In case you all aren’t already jealous of the Commune, go take a gander over at I Am the People.
At the risk of sounding smug, every now and then I do marvel at how well we manage to eat. But do keep in mind that all this good eating requires extensive planning (mostly by the two Mrs. Next Doors), shopping (at multiple markets and shops in a given week), and management of children (especially those just beginning to reach the stove top). Here’s to maintaining the standard!
I grew up in the San Fernando Valley (THE Valley for those of you from the area), the northwest corner of LA County and some 20 minutes from downtown LA. As a teenager in a terribly conservative Vietnamese family, despite the straight A’s and perfect GPA, I wasn’t allowed to do much exploring. Perfect grades notwithstanding, my mother lived in constant fear that I would join a gang, get hooked on drugs, or die in a fiery car crash on the 101. (If you sense that my mother suffered from needless anxiety, you’d be correct.)
And so I was the EPITOME of a valley girl–stuck literally in the Valley. While I did occasionally sneak out with friends to Santa Monica or Hollywood, my palate remained firmly rooted in my little Vietnamese enclave. I am ashamed to admit that my experience with Mexican food was limited to Taco Bell and Acapulco Restaurant (double yuck). When I was finally introduced to sushi in my teens, it was at an all-you-can-eat restaurant with watery miso soup and bright pink tuna in a strip mall on Ventura Blvd. And this avid hot dog lover didn’t even make it to Pink’s Hot Dogs until my thirties. But I didn’t suffer because I didn’t know what I was missing. I guess the one good thing about this deprivation may just be that it allowed me to hone my knowledge of Vietnamese food.
These days, when I return to LA, as I did recently in April, my days and nights are planned around food, all different kinds of food. If we’re going to the Griffith Observatory, then a meal in Thaitown is in order. We make sure to work in time for ramen, Korean fried chicken, Japanese izakayas, boba, and even some fish tacos. And of course, there is always a pilgrimage to Westminster–Santa Ana for all the Viets in SoCal–for the amazing Vietnamese food I can’t find anywhere else. I can wax poetic about LA being the ultimate cultural melting pot, about midnight runs for Kogi kalbi tacos or the crossover Korean pho, or the thousands of fusion restaurants, but I will say that if you are able to see past the smog, traffic, and botox, this city has really, really good food. Here’s a quick run down from our recent trip:
Shin-Sen Gumi in Little Tokyo for ramen: Our usual option for ramen in Little Tokyo is Daikokuya, but given that we were a party of 8, including 4 young children, we needed a place that could fit us all at one table. Alas, we stumbled upon Shin-Sen Gumi–what a fun scene and the ramen was oh so good. I will admit, however, that the ordering system at SSG is a bit confusing with choices for firmness and thickness of noodles, strength of broth, not to mention the myriad of toppings served on the side. I ordered firm and thin noodles, medium broth, and lots of toppings (nori, spicy tobiko, fried pork ears, and bamboo shoots). But it was all delicious, so much so that picky Souper Boy drained his bowl and Souper Girl slurped up the noodles with much gusto.
888 Restaurant in Rosemead for dim sum: Well, this was just meh. What we had was good but there just wasn’t that special something-something. And I was a bit disappointed in the jellyfish salad which lacked any real oomph. I think I prefer Empress Harbor.
Phuong’s Restaurant in Westminster for hu tieu My Tho: Among the hundreds of places in Little Saigon offering hu tieu, this is where we always go. The decor is dated, if you can even call it decor, but the hu tieu thap cam is outstanding. I get mine with soup but my mother swears by the dry version. I had intended to take some pictures but alas, wrangling two kids left me with no other hands to hold a camera. Next time.
Red Medicine in Beverly Hills: I first heard of this place when it was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover. Whimsical forests of edible flowers, chlorophyll spiked sauce, and uni rice porridge? And to top it all off, the majority of the dishes had all the flavor profiles of Vietnamese food–sweet, salty, sour, spicy. WTF? But it was good, very good–in the holy-shit-I-could-never-make-that kind of way. We ordered the brussel sprouts, beef tartar, dungeness crab, rice porridge, tamarind glazed lamb and birch ice dessert. Once in a while I have the pleasure of eating at a restaurant where money is well spent because there is no way I could ever replicate any part of that fantastic meal–except for maybe the brussel sprouts and shrimp chips. Hee-hee.
