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My foreigner friend asked me about:
"Please send me 2 of your favourite Vietnamese recipes. Tell me what they are called, what ingredients are needed, how long it takes to prepare and it's nutirtional contribution to health. Also tell me what is Vietnamese national dish and costume. Thanks for your help. "
I am not good at this feild so that I want your help. Please help me.
Thanks

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longceo@yahoo.com

http://www.epicurious.com/s97is.vts?action=filtersearch&filter=recipe-filter.hts&collection=Recipes&ResultTemplate=recipe-results.hts&queryType=and&keyword=vietnamese
VIETNAMESE-STYLE SPRING ROLLS WITH SHRIMP
Wrapped foods, such as the Vietnamese spring roll, the Filipino lumpia and the Chinese egg roll, have a long history in Asian cooking and are hot items right now all across America. The lime juice, ginger, cilantro, cucumber and mint in this recipe are found in the cuisines of all Southeast Asian countries. Round out this dinner with hot or iced jasmine tea and cold Thai beer.
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
16 uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups hot water
8 6-inch-diameter Vietnamese spring-roll sheets
4 small Bibb lettuce leaves, halved
1/2 cup thin strips green onions
1/2 cup thin strips seeded peeled cucumber
4 teaspoons minced fresh mint leaves
Mix first 4 ingredients in small bowl. Set dipping sauce aside.
Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add ginger; sauté until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add shrimp and cilantro; sauté until shrimp are just cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour hot water into large bowl. Using tongs, dip 1 spring-roll sheet in water 5 seconds. Remove from water; place on wet towel. Let stand 30 seconds (spring-roll sheet should be soft and pliable; if still stiff, sprinkle with more water).
Place half of lettuce leaf across top third of spring-roll sheet. Arrange 4 shrimp halves on lettuce. Top with 1 tablespoon each of green onions and cucumber. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon mint over filling. Fold sides of spring-roll sheet over ends of filling. Starting at filled side, roll into cylinder. Place on plate. Repeat with remaining spring-roll sheets, lettuce, shrimp, green onions, cucumber and mint. Serve with sauce.
Serves 4 as an appetizer.


Bon Appétit
January 1998
http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=4626

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National dish:
http://www.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=462
VIETNAMESE BEEF SOUP
Called pho in Vietnam, this unusual soup is a wonderful party centerpiece dish for an informal gathering. Start out by supplying everyone with a large soup bowl and a ladle. Place the soup tureen in the middle of the table. Have each guest take a generous helping of noodles first, then some meat and broth. Each serving is topped off with shredded lettuce, sliced green onion and a squeeze of lemon juice.
8 ounces bean thread noodles*
10 cups canned beef broth
2 medium onions, thickly sliced
4 1/2-inch-thick slices fresh ginger (about 1 1/4 ounces)
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)*
3 large garlic cloves, halved
2 star anise*
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 pound flank steak, trimmed, thinly sliced crosswise
1 head romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Lemon wedges
*Bean thread noodles (clear dried noodles, also known as cellophane or transparent noodles), fish sauce (nam pla) and star anise are sold at Asian markets and in the Asian section of some supermarkets.
Bring large pot of water to boil. Remove from heat. Add noodles to pot; let stand until tender and pliable, about 15 minutes. Drain. Using scissors, cut noodles into 2-inch lengths. Transfer to bowl.
Combine beef broth, sliced onions, sliced ginger, fish sauce, garlic, star anise and whole cloves in heavy large Dutch oven and bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes. Strain broth into large bowl; discard solids. (Noodles and broth can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate. Bring noodles to room temperature before continuing.) Return beef broth to Dutch oven and bring to boil. Remove beef broth from heat. Mix steak slices into broth (the hot broth will cook steak slices).
Place noodles, soup, sliced lettuce, sliced green onions and lemon wedges in center of table. Spoon noodles, steak slices and broth into large soup bowls, then top with generous amounts of sliced lettuce and green onions and squeeze in lemon juice.
Serves 8.


