The Hungry Cyclist - Pedalling The Mekong For The Perfect Meal

Photographs From Cycle Touring & Eating In Northern Laos

Having just cycled into Yunnan in Southern China I have been able to make some time and upload some photographs from Northern Laos. This far north the Mekong is at her wildest and the languid river that meandered through Cambodia and Southern Laos began to become narrow and fast moving. This does not stop the locals here making the most of this natural waterway. As I cycled along the river from Vientiane, through Luang Prabang and along the border with Burma I was able to witness first hand how important the Mekong is to the people of Laos. Whether washing, swimming, fishing, panning for gold or simply getting from A to B the 'riverine' life of Northern Laos is fascinating and delicious and I hope these images give you some idea of what it looks and tastes like.  Click on the mosiac below to see individual images in Flickr

• Launch Slide Show

• Photos from Northern Laos
• Photos from Cambodia
• Photos from Vietnam & The Mekong Delta
• My travel photograph

Laos Fish Larp/Larb

The Italians have pizza, the Germans a schnitzel, the Israelis love humus and the Mexicans a taco, but here in Laos it seems the undisputed national dish is Laap. Pronounced 'larp' this tasty dish is barley known outside of South East but here in Laos it is available in almost every town and a trip to Lao would not be complete with trying it. For one it is a combination of fresh flavors and ingredients and two the people of Lao believe laap to be lucky. It is common for Lao families to prepare laap if a relative is going away or making a journey and it is also prepared at many traditional ceremonies.

A versatile national dish a laap can be made with either beef, chicken, pork, cow intestine or fish. A simple recipe to prepare most of the time is spent chopping but the results are a well worth the work. This recipe is for a traditional fish laap that is best served with some sticky rice. Beef laap recipe to follow soon.

• 500 grams of fresh water fish fillet. (Tilapia) would work very well
• 1 sprig of fresh lemongrass
• 2 small Shallots
• Juice of one lime
• Small bunch of fresh dill
• Small bunch of fresh mint
• Fish sauce
• Toasted rice powder
• Whole fried chilies

1. Remove any skin from fish and strips. Then cut the strips into cm size chunks.
2. Add a third of a cup of water to a hot wok. Add the fish and Sauté fish quickly adding a few shakes of fish sauce for good measure. Remove from the heat and leave to cool until luke warm
3. In the meantime put on the radio and shred the lemongrass, chop and deseed the chili, thinly slice the shallots, finely chop the dill and mint add these to the wok and toss lightly.
4. Now add the lime and a couple more shakes of fish sauce into the mix and stir through. Lastly sprinkle one heaped tablespoon of toasted rice powder into the mix.
5. Serve with some chopped cabbage leaves and sticky rice.

Kaa Feh Lao - (Lao Coffee)

'All I want from life is to ride my bike, be in love and drink good coffee' – Anon.

Sleeping rough and cycling make me a tired boy and getting out of my hammock in the early hours is never easy. With stiff limbs and a tired mind the first few miles of the day are often the hardest and coffee is never far from my mind. A good cup of coffee is a cycle tourists medicine and thankfully here in Loas it is in abundance.

Good arabica and robusta coffee beans are grown in Loas, with the majority coming from the high fertiles plantations of the Bolavan Plateau. Lieing almost 1500 meters above the Mekong Valley this fertile region of waterfalls and rivers produces nearly 10,000 tones of the good stuff eahc year and although most of the beans are exported a good cup of coffee is not hard to find. Filtred through a saggy piece of material and served sweetened with condensed milk a good Kaa Feh Lao should be so think you can float a nail in it!

Here is how to make your own at home.

• Pour two cm of condessed milk into a short glass
• Cover with strong filtered Lao Coffee
• Enjoy the ride!

Simple Fish Amok Recipe - Cambodia

• 1 large fresh water fish (chalang is often used in Cambodia) deboned and cut into strips 3cm long
• 4 sticks of lemon grass
• A small turmeric root (fresh)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 4 fresh chilies, seeds removed and finely chopped
• The milk of one coconut (500ml of the canned of stuff will do)
• Salt
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste
• 2 eggs
• 4 banana leaves (found in your local Asian or Caribbean market)

1. Add the lemongrass and turmeric to a pestle and mortar and grind into a rough paste. Add the chopped garlic and chopped chili and pound a few minutes longer.

