Pho: The Magical Cure

Somehow I managed to get a cold in the middle of summer. In fact, I got sick during the hottest week of summer thus far. It just feels wrong to be sick this time of year, and the cold I've had has been one of the worst in a while. So yesterday I decided I needed a cure in the form of pho.

If you've never had pho, go get some right now! Seriously, use the Pho Finder at phofever.com to find yourself a place :)

Pho is one of the greatest things ever. It cure a hangover and soothes a cold. I was introduced to it by my aunt and uncle while visiting them in Denver a few years ago. Upon returning, I found that the Vietnamese stand in the North Market serves a decent bowl. I prefer the pho ga (chicken) to the pho bo (beef). Either way, the pho is in a lovely broth, has tons of noodles and scallions, and you top it off with fresh basil and bean sprouts. I like to add a lot of Sriracha for spice and some hoisin sauce for sweetness. Just look:

So good!

Sometimes pho contains other things, for example, tripe. But I guess that doesn't go over well everywhere. I didn't realize it until now, but apparently if one is willing to drive up to Polaris just North of the city, Ha Long Bay has pho and is supposed to be really delicious. They also have durian smoothies for the more adventurous (or maybe those of us with stuffy noses). Check out these posts from Columbus Foodie and Restaurant Widow: post #1 and post #2. Looks like I'll have to try! Those spring rolls look amazing!

Aside from the pho, the North Market is my new favorite farmers' market. It's the closest to me, but not always the biggest (Worthington usually is). However, a lot of the same farmers go to all of the markets around town. I have a favorite stand at the NM since the lady running it likes to give me free things to try :) No freebies this week, but I got 4 ears of corn, 1 bunch of kale, beets, green peppers, carrots, cucumber, zucchini, summer squash, and scallions for $9. The other great thing about NM is that they usually stay open past 1:00, whereas the others close promptly at 12:00 or 1:00. This means I can be a little lazier on Saturdays, get to the market, and then finish in time to get lunch there too. Perfect!