Dobokki and Cauliflower Curry.

Every once in a while I have to get a little taste of DC.  

Thank goodness I have international roommates! Today we finally had some time together (even though we had to schedule it a week in advance) and they taught me how to cook food from their cultures.  I'm not sure if I'd be able to recreate it, but it sure was yummy.

(Me and Sutton, the girl we visit teach.  She's actually from the DC area!)

Yubin, who is from Korea, cooked Dobokki (don't know if I'm spelling that right).  Basically, it's a concoction with fish cakes cut into little piece, rice cakes that are super doughy, and lots and lots of red pepper seasoning (hence the milk in the picture.  My mouth was on fire.).

(Manju and Yubin)

Manju, who is from Nepal, made cauliflower curry.  It had all sorts of vegetables, but mainly cauliflower, mixed in with the yellow curry.  We ate that with rice and boy was it tasty.

All those international spices just felt like home.

Ingredients: Malitol Syrup, Scorpion.

Mmm. Delicious.

Cookies, Anyone?

Yesterday, Ben made 13 plates of cookies. On our summer to do list, we had put "make cookies for all of our neighbors" and Ben was so gung-ho he did it all practically by himself. He made sugar cookies, Russian tea cookies, snickerdoodles, and mint brownies. Yum. He's an excellent cook and I'm sure our neighbors and the lucky few in our ward will enjoy eating these tasty treats. Great job, Ben!

Smoothies

Lately, I have been in the mood to make smoothies. I'm attributing this to the fact that is HOT down here and that it's a healthy way to satisfy my sweet tooth. Usually, they turn out pretty well, but once in a while, my experimenting goes awry. Here's a recipe to one of the better smoothies: Blend 8-10 strawberries, 2 bananas, a spoonful of peanut butter, and 2-3 ice cubes with a cup (more or less) of milk. This is really great topped with granola and quite a bit cheaper than the chunky banana smoothie at Jamba Juice.

Last night, however, I decided to try a recipe I actually found on the New York Times. The recipe included bananas, pineapple, and a few mint leaves. We didn't have any mint leaves, and only had two drops of peppermint extract, so I decided to try almond extract. I put in about 1/2 teaspoon, maybe more. Bad idea. But a funny one. I wish you all could have seen/heard my family's reaction when they tasted it. Try it on your own family if you're in the mood for a laugh.

Today, still remembering the faces from last night's experiment, I wondered aloud how a raisin and prune smoothie would taste. Mom's reaction: A look of horror with, "OH. Katherine." I guess that means no. Well, I probably should make something to redeem myself before I get too creative.