homemade Bánh mì

We are pretty obsessed with Bánh mì. We live in a part of town were you can get these Vietnamese/French style sandwiches anywhere and they are very addictive and usually under $3. Chase it with mango bubble tea or a sweetened iced coffee and you are in heaven. It's like a lovely fresh salad on a baguette. A few years back when Pete worked at home we bought about 2 a day. We have reduced our intake significantly since then, which is probably good.

Our go-to place recently changed owners and we just aren't feeling the love like we used to—so I made some at home, realizing we had everything we needed in the house. The traditional baguette for a Bánh mì is made with rice flour, making them wonderfully crunchy and light. We only had a normal French style baguette, but it was dang tasty nonetheless. I split it, lightly toasted it, and chopped up a little cucumber, carrot, cilantro, and jalapeno.

These are usually made with pork, but you can order tofu versions too, which is what I wanted to recreate. I added up firm tofu that I soaked in a rice vinegar/soy sauce/garlic-chili sauce marinade while I chopped up the veggies.

The special ingredient in my book is a good aioli, so I made one from scratch. I actually have serious mayonnaise aversions and always hated the stuff until I started making my own. This came about because we never used it, so I never had any on hand. When I needed some I had to make a special trip to the store. But, we always have eggs and olive oil, salt and pepper, a little lemon juice and Dijon mustard and garlic—so there you go. I feel I should write a lot more words about the glorious homemade aioli experience but I am in a room with yelling children. It tastes really good—I can type that much. It's really worth the extra 5 minutes it takes in the cuisinart. I use a recipe very similar to this one. Sometimes I add chopped herbs to it to make it all fancy. It lasts for about a week.

The sandwich.

Good stuff. Next up on my list of random things I want to make from scratch are ketchup and crackers (not to be eaten together) which I still haven't tried yet.

**Update. My dear friend (mariko) who has a propensity to remind me of my white girl status has pointed out the veggies need to be pickled. Yes, they sure do—in a rice vinegar type thing. It tastes way better that way. But dang, man—I needed to make these right away. So, this is sort of honky version.

I am tired today. I am having a mommy day. All I feel like I do is clean up food. Food that is half eaten, on the floor, and is disgusting. I have food on me, on my clothes, in my car, and probably in my hair. I love my baby, but, dang. Grammie assures me this is by far my messiest baby, so that makes me feel better, because I really don't remember this with the other girls. There have been more broken bowls and glasses in this house in the last week than ever. Since I got rid of all the plastic last year, it's been great, but baby is stronger now and sort of a chucker—so I am off to find some little enamelware bowls and cups because this is getting sort of crazy. Of course the older girls sit like sweet little old ladies using their china and having a tea party with their little cloth napkins for every meal (seriously.) making the crazy gorrilla baby antics even funnier. That baby. And have I mentioned before that both older girls have British accents? I know. People comment on it a lot. They are that strong. It's odd and mildly weird, but I love it. I blame the numerous books on tape they have with British narrators and not my personal speaking style. Ahem. (I am not Britney/Madonna, I swear!)

Comments

[Melissa]

Hey, my current make from scratch obsession is vanilla extract. All it takes is fresh vanilla beans and vodka or rum. I've been obsessively researching it lately and think I might get some started before the holiday baking season.

Yesteray I did make homemade bagels and pita bread. I'm still not the best baker in the world, I might do a lot better with the whole vodka vanilla bean thing!

[Leila]

This doesn't have anything to do with your post but I just wanted to let you know that my friend and I made your deodorant last night and it was really fun! Thanks for all of the great ideas!!

I'm sorry that your baby is so messy. It sounds quite entertaining though so at least there's that!

[arb]

Hey could you do a post about your kids and their books on tape? Which, where, when, and how? I for one would love to hear more.

[Erin]

Man, I had one of those. Now she is a messy toddler instead. Yeesh.

I second the request for more info about books on tape for kids!

[Tracy]

How hysterical that your girls have British accents. My nephew was born in London, but moved back to the US when he was 14 months old. He is 5 now. His parents are American. Inexplicably, he says some things with a British accent. It just kills us every single time!

