A quiet dinner at home (and childhood memories)

Sorry for not having any new posts until now. We've been playing host to visiting family for the past 2 weeks and I'm a bit pooped. No, I take that back, I'm exhausted!

Last Sunday, with my mom being our current house guest, we fixed a nice quiet dinner at home for the three of us (four if you include Biscuit Pup). We fixed Vietnamese Five Spiced Quail as an appetizer and Pork with Rice Cakes and Zucchini. For dessert, we had fresh strawberries with vanilla ice cream.

Five Spiced Quail

I found the recipe for the quail online after we ate a similar version at a Vietnamese restaurant here in the area called Huong Que (or The Four Sisters). It's served with a small dish with about 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper and a lime wedge. You have to squeeze the lime juice into the salt and pepper and mix it together. Then dip little pieces of the quail into it and eat. The version at Huong Que is spectacular. It comes out hot and crispy with a slightly sticky coating. The aroma of five spice powder wafts up to your nose as you inhale deeply.

The recipe I found is slightly different but still very good. Since we can't cook outside (stupid condo rules......) , I've found that baking them in a slow oven (325 degrees) works pretty well. For the main course, Biscuit Boy first sliced the zucchini and salted them to help draw out some of the water. He let them sit for about 30 minutes and drained them. Next he sliced some nice lean boneless porkloin into thin strips. He sauteed some garlic in a little oil then added the pork. While the pork was cooking, he boiled the rice cakes for a few minutes and drained them. Turning back to the pork, he added the zucchini, tossing everything around for a minute or two then finally adding the rice cakes. He stirred it all together with a little soy sauce and scooped it into a large serving bowl.

Pork with Rice Cakes and Zucchini

To add to the meal, we served a nice bottle of Chateau Grande Cassagne Rose. Two glasses later, mom was a little light headed. What can I say, mom's a lightweight these days. But back when I was a kid, we (my brother, sister and I) would be playing in the pool while mom and dad kicked back with a big pitcher of Harvey Wallbangers. Being kids, seeing them laughing and giggling, we just thought they were soooooo happy to see us having fun. Little did we know.......they were plastered, blotto, snockered, polluted and completely bombed out of their minds. Ah.......the memories........(at least we kids remember them).