PHO 20

No one can resist a wonderful and nutritious bowl of Pho.  A perfect breakfast to start the day or as a meal at anytime.  This dish might have had its origin from Guangdong, China hundreds of years ago based on the choice of medicinal herbs that were often used in the preparation of its broth.  However, its popularity and distinct flavor of Pho may still have others argued that it originated from the southeast region of Asia.  

A more “natural” way to take control of our health begins with a healthy diet and routine exercises.  And when our diet takes on an herbal approach, we partake a step in wellness that promotes “holistic” life styles.  Pho is a perfect example of that therapeutic diet – a complementary food.  And it is more than a soup, because it comes with heaping portions of meats, noodles, a side dish of accompaniments (chili, vegetables, limes, and bean sprouts) and bean sauce.  Typically, there are Beef noodles and Chicken noodles Pho.  However, there is always that option of Vegetarian noodles Pho where Tofu is served in place of meats.  Regardless of choice, its broth is both intensely herbal in aroma and its flavor is unmistakably rich of Pho’s.

A good bowl of Pho is not easy to prepare at home especially for a small family of two.  It is best to prepare for a group of several people since it’s time-consuming, and it does call for a great deal of attention to details to prepare an exceptional broth.  Perhaps, it’s one reason why Pho shops are always busy wherever they might be; and a good conversational piece, nonetheless.

Five separate components are prepared to make a good bowl of Pho - Beef, Chicken, or non-meat choice.  The first is a good selection of noodles (thin, or wide).  Second is stock made from shank bones (Beef), or home-made chicken broth (Chicken).  Third is herbs selection for broth and garnishments.  Fourth is the meat itself.  And last but not least, the Pho broth preparation.

NOODLES SELECTION

There are many brands of Pho noodles.  Make sure there is not a lot of a breakages in these packages.  And good noodles should not be light brown in appearance but clean white.  Once a good noodle is tried as been firm in texture, try to stay with that brand.  Thin, or wide strand noodles is a matter of personal choice.  Though the thinner strands seemed easier to prepare and picked up a more flavorful broth.

Soaking the noodles in cold water a couple of hours, before quick blanching to serve does wonder to its texture as well.

SHANK BONES (Beef Flavor)

The best cuts are mid-section, and not from frozen stocks.  It is blanched first in water with some sea salt before been prepared for first stock.  Return the bones to simmering heat; skim impurities from top to keep its first stock clear.  The bones are then removed as soon as its marrows appeared softened at the center cuts.  Once cool down, they are cored out with a knife and set aside to add to the final broth later.  These soft marrows help to bring Pho broth to its full body flavor.  Water is brought back to a ratio of 1:4 (one part first broth to four parts of added water).

HOME-MADE CHICKEN STOCK (Chicken Flavor and all other)

All parts of skinless chicken except guts.  It is blanched first just as with shank bones then boiled in med-to-high heat until meat is easily separated from bones.  Skim off impurities to keep broth clear.  Remove all parts of chicken then bring back broth to a ration of 1:4 (one part first broth to four parts of added water).

HERBAL SELECTION

Pho’s herbs traditionally included: cardamom pods, Asian ginger, sweet basil, Thai basil, star anise, clove, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, black pepper pods and Saigon cinnamon. 

Each of these herbs is exact in their weights (grams), and it is first infused with water in clay pot on medium-to-high heat for four hours to prep its “tea”.  After which time the herb is transferred to a small cloth bag and drop in Pho for the duration of its broth preparation.  The “tea” is later measured out to Pho’s final broth, and shortly before serving to enhance its distinct herbal aroma.

Vegetables

Wedges of lime, red chili, saw-leaf lettuce, bean sprouts, green onion, mint and cilantro completed the choice garnishments of Pho’s.

MEATS

Beef brisket, or beef flank are some of the choices of meat.  Thinly slice the meats.  Beef tendons and tripe are blanched until well done and to add separately to enrich its beef flavor.  For chicken, and non-meat selection of flavor, chicken breasts is prepared as part of the final broth but not to be overcooked.

BROTH PREPARATION

Once the bones are removed from stock, eight quarts of filtered water is added (serving size: five) and brought to a boil then simmer to medium.  At which point, the cloth bag of herbs is drop in.  Roasted onion is added along with measured seasonings (salt, sugar, white pepper, five spices).  Fish sauce is not used in Complementary Pho 20 broth.  Once the broth is ready and amber clear, measure out the herbal “tea” been prepared early on as 1:8 parts (1 part “tea” to 8 parts of broth).  There should not be any leftover of herbal tea after two preparations of Pho broth.  

