Blogging for Books: The Banh Mi Handbook

The Banh Mi Handbook, by Andrea, Quynhgiao Nguyen, demystifies the popular Bietnamese sandwixh.  One of the pleasant surprises of this attractively designed and useful cookbook is how simple it is to create a banh mi.  For one week, while evaluating this cookbook, I made banh mi sandwiches for dinner every night.  Dinner came together in a half hour max, and my family’s tastebuds were never bored.

This was hardly surprising as ‘banh mi’, far from being an esoteric label, simply is Bietnamese for “bread made from wheat”.  A legacy of French colonialism, the banh mi incorporates French imports (baguettes, aioli, pate) with Vietnamese flavors (cilantro, hot peppers, bright crisp vegetables).  As a sandwich it is by definition simple to assemble, and its general nature allows for considerable improvisation.

Nguyen, an acclaimed cookbook writer who is a contributing editor at Saveur magazine, constructs her cookbook in a very practical way.  she outlines the basic components of a banh mi, then gives you the tools to delve as deeply into the process as you want.  For instance, you can bake your own banh mi rolls or simply buy inexpensive French bread at the supermarket (it’s supposed to be soft).  You can make homemade aioli or substitute storebought mayo.  You can make your own sausage or buy it at the deli.  The crisp quick pickles are so easy and good there’s no excuse not to make them at home.  A “master bahn mi” recipe provides rules for construction.

I tested three filling recipes, all with excellent results:  the Hanoi grilled chicken, the pork meatballs, and the coconut curry tofu.  All were simple and delicious.  the citrusy red cabbage pickle was so yummy we now keep a jar in the fridge for general use.  Ditto for the sriracha and cilantro/maggi mayonnaise.  I confess I used Fred Meyer French bread and storebought mayo, to no ill effect.

Maggi Seasoning, a flavor enhancer with a powerful umami hit, was a French import that became a mainstay Vietnamese seasoning.  I was not overly eager to use this–It seemed more like an additive to me–but Nguyen offered a gluten free alternative made with Braggs amino acids that proved an excellent substitute.

Normally, I think that specialized one food cookbooks like this are a waste of money, but the Banh Mi Handbook is so helpfully and clearly written and explodes with so many menu ideas that it is well worth the purchase.

THIS BOOK WAS PROVIDED FOR ME FOR REVIEW BY BLOGGING FOR BOOKS.

warren weinstein website finally up

When I opened the newspaper almost three years ago and read that my mother’s friend, Warren Weinstein, a seventy year old economic development consultant in Pakistan, had been captured by Al-Qaeda, I assumed that this would be major news and that the Obama administration would make a major effort to ensure the return of this elderly man, who had worked in this dangerous part of the world for 30 years, supporting US interests.

Instead he languished in obscure captivity.  Most of the news articles I read about him were in the Indian press.  Several Indians had been kidnapped by the same branch of Al-Qaeda, but apparently the Indian government maintained an active interest in their release.  To the Obama administration, Weinsteins capture and suffering clearly represented acceptable collateral damage from their misguided foreign policy.

About six months ago, al-Qaeda released a video showing Weinstein, in a clearly deteriorated condition, pleading for his release.  Still no response from the government or a jaded and apathetic public.  Finally, his family, perhaps galvanized by the prisoner exchange for Bowe Bergdahl, has run out of patience.  they have put up a website and urge US citizens to pressure the government to negotiate for Weinstein’s release.  Is this “negotiating” with terrorists?  Yes, probably.  To live as a world citizen, one has to negotiate, even though that is more difficult than sitting at a computer screen and dropping drones on people a half a world away.

To help, please click on the following website  which provides more information on his case and links for emailing Obama and your senators and representatives.

http://www.bringwarrenhome.com/

blogging for books: knitting reimagined, by Nicky Epstein

Browsing through knitting books, I could knit everything. When I am actually committing to a project, I subject it to a stricter filter, as considerable money and time is involved. Will I (or my intended recipient) actually wear the knitted garment? Can I master the knitting techniques required or will I end up felting a mangled disaster out of frustration? How does the yarn feel and look? Is it easy to work with?
Using these criteria, out of the 25 patterns in Knitting Reimagined I would actually knit two. Not bad, but whether it justifies buying this book is open to question. Nicky Epstein is a well regarded and innovative knitwear designer who is the author of Knitting on the Edge, among other books. I found most of her designs, while extremely creative, a bit too showy for my tastes: big colorful designs, leaves coming up out of a dress, elaborate cowl necks, and the like. Some people like to wear artwork. Personally, I’d rather regard my body as the artwork and wear simple, graceful clothes to enhance it. Knitting Reimagined “reimagines” commonly knitted items such as sweaters and shawls by doing interesting things with construction, edging, and how stitches are put together. Epstein’s instructions are fairly easy to understand, and each pattern is ranked according to difficulty and time required. A section entitled “reimagine it” suggests further innovations, such as changes in length or in yarn used. A background in sewing or even pattern drafting would be helpful, as potential difficulty arises not with the knitting per se but how the various knitted parts are put together.
The first pattern I picked was entitled “royal lace coat with hood”, a romantic, fanciful coat made fromaand seven lacy rectangles cleverly stitched together with a removable hood attached. The second was entitled “crisscross weave tank”, another romantic, feminine number knitted with cotton ribbon yarn. This pattern is actually quite simple until you get to the shoulder straps–all six of them, which cross intricately in the back. “Follow the photograph” states Epstein. Well, okay. Although frankly, I like this type of intricate knitting. It’s to me what rock climbing might be for someone else–an activity I do with full concentration, one stitch at a time. It’s kind of a meditation.

I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FOR FREE FROM BLOGGING FOR BOOKS FOR THIS REVIEW.