Sometimes the best things are the least planned. Like doing cartwheels in the park or someone telling you out of the blue that you've got gorgeous legs. Or an impromptu lunch in the middle of the week.
Yesterday afternoon, we were mulling over where to go for lunch today. We ticked off the usual suspects, pasta here, sushi there, steak and salad over there. Then we hemmed and hawed about traffic, school pick-ups, poor service, the frightening lunchtime crowd of surgically preserved women. So I said I'd make lunch.
When the weather is warm and sunny, I like to serve light, Asian-inspired food. Easy to cook, but rather a pain to prepare. So I decided on the menu early this morning, and after dropping my kids off at school, did the food shopping. At 1 pm, my guests arrived, and at 1:30 we sat down with a chilled bottle of Lambrusco and enjoyed Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Kingklip with Ginger and Lemongrass Cream Sauce, with Tenderstem Broccoli and Minced Chinese Mushrooms on the side. For dessert, I served Mango Jubilee.
A meal can be as elaborate as you want it to be, but the ingredients for a lovely, spur-of-the-moment lunch remain simple: good food, great company, flowing conversation and a wine that gives you a slight buzz.
By popular demand, here's the recipe for the Vietnamese Spring Rolls and Mango Jubilee. I'm notorious about not being too precise about measuring ingredients when I cook, but I always make sure to use the freshest ingredients.
FRESH VIETNAMESE SPRING ROLLS
12 sheets Banh Trang (rice paper rounds)
Chinese black mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for 30 mins
Bean thread noodles, soaked in boiling water for 5 mins
asparagus spears, blanched and sliced thinly
carrot sticks, sliced thinly
cucumber sticks, sliced thinly with seeds scooped out
chives
bamboo shoots, sliced thinly
crushed roasted peanuts
fresh mint leaves, torn
Drain the mushrooms, separate caps from stems and chop caps into small pieces. Drain the noodles and cut into smaller bunches.
Have a deep round plate ready. Pour some water into it and place one rice sheet in to soften. Lift the sheet out, and place on a flat dish or board. In the center of the sheet, place a mound of noodles, followed by the mushrooms, asparagus, carrots, cucumber, bamboo shoots, peanuts. Top with chives and mint leaves. Fold one end of the sheet over the filling and roll once, then fold the sides towards the center and roll again to seal.
Repeat the procedure with each fresh sheet.
Serve the rolls with ketjap manis and a spicy dipping sauce made of
1/4 c fish sauce
1/4 c lime juice
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
red and green Thai chillies, chopped and de-seeded
MANGO JUBILEE
mango pulp, skinned and diced
sugar
butter
brandy
vanilla ice cream
Melt some butter in a pan, add sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves and mixture thickens and bubbles. Add mangoes and cook until warmed and coated with the liquid. Add some brandy and flambe, if desired. Pour over a scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve.
I think Philippine mangoes are the best in the world, with just the right balance of tart and sweet, fleshy and juicy. Today I had to make do with South African mangoes, to my mind - and I'm sure many will agree with me - far too fibrous and inferior to our own. Still, it was a lovely ending to a spontaneous whim that became a divine summer lunch.
My kids will ONLY eat philippine mangos!! Anna ate so many at Amanpulo that she developed a rash!
Posted by: claudia | February 03, 2008 at 01:16 AM
Your kids have excellent taste! Not surprising really - it's in their genes!
Posted by: bambinawrites | February 03, 2008 at 03:17 AM