Witty introduced me to Vung Tau on the east side of Lincoln. The neighborhood is low key but seems to be moving in the hip direction with coffee and activities. Everyone at Vung Tau was very nice; this is a family operation.
We started with classic Vietnamese spring rolls laden with fresh ingredients.
I wanted to try something that I don't usually get. Witty suggested these cold noodles with beef---no broth. The flavors were excellent and varied. The range of textures was excellent, something that is easier to appreciate without the broth.
I made candied ginger a few years ago. It's not something I would do every day but I had a lot of fun doing it. I recently acquired a pressure cooker and it inspired an interesting idea to me: why not make candied ginger in the pressure cooker? It should be very soft and flavorful. Here is the result. I peeled two large ginger roots, cut them into small cubes, and put them in the pressure cooker with heavily sugared water. The traditional method first boils the ginger in plain water to soften it and then again in sugar water to candy it. The resulting candy was very tender but still with the characteristic ginger texture. It was also sweet without being overpowering. The traditional method leaves a lot of sugar crystallized around the ginger. The pressure cooker gives a much more subtle result. The ginger stays moist even after it cools but you can dry it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. That inspired me to dip it in chocolate. While I was in the b...



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