Lee's With Food

Like many other cultures, food is the most important part in Chinese culture, especially in our Lee family.  As you can see, most our family’s pictures were took around the dining tables at home or at restaurants.  Those could be the happiest and unforgettable moments we’ve had.  We cook and share, we laugh and cry, we sing and dance (not very often), we argue and fight… all around the tables with our gourmet food.  No matter what kind of occasion, we always cook, share and enjoy.  

I love food.  I like to try all kinds of food. My two aunts who passed away few years ago always said: I like looking at you when you are eating, no matter what you ate; you seem enjoy them very much.  Once Sandy asked me: when is your favor moment?  Without any hesitation I answered: when I eat and enjoy gourmet food.  It’s so embarrassed answer.  But it’s the truth.  When I enjoy the food I appreciate the people who plant the seeds, who water and fertilize the plants, who cook it, whom I share with.  The most important is I appreciate life.  Lots of people don’t like to cook.  But I enjoy it.  I cook everyday with fresh ingredients.  Cook for the people I love, who I care and who are appreciated me.  Victor likes watching gun videos on Youtube.  There is guy always says this at the end of his videos: “Life is good.”  Indeed, life is wonderful.  I enjoy my life. 

First I want to thank my parents-in-law. Actually, I wasn’t into cooking before I married to Victor.  Since I came to Montreal, melt into this warm and unique family, I started cooking.  My father-in-law was one of the pioneer Chinese chefs in Montreal.  He came to Canada in 1950’s. With his talent, very soon he became a very well-known Chinese chef in town.  Later he went back to HongKong married to my mother-in-law.  In 1970’s they owned a fancy Chinese restaurant called “Chopshew Garden”.  He created lots of unique Canadian-Chinese menu. Every time when the family get together talk about my father-in-law’s creations, everybody gushes with pride over the stories.  If you don’t like vegetables, you would love his stir fried baby bok choy or choy sum. If you are meat lovers, you definitely would enjoy his chicken, beef, pork, fish & lobsters.  Unfortunately, he was very sick in his last few years.  We couldn’t mark down every recipe he had.  We always thought that he would be OK, he would be home soon.  We waited for the perfect moment.  However, that moment never came.  He lost the battle from cancer, passed away in February 16, 2012.  My father said: don’t wait for the perfect moment, it might never come; what you only can do is make every moment perfect.  We lost my father-in-law, most of all we lost his laughs, his jokes, his duck-taped everything and his gourmet foods.

The next I want to thank Food Network.  Long time ago, one of my American colleagues told me that the easiest way to get know a culture and blend into it quickly is the food.  I came to Montreal in winter 2001.  The temperature was around -25’C.  I could see nothing but white everywhere.  Snow reached to my knees. There is nobody outside on the street.  The sun’s gone by 4 o’clock afternoon.  I knew nobody except my husband; I could go nowhere but stayed at home.  I was so depressed.  “What did I get myself into?!”  At that hopeless moment, I found Food Network channel.  Very soon I fell in love with it.  I still remember some pioneer chefs and shows: Michael Smith with pony tail at “Chef at Large”, Christine Cushing at “Christine Cushing Live”, Rob Feenie at “New Classics with Rob Feenie”, Martin Yan at “Yan Can Cook”, Ming Tsai at “West meets East”, Japanese “Iron Chef”… so many wonderful shows with so many great chefs.  From all of these shows, not only the cooking skills I learned, but although I learned English.  I learned American, Canadian, French, Prince Edward Island, Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Jamaican and many other cultures and foods.  From appetites to main dishes and dessert; from little treats to party dishes; from bakery to BBQ… They used simple language and easy ways to show all the tips and technics.  It’s quick to understand and easy to remember.  My English had grown rapidly.  Meanwhile, from a person who never touched pots and pans, I became a little cook in my family.  Of course, not as good as my father-in-law, but at least everybody liked them, and my dogs also enjoyed them too (they never complained). 

Finally I really want to thank my darling, my little guinea pig – my husband Victor.  He is the most kind and nice person I’ve ever met.  He has such simple and pure heart.  I read from a magazine said: don’t try to find good guy, find a guy who makes you become a better person.  Being with him, I already feel that I’ve become a better person.  I feel so lucky to be around him. Not only is he a good man, he is also very good handyman.  My father is also called ‘handy man’ by all the people around him.  They say that anything he touches become elegant.   I had always wished that I could find someone handy like my father.  I found him and it’s my husband.  Mostly, we share the same passion – food.  I had lots of experiments when I was learning to cook.  Without any questions, he is my loyal guinea pig.  No matter if it’s too salty or too sour, over cooked or burned, under cooked or too greasy, he always gives me courage, and never complained.  Thank you darling.

Food bundle Lee's together.  We enjoy our food, we enjoy our life.  Because......

Life Is Good! 

Life Is Sweet & Spicy!