Hot, Steamy Pho

Well, this cold snap has me thinking of cozy fires, hot chocolate and warm soup, which got me thinking about Pho (pronounced Fuh).

Bloor West in our 'hood, as you know, has a profusion of fantastic Asian restaurants, so I was embarassed to confess to my sister, who lives in Ottawa, that I didn't know what Pho was when she asked me. She was introduced to it in our capital city and is a big fan.

Basically, Pho is Vietnamese noodle soup, but that's a deceptively simple description. A hot broth containing noodles and tissue-paper thin slices of beef (or other meat) arrives at your table and you add ingredients to it. The meat cooks right then and there in the broth, flavoured with the ingredients you choose, which generally arrive looking beautiful and smelling divine: bean sprouts, fresh basil, fresh mint, chilies, lime, etc.

I guarantee that as it cooks and the flavours mingle, the steamy scent will be enough to warm your bones on even the chilliest day. It also is an incredibly cheap lunch or dinner.

My sister and I decided to make our own Pho during the Holidays. It's easy to find a recipe and many of the ingredients, including the hard-to-find, very thinly sliced beef, are available at the large P.A.T. Central Market at Bloor and Manning.

If you've never been in one of these Korean supermarket chain stores, it's worth a visit just to soak up the sights, smells and sounds. I've found some items at P.A.T. that I previously ventured down to Chinatown to obtain.

Cheers,
Vanessa