Fish Sauce, Baby!

You're not really Vietnamese unless you like fish sauce. And you're not really a Vietnamese cook unless you can make it. For years, I made batches of fish sauce that were merely edible, at best. One winter my parents came to visit, and my dad taught me how to make his fabulous fish sauce--the best I've ever had! So today, I rolled up my sleeves, and painstakingly mashed the green chilis and garlic. To that paste, I squeezed about six limes. Then I spooned granulated sugar into the bowl until the sugar mound met the height of the lime juice. Next I poured raw fish sauce into the bowl until the mixture reached a dark caramel color. I carefully stirred, feeling the sugar slowly dissolve into the liquids. I added a little bit of boiling water, just to cut the acidity of the fish sauce and lime juice (a trick my mom taught me). Lastly, I added red chili garlic sauce to give it beautiful color.

Immediately following my bravissimo creation, I made salmon spring rolls to dip in my sensational fish sauce. Feast your eyes on my most exotic lunch. So good...