Johnny Pacific in Winnetka: In a tiny strip mall, we found this little gem. The empanadas here are fantastic–not as doughy as other places and filled with heavenly combinations of meats, spices, and vegetables, from beef tinga to kailua pig. And the dipping sauces are fantastic, from an Asian peanutty one to chimi churri and even caramel!
Ricky’s taco stand: You can’t come to LA and not eat from a food truck or roadside stand. Ricky’s fits the bill. My brother, whose office is nearby, insisted that we stop at Ricky’s for some fine fish tacos, never mind that we just filled up in Long Beach and were looking forward to a Thai dinner. Okay, he was right, these were the best fish tacos I’ve ever had. Case closed.
Palms Thai in Hollywood: Sometimes I just need a good Thai fix–nothing fancy, just the basics. This place was recommended by a friend and we ordered som tum, pad thai, yom nua, and green curry with shrimp. So good, not at all overly sweet like the Thai places in/around Boston. I hear they have live entertainment that features a Thai Elvis, but he wasn’t there during our visit.
Santouka in Manhattan Beach for ramen: What can I say, we love ramen. Santouka is a chain and we’ve been to the one in Vancouver and Torrance. I particularly love how Santoukas in SoCal are usually located in a Mitsuwa Market food court–makes it easier to dine with others who fail to understand the awesomeness that is ramen. Doesn’t even matter what you order here, it’s all good. This time I had the spicy miso ramen and it was as divine as usual. I still have dreams about ramen…
For many people around the country, Memorial Day weekend signifies the beginning of summer. For me, I’m just happy if it’s warm. Despite pockets of sunshine and warmth in March and April, spring in New England is usually cold, dreary, wet and windy. But this weekend was GLORIOUS.
To celebrate the warmer temperatures we made bun ca nuong for dinner tonight. As always, there are many variations to this dish–my aunt Kim would actually roast an entire catfish in the oven and then serve it with rice paper, herbs, lettuce, cuke, bean sprouts, rice noodles and nuoc cham. Everyone would make their own rolls and eat as they go. Good fun and good food. But if your rolling skills are far from perfect, or if you just prefer the ease of a meal-in-a-bowl, then this version is for you.
Many elements of this meal are similar to my lemongrass beef recipe: nuoc cham, scallion oil, fried shallots, rice noodles, and herb salad. Essentially, the only change is the fish instead of the beef. But for the sake of simplicity, I will repost the similar parts so the recipe will be all in one place.
Fish:
2 lbs. catfish fillets (I substituted tilapia this time because catfish was not available)
4 scallions coarsely chopped
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup light soy sauce (a couple of tablespoons less if your soy sauce is particularly salty)
4 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Noodles:
1 16 oz. package rice vermicelli (look for the word “Bun” on the package)
Lettuce and herbs:
8-10 leaves romaine lettuce, sliced thin
1 cup fresh mint leaves, rinsed and dried (Thai basil would also work)
1 1/2 cups cucumbers, julienned
1 cup bean sprout, rinsed and dried
Scallion oil:
3 scallions, thinly sliced
a couple pinches of salt
4 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola or sunflower
Nuoc cham:
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
one Thai bird chili, minced or sliced if you don’t want too much spiciness
5 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 cup water
1/2 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup fried shallots
Fish: In a small bowl, combine the scallions, oil, soy sauce, honey and black pepper. Stir to combine. (Tip: I often use a mini-prep Cuisinart to chop the onions. Don’t over chop them as they’ll just get slimy. See photo.) Place fish fillets in a large glass baking dish (or similar) and coat thoroughly with marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. Light grill and when coals are ready, grill fillets for 4-5 minutes per side over indirect heat. Grilling fish fillets can be tricky as they have a tendency to fall apart. We use a grilling basket like this one, which holds the fillets more tightly and prevents them from falling apart when flipping. (If you are grill-challenged, try broiling on high for 4-5 minutes per side, flipping once. Watch the fillets carefully as the honey in the marinade will make them burn easily.) Transfer grilled fillets to a platter.
