One of the best parts of living abroad is being immersed in the culture, including the food. During our months in Viet Nam, I had to learn to cook using vegetables and spices I was unfamiliar with, to cook foods I’ had never heard of. I was lucky enough to have Mrs. Hanh at the volunteer house in Tam Ky to help me out. She taught me much about cooking Vietnamese-style foods and I spent many afternoons with her in the kitchen scrawling down ingredients and approximate measures as she threw it all together without ever glancing at a recipe.

In our cookbook, I will share many of those recipes, all of our favorites to be sure. So far, this is what we have in mind for the recipes; it isn’t final and could very well change before we get to the point of compiling the books. For now, it’s a sneak peek to whet your appetite.

Appetizers
•    Vegetarian Salad Rolls
•    Spring Rolls
•    Peanut Dipping Sauce
•    Nuoc Cham (fish sauce)

Main Dishes
•    Pho Ga
•    Bun Cha Ha Noi
•    Banana Flower Salad
•    Vietnamese Fried Rice
•    Com Ga Tam Ky
•    Breakfast Banh Mi
•    Bun Thit Nuong
•    Beef Stew
•    Lemongrass Chicken
•    Beef and Greens

Desserts
•    Vietnamese yogurt
•    Avocado shake
•    Hoa Qua Dam (crushed ice/fruit dessert)
•    Flan
•
Drinks
•    Vietnamese coffee
•    Mrs. Hanh’s Milo
•    Mango Lassi