[beth]

You should take a note from my mom--whenever my clumsy dad breaks yet another dish (at least 2 per week) she saves the broken pieces and made a mosaic on the wall behind their house. You may not have the time so much, what with the girls, but someday, that would be hilarious to show the baby.

[WiscJennyAnn]

OMG, looks sooooo good. V. hungry now! :)

[Erinthebeekeeper]

That sandwich looks delightful! We moved from Berkeley California, food capital of the universe, to Pensacola Florida last year and there is NO ETHNIC food here at all. I'm working on a vegetable curry here for lunch today and my house smells delightful. I'll blog about it later today

[caroline]

Just made ketchup for the first time a couple of weeks ago. SO EASY! Time consuming, yes, but really easy. And it is beyond yum. I don't think I will ever be able to touch the bottled stuff again!

I'd be happy to share my recipe if you'd like it.

[rebecca]

A great place to find fairy tales and original stories is storynory.com. They are free to download and, incidentally, are read by a very British woman called "Natasha."

[Stephanie]

I'm ok with cleaning up the food but some days I feel like I deal with waaay too much poop. On a separate note, bamboo is a good non-breakable alternative to plastic.

[Thien-Kim]

YUM! Being Vietnamese, I grew up on Banh Mi. There's a big Vietnamese community 45 minutes away and when we make the rare trip out there, I will buy 5 or 6 at a time. When my mom makes them at home, she used french baggettes. Char-siu marinade with your tofu would also make a good banh mi. See a recipe for it here (I buy the prepackaged mix) http://www.visualrecipes.com/recipe-details/recipe_id/119/Pork-Char-Siu---Cantonese-Style-Roasted-Pork/

[hannah]

uh. i went in here when i was in san francisco, and i didn't want to come out. be careful.

www.ichibankanusa.com

[melissa f.]

you don't have the same accent. at all. but they imitate the intonation you use with them.

damn. i should've been a linguist.

yum! paul's been making these. plus we soak the veggies in a little rice vinegar and sugar. but that's sort of mixing the salad roll with the sandwich so we might be crossing a line.

[andrew]

That looks fantastic (even with the tofu intead of the pate/sausage :) )- the homemade aioli, the pile of cilantro - I can taste it just writing that.

Buffalo is without any authentic Banh Mi options (as far as I know), which gives me the sad face.

[Elise]

Corelle plates and bowls are shatter-proof and you can usually find them in thrift stores for cheap.

[robyn]

sorry about your mommy day, but that sandwich looks amazing. and you gave me a pretty good laugh. :0)

[The Mommy]

OMG that looks soooo good. I love sushi rice rolls...not that that's what this is at all, but whenever I see cucumber and carrots cut like that my tummy rumbles. Add in marinated tofu and my heart skips a beat and I start to salivate. Excuse me, but I have to go over to my kitchen now...

[leilalu]

I save all my pretty broken things for a someday mosaic.I have so many thrifted cups that bit the dust.

[Julie]

I'll be very interesting in how your ketchup making goes. My son can't have vinegar so no pre-mixed condiments for him. Right now his "ketchup" is a dollop of organic tomato sauce - and he's cool with that. But I also want to give homemade ketchup a go.

[Laura/DaPFG]

too funny about the girls. sounds very sweet!! :)

good luck with the "food all over the place" thing...ick.

[sharon]

yum --- i love those sandwiches and don't understand why they are so cheap (it's probably more expensive to make your own .... though the quality may be better)

[Kim McBirnie]

Love the book - found your blog after buying your book (from Amazon), so good to hear that you are a normal human being! I am slightly paranoid about typing in a British accent now (with a northern twist), but think you should be glad your girls don't gravitate to the English of the 1920's when they would most certainly have expressed their frustration by exclaiming - why! Isn't that just the purple pim!

[Vonnie]

Oh jeez, I can TOTALLY share with the food everywhere thing. My car stinks, I'm sure there's some missing food stuffed somewhere that I haven't found yet. Uggghhh!

