Banh Mi

So I decided to do a banh mi sandwich with the sourdough baguettes I was planning.  I didn't even realize banh mi are practically a scourge on New York City until I ran across this article...  They review other ethnic sandwiches they find around the city to try to find "the new bahn mi" but notice that they don't like any of them as much as this wild, delicious combination of Vietnam and France.

My favorite banh mi at the strip mall across from UC Irvine - way back in 2001, long before the hippest sandwich eaters in NYC grew tired of them :) - was brie and pate (nope, not vegan!).  I found the cafe on Yelp with 4 3/4 stars (still awesome, I guess!) -  Le Diplomate.  I don't see any banh mi with brie, though, anymore.

But that was when it was all I could do to keep weight on!  No longer....so I skipped the brie this time.  I used this vegan pate from Dr. Weil because I had an eggplant I needed to use up, and this recipe for the pickled daikon and carrot from a site called "Banh Mi Battle." So you know they have the best version...

Turned out really well, I think, though the bread was way too heavy for this.  It needs a more traditional baguette, with less whole wheat flour.  I'll write about my adventures with homemade bread one of these days, maybe (I'm trying to learn never to make promises on a blog...!)

Clockwise from sandwich: one finished sandwich, eggplant & walnut pate, pickled daikon & carrot, cilantro, sriracha hot sauce, and Vegenaise.