2. Heat a frying pan with a little oil and add the coconut milk, simmer and then add the paste, two good pinches of salt, the sugar and the shrimp paste.

3. Remove from the heat, stir in the eggs until completely blended and then add the fish.

4. Place all the mixture in a  bowl and set aside.

5. Create a simple bain-marie by half filling a saucepan with hot water, place a colander over the top and cover with a lid.

6. Now divide the fish mixture equally in the centre of each banana leaf. Fold in half as if making a cigarette. Push the left and right edges inwards to create a basic bowl. Fold the top corners over themselves to seal and fasten with a cocktail stick.

7. Add the parcels to the steamer, cover with a lid and steam for 40 minutes.

8. Serve each parcel with steamed rice and enjoy!

Where To Eat in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Arriving in a new city on a bicycle is never easy, finding out where to eat can be even harder. Luckily when I arrived in Cambodias capital Phnom Penh Tim Rann had provided me with a hit list of great places to refuel. Following his lead while in the city he was not wrong and below are some of his words and mine. There are also a few tips on where to sleep at the bottom. Enjoy!.

Sovanna - Located just around the corner from the Coffee Maker on Sihanouk Blvd.. Go to Independence Monument, head east on Sihanouk Blvd, and turn right on to I believe Street 13 (the one with the Coffee Maker on the corner). Sovanna is widely renowned as the best beef BBQ joint in Phnom Penh. Packed out every night IO walked past to sniff the grilling meat this little haunt is clearly a local favourite The bbq beef plate at 10000 riel cant be beat, and dipping the tender chunks of beef in a mix of pepper and fresh lime is quite Godley while the brace gourmet might want to try a dip in the home made fermented fish paste (prahok). I also tried the sauted morning glory in oyster sauce which was also superb and washed down with plenty of ice-cold Angkor draft this busy restaurant is doing everything right.

Famous Prahok Restaurant. - This restaurant is a hole in the wall between Street 63 and 57 in BKK1. I believe the street number is 288, but I might be wrong. If you're around the area, just keep a look out for a tiny place - its always full and the tables spill out on to the street. This restaurant supposedly has the best prahok in town and serves a variety of animal parts/meats that go well with the sauce.

54 - 54 is famous for the Phnom Pleun (literally "mountain fire"), where diners can grill their own seafood and meat or get going on a hot pot. Knowing that I was leaving PP the next day I made the most of my time in this busy place and took clams baked with lemon grass and chilli, followed by grill beef and than a roast duck hot pot. It was hot sweaty work but cooling off with a cheap tower of beer the ambiance was wonderful. It is just west of Norodom and 174. From Independence Monument, head north and turn left (west) after the big high school. It is about 100 meters down the road after a small art gallery and bakery.

Nohm Ban Chok (Khmer Breakfast Noodles). The best ones Tim found are just across the street from Orussei Market (southeast corner) although I found mine on a corner between 360 and 85. Try it with some Khmer donuts (fried dough) and iced coffee w/condensed milk. Pick up a copy of the PP Post and enjoy the only way to start your day.

Chinese Noodles - A favourite of expats and I can understand why, Chinese Noodles serves fresh bowls of gui tieu (Chinese noodles). The noodles are made in front of the restaurant by a man spinning twisting and stretching flour coated dough balls - always a spectacle indeed! You can find Chinese Noodles is on Monevong Blvd on the west side of the street. Just head to the Sihanouk Blvd and Monevong Blvd intersection and go south for about 500 meters. It’s right after a big yellow bakery.

Fruit Shake Vendors - Only open after 7PM on the west side of the Russian Market (Psar Toul Tom Pong). Tim says these value-for-money smoothes are said to prevent hangovers after a big night out – at 7pm Tim! Either way they make a refreshing change from the cold beer on a hot night. If you don’t have a sweet tooth do ask to hold back on the condensed milk and make sure to pack in some jack fruit and pineapple!.

Mahop Boua (the best vegetarian food in Phnom Penh) - Check out Orussei Market for some excellent vegetarian stands that serve all sorts of delicious fake meats.

Mekong Restaurants - Head over the Japanese bridge and stop at any one of the dozens of restaurants that creep over the Mekong. They all serve delicious fish and a trip here makes a great escape from the city.

