Restaurant Review, Pets...and Awards!

This is organic green iced tea, served in a glass, and a separate carafe $2.50

As you can see, I'm having a better week this week, thanks to all of your kind words of encouragement, I thought about each and every comment that you posted, and it made me feel so happy that you shared with me. I do have two posts from this week, but I'm saving it for another day to post it...instead, I thought this would be more fun and versatile!

So, I get a call from my daughter, the other day from Lora, (cake duchess) asking me if I want to go to get a "quick bite" for lunch...OK, I'm thinking, she's asking me at the last minute, not giving me time to even get ready, just to jump in the car and go with her, thinking, she wants to go to the Bagel place downtown, that is a very casual trendy breakfast and lunch place where they make the most amazing bagels, and the service is great, no waiting, and you are in-and-out in no time. She says, "we're going to Joy's Noodles"...what the heck is Joy's Noodles? Oh, it's an Asian "mom and pop" little place, for lunch and dinner...no reservation required, and it's around the corner! OK...how come I didn't know about this place when I pass by almost eerie day?...oh, it's "low key"...they never advertise, and the place is always packed, because of the great food, amazing owners, service, and great staff! Well, that explains it all!

This is the menu for Joy's Noodles
http://www.joysnoodles.com/

located at:
2200 S. Dixie Highway
West Palm Beach, Fl. 33401

A beautiful sunny Wednesday, on the right is the main street, which is S. Dixie Highway, and on the left, is the back of the building which is the parking, You can enter from either side of the building. I took this photo quickly, on the way out. We were really in a rush, and a fabulous fresh and warm lunch was served within about 25 minutes...I kid you not!

As you can see, I ordered a Sautéed Spicy Khmer
Noodles, with squid, $14.95
Udon noodles, with a mixture of spices and herbs, and let me tell you, this was the freshest, and most succulent squid I've ever had, with the most amazing spicy sauce...not overly spicy, but just right, with a mixture of vegetables of scallions, carrots, and tiny broccoli florets...yumm! oh, so delicious!

Now that I've taken a closer look, there were of course chili pepper flakes, as well, and edemame too!
I shared some of the pasta with Lora, as she shared her rice and tofu with me!



The best thing about the noodles, and the rice dishes, is that you get to choose about about 8 different sauces, vegetables, and combination of chicken, beef, and seafood with your sauce. So many choices!

Lora chose the White Rice, with Mixed Vegetables, and Tofu, in a Lemongrass Coconut Sauce...$11.95
so amazingly mellow, and absolutely divine!

After lunch, Lora had to rush off to go to the kids' school, to meet with a teacher, and I went back to her house, to wait. By that time the pets were getting hungry too!
So, this is the back door, Stella the (chubby Chihuahua is already greeting Michetta, Dr. Eric's cat from next door who comes over for a meal once a day, like he really needs it...ha, ha (waiting for me, as soon as he spots my car, outside)

So, on one side of the dish Michetta gets the soft food, that he went for right away, and on the other side, the dry food the the puppy dove right into, as soon as I put the dish down. I had to physically lift her up and take her inside to get her to eat her own food...ha, ha. what a little "brat!"

In the meantime, as I arrived home, Prince, my "princely" kitty, was waiting for me in my computer chair, even though he has his chair next to mine and sits there when I'm on the computer and just hangs out with me.

Now, at this point I have to let him stay on my computer chair, but I put a beach towel over the cushion (for the cat hair shedding)...he comfortably sits back, I sit on the regular chair...he taps my arm...that means we hold "paws"...and "hands" which he likes, and I continue with my blog. As soon as I move my left hand, he taps me again, and nudges me as well! Aren't pets sweet?...they are so predictable, and sometimes, not so predictable!
In my world...I know the "routine" so well!

Now, on to the awards!




I am so fortunate to have the most wonderful food blogger friends, whom some I consider to be closer than some of my friends that I became friends with, over the last 10 years...the reason for that?...well, it's because I have more thing in common with my food blogger friends on a daily basis, then my local friends that I see on occasion, to get together for lunch or for an invite.

I do agree that most people are busy with their work, home, family life, but when you have single friends, what is really the excuse?...work, relationship, family?...no! Most of the time it's the "relationship" they're in, or out. I will not subject myself to being a "sounding board"...a shoulder to "cry" on because they just don't get it!...I mean, don't they know better than to get involved in a relationship where the guy is very much "still married?"...and keeps saying..."my wife and I just don't get along"..."she doesn't understand me"..."she is refusing to give me a divorce"...OK, you get the picture now. I'm getting off the subject, so let me get back to the awards!
Citra, my dear food blogger friend, whom I got the pleasure to be friends with about 1 year ago, has the most beautiful blog called My Home Diary in Turkey

She is originally from Indonesia, and is transplanted in Turkey. She has mastered all the amazing Turkish dishes, and has the most amazing recipes from her own homeland, as well. Her cakes are a "work of art"...her desserts are "to die for" beautiful, just beautiful. She is gracious, kind, and generous!
She awarded me, and a list of other bloggers, so talented, with 3 of my very favorite awards...2 that I have received a while back, and mean a lot to me. I have paid it forward to quite a few bloggers, and will do it again. I don't think I will have the time or the energy to be linking each award to 15 bloggers x 3...but will do at least 10 or more!

Thank you Citra, for this wonderful honor, and I will pay it forward, as well! (as soon as I can)

Gingered Soba Noodles with Spicy Tofu...and friends!