[Jiru]

Ooh, I'm so glad for this Banh mi tutorial! I love these things, but it's hard to find veggie versions. I'm also curious about your book on tape recommendations. My 4-year-old has been getting into listening to stories lately. Sometimes after reading stories, we turn off the lights and listen to another on CD.
I have made the tomato ketchup from a recipe in the Gourmet cookbook (pg. 892, 2004 version). It was so yummy! Quite different from the commercial stuff, of course, so the husband was not as keen, but I loved it!

[lissilulu]

I am cracking up; people swear they hear accents in my kids. I think it is from imitating so many movies. LOL!
These kids are crazy....

[tara schoepf]

my baby loves dirt. dirt and leaves.

[cordelia]

How funny the accents can be. It reminds me of the stretch my son went through talking just like Kipper and (the little british dogs)and said things like "can I have a go" and "It's lovely/brilliant" (for tasty). He was the funniest sounding jewish/chicano little boy you ever met. good stuff to record if you can.

[martha]

oh the messy baby thing. yes. i know how that is. my one year old likes to pick up rocks and lick off the dirt. how gross is that? my older one was very fussy about being clean when he was a baby/toddler, so it is very strange for me with the messiness.

also, my niece used to say certain things with a british accent from the videos she would watch (like Kippa or Tiga). Cute in a little kid, not so cute in an adult. I think it is weird when adults spontaneously speak in a different accent.

[Amy]

Yum!! We are going to Vietnam and Cambodia in January and you are getting me SO PSYCHED about food! I'm going to have to try this at one of the umpteen Vietnamese places in my town before I go. (Of course, I have been warned by a Vietnamese person that Vietnamese food is way better here than there, because we use much higher quality ingredients, but still!)

[Sherah]

I just have to speak up for Madonna here. I always thought it was weird that she picked up a British accent and then I moved to Israel and realized that it happens! My family and friends always comment on my funny accent. I call friends and they talk to me like I am a stranger because they don't recognize me. It's funny how exposure to an accent can change you. I'm living proof.

[Grace]

That British accent thing is cracking me up! I had one when I was a child, as well, but I outgrew it. (No, I am not British, nor are any of my relatives. It was some thing I developed, apparently like your children!)

We have never had Banh mi, but now I am going to try to track some down. Excellent.

[poptart or popart]

crazy gorrilla baby antics... I love it. When my youngest was a babie she was so dainty with her food, she did not even do the first birthday cake messy face :( My sweet niece on the oher hand... ugh. We gave her peas and she painted the walls with them. Never tell people that the stain on the wall is pea, they misunderstand.

[Elizabeth Holcombe]

We have MANY of the Vietnamese sandwich places here in the Wash., DC area. There is one within walking distance of my house. For $2.35 I order the shrimp/sugarcane sandwich. Delish! Thanks for the recipe!~~~XXOO, Beth

[Nicole]

That sounds like the best sandwich ever! I am going to have to try it. I love fresh cilantro. Num.

I have a dirty messy 14mo. He is a fabulous and easy going kid, but he is so much more messy than his brother. I don't get how that happens. He is a thrower too. He can chuck baby carrots farther than most people and they hurt when they hit you in the head. It is nice to know I am not the only mom with food crusted on to me, my child, and every part of our dining room

[Rachel]

My youngest is a chucker too. She throws everything and we don't know why.

Incidentally, my 5 year old went through a phase for like six months where she spoke in a british accent all the time. It was hilarious!

[Virginia]

My introduction to Vietnamese food was through a Bánh mì shop. I saw the Eiffel Tower on the awning and thought I would be getting French food, so the whole shop was a surprise. I got an iced coffee and a bbq pork sandwich, and I sat on a stool at the window, staring out at Broadway Ave. (in Chicago) and musing on how weird and good it was.

Then the owner tapped my shoulder. He had a tray covered in tiny paper condiment cups.

"Open you mouf," he said.