Kaoh Dach - Head over the Monevong (Vietnam) Bridge and go roughly 10-12km. Turn left and you'll hit Kaoh Dach - a beautiful little island with networks of bamboo bungalows stilted over the river. This is off the beaten path. Women in canoes will come by with fresh river lobster and other treats, then grill it for you. A nice way to spend an afternoon and relax with a beer/book. The island has some great trails as well.

Friends the Restaurant - A must stop! - wonderful tapas/asian fusion restaurant w/an strong social mission. This PP institution is setting the pace for other restaurants in the city. Worth a visit even just to learn a lesson from a team doing everything right!.

Snowies (Maxine’s) – Van Morrison, Bob Marley, Fleetwood Mac and INXS will serenade you through another Phnom Penh sunset. This little bar on the other side of the river is a gem. I only hope by posting these words it doesn’t become overrun. Not a place for eating, but Tim and I agree it is hands down the best bar in Phnom Penh. Head over the Japanese bridge, take your first right and follow the winding road along the Tonle Bassac river. You'll eventually hit Snowies (Maxines). If you happen top be in the city for the water festival this is the place to watch cheer and be blown away! See you there next year.

Psar Chas (Old Market) - Near the riverside - lots of good street food here. Head north on Sisowath Quay until you hit the night market. Turn left and you'll see the big old market area.

Peking Canteen - My favourite Chinese joint in town and best dumplings I've had since China. Its located right new Psar Thmey (Central Market). On the southwest corner of the market there is a street that branches off with tons of Chinese restaurants (you'll see a Bonjour mini mart next to the street). Peking Canteen is about half way down the street.

Where To Sleep In Phnom Penh The Blue Dog – this little place is very simple but if you like your independence and want a clean safe a cheap place top stay this is it. Very central and the owner could not be nicer. Always a good crowd staying there too. $5 a night.

Boddi Tree - If you have a few quid this place is a good spot. Perhaps a little pretentious if you are only in town for a few days and need some R&R this will do the trick. Great food and very friendly staff will make you feel very welcome.

The Green Lake – The lakeside is the backpacker centre of the city and rightly so. Horizontal everything a tired traveller needs can be found here and if rumours are to be believed it wont be there much longer. If you simply want to kick back the Green Lake is the place along with a few visits to The Lost and Found Bar.

Banh Khot - Savoury Pancakes from Southern Vietnam + Video

Banh khot are a small savoury pancake favoured in Southern Vietnam. Cycle through almost any town in the Mekong delta mid morning and if you keep your eyes peeled you will find someone making them. Made from the abundant ingredients of coconut, rice flour and shrimp they are served with a little dish of nuoc mam (fish sauce) before being manhandles in chopsticks and devoured. Sweet, cheap and with a wonderful texture they have become a Hungry Cyclist favourite on the banks of the Mekong

 

• Vegetable oil

For the batter

• 1 cup of rice flour available at Asian markets.
• 1/4 cup of coconut milk, the fresher the better
• 1-teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

The Filling

• 1/2 cup of bean sprouts, chopped in half
• 2 spring onions/Scallion, sliced
• 250g of plump fresh shrimps, peeled, cleaned and divined
• Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce (see recipes here)

1.To make these little pancakes you will need a special Banh Khot pan, a cast iron pan, with eight rounded indents that is placed over a charcoal burner and covered. However as we don’t have these at home I don’t see why cupped baking tray and a hot oven shouldn’t work.

2. Combine the rice flour, coconut milk, turmeric, half the onion, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add one cup of warm water and whisk until smooth and silky.

(i) If you are using ‘the special pan’ heat over a gas burner or fire until smoking hot and brush each indent with cooking oil.

(ii) If not preheat oven to 350°. Brush each of the baking tray indents with a little vegetable oil.

3. Now add a shrimp to each oiled cup.

4. Pour enough batter into each indent until three-quarters full. Divide the bean sprouts among the cakes, sprinkle generously along with the remaining spring onions.

5. Cook or bake until the cakes are golden brown on the bottom, crispy at the edges and firm at the centre, about 20 minutes in the oven, perhaps six in the ‘special pan’. Let them rest a couple of minutes so you don’t sizzle your taste buds and you are ready to eat. Dip each one in a little dipping sauce and devour. 

