“How do you keep a wave upon the sand?”
In great restless fashion I found myself back in LA this week. My mom had won some tickets to see The Sound of Music which just opened down at The Ahmanson. As an unemployed vagabond, it was the best excuse I could find to get back to my hometown. My little sister, the theater production major, joined us for the evening studying the show with a critical eye.
But what’s a night out at the playhouse without a proper pre-theater meal? I can sense what you’re expecting. “Jaimee! What magical 3-course prix fixe did you try?”
Now I’m going to take a bit of detour here both figuratively and literally to talk about traffic in LA. Any rightful Angeleno could write a manuscript on LA traffic as long as War and Peace (wouldn’t be a bad title either.) Luckily for you, the only point I’m making today is that traffic in this city is unpredictable. Sure you have your trends, rush hours, the usual. But to quote an exact time in which you can make it to a destination is near impossible, even for your “rose gold” iPhone 6s’ GPS.
Long story short, my mother and I missed the exit we should’ve taken and realized the next was going to drop us in the heart of Chinatown. A quick phone call to my sister enlightened us that she was about an exit away from Chinatown as well. Impossible to time such an occurrence any better as we drove from the valley and she all the way from San Diego. Alas we did what any Chinese American family would do and stopped at our usual Dim Sum spot, this time for a seafood dinner.
Seeing how cultures shape ethnic foods has always been incredibly interesting to me. I often pop into fast-food chains abroad just to see what specialty cuisine they may offer. Growing up to hear peers say how much they love Chinese food because “Panda Express is awesome!” I couldn’t be more aware of this cultural influence. I think I learned to control my anger at a young age simply through remarks like this. “Panda. Express. Is. Not. Chinese. Food.” I would attempt to explain.
With age comes wisdom, and now with a full 23 years under my belt I’m beginning to accept the idea of American Chinese food. In an unrelated incident I watched a very niche documentary on General Tso’s chicken (which admittedly I do not eat.) But the documentary is enlightening, quirky, and visually stunning. Best of all, it’s currently available on Netflix. It’s fascinating to consider the idea of a dish going viral.
Sorta like this post! Share with your friends, pass along on pinterest! And if you’re not done yet with Chinese food, you’re in luck. Tonight is the Mid-Autumn Festival (along with a Supermoon Eclipse). Try out one of these recipes tonight if you want to try your hand at some more traditional Chinese foods. Mooncakes anyone?
P.S. The Sound of Music was brilliant; if you have the opportunity to see it I highly recommend!