And he fed me little bites of about 15 different things. I still don't know what most of those were, but I have loved Vietnamese food ever since.

(There is nothing better than pho with plenty of siracha when you have a bad cold, as I'm sure you know.)

[Beth]

The line "crazy gorilla baby" made me laugh out loud. Thanks. I needed that.

[hillary]

yay! tim and I have been griping that we have no interesting lunch options. we're totally going to make these.

and you are cracking me up with your british girls. I am going to need to hear that! get your flip out. oscar talks like jabba the hut. not quite so sophisticated.

[Stacie Smith]

So funny. Hey, do you have a vegetarian cookbook recommendation? Not sure if you are veggi, but thought it worth a try. Thanks

[jan]

yum!

[Katie]

Oh, please let us know what you come up with for plates/bowls, etc. My daughter is 13 months old and I am having the same dilemma - what to do other than plastic? I thought of stainless steel and wood but haven't actually found anything yet....

[beverley]

LOVE LOVE LOVE those sandwiches!

A friend and I would get them for under 3 bucks in Montreal. She called me years later while driving through Montreal for directions on how to get one!!!

I sent her your recipe, she will be in heaven! (and I am too!)

[Christine]

Oh my. I totally hear you about the messy baby. My daughter is 14 months and loves to throw food everywhere!!! Even if she's hungry and I give her food that I know she likes, she has to have some kind of ceremonial fling(!) before she'll get down to the business of eating the good stuff. Gramma came over for lunch one day and looked at me in disbelief...she couldn't believe the mess. Until I finally got off my lazy rear, one wall on in our kitchen had food stains and smears from random throwing episodes. I hear you. Oh yes, I hear you!

[kimberly]

Ah, the plate chucking baby. I know how embarrassing that is for you, the parent, I've been there. We were terrified to take our daughter to resturants when she was younger out of fear we'd be buying broken plates. ;~) Thankfully, this phase will pass. Hang in there!

BTW, how did you get your girls to eat so properly? I'm so jealous.

[aprintaday]

i could eat a vietnamese sandwich every single day of my life (aside from salted caramel ice cream). they are so so good.

[purple petunia]

my oldest daughter speaks with a British accent when she's feeling extra formal or grown up. It makes laugh (but oh so silently because she is not to be laughed at these days...)

[melissa s.]

i hear ya on the messy baby thing. ikea has some little ceramic bowls that are like 48 cents each. we go through quite a few but i love them.

btw - i tried your paneer cheese recipe with noris milk yesterday and it was awesome. i'd highly recommend noris!

[cheryl]

OK, I've been reading for a few weeks now, but this post has brought me out. We're also "having a day" here, but it turns it's because the munchkins all have fevers... humph... explains a lot. Much to my MIL chagrin, we've filled the day with movies and tub time, and luckily, long naps. I'm countin' the minutes until I can throw them both back into bed only a few more... guess I should feed them too.

Oh, and the real reason--yeah right!!--that I'm writing is that I have an awesome ketchup recipe that I'm getting ready to make and can myself, if you'd like me to share. ;-)

[Mary]

Oh Gosh! This is the first time that I've seen someone blog about Vietnamese Banh Mi. I had some in Seattle and I absolutely love it. Vietnamese food is definately on my favourite list. Shame they don't sell them here in London.

Mary

[wroxton]

I have never heard of banh mi sandwiches with tofu but my favorite is banh mi tit nuoung which have grilled marinated pork. You can also put grilled marinated chicken but the classic cha lua (Vietnamese style bologne) with pate is always a treat. BTW, the only thing that is picked is the carrot and daikon. Now, I want a sandwich.

[Maribel]

Ritz crackers, peanut butter, ketchup and a slice of onion...yum! I swear you wont barf. I nearly vomited when I first heard it from an itty bitty old woman I worked with, but she gave me one and I loved it.

My kids and I listen to Harry Potter every night as part of our nightly wind down ritual...and we spend many days speaking with a British accent. We also watch Billy Elliot a lot and we end up talking with that Cogney (sp?) accent they use. So much fun.

