂ at the bottom of the plate.Â Arrange the salad on a large plate, then top itÂ with fried shallots and crushed roasted peanuts. Serve immediately, while the shallots are still crispy.

With the approximately 8 cups of chicken broth obtained from poaching the chicken, you can either make chicken congee or chicken glass noodle soup. The recipes below involve using the entire 8 cups of broth — so you could choose to make either recipe asÂ written, or split these recipes in half and make both congee and noodle soup with 4 cups of broth each (as I did in the photos). If you happen to have extraÂ chicken broth on hand, you could make both in their entirety. If you’re looking for ease, congee is essentially made by letting rice boil in broth for about an hour, resulting in a warm, homey bowl of savory rice porridge, with the essence of chicken in every bite. If you want something a bit heartier, then the few extra steps involved in the noodle soup are worth it.Â

Chao Ga (Chicken Congee)
Serves 4

2/3 cup jasmine rice (using standard measuring cup, not the plastic cup that comes with the rice cooker)
8 cups chicken broth, strained
1/2 tsp table salt
1/2 poached chicken,Â torn

For garnish:
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro (about 6 stalks), chopped
fried shallots andÂ shallot oil
lime wedges
Thai bird chilies

1. Rinse the rice in water and drain. Repeat 2 more times or until any specks of dirt have been removedÂ and the water runs relatively clear.

2. In a large saucepan or small pot, add the rice, the 8 cups of broth (strained of any stray pieces of chicken or leftover ginger and scallions), and the salt. Let the liquid come to a boil and turn the heat down to low. Keep the liquid at a gentle simmer for about an hour, stirring frequently as the rice gradually absorbs the liquid and the resulting congeeÂ grows thicker. How thick or thin you like the congee is a matter of preference. You can add more liquid to thin this out or cook it longer to make it more concentrated. Adjust seasoning at the end, adding more salt (or fish sauce) as needed.

3. Serve the congee in bowls, adding inÂ pieces of the other half of the shredded chicken reserved earlier. Garnish as desired with scallions, cilantro, fried shallots, and shallot oil, and serve withÂ lime and chilies on the side.

Mien Ga (Chicken Glass Noodle Soup)
Serves 4

If you want to make this even simpler, you can omit the charred onion, ginger, coriander, and lemongrass. You’ll still end up with a flavorful chicken noodle soup that is just as good in its simplicity. Other types of noodles will work with this dish, but you’ll want to boil the noodles in a separate pot of water to avoid the starch clouding up the broth. Only with bean thread (or glass) noodles will it work in your favor to cook directly in the broth, so that the noodles can absorb the flavor.

8 cups chicken broth
1/4 tsp table salt
1 TbspÂ fish sauce
half onion, charred
1-inch ginger, charred
1 tsp coriander seed
1 lemongrass, bruised
6 oz. dried bean thread noodles
1/2 poached chicken,Â torn

For garnish:
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro (about 6 stalks), chopped
thinly sliced white onion
fried shallots and shallot oil
lime wedges
Thai bird chilies
Vietnamese coriander

1. Boil the broth with the salt, fish sauce, charred onion and ginger, lemongrass, and corianderÂ (keep the coriander seeds tied in cheesecloth or inside a metal ball for simmering spices for easy removal later; otherwise you’ll have to strain the broth). Simmer together gently for 30-60 minutes. Remove the aromatics and the coriander seeds. Taste the broth and make any adjustments to seasoning accordingly.

2.Â Soak the bean thread noodles in hot (near boiling) water for 5 minutes. Drain and cook the noodles directly in the broth for 2-3Â minutes or until al dente. If desired, you can cook in batches with a mesh strainer. Drain the noodles, allowing the broth to fall back into the pot, and divide theÂ noodles intoÂ individual deep soup bowls. Let the noodles sit dry in the bowls until ready to serve. (If you don’t plan on serving right away, then you may need to briefly reheat the noodles in the boiling broth, using a mesh strainer, just before serving to loosen them up.)

3. When ready to serve, heat the broth back up to boiling. Divide the reserved half of the shredded chicken among the bowls of noodles. Garnish the bowls with scallions, cilantro, sliced onion, and fried shallots. Pour hot broth into each bowl of noodles. Drizzle shallot oil over the broth. Serve with wedges of lime and chili pepper on the side.

Ginger Fish Sauce Dipping Sauce
(Not pictured.) Optional dipping sauce for the chicken, to serve alongsideÂ the congee and noodle soup.

2 Tbsp grated ginger
1/3 cup fish sauce dressing (from ga xe phay recipe above)

Divide grated ginger onto small dipping plates. Pour fish sauce dressing over the ginger.Â Serve on the side with the congee and noodle soup for dipping the chicken.

