Early on a Sunday morning, there are people buzzing around the local Farmer's Market. I stopped through after my visit to the doctors office. I think all this running around finally caught up with me. Though I'm a bit dramatic, it does kind of feel like I have the plague. I don't enjoy being anything less than 100% healthy. My doc says I'm going to live, and be cured by the time I head home to TN.
My sweet Gracie drove down from LA for a visit. We were invited to her mother's home for a late afternoon feast. Her younger sister, Adeline was also visiting from college. I have known Gracie and her family for so long. I remember when her sister was born. Their mother is an amazing cook. I do not say this lightly. Anytime I'm invited to her beautiful home I'm delighted in knowing that I will have a meal large enough to last a week, and my taste buds will be dancing with the French and Vietnamese influence of her cuisine.
We were celebrating Marie-Claire, Gracie's mom's birthday. It was a gorgeous day at their Ritz Pointe home. The view is stunning and the yard backs up to the golf course at Monarch Beach. I was tempted to go out and play a couple of holes.
Once I witnessed the tablescape, I didn't want to go anywhere. I don't know what the proper names are for anything we had but everything was wonderful. Most of the items require an instruction manual and tour guide for the proper way to eat them and which sauces are to be the accompaniment.
We began with spring rolls that have such wonderful contrast of textures from the rice paper and crunchy something, and the meat, and lettuce and herbs. Dipped in a peanut sauce that Adeline's boyfriend was convinced had mango in it (it did not), made for a perfect way to begin our meal.
There was a beef wrapped in grape leaves that we had another sauce for. A salad with all kinds of tasty things in it. A shrimp thing that has a sticky rice covering, yum. We enjoyed several other items and then three kinds of curry. Marie-Claire is a master at curry. In college, Gracie and I used to make our own version of curry together. I recently challenged Gracie to make it for her date. She sent me photos and I was quite proud. She has only recently begun to cook again. Of the three different curry dishes from our meal, it is hard to pick a favorite. The delicacy Goat Curry is served in a bowl and with a few slices of French bread to dip into the sauce. It had carrots and onions and was so fantastic I think I might tear up just writing about it. The catfish curry was also very good. Marie-Claire's green curry was perfectly spicy and had chicken and shrimp in it. Enjoyed with rice, I was ecstatic that it made it's way into my to-go package. Mama never let's us leave without food. Beef short ribs and these little bites of heaven that are sesame covered fried dough balls also came home with me.
This was a perfect day with family, food, laughter, and of course cake. I wish I was going to Vietnam with the family in December, but this little adventure today gave me a taste of the flavors of the country. Enough to satisfy me until the next time we all get together.
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