[Holly]

It's good to hear you be so real about being a mom. I can definitely relate and it makes reading your blog that much more enjoyable for me. Thanks.

[Megan]

Ah yes, the mommy day!! Hang in there! Random note: I have a friend who bought all plastic Christmas ornaments last year because the year before they bought their son a baseball bat for xmas. He then proceeded to smash ALL the glas ornaments when they weren't looking. (I think he was 2?) Anyways, those plastic ornaments actually looked like glass! Random sidenote, I know.

[Nancy]

Oh, my youngest is a thrower. A really hard, sudden thrower. Like you don't know when to expect a serious, hard toss. My poor daughter (his older sister) once had a bloody forehead gouge after being pegged with a block by her brother. Oh, and company was visiting, of course. And they thought we were all wild hellians. What's a little blood when you have kids? I believe my girl kissed her brother, with blood dripping between her eyes, and said, "Don't throw stuff at me, OK?" --Nancy in NC (PS--How can I force British accents upon my kids?! Fess up!)

[d. Sharp]

Our house is so hooked on those sammies. Best Baguette on 82nd.

[Emily]

I actually knew a girl in college who still occasionally sported a Julie Andrews style accent for some inexplicable reason--she was totally from North Carolina.

[Spare Ribbon]

That is so cool! I love that you have something as unique as Banh Mi.

[Kathryn Louis]

The honkey version...You crack me up!

My son decided he wouldlike to take up voice acting, so we have all sorts of very loud but hilarious (sometimes British)voices out of him.

[Tanesa]

Hi. I enjoyed reading your post but felt some sympathetic pain for you too when you were talking about your messy little girl. Sometimes I read your posts and think that you must have a perfect life with all your crafts and cooking and fun, but of course (slapping myself on the forehead), your life is not perfect. No one's is. I don't have any little ones running around, but I do have two stepchildren, eleven and thirteen, who aren't always wonderful to be around. I guess we just have to find little ways to brighten our days so that life doesn't seem so darn hard! Thank you for keeping up with this blog. Sometimes it helps to brighten my day! I really enjoy it.

[Venus de Hilo]

Homemade crackers are EASY and delish!. I use the "lavash" recipe from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grains Cookbook, sprinkled "lavashly" with mixed seeds: caraway, poppy, white and black sesame. Takes some determination to get them rolled out thin, but is doable. I roll out round on parchment paper, slice with the pizza cutter, and bake 'em on my pizza stone.

[Magda]

Oh my lord, YUM -- we're lucky enough to have Vietnamese food in abundance here in Melbourne (Aus) and it is SO GOOD.

And don't worry, my big girl used to get canned for having a US accent, and that was before she even watched any significant amount of US kids' shows. I blame it on her American grandpa.

[Deb]

Oh, I must beg you to tell me how you find the time for all this cleverness and fabulousness with the homeade things. Please..is it sheer will power or do you have a manservant in the backround I don't notice. I am living vicariously through you. My son wants me to teach him to sew so he can make his own boxer shorts (?) and there was your mouth-watering book on the counter at the lovely fabric/mill store. So home with me it went and I read every page last night. Thank you for all the lovely food ideas and the curiousity - I get my angry chicken fix daily and I need it. Sorry, I'm a blathering poster but all this lurking has me a bit pent up out here in Massachusetts.

[cathy]

Amy, please do a service for us poor readers and post the ketchup recipes offered?

Darn you for the sandwich tutorial. Must have that now.

Cordelia mentioned Kipper and accents so I'll pursue further. We love Kipper over here. I asked thee-year-old E, "Who is Kipper's friend?"

"TarGar."

"Oh, yeah... Tiger."

"No, Mom, Tahr Gahr."

"Yeah, right... Tiger."

"No, Mom.. Tahr Gahr. Can't you hear me?"

[Lisa lynch]

Your sandwich looks delicious, I have an 11 year old daughter we call mess maker, it looks like she threw a grenade in the house everyday.......hang in there! It gets worse, then your nerves are shot and you kindof just throw in the towel and clean as you go.....

