On paper, the Vietnamese language fools those not familiar with it into thinking that the language is monosyllabic, and I don’t blame them — not one Vietnamese word appears to stretch farther than a single syllable.

Looks are deceitful, however, as whole Vietnamese words are actually broken into smaller, monosyllabic morsels, seemingly to make them more palatable for the reader. The word Vietnam is an example. In English, Vietnam is written as a three-syllable word. In Vietnamese, it becomes Viet Nam, hacked in half, as if someone had found the joint between the syllables and butchered them cleanly apart. The syllables are meant to be read together even though space forces them apart.

A lot of Vietnamese food is served like its language. After visiting Pho Bac in Irvine last week, I wasn’t surprised to find my bun cha gio thit nuong cut into pieces, just like the name of the dish itself. Egg rolls, a pork cutlet, and even vermicelli noodles were like little monosyllabic bites, coming together to form a complete meal, yet also making sense when chopped apart.

I wonder if this thought has ever crossed my grandfather’s mind, if he has any idea that the way he cleavers a whole chicken to make it easier to eat is much like the way his native language cleavers words into syllables to make them easier to read.

Pho Bac, 4250 Barranca Parkway, Irvine, Calif. 92604. 949-857-8808.

– Cynthia Furey

Side note: March madness is a month-long challenge in which I will post Monday through Friday for the entire month. Thank you for reading!

It’s Friday, which means it’s time for some link love. This edition is brought to you by Gumduck, a piece of gum we spied years ago that reminded us of a rubber duckie. Have a good one!

Having trouble eating with chopsticks? Whip out this nifty invention whenever you need a little help.

• In case you haven’t seen this resignation letter on a cake yet, here it is.
• Chef Grant Achatz (Alinea) has started blogging for The Atlantic this month. Check out the “Back of the House” for some of his insights on molecular gastronomy, and this year’s Madrid Fusion.
• Erickson blog/Cooking Single offers a recipe for a raspberry tartelette for one. Finally, a dessert recipe that isn’t meant to share.
• Seen on Tastespotting: A cute “ham”burger lunch.
• Got tomatoes, salt, sugar, vinegar and allspice? Great! Now you can make homemade ketchup.
• Amanda’s Cookin shows us how to make our own powdered sugar. Who knew it was so easy?
• A how-to video from Gourmet on how to buy and serve absinthe.

– Cynthia Furey

Side note: March madness is a month-long challenge in which I will post Monday through Friday for the whole month. Thank you for reading!

In another blow to the culinary world (previously I mentioned the Berkeley Scharffen Berger plant closing), the Los Angeles Times reports that Cook’s Library’s will close its doors for good on April 30. Though the store does sell books online (by request), a woman I spoke to says that staff has no plans to move to an online store format.

For those who have never been, it’s a mecca for cookbooks and culinary literary works — it was the only place I knew of that carried Ferran Adria’s early El Bulli tomes, which were printed only in Spanish. Just last year, Adria stopped into the store (his only West Coast tour stop) to sign his latest, “A Day at El Bulli.” He joins other culinary greats like Nigella Lawson, Nancy Silverton, Eric Ripert, Alice Waters and Jacques Pepin, all whom have visited the store to sign books within the past two years. The store had been open for 20.

I can’t imagine it not being there. It really is an unrivaled source for chefs and cooks in Southern California. In the future when I drive by its old location, it will really be hard to look at it without feeling a void.

The Cook’s Library, 8373 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles. 323-655-3141. www.cookslibrary.com

– Cynthia Furey