| Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here. Diana My Tran On April 29, 1975, the day before North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon, Diana My Tran and her husband left the only country they had known. She was 19 and pregnant with her first child. "It never occurred to anyone that we'd have to leave," she told The Post, back in 2000, of the imminent collapse of the South Vietnamese government. "The atmosphere was very crazy. There was no law, no police. Anything could happen." By the time she landed on U.S. shores — by way of the Philippines, Guam and a sponsor based in Pennsylvania — she was nearly nine months pregnant and homesick for the food of her family. But back then, there weren't any Asian markets outside of major cities. In their new hometown of Carlisle, "there wasn't even a Chinese restaurant," she said. A couple of years later, the small family moved to the Washington area. Soon, Tran found Asian markets where she could buy the rice, noodles, vegetables and sauces she had missed. After a series of secretarial jobs, she longed to work for herself. In 1982, with help from a friend, she opened Diana's Couture and Bridal in Georgetown. The other day, I called the shop, and to my delight Tran answered the phone. We talked about "The Vietnamese Cookbook," which she published in 2000. It is filled with her favorite recipes, including the one I think you should make for dinner sometime soon: Vietnamese Caramel Shrimp, a sweet-and-spicy dish that she says she adapted from an old family recipe. "It's a recipe I ate all the time at home, and when I came here, I re-created it to be quicker and cook faster, but have the same taste," she told me. Tran also mentioned that her son, John Tran, opened Simply Banh Mi in 2014, where he and his team serve recipes — takeout sandwiches and pho — that she helped develop. When I asked if she makes anything special for Tết — the Lunar New Year celebration begins next week — she got excited. "I actually just yesterday made 10 banh chung, you know, the square rice cakes?" She fills hers with pork, beans, peanuts, chestnuts and salty egg. "The pork and beans are traditional," she told me, "but I prefer the other flavors, personally." Wrapped well and stored in the freezer, banh chung can last a few weeks. She likes to make them ahead of time, "because they are a lot of work — they take all day!" Other possible dishes on her family's table this year include thịt kho, a pork-and-egg stew which she'll serve with pickled bean sprouts, scallions and rice. "Always rice," she says.  | Today's recipe |  Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post | Diana's Vietnamese Caramel Shrimp - Instead of shrimp >> you could use cubes of firm tofu or thin slices of pork.
- If you dislike chiles >> omit the cayenne and red chile, or use less.
- In place of sugar >> use honey.
For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder. Servings: 4 to 6
Total time: 20 mins Ingredients - 1 to 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp (41-50 count), peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- 1/4 cup water, or more as necessary
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 small white or yellow onion (about 4 ounces), chopped
- 1/2 to 1 fresh red chile pepper, thinly sliced
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 4 to 5 sprigs cilantro, for garnish, optional
- Cooked rice, for serving (optional)
Steps1. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp with the oyster sauce, salt, cayenne pepper and flour. Set aside to marinate for 5 to 10 minutes. 2. In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown, about 1 minute. 3. Transfer the shrimp to the skillet or wok, discarding any marinade. Cook the shrimp, stirring occasionally, until they begin to curl and turn pink. Add the water and sugar and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the chili pepper and black pepper to taste. Squeeze the lime juice over the top of the shrimp and transfer the mixture to a platter. Sprinkle with cilantro, if desired, and serve over rice, if using. Adapted from "The Vietnamese Cookbook," by Diana My Tran (Capital Books, 2003). Tested by Yuki Noguchi. Nutrition information per serving (based on 6): Calories: 166; Total Fat: 8 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 113 mg; Sodium: 475 mg; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Dietary Fiber: 1 g; Sugars: 3 g; Protein: 16 g.  | Dessert | 🎧 Michael Pollan Explains Caffeine Cravings (And Why You Don't Have To Quit) on NPR's Fresh Air.
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📖 "Portraits of fear and loss: Taliban rule through the eyes of four women in Afghanistan" by Loveday Morris and Ruby Mellen with illustrations by Roshi Rouzbehani in The Post.
👀 How bánh chưng are made.
🗣️ Sending many congratulations to my dear friend Estee in London, who just had a baby! |
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