A taste of central Vietnam.....

Ingredients:
-1/2 lb pork belly
-1/2 lb prawns
-coconut juice
-1 can baby jackfruit
-1 tsp fish sauce
-1/2 tsp sugar
-pepper
-2 cloves garlic
-rice Vermicelli
-assorted herbs and bean sprouts
-mắm nem fish sauce
-toasted peanuts, crushed

What to Do:
Boil vermicelli according to package instructions. Boil prawns and pork in coconut juice. Slice pork thinly. Peel prawns and slice in half. Cut jackfruit into thin strips and stir fry with mince garlic, fish sauce, sugar and pepper. Shred assorted herbs and add to bowl along with a hand full of bean sprouts and vermicelli noodles. Top with stir-fried jackfruit, prawns, pork and toasted peanuts. Serve with mắm nem, or fish sauce.

I seems like it was only yesterday that I was the Seattle Center ushering in the New Year as fireworks blasted off from the top of the Space Needle….and now it’s 2007 already? Time really does fly and it seems like 2006 had a turbo engine. What did you accomplish last year? Well…I finally found my path in life. As you all may know, for the past couple of years I’ve been going through life asking myself on what I want to do with my life. In 2006 I finally decided upon a major (Drama) to complete my BA at UW, which I’m due to complete in just 2 more quarters, that’s 20 weeks that’s…OMG…that’s just a few months! *Yuppie* :D I’ve also been firmly holding onto my dreams of entering the culinary world. Thus, after my BA is complete I’ll be entering a culinary arts college as soon as this coming September….well…at least that’s my plan for now.

With that being said, 2007 looks like it’s going be a landmark in the road map of my life’s journey. I know I’ll be entering cooking school in the very near future but the problem now is figuring out which school to go to. I love Seattle and would love to stay here. However, there aren’t many culinary schools here that I’m attracted to…there aren’t many culinary schools here at all. So I’m seriously considering Johnson and Wales or Le Cordon Blue. The hard part is those schools are all out of state schools…so I would have to move…leaving behind my family and friends and an absolutely love city. Furthermore, I’m still undecided if I want to be a chef or a pastry chef (I’m leaning towards pastry). On the other hand, I also wouldn’t mind working in the field of drama…drama is my major for a reason…I like it just as much as I like being in the kitchen. And….yeah, I’m currently working as a wedding florist and fashion designer…which I also love doing. So many choices! I’ll be happy with whatever density takes me but…I’ve always believed that the pilot of one’s life is one’s passion. Passion is the key to success. Thus, my destiny and success are in my hands. Although, there’s a slight overcast over my parade, I refuse to let it get to me. There’s too much to look forward to in my future and I do not have time to pause for a few drops of rain.

I’ll be graduating in a few months, and will be traveling to Asia. I’ll be walking the streets of Malaysia, Korea, and Vietnam…how fun will that be? :D Upon my arrival to the States, a page will turn and a new chapter will begin in my life…

Bring it on 2007…I’m ready for ya!!!

Happy New Year everyone…may 2007 be a happy, prosperous year for you and you family. May world peace finally come true…so that we can all share a world empty of hate while bursting at the seams with forgiveness and compassion for one another.