Friends From High School

Wow, I guess I thought I didn't have any old friends but this weekend, two of my pals from ninth grade stayed with me and we reconnected. The years can change a lot in a person's life. I was completely delighted to find that Tracy and Toni had lived full and exciting lives. I did feel a connection to both of them. It's strange but even though millions of years have passed, I still felt like we were united.

Sure, I was worried. Especially when Toni mentioned that she could sleep in her van with her rescue dog. I pictured a yellow VW van complete with painted pot leaves and purple peace signs with smoke billowing out the windows (you can guess what kind of smoke). I pictured her leveling the van on my hilly rain slicked street with my neighbors cautiously peering out. When she pulled up in a soccer mom van, I really had to laugh at myself.

Tracy was always very outgoing and sweet-natured. When I picked her up at the airport, she launched into talking, but then she always did that. I remember I used to love to listen to her. Even though we were the same age, she always seemed so wise. It turns out that we were all from dysfunctional families and we needed something extra, some place to call home, someone to help and heal our hearts. I think we found some of that in each other.

Tracy became a real estate agent. Toni became a massage therapist. I became a stay at home mom.

Toni had the greatest memory for the details of all the adventures that we had. Tracy and I pretty much forgot everything. Like much of my childhood, that year with Tracy and Toni was a blur. Did my missing chunks of memory stem from the amount of drinking that I did or is it just the passage of time. Maybe it stems from not wanting to remember how lonely I felt as a child. I do recall laughing with Tracy and Toni back then and that it felt good to be with them. I can hang onto those chunks and let the other ones slip away because I've already come to peace with my childhood. It feels good to remember laughter and connection and it sure felt good to reconnect with two wonderful women who probably helped save my life.

Cheers to you Tracy and Toni. And, there was something about the chicken arm? But, I completely forgot what it was. Oh well, cheers to you and the chicken arm, what ever that may mean.

Store Bought Asian Sauce

That's what they must have used the first time I tried Vietnamese food when I lived in San Francisco. My husband's co-worker, who is from Texas, raved about this little hole-in-the-wall place and he made us eat there. It was torture from the very first bite. I wanted to dump my pho on his head. Never one to completely give up on a cuisine, I then tried a flashy, up and coming, much lauded Vietnamese restaurant and still wasn't impressed. In fact, I was really disappointed because I can make this stuff at home with store bought Asian sauce.

For years, I'd been wary of Vietnamese food. It wasn't until yesterday that my palate and mind were completely changed. It feels like a new space has opened up, a space where there's room to keep trying new things, to keep enjoying and loving life, to keep living. Yes, good cuisines can do that to me.

I think I owe my thanks to Anthony Bordain. I've seen pretty much all of his shows. I love No Reservations. I love it because Anthony likes excellent food done in unpretentious ways. I love it because I get inspired by his adventures. I love it because I can see myself eating and experiencing what he experiences. Anthony loves Vietnamese food; he's been there several times in No Reservations. And I think he actually lived there. His love of Vietnamese food kept popping up in my mind over the years. The saying, "if he likes it, then maybe I might like it" lingered in my thoughts.

My husband and I love this restaurant called Portage here in Seattle. It's all fresh Northwest cuisine. In fact, the chef/owner, who is of Vietnamese descent, lives right near some good friends of ours. And, that's how we found out about his new restaurant called June. The food at June is fantastic because Chef Vuong has created the menu and the space. His menu is Northwest inspired French, it's all flavor both delicate and robust but without heavy Frenchified sauces. Simply divine. Anyway, while reading about his new restaurant June in the PI and the Times I came across Vuong's favorite Vietnamese restaurant, Green Leaf Vietnamese Restaurant, http://greenleaftaste.com.

I did a quick search and the Green Leaf website popped open and there sat Mario Batali (of Molto Mario fame; also, his dad owns Salumi here in Seattle). I thought to myself, "Okay, if Vuong likes this place and I love Vuong's creative cuisine and Mario Batali is eating there plus the fact that my idol, Anthony Bordain, loves Vietnamese food, then I think I need to give this place a try."

To sum up our Green Leaf experience, I was blown away. I ordered way too much food but I really wanted to sample different parts of the menu. I think every single thing on the menu would taste fantastic. Everything we tried was wonderful. All of our dishes were fresh and the exotic flavors mingled and danced on my palate. Fragrant, floral, slightly acidic, barely sweet, hints of mint and spice, caramelized onions all met and melted together to create unique flavors.

I am a complete convert. I love Vietnamese food. And, this has opened a whole new world for me.