PHO!! <3

I did it. I finally tried to make Vietnamese beef pho soup last night! :D It isn't the true version, but a more simplified version that would appeal to my family. True pho broth is spiced up with cardamom, anise seed, and other spices my sister hates. Thus, I went with the plain recipe. It was still good, but certainly not as good as Le Kims' pho! (I thought it was so funny because yesterday Andrew went to Le Kims and ordered the beef pho! What a coincidence! :D I can't wait to go back to Stockton and go there again!)

Ah yes, yours truly chopping up some green onions while listening to Octjado on my iPod. Very relaxing and fun! :) The green apron I am wearing I have had since I was about 10 or 11 years old! My dad brought it back for me from France. It's still in great condition!

Now....time for the unveling........

Ta-dah!!! Beef pho, a la Ophy! It looks lovely, doesn't it? There's cilantro, basil, and mint leaves, as well as bean sprouts, rice noodles, snap peas, and thinly sliced roast beef. The broth is just beef broth with green onions and smashed ginger. My family loved it, but I wish it tasted more like true pho. I am not dissappointed with it though! I am proud of myself for trying to make it!

The recipe didn't make very much broth for some reason....hmmmm...... I want to make this again sometime, but I might use a different recipe or just modify the recipe I used.

Anyway,that was my cooking adventure of last night! For lunch today we are hopefully going to a Chinese place in Berkeley that got good reviews on Yelp.com. I also want to check out the reading room at the Doe Library, so that should be fun! Look forward to a restaurant review later today! ;)