I've Moved into a Chinese Restaurant and have Married the Chef!

One consequence of keeping a journal or blog is the tendency of seeing your life in thematic chapters. Sometimes these patterns are real, as in "we have a new kid and we're not sleeping." Other times the connections are more loose, "I was only ten feet from Barack Obama in May and that's why he's President." But seeking patterns in one thing we people like to do and this week, despite my caution, I found certain images and ideas rising to the top...

~this station now takes a break
from our regularly scheduled blog to bring you
a cute baby picture~

please note one missing shoe.
perhaps another theme for another time.

This week's theme began when Aurelia, on the recommendation from her mom , started reading "Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A Sweet-Sour Memoir of Eating in China" by Fuscia Dunlop. Something about this book lit the smoldering bonfire (yes, bonfire) that is Aurelia's love for cooking East Asian food.

Upon completing the part-memoir part-cookbook she was off to the library to sample the rest of Fuscia's writing. A trip to our local East Asian super-market precipitated a kitchen full of steam and rich scents from the gorgeous east. When the steam cleared this dish sat waiting to be eaten. Fantastic! It was as if I had moved into a Chinese restaurant and was dating the chef. Huzzah!

Spicy Steamed Beef with Rice Meal

Success in the kitchen warranted a visit to Portland best dim sum. Wong King's seafood was jumping when we arrived and the line was long but the shumai were worth the wait. Once again, Sylvia had to make do with oateeos and stuffed green hippos.









With our East Asian theme well established it was inevitable that another dish from our new cookbooks would emerge from our little kitchen. This time Aurelia brought back a fine fresh snapper from the market and did it proud.

Braised Fish with Chili Bean Sauce

less Braised Fish with Chili Bean Sauce





~intermission for baby pic~

Our theme resolves itself with a celebration. Portland's East Asian community is large and diverse and even if Chinatown has become a transitional business district the Portland Classical Chinese Garden still holds a significant place in the downtown fabric. This weekend we visited the garden for the Chinese New Years festival. The lion dancers brought in the year of the Ox with color and music and acrobatics.

a cabbage,
hanging with the lamps and symbolizing wealth
(according to one website),
play its part in the dance.

We each scored a good luck hong bao (envelope with small moneys) and considered the afternoon well spent. Sylvia chewed on hers for added fortune.

Happy year of the Ox.