Never make stir fry from Iowa Girl Eats for a man who spent 8 months of his life in Vietnam

I would like to discuss today what I sadly feel is an acceptable form of bigotry that has recently cut me to the core--the belief among Asians that white people can't make Asian food.

Now obviously, you could write this off to Hyphen's super positive and life affirming personality. But the thing is, I know other Asians and they also share this belief, to wit:  My friend T_____.  The other day I was telling her about our food co-op and how we got daikon radishes and how I had no idea what to do with them.  One of the honky co-op members suggested, via our big tent page,  pickling them and putting them on a bahn mi (Vietnmese sandwich). My friend burst into laughter and said, I am sorry but I just laugh when white people try to make Vietnamese food.

Later, when I told H we had daikon, he said, "I guess we could pickle them and put them on a bahn mi"

Fast forward to tonight.  I found this great food blog called Iowa girl eats and I decided to make a stir fry.  Looked good.  I felt that H might have sustained an eye cramp from rolling them when he saw what I was doing.  He had about two bites and announced he might have to go back to work and taste something.  Annabelle refused to try it because it had tofu and Tallulah happily ate the rice and some of the broccoli until she realized how spicy it was and wiped her tongue with her hand and when that didn't put out the fire, wiped her tongue on her dad's shoulder (who I might add, was wearing a wife beater to the dinner table, but I digress)

I ate three helpings.  Because it was good.

It was better than anything we have had at Eastern, or North China (H's go to neighborhood places which are actually disgusting)  It was better than the time we had what I suspect was carp at that place out on I-10.    It was better than the boiled, cut up chicken we had at New Year's.  It was better than that god-awful pineapple chicken we got sophomore year in college from that place on broadway.  It was better than anything from dragon bowl where we ate with somewhat regularity, (which has closed, rip).  And most importantly , it was better than the quail eggs braised in soy sauce I had to try back in 2000, the year of the 15 New Year's dishes and the east meets west arroz con pollo that the dog wouldn't even eat back on 2001, both of those culinary disasters were made by Hyphen--you know--the Asian guy I live with.

I could totally see him ordering this from some take out place, bringing it home and when we realized it was a tad too spicy saying, in his sweetly apologetic way (yes he can be sweet, just not today) "sorry about the veg, babe, I thought the girls would like it because of the broccoli.  I didn't realize it would be so spicy."  And I would say, in my encouraging, I -love-you-and-am-just-grateful-you-brought- home takeout way "I didn't think it was that spicy, I thought it was great.  They are two and five, they think kraft singles taste good"  And then he would say "kraft singles do taste good," but again, I digress.  

My husband, though, is a food genius. And I am not being sarcastic when I say this.  He is truly a food genius and the entire upper kirby district of Houston would look remarkably different if it were not for his gastronomic acumen, and general intelligence. He doesn't believe this and would never want me to say it, but it is true.

One would think that someone who cooks Italian food like an old nonna, who can fry chicken that would make the South rise again, who can make a tomtillo sauce that can transport you to...well you get the picture...one would think that that person would not be blinded by this food prejudice.

And yet, there he sat.  In his wife beater, eating cuties for supper with the girls because one of the ingredients in  my stir fry sauce was peanut butter.

this was good and you can find it here