Mom & Mama's Home Cooking

Since moving to Santa Barbara, one of the things that I miss most is home cooking.  And when I say home cooking, I mean my mom's Vietnamese dishes and mama's (mother-in-law) Thai/Lao meals.  Just thinking about it makes my mouth water!

In April, we made a quick weekend trip back to Portland and both moms spoiled us with some delicious favorites.  The first question either one would ask is, "What would you like to eat?"  Well, don't mind if I do...

BO BIA
I love Vietnamese salad rolls of all types.  However, I don't often get the luxury of eating "Bo Bia". So it was definitely a treat when my mom made them for us on our last visit home.  Bo Bia is a salad roll that is filled with Chinese sausage, jicama, eggs and dried shrimp.  You dip the Bo Bia rolls in a peanut and hoisin sauce. It is a common street food snack that you would find in Vietnam.

PAPAYA SALAD, LAO SAUSAGE & STICKY RICE
One of my favorite treats when going to Mama's house is having her papaya salad.  No one does papaya salad like Mama!  She loves experimenting with her papaya salad recipes by coming up with slightly different sauce concoctions.  I can't seem to figure out her secret recipe (yet) but as long as she keeps making it, I'm content eating.

 Papaya salad is not complete unless if you have it with a side of Lao sausage and sticky rice.  Mama doesn't actually make the sausages herself.  Mama tells me that anytime she craves these sausages she puts in a special order to some Lao Grandma who makes them out of her home.  This Lao Grandma must have some magical powers because these links are bursting with flavors of lemongrass, chili peppers and garlic in each bite!