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Sunday, August 29, 2010

From How to Cook Jasmine Rice to Happily Ever After

How to Cook Rice 12

Two years ago, I had written what I thought was a rather ho hum post on "How to Cook Jasmine Rice." Who knew that it would be so useful? With more than two dozen comments, I guess rice resonated with many of you too.

Shortly afterward, I received an email from Robin, who lives, as she calls it, in the heart of Cajun country -- south Louisiana. She was dating a Vietnamese man at the time and had been searching for recipes to cook for him.
"I was in desperate need of a lesson on how to cook jasmine rice, since my three attempts were a disaster! ... Now, I know what I was doing wrong. Thank you, thank you, thank you. It came out perfect that evening."
She told me the blog was useful to help her cook some of the foods her Vietnamese boyfriend liked, and seeing the various steps, and knowing what the dish was supposed to look like, helped her cook Vietnamese food more confidently.

I replied that if any of my recipes helped her to woo her man and got her a marriage proposal, I wanted to know about it. :P

In reply, Robin said he hadn't proposed yet, but that she finally met his mother when they were evacuated together during Hurricane Gustav. His mother started cooking Vietnamese dishes for her. Her boyfriend was actually a bit jealous of the attention his mother was paying to Robin. His brothers decided to capitalize on the situation by asking Robin to request that their mother make some of their favorite dishes. Haha!

Before they come over to his mother's house for dinner, when her boyfriend tells Robin what his mother is cooking, she looks up the dish on the blog.
"So when I get there I will know what to expect and hopefully not be too rude. If I know what something is, I am more willing to try it."
An open mind and a willingness to try new things is always handy for any relationship, but I replied with two pieces of advice that I think is useful for Vietnamese relationships in particular:

1) Do the dishes. It doesn't matter if his mother pushes you away (She will as a token protest for politeness.), just get back in there, be insistent, and do the dishes.

and

2) Never show up on his mother's doorstep empty-handed. Yes, this includes coming over for dinner where you will be fed anyway. Bring a bag of whatever fruit is in season or something small, but bring something.

Trust me. Especially if you're not Vietnamese, or even if you are, those two simple gestures will make a world of difference in how his mother will regard you.

Six months later, we're up to April 2009 now, Robin updated me on her relationship with her Vietnamese sweetheart again.
"Proposal!!!!

We spent the entire weekend cleaning his brother's house (His too but he has lived with me for the past 1 1/2 yrs.) His mom had been complaining that the place was terrible and needed to be cleaned, and as the oldest brother he needed to make them do it. Since I was off this weekend, I suggested we spend the weekend there to clean. He was happy about that. He got to spend time with his dog that he misses.

We had lunch with his mom. She asked me if I wanted to go to Vietnam, and of course, I very excitedly said, "YES." Later, she came by to see what we (I) was actually doing. Chung (my sweetie) told me later that she was very impressed at how hard I was working and how detailed my cleaning was.

As we drove to my sister's house to pick up my 9-year-old son, he said that spiritually that he feels we are already married.

I agreed.

He wants to be with me forever.

I agreed.

Then he said, "I want to make it legal. And I don't want to wait."

No matter how little of a role you may think you had in this, you were very instrumental. I learned how to make some of his favorite foods and have not really been shocked by anything I have tried at his mother's.

Friday May 29, 2009. One of the happiest days of my life."
Aww. Congratulations! Best wishes to the happy couple - Chung and Robin!

From How to Cook Jasmine Rice to Happily Ever After 1

So, I really should have blogged this way back when, but you know I'm horrible with staying on top of things. Plus, I really wanted to do the story justice and posts don't write themselves until I'm good and ready, or until I get the information I need. I asked Robin to tell me more about her romance with Chung.
"Chung and I met about 3 1/2 yrs ago, in dance class. Ballroom dancing that is. He was new and far behind. We worked on just one movement for an hour after class for about a month. We were friends now.

