Supper with Helen and Steve

The other evening, our family had the privilege of dining at the home of two of our friends, Helen and her husband Steve.  Helen and Steve are newlyweds that have just recently been reunited after a few months of waiting for Steve's student visa to be issued.  They met in Beijing as students.  We met Helen when we were looking for a native Chinese speaker to teach our daughter Chinese.  We've been friends ever since.
Anyway, Helen and Steve wanted to treat our family to an authentic Chinese family-style supper.  We had no idea what to expect, only that we were excited to see what they would serve us.  We just knew that it would be wonderful - and we were NOT disappointed!
Steve had been working in the kitchen washing fruits and vegetables, slicing, dicing and cooking since 2:00 p.m.  When Helen came home from University at 4:00 p.m., she joined him in the kitchen.  The results of their combined efforts were tasty indeed.  We had the staple Chinese sides of noodles (long and moderately wide like fettuccine) and steamed rice.  A savory sauce made from olive oil, sesame see oil, teriyaki sauce and scallions added some flavor to the rice and noodles. 
Steve made a tofu dish using "a pepper jam" as Steve called it.  The remnants left in the jar it came from looked less like a jam and more like a thick sauce. Anyway, it gave a creamy tomato soup like consistency.  It did not taste tomato-y - just looked like it.  The tofu was soft and creamy. 
The second main dish was pepper beef.  Quarter-inch thin slices of beef and hot peppers made up this spicy entree.  You did not notice the hotness until after you swallowed.  It was delicious.  They also made a chicken and potato dish.  It was exactly that - chicken with potatoes.  'Nuff said.  The final dish was a beef, broccoli and carrot dish.  It had a savory brown sauce with it that added a lot of flavor.  I only wish I had thought to take my camera to show you how wonderful these dishes looked!
We had a terrific evening discussing their upcoming move to Boston where Helen would be working on her Divinity Degree; how they felt babies in China were not as happy as babies in the States(babies in China cry all the time); and who has the best muffins.  Yes, muffins.  And the answer is Sam's Club.  The muffins there are huge.
We are saddened that Helen and Steve are leaving our area, but we wish them all the best of luck in Boston, and pray that God's hand protects them.  Godspeed, Helen and Steve!  Thank you for a wonderful evening.