Bon Appétit
March 1995

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http://www.vnequation.de/forum/index.php?board=9;action=display;threadid=138
http://www.huongviet.com/cards/aodai/
http://www.ksvn.com/aodai/index_new.htm
The northern-4-flap dress is Vietnam's first "ao dai", only worn on the occasion of the Tet festival. The brown dress with the two fore-flaps tied together and let dangling matches with satin trousers and silk belts. Then the 4 flap dress has been modified into a 3-flap one: the collar being 2 cm high, the sleeves wrapping tightly to the wrists, breast and waist of main flaps, there is also a minor flap reaching down to the fringe. Buttons are made of plaited cloth and buttoned on the side. The collar is turned up obliquely to let appear three color ( or 7 colors ) of the dress. The outermost layer is of brown silk or a kind of black gauze, followed by light yellow, pink, lemon green, and sky-blue... multicolored ones...., attractive yet decent, discrete and harmonious...
Following the Europeanization wave in 1935, Lemur Nguyen Cat Tuong's "modern ao dai" made its apparition. It had puffed out shoulders, cuffed sleeves, a round collar cut breast-deep and laced, a corrugated fringe made of joined cloth of different colors and gaudily laced.
During the the 1939-1945 period there was a conflict on a esthetic concept, resulting in the restoration of the tra***ional ao dai. Young girls' collar was from 4 cm to 7 cm high, the roundness of which was ensured by a stipt starching, the flaps were of a broad width and of a 1958 and the beginning of 1959, Madam Ngo Dinh Nhu's low-necked, decollete ao dai was launched.
At the beginning of 1971, the raglan-sleeve ao dai renovated by Mrs. Tuyet Mai overcame the wrinkling short comings at the shoulders and the armpits.
From the early 1970's to 1975 it was the period at mini and hippy ao dai widely worn with tights and flares until 1989. The first ao dai beauty contest was restored under the communist regime since 1975 and the tra***ional ao dai returned to its suave beauty of old times. All young ladies were encouraged to wear the white ao dai to school which has been banned since 1975 after the falling of Sai Gon. All such contests as school beauty, sports beauty has been organized everywhere in the country, ao dai is the main category in these contests. Now only the Tien Phong Newspaper beauty contest is considered the official national contest and who is crowned from this contest become the national beauty queen and she will represent the country in all diplomatic occasions. This contest has been official started in 1992 and repeated every two year sine then ( 1994, 1996, 1998).
Ha Kieu Anh, Miss Vietnam 1992-1993
Nguyen Thu Thuy, Miss Vietnam 1994-1995
Nguyen Thien Nga, Miss Vietnam 1996-1997 (to view more)
Nguyen Thi Dong Khanh, Miss Vietnam 1998-1999
The year 1995 was the crowing year for the national ao dai. Truong Quynh Mai's ao dai was chosen the most beautiful national apparel in Tokyo... The 1995 renovated ao dai model suits well modern times, and is more beautiful at it's tightened at the breast, waist and back, its collar evenly circling round from 4 cm to 7 cm high, the sleeves just tighten the arms.
Velvet ao dai, embroidered, painted and printed with flower pattern have created even more exquisite beauty features allowing Vietnam's ao dai to take off ever higher.

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A lasting impression for any visitor to Vietnam is the beauty of Vietnamese women dressed in their Ao Dais. These long flowing dress worn over loose-fitting trousers are considered to be Vietnamese women's national dresses.
Early versions of the Ao Dai date back to 1744, when men and women to wear an ensemble of trouser and gown that buttoned down the front. Although popular, men wore it less often than women, and generally only on ceremonial occasions such as at weddings and funerals. It took another twenty years before the next major design change occurred and nearly another two hundred years before the modern Ao Dai emerged.
The original Ao Dai was loosely tailored with four panels (Ao Tu Than), two of which were tied in the back. In 1930, a Vietnamese fashion designer and writer, Cat Tuong, lengthened the top so it reached the floor. Tuong also fitted the bodice to the curves of the body and moved the buttons from the front to an opening along the shoulder and side seam. As a result of these changes, Ao Dai became a contoured, full-length dress. The dress splits into a front and back panel from the waist down. During the 1950s two tailors in Saigon, Tran Kim of Thiet Lap Tailors and Dung of Dung Tailors, started producing the gowns with raglan sleeves. This created a diagonal seam running from the collar to the underarm and is the preferred style today.
There have many stylish variations in color and collar design in the past four decades. Most noticeable is the gradual shortening of the gown's length, such that today, it is usually just below the knee. Variations in the neck collar, between boat and mandarin style, are common. But more adventurous alterations such as low scooped necklines, puffed sleeves, and off-the-shoulder designs are emerging as more women experiment with fashion. Less rigid control over color and access to new fabrics have also created dazzling results. Every Ao Dai is custom-made, accounting for the fit that creates such a flattering look.
It is hard to think of a more elegant, demure and yet ***y outfit, that suits Vietnamese women of all ages than Ao Dai.

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thank you very much. It is the best answer I's recerved. Thank you and best with to you
longceo@yahoo.com