Kitchen Heat in North Carolina is tonight’s nod for New (to Me) Blogger on the Block. Whether it’s her recent rules of brownie engagement, her delicious-looking berry turnovers or her Italian adventure, she’s definitely one to watch. Oooh, and make sure to check out her Strawberry-Jam Cakes! They look divine and are definitely going into my burgeoning “to-try” pile.
The Husband is working late again tonight, so Nicholas and I had the “what shall we do for dinner?” conversation. When I asked him what he wanted to do, he told me:
“Mushrooms.””But you don’t like mushrooms!”
“No, mama, not for me. Mushrooms for you!”
“Ohhhhh!”
“And lobster.”
“Lobster? For me?”
“Yes, lobster with sauce and mushrooms.” He’s so silly. I’m not sure where THAT came from – too much Food Network with me, I imagine!
So since we weren’t having lobster tonight, we decided on take-out. Shunning our usual dinner from “the chicken and rice man,” I convinced him that we could get something like it, with a twist. One of my former co-workers used to get takeout from a local Thai restaurant weekly, and I always joined him. Thai Friday. He hasn’t worked for us since April and I haven’t had Thai food since then. I figured if I got chicken and rice from them, Nicholas would be game. Or so I thought.
We stopped by the restaurant to pick up the food and as soon as we walked in, Nicholas looks up at me and asks, “Are kids allowed to eat in here too, or just grown-ups?” Pretty astute observation, considering we’ve never discussed kid-friendly restaurants versus not. Granted, they did have nice linen tablecloths, thick polished oak tables and soft music on in the background, but he certainly would have been welcome there. It’s always interesting to see the thought process of an almost-four-year-old at work. All the way home, the smell of garlic, ginger, peanuts and cilantro filled the car – mmm! Unfortunately, the entree I used to order at lunch time (Saute Garlic Chicken with Rice) isn’t available at dinnertime (go figure), but they whipped it up for me anyway. So, so delicious, a fragrant garlic sauce, fresh cilantro, chicken and sliced cucumber over rice. Anyone have a tried-and-true recipe for this? I’d love to be able to make it at home. Couldn’t convince Nicholas that it was the same as the Chinese fried chicken wings and rice he usually gets, but surprisingly enough, he plowed through the Thai Chef Salad, complete with bean cakes, sprouts and more veggie goodness.
Alright, a little catching up to do and then I’m done. You can check out my article about getting the best tables in trendy restaurants, what celebs like to eat in the way of ice cream and black beans as brain food. Lastly, the new issue of Very Good Things is up and you can read my contributions here: Official Drink of Summer 2006 and Go Outside!.
Until tomorrow… Nicholas and I whipped up a double batch of Paula Deen’s Banana Bread and the smell is calling us …
A year ago today … night off.
Cate,
Hello! Thanks for featuring my site last night! How exciting – I just started blogging, so it’s fun to start “meeting” people through these exchanges.
Cheers! Have a great weekend!
Jess
I made Paula Deens Banana Bread yesterday morning, I ate the last piece this morning and have another loaf in the stove right now. It is really good!!!
Jess – my pleasure. Welcome to the club. :)
Anonymous – glad you like it as much as we do. Next time, try sprinkling a little brown sugar on the top before baking — our favorite part!