I have a new favorite song.

I’ve been wanting to tell you for sometime now, but I couldn’t find any food to adequately display the feelings that I have for this song.

When I hear it, I turn up the radio really loud.

I ignore my children.  If my children continue to talk to me whilst I play my hymn, I turn it up even louder, and sway my hips harder.

If they still continue to talk, I take drastic measures. I quickly jerk my head in their direction, shoot fire lasers from my eyes, and blow icy breath on them that immediately freezes their sad little bodies and momentarily handicaps them from speaking.

And even still, those measures don’t work that well. 

And heaven forbid, they try to play along, and sing with the music . . . . .my eyes are filling with tears even as I type those words. 

I do not  for one minute, think they sound cute. I do not think they will be singing superstars one day.  I do not ask them to sing it again for me.  I secretly wish they would be quiet so that I can dream about the sanctity and meaning of the words in the song (which aren’t really very sanctimonious, but its pop music, I don’t expect a lot).  And about how its probably EXACTLY how Mr. Woo feels about me. I’m sure he’d write these very words . . . .if he wrote songs. But he doesn’t. He writes code. For Computers.  Which isn’t really very romantic. Except when he brings home the pay check, and then I think, that’s love.

So anyway, here’s my song. The song that I love to listen to and dance to for at least 8 hours a day. The song that I will play over and over and over again for the next few weeks or so. Until I get so sick of it, that I throw it aside like a piece of cheap meat, when I find a new song that I wish Mr. Woo would sing to me.

Please Don’t Go – Mike Posner

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So now you’ve made it through the first half of the post, and you’re thinking what the heck does that song have to do with Pho?

Fake Pho.

Fo’ Show.

Pho Shizzle, My Nizzle.

Not a darn thing.  Except, I do ignore my children when eating this soup.  It’s soooooo good, and smooth.

Smooth, like the song.  And, if it were true authentic Pho’, it would take like 8 hours to cook, which is how long I dance to the aforementioned song.

But it’s not authentic, and it only takes like 30 minutes to make, which is why I call it Fake Pho, which is also the amount of time that I actually have to dance in any given day, not 8 hours like I lied about before.  Which makes me a Fake, not unlike the soup.  So there, see how it all connects?

Vietnamese Beef and Rice Noodle Soup (Pho – Fo’ Fake)

Ingredients:

For Soup:

1 TB olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 tsp ginger, diced
48 oz. low sodium beef stock
4 TB Fish Sauce
3 Star Anise
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 Bay Leaf
12 oz. rice noodles, cooked according to package directions
*1 pound of thinly sliced sirloin, cut into thin strips

*to cut down on time even more use roast beef lunch meat.

For Garnish:

2 bunches of scallions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Basil, chopped (H-E-B has Thai Basil)
1 1/2 cups beans sprouts
2 limes, quartered
Hot Chili Sauce, if you like it hot!

Directions:

1. In a skillet, over medium heat, add oil. When hot add onion and ginger and cook until translucent. About 5 minutes.

2. While the onions are cooking, assemble all the spices into a cheese cloth and tie.  If you don’t have a cheese cloth, that’s okay, you can just remove the spices individually after the soup has cooked.

3. Once the onions are translucent add the beef broth, fish sauce, and herb bundle. Bring to boil, and simmer for 30 minutes, partially covered.

4. Meanwhile cook the noodles according to package directions. Once cooked, place in cold water and reserve just until serving.
5. While the soup and noodles are cooking prepare garnish by placing items on a platter.
6. Once the soup has cooked for 30 minutes, add sirloin and replace cover. The hot water will cook the meat in minutes.
7. Prepare serving bowls. In each bowl place desired amount of noodles, ladle soup and meat on top. Garnish with favorite herbs, and drizzle with hot chili sauce if desired.