| Imagine your friends walking into the dining room you | | | | soup (as opposed to using their fingers). |
| have lit with red paper lanterns and candles. The sound | | | | For Summer, try the roll your own Vietnamese Banh |
| of traditional Vietnamese string music playing softly in | | | | Hoi rice paper rolls. Again, at the center of the table is |
| the background and the smell of some Vietnamese | | | | a plate presented with softened vermicelli rice noodles, |
| aloes wood incense or another fragrance that touches | | | | thinly sliced carrot sticks, cucumber slices, basil, |
| your senses without being too over powering - a | | | | Vietnamese mint, regular mint, cilantro and sprouts and |
| subtle fragrance but one that makes you feel you're in | | | | a dish of rice-paper wrappers. |
| another far off part of the world. A warm and | | | | A small bowl filled with warm water allows your |
| peaceful atmosphere. | | | | guests to soften their burrito-sized rice paper sheet |
| It's not hard to understand why the Vietnamese food | | | | before they start adding the ingredients and roll their |
| experience has become hugely popular therefore | | | | own roll. This is really a great and fun experience to |
| making a great dinner party theme. By this I suggest | | | | share with your friends. |
| that the theme of the evening's meal focuses solely on | | | | Apart from these ingredients you serve the amazing |
| Vietnamese flavors. A dinner party where a selection | | | | flavors of grilled shrimp paste on sugarcane prawns or |
| of Vietnamese dishes sit at the center of your table | | | | grilled flat beef, chicken or pork or grilled cleaned |
| and which are shared with your guests. | | | | shrimp and squid just cooked on a skillet. Or tofu if you |
| The vitality of Vietnamese cuisine revolves around | | | | want a completely vegetarian meal. Then there's the |
| fresh produce. The food is light, delicious and easy to | | | | lovely sweet dipping sauce that tops off the flavors. |
| digest. It has a "clean" feel. A typical meal for the | | | | Also Summery is the famous green papaya salad, Goi |
| average Vietnamese family usually consists of bowls | | | | Du Du. |
| of rice for each person and a selection of other dishes | | | | The sweet, salty, and spicy, nuoc cham is the |
| that are shared communally around the table. | | | | indispensable sauce of Vietnam's cuisine. Here's a |
| This selection of dishes generally includes a roasted | | | | recipe: |
| meat or fish dish and a stir fried vegetable dish. | | | | The famous nuoc cham Vietnamese Dipping Sauce: |
| Prepared fish sauce and/or soy sauce dipping sauces | | | | 1/2 cup fresh lime juice |
| always accompany these meals. Vietnamese cuisine | | | | 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar |
| also boasts a huge variety of noodle soups and rice | | | | 1/4 cup sugar |
| paper rolls (that your guests can roll for themselves). | | | | 3 tablespoons fermented fish sauce |
| The rolls offer a large variety of fillings and are served | | | | 2 minced garlic cloves |
| with a delicious dipping sauce. | | | | 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro |
| So, the food is perfect for Winter and Summer! | | | | 1 teaspoon minced jalapeño chili with seeds |
| In Winter you could host a pho soup party! The lovely | | | | Stir all the ingredients thoroughly in a medium bowl until |
| thing is that you serve individuals the delicious soup in | | | | the sugar dissolves. Let the sauce stand for at least |
| their own bowl but centrally place a selection of fresh | | | | half an hour. You can make this sauce a day ahead |
| Vietnamese mint, regular mint, bean sprouts, basil, | | | | so the flavors really blend together if you like and |
| cilantro (coriander), chillies and lime or lemon wedges | | | | serve slightly chilled. |
| around a serving platter. Guests select whatever | | | | There's a huge selection of other dishes you can |
| takes their fancy and add to their pho soup finally | | | | serve if you want to serve the traditional meal I spoke |
| squeezing in the citrus juice before the delicious taste | | | | of earlier. |
| experience even hits their mouth. | | | | For dessert you could serve a tropical fruit platter, |
| You can pick up Asian soup spoons inexpensively | | | | banana fritters with ice cream or a sticky rice with |
| from Chinese stores along with chopsticks which can | | | | mango. Again, there is a large variety to choose from. |
| be used to select the herbs they'd like to add to their | | | | |