Yesternight, J. and I celebrated our second Valentine’s Day together. Last year, we made dinner of dead chicken and winter vegetables in the Ameri-European style of romantic cookery. This year, it was Thai style up the yin-yang! We crafted two dishes we had never crafted before: Kai Phat Met Ma Muang (cashew chicken) and Tom Kha Talay (seafood coconut soup).

Kai Phat Met Ma Muang consisted of chicken pects, garlic, green onion, red onion, mushrooms, cashews, basil, sesame oil, chili paste, chilies, fish sauce, oyster sauce.

Tom Kha Talay consisted of coconut milk, lime leaves (which we had to substitute lime zest and basil for), galanga root (we used ginger instead), lemon grass, mushroom, shrimp, chilies, fish sauce, lime juice.

The happy couple in near silhouette, toasting two taste glasses of smooth wine to each other in appreciation for the luck in supping on life’s bounty. Booyah!!!!!!!!

Speaking of food, I’m going to Europe next Tuesday. They have food there. I will be traveling with C. in France and Spain for two weeks. To say that I’m excited would be an accurate thing to say. I am excited about this trip. There, I said it.

French flag!

Tentative route!

A travel song:

Who put the Nik’s
In the Nik’s bah Nik’s bah Nik’s?
Who put the going to
In the going to lama ding dong?
Who put the Europe
In the Europe shoo Europe shoo Europe?
Who put the soon
In the soon da soon da soon?
Who was that man?
I’d like to shake this man
He made my baby
Fall in to a well.