Adventures in Eating

Let me tell you a story. The scene: A 1990 Ford Escort hatchback, red, on Wolf Road in Albany, NY. Circa 1998. While discussing possible places to go for dinner, I suggest we get Thai. Ray is incredulous, and claims he's not eating that, er, stuff. I'm bewildered. Why? Peanuty, spicy noodles and rice and chicken... what's not to like? It's like Chinese food, but more to your taste! It's nice, I tell him (dooming myself to now over 12 years of this on-going joke). "Nice?" he asks me, "Nice!?!? Furniture is nice, people are nice. Food is not nice!"

Despite Ray's good friend Gino's encouragement along with mine over the years, Ray flatly refuses to try Thai food. Sounds gross, he doesn't want to, you can't make him.

Over the years, he has learned to try some new things and has surprised himself in some cases by really liking them. I actually made him chicken satay with peanut sauce from a cookbook when we lived in Clifton Park, and he liked it... but still he was reluctant on the Thai food. Until now. And I'm not exactly sure what convinced him. But it was actually his idea a few weeks ago, but we didn't have a menu, so I picked one up last week.

One of the first times I ever had Thai food was in Toronto, at a restaurant I no longer recall the name of, on New Year's Eve with my family. It was a flat price with a pre-selected menu of foods based on the size of your party. So you tried what they brought you, which was quite an impressive variety. The thing that stuck with me was this amazing yellow curried potato dish.

So I review the menu, and find a yellow curry dish with potatoes and order that. Ray finds something that sounds interesting to him and orders that, plus a chicken satay with peanut sauce. For Maia, I order a sweet-and-sour chicken (not fried, that's nice!) and rice.

Ray's assessment? Okay, this is really good, and I should have started eating this years ago. It's not better than Chinese food, just different. And the satay? This is the bomb.

Maia was doing well on her sweet and sour chicken... she loves rice, and was doing alright eating her chicken, until she looked at my dish. "Whatchoo eating, momma?"

"Chicken and potatoes and peas and onions..."
"I wan ta-patohs"
"Okay, it's a little spicy, but not too much. You try one and tell me what you think."
"I want more ta-patohs please mommy!"
Maia helped me eat my potatoes, and when I couldn't find any more, ate a bunch of my chicken and completely ignored her own sweet food in favor of my spicy food.

And Ray liked Thai. Finally. Now that we try not to eat out any more. Oh well! Maybe we'll have to figure out how to make some at home. Hmmmm... wonder what Penzey's might have for us...