Break a leg!

I did. I broke the tibial plateau, left knee, thanks to my high heels, a sliding door and (maybe?) the delicious Riesling being sampled at the event I was attending. So now I'm stuck wearing this handsome brace and hopping on one leg with crutches until the end of May. I hop to the tune of dōmo arigatō misutā Robotto. Machine or mannequin and all that.

The biggest downfall? Can't cook on one leg. It's very hard. I've tried it and I can manage to support my own body weight in front of the stove for about 8 minutes before I start wobbling. We did set up a little sawing table in the kitchen where I can feel relatively useful and help with general "mise-en-place-ing" duties.

The bottom line? The incredible guy is doing all the cooking. The incredible guy has always been talented in the kitchen, but over the years I took over. I have to admit that I'm an absolute control freak in the kitchen, and I don't like to talk or do more than bark the occasional command... "find the dark soy sauce... NO!! The OTHER dark soy sauce!! What do you mean 'is there more than one dark soy sauce'???" You get the idea.

This broken leg is teaching me to be much more patient, as I have had to completely relinquish control of my stove. I try not to bark commands. I try to explain steps and give directions. This is forcing me to think about cooking in a very different way, and it's also proving to be extremely helpful. When I cook, I don't necessarily think about what I'm doing, I just do it. I orchestrate the cooking process in my head before I start, but I don't need to explain to anyone why I'm doing things this or that way. And then I broke my leg, and had to learn how to explain to someone the entire process of the making of a dish.

Since the incredible guy has always been apt at stir frying, I sent him to the Asian Market on Central Avenue (we're big fans of the ample selection) to get some char siu, A.K.A. roast pork from the Chinese take-out menu, except a whole chunk of it. Delicious, and very versatile. It makes dinner a breeze. There is a dish in most take-out menus called Singapore Style Mei Fun, a stir fry of thin rice noodles with shrimp, pork, chicken and vegetables seasoned with curry powder and soy sauce, which we love. I've been making my own (and hopefully healthier) version at home for a while. I use either the thin rice noodles that are traditionally part of the dish or lo mein noodles, depending of what I have handy. I've also been using dark greens such as Chinese broccoli or snow pea shoots (both available at Asian markets), and whatever other veggies I can find. Chinese broccoli and pea shoots cook like spinach, meaning that they take up a lot of room but wilt quickly into nothing. They are also very nutritious. So, slice the veggies, making sure they are all the same size so that they can cook evenly, stir fry for a few minutes until they start getting translucent, add the sliced pork, softened noodles, about 1tb good curry powder (go to the Coop!) and about 2tb of soy sauce. I use low sodium soy, but any other will do, except maybe the very dark kind with the molasses, which could overpower the other flavors. Since I love spicy food, I often add about 1tb sambal (I love this stuff so much I could drink it. OK, not really because I would end up with a terrible ulcer, but I do love it that much). Stir fry everything together for a few minutes and voila, dinner! With my newly gained patience and the incredible guy's renewed skills, we're kicking some serious behind in the kitchen.

DISCLAIMER: this recipe account is based on my approximations and is not to be regarded as exact science. If it doesn't turn out good, don't come crying. Or come over next time we make it.
Laister arte!