After about a year, I could not afford to take lessons, but did not want to forget everything I had learned. By this time, he was really into dancing and had keys to the studio. We met every Monday night. We would practice whatever he had taken a private lesson on earlier that day. Never wanting to learn the tango myself (too seductive), he talked me into it. He had bought some DVDs on dancing and wanted to learn the tango. I gave in to his pleading. These Monday nights went on for about five months.

During breaks we talked about everything you could possibly imagine. I even tried to fix him up with some of the single girls I knew, but always found them not quite right for him. I knew I had some type of feelings for him when I read an email about him going on a double-date to the zoo with his brother and this "adorable girl," my heart sank, until I found out she was the 2-year-old daughter of his brother's date!

I knew I was smitten.

One Monday night, he called me and said he was hungry and did not want to practice. He wanted to take me and Tyler to dinner and maybe a movie. During the movie, Tyler fell asleep on me and the other half of me was cold, so he moved next to me, by the end of the movie, we were holding hands.

Then, a couple of days later was the 4th of July and we made plans to go to New Orleans for lunch. On the way home we stopped by the home of the little boy I took care of on weekends, I made the comment about him meeting my "boyfriend." He said he was jealous. Made me think. He did not want to end the day so he convinced me to go to the studio and we could just talk. Eventually (about 2 in the morning), I took a huge risk at embarrassment and asked him if we were dating.

He almost cried with his response, "What if I said yes?"

I said okay.

Here we are today. He wants to get married on the 4th of July, our two-year anniversary, and of course, our first dance will be the tango. I can honestly say I don't think we had actually had a fight, disagreements, but no fights. I am so spoiled that I don't think any other man would be able to live up to him. It is ALWAYS about me, and it has never been that way for me. If I am dreaming, please don't wake me."
Awww!

I asked her about the connection between Vietnamese food and her courtship, such as her familiarity with Vietnamese food before discovering the blog (Hey! It's all about me!!! Wait, it's not?) and how her willingness to learn and eat Vietnamese food helped in her relationship with his mom.
"I knew NOTHING about Vietnamese cuisine before I met him. The first ingredient he introduced me to was fish sauce. Yuck! Then, I ran across your blog on fish sauce and read up on it. Needless to say, I now have two types in my cabinet and will be the first person to say, "It needs fish sauce."

My first attempt at making him some "home" food was fried rice. Horrible. I grew up in south Louisiana and have been cooking rice most of my life. How could I be making a mess of it? I really do know how to boil water, I promise. (His joke was always, "Are you boiling the water right?") There had to be a trick to cooking jasmine rice. I read how to cook it on your blog and voila, perfect rice.

I no longer cry cooking rice.

I am still intimidated to cook Vietnamese meals. I have tried a couple of other recipes: Cha Gio (Vietnamese Egg Rolls), Nuoc Mam Cham (Vietnamese Fish Dipping Sauce) (he likes mine better and will no longer make it himself), Mi Hoanh Thanh (Vietnamese Wonton Noodle Soup) (I cheated and bought frozen filled wontons at the Asian store in town. Who knew it was there? My brother! They seem to know him well there.).

Mostly, I come here after I find out what his mom is cooking for dinner. I look it up and if it is something I am so-so about I will eat a little something at home first. Only to be sorry about that later. I can't say there has been anything I didn't like, not crazy about maybe, but eat it anyway (Cajun upbringing).

Foods I do love and will beg him to go get are: Mom's eggrolls, Vietnamese crepes, and pork patties. Although I usually do try to get him to bring home anything she has cooked and is willing to send home to me.

I do think his mom's acceptance of me has to do with the fact that I am so eager to try any of her foods and learn her culture. I am always standing in the kitchen watching what she is doing. Asking what ingredients she is putting into the pot. She smiles and laughs when I tell her what ingredients she is using.

Of course, I have done my research before going over for dinner. She told him the other day that I must be a good cook since I could taste her unfinished soup and tell her what was in it, and also by the fact that he now has a belly.