Sinh To Bo - Vietnamese Avacado Smoothie

Saigon evenings are hot and sticky. Away from the air conditioning and fans of small restaurants the street is often the only place to cool down. Food and drink is available everywhere but sometimes a hot pho or banh mi is simply too much. So what to do? On many street corners women with antiquated blenders whiz fruit smoothies that are the perfect antidote to the humidity. Mango, dragon fruit and papaya are all supurd but if you want a taste and texure experience that is un matched go for a rich cup of Sinh to Bo, a velvety sweet smoothie made with fresh avcacado.

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 cup ice cubes
• Third of a cup of condensed milk
• Half a cup milk of milk  S

Scoop the avocado into a blender. Add the ice, condensed milk and milk and whiz until completely smooth.Suck up through a straw and get ready to swoon.

Photos From Chanh Hung Night Fish Market, Saigon

To start to understand how a city eats I needed to see where their food was coming from, I needed to find the source of the food supply. The Chang Hung Night market in Saigon is not in the guide books. Taking place in the middle of the night it is a bustling, wet, noisy and intimidating wholesale market that supplies a city of 7 million with its fish and produce. Taking a ride to the market in the early hours I took these photos. Click here to see the images in flickr or click the mosaic below.

Nước chấm - Vietnamese Dipping Sauce

It seems that almost everything I put in my mouth in Vietnam comes with nuoc cham. Served as a dipping sauce with almost all dishes it seems to be the most important sauce over here with several subtle variations. Some are mild, some hot, some sweet and some sour. Here is a recipe I was given in Saigon.

• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons of water
• 1/3 cup of fish sauce (nuoc mam)
• juice of three limes
• 1 large clove of garlic, crushed, peeled, and minced
• 1 Thai chilie seeded, and sliced

1. Whisk the sugar, water, fish sauce, and lime juice in a bowl until the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the garlic and chili and let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Con Nghieu Hap - Clams with Lemongrass

In a foreign city the best way to find good food is to wonder about the streets until you find a busy spot. If table and chairs are full of slurping, drinking, chattering locals you are pretty much guaranteed the food will be good.

On my third night inn Saigon I took to the streets on my bike looking for supper. Away from the never ending traffic groups of locals sat in a fluorescent glow on small plastic stools on the pavement while family run street restaurants cooked and ferried food to their waiting customers.

Pulling into a busy operation, I had no choice but to point at what others were eating and hope for the best. Once again I got lucky and here is a simple clam and lemon-grass recipe that taste just perfect on the busy streets of Saigon

• 500 ml fish stock
• 5 stalks of Lemongrass, halved and crushed with a knife
• 1 kg of fresh well cleaned clams 

1.Heat a large wok or saucepan and add the stock and lemon grass and bring to the boil.

2. Add the clams Cook, cover with a pan lid and cook for 4-5 minutes until all the shells have opened.

3. Remove from the heat and serve with nuoc cham dipping sauce.

The Cycle Tourists Kitchen - Cooking & Cycling

Food and cycling are a perfect couple. As cyclist our bodies are our engines, our food and drink our fuel. I am any thing but a competitive cyclist, and I certainly don’t consider myself an athlete, but as a long-distance cycle tourist, fascinated by food, I completely understand that eating is an intrinsic part of any bike ride.

The food and drink we consume provides fuel for our muscles, repairs tissue and muscle damage and replaces lost electrolytes and other nutrients. Get your food intake wrong and it doesn’t matter how fit you are, you are going nowhere and are well on your way to experiencing the dreaded bonk.

Cycling touring can be especially demanding. Long distances are covered day after day in often-unfamiliar surrounds. Food and water can be hard to come by and for those with a delicate constitution that all-important fuel may not stay in your tank very long. However, with your bike laden down with the weight of the gear needed to be self sufficient on the road, all those panniers and bags provide a space for a few cooking essentials and supplies that mean you never need to go hungry for long.

When out on the road food is often cooked over a small fire or stove and having a few basic essentials will mean you have the ability to cook up superb campfire feasts that will provide sustenance and comfort. As a food obsessed cycle tourist who rarely gets in the saddle unless there is a promise of food at the other end here are a few tips for what to pack in a cycle tourists kitchen.

• 1. That’s Not A Knife!

Whether it’s a peasant pig farmer in the south of France or an immaculate Sushi Chef in London, a good cook anywhere where in the world will tell you that to cook well you need a good knife. I’m afraid anything that folds back into itself wont cut the mustard. Your hinge will fill with gunge, you your fingers will shorten and it wont just be the sulfenic acid in your onions making you cry. Invest in a good knife and keep it sharp.