Noodles: Make the noodles while the fish marinates. Place 3-4 quarts of water in a pot (enough to completely cover the noodles, use less if you are making less noodles) and bring to a vigorous boil. Add dried noodle pieces and make sure they are entirely submerged. Bring pot back to a boil and then immediately remove from heat and cover pot. After five minutes, drain noodles and rinse thoroughly under cold water, shaking them to remove excess liquid. Noodles should be room temperature, though not cold, for serving.
Lettuce and herbs: Combine lettuce, mint, cucumber, and bean sprouts in a medium bowl. Divide into individual bowls. Leftovers can be refrigerated for a couple of days.
Scallion oil: Heat oil in a small pan until very hot. You can test the oil by dropping in a slice of scallion, if there is sizzling, then you’re good to go. Place scallions in a ramekin or other heat-resistant dish, add a pinch or two of kosher salt and pour hot oil over. Allow mixture to sit for at least 5 minutes for the flavors to mesh.
Nuoc cham: Every Vietnamese family has a jar of this sauce in their home and every one makes it a little bit different. Some like it bit sweeter, spicier, saltier or more tart. Use this recipe as a base and tweak to suit your own taste. To avoid too much spiciness, slice the pepper into 2-3 chunks instead of mincing. Combine minced garlic, chili peppers, lime juice, sugar, water and fish sauce in a small bowl. Stir to make sure sugar dissolves completely. Keeps in fridge for 10 days.
Fried shallots: I buy these ready-made at a Chinese supermarket but you can make your own by thinly slicing shallots and then frying them in oil until crisp. They are also excellent on bagels with cream cheese!
Assembly: Place a small handful of lettuce/cuke/bean sprouts/herbs in a bowl, then place roughly 1 to 1 1 1/2 cups noodles on top. Add fish fillet(s) atop noodles, garnish with scallion oil, fried shallots, and a couple spoonfuls of nuoc cham. Makes 4-6 servings.
I got so many requests for this recipe so here it is! This is a super easy and tasty meal for those hectic weeknights–now if I can just get Souper Boy to like salmon we’d be all set!
1 1/4 lb. salmon fillet, cut into four equal pieces
spice rub (1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
salt and pepper
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
3 Marathon (or Ataulfo or similar) mangoes, pitted and cut into 1 cm cubes
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro or parlsey
4 tablespoons nuoc cham
3/4 lb. baby bok choy, trimmed, rinsed and dried
1 tablespoon sliced garlic
1 teaspoon oyster sauce, or a few pinches of salt
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons canola oil
Spice mix: In a small bowl, mix together cumin, coriander, paprika and cayenne. Feel free to add any other spices that you like–ground cloves, red pepper flakes, etc. This kind of spice mix is excellent on fish, chicken, shrimp, and even pork chops. You will have plenty leftover, so save it in a small jar and it’ll be handy for next time.
Mango salsa: In a bowl, combine mangoes, red onions, cilantro/parsley, and nuoc cham. Mix to combine. If you don’t have any nuoc cham on hand–which I strongly suggest you do–use 1/3 teaspoon minced garlic, one minced thai bird chili pepper, juice of half a lime and 1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce. Adjust as necessary. Set salsa aside while you prepare the fish.
(Tip: For nice uniform cubes, hold mango stem side up on a cutting board, place knife blad about 1/4 inch from stem and slice off half mango, cutting as close to the pit as possible. Using a small paring knife, score the mango half without cutting through the skin. Then use a spoon to scoop out the mango cubes. Repeat with the other half of the mango. Oh, and don’t forget to gnaw on the leftover pit–it’s the best part!)
Salmon: Preheat oven to 400F. Season fillets with salt, pepper and a generous sprinkling of the spice mix. Heat olive oil in an oven-proof pan over medium-high heat until quite hot, sear salmon skin-side up first for 4-5 minutes, flip fillets and then pop the whole pan in the oven for 5-6 minutes.
