Dan dan noodles, you had me a spicy peanut sauce! | in my Red Kitchen

Dan dan noodles

Dan dan noodles, you had me at spicy peanut sauce! | in my Red Kitchen

– Click here for this recipe in Dutch -> Dan dan noodles in een pittige pindasaus

You will probably not believe me but I had my first driving lesson when I was 28 years old; and 6 months and 26 lessons later I got my driver’s license. In the Netherlands this is quite fast, but when I tell this to my American friends they are all surprised. In America (or at least in LA), you need 6 hours of driving lessons to do the driving test. In the Netherlands I “only” had to spent €1.500 on my driving lessons, written test and behind the wheel test. In LA the costs are much lower, we only had to pay $33 for our Californian license. That includes 3 times a written test (if you fail, you can do it 2x on the same day to succeed) and 1 behind the wheel test. If you fail the second behind the wheel test costs… hold on… $6!

If you are over 18 then you basically don’t need driving lessons to complete the tests and from 16 you can drive with a temporary license (then you’re under the supervision of your parents). If that’s the case, you need 30 hours of theory lessons and you have to spent 6 hours of driving lessons behind the wheel.

Chinese-style stir-fried rice cakes with napa cabbage

Chinese-style stir-fried rice cakes with napa cabbage | in my Red Kitchen I have no idea why I haven’t posted a recipe with stir-fried rice cakes before since I make it at least once a month.

And for a food bloggers that’s quite often! You see, as a food blogger you are always trying out new recipes and cooking something you haven’t made before so you can post it on your blog. Believe me, that’s really a down side of blogging 🙁

Chinese Scallion Pancakes incl step-byb-step photo's! | in my Red Kitchen

Chinese scallion pancakes

Chinese Scallion Pancakes incl step-byb-step photo's! | in my Red Kitchen

– Click here for this recipe in Dutch -> Chung Yau Ban – Lenteui koeken

I really really really could eat these everyday, that’s how much I like them.
And I know what I’m talking about because this is what I often ate for breakfast in China. In 2010 I went with my Chinese aunt to her family in China, to a little village at an 8 hour drive south of Shanghai. These Chinese scallion pancakes were our breakfast, as well as some delicious steamed buns.

I really wish I could tell you I learned how to make these pancakes in the village where my aunt grew up,

Noodle salad with peanuts

Moving to another country is not the easiest thing to do. You have to leave everyone and everything you know behind to start a new life. So now in LA we have to discover everything: where do I need to go for some good pizza? How do I know which groceries can be ‘trusted’? Where do I have to buy underwear (or better: what will be my favorite underwear)? Who can I trust to cut my hair? Oh and I can go on with this list for -let’s say- forever!

Noodle salad p

One of the things I have to miss in Amsterdam is good dim sum. I regularly went to a really good dim sum place where the weekends were packed with Chinese customers. So then you know it’s good! 😉