My language tutor, Tina, came over and brought her friend, Christina. I wanted to learn how to make Chinese food and she loved the idea of teaching me. We met and went to the market to buy all the necessary items. And I found out that I am being charged way more than the Chinese typically get charged. But hey, that's life, right? We laughed as we walked through the market saying hello to the vendors that I go to regularly while forgetting the food that we just bought. Tina and I get so busy talking that we aren't thinking some of the time:) We met Christina back at my house and started the process. Cleaned everything, chopped it all and started the stir-frying.

I learned that the secret to good Chinese food is the oil and the salt. And my goodness is there a lot of salt! I watched Tina pour spoon after spoon after spoon of salt into each dish! I was amazed! No wonder I'm always so thirsty here:) But it sure was delicious.

Menu:
Xihongshi chao jidan-Fried egg and tomato
Niurou, qiezi-Beef and eggplant (although we made it with lamb mistakingly)
Liangcai-cold dish of doufupi (tofu noodles), hadai (don't have in US), green peppers
*All of it with soy sauce, dark vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, chili peppers, etc.

We laughed all through dinner and managed to eat over bit of it. Tina and Christina are both Hui and it's their thought that you shouldn't waste anything you've made, even if you're stuffed! So the last 9 or 10 grains of rice I had in my bowl, Tina made me eat them. :)

And I had made lemon bars for them to try, not thinking they would like them. I had been told that Chinese don't like lemon things. Well, they do! They ate them all and took some home! I had three bars left over from the whole pan!