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goji berry tabletsThe Gentle Art of Poaching

Delicate proteins like fish and eggs respond well to kind treatment, like being cooked in liquid kept just below boiling point. Poached, in other words.

The principle is the same in every case - keep the liquid simmering; don't let it boil; be patient.

For eggs, it works like this:

Put an inch of water in the bottom of a saut� pan (which is a skillet with high sides) and bring it to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and add some salt and a tablespoon of vinegar, which helps to hold the egg white together.

The liquid is simmering when the surface seems to quiver without any bubbles breaking.

Now crack a very fresh egg into a saucer or similar shallow dish, and then slide it gently into the water. It will take about five minutes to cook.

You can serve it straight away by lifting it out with a slotted spatula and resting it briefly on some kitchen towel to drain off excess water.

You can also drop it into iced water to keep for later. Once again you've prepared something in advance which is there when you need it.

You can reheat poached eggs, by the way. Just lower them into hot water for about half a minute.

Fish

If eggs, why not fish?

No reason at all. You can poach fish in exactly the same way, using water, wine, stock or milk. Solid fish like cod respond best to this treatment, but any fish can be cooked in the same way.

And now for the smart bit :0) If you pre-heat the poaching liquid, put the fish in a shallow tray, add the liquid and put the whole lot under a hot broiler, you will achieve a number of things;

A slight 'crust' on top of the fish

The flesh will remain beautifully moist

It will cook through evenly

You can remove the fish from under the broiler and keep it warm in the cooking liquid until you are ready to serve it.

Now take the next step up in excellence - poached salmon or trout for lunch!

First you'll need something to cook it in. A fish kettle is ideal of course, but expensive for a dish you may not cook that often. I use a large, oval casserole dish that will also cook pot roasts, whole chickens and so on.

Whole fish are easily poached in a bouillon made up of water (enough to cover the fish), some slices of onion, two or three peppercorns, a bay leaf and some vermouth. How much? How much do you like vermouth?

About a wine glass full.

Now bring all this to the boil on top of the stove, turn off the heat, slide the cleaned fish into the hot liquid, cover and leave overnight. In the morning it will be perfectly cooked.

Lifting the fish out can sometimes be a little tricky, but with care you can manage it. I use my hands and I strongly advise you to do the same. It's much easier to spread your fingers under the fish than a rigid spatula.

You'll find the skin peels off easily and you can dress the fish with cucumber or mayonnaise or whatever takes your fancy. So simple. Such a stunning result.

And don't forget to make your own mayonnaise which, as everyone knows, is a very tricky thing to do.

Don't believe a word of it. Forget the stories you may have heard and follow me (as well as Keith Floyd who taught me this trick).

Put two eggs in the goblet of a blender. Add a pinch of salt and a dessertspoon of vinegar. Switch on.

With the motor running, drizzle the oil of your choice (I use grape-seed oil) into the top of the blender until you achieve the required result. You'll use about half a pint of oil. If the mixture is too thick, simply add a little hot water and whisk again.

Tip: Avoid olive oil! Yes I know what it says in the recipe books and if you like mayonnaise with a bitter flavor, ignore me. But I promise you your guests will not be asking for seconds if you do :0)

Michael Sheridan is an acknowledged authority and published writer on cooking matters. His website at http://thecoolcook.com contains a wealth of information, hints, tips and recipes for busy home cooks.

Hanoi Street Foods

We live in a part of Hanoi euphemistically called the Old French Quarter and we often see bewildered westerners, maps in hand, searching for vestiges of colonial grandeur. Many old villas remain but a lot are hidden behind tacked-on shop fronts. Some have been turned into glitzy restaurants, and there are crumbling gems that need skilled restoration.

It's an area where middle class Vietnamese are hastily remodeling their houses to suit western tenants, where swathes of homes are erased to make way for high-rise luxury apartments.

It's also an area of culinary delights. If you have the money you can dine in places that have menus in English and where knives and forks are as ubiquitous as chopsticks - but it's also an epicurean cornucopia if you want to eat with the locals.

It would take a thick volume to include all the delicious, and usually cheap, Vietnamese eating places within easy walking distance, so for now I'll choose a few spots in the immediate vicinity.

Let's start with breakfast. Just around the corner from Quang Trung St., in Ngo Van So St., Mrs. Hoa sits next to her large basket of xoi (sticky rice). Her produce is popular and sells out quickly. One thousand dong will buy a tasty dollop but it's so moreish that it's better to get two. She spoons the warm sticky rice on to a banana leaf and offers to pile shredded dried pork or spiced sesame salt and crushed peanuts on top.

You can either squat on the pavement to eat it, or walk halfway down Ngo Van So St and have it with Vietnamese coffee at Xa Me coffee house, run for and by the street kids and orphans who live above it.

Coffee here is amongst the best in Hanoi and comes as a strong short black (cafe den), with ice (den da), hot with condensed milk (cafe sua), milky with ice (sua da) or, most delicious, yoghurt and ice (sua chua danh da cafe). If you're ice phobic (as you should be in lots of Vietnamese venuse), then stick to cafe nong (hot). A good coffee will cost VND5,000 and VND5,000 more for yoghurt.