SERVING

In a large bowl, serve a single portion of noodles that had been quickly blanched in boiling water.  Arrange slices of meat on top of noodles.  Add tendons and tripe.  Then the rest of the vegetables along with some lime juice.

A perfect bowl of PHO 20 as wholesome as it can be is now served!     

Crystals Link

Complementary - A Healthier Food Concept

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) preferred to Complementary Foods as a food that should be introduced to infants beginning from six months of age (Appendix 4C) www.cdc.gov/globalaids/Resources/pmtct-care/docs/PM/Module_4PM.doc And the USDA has this term identified under the heading of Infant Health and Nutrition http://riley.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php info_center=12&tax_level=2&tax_subject=624&level3_id=0&level4_id=0&level5_id=0&topic_id=2467&&placement_default=0  But I am here to tell you the intended meaning for Complementary Foods and, therefore, its blog name.

First of all, Complementary Foods is a group of diet systems, each prepared in accordance to its characteristics and in combination with a selected herbal blends designed to bring out the intended healing nature of the herbs.  In channeling positive energy (Qi) throughout the meridians of our body via diets of therapeutic function, a food is thus becomes Ying Qi in that it is both nourishing and therapeutic in restoring good health and promoting the vitality of life.  Secondly, Complementary Foods collectively implied more than one dish you’d enjoy prepared for your family, and that their recipes had been tried as wholesome.

However, a food does not have to be prepared with some sorts of herbal blends for it to be considered as complementary.  Because the practicing traditions of health preserving foods in TCM embraces wholeness rather than in the particulars – a happy cook always prepared good foods. 

Rice is a good example of complementary food.  It is not prepared with any herbs.  And it’s always served well with any TCM dish, because rice itself is a medicine as it is purposely good for our spleen and stomach.  Furthermore, clay-pot roasted rice when served with herbal imperial soups completed Qi, promoting its intended healing nature against high cholesterol.  And when rice is fermented with yeast (Monascus Purpureus), its liquor-like juice is reportedly promotes anti-inflammatory, improving blood circulation and lowering triglyceride levels.  This is evidence in research work been done at NIH (National Institute of Health), and you can read about it here http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/925.html

Other examples of complementary foods included herbal soups prepared with yellow root herb (Hydrastis Canadensis), ginger (Zingiber), and unprocessed sugar cane that can cure pathogenic cough.  Or hepatic herbs like golden seal and milk thistle that promotes liver function; chamomile (Chamomilla Recutita), ginger, and rosemary combination aiding in blood circulation; coriander, cumin, and turmeric combination is an effective detox blend; or lotus seed in honey comb broth to cure chronic insomnia, and so on.

These and many other therapeutic benefits of complementary foods have been recorded for thousands of years from ancient China. It is as rich and diverse as the culture from which it comes, and as mysterious as its custom of folk medicine.

Our struggles to make sense of TCM healing benefits in scientific terms, from its boosting of our immune systems to cancer therapy, is evidence in research works been done at the National Institute of Health, and the National Cancer Institute.   However, in the West less than a hundred different types of herbs were ever recognized of their associated benefits when, in fact, several hundred types of herbs were been discovered.  And the limited information was designed to educate the consumers only as stand-alone dietary supplements; none was seen as a potential complementary to the whole medical system in its dietary approach.

So I invite you to look over some of my food concepts, and how each selection is been carefully prepared - a delicious meal, no less than a medicinal gourmet fitly to be part of any complementary therapy program.  

Crystals Link

My Cup of Coffee

My day cannot begin without a good cup of coffee, or two. Served hot, and without anything added to it – no cream, or sugar.

What exactly is a good cup of coffee? Do the beans have to come from countries like Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Sumatra, Guatemala, and the like? Does it have to be roasted to the body grades of Compaqnia Dell’ Arabica, Tassimo bite, or Baronet Flavor?

Since when a simple cup of coffee becomes so complicated to prepare, and sounds so foreign? And can you really tell the difference between a carefully measured out home brewed, and that of an Arabica's – or whatever else you may prefer as superior?

Mine takes one and a half table spoon of premium roast to a three-quarter cup of filtered water. I make about six to eight cups of coffee each morning, so that takes about eight cups of water. And I don’t let my coffee pot percolated for more than seven minutes from boiling. Then I'd let it sits for couple of minutes before pouring my first cup.

Depend on your choice of roast, and coffeemaker, your preparation may vary. However, two things are important to keep in mind: use only filtered water, and keep your ground coffee in airtight container.

After all, a good cup of coffee is what you make of it, and brewed to your taste.

Crystals Link