• 2. Variety is The Spice of Life

Unless you are my mother 35 mm film is a thing of the past. However the trusty 35mm film cases are just the thing for packing spices. Compact and water-tight they are perfect for keeping a few essential spices and seasonings in. These can be refilled along the way if you find anything in interesting in markets along the way. Sea Salt, black pepper, dried chile flakes, ground cumin, paprika and cardamom pods are always in my panniers. Always have a head of garlic too!

• 3. Oil

It doesn’t have to be a cold pressed extra-virgin, but having a little bottle of oil in your panniers is well worth the weight. Oil is essential if, like me, you like to go to work on an egg in the morning and it also makes pasta and rice fare more palatable. Oil in a pan will also save you hours of washing up time. Take one small bottle with you and you will find local restaurants and homes more than happy to top you up as you go.

• 4. Stock cubes

When cycle touring size and weight matters. Spare space on a bicycle is a premium and on those long uphill struggles you systematically go through every item in your panniers trying to justify their relative necessity. Any thing small that gives you pleasure stays and stock cubes come into this category. Perfect for livening up a bowl or rice or a bean stew, a packet of sock cubes can be found in the smallest of shops all over the world, they take up little to no space but provide plenty of well needed flavour.

• 5. Good Coffee

I have a lot of weaknesses, but the black liquid is right at the top of the list. After a heavy nights sleep, and a previous days ride, getting going in the morning is never easy. Being able to brew up a mug of the ‘good stuff’ not only jump-starts the system but also helps brew some enthusiasm for the day ahead. Flicking a little cold water on a pan of hot coffee will settle most of the grounds, and your teeth will catch the rest. I take a special brewing pot. (If you like it strong make sure to carry loo roll)

• 6. A Chopping Board

You cycle with a chopping board! I’m afraid so. But hear me out. Its not a sanded down tree chunk favored by TV chefs but a lightweight piece of durable plastic that is alos the lid of a Tupperware box I store food in. Over the years it took some time to warrant its space on board but now it has a regular seat. Too many evenings were spent loosely hacking at onions and garlic in pans and bowls. And being able to prepare your ingredients on a clean, flat surface saves time and patience. It also doubles as a great fan for a fire.

• 7. A Bag of Rice

Rice is the staple of the world eaten from Colombia to China, Egypt to Indonesia. Cheap, easy to store, long-lasting, healthy and filling, when cycle touring the merits of this small grain are easy to understand. A cup of rice is more than enough to fill you up at the end of a long days cycling and cooking it could not be more simple. While cycling with an Israeli friend in Central America he taught me just how rice should be cooked. Here is the recipe.

• The Perfect Cycling Rice Recipe

1. Finley chop three cloves of fresh garlic.
2. Dice half an onion
3. Add the onion and garlic to a good size pan and sweat off with a good glug of oil. Cardamom, chile or any other dry flavours should be added now.
4. Once the onion and garlic has softened and begun to brown add one cup of plain rice.
5. Allow the rice to fry in the oil onion garlic mix so all the grains are coated with oil and a few are starting town.
6. Now add two cups of cold water and let the rice come to the boil.
7. Once all the water has been absorbed or evaporated leave to cool and your rice is ready to serve. Add the juice of a few limes and some finely chopped coriander for a real treat.

Clay Pot Catfish Recipe (Ca Kho To)

• 700g catfish filet cut to bite size chunks
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tbs minced ginger
• 1 tbs well chopped fresh cilantro 
• 150 ml of fish sauce
• 2 tbs cooking oil
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 small chopped shallot
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• lime juice
• fresh dill

1. Rinse the fish with cold water and pat dry. In a mixing bowl combine the fish with pepper, ginger, cilantro, and fish sauce. Gently fold to mix and marinate for 15 minutes.

2. Put a clay pot over medium heat (wok will do) and heat the oil. Add the garlic and shallot. Cook, stirring for about two minutes or until the shallots brown a little.

3. Raise the heat to high and then add the catfish to the pot. Quickly sear the catfish on both sides and then add the sugar and a glug of water and the green onions.

4. Reduce the heat to simmer and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes. The liquid should be reduced to thick syrup. Add the lemon juice to taste and serve with rice and garnish with torn dill.