In my previous post, I posted my Soba Noodle Salad photo and mentioned to you that I would post the recipe later.

Well, there's more to it than that. On the day I made my Noodle Salad...actually the reason it would be called a salad is because you can it it at room temperature as well. I made a lot of these noodles. Six ounces will serve 4, but if you double the amount it will serve at least up to 8-10 servings of portion with added broccoli, and the tofu, which I also doubled. Two 8ounces of water-packed extra firm tofu.

The recipe for my Soba Noodle Salad, or the proper name for this is Gingered Soba Noodles, because you just make the dressing for the noodles, or salad, and make double or triple amount and see how far it takes you to use it for something else, as a marinade for roasted chicken...or chickens...as in 3....and why?...because when you want to show your appreciation to a friend, not just what they have done for you, but because you appreciate and love them.

This is the least you can do to make them a home cooked meal knowing they too have a busy schedule and it will last a family of 4 for 2 meals at least, and lunch as well.

A triple portion of the Gingered Soba Dressing goes a long way...I used one portion for the noodles, and two extra portions, including for a third chicken which we kept for us. Leftover roasted chicken goes a long way for sandwiches, and delicious chicken salads, or for chicken soup.

Our dear friend, and neighbors to my daughter and hubby...Eric and Marisa, and their two beautiful children and their family are extended adopted family...by choice. Eric is our veterinarian as well and takes such good care of our pets as well. He also takes good care of my beautiful kitty, Prince and doing beyond what is his duty, by personally checking his progress, since he is old and his health is failing.

When you want to buy the best organic whole chicken, you can find it at Costco, or Sam's or BJ's food club whichever you are a member of. We have a membership at Costco and they have such a huge selection of the best of everything.

I'm going to show you a step-by-step direction and recipe for both the Soba noodles, and the roasted chicken...so hang on!
Gingered Soba Noodles
adapted from the Best of Gourmet Book, 1997


For Dressing:

6 ounces soba (buckwheat noodles
1 Tbsp grated fresh gingerroot
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 teaspoons Asian Sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

Note: I used 2- 6 ounces of soba noodles, and tripled all the dressing ingredients, so I could use it on my roasted chickens as well.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the noodles. Cook till al dente, for about 6-8 minutes and rinse with cold water. Set aside.


Peel ginger, and grate it. In a medium bowl, stir together ginger, and remaining ingredients. Add part of the dressing to noodles, toss, and add broccoli florets, (opt.) spicy tofu, sliced scallions, (opt.) sliced radish chopped, or whole roasted cashews if you like, or you can roasted chopped peanuts. Single recipe serves 4.

The Spicy Tofu was adapted from Cooking Light magazine May, 2011


8 ounce water packed extra firm tofu ( I used 2)
Cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Place tofu slices in a single layer on double sheets of paper towel..repeat layers and paper towel. Cover with last layer of double paper towel.

Set a plate over it (as you can see this is at Lora's, her signature plate) mine are all different! Let it stand for 30 minutes, remove the paper towels, and on a cutting board, cut them into 3/4 - 1 inch cubes.

For the spicy Tofu sauce ingredients:

5 Tbsp. of vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. low-sodium Tamari, or soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons of Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
Cooking Spray
(again, I double the sauce)


In an oven proof dish, set tofu pieces, and pour half the sauce over all. Set the oven on 350 degree F. oven, and bake for 15 minutes, or till lightly golden.

With a slotted spatula, remove tofu and gently fold into the noodles. Save the remainder spicy sauce for extra sauce, or for saving it for another recipe, in the fridge.




Thinly sliced radishes are added to the noodles, along with the steamed broccoli florets...not pictured!

Last but not least, I got 3 whole chickens set up to roast...2 for our friends and one for us. You could see in the background the sauce set up. I even added some pieces of garlic in the sauce.

Generously sprinkled the chicken with Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and spooned some of the sauce on the chickens. Oven, on 425 degrees F. for the first 25 minutes, and after that turn oven down to 350 degrees F. for the next 1 hour. Do not cover, and check every 15 minutes to keep spooning the dripping over the chicken. the leftover sauce can be reheated till it reduces to half the amount, and use it on the side.

Dr. Eric...our veterinarian friend, whose family I cooked the dinner for at his house, feeding a baby squirrel that he saved as the mother squirrel was run over by a car. The squirrel was just a baby and Eric was feeding him from a bottle, now a few months old, and does not want to leave Eric. The squirrel hangs out in Eric's pocket, and follows him around the house...totally domesticated.

The little squirrel was only a couple weeks old here, and clinging on to Eric's daughter's arm...and now, about 3 months old, a family member, staying in her cage at night, and happily climbing the trees in the yard, but does not want to leave the family. So unusual...never heard of such a thing!

I have a sad announcement to make!

Unfortunately, Pebbles, the baby squirrel who now is 2 months old has just passed away this morning. Dr. Eric's 10 yr old indoor-outdoor cat that has been on the "prowl"...ever since Eric saved the life of the squirrel that was with her mom squirrel when she was hit by a car, and Eric brought the squirrel home to feed and raise her. She has only been outside climbing trees, and would come back inside.

Well, this morning, her little outdoor trip ended...Michetta somehow got a hold of squirrel Pebbles, and killed her, just as he has been killing garden snakes, lizards, birds, and any little creatures for his "hunt". He is so intelligent, he knows when I go there, recognizes my car, and he is right there waiting for me, and comes to the patio to hang out.

Good bye Pebbles...you will truly be missed.

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