The First Gathering

It's been one year since I started this blog.  In some ways, it seems like time has flown by, but on the other hand, it seems I've been blogging forever!  The year 2010 saw me headed to Haiti to bring aid to victims of the earthquake, traveling to Turkey to deliver an elderly man home to his family, making lots of new friends and reconnecting with old ones, following a life-long desire to work with clay, finally visiting the great state of California, and of course, cooking up a storm in the kitchen!  If you'd like to see a photo album of my year, you can click this link.

Last Sunday, I hosted the year's first gathering of friends in my home.  My new friend, Pimpa came over with her husband, Khambay, and another young friend from Thailand, Nam.  We had a wonderful time in the kitchen cooking together.  I made an Indian dish of stewed potatoes and split peas, Nam made a Thai dish called Lap, and Pimpa made a pot of Thai chicken coconut soup.


Nam, preparing vegetables for Lap



Pimpa, slicing chicken for Thai coconut soup



Pimpa and Nam busy in the kitchen






Nam, squeezing lime juice over the Lap





at the dinner table



After dinner, we sat in the living room and visited for hours.  Pimpa was quite taken with my coffee table book.  It's an oversized book on street food in Thailand (Thai Street Food) with beautiful pictures and intriguing recipes. 

The first recipe in the book is for a treat called kanom krok.  Pimpa got excited when she saw the picture and told me that whenever she goes back to Thailand, the first thing she wants to eat is kanom krok.  By the time they left, Pimpa had made me promise I would order her a copy of this book.

This past year has been tough with me looking for a job and changes being made at Eddy's work that affect us in unhappy ways.  But the joy that family, friends, and food bring into my life more than compensate for the hard times.  I am so blessed!!