I am also willing to take her to her favorite Asian market in New Orleans. She tells me to pick at least one new thing in the store and she will buy it for me to try. So far, I am still working on the fruits. Chung picks them out, I try them, if I don't like them, then at least he will eat it. Most are not too bad, just have to get used to the textures mostly.

I can't say which are his favorites. If I cook it for him, he loves it.

She also loves my 9-year-old son. She only calls him "boy," but he already knows she is talking to him. She laughed one day when I was having trouble using chopsticks and my son was trying to show me how to use them. She no longer gives him forks, only chopsticks, then hands me a fork!"
From How to Cook Jasmine Rice to Happily Ever After 2

I reassured Robin that a lot of Vietnamese use the generic "boy" or "girl" as a form of endearment.
"We go to my mother-in-law's house every Sunday for dinner. Tonight was Vietnamese crepes. Chung told my son that his mom is now Tyler's grandmother, so when we left Tyler turned around and gave her a hug and told her thank you for dinner. Chung's brother called, after we left and he went home, to tell us she started crying because Tyler went and gave her a hug. Said it made her feel very good about him."
We've continued a sporadic correspondence as Robin keeps me updated on her romance with Chung, her relationship with her Vietnamese in-laws, and her further attempts with cooking Vietnamese food, of course.

Robin has made more of my recipes and continues to do the dishes, even when her mother-in-law tells her to go home. She continues to bring little somethings each time she visits, such as limes or tomatoes from her garden. She even introduced her mother-in-law to new ingredients such as cuttings from her rosemary plant.

Her relationship with her mother-in-law is going so well that last Thanksgiving, her mother-in-law requested that Robin cook a traditional American turkey dinner with all the fixin's. Dinner was a huge success and her mother-in-law ate three plates of food.

She finally got over her fear and made my Crock Pot Pho Bo (Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup). Her mother-in-law doesn't put carrots in her version, but Robin's husband and middle brother liked my version better because it was sweet without being sugary. (Yes! I cook better than yo mamma! Hahaha!) Her brother-in-law then asked for the Crock Pot pho recipe for himself.

But the best part had to be when Robin told me that the blog and emails have kept her from being rude to her mother-in-law and has brought her husband closer to his brothers. They now come over often for lunch or dinner. After all, she's the only one besides their mom who cooks Vietnamese food.

Earlier this year, she made my Crock Pot Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) and shared some pictures.

Wandering Chopsticks' Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) by Robin 1

Wandering Chopsticks' Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) by Robin 2

Wandering Chopsticks' Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) by Robin 3

Wandering Chopsticks' Bo Kho (Vietnamese Beef Stew) by Robin 4

"This was soooo easy to make! And Delicious to boot! My husband also loves the Crock Pot pho."
Thank you Robin for allowing me to share your, and Chung's, story. I've only slightly edited her passages for grammar and consistency, but the words are all hers.

I started this blog as a way to share some of my recipes and favorite restaurants with others. Along the way, I've made friends and grown to be a better cook, but even better are the emails from readers who tell me how the blog has affected your lives. The woman who was able to cook Vietnamese food for the first time so she could take care of her dad after her mother passed away. The young mother who watched with pleasure as her kids ate a meal she had prepared herself. The non-Vietnamese who use this as a chance to learn more about the food and the culture of their Vietnamese significant others. The Vietnamese who, for some reason or another, have lost touch with our food and culture. I've always thought food was the most accessible way to learn and explore and I am always so glad to hear when it's proven true. But I'm more excited when I hear from readers who get that this blog, this thing I do, is not always just about the food. I really do read and appreciate every one of your emails.

Thank YOU dear readers.

Thank you for reading, for trying my recipes, for giving me feedback, and for sharing your stories with me.

*****
1 year ago today, 7th Annual Malibu Wine Classic.
2 years ago today, How to Cook Jasmine Rice.
3 years ago today, J. Paul Getty Center and Museum (Summer) - Los Angeles - California.