Variations on Quick Noodle Soups

by julie on January 16, 2014, 0 comments

Quick noodle soups have become a default meal of mine.Â When I started working from home a number of years ago, I found myself with a bit more time and flexibility, and so I started falling into the luxurious habit of making myself a hot lunch in the middle of the day (or mid-morning, or late afternoon, or whenever, really). And thanks to my Southeast Asian blood, what I seemed to crave most of the time was a steaming hot bowl of noodle soup (which I can eat yearround, even in the dead of summer). Obviously, the traditional noodle soups are too involved to whip up for lunch, and while instant noodles are fast, they are anything but healthy. But what I realized was that if I was willing to open up a bag of noodles and put a pot of water on the stove, it wouldn’t take much more effort to make a simple noodle soup from scratch. Actually, it wouldn’t take much longer than waiting for water to boil.

Here is the basic formula I follow :Â broth (+ infusions) + noodles + meat / veggies (+ garnishes).

Most of the time my quick noodle soups come together from leftovers, and often it starts with leftover chicken stock fromÂ poaching chicken, which I keep frozen in small portions. But you can use whatever you have on hand.Â If you keep just a few common kitchen staples, like a can of broth, some dried noodles (even if it happens to be ramen — just throw out the seasoning packets), an egg, and maybe some fresh or frozen vegetables, you have the makings of a noodle soup. If you cook more regularly, you may also have some onion or garlic on hand, some dried spices, and maybe even some broth-infusing elements like bonito flakes, dried shiitake mushrooms, or dried scallops, in which case you’re well on your way to a gourmet meal. Depending on how much time, energy, or ingredients you have, you can keep it really simple or take a few extra steps when you’re able to. This meal works just as well for a weeknight dinner, when you want something filling and balanced without too much effort.

To give you an idea of some noodle soup combinations that can be generated from this basic formula, Becca kindly put together a chart and some recipe flashcards for me, which you can see above.Â If you scroll to the end of this post, you’ll find a link to download this to print and cut up if you wish. But here is the center chart in more readable size:

And here are some additional tips and ideas…

– Vary the herbs, spices, or seasonings to create noodle soups inspired by some of your favorite cuisines. For example, start with kimchi and gochujang, and you have the beginnings of a Korean budaejjigae. Infuse some coconut milk with galangal, lemongrass, and kaffir lime leaf, and you’re on your way to a Thai tom kha gai. Neither of those are traditionally served as noodle soups, but they can be adapted to work that way.

– Here is the key to making noodle soups quick: find a noodle that will not require a separate pot. I am a huge fan ofÂ bean thread noodles (also called glass noodles or cellophane noodles), because theyÂ not only cook quickly but, more importantly, can be cooked directly in the same pot as the soup since they are not as starchy and will not cloud up the broth.Â You might even call bean thread noodles my secret to making noodle soup with no effort. Put them in the broth at the beginning, and by the time the liquid comes up to a boil, the noodles will almost be done. They will even absorb the broth and take on flavor, and for that reason it’s a good idea to salt the broth at the start.

– Instant noodles (aka, ramen) can also be used, since they’re meant to be cooked directly in the “soup,” though I actually doÂ parboil my instant ramen separatelyÂ to get rid of some of the wax and grease. Just toss out the seasoning packets since you’ll be creating your own soup. Instant ramen has such a bad reputation in the US, where it’s mostly considered cheap college student food. But in Asia, instant ramen comes in many, many varieties, and some of them are quite good! Some instant noodles actually use rice noodles, which cook up quickly and are not flash-fried like the instant wheat ramen noodles are.

– Most other noodles, particularly Asian noodles, require a separate pot of water. They should be cooked until just done and then rinsed in a sieve under cold water. I realize this is not what’s recommended for pasta, which requires some starch to help the sauce cling better. But when you’re serving noodles in broth, it is better to rinse off the excess starch in cold water so that (1) it stops the cooking process and gives your noodles a nice firm bite; (2) the excess starch does not cloud up your broth, muddying the flavor and texture; and (3) the noodles will not stick together and therefore will offer a much cleaner, less-goopy, more-satisfying texture when you put them in hot broth (otherwise you kind of just get a mouthful of starchy liquid rather than being able to taste noodles and broth distinctly).

