It was Thanksgiving in America yesterday. Being not an American person, I have pretty much zero knowledge about the history of Thanksgiving, but I love the idea that no matter how it started, it has evolved into a day of family, food and well, giving thanks.
Though I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving (I wouldn’t say no to a big turkey though), I have many things to give thanks for, such as my awesome friends who cook me awesome food
Like my friend Linh, who had me over a couple of weeks ago and cooked us the best Vietnamese meal – fresh spring rolls and grilled pork bun with the fattest noodles ever. Because she knows how I like ’em.
Not sure whether Linh planned it this way, but the dinner turned out to be totally pork-themed, not that I’m complaining about that. For starters she made pork meatballs (though we flattened them because they’re easier to wrap that way!) and a hoisin and peanut sauce, and we rolled our own fresh spring rolls with salad, rice noodles and rice paper wraps.
Ok so there were prawns as well, but they didn’t quite fit into the whole pork theme.
With our mains Linh also made a soup with stock, minced pork, cabbage and fried garlic. So simple and so delicious! (and so what I totally need right now as I freeze my butt off…)
And the main event, the grilled pork bun! Linh knows I’m a sucker for squidgy bun noodles and she went and bought fat noodles and fatter noodles, and let me pick which I wanted. Fatter, please. Seeing as she grew up in a restaurant family, Linh’s bun was exceptional, the pork, pickle and sauce, everything. Just perfect.
She even packed me home a jar of pickled carrot and radish, which I ate pretty much in one go. I’m quite sure that is not recommended for any digestive tract.
For dessert, Linh whipped up some grilled bananas, served with coconut sago (I made the sago! That was the entirety of my contribution to dinner), crushed peanuts and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I’m not sure if this is a Viet dessert, I don’t think it is… I mean I asked for sam bu luong (as a drink/dessert) but erm, that was too difficult *boo*
In any case, cooked banana and ice cream is always a winner 
So you see? If you had awesome friends like this, you’d totally be giving thanks too!
Big LOVE to you Linhy! xx