Back to Bourdain

As parasocial relationships are all the rage these days, let me take you back to my buddy Bourdain (!) for the low-down on one of his favourite foods, and mine, pho.

Before we start talking pho though, let's talk about how to properly pronounce it.

Fuh.

That's right. You heard me. Or maybe you didn't.

Now that we're on the same page, linguistically speaking at the very least, let's get our pho on and find out what it is that makes Tony and I cuckoo for cocoa puffs.  

 "Early warning sings of great things to come: I got my lime... chunks, got my chili paste, tissue box, very important... this is where the food porn really is, okay?"  

Well okay then Anthony... glad to hear you're "quivering with desire."

Ahem. 

"A textural Disneyland" indeed!

While I may not be able to go on a tour of Vietnam to find the best pho I can do the next best thing and go on a tour of Gatineau and Ottawa to try and find the same.

Or not.

While I had some decent pho in Ottawa at Cafe Indochine, in the Byward Market, and some very quite good pho at Pho Bo Ga 777 in Gatineau, the best pho I've had in the Outaouais was actually at yours truly's. 

This time I know you heard me!

While my version of pho is far from traditional (for starters, I use linguini instead of rice vermicelli) it is very close to deee-luscious.

I start by warming a little chopped onion and garlic on canola oil before adding equal quantities of organic chicken and beef broth. Next, I add a couple of star anise as well as the 4 C's (cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and coriander) and some fennel, sugar, salt and pepper. 

Once the broth has come to a boil and simmered for as long as you can handle it (the smell is beguiling!) prepare a big bowl with cooked noodles (linguini in my case) and raw, thinly sliced beef. 

Add piping hot broth and stir.

On a side plate, prepare some chunks of lime, Thai basil (the smell is also beguiling) and bean sprouts. Dress your bowl with a little of each and add as much chili paste (Sriracha in my case) as you can handle.

Now you understand why the tissue box is so important.

While I absolutely love traditional pho, and would kill for jump for the opportunity to try it in its native homeland, I can't actually recreate it at home. 

So instead of recreating it, I've reinvented it.

Let me know what you think Anthony! 

PS. For Bourdain's take on Quebec cuisine, scroll down here and check out what he has to say about being food%#&@ed (ahem) by chefs Martin Picard, David McMillan and Frederic Morin... food porn indeed!

The accidental tourist

There’s nothing sweeter than feeling like a tourist in your own city—like when you’ve just moved somewhere new and are dying to explore its every nook and cranny or when you know you’re leaving, and everything you took for granted (or even hated) suddenly seems unique and makes you feel nostalgic. That’s me right now… a tourist in La Belle Province’s most cosmopolitan city: Montreal. 

                                                                            

While I usually like nothing better than spending the entire weekend holed up at home enjoying the finer things in life (!) I’ve been making an effort to get out and about and soak up everything Montreal in the summer has to offer. First it was the Mt. Royal and St. Laurent street festivals followed by dumplings in Chinatown. Then it was the new Clock Tower Beach in the Old Port. 

The reason I’m a tourist in my own city is because I’m moving to parts unknown (somewhere in Gatineau) to be with my beau. I have a million things to do, both at work and at home, before leaving but all I wanna do is have some fun (like Sheryl Crowe).

I created this blog with the goal of chronicling my move from the city to the country, hence its clever name, and I sincerely hope to build up the drive to post on a regular basis. There are so many blogs that I enjoy on a daily basis, like Cupcakes and Cashmere, Lost in Translation and The Nomad’s Land, and I hope to create something that at least one person finds joy in. 

Wish me luck!