Greens: While fish is cooking, heat oil in a wok until smoking, add garlic and stir for 10-15 seconds. Add baby bok choy and stir fry until bright green, then add water and salt/oyster sauce. Stir fry for another 30 seconds. As always, feel free to substitute a different vegetable, spinach would also work but don’t use the oyster sauce.
Serve salmon and bok choy with jasmine rice, generously spooning the mango salsa over the fish. Pairs lovely with a cold Vouvray or Muscadet. Makes four servings.
Sorry for the long break between posts. A 10-day trip to LA became a 18-day blogging hiatus. How you ask? Well, before the trip there was a 5-day period of frantic errand running and packing, or in my case, over packing. Then after the trip there is a 3-day period of painful re-entry as I struggle to re-stock the fridge, pack lunches, cook meals, do laundry, deal with toddler, and then there’s still the unpacking. So, here I am 18 days later, still sleep-deprived and exhausted but ready to get back to the food. And speaking of LA, stay tuned for a play-by-play post of our food adventures! But until then, here’s a recipe for a Vietnamese classic: pho ga.
I may be biased, but pho ga, Vietnamese chicken noodle soup, easily beats the American version. Brew up a pot and let me know what you think.
4 1/2 lbs. whole chicken
3 lbs. chicken bones (necks and backs)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 medium onion
1 4-inch piece of ginger
1/4 cup fish sauce (or more to taste)
1 package of pho spices (or 3-inch cinnamon stick, 8 cardamom pods, 6 star anise, 1/4 teaspoon cloves, and 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns)
2 package fresh or dry pho noodles (also known as pad thai noodles)
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
3/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fried shallots (optional)
6-8 sprigs Thai basil, rinsed and dried
2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and dried
1 lime, cut into wedges
2 Thai chili peppers (optional)
Soup: Place chicken and chicken backs in a large stock pot (about 8 quart capacity) and add enough water to cover the chicken. Do not add too much water as your broth will be diluted. Add salt and simmer (but do not boil) for 1 hour, skimming off fat and impurities as needed. As soup simmers, char ginger and onion either directly over a flame or broil in oven. Watch ginger and onion closely and turn frequently to char as evenly as possible. And when I say char, I mean BLACK–see photo. Once cool, peel charred ginger and onion skins. Add whole onion to soup pot. Cut ginger into several section, bruise each piece with a pestle or knife handle and add to the soup pot. Place spices into a cheesecloth, tie close and add to soup pot. Skim off fat and impurities as needed. After one hour of simmering, remove chicken and place immediately in a large bowl of cold water so that the meat doesn’t turn brown. Once chicken is cool, remove meat from bones and shred into bite-size pieces. Alternatively, you can remove large sections of breast and thigh meat and slice into pieces. Continue to simmer soup stock for another 1 hour (replenishing water as needed), then remove chicken backs, ginger, onion and spices.
Noodles: I much prefer fresh pho noodles (pictured) to the dry ones, but use whatever you can get. If using the dry noodles, soak them in some warm water for 10 minutes and drain before cooking. Cook noodles in small portions, dunking each portion into boiling water for 45 seconds (longer if using dry noodles), using chopsticks to swirl them for even cooking. Place cooked noodles into individual serving bowls. Note: each package of dry yields 4-6 portions, packages of fresh noodles yield about 4 servings.
Assembly: Add a few pieces chicken atop the noodles in each bowl, sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, sliced onions, fried shallots and a dash of black pepper. Bring soup to a low boil and ladle some into each bowl. Serve immediately with a communal plate of Thai basil, bean sprouts, lime wedges, and chili peppers.
This recipe yields about 8 servings.
As children, my brother got to run and play outside, while I was, begrudgingly, sequestered in the kitchen with my grandmother, mother and aunts, rinsing and cutting vegetables and herbs and washing dishes. I highly resented this sexist divide and often got in trouble for talking back and my generally sulkiness. But occasionally and without any acknowledgement on my part, I had a few proud moments when the womenfolk would praise my abilities in the kitchen. Indeed, compared to my female cousins (sorry ladies!), I did exhibit more culinary potential and had a better feel for some of the more delicate tasks, such as rolling egg and spring rolls and wrapping wontons. Unfortunately, my proficiency was a double-edged sword and only increased my time in the kitchen. As Homer would say, d’oh!