– Pasta can work here too, even though the idea of noodle soup seems to point more toward Asian cuisines. Egg noodles are an obvious choice (as in chicken noodle soup), but there’s also vermicelli or tagliatelle, as well as orzo (which is similar to rice). My dad frequently uses star pasta mixed with ground beef to create a type of Vietnamese “congee” that is served as the last course in the Vietnamese 7 courses of beef. Hong Kong diner macaroni soup also comes to mind — try it with strips of ham or, as my dad often does, with ground pork. (See note on ground meat below.)

– When it comes to protein, eggs are very convenient for noodle soups. You can try cooking them in various ways, like poaching straight in the broth, soft- or hard-boiling them separately (if you’re already using a separate pot to cook noodles, cook the egg in it too), or whisking and then streaming them into the broth like in egg-drop soup.

– Don’t underestimate tofu. There’s a wide range in types of tofu, from soft silken tofu that breaks up in the broth, to denser types that holds its shape, to convenient frozenÂ tofu puffsÂ that are often included in noodle soups like laksa or bun rieu. You can also just freeze regular tofu (especially if you find yourself unable to finish it in a few days), which causes it to take on a spongey texture that is perfect for absorbing broth!

– Ground meat is another option and something my dad frequently uses in soups. His method is to pour a bit of the hot broth into a bowl with the raw ground meat, stir up the meat to separate it, and then pour all of this back into the simmering broth. This keeps the ground meat loose in the soup and is a really easy alternative to meatballs, though of course you could also just drop clumps of seasoned ground meat into the stock.

– Lastly, you can always pick up some ready-made protein on your way home, like rotisserie chicken or Cantonese roast duck or cha siu. A bowl of yellow egg noodles in chicken broth, topped with roast duck and some gai lan (Chinese broccoli) is a meal worthy of a Hong-Kong diner. Sprinkle some dried flounder powder into the broth, and you might even convince yourself you’re at Mak’s Noodle. :)

– There are so many rich, deeply flavored, even funky fermented ingredients you can use to salt your broth. Be adventurous. Try melting some fermented bean curd into the stock to create a creamy soup (my dad makes an excellent lamb hot pot with fermented bean curd as a base). Add some shrimp paste to a tomato- and pork-based broth, and you have the semblance ofÂ bun rieuÂ orÂ khanom jeen nam ngiaw.

– For me, this is what elevates the humblest bowl of soup and noodles. Some days, I could have nothing more than a can of chicken broth and some bean thread noodles. But then I top that off with thinly sliced scallions, a few sprigs of cilantro, fried shallots (which you can alsoÂ buy dried with a long shelf-life, by the way), some sesame oil, and a dab of Chiu Chow Chili Oil — and it feels like a pretty special meal. Whatever it is that makes a dish for you — whether it’s the perfect chili sauce or a dash of your favorite seasoning — keep it on hand to turn simple meals into something satisfying.

Do you have a favorite noodle soup combination? Please share it in the comments!Â I’d love to gather more ideas for quick meal options. :)

Click on the picture below for the printable PDF.

Dad’s Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup)

by becca on April 25, 2013, 40 comments

Iâ€™m not sure when exactly it became cool to eat pho — that iconic Vietnamese dish of thin rice noodles in beef broth perfumed with spices.Â Nowadays, youâ€™d be hard-pressed to walk down the street without running into a pho restaurant with either aÂ double digitÂ or aÂ bad punÂ in its name. The pho craze has gotten so big that it’s resulted inÂ pho food trucks,Â pho sandwiches,Â instantÂ phoÂ noodles, and specialty pho places that serve it with things like oxtail, filet mignon, ox penis, or — what might even be strangest of all — broccoliÂ and quinoa. :) You can find it at Vegas buffets, at summer camps, school cafeterias, even inÂ rap songs!

Growing up in suburban Phoenix, Arizona, pho was as much a part of my childhood as Kraft macaroni and cheese. But sadly it was often the latter that I requested when friends from school had dinner with us. As an awkward teenager just trying to fit in, I specifically asked my mom one time to make Kraft macaroni and cheese when a friend came over, just to make sure nothing strange would be on the menu that night, like tripe or pigs’ feet. After that time, my mom would automatically get the blue box out whenever a friend stayed for dinner.

When it was just us, though, it wasnâ€™t uncommon for my dad to cook up a pot of pho for a weeknight family dinner, a dinner party with friends, or even for our entire Asian church congregation. In our home, cooking pho was both an elaborate ritual and yet second-nature to us all. It was a two-day affair, and we each knew our roles by heart. In the evening, Dad charred the ginger and onions over an open flame on the stove, filling our home with the sweet, smoky aroma. As the soup cooked overnight, Mom got up from bed every few hours to tend lovingly to the broth, making sure it always stayed at a gentle simmer. The next day, my sister and I washed and picked through all the herbs to make sure every leaf was green and every bean sprout white. And it was my special job to roll the lime under the heel of my foot to make sure it was extra juicy before we washed and cut it into wedges. Then the final, most important job was always Dad’s — tasting and seasoning the broth. He somehow always managed to achieve a balance of flavors that’s been beyond our imitation. It must come from decades of pho-making experience.

