Mothership Meals and Satellite Saucers: Banh Mi

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Banh Mi

I love bahn mi -- the Vietnamese "salad sandwich". There's so much good stuff going on in there: pickled carrots and daikon, cucumbers, pork (or chicken or tofu or pate or whatever), basil, cilantro... But my kids are not quite up for the whole she-bang in one bite. So, on the advice of my friend Jamie, I turned it into a mothership meal. (Thanks, Jamie!)

It's a great summery dinner, and a twist on those cold cut spreads, where you get to make your own sandwich. (which I LOVED as a kid, despite the fact that I associate them for some reason with both church and funerals. )

If you pickle the vegetables and marinate the pork early in the day, then the actual dinner set up is easy: Roast or grill the meat, slice it thin, and lay out all the fixings. My son loves the the sweet and salty pickled carrots, and the last time I made this, they both tried cucumbers (a new one, even though they love dill pickles. KIDS!)

BAHN MI
P1ckled Vegetables:
1 daikon radish, grated
3 carrots, grated or finely julienned
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar or sucanat
1 tablespoon salt
Water to cover

Condiments
2 fresh jalapeños, thinly sliced
1/2 sweet onion, sliced thinly
Handful each of fresh cilantro and basil
1 long cucumber
Watercress or other salad green
1 tablespoon fish sauce
4 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 French baguette, multi-grain if possible (much preferable in our tests to the doughy ciabatta that's pictured above)

PORK:
1 lb pork tenderloin
1/4 cup brown sugar or sucanat
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves minced garlic

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (or heat grill, if using). Heat a skillet with a tablespoon of oil, and brown tenderloin. Place in oven and roast for 10-15 minutes on each side, depending on its size (check often).

2. To pickle vegetables: Stir together vinegar, sugar, and salt, and heat. Let it cool, then toss with shredded vegetables (each in a separate bowl). Taste and add salt if necessary. Set aside for at least 15 minutes and up to 12 or so hours.

3. Meanwhile, heat baguette on rack in oven until crusty, about 5 minutes. Cut off and discard round ends, then split baguette.

4. Drain pickled vegetables.

5. Mix together mayonnaise and fish sauce, and spread on cut sides of bread. Arrange pork, pickled veggies, watercress and herbs on table. Offer each diner some bread, and help yourselves to the sandwich you want!

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The Mothership Method

(Or, how to sit down for dinner with your family without completely losing your mind)

It would be great if kids AND parents wanted boiled chicken and baby carrots every night for dinner. But, too bad, we picky parents want spicy, exotic, fun foods, and our kids want, well, sorta lame foods.
Here's the solution: break it down. Serve the dish deconstructed, and let everyone put their own dish together at the table. Sort of like tapas, or smorgasbord, or tacos. Or how in some parts of China you get a bowl of rice, and everything else is in the middle of the table and you take what you want for your own little bowl of rice. That way everyone gets to eat what they want, parents don't have to nag their kids, and kids get to feels some ownership over their meals. Plus, kids get exposed to the look and taste of the foods you hope they will one day love. But it's not just tacos. You'll be amazed at what can be served with the Mothership Method.

Ten Tips to Get Through Dinner Without Having A Nervous Breakdown

1. Accept That Kids Are Picky. No need to freak out on your cooking ability, or look at your kids like there is something wrong with them. It's called "neo-phobia", and it's just how they are, especially from ages 3-6.

2. Serve Meals Broken Down. Even grown-up meals like coconut curry or linguine with clams can be served in their elements, making them more appealing to kids. Grown ups can assemble their own jumble of deliciousness at their own plate while kids take on the pared-down elements.

3. Push if it Works, But Don't Nag If It Doesn't. Some kids are okay with being expected to taste everything on their plate. Others aren't. I think it's okay to push kids -- but not if you're turning dinner into a battlefield.

4. Suggest a Smell. Smelling a new food is easier than tasting it, and can sometimes provide a kid with the information needed to take that scary first bite. But don't confine smelling to new foods. Smell favorites, too, and help them develop their sense of smell by making a game out of it.

5. Don't Ask "Do You Like It?" Instead, try, "What does this remind you of?" or, "Would your cousins like this?" or, "Does this taste salty or sweet?". Asking if they like it or not gives kids too much power and ends the conversation. Besides, we don't care if they like it! We just want them to keep tasting it until it is familiar.

6. Don't Get Frustrated. Imagine being in Taiwan, or Nairobi, or Rome for the first time. Would you eat everything on the local menu? New foods are scary and gross. Our kids need time to learn about the foods that we eat.

7. No SubstitutionsThis is family dinner, not a diner. You, in all your wisdom, have provided foods that are healthy and delicious and appropriate for your children. There is something on the table for them to eat. Period.

8. No Snacks Before Dinner. This can be the hardest with our hectic schedules and hungry kids. But children who come to the table hungry are more likely to eat than cause trouble.

9. Put Peer Pressure To Your Advantage. School children are more likely to accept new foods if the alpha girls in their group accept them. Swap healthy food ideas on playdates.

10. Involve Your Kids In Cooking, Shopping, and Gardening. The more experience kids have handling and preparing a variety of foods, the more likely they are to eventually accept the foods. (But don't get upset if they help you make a complicated wonderful meal, and then refuse to eat it.)