Shelley Taylor

Let me put this out there right up front:



I admit I don't know much about cooking. But I know what I love. And I love food!



Sequim is growing, and so is it's restaurant population which makes me one happy camper because what I usually make for dinner...is reservations. Hubby Greg and I have taken on the monumental (some say crazy) project of building our dream home..by ourselves. Translation: working long long hours 7 days a week makes for 11 ∞ p.m. dinners just before bedtime. This has gotten real old real fast. So, the ever-expanding roster of restaurants is just what the doctor ordered.



In this monthly column, I'll share my dining experiences and help you get acquainted with your dining out choices.



When it comes to food, I'm an expert: I've been eating it all my life! That said, what pleases my tastebuds may only be worthy of the spittoon for you. And, of course, any given restaurant can have a bad day.



I enjoy looking forward to my restaurant meals, so I eventually narrow my choices down to a "favorite" dish and that's what I'll order from then on in. That way I know I'll like what I get.



When it comes to placing my order, Meg Ryan and I have a lot in common: I know exactly what I want. Translation: (for those of you born after When Harry Met Sally), I have certain, shall we say, customizations. In my defense, I understand what a difficult job it is w ¿aiting tables and I make it a point to be polite. To help take the edge off my long list of instructions, at least I tip well (20%).



If the recipe is heavy on fats, carbs or cholesterol, I'll attempt to make improvements. For instance, I'll ask them to eliminate the ubiquitous sauces which usually include butter, cream, or cheese - or all three. I'll leave off the butter or mayo on my bread or potatoes, choose wheat bread over white, and have my salad dressing on the side. Oh, and I like the ice for my diet soda in a separate glass, please. (But I'm also easily lead astray and sometimes - certainly more often than I should - I throw caution to the wind and eat whatever I darn well please.) ≤



Serving food to the public is a tough business. Most restaurant owners must be present at least part of every day. The business is 24/7, hit the ground running from the wee hours of the morning to the wee hours of the night. Creating a profitable restaurant requires many things including a talented chef, loyal employees, attention to portion size, and dealing with the ever increasing cost of ingredients.



So here we go. Come along with me as I get myself into the dieting doghouse - enjoying every single guilty bite along the way.



One of my favorites has got to be Fortune Star Chinese. It's as good as any Chinese restaurant we found in L.A. - our former home city - (the Land ' of Chinese Restaurants - next to New York). Fortune Star gets extra points because it's one of the rare restaurants open past 9 p.m. which has been a lifesaver after a long day on the construction site. We go at least once a week and place a huge order, knowing we'll have plenty of leftovers for the next night's dinner - and a lunch or two to boot.



Although I'm not an experimenter, many friends who've shared a meal with us have enjoyed Fortune Star's extensive menu (another plus with Chinese fare). I like the fact they don't mind tweaking their menu to fit my dietary requests. They listen when I say, "go easy on the oil." So this is a good chance to not only savor a tasty meal, but a relatively healthy one. The only thing I wish they offered is brown rice. If you're watching carbs and triglycerides, brown rice is much healthier. However, I have brought them brown rice and they've graciously cooked it for me (although I need to call ahead because it takes l )onger to cook than their white rice).



Our typical order begins with a big delicious bowl of their hot and sour soup. It has a pleasing tang and depending on the batch can be mild or extra spicey. A big bowl also makes a nice light lunch. Greg usually orders chicken mu shu - a Chinese version of a burrito with cabbage and other veggies - and kung pao chicken. Greg likes spicey hot and the kung pao packs a good punch too with red chili peppers mixed in with celery and red and green peppers. No matter, if a hot dish isn't hot enough, Greg asks Ufor their speical chili sauce - hot enough to remove the varnish from the table top. I always order chicken and broccoli in lots brown sauce. Normally it comes with dark meat but white has less fat and cholesterol and they always make the switch for me. Chinese fare typically is chock full of fresh vegetables and as we're learning, you can never have enough vegetables in your diet. Buddha's Delight includes fresh broccoli, carrots, watercress, snow peas, zucchini, string beans and good-for-you tofu (try it - you'll like it) all in a light sauce.







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