[Jaimee Drew]

Oh, you just crack me up with your dainty ladies and your monkey-child. I love it!

[momsmess]

I'll trade you the British accent for the decidedly Bostonian accent that my children seem to be picking up! We have only been here a couple of months and all R's seem to have been removed from their vocabulary.

[Jacquie]

Wow! I want to make those sammies tomorrow for dinner. Is it possible to share your rice vinegar/soy sauce/garlic-chili sauce ratio? I'm terrible at winging that kind of thing. Thanks for sharing!!

[b kinch]

That looks so so so good. Reminds me of these sandwiches you can get in Eugene called Cart de Frisco. Only those are made with grilled marinated chicken and pickled vegetables. Heaven.

[Jess]

Love the thing abt the accents. My kids are obsessively into some of their books on tape that are narrated by brits as well (I think we have a robin hood and peter pan from a DK series narrated both in heavy accents-- and probably a few more) I always wonder if they'll pick it up--- or if it will just come out later in life in a few words---
also understand messy children-- my son leaves droppings all over the house-- he picks up a toy-- walks with it, drops it, grabs something else. We're working on the messy eating as well and have made progress.. but not much.

[Lam]

Oh my gosh, I'm Vietnamese and your banh mi is still way more authentic than I could whip up in my own kitchen--you know, that place where I spend all day making food, chasing children around trying to put said food in their mouths, cleaning up and repeating the process until I collapse from repetitive cooking strain!

[Barbara]

Sometimes I feel like my life constantly revolves around my kids and food. Fixing it, fixing more, cleaning it up, throwing it away uneaten, talking about what they want to eat, cleaning it off of them and myself, washing dishes, not to mention the variety of cooking and canning I'm doing these days to take advantage of all the seasonal produce. I love to cook, really I do--and I love to cook with my kids. But sometimes I do long for a take-out pizza--which pleases everyone and creates no dishes.

p.s. I saw enamelware dishes on clearance at World Market yesterday.

[Nancy]

i too am curious about the books on tape.
i feel your messy baby pain. it's frustrating.
oh, and the yelling - my 2 year old yells a lot these days

[Cheryl]

Okay, just a short note to say I check your blog everyday. You always have something interesting to share, but today just made me laugh out loud. As I read, I was getting a visual in my head. The phrase "baby gorilla antics" just cracked me up! Neither of my kids were chuckers, but I have seen kids who are and while I can't sympathize with you, I can empathize. So, I am not laughing at you, but with you. If you can write about it, there is some funnyness in it to you, right?
That sandwich looked interesting. I have never had Vietnamese food.

[erinn Johnson]

I just read something about these sandwiches, they are the new "it" sandwich.

[Julie]

I loved my messy babies! They are old now, 28,24 and 22. All boys, but when I look at photos of them they usually had food on their faces, wild hair, shirt on backwords and rubber boots and shorts. It was a wonderful time in my life, and hopefully in theirs!

[Taryn]

I had to laugh at the British accents. My son had a Boston accent for the longest time (he even called my Mudda) and he's born and raised in Texas by a mother that's born and raised in Texas and a father that has lived in Texas for about 20 years and never even been to Boston. LOL Who knows where it comes from but we thought it was funny. 80)

[Jenny]

Hooray for British accents! My older daughter often sports one during play - we have no idea where she picked it up, either!

[Karyn Hlad Miller]

My daughter watched Kipper so much that she will also say certain words with a British accent. It's too cute.
I also feel like all I do is pick up food. And things. Things all over the house. And shop for more food. And pick up the food...

[Holly]

Hi! I found this site today, and checked out this:
http://veganyumyum.com/2008/07/smokey-miso-tofu/
See what you think!

[travelingmama]

Oh my gosh- I can SO identify with the messes and the constant cleaning up. I miss my dishwasher so much!! Oh, and your sandwich looks so fresh and delish!

[Nell]

Bahn mi are so good!!! We discovered them by accident one time in a very bad part of SF. But I've been hooked ever since. Thanks for the crash course in making them.