Thankfully for my family today, I never forgot those lessons from the kitchen and actually enjoy them a lot more now. As for my ability to wrap wontons, let’s just say I can make about 40 in 15 minutes!
4 lbs pork bones (neck bones with some meat on them work well)
8 quarts water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
1/4 lb shrimp, peeled, de-veined, and coarsely chopped
2/3 lb ground pork
3 scallions, finely chopped
1 pack wonton wrappers
2 12-oz packs egg noodles
1/2 lb baby shanghai bok choy (the greener, less white version of bok choy), rinsed and sliced in half lengthwise
3 scallions, finely sliced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Soup: There are three things to remember for good soup stock: 1) always quick boil the bones first;2) simmer don’t boil; and 3) time, lots of time. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil then add pork bones and allow to boil rapidly for 4 minutes. Drain bones, rinse and place in clean pot of water (about 8 quarts). Simmer bones for at least 4 hours (but 6-8 is more optimal), skimming off the impurities as they rise to the top and replenishing water as needed. Do not let soup boil as that will result in a cloudy broth. After at least 4 hours, remove bones and use a fine mesh strainer to catch any small bits. You can also strain the broth if you want it to be clearer. Add soy sauce, fish sauce, salt and five spices powder, adjusting as necessary. Keep soup at low simmer while you cook noodles/wontons and prepare bowls.
Wontons: While bones are simmering, combine shrimp, ground pork, chopped scallions, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well. To make wontons, place one teaspoon(ish) full of the filling in the middle of one wonton wrapper, fold into a triangle, and then tuck in the other two corners. See picture. This recipe should make about 40 wontons. Refrigerate wontons until you are ready to cook them. Wontons can also be frozen; just make sure to freeze in single layers to avoid them sticking together.
Cooking greens, noodles and wontons: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, quickly blanche greens and remove to a colander to drain. Then cook noodles in individual portions (each noodle package should have 4 separate portions), by loosening and dunking each portion into boiling water for 30 seconds, using a chopstick to swirl them for even cooking. Place each portion into a separate bowl and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. Repeat for other portions. After all the noodles are cooked, replenish water and bring back to a boil. To cook wontons, drop 8-12 into the pot at a time, cook for about 2 minutes until they float, then remove with a strainer or slotted spoon and place on top of noodles. Repeat for other portions.
Assembly: Add three to four pieces of bok choy to each bowl, sprinkle with green onions and a dash of black pepper. Bring soup to a low boil and ladle some into each bowl. Serve immediately with a small bowl of chinese vinegar for each person to add to the soup if they like.
Sometimes, when I am driving or walking, I look at other people–like the drivers waiting at the red light across the intersection, or the mother of three trying to herd her children through the local Trader Joe’s, or the older but still active woman who lives somewhere nearby and walks down the hill everyday to run errands–and wonder what their lives are like. Like a nosey neighbor, I wonder: Are they single or married? How long have they lived around here? Do they have children? Are the children well-behaved? What do they do for a living? What other countries have they visited? Are they happy? But above all else, what do they eat for dinner every day?
Perhaps someone has even looked at me and wondered the same things. In the spirit of satisfying some of that curiosity, here’s what I had for dinner the last seven days:
Saturday: takeout sushi
Sunday: veggie samosas, rice, dahl, aloo gobi, paneer and gulab jamun (catered at a Chhandika event)
Monday: wonton noodle soup (homemade with post and recipe to follow soon)
Tuesday: tortellini in a cream sauce with mushrooms and sausages and bruschetta with ricotta, roasted tomatoes and prosciutto (courtesy of Next Doors)
Wednesday: banh xeo (homemade with post and recipe to follow soon)
Thursday: tilapia with chili lime butter with quinoa and asparagus (courtesy of Next Doors)
Friday: banh xeo (hooray for leftovers!)
What have you eaten lately? And are there other things that you often wonder about strangers? Do share!
