Learning to Be Content

 

I've been feeling very lucky lately. Maybe blessed is a better word. We all have the times in our lives when everything seems to go wrong and you can't catch a break and then you sit and wallow in self-pity and worry. I've been there plenty of times myself; self-pity and I are good friends. But then other times life just seems to go on without a hitch, where daily you're reminded of all the good things you have and you seem to be content with just that. I think content is a perfect word to describe how I'm feeling.

I owe a lot to who I am and how I view the world to my mother.

She raised me alone, working full time and managed to provide me with everything I ever needed and more. She taught me how to cook, how to crochet, the difference between a wrench and pliers, and she even taught me how to drive a stick shift. She is to put it simply, amazing. She married a Vietnamese man, a man very very different from herself and the world she knew. He introduced my mom to another culture and she embraced it wholeheartedly. Then she raised me to embrace it wholeheartedly even after their marriage was over.

I love being half Vietnamese. I feel like it's my own little way of setting myself apart from the masses. I have two cultures that I can call my own and I feel like a bigger and better person because of it. When my husband and I were making our way from Hanoi to Saigon, a daunting 1087 miles, we marveled at the country my father had come from and at the same time were deeply sadden at the circumstances that forced him and his family to leave. I'll leave dissecting the Vietnam War (the American War as they call it in Vietnam) to others, for now I'm simply content having visited the country where my father was born.

My mother has never shied away from cuisine's she's unfamiliar with, I like to think this played a part in my father falling for her. My mom is up for eating anything at least once and I remember so clearly my father instilling this notion in me as soon as I could pick up a fork on my own. "You have to try it, it's okay if you don't like it, but try it first." To this day I'm exasperated by people who say they don't like something when they've never even tasted it. Taste it! It's okay if you don't like it, but try it first.

I don't think you'll have a hard time enjoying this recipe, it's downright delicious!  The flavors in this recipe really work together and I made mine extra spicy just like mom taught me. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry and it's a cinch to whip together. Don't be afraid to substitute vegetables or add more or less of an ingredient to suit your taste.

In closing, I'll say only that if I'm half the woman my mother is then I'm headed in the right direction. Mom, thanks for showing me all that's good and right with the world and teaching me how to cope with the bad. I love you.  

 

Spicy Peanut Noodles
Serves 4-6

3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup lime juice or 2 tablespoons vinegar (rice, apple cider, or white wine vinegars will all work)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
4 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (stick to natural, the only ingredients should be peanuts and salt)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 cup broth (chicken or vegetable) or even water will do
1 lb. lo mein noodles
1 carrot, sliced thinly
2 baby bok choy, sliced thinly lengthwise
8 oz. tofu or cooked chicken
2 green onions, sliced thinly

Add all ingredients up to and including the broth into a saucepan. Cook on medium heat and stir until peanut sauce thickens and becomes smooth, about 5 minutes. Let cool.

Rinse lo mein noodles under cold water and separate with fingers, drain well. Toss noodles, carrots, bok choy, and tofu or chicken together until coated. Top with green onions and serve.

Note: You can find lo mein noodles in the refrigerated section of any Asian market or specialty food store. Feel free to try soda noodles or even traditional Italian pastas. You will most likely not need to use all of the peanut sauce. Try adding half of the sauce first and add more as needed. Use the leftover peanut sauce on sandwiches, with spring rolls, or as a dip for veggies.