Sizzling crepe
It’s been a while, I know. One time I asked my advisor about his hobby, his reply was “I used to read a lot when I was an undergrad, but now I just don’t have time anymore, all hobbies are gone.” He went on warning that I should devote some time to my hobbies now while I still can, because graduate school and later business (such as postdoctoral positions, if I can get some) will devour all of my time (and probably my soul, but he didn’t say that). Well, guess what, I don’t even have time now. On the positive side, you don’t get to sleep much, so it’s unlikely that you would have insomnia.
But sometimes you would wish you had insomnia. Now that the tests have receded and won’t come back for some time, I can (and must) stay up late for homework. So I just had a refill of energy, which at the time seemed light and even not enough, but is now weighing down on me with such concentration, unfortunately in the stomach and not in my head. It would make a great weightwatcher meal. Guess, anyone? It’s a Vietnamese pancake, i.e. banh xeo.
Recall that we’ve had several posts of banh before, it is no surprise that this one is also made of flour (rice, in this case). Here’s a quick list of ingredients my mom uses:
– prepackaged flour to make banh xeo (sold at Asian markets),
– soy milk (to dissolve the flour),
– ground pork (to be browned)
– celery
– shrimp
– sugar, salt
A great and experienced cook herself, she follows no recipe and provides none. The measuring cup doesn’t exist in her kitchen. She seasons the flour-soy milk mix, so that one doesn’t need to eat her banh xeo with any form of sauce. You won’t find this sauce-free business in any banh xeo shack you ever drop by, simply because traditionally people wrap their banh xeo in a huge lettuce leaf, roll it up, dip into nuoc mam pha, and somehow manage to put the busy bunch into their mouth. (A regular banh xeo is about 20cm (7 inches) in diameter.) They do it utensil-free. If soy milk makes one shudder, reason of which is a mystery to me, then one can use cow milk (whatever percent), coconut milk, or water. Likewise celery can be replaced by bean sprout or some form of long crunchy veggie (or no veggie?). Do away with the shrimp and pork if you’re a vegetarian, and go tofu. Basically, do what you like. As long as you throw the stuff into a hot skillet, pour a ladle of batter, and hear a sizzling sound (a “xeo!“, hence the name), you’ve got a pancake. A liberal, easy going pancake.
Eaten fresh, it’s crunchy. (Yes, the layer of flour must be thin, the shrimp and whatnot do not have to be covered). If the batter was just flour and water, it’s crunchy. Otherwise, it’s soft and fulfilling. I’m not a fan of crumbs, so I’m happy with microwaved banh xeo.
Today, I went to the beach with my kids. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She placed the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is entirely off topic but I had to tell someone!
1Magnificent site. Lots of useful information here. I’m sending it to some friends ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks to your effort!
2Sweet blog! I found it while surfing around on Yahoo News. Do you have any suggestions on how to get listed in Yahoo News? I’ve been trying for a while but I never seem to get there! Thank you
3I really like your writing style, fantastic information, appreciate it for posting :D. “Silence is more musical than any song.” by Christina G. Rossetti.
4Rattling clean website , appreciate it for this post.
5I am glad that I discovered this site, exactly the right info that I was searching for! .
6At this time it seems like Drupal is the top blogging platform out there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you’re using on your blog?
7whoah this weblog is fantastic i really like reading your articles. Stay up the good work! You know, lots of persons are hunting around for this info, you could aid them greatly.
8An fascinating dialogue is worth comment. I believe that it is best to write more on this subject, it may not be a taboo topic however generally individuals are not enough to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers
9I got what you mean , appreciate it for putting up.Woh I am delighted to find this website through google. “Wisdom doesn’t necessarily come with age. Sometimes age just shows up by itself.” by Woodrow Wilson.
10Hi my friend! I wish to say that this article is amazing, nice written and include approximately all vital infos. I would like to see more posts like this.
11I genuinely enjoy looking through on this site, it holds superb blog posts.
12It is really a nice and helpful piece of info. I am happy that you simply shared this helpful info with us. Please keep us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
13you have got an ideal blog here! would you like to make some invite posts on my weblog?
14Hello just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the pictures aren’t loading properly. I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I’ve tried it in two different web browsers and both show the same results.
15Howdy would you mind sharing which blog platform you’re working with? I’m going to start my own blog in the near future but I’m having a tough time choosing between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design seems different then most blogs and I’m looking for something unique. P.S Apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!
16