Vietnamese Salad Plate

This fragrant assortment of herbs and vegetables is served alongside Vietnamese grilled fare and noodles. The lettuce leaves are used as wrappers for bite-size portions of meat and its various accompaniments. The Vietnamese are adept at using chopsticks to do the wrapping—a skill that definitely improves with practice. Basil provides explosive blasts of flavor (often mint and/or cilantro are served as well), while the bean sprouts and cucumber provide a delicious moist crunch. If you live i