Over a year and a half ago, while I was still living in Saigon, I was tapped by the producers of Rick Stein’s Far Eastern Odyssey to appear on a segment they were taping in Vietnam. I wasn’t hip to Mr. Stein’s culinary accomplishments at the time, but was glad to be of service. After all, sharing the virtues of Vietnamese food is easily one of my favorite things to do.
The show finally aired on BBC Two in the U.K. last month, and the above clip features a little glimpse of yours truly—Thanks to Graham of Noodlepie for digging it up on You Tube. I always get a kick out of meeting bloggers in real life or seeing their mugs revealed, so I thought I’d share this little snippet with you.
Julia Moskin investigates the exciting evolution of the humble bánh mìin her latest article, “Building on Layers of Tradition.” I’m stoked to be included in the piece and am excited to share withNew York Times readers the awesomeness that is the Vietnamese sandwich. Without further ado, explore the art of bánh mìon gas•tron•o•my.
Last Sunday, I met up with the crew from Rick Stein‘s Far Eastern Odyssey at Ben Thanh Market to tape a segment for their episode on Vietnam. I introduced Rick to bánh hỏi thịt nướng (steamed vermicelli rice noodle cakes with grilled pork) and bún chạo tôm (fresh vermicelli rice noodles with shrimp paste and sugarcane). Both were hits!
The most interesting aspect of the taping was seeing how these travel and food shows that I enjoy so much are made. There was no prep beforehand and we pretty much did everything on the fly, which was casual and not the least bit nerve wracking. However, if Rick or I said something noteworthy or funny, we had to repeat it a second and third time so that every angle was properly captured on film. Who would’ve thought?
This episode is one in a series of six about food in the “far east” and will air in 2009. Since it’s a BBC show, it will most likely not air in America. Fortunately, I will be receiving a DVD. Woot.
