Chrissy nights

As people change their context in my life, their title often does not. Audrey will always be my Madison roommate even as we live miles and states apart.

But she managed to find the best way to keep in touch with me - send me the cookbook of the woman with the two kids we are both [objectively creepily] obsessed with so we can cook the same recipes together over Skype. It's like Fievel and Tanya wishing on the same bright star.

Our first meal was Chrissy's jerk lamb chops with sweet and salty banana rice. 

Holy crap, I didn't know I was missing banana rice in my life all this time. The possibilities. Starch on starch never fails. Rice in burritos? Chips in sandwiches? Mounds of spaghetti and tomato sauce on Red Lobster biscuits?
And for balance, I threw on some Chinese greens that I happened to also have.

Tom yum noodles were next. And we managed to pull Johanna into this one.
Much substitution of ingredients had to happen here because I could not find makrut lime leaves or galangal in Oakland Chinatown.

And tbh I really don't think I had good command of these ingredients because the broth didn't taste "right" not that I really know what "right" really is. After making it to a cooking class in Thailand, I couldn't believe how simple the broth was to make for how intense and pungent it tasted.
Added much cilantro + butter fried mushrooms + poached egg to make up for it.
But Chrissy was so right about the ramen noodles.

So many years later. Runny egg yolk. Still so sexy to me.

HOORAY to Audrey for being done with school forevaaaaaaaaaa. I'm so belatedly proud.
Thank you for being my occasional white noise when I'm cooking (that sounds like an insult but I promise it's not).