Always an adventure with Anita!

My friend Anita is Cantonese Canadian living here in East Asia with her husband, Jeremy (just a plain ol' white guy) and their two kids, Callie and Zane (with another boy on the way). They have been good friends of ours since we moved here in August '08. They were the ones who met us at the airport in the middle of the night when we were stunned and bedraggled travelers fresh from America. Anita made us waffles and homemade sausage the next morning and we ate it together in our empty apartment surrounded by unopened luggage. I called Anita 2-3 times a day in those first weeks (and even months) asking her to translate for me, or help me buy pantry staples like vinegar and flour. Jeremy and Anita are two of the most giving and thoughtful people I've ever met.As time has gone on, Anita has become my get-my-nails-done buddy, my go-shopping-for-deals buddy, my swap-recipes-and-kitchen-tricks buddy, and my try-new-things buddy.

Our most recent excursion was to a local Cantonese restaurant (the food she grew up eating in Canada) where she introduced me to DimSum. I was pretty proud of myself as I chowed down on this chicken foot (my first one ever).The report? It has no meat so only partake if you enjoy thick, rubbery skin. I remain indifferent. I also ate pork sausage in wonton wrappers with some sort of orange fish eggs sprinkled on top, sticky rice cooked in a giant leaf, shrimp-stuffed boiled noodle balls (best way I can describe them), steamed buns filled with Cantonese BBQ, radish cakes, and Cantonese spring rolls. Always an adventure with Anita!