Across the road in the alley are Mrs. Sam's and Mrs Hong's pho bo (beef noodle soup) stalls. By 6 am both cooks are sitting beside bubling couldrons slicing fresh beef and onions. For the novice, all I can say is go, sit, watch the preparation ceremony and order a bowl. If you're unsure about how to eat it, just do as the locals do. When you've finished, hand the cook VND10,000.

Truong Han Sieu St has a plethora of street sellers, both legal (those who pay a People's Committee rental for a metre or so of pavement) and illegal (the women who wander the street with baskets on shoulder poles or the back of bikes). If you are buying from one of the latter and it's a police hassle day, you may end up chasing your fleeing vendor to get your change. Today we could buy bananas, guavas, custard apples, longans, jackfruit, watermelon, grapefruit, oranges, dragon fruit, limes, passionfruits, peaches, persimmons, plums and pomegranates, imported grapes, apples and fuji pears... all within 50 metres. If you're a tay (westerner) you'll be fleeced a bit, but generally for any seasonal fruit expect to pay an inflated VND15,000 to VND20,000 a kilo.

Even if you're not that hungry, buy a fresh, warm breal roll from the lady who trots around the streets balancing a basket nearly as big as herself on her head calling "mi nong nao" (delicious hot bread). VND1,000 is all it takes to receive the morning's widest smile.

That's breakfast, but there's still lunch, dinner and a latenight snack to go. We might have to continue our neighbourhood food ramble in future issues. Mind you, our mouthwatering area is replicated in different guises and dishes throughout Hanoi.

Resource: BuzzVietnam.com - Vietnam travel, things to do, life, culture, beauty spots

Hanoi street foods!

Goji Berries- The Anti-Aging Wonder Food

Goji berries are one of the most nutritionally dense foods on earth and house a staggering concentration of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, phytochemicals and essential fatty acids. Originating in Tibet and greatly favored in traditional medicine, these scarlet berries have a mild sweet flavor mid that of a cherry and a cranberry. Aside their many noted health benefits (from boosting immunity, lowering cholesterol, and enhancing vision to fighting cancer cells, relieving depression and aiding weight loss) goji berries are touted anti-aging marvels and are one Hollywood�s hottest new foods. One look at their awesome constitution and it�s easy to see why.

Goji berries contain a remarkable amount of vitamin C, 500 times more than oranges by weight, making them the second richest source on the planet after the camu camu berry. They are also the most abundant source of carotenoids on earth, containing more beta-carotene than carrots making them a superb source of vitamin A.

In addition, this mighty fruit contains B vitamins (B1, B2 and B6), vitamin E and 21 minerals and trace minerals including zinc, iron, phosphorus, calcium, copper, germanium and selenium. They also house a wide range of amino acids (18) which include all the 8 essentials as well as efficacious polysaccharides that excel at strengthening the immune system. One such polysaccharide stimulates the secretion of the rejuvenating human growth hormone by the pituitary gland.

The most well documented case of longevity is that of Li Qing Yuen, who lived to the age of 252. Born in 1678, he is said to have given a lecture at the age of 200 at the University of Beijing, and had married 14 times with 11 generations of posterity before his death in 1930. Li Qing Yuen reportedly consumed goji berries daily.

A study cited in Dr. Mindell�s book �Goji: The Himalayan Health Secret�, observed that 67 per cent of elderly people that were given a daily dose of the berries for 3 weeks experienced dramatic immune system enhancement (T cell transformation functions tripled and the activity of interleukin-2 doubled). Further more, the spirit and optimism of all significantly increased, appetite improved in 95 per cent of the patients, 95 per cent slept better, and 35 per cent partially recovered their sexual function.

Goji berries are one of the highest antioxidant foods on the planet, with an ORAC score (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity - a measurement used by the US Department of Agriculture for total antioxidant capacity) of 18,500, way above other fruits and veggies (blueberries, for example, having 2,200 ORAC units). Antioxidants are known for their anti-aging and disease-fighting properties by subjugating the attack of hazardous free radicals in the body.

Superoxide is one such free radical implicated in the onset and progression of aging and disease, and is neutralized by the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD). As we age our bodies production of this important antioxidant declines, yet goji berries have been shown to greatly increase it's presence in the body.

Dr. Richard Cutler, a biophysicist at the National Institute of Aging has shown that the life span of many mammalian species, including man were found to be directly proportional to the amount or SOD contained in the cells. The animals with the longest life spans were found to have the highest levels of SOD. SOD acts as a cellular anti-oxidant, protecting against radiation and chemical free-radicals from pollution, as well as acting as an anti-inflammatory agent and preventing cellular damage following heart attacks.

The polysaccharides in this fruit are powerful immune-boosting agents which also contribute to the anti-aging virtues of this auspicious berry.

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