Old friends from your hometown

The parents of one of my dad's students (yes that is a long title) was invited over to my parent's house on Saturday night for a delightful dinner after my mom had a bout of homesickness and found out that the couple was from my dad's hometown, Wulumuqi, in the Xingjiang province of China. (My mom's hometown is about 4 hours away from there.) The couple was charming, and it turned out to be a delightful evening. We had a western-style dinner cooked and served in Chinese style, because Mom didn't think her humble home cooking could match up to the delicious and sometimes elaborate typical fare that the guests ate in China.



Steamed broccoli with crushed garlic, dried shrimp, and olive oil; an everyday food that looks great, tastes wonderful, and easy and quickto make! I've got to post this recipe sometime.

Shrimp sweetly marinated in soy sauce- this dinner had a strong resemblance to traditional Maine food.

Close-up shot of shrimp! Could not resist... so golden and yummy

Sticky rice studded with peanuts, dates, mushrooms, and chicken, on a bed of dried bamboo leaves. Southeastern asia- inspired cooking from the years our family resided in Singapore.

Mashed potatoes with corn and rosemary, plus a hint of ground cumin powder. Perfect East-West hybrid dish!

Not too much to say about the lobster- freshly killed the day before, this was simply frozen and then steamed.

And last but not least- all-american, fresh-off-the-grill, T-bone steak. Perfect. God, I love having a father who possesses such great grilling abilities (not that he does much other cooking.)

Finishing off the meal with some luscious dark chocolate Belgian truffles (I just might snitch a few- heads up, Mom) and many stories of China, we were all satisfied and happy. Gorgeous night!