When I went to college, I finally met other people who enjoyed trying new foods and happened to loveÂ phoÂ just as much as I did. Not only was it okay to like pho, it was maybe even cool. And having a dad who knew how to make it — now that was something to to be proud of. And so for my 20th birthday, I invited all my friends over and asked my dad to make his famous pho for my birthday celebration.

I’ve been lucky enough to have lived close to my parents or, later, in cities where good pho could still be sought out.Â But that all changed a year and a half ago, when I moved to a tinyÂ islandÂ in the middle of the Caribbean. While there’s no shortage of things likeÂ sugar caneÂ or other tropical fruits here (some of whichÂ also grow in Vietnam), I had to resort to bringing my own rice noodles. And I definitely had to start making my own pho.

My sister, on the other hand, has not come by pho so easily in the places she’s lived. Whether it was in the desertlands of Tucson, Arizona, or sub-Siberian Beijing where she lives now, she hadÂ long ago prepared for pho emergencies by taking down Dad’s notes. And so it is her recipe and notes that are shared below. And it was this recipe that I followed when I finally simmered my first pot of pho broth earlier this year.

What I’ve found is that my love affair withÂ phoÂ is only deepening as I learn to appreciate the complexity and subtleties of fine pho-making. Itâ€™s not until you sit down and learn how to make pho from scratch that you finally understand the whole story of pho.Â How the smoky sweetness comes from charred onion, the rich mouthfeel of the broth from bones full of marrow and collagen, the clear golden broth color from hours at a bare simmer, and the soft-yet-chewy noodles from flash-boiled, fresh rice noodles.

And when you combine all that with the childhood memories of a mother whoâ€™d remember to leave out the scallions and cilantro for a picky eater like me, orÂ a father whose artistic temperament translated into perfectly balanced broth every time, or a family of four who often couldnâ€™t wait for the broth to finish simmering the next day that weâ€™d just drink a bowl of the soup with some meatballs as a midnight snack — well, itâ€™s not hard to understand why I often tell people that if I could have one last meal before I die, I would choose to eat Dadâ€™s pho.

Click through for notes and recipe.

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Art Print Giveaway: What’s in Your Pho?

by julie on April 12, 2013, 25 comments

If you haven’t visited our site in a while, you’ll find that things look a little different around here! We’ve updated our banner, added some new travel pages for Beijing and Grenada, and included a recipe indexÂ too. You can subscribe to the blog by email or RSS feed, or connect to us through our new Facebook page. When you “like” the Facebook page, you can also sign up to get notifications so you don’t miss any new posts — including a family pho recipe we’ll be sharing later this week!

AsÂ you might know, Becca is a designer by trade and owner of Lavender’s Blue Designs. Not only is she the one who created our new blog design, she’s also the talent behind the cute foodie Valentines back in February and, of course, Elijah’s first birthday party. And now, to go along with our site’s new look, she’s created a set of art prints featuring a beloved food of ours — pho!

To celebrate the site’s new look, we will be selecting TWO winners to each receive an 8″x10″ art print of his/her choice!Â You can enter the giveaway any time between now and next Tuesday. The giveaway will close in one week, at 11:59 p.m. EST, on Tuesday, April 30, 2013.

The prize is open to anyone worldwide.Â All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below telling us what’s in your pho.

See additional details below:

In addition to the giveaway, these prints are also availableÂ for purchase in the Lavender’s Blue Etsy shop. From now until May 15th, Becca is offering free shipping within the United States.*

Each print is available in two sizes in the shop:
8″x10 – $22
11″x14″ – $32

These are high-quality giclee art prints, printed on super-smooth, coated 100% post-consumer recycled paper featuring a few natural surface imperfections. Process chlorine free (PCF). 170 gsm/ 62 lb.

*Please note that the giveaway is open to readers worldwide. For the time being, however, art prints purchased through the Etsy shop can only be shipped to a U.S. address. As you might know, both my sister and I currently live abroad, so being able to offer international shipping is important to us. Right now, Lavender’s Blue works with a wonderful printer to fulfill US orders, and we are currently looking for a similarly reliable printer who can ship worldwide.Â We hope to have this option available soon for all our international readers. For the giveaway only, we will personally ship the art prints to two winners anywhere in the world.