Asian Delights!

Big changes for us - Dr. Obvious has become a civilian and now we're living in the Los Angeles area in San Gabriel Valley near Pasadena.  For the first time in our lives, we're close to an abundance of Asian grocery stores, bakeries, cafes and restaurants.  We love exploring the new delicacies and seeing what treats abound.

Baby Octopus!

Little Man saw these baby octopi at 99 Ranch and exclaimed, "Let's get that!  Pleeeease?!"  My reply (naturally), "You know that you're going to have to eat that, right?"  "Yes, yes, I know.  Come on, Mommy!"  Well, we bought the little guys.  I sliced them open and took out their glands or stomach sacks or whatever those things are that are lodged in their "heads."  Wow, those octopi smell STRONG.  My hands reeked like I'd been on a fishing boat for 5 days.  That smell, by the way, does not wash off easily.

So was all the effort worth it?  The smell?  Um, no.  We love squid and scallops.  These, however, were tough and didn't really taste delicious.  But everyone in the family ate them and we chalked it up as a fun adventure.

Rambutan or Dr Seuss Tree Fruit

Speaking of new adventures, Sweet Pea has a new favorite fruit these days.  They're known as rambutan.  The Chinese call them "Hong Mo Dan" which translates to "Red Hairy Fruit."  We like them better than lychee because they're not as cloying and somehow taste more refreshing.  Little Man named them Dr Seuss Tree Fruit which made us all giggle whenever we ate them after dinner.

Marvelous Meatballs!

Ah, the struggle perpetuates.  The search for the convenient weeknight meal that all 4 of us will enjoy spans on some kind of infinite road to the skyline!

So, this was not a complete home run for all 4 of us.  The 2 grown ups liked these meatballs, and the 2 little ones ate them without complaint...I think they gave them an 8.5 out of 10.  These days, I consider that a victory.

I like this concept because it provides a template for numerous possibilities.  You could do ground lamb with dried apricot.  You could do ground turkey with dried apples.  Basically, you are taking some kind of ground meat and pairing it with a dried fruit that's been chopped up.  Feel free to add chopped fresh or dried herbs as well!

Marvelous Pork Meatballs with Dried Pineapple

1 lb ground pork
1/4 cup dried pinapple, chopped
handful of minced green onion or 2 shakes onion powder
splash soy sauce


1.  Get the broiler ready.  Prepare a broiler-safe baking tray with foil.  Mix all ingredients in a bowl and make about 20 meatballs, placing them on the baking tray.

2.  Broil the meatballs for about 8 minutes until done.  Serve with fresh vegetables, pita or tortilla, yogurt, and fresh herbs.