Our wonderful cousin Nancy is visiting with us for a few days. She is my hubby’s cousin on his father’s side and we love her to pieces. She and I clicked the moment we met, we talked and talked about everything. She is a very talented artist; she does sculptures and three dimensional paintings that are whimsical and poignant. We are lucky enough to have a few pieces of hers that we proudly have displayed on our walls.
My hubby thought that Larb would be something different for dinner. He nailed the menu choice because it definitely was a hit. Larb is a Thai special salad; it’s sautéed ground pork with chopped mint, cilantro, scallions, shallots, ground red pepper, lime juice, fish sauce and ground toasted rice to bind it all. It is served in lettuce leaves with extra mint and cilantro. It is one of my hubby’s favorites and Nancy really enjoyed it as well. What I like about it is that it is light, healthy and full of different flavors with every bite. The sautéed pork melds beautifully with all the herbs and the mildness of the pork allows the herbs to shine with their refreshing brightness. The lime juice and fish sauce lend a citrusy saltiness that keeps you eating even after you are full. The lettuce provides the eating utensil while not taking away from the overall flavors and complex tastes. I find that not only is it delicious, but also so much fun to eat.
laurieanichols 