Sauces

To revisit my very recent mention of the Vietnamese chili garlic sauce, I did a bit of detective work, located it and wanted to showcase it in the event I piqued any interest in it. The name of it is Tuong Ot Toi Viet Nam, and I confirmed with my good friend BK who is still in Missouri that this is, in fact, the full-bodied coarsely-textured sauce that sits on the tables at St. Louis' Pho Grand Vietnamese restaurant. I don't know what has gotten into me lately but I've been thinking of this sauce a lot; perhaps it was the fact that sometime last week I was wandering aimlessly down the aisles of a nearby Ukrop's (Richmond's grocery chain) and my eyes fell on a jar of it. I held it in my hands for a moment and second-guessed myself as to whether or not it was the right sauce. Now that I've done the research and found it, I'm going to try this at home. It's a shame I've thus far been intimidated (the kitchen sometimes still scares me) by all of the Goi Cuon and Bi Cuon recipes I've found to accompany this fine sauce. Speaking of recipes, I've got the details for Recipe Club crafted to a near-fine science and we begin mailing recipes next month. There are seven of us participating, and ideally the first time around will act to iron out the kinks. Our first theme is pot luck, which is precisely what it suggests, and I'm mailing my recipe for Chicken Cannellonis (the dish I made for the Dinner Party a couple of weekends ago). The only experiment I've not yet performed in relation to this recipe is roasting my own red bell peppers. I've skimmed the directions to do so: it doesn't seem complicated. Perhaps that's a suitable activity some night this spring. I've actually only made the Chicken Cannellonis twice so far, and the first time, the topping sauce was bright orange (roasted red peppers pureed with alfredo yield an interesting color); the second time, the topping sauce was a fleshy peach in tint (the roasted red peppers were from a can instead of a jar and were a less vibrant red). But getting past the near-neon color is easy, since these pastas taste so grand. I'm also contemplating beginning a food journal for at home. This would enable me to better organize my future in the kitchen. I realize for many amateur chefs, haphazard potpourri and chaos in the kitchen work to the advantage of both the chef and the meal itself, but for me, my mind is already in such disarray, a more organized approach will lend to smoother efficiency. In my food journal (I discussed this with Craig who politely supported the idea 100%) I could jot down frequently-purchased ingredients, menu combinations, recipe titles and whether we pay specific recipes repeat attempts, specialty items (such as the above mentioned chili garlic sauce that I so love) and anything else related to food and the kitchen. I'm rapidly turning this into a newfound hobby, and as many times a week as Craig protests my reluctance to 'just get carry-out,' or 'eat something more affordable, like spaghetti,' I can't resist a convenient trip next door to the Market, a bottle of my favorite wine, and a whole new adventure involving foods we haven't tried before. And for that reason, I am explosively excited about Recipe Club (explosively may be a bit of an overstatement - but hey, I'm looking forward to something that I never imagined I'd grow to love as much as I now do). The thing Craig needs to realize about this trend is that it may not last forever. I think I will eternally love to prepare food but I may not eternally be wrought with curiosity about the unchartered. And the convenience of the Market next door will cease to exist when we leave Richmond, so the ease and comfort will be eliminated from the cooking equation. But if I continue to enjoy it as much as I've been, I'm sure I will find a way to nourish this activity. The kitchen is where I'm dumping all of my abandoned creative ambitions, for the moment. It even approaches therapeutic after long frustrating work days. Craig needs to savor the moment while it lasts.