Summer Saturday

During the summer, we love to spend Saturday evenings cooking at home and enjoying a nice bottle of wine. Yesterday, I made and appetizer of Vietnamese summer rolls (which we enjoyed with mojitos). For dinner, we had an out-of-this-world Porterhouse with Spinach Ravioli Nudi and a red pepper sauce. I also seved an arugula and radichhio salad with fresh mozzerella, simply drizzled with aged balsamic that my brother brought me from Italy.

The summer rolls are easy to make and are a light, fresh-tasting appetizer. To make them, you'll need:

• Rice papers (I use round ones)
• Vermicelli, cooked according to package directions
• Carrot, julienned
• Cucumber, julienned
• 2 sprigs cilantro per roll
• 2 fresh mint leaves per roll
• Cooked cleaned shrimp, sliced in half horizontally (I use 3 pieces per roll)
• chopped chives to taste
• Hoisin dipping sauce

To make the rolls, moisten 1 paper in a shallow dish of water for a few seconds. then lay it on your work surface. Place 3 pieces of shrimp, pink side down, on the paper, top the shrimp with a sprinkling of chives, a few pieces of carrot and cucumber, 2 mint leaves, 2 sprigs cilantro and a handful of cooked vermicelli. wrap one side of the rice paper over, then fold in the ends and finish it by rolling up the other end. Keep covered with a damp paper towel until you serve them.

To make the sauce, combine a couple tablespoons of rice vinegar with a couple tablespoons or hoisin sauce. Add about 1/2 tsp. fresh grated ginger and chili garlic paste to taste. Whisk well and chill.