I love Thai

When I got my first paycheck a few months ago, I decided to treat myself to a nice meal. I had been craving Thai food for the longest time. After browsing about an hour or so inside Chaucer's Bookstore (the best independent bookstore in town), I walked across the street to Your Choice Thai Restaurant. There were only a few customers in the entire place. I sat in a booth so I could read my book and do a bit of journal writing. When the young waiter came to take my order, I asked what he liked on the menu. He suggested the delicious dish you see above - Praram Chicken, spinach and chicken in peanut sauce. I decided to try it with brown rice. Oh yes, and Thai Iced Tea (Cha yen). When he brought the dish I was impressed by the lovely plate it was served on, and how the various colors of the food almost came to life. It was almost too pretty to touch. Boy, was it delicious! The chicken was very tender, the spinach was fresh too, and the peanut sauce was heavenly. Spooned over the brown rice, yummy. I took my time enjoying my late lunch. The main dish was only $10.95. The Thai Tea I believe was $2.50. I was surprised that I had to pay $1.50 for my rice. I thought it should come free with the dish, like at a Chinese restaurant. But hey, the meal was fantastic so I didn't make a fuss.

Your Choice has been in Santa Barbara for many years. If you like Thai food this might be the place for you.

Did you know??? Thai cuisine places emphasis on lightly-prepared dishes with strong aromatic components. Thai cuisine is known for being spicy. Balance, detail and variety are important to Thai cooking. Thai food is known for its balance of five fundamental flavors in each dish or the overall meal: hot (spicy), sour, sweet, salty, and (optional) bitter. (Source: Wikipedia)

Photo: Me

I Like Toast

I thought I'd share some silly morning humor while eating some toast for breakfast.

Bon Appetit

I've always loved to cook. My Great-Grandma Hicks and my Grandma Mamie began teaching me the family recipes at the tender age of three. I was fortunate to live with both of them for the first 5 years of my life in Columbus, Ohio. Then our family moved out to California when my father got transferred to Vandenburg Air Force Base (about 45 minutes north of Santa Barbara, CA). That's another story I'll share someday.

The first dish is chicken breast with red peppers and leeks. It was seasoned with 5-spice powder, sesame oil, some fresh ginger, white pepper, and minced garlic. Serve with some wild rice and a simple green salad.

The second dish is my Pork & Garlic-Pepper Tofu Stir-fry (with fresh ginger and leeks). It's pretty basic - sesame oil, minced garlic, some sesame seeds, 5-spice powder. I usually cook with plain firm tofu but thought I'd give the favored one a try. The taste was ok, but I still prefer it plain. This allows me to do my own experimenting with the seasoning. I served this dish with Thai Jasmine rice and with some Wasabiyaki sauce on the side.

For me, the kitchen is the heart of a home. Some of my fondest memories are of my grandmother's kitchen. The smells, the chatter, the laughter, the radio slowly playing in the background. Such wonderful memories, and as I think about it, both my grandmothers prepared our food without using a cookbook. It was always a pinch of this or a handful of that. To this day I cook the same way, even though I own over 50 cookbooks. I'll follow a recipe for the most part but I definitely make it my own.

There's nothing better than breaking bread together with family and good friends. Toss in some board games after dinner and you've got a wonderful evening full of laughter, good conversation and yummy food in your belly. Life is good.