I knew I was in love when on our first date, a tall, handsome Chinese man made me pasta with sautéed shrimp and set the table with linens and lit candles. I was a vegetarian at the time, but his cooking was so good that I didn't bring up the subject until much later in our dating relationship (and then I happily converted back to an omnivore--my choice).
Later, our dates revolved around finding the best fresh-roasted coffee beans and hand-rolled sushi in town. We dined at fine restaurants and local food trucks, and cooked regularly for friends.
When we planned our wedding, we capped our guest list at around 100 and held the event in the morning so we could afford to serve each of our guests tasty breakfast fare that included peach-stuffed french toast and smoked salmon. In order to afford a delicious cake, we skipped fondant and sugar decorations, and used extra flowers from the florist instead for decoration.
After we married, we continued to pursue our growing gourmand tastes on a chicken-of-the-sea budget, eating simple noodle dishes throughout the week so we could afford a sushi splurge on the weekend or a yearly trip to our favorite local Japanese restaurant--that was the size of a shoebox and often had a line out the door.
Ten years down the road, we still enjoy sharing good food. It's a passion, a hobby, a joy, but stronger bonds hold us together--our love for each other, our faith, and our children. In this season of life, we are enjoying teaching our kids to cook and introducing them to new tastes.
Last night, all four of us watched spellbound as PBS chef Ming Tsai sliced a green papaya. The fact that we each found this simple but precise task amazing tells me that the pursuit of cooking and eating good food is something we will enjoy as a family for many years to come.
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