Build-Your-Own

When it comes to eating food with utensils, I believe there's a natural progression of preferred utensil usage:

• Plastic Utensils - These things are evil. Not only are the cheap ones manufactured in a way that actually can cut your mouth, but they can ruin a dining experience. It's well worth the effort to take a dirty fork from the dishwasher and wash it by hand.
• Fork and Knife - There are many fine meals that require a fork and knife, but I like to be able to just dig in. I can't be bothered... all the effort detracts from the stuffing of the pie hole.
• Fork - Now, we're getting somewhere. Lots of foods can be eaten with just a fork, think Indian Food (already in bite-sized pieces), Jambalaya, Paella, etc...
• Spoon - Somehow the experience of eating with a spoon is preferable to a fork -- soups, chili, yum!
• Hands - I'm embarrassed to say that I love eating with my hands. Somehow the food actually tastes better when you're going directly from hand to mouth. In the comforts of home, there are many foods (some that you would not expect) that can be enjoyed with your hands.
• Build Your Own - Then there's the concept of the build-your-own foods. These are food that you put together (usually with your hands) at the table just before eating them. Somehow putting the ingredients together and stuffing your face makes the eating experience more rewarding.

Maybe my favorite of the build-your-own dishes is Bahn Hoi. If you've ever eaten at a Vietnamese restaurant, you've probably tried those fantastic rice paper roll appetizers (not fried). Often you can order a dish, sometimes called Bahn Hoi, which requires the building of your own rolls. Usually the dish comes with: rice papers, vermicelli noodles, nuac chom sauce, fresh Thai basil, cucumbers, lettuce, pickled cabbage and carrots, and meat (I like lemongrass beef).





Building the rolls themselves can be a bit of a pain, but is quite rewarding. First, you will need a bowl with warm water to be used to soften the rice papers. Dip the rice paper in the warm water, covering it completely. Let the paper sit on your plate as it softens. Then add the rest of the ingredients, pour on some nuac chom and enjoy -- eating with your hands, of course.



Here are some other yummy build-your-own foods:

Bahn Hio and Pho - Vietnamese
Moo Shu/Shi and Peking Duck - Chinese
Korean BarBQ - Korean
Shabu Shabu - Japanese
Fajitas - Mexican.... errr not really Mexican
Fondue - Swiss (see Dawn's earlier posting)

Thanksgiving Traditions

Sure, everyone has Turkey for Thanksgiving. And gravy and stuffing. But every family does it a little different. Everyone has their own unique twists on the Thanksgiving meal. What are yours?

Turkey Sandwich on Wonder Bread
Most people wait until Friday for their turkey sandwiches. In our family we have 'em that night. The more synthetic the bread, the better. Covered in gravy.

This is a photo of an open-faced turkey sandwich with mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce and gravy.




Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Marshmallows
Maybe this isn't so unique, but I'm always amazed at the sheer sweetness of this dish. Boil up some sweet potatoes, add tons of butter and brown sugar, top with marshmallows and bake.

This is one insanely sweet dish.