During a 2011 trip to LA’s Koreatown, I was unnerved by the number of pho restaurants that had popped up. Korean pho? WTF? But if Korean-Americans can expand into rarefied pho territory, then it’s only fair to acknowledge that Vietnamese-Americans have taken to kalbi, beef short ribs usually cut across the bone, marinated and grilled. During summer weekends all across SoCal, hundreds (if not thousands) of pounds of kalbi are grilled and consumed in the backyards of Vietnamese-American families. Though, for the record, I am not sure pho for kalbi is a fair trade…
There are many versions of kalbi (also known as galbi); sometimes a single rib’s meat is sliced open in a spiral, or even boneless. Of course, my family has serious bone-gnawing tendencies, so we like the three-bone, thinly sliced version that allows for optimal consumption of the gristle around the bones. And, naturally, we add a secret ingredient not commonly found in Korean cuisine but is quintessentially Vietnamese: lemongrass. Shhhh, don’t let the secret out.
When the temperature soared into the 80s last week (March in New England?!) we decided to inaugurate the grill for 2012 and kalbi was the obvious choice. To pair with the kalbi, we grilled king oyster mushrooms and Japanese eggplants with scallion oil. Fluffy jasmine rice and kimchi rounds out the meal. And beer, of course.
Lastly, a few words about the marinade. In use the jarred variety that you can get at any Korean supermarket. You can certainly make your own, but I just don’t have the time to find and puree Korean pears–a key component of the marinade that helps to tenderize the meat. I look for brands that have higher percentages of pear puree and less (if any) MSG.
3 lbs korean short ribs
1 cup marinade
1/3 cup lemongrass, finely minced
4 scallions (roughly 1 cup), thinly sliced
1/3 cup canola oil (or sunflower or grape seed)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 lbs Japanese eggplant (about 5), trimmed, rinsed, dried and sliced in half lengthwise
1.5 lbs king oyster mushroom (about six 1 1/2 inch diameter stalks), trimmed, rinsed, dried, and sliced in half lengthwise
1 1/2 cups jasmine rice, cooked
Kalbi: Combine short ribs, lemongrass and kalbi marinade in a large bowl, cover and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour (up to 4 hours) in the fridge. When grill is hot, cook ribs over high heat for about 1-2 minutes per side. Depending on how hot your grill is, cooking time may be more or less. Just keep a close watch; you want nice grill lines but no burning. Keep cooked ribs under foil to keep them warm and moist.
Scallion oil: Place scallions and salt in a heat proof bowl. Heat oil in a small sauce pan until a slice of scallion sizzles when dropped in the oil. Poor hot oil over scallions. I’ve added a couple of extra tablespoons of oil to this scallion oil recipe as I will be using some of the oil to brush on the mushrooms and eggplant before grilling.
Veggies: Brush mushrooms and eggplant with scallion oil (only the oil). Grill mushrooms away from the flames for 4-5 minutes per side. King oyster mushrooms are rather hearty and take a while to cook thoroughly. Grill eggplant cut side down first over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side. Arrange mushrooms and eggplant on a platter and drizzle with scallion oil.
Serves 4-5 hungry adults.
* Special note: This meal made with the assistance and input from our family grill master, aka Mr. No Nom de Blog.
Tonight, for dinner we had homemade fish tacos: seasoned cod, tomatillo salsa, Mexican crema, pickled red onions, and guacamole, with margaritas. It was delicious and refreshing on an unseasonably warm March evening. And I didn’t make any of it. In fact, there are many nights each week when we enjoy a home-cooked meal without doing any of the cooking. Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce you to The Commune, two families sharing childcare, vacations, and yummy food.
Some of you may have already heard of The Commune. Indeed, it has been going strong for nearly seven years, and fittingly, has its origins in the People’s Republic of Cambridge. Though now relocated to suburbia, The Commune continues to make our lives more efficient, humorous, and delicious! For those of you new to The Commune, please see this eloquent post by a fellow Commune member–I couldn’t have said it better myself. And as this blog is about the intersection of food and life, there will be more posts (and pictures!) about shared meals and good times. Long live The Commune!
In the Soup 
