Eating Along Elden Street on Mother's Day

Mother’s Day is one day of the year when I leave the cooking to others.  My kitchen is only for spreading out the Sunday paper and noshing on a bagel topped with smoked salmon, cream cheese, capers and red onions. My husband is fond of saying, “Not everyone loves fish and onions for breakfast.” Those who haven’t tried it don’t know what they are missing.

My husband’s first stop for takeout of the day was the Bagel Café. An order of cream cheese and nova with everything on the side is enough to feed two.  Just order an extra bagel and you and a loved one can share.  Or in my case, have the second one for lunch. While I ate my omega-3 rich breakfast, the kids enjoyed chocolate chip bagels.  The chips were still melty so luckily they ate before getting into their church clothes.

For dinner we tried the newly opened Hunan Cafe.  A menu had arrived in the mail within the last week and like all those obsessed with food, I read every page.  (Note to restaurant owners, mail menus the week before Mother’s Day.)  Roasted duck soup caught my eye which I don’t recall ever seeing on a takeout menu.  Remember kids, it’s fun to try something new.

The soup needed to be assembled.  I placed a good portion of home made noodles in the bottom of my bowl, adding a few ladles of broth and vegetables.  I counted four different kinds of green veggies, onions, and carrots.  Then add the five spice powder lacquered duck leg.  The duck back was hacked up cleaver style so just be careful because there is still some bone attached.  But it is worth the effort to get every last bit of crispy skin and moist meat.  It’s sort of like picking crabs; you have to deal with some shell to get to the good part.  The drumstick can be eaten in hand, or if you have willpower, sliced and mixed in with the broth and noodles.

I, of course, sampled what the rest of the family ordered. We got steamed dumplings for the boy, who never shares, so we called in an order of two.  The six plump, pork-filled bundles were served with a slightly sweet dipping sauce.  Another hot appetizer, fried chicken wings was ordered for the daughter who doesn’t like Chinese but has never met a piece of fried chicken she didn’t like.  The wings had a hint of the same five spice powder that flavored the duck.  My daughter sometimes shares, especially on Mother’s Day. 

 The takeout driver ordered one of his standards, combination lo-mein.  I believe you can really judge the strength of a Chinese restaurant on their fried rice and lo-mein.  Hunan Cafe has a way with noodles.  The lo-mein was smoky with decent size pieces of meat and seafood. The gratis chicken pad Thai delivered the right amount of heat and was even better the second day when the flavors had a chance to meld.  Reheat at 50 % power and place a large slice of lime (you’ll get maximum juice) in the microwave half way through the reheat time.  A fresh squeeze of lime refreshes the dish.  The portions of all the entrees are so generous that we are still eating leftovers on day three.

There are so many restaurant choices in our area, that if I have a “not so great meal” their menu ends up in the recycle bin. The Hunan Cafe menu had found a spot in the keep pile.