{Vietnamese Spring Rolls}

I have to admit, I have not always been a fan of vietnamese cuisine.  The first time I tried pho back in uni… I took one sip of the broth and declared right then & there… that vietnamese food was all wrong for me.  So I waited… and waited… several years of waiting later… I slowly began to incorporate vietnamese food back into my diet.  As it turns out… I have been eating pho ALL WRONG.  You don’t eat it plain… that’s just yech.  BUT… add the bean sprouts… more sliced onions… a ton of chili and hoisen sauce… and magically it transforms from bland to an exciting array of flavors.  It is comfort food in a bowl on a cold, dreary winter day.  The pho is what drew me away… and it is also what brought me back.  Now I eat a wide variety of vietnamese food… and I am loving every bite of it!!!  I especially love… VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS!!!

These are store bought, obviously.  But my favorite spring roll happens to come from a little vietnamese food court here in the Bay area.  The name?  Couldn’t even tell ya’ if I tried… but look for a little Lion’s Market shopping centre right smack in the center of Little Saigon… walk towards the back, past the courtyard… and voila… food court heaven!  Word of caution.  On your way out… steer clear of the rediculously delicious smell of pandan waffles wafting through the air.  Or walk right towards it, no matter.  Those things are addictive… but hey… that’s another blog post… yeah?

Spring rolls are actually very easy to make at home, and is such a healthy recipe… great for you fitness buffs out there.  The essentials are vietnamese rice wrapper & rice noodles.  The rest is up to you.  Just grab some of your favorite mix ins… herbs, veggies, fish, tofu ect.  The wrapper only needs to be submerged in warm water, just for a second, before placing on your plate.  Then fill… fill to your heart’s content my friends.  Dip the roll in a sauce… which I am certainly not the authority on… but I imagine it’s got a few drops of fish sauce, maybe a bit of hoisin sauce, some syracha chili sauce… um… crushed peanuts… and garlic.  Oh heck… just wing it till it tastes good!!!

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