[Louise]

Thank you for this recipe! I LOVE Bahn Mi-- especially the tofu version-- and I am so excited to try this at home!

[Lisa]

Ok, sandwich looks good. However, this is my very weird question - Could that be a tiny snippet of a Reinstein / Ross ring I see on your left hand. Wierd huh?

I just got one and noticed your ring looks very similar.

[Deanna]

My MIL is Vietnamese, and my hubby said he's never heard of these sandwiches. Are they regional? Now rice bowls I LOVE.

I "had a day" yesterday. Didn't think I'd make it to the end. And then it got worse. I have a messy 19 month old, and some days. . .Good luck!

[kristan martin]

Oh my gosh, I used to eat these when I lived in city...I had forgotten all about these, thanks for the reminder. They are SO good and I'm going to make some!!

[kat]

yum! original or honky - they both sound delicious.

we listen to many audio books read by brits, as well as watch many brit-coms, so we have the same thing here. my 10yo has a slight accent, & phrases things more british than american.

[cheryl]

Get a dog! Seriously, it really cuts down on the cleaning up of baby/toddler messy food. It works especially well when they are big enough to jam their head in the highchair to get every last crumb or pea.

[sonja]

I have four boys and would love a messy baby girl. The boys are between 6 and 12, and I'm still wearing there food; and cleaning it off the floor, and counters, and none of them can aim at anything so small as a toilet. Thank your luck stars, a messy baby girl may grow up to be a slighty slopy tom-boy, but a messy baby boy will become a slob. lol. maybe.

[Lin]

Wow! I stumbled upon your blog while searching for 'dish towel aprons'. Yours are fabulous, but what I really wanted to say was that my dd & I regularly borrow 'Bend-the-rules Sewing' from our local library! In fact, I plan to purchase it for her birthday. So happy to have found your blog.

[liz]

Looks delicious. Homemade catsup sounds interesting.

[jeanetta]

I have become such a fanatic about searching out high fructose corn syrup in the lists of ingredients. And finding an inexpensive ketchup without it is proving to be impossible. I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for your recipe when you find one.

[berry]

I love reading your blog! Will be checking backing often!

[Aim]

Wow, that looks incredible. I've never had one of those, but I imagine it is like the vegie and cheese sandwich my Turkish friend taught me to make a few years ago.

I'm salivating.

[The Homely Animal]

Not only have I never tried this, I've never heard of it. I think it's definately time for me to plan a lunch!

http://homelyanimal.blogspot.com

[Denise]

That looks amazing! I am going to have to try this!

[TheKidsAreAlight]

You can great Banh Mi all over Sydney. where they are made with 3-4 different types of Pork products. They are so good. I also had a similar roll in Cambodia which was rather tasty. Unfortunately it is very hard to find them in London. Altbough I heard a rumour that the Vietnamese supermarkets on Mare St Hackney do sell them.

[heather]

The sandwich looks delish. And kudos on the homemade mayo. Once you start making ketchup, you'll never go back.

My current obsession is cream cheese and hot pepper jelly on crackers, so I'm on the hunt for good cracker recipes. Please show and tell.

I canned lots of the jelly to give as gifts this Christmas, but at this rate there may not be any left for gifts.

Hugs for your messy, gorilla baby. Mine turned into a messy, gorilla 5-year-old. He's no longer a chucker, but it sure is easy to spot his place at the table.

[Misty]

I nanny for a little british boy and he always says "straight away." Misty "we've got to take care of that straight away." mind you he's two.. you should have your girls say that... it's fun with accent... might as well enjoy it while it lasts!

[jen corace]

i have had my share of banh mi in my life and it is the best.

in seattle there is a sandwich shop (the baguette box) that makes a version w/ coconut braised tofu. my local coffee shop used to carry them and i would spend my week alternating where i would get my sandwich (coffee shop one day, original shop the next then back to the coffee shop) so that no one would know how big my sandwich love problem was.

i highly recommend the braised tofu.