Grab the Good Life with Rocco DiSpirito

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April 4, 2005 - April 4, 2005

WOR 4/04/05

Today¨s Guests: Mike Pardus, culinary instructor of Asian food at the CIA. Cedric Tovar, the Executive chef of Django. Michael Huynh, the executive chef of Bao Noodles and Bao 111. Plus two CIA students, Anthony and Allison! WOR 4/04/05

East meets West WOR 4/04/05
Michael Pardus, Michael Huynh and a group of CIA students and chefs have organized a trip to Vietnam to explore Vietnamese culture and cuisine.
How did this amazing trip get organized?
Last year, Mike Pardus scheduled to take a trip to Vietnam on his own to research the cuisine. When he realized he would be on his own with his guide, he thought it would be more fun to take a few students along with him. He gathered a group of 9 people including students and chefs. Together they traveled through Vietnam researching and learning the amazing cuisine. The group ran into Michael Huynh at the airport, who later accompanied them to various trips in Vietnam. They are going to repeat the trip again this year, with an even larger group. The reason for the trip is to raise awareness of Vietnamese culture and cuisine.
The Students and faculty at the CIA have organized numerous fund raising dinners to help support their trip.

East meets West at Django restaurant is the next fundraising dinner on Sunday April 10, 2005. It includes a 7 course dinner, $125 dinner per plate.
Please visit their website to learn more about their trip and the dinner!
East Meets West Dinner

East meets West Dinner at Django
480 Lexington Ave. (Midtown East/Murray Hill)
At 46th St.
212-871-6600

Special Guest Michael Huynh WOR 4/04/05

Michael Huynh is the executive chef at both Bao 111 and Bao Noodles. Make sure you try both of these great Vietnamese restaurants:
Bao 111
111 Ave. C (East Village)
between 7th and 8th Sts.
212-254-7773

Bao Noodles
391 Second Ave. (Flatiron/Gramercy/Union Square)
near 23rd St.
212-725-7770

Michael Huynh's Shaken Beef WOR 4/04/05
Get your pan very hot and add some oil. To that add mushrooms, garlic and smashed¨shallots. Then salt and pepper chunks of beef tenderloin and add it to mushroom mixture along with some sugar to caramelize the beef. Stir then add soy sauce and butter. Serve on a plate of fresh tomatoes and spinach drizzled with balsamic vinegar.

Vietnamese vs. other Asian Cuisine WOR 4/04/05
How would you compare Vietnamese to other Asian cuisine? Vietnamese cuisine is much lighter, more flavorful and much healthier.

Nha Trang WOR 4/04/05

Rocco's Favorite Vietnamese restaurant is Nha Trang. One of his favorite recipes is the Grilled Pork Chops! Here is the recipe:
Fish sauce
Sugar
Chinese Five spice (star anise, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and black pepper)
Garlic chopped
Black pepper
Seasoning soy
Scallions chopped
Here is what you do: Mix all the ingredients together. Marinate thin cut pork chops for five hours in the mixture and then grill them on a charcoal grill. It's that easy!

Nha Trang
87 Baxter st. (between Bayard and &Canal)
212) 233-5948
Or
Nha Trang
148 Centre Ste (between Wake and White Street)
212) 941-9292


Vietnamese Restaurant in Brooklyn WOR 4/04/05
Looking for a Vietnamese restaurant in Brooklyn? Chef Michael Huynh recommends:
Gia Lam
5402 Eighth Avenue (at 54th Street)
(718) 854-8818

Don't forget to try the lemongrass grilled lamb and pork chops!!

Special Guest's Andrew Chang and Allison Anthony WOR 4/04/05
Andrew is a CIA (Culinary Institute of America) graduate and Allison is a current student at the CIA.

Special Guest Cedric Tovar, chef at Django WOR 4/04/05
Inverted Escoveitch: Chef Cedric Tovar makes this dish by cooking vegetables such as onions, carrots and garlic in some olive oil. He then adds white wine, orange juice and lemon juice. Then at the last minute adds fish or squid and cooks for just a few minutes then lets everything marinate together. It's fabulous!

Tilapia WOR 4/04/05
Tilapia is originally from the Philippines, and now farm raised in the United States. Escoveitch is a great dish for Tilapia because it is a very light fish. Here is what you do: Cook some peppers, onions and garlic in a pan then add some white wine then at the last minute throw in the Tilapia and let it marinate together. Serve it with some
Couscous tossed with chopped raw onions and peppers. You can find instant couscous at any supermarket. Try the Near East brand, it comes in multiple flavors.

Vietnamese Chicken Soup WOR 4/04/05
To make this soup add chicken broth, chicken breast meat, kefir lime leaf (if you don¨t have it substitute with lime peel), lemon grass, coconut milk, fish sauce, chilies to your pot and bring it to a boil. Add straw mushrooms and you are good to go!

Nouc Mam, Fish Sauce WOR 4/04/05
Dipping sauce made with Fish sauce, Nouc Mam. Take fish sauce, lime juice, water, sugar, grated carrot, grated daikon radish and some slivered chilies and add them together. This is a great dipping sauce.

French influences on Vietnamese cuisine? WOR 4/04/05
The Baguette, condensed milk and coffee, are the French influences on Vietnamese cuisine.

Don't forget Tomorrow¨s Food Fight! WOR 4/04/05