22 comments:

  1. That's such a lovely story! Thank you for sharing.

    I love your blog & visit it often.

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  2. sniffle.

    your food brings lovers together, Chi WC! can we work on my love life next?

    seriously, i credit you for getting me back in touch with my viet roots and tho i don't cook viet dishes as often as i should, you're the first i go to when i have a hankering.

    and i am so glad we are friends.

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  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  4. Congratulations to Robin and Chung! Thank you for sharing their story. And those tips about doing the dishes and bringing something when visiting? Those apply to Chinese also. :)

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  5. What a beautiful story! Thank you for your blog, too. I live in a Vietnamese-majority area here in Melbourne called Footscray, which I just adore. Your blog has helped me unravel some of the dishes I see on menus or served to other patrons, as well as identifying interesting things in the market. Thank you again and congratulations Robin & Chung!

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  6. What a heartwarming post! :D Thanks for sharing it (and thanks to Robin for letting the story be told!) - it really made my day!

    This is definitely my go-to blog for simple homecooked meals. I only really started cooking (almost every day) about a year ago when I moved in with my husband, so your blog's been a really wonderful tool for helping me learn. Thanks WC, for creating such a good resource with clear, concise directions and fantastic pictures. You're the best. :)

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  7. hi wc - how amazing - and yes, what a beautiful story as well. i cried reading it and i hardly ever cry...

    as a 2nd gen Filipina American, I've had a lot of fun trying out your Vietnamese recipes this past year. My friends, my lucky guineau pigs, have enjoyed all of my attempts at Vietnamese food and loved it. Thanks for your advice and feedback in our corresondence over the past couple of years as well. :)

    I think it's wonderful that your reader found true love!

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  8. Awww. Nice.

    You should be the maid of honor! ;)

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  9. This is my favorite post yet, and yes I was a creeper and read your previous posts dating back to 2006. Granted I don't remember all of them, but I do know this is the first post of yours to make me practically cry!

    Congratulations to Robin and Chung!

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  10. I was reading this post while making dinner and was not able to go back to cooking until I finished reading it. The tips about doing the dishes and bringing something when visiting helped tremedously winning the heart of a mother-in-law's in Asian culture. I aslo have to comment Robin for her effort she put into this relationship and admire her willingness to try new thing. Congratulation to both Robin and Chung.

    Thanks for sharing the great story and introducing the Vietnamese food and culture as well.

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  11. You told the story of our (yours, mine and my husbands) relationship very well.This is my favorite post yet! You will always be a special part of our lives.

    And thank you to everyone for the congratulations. It has been a wonderful 1st year.

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  12. Awww, what a sweet story! Thank you for sharing it.

    I read your blog often, and have cooked several of your recipes. Every single one has turned out well.

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  13. A wonderful story and how happy you must feel in helping two people come together and build bridges across cultural differences. I'm impressed with Robin taking the time to research vietnamese foods before eating them at her mother-in-law's house.
    I'm chinese and have a vietnamese husband (who doesn't cook), maybe I should follow Robin's example and cook vietnamese dishes for my husband!

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  14. Aw, that was so sweet! Thanks for posting this lovely story.

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  15. Skrapbuker,
    Thanks! You should delurk more often. I don't bite. :P

    Lan,
    Ha! Can we work on my love life first? :P I am so glad we're friends too.

    Rin,
    You're welcome. I'm so glad you and your husband have been enjoying my recipes. I didn't forget. I still owe you a recipe.

    Scrapper Al,
    That's good to know. I wonder if doing the dishes applies to all Asians? :P

    Ms Baklover,
    I stumble upon ingredients from other cuisines all the time. It's so great when I can figure out what the ingredient is or how it's used.

    Dragonkiri,
    I get that a lot. Despite how far we've come, a lot of the cooking really falls to women. It's when they're cooking for their husbands or children for the first time that they start looking for simple, quick meals.

