In Abilene, a place offers gourmet food from all over the world made by professional cooks – the international dinner at the Greens’ house takes place every Friday afternoon during school.
The Greens have been hosting the international dinner for more than eight years. The purpose is to offer international students in Abilene home-like food and to share Jesus Christ.
My favorite food at the international dinner is the Asian section cooked by a Thai lady, Noke, who used to run an Asian restaurant. Her favorite recipe is oyster sauce. The type of oyster sauce she uses is special and without a fishy taste.
What makes her a professional cook? She has many tips that keep the meat tender, the vegetable fresh and never over-cooked. For Asian cooks, measuring cups are not necessary. If you ask an Asian cook, “how much soy sauce do I need and how long do I need to cook it?” The cook will probably reply, “I don’t know. Put as much as you need. Cook it until it’s done.” Cooking Asian food is more of an experience than science, and for a good cook, the same dish tastes differently every time, just like a piano master plays a piece of music differently every time – but never fail to be excellent.
Asian food at the international house is especially good. Fried Noodle, Pork Delight, Mapo Tofu, Lemon Grass port, Kongpao Chicken and many other kinds of dishes are delightful.
I am a big fan of Asian food, however, at the international dinner, the hosts offer food from India, Mexico, Russia, France, Italy and of course America and many other places. It’s not as international without food from other parts beside Asia. Curry, salad, barbecue, grilled chicken, enchilada, etc. It really is a feast of international food!
As one of the cooks, I am lucky to taste the samples when it is just done. I realized a disadvantage of eating in group. When all the food is served on the table, students get in line, waiting for their turn to get food. Nevertheless, the taste of the dish is much less delicious after staying on the table for a while. Multiple items on one plate make it harder for a person to taste the very original flavor of each one. In spite of this, going to the international dinner to have a taste of the world is definitely an experience!
