Long Time No Post

Sorry I've not had a chance to blog in so long. Things have been quite busy at the work place. Hubs was gone the weekend before last taking a bit of a vacation in Buffalo with his Dad before he has to start his 6(!) class odyssey next week. This last weekend we were mostly busy with family stuff. We hit the St Petersburg aquarium (which sucks, there's a reason it only costs $5 to get in!), went to a barbecue birthday bash for Hubs' cousin, and, of course, hit the beach. Hubs and I also spent a night out on the town. We had dinner at the Melting Pot and then caught a show where the bassist was one of Hubs' old friend's sister. They were actually quite good, and we enjoyed the music immensely.

Food:

I realize I haven't blogged a recipe in a while, so here's one of my absolute favorite comfort foods: Mapo Doufu. I know that sounds a little odd, but this spicy pork and tofu dish is one I crave constantly. Most of my comfort foods are Asian, and I'm not exactly sure why that is. Maybe its that I've studied Chinese for so long or the copious amounts of time I've spent in the Pacific region, but I love all types of Asian food. Since I live in an area where there aren't really any Asian markets (I've heard a rumor that there may be one in Tampa, but I've yet to venture out to find it), I've had to learn to adapt my cooking to try and mirror the flavors I remember without the actual ingredients. In some cases this can be done quite easily (fried rice, yakisoba, bulgogi) in others it is not even worth trying (Tom Ka Gai, my all time favorite soup, just does not have the right flavor no matter what I try to substitute :( In the case of Mapo Doufu, I think this recipe is pretty darn close, and it certainly satisfies my craving. Be forewarned, this is not really a kid friendly recipe. C will eat it, but remember this is a kid who counts sushi and brussel sprouts among her favorite foods, i.e. not your typical eater.

Pu's Mapo Doufu:

1lb ground or diced pork
1 block soft tofu, drained and diced
2-3 tbsp peanut oil (you can use other oil if you don't have peanut oil)
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp fermented black beans (you can usually find this with garlic in your grocer's Asian food aisle)
1-2 tbsp hot chile sauce (I use Sriracha)
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2-3 tbsp Sichuan spice mix (McCormick's sells bottles of this)
1-2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp sugar
1 cup chicken broth
3tbsp corn starch mixed in 6 tbsp water

Heat the oils over medium-high heat, add the onion and garlic and saute until softened. Add the pork and cook thoroughly. Add the hot chile sauce, black bean sauce, soy sauce, sichuan spice, red pepper flakes, and sugar and cook for another minute or so. Add in the chicken broth and mix well. Stir the corn starch into the water and add to the sauce to thicken it. Then add the diced tofu. Cook mixture on low to medium heat for about another 5 min so that the tofu can absorb all the flavor from the sauce. Serve over rice. And remember, you can always adjust the amounts of chili sauce and red pepper flakes to make the dish as spicy or mild as you like.

Things:

- Is there really anything more awesome than a toddler dancing? I love watching their little brows furrow in concentration as they run determinedly in a circle to the strains of the Go, Diego, Go theme song.
- Pre-schoolers are amazing creatures. J is basically teaching herself to swim. She enjoys spending time with his big sis in the pool, so we bought her a life jacket-type floaty vest and now she uses that to paddle and kick her way around the pool unassisted. She'll get actual swim lessons this summer when the step-kids are here
- Not sure if I have mentioned this before or not, but my company is paying for me to take more Chinese lessons (or at least reimbursing me for them anyway). I have a tutor who comes to my office once a week from the Longmen Chinese Center, and I can't tell you how much I have missed studying the language!