…having homemade food delivered to your doorstep. Okay, this is not a frequent occurence…but my best friend's aunt N., who quite simply makes the best Asian food in town, called me at noon today and asked me if i wanted some of the stir-fried noodles she was cooking.
Heck, yeh!
Well I did not quite put it that way…I put up some token resistance at first and said that she did not have to…but it didn't take long before we were discussing what time she could drop it off.
You don't get food like this at typical Chinese restaurants. For one thing, N.'s noodles have none of that cloying starch-laden sauce so ubiquitous in American Chinese food. The flat noodles were soft but al dente, the beef was tender and flavorful and best of all the veggies (chinese broccoli) were just this right side of crunchy. Hints of garlic, ginger and the well-balanced mixture of fish sauce, soy sauce and oyster sauce enticingly coated the entire dish.
Believe me,I've tried to wangle some cooking lessons from her for quite some time but she always managed to smile sweetly ( or slyly) and evade my entreaties.
But I shall wear her down yet. 
I've been in a strange Asian-food mode lately. Ingredients are not that complex in Asian cooking, it's all about timing and how high you dare crank that heat up under your wok. I envision myself with some singed eyebrows when I decide to bring myself to learn- ofcourse I could stick to simple steamed dishes which are equally delicious. This cooking conundrum I am in is a subject of another post.
Oh, and of course she brought dessert too – sweet sticky rice with beans, shaved coconut and mangoes. Ah…life is good.
Update 03/27/2009
So the "Hungry" Hubby called me this morning and before he could say another word past hello I erupted into a forlorn self-loathing tirade of how I forgot to bring the left-over noodles for lunch today. After lightly teasing me about it he said : "Can you be out front in five minutes." He actually drove all the way from the West End to Downtown to bring me my lunch! Thank God for a sweet husband who understands the importance of food (and eating) in his wife's life.
And for the folks here in Richmond…champagne mangoes are $10.00 a box at Tan A.
Yum!!! I'm just about to eat the hotel Cobb Salad – too late for a substantial dinner, so I can dream about your special delivery!
Oh, for Chinese cooking lessons from a wonderful home cook. The beef noodles look amazing. I've been on a noodle cooking spree, too, thanks to a stop at my favorite Boston Asian supermarket.
The beef noodles must be great but what about the dessert… it looks absolutely divine, I'm really interested in that recipe!
Hi T.W. – a hotel cobb salad…poor you
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Hi Lydia – yes, wouldn't that be great. For home cooks though specially Asian…they don't measure so it's useless asking them amounts…you just need to watch them cook and play it from there.
Hi Monica – I'm interested in that recipe too…it was not too sweet and everything just went so well together. Even the Hubby who has never had something like it before really liked it.
thanks for the mango tip–and–thanks for the photos
Wow! How delicious that meat is looking! Surely is delish!
Awww, your hubby is such a sweet, lovely man! And omg, al-dente noodles in an Asian dish? I WANT!
In my part of the world, we call that a hook up! Good deal, for real…
Your man is as amazing as the noodles!! You really need to this woman's weakness and hit it hard for lessons
Ooh lucky youuu hee hee! It sure looks tasty mmmm. Hee hee please keep bugging her cos I would like to see more tasty dishes like this!
you are so lucky of having to indulge a home cooked food by fantastic home chef! yum yum!
Omg that looks amazing! The beef looks so tender! I've never been able to replicate the tenderness in my beef stir fries. You'll have to let us know the secret when you get those cooking lessons!
My husband would love it if I cook Asian food once in a while, so you’ll have to share the beef one when you get those lessons. What a sweet man to bring you lunch, that’s not exactly a fun trip, points for him I think!
My hubby works in short pump, I’ll have to let him know about the mangos in case he gets a free minute.