Traditional Thai for V 's Birthday!

This is Malli..................
While the family planned to take V for a nice restaurant dinner in honor of her Birthday, I was out watering my plants and sinking in the Summer sun. V heard about an authentic family owned Thai restaurant in Washington DC and N made reservations so drove down to DC for this authentic meal.
I am so very excited to share with you our experience at the restaurant situated in a row house on Florida Avenue. The place is called Thai Crossing and unlike the usual restaurants we visit more often.  Alcohol is not served at the place but they encourage customers to BYOB or wine. Now, there are no menus to order from -they just bring out whatever the cook decides to make that day as a 4-5 course meal.

 The service was excellent and we were most courteously asked if we were vegetarians or had any allergies to food. We gave our choices and options and the food came out exactly as requested. The day we were there the special menu included the following :

. Tom yum shrimp soup
. Papaya salad
. Chicken with black mushrooms
. Pork with five spice gravy
. Salmon curry
. Pumpkin curry
. Tofu and bean sprouts stir fry
. Flat noodle pad Thai
. Steamed rice
. Mango with sticky rice

Needless to say  every dish was patiently constructed adding beautiful layers of flavor over the main ingredient. But the star dishes were the Papaya salad, soup, salmon and the best Pumpkin curry ever that made the mark!  R and I have been taking brisk walks this summer and being actively involved in exercise programs. We walked the streets of Downtown DC after dinner since days are so much longer and it gets dark after 8:00 pm. This gave us a time for watching tourists along the monument and museum sidewalk holding cameras and bag packs across their shoulders. Children slurping ice cream from the neighborhood Fro Yo and those sipping milk shakes and slurpees.

 I have to be completely honest that this past weekend we were committed to staying outdoors most of the day. Hot summer days such as this, remind me of my childhood. Those sweltering hot days in India when friends and I would fill balloons with cold water and throw them at each other for fun. Then, after  the heat and exhaustion tired us out, we would go into the kitchen for tall glasses filled with ice cold lemonade or some of Amma's fresh homemade mango squash. Yikes, a few months back I could not have imagined a sunny day outdoors such as this so no complaints! Gone are the days when I was forced into wearing layers of warm clothing, shivering until my car was well heated and driving to work sometimes through the ocassional snow. Summer could be so much fun when you're with family enjoying a warm sunny day outdoors. Would it be wrong to ask for this weather all year long? Whether the weather be fine, whether the weather be not, whether the weather be cold, whether the weather be hot, we all need food to make us happy and satisfied!! this time it was hearty and delicious.....