Where To Eat in HCMC - Top Eats From Saigon

Two weeks today I will stumble out of an airplane in Ho Ch Min City aka Saigon. After the best part of a day couped up in a flying box I will be tired and hungry. Now doubt after being harangued by predatory taxi drivers I will take to the city by bike in search of my first meal in Saigon. But where to go. Lucky enough to have stumbled across Noodle Pie, a fine food blog from the city I now have a list recommended by Graham. The choice is mine...

• Nam Phan - best high end Vietnamese resto. And from The Vietnam News.

• Best French - by a long way. And the best resto in Saigon for food.

• Banh xeo - best savoury crepe combo in Saigon.

• Bun Cha - Best bun cha I've found in Saigon. Best in downtown Saigon.

• Cha Ca La Vong - Fried fish, northern style. So good it deserves a cliche, 'simply to die for'.

• Quan An Ngon

• Hoa Vien beer hall - Best for a decent beer.

• Banh Trang phoi suong - Simple, classic, herbfest.

• Pho 24 - Yet to find bettter in Saigon

• Banh mi

• Bun oc - another northern dish. A fabulous snail, noodle soup.

• Most interesting market

• Best noodle soup

• Best spring rolls and crabs

• Ngu Vien - best all round, but fairly basic Vietnamese restaurant

Danish Frikadeller - Guest Recipe From Riding Out The Recession

The end of the summer is upon and what better time  to leave for a cycling tour. The evenings are drawing in, a chill is in the air and I am not alone in heading off for warmer climbs on my bicycle. As cycle touring and adventure gain popularity, thanks to cycle touring ambassadors such as Mark Beaumont, more and more people seem to be saying farewell to the nine to five and taking to road on their beloved bicycles.

Sean Maher is doing exactly this. Fresh out of university, he imagined graduating and working in an office overlooking being paid too much in a job I didn’t really understand. But with his final year dominated by talk of a recession, credit crunch, reductions in the number of company graduate schemes and a general atmosphere of doom and gloom.

But Sean is no ordinary graduate...Instead of sitting at home and feeling sorry for himself or lounging on a beach killing time Sean has decided to ride out the recession by cycling from Cornwall to Cape Town raising money for UNICEF, Pump Aid and Wooden Spoon.

'I am no Lance Armstrong, no Jan Ulrich and certainly no Chris Hoy. I can’t stand the heat and my pasty Nordic skin burns easily in the sun but people tell me I’m very stubborn and also I have a sense of adventure which will keep me going. Africa is also a place which has always fascinated me and it will be a pleasure to cycle through it, especially places like Sierra Leone which are not everyday tourist destinations. '

Says Sean and following his plans and trip could not be easier on his stunning website www.ridingouttherecession.co.uk No doubt Sean will be eating from wonderful food as he rides for South Africa and after getting in touch I asked him what food he would miss most when living on the road. Being half Danish he gave me this superb recipe from his mothers cook book for Danish Frikadeller. 

In my ignorance I had never heard of a Frikadeller (pronounced frek-ka-delluh) but after a little research I cant wait to get cooking. Frikadeller are flat, pan-fried dumplings of minced meat, often likened to the Danish version of meatballs or burgers.

• 500g Organic mince pork
• 1 small onion 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• 2 eggs 
• 100g self raising wholemeal flour 
• Sprig of rosemary 
• 5 – 6 leaves of sage 
• Grated nutmeg 
• Salt 
• Pepper 
• Water

1. Mix pork with the flour unitl the flour is absorbed into the meat.. Add eggs. Chop onion, garlic, rosemary and sage and add to the mix. Add salt and pper to taste and a little water. The mixture must be firm enough to form into patties.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a pan. Turn down the heat whilst adding the balls.

3. Form the balls by dipping a table spoon into hot oil then taking enough meat to fill the spoon – about the size of an egg – and using your other hand to form it into a ball.

Pork and Pâté Banh Mi - Vietnamese Sandwich

Blue skies, cold running rivers, fresh bread and Mum's abundant kitchen. Lucky enough to be taking in a quick weeks break with my parents and old friends in France it will no doubt be a squeeze to get back into my Lycra next week.

Life here seems to follow a strict regime of eat, sleep, repeat and although the food of L'ardeche is not as famed as that of Burgundy or Provence with mum in the kitchen we are not going to starve. Plump artichokes, wild boar stew, whiffy anduillette, charcutterie, pungent cheese and plenty of chestnuts have all been washed down with good, cheap wine, but whith my friends arriving later today I will be taking over the apron strings.

