Cooking a Family Meal

I made dinner for my host family last night! It came about after eating dinner at 10pm on Monday because Cô Hue is gone and there were a few complications, so I volunteered for Tuesday. They seemed very hesitant to let me cook. But I eventually convinced them it'd be ok. I made a very normal American dinner, well basically I just made exactly what I would make if I were cooking for myself at home: chicken with lemon, pasta with broccoli and tomatoes, green beans, and delicious bread.

Note that the "lemons" are green, and they aren't limes. Weird.

Vang decided to help. She was actually a great helper and sweet for about an entire hour. Being that recently I've been harshly reminded that she is just 7 years old, it was a nice break and a good interaction. She doesn't like pictures, so this is the closest I got.

The third picture was the last to be taken because that is about the time the gas ran out and the stove no longer worked. Things were half cooked. Fortunately, a perk of being in Vietnam is you just call someone and within 20 minutes a man arrived with a new propane tank. Dinner continued, just a little delayed. I have no idea if they enjoyed the results or not. I do know that it wasn't enough food for them. Not in the sense that we ran out, but that they actually consume more food than I would. I would have served that meal to anyone at home and felt good about the portions and variety, but they were a bit perplexed at why I eat so little. Oh, and also if I eat so little at home, they wondered how I am so fat. Haha. Oh Viet Nam. Sometimes you're so silly. If nothing else, I loved cooking and was very pleased with the meal. We'll see if they ever let me cook again :)