9/28/11 Craving Phở

For much of the day 2 things seem to be coming to mind. 

1. I am so fucking out of it.

2. I really want some Phở.

And in case you don't know what Phở is... 

Yes that delicious beefy noodle soup that the Vietnamese gave to the world... That decadent concoction of broth and rice noodles and veges and what not. I want it :( But ya see I live in a world that is rather... limited. Not only on the ingredient front but also in many other forms/fashions. And though I would love a delicious helping of Phở to make my day go round... There is only 1 restaurant in the area that offers it :(

Which of course leads to the simple question of, Fen why don't you be a man and cook it yourself? And the simple answer... I would... But oh right I don't have a home even at the moment and I'm broke... and the ingredients would be a several day long endeavor to find in Tallahassee...

In the end Phở preparation can be broken down into...:

1. Meat/Bone
2. Spice
3. Veges
4. Rice Noodles
5. Time

1. Let's start with the base for the broth... Stewing bones and brisket and what not? Easy Winn-Dixie probably has it. Ok well that's not too hard. Tail bones? Wal-Mart MIGHT keyword MIGHT have it. Which is to say I don't put much stock in them actually having it when I suddenly decide to want to make a batch. The key being that I need a piece of bone with marrow. The flavor of the broth is accentuated by the presence of marrow juices being boiled into the actual broth... Good quality brisket shouldn't be too hard either. Hell I'll use raw corned beef if I'm in the need. 

2. Spice.... Black Cardomum, white and black pepper, ginger, rock salt, soy sauce, a splash of a million and one other things... UGH :( I don't even have pepper at the moment. I think the Asian market might have most of the stuff I'm looking for. And what they don't have I'm pretty sure I can substitute other things into for practical purposes. Lime slices and MSG with some sugar and possibly a liberal splashing of Shriacha for good measure...

3. Veges. Relatively easy one. Just need basil, mint, bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions and possibly some other random freshies. The point of the veges is to counter balance the presence of flavors and present a unique splash of crisp to counter the soft and chewy textures of the noodles with the brisket/other meats. Of course I can't get the legit stuff (like from Vietnam legit), so I'll just have to make due with the imitations or the American variants. Meh and green bean sprouts are a bitch to find unless you live in an area with a high Asian population.

4. Noodles will likely be the easiest on this quest. I can get them at most places with an "ethnic" aisle but I want to make the legit stuff so I'll probably end up going back to the Asian market and buying a batch there.

5. And of course the most important part of this grand tour of adventurous proportions is the time I must allocate into producing what I want. Phở traditionally takes 6+ hours of slow cooking in order to infuse the broth with the essence of the soup. I don't have a pot to my name even... So. No Phở for me :(

Anyway back to other things. I think I'll end up just shelving out the $9 for a bowl of the stuff from the out of the way place... Though one of these days I'll get around to having my place and inviting some people over for a Phở party of sorts :)

Sound good luvs? Come and join me then.