French culinary influence is going to play a big part in the food I am eating in the coming months. Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos were under French rule from as early as the 18th century until 1954 and as well as colonizing the region for their own gains the French brought with them attributes of their own culture. And with the French being French this of course meant food!

Having spent a week cycling in Paris earlier this year, I enjoyed many an afternoon snack in the district of Bellvue. This run down (now quite trendy) corner of the city is home to the much of the capitals vast South East Asian population, and a supurb place to eat one of Vietnam's most famous street foods, the Banh Mi.

Of all the dishes to result from the French influence on the Vietnamese culture, the banh mi sandwich is one of the tastiest. Using the baguette, pate and plenty of mayo borrowed from French cuisine, the addition of chilies, thai basil and cilantro makes this decidedly Vietnamese fare and perfect food on the go. Ill be a spending a few days picnicking by the river this week and here is the recipe I'll be putting together for my riverside Banh Mi.

makes four  sandwiches.

For a simple pickle.

• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 3 tbs Water 
• 1 tbs Sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 carrot, sliced as this as you can get it.
• 1/2 a daikon, sliced as this as you can get it.If you cant find this some sliced radish will do.

For the meat

• 500 g pork shoulder, rough sliced
• 2 finely chopped shallots
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 serrano chilies chopped
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• juice of one lime
• pinch of salt and pepper

For the sandwich

• one baguette cut into 4 equal pieces
• half cup of full fat mayonnaise
• 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
• bunch of cilantro/coriander
• one small bunch of dill
• a few leaves of Thai basil
• 300g of chicken liver pate
• 3 serrano peppers, thinly sliced and seeds discarded
• Soy sauce
• one lime

1. Mix the vinegar, water, sugar and salt together in a small bowl. Add the carrot and daikon, mix well and set aside to marinate for half an hour. Drain well before using.

2. Now for the meat. In a large bowl, mix together the pork, shallots, garlic, chile peppers, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.

3. Heat some oil in your wok over medium flame. Remove the pork from its marinade and sauté quickly until just cooked through for about two minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Slice the baguettes open lengthwise, leaving one side of the bread as a hinge.

5. Spread the inside of the bread with mayo, layers of meat and pate. Then add the marinated carrot and daikon, cucumbers, dill, basil, chile and cilantro. Sprinkle with soy sauce and destroy!

photo to follow when home

Vietnamese Squid with Cucumber - Cay Tre Inspired

The visa is being processed, the bike is in pieces and in less than six weeks, will be boxed and flown to Vietnam. Time marches on and as the 1st October moves ever closer the nerves and excitement mingle in a dizzy cocktail of anticipation. I do my best to get everything ready for the road, read up and plan my route but half of me simple wants to get going and get stuck in.

To help get me in the mood last week I popped up to my favorite London Vietnamese haunt for a taste of thing to come. Hoxton hosts some of London's best Vietnamese food and in my opinion Cay Tre is the pick of the bunch.  Enjoying a Sunday lunch with my brother and his boyfriend Simon, we went to town on Gỏi cuốn (fresh soft Summer Rolls with King Prawns) Phở saté (Saigon Saté Beef Pho Noodles) and Mực xào lăn Cây Tre (Cây Tre Squid)

All the food in Cây Treis superb and I left full of excitement for the food that will fiel my trip for the next few months/years. However the squid was sensational and here is recipes that I think might just match it. The dill is essential!

• 600 g fresh squid
• 2 small crunchy cucumbers (the big ones have no taste or texture)
• 1 small red chili (tsp of dried chile flakes will do)
• a small knuckle of ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 tbs of soy sauce 1 tbs rice wine
• glug of cooking oil 1 tsp salt 
• small bunch of fresh dill

 1. Cut the cucumber length ways into thin slices.

2 .Finely chop the chili.

3. Rinse and remove the membrane of the squid, cut the body from the tentacles, make criss-cross slits on the surface and slice. Scald all the squid in boiling water, remove and rinse in cold water.

4. Heat one tablespoon oil in a deep wok, stir fry the chili and ginger.

5. Add the cucumber and stir until cooked. Lastly, add the squid rice wine, and salt and stir-fry.

6. mix through with the dill and serve with rice or noodles.