Tomato Egg Noodle Soup: The Verdict

So, we received the Chinese Black Vinegar from Amazon yesterday.  It's hard to describe it, but it's a bit like malted vinegar.  So, for supper tonight, Amy made the tomato egg noodle soup that I talked about in a previous post.  As promised, I said I'd post how it turned out.

First of all, here's a picture of the final result:

You can see that the big three visible ingredients are just as the name of this dish implies: tomatoes, eggs, and noodles.  Also, there is chicken bouillon, sesame oil, Chinese black vinegar, and Chinese hot oil (very spicy!).

I ate two big bowls of this stuff.  It was very spicy, and the vinegar added a nice acidic taste, but not overly.  The eggs and tomatoes had soaked up a lot of the soup and were very tasty.  It's hard to describe, but this dish is very savory.  If you know what "umami" is, that's how I'd describe the taste.

I can imagine that a kid in China growing up eating this would think of it as a comfort food.  It almost reminds me of a dish my mom used to make that we called "spaghetti soup".  But, other than the tomatoes and noodles, that's where the similarities end.  The taste is totally different from Mom's spaghetti soup, which had a lot of garlic salt/powder taste and was best served with cornbread crumbled in it.

So, would I eat this again?  I'd have to say "Definitely!".  Amy said that it was very easy to make (if you watched the video in the last post, you can see that's true) so this may be something we can have as often as we like.

Anyway, I wish I could describe exactly how good this dish is.  Spicy, savory, and a splash of sesame oil make it a very delicious and interesting dish.  Now, I'm pretty full and need a nap!

Tomato Egg Noodle Soup?

In a prior post, I had mentioned that we're planning a trip to China in October of 2017 and that we've been watching tons of videos about Taiwan, Shanghai, Hong Kong, night markets, Chinese foods, etc. In one of the videos that we've watched, Mikey Chen talks about his favorite "comfort food" that he used to eat as a child; Chinese Tomato and Eggs Noodle Soup.  I've been wanting to try this and my wife said that she wanted to make it.  We had all of the ingredients except for one: Chinese black vinegar.  Thank heavens for Amazon because my order of Chinese black vinegar will be here tomorrow!  Which means that Amy will be making this for us either Friday or this weekend!

Once we've actually had a chance to try this soup, I'll add a post here to tell you how it turned out.  I'm betting it'll be delicious!

Long time, no see...

Sorry for the delay in posting anything, folks.  I was sick (see prior postings) and then I was very busy getting caught up with work.  And, I've taken on a side project with a team of developers to produce a new SaaS application.  So, I've had my hands full lately.

I will, however, resume to making daily posts soon.  But, I've got a new domain that is private (as in, not hosted by Blogspot) and I have to get the Wordpress theme set up.  I'll do that as soon as I can.  Then, I'll be posting there from that point on.

Anyway, check back here in the next few days for the link to the new blog.

Thanks and have a great week!

Still sick.

Day four of this miserable sickness.  It's moved into my chest now, so I'm coughing more.  I can't taste anything because my sinuses are swelled shut.  My head hurts and I'm aching all over.  To think this all started with a scratchy throat and slightly stuffy nose.

I've had to use nasal spray every night just to be able to sleep.  I think I'm getting immune to its effects, though, because it doesn't seem to last as long as it's supposed to.  I end up waking up way too early because I can't breathe through my nose.  Which, of course, makes me very, very tired.

I may go take a nap now.  I'll use the nasal spray and hope it lasts long enough for me to get some rest.  I hate colds.

I hate being sick.

Ugh. Saturday, I started getting a scratchy throat and stuffy nose.  The pollen count is up, so I'm guessing that was the cause.  Sunday, I started getting very congested with sinus pressure.  Today, I'm all discombobulated. I don't know if this is a cold, and allergy, or some sinus infection.  But, I just feel bad.  I didn't even go into the office.  I could've worked from home, but I can't even keep my thoughts straight, due to the headache from the sinus pressure.  I need some chicken soup.

Stay gold, Ponyboy...

If you've never seen the movie, "The Outsiders", you should.  I saw a quote today from astronaut Chris Hadfield, that reminded me of the Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" that featured in that movie.  Here's Hadfield's quote:

Decide in your heart of hearts what really excites and challenges you, and start moving your life in that direction. Every decision you make, from what you eat to what you do with your time tonight, turns you into who you are tomorrow, and the day after that. Look at who you want to be, and start sculpting yourself into that person. You may not get exactly where you thought you'd be, but you will be doing things that suit you in a profession you believe in. Don't let life randomly kick you into the adult you don't want to become.

 What that quote means to me, to put it bluntly, is to do what makes you happy and start taking steps to make it so. If you want to spend your days surfing waves, start taking steps to do that.  If you want to open a pizza shop, take your first step to doing just that.  Basically, stop putting it off, and start taking steps to make your dream happen.

It's the last line of the quote above that reminds me of the Robert Frost poem. To me, it says "Hey, stay young, stay gold. Don't let life's worries and stress wear you down. Don't live in a cage of society's making. Don't mold yourself into someone else's expectations. Live like you want to, and be happy."  I may be totally misreading what Chris Hadfield was saying, but that's what I get from it.

For reference, here's Mr. Frost's poem :Nothing Gold Can Stay"

If you've seen the movie "The Outsiders" then you'll understand the context in which that poem is used. It's a great movie, I think.  If you get a chance, check it out.

Wikipedia: The Outsiders

And the winner is...

<drum roll> Dave!  Dave, I'll be sending you an email shortly to request your mailing address.  I'd like to congratulate you on your winning and also I want to thank everyone that entered the contest!

I'd also like to say to keep an eye on the blog because I will have little contests like this from time to time.