A Saucy Substitution Proves He's Worthy

"It's a Mekong dish," he said. "Real rustic, down-to-earth and homey."

Bansal asked if she could substitute vegetables, such as broccoli or beans, for the shrimp, because her husband eats fish and seafood only if he absolutely has to.

"Sure!" Mendelsohn replied. "Or use smoked tofu. It's really good." How would Rajeev feel about all the fish sauce, though?

"If he doesn't know, he'll eat it," Bansal insisted.

With that, the day was done. Bansal's mentors had touched on everything she wanted to discover except how to make pho, the traditional Vietnamese soup-and-noodle dish. Mendelsohn resisted for two reasons: The traditional base of the dish, beef stock, is obviously non-vegetarian, and it takes hours to make the broth properly.

As the cooks packed up, it was clear that the confines of the Bansals' apartment could not possibly contain the aromatic indications of what had just happened there; when they opened the door to leave, a palpable profusion charged through the hallway, undoubtedly knocking on every door.

It's a wonder the neighbors didn't show up for dinner.

David Hagedorn, chef and former restaurateur, can be reached at food@washpost.com. His Chef on Call column appears monthly.