Every now and then a dish comes along that really stands out and becomes the subject of salivation inducing thoughts. The rare dish that I find myself thinking about frequently year after year. The first time it happened was when I was living in Hawaii. It was in this small town on the north shore of Maui called Pa'ia back in 1996. I don't remember the name of the restaurant and it doesn't matter anyway as I learned some time ago it had closed down. The dish was a chicken caesar salad (CCS), something I had never liked before and have not liked since. This CCS was remarkably perfect and the flavors were just so unique. Even better, it left me perfectly satisfied. I was full, but not uncomfortably so, it was just right - perfect. Mmmmm!
The second time it happened was in 2006. I was visiting my husband's (then boyfriend's) parents. They had gone to the butcher and gotten really nice cuts of meat, marinated it in something really yummy, and grilled the world's best steak. I've certainly had my share of steak over the years but never really understood what the big deal was. However, this steak was so extraordinary. Maybe it was the cut, or maybe the wonderful marinade, or maybe some combination - whatever - the point is that it was fantastic!
Since I've made these big changes to my diet I feel badly that I won't be able to have that wonderful steak again. And since the restaurant in Pa'ia closed I certainly won't have the wonderful CCS again. So you can imagine how thrilled I was so find a new dish that excites me enough to be considered one of these rare dishes AND that fits within my new food standards. Best of all, this is a dish I prepare so I can eat it as often as I want. It is a simple lo-mein and vegetable stir fry. I made it for the first time just two weeks ago, and have made it 4 times since then. But I've thought about it every day. And on a day like today, as a migraines creeps into my head, I at least have had the pleasure of enjoying this perfect dish.