    Thanks for all your feedback on my recipes.

    CC,
    Love makes me tear up too. :)

    I had no idea you made so many of my recipes until you told me. So glad you and your friends have enjoyed them.

    TS,
    Ha! They're already married.

    Diana,
    Lots of people tell me they've gone through and read the entire blog. Egads! How much punishment do you need? :P

    So many women welling up with tears. I think the romantic in all of us is coming out!

    FC88,
    Oh! I had no idea it was that riveting. :P I think Robin's willingness to learn is the best thing. Too few people don't make that effort and then wonder why they have problems.

    Robin,
    Thanks for telling me about and letting me share your story.

    Canard,
    I always like hearing whenever you've made any of my recipes. Every single one has turned out well huh? High praise indeed.

    PlumLeaf,
    You don't eat Vietnamese food? Or you just don't cook it? I think you should!

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  16. no, i love vietnamese food from what I've eaten :0) I mean, not meeting my hubbs before his mum passed away I haven't had opportunity to learn much about vietnamese food. My hubbs tells me about the banh cuon (steamed rice rolls) his mum used to make and how delicious they were, and the amazing beef pho should would make. When I ask him how to make them he just shakes his head. He never learned or helped his mum out in kitchen. So I don't cook vietnamese very often if at all.
    I love bun thit nuong and bahn xeo when hubbs has taken me out to vietnamese restaurant (that is 35miles and 1 1/2hr car journey away so we don't go often!). If there is a celebration at his brothers house his wife and wife's aunt prepae the food and last time I was there I learnt to make cha gio (vietnamese spring rolls). I would love to learn how to make cha (vietnamese sausage) too!
    Must do more research and practise!

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  17. Your blog is a wonderful gift to me. It motivated me to stop putting off going to the Asian District in Oklahoma City (I moved here from Philly...which is so rich in Asian culture) and getting Asian ingredients. I've been back there once more after that and stocked on string bean noodles/vermicelli, bihon, this brand of barbecue sauce that my mom calls "bull head" (there is a head of a cow on this tin can), hot tofu, and many other small things. I haven't fully done an authentic Chinese dish yet (just some stir fry dishes) but I will soon. You put me back in touch with my, not Vietnamese (cause I'm not) or Chinese (this, I am), Asian roots (I grew up in a mix of different Asian cultures....primarily Chinese, Filipino, and Japanese).

    I am still on with my rib comparison idea I mentioned a while back. And yes, this post has motivated me too to use my rice cooker (untouched for years, the half-Indian ex-BF was the one using it) soon. Forget soon....this new upcoming week. There, I made a commitment to myself. :)

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  18. PlumLeaf,
    There's no time like the present to learn! Your husband and baby will appreciate it. But even more, you'll appreciate learning how to cook another cuisine.

    Kitty,
    Aww. Thanks! You're making me blush with that comment.

    I like the bull head bbq sauce as dipping sauce for hot pot.

    That's kinda cool that I've got you motivated to cook Asian food in general, not just Vietnamese in particular.

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  19. Wow, what a story. Congratulations to the lovely couple--and how good of Robin to share her story with you--but WC, you slayed me with that almost-last, long paragraph. So moving.

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  20. Tammy,
    Aww, your comment was just too nice. It reminded me of when you asked me about finding connections with other bloggers. This instance is the perfect example of that. I try not to make it about getting hits or comments, but just doing my thing and finding connections with others who feel the same way.

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  21. Congrats to Robin & Chung may your lives fill with love and vietnamese food.

    WC- I been married for 8 years. Never knew how to cook vietnamese food for that matter I didn't know how to cook at all. But with trial and error I'm able to cook. With your blog you have open more doors for all us to cook a VARIETY of dishes for my family. Thanks again!

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  22. Sweet Mango,
    Aw, what lovely wishes.

    I'm glad you've been able to cook Vietnamese food, as well as other dishes as well. Yay!

    ReplyDelete

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