Family Dinner with JP

Having a friend from Portland (which, as far as I can tell, automatically means a Portland cheerleader) means being exposed to that which is lacking in DC. When I asked my friend her stance on wings (which, to my mind, means unadorned fried chicken wings in hot sauce), she replied with, "Well, I love Ike's wings from Portland ..." It didn't take long to find a recipe for Ike's wings, and I have to admit that they sounded immediately intriguing. Living in the DC Metro Area has given me ample access to Korean and Vietnamese cuisine (do not get me started on my Pho addicition), and in general I would say that almost everything is made better by fish sauce. Unfortunately, it took me a long trek to Whole Foods to find some fish sauce, as the Soviet Safeway did not carry any of it, nor sesame seeds (though they carry ample amounts of oyster sauce ... wtf SS?). But minus an extra 15 minute walk and shop, this recipe was perfect for a weekday meal to try to impress ...

I love Smitten Kitchen . Everyone loves Smitten Kitchen. The familiarity with which people lovingly refer to "Deb" as "Deb" and not "The Woman Who Posts on Smitten Kitchen" blows my mind. And apparently she is gracious and delightful in person. If you've not checked out her site, you are a fool and know nothing. The recipes Deb publishes are somewhere between elevated and easy home cooking, with a whole spectrum in between. She has a relaxed, explanatory style, and she takes wonderful photos of the dishes. I highly recommend her delightful cookbook, too. So this week I did a straight Smitten Kitchen recipe, with minor variations. To be honest, I was sold on both the spring flavors of the dish (lemon, mint) and on her description of it as a weeknight meal (wish I had started just a little bit earlier, but next time I could shave time off for sure). It was nice to have guests over for a meal for once(Hi Joe! Hi Beth!), as I don't think I coul...