banh mi pickles

i spotted something yesterday that blew my mind. my favorite local joint (good-life gourmet) was serving banh mi for lunch.

what is a banh mi you might ask? a banh mi is a simple sandwich served on a baguette with sliced pork, pickled carrots, jalapenos, a little cilantro and cucumber. it is probably one of the best sandwiches ever. i’m not joking.

why am i so excited about banh mi? i haven’t had one since i lived in brooklyn. i’ve talked about this place before, it was a little sandwich place that didn’t deliver but was on the way home from the train. i wonder if it is still there? anyway that’s not my point, i used to crave it. i would go out of my way for it. i used to drag my 2 year old and newborn to the park across town just so i could stop there on the way back to get one. i used to sit on stoops and feed j doughnuts just so i could sit and savour every bite of it, and then go back and get another one for later.

i wonder if they are serving it again for lunch today?

wait, wait, i’m going a little off topic today. pickles. yes pickles. don’t worry, i’m not about to get all snookie on you (bad jersey shore ref?, yep). the pickled carrots on this banh mi sandwich, well, that’s what made me happy. i’m not a huge pickle fan, i mean, i like them, i just don’t drink pickle juice (see ref above, yes i watch jersey shore. please don’t tell anyone). but vietnamese pickles are special. they are crisp, they are sweet, and yes, even a little spicy (sometimes).

when my kids were quietly playing i started to crave more banh mi. actually, i just wanted the pickled veg. i have made pickles before, you know, like dill pickles. i have even fried pickles before (i bet you are waiting for that recipe huh?). but there is nothing in the world like pickles from a bahn mi sandwich.

these pickles are simple, there is no cooking, there is not pressure cooking, there is only cutting and waiting for your tap water to run hot. you can serve this over pork sure, but they are fab over plain white rice (i can eat that as a meal).

stay tuned, as well as my future post of 100 things you can do with truffle butter, i am sure to come up with something special for my banh mi pickles.

banh mi pickles

1. cut your cucumbers and carrots into matchsticks (or, whatever shape you prefer).
2. take your jalapeno pepper and slice in rounds.
3. add them to a jar with your peppercorns and start anise
4. in a measuring cup add sugar, salt, vinegar and hot tap water, whisk up really fast and pour over vegetables.
5. cover and in a couple days you have pickles.

i waited an hour till i opened the container and grabbed a cucumber. i couldn’t help myself. after an hour they are amazing. this morning while i was photographing, i grabbed 2 more. i haven’t stopped smiling since.

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