Small town favorites

So it is inevitable that some of my personal life is going to sneak its way into my blog. Today my lucky readers get to learn a little bit about where I grew up. Fremont Nebraska is your typical midwest small town. 30,000 people or so, one high school, a couple bowling alleys, movie theater, a few hole in the wall bars and of coarse TONS of chain restaurants. We've got your average Applebee's, Village Inn, McDonalds, Sonic, and a few mom and pop type cafes. All with the same menu. Burgers, chicken fried anything and club salads. So it should be no surprise that my favorite place to eat in Fremont isn't a restaurant. When I'm looking for some great authentic food I don't go any further than my best friends house. The beautiful Chantalome sisters are my oldest and closest friends. There house is my second home. A place where I feel truly comfortable at all times. Probably because their family is so hospitable. No matter if I'm there for five minutes or five days I'm always offered something to eat and drink. And its hard to turn down the food. I'm sure your wondering by now where a last name like Chantalome comes from. They are Laos. For those who don't know, Laos is a small country sandwiched between Thailand and Vietnam. The style of food is similar to both countries. My favorite dish is called Pahn Ba. It's most commonly served with catfish but can be substituted with other mild white fish like tilapia. The fish is par cooked by boiling and finished in a lime civeche. It is then diced up and mixed with bean sprouts and lots and lots of fresh herbs. (all grown in their backyard). I could eat this fish right out of the bowl but that wouldn't do the dish justice. It is then paired with rice noodles, more fresh herbs (cilantro, mint, basil, ect...) rolled into lettuce leaves and dipped into my favorite component, a coconut red curry dipping sauce with crushed peanuts. This dish hits all the taste buds. Sour (lime), Spicy (curry), Sweet (coconut), Salty (peanuts) and Savory (fish). It is impossible to eat just one roll. And what makes this dish even more amazing is that it is served family style. And what could be better than a table full of outstanding food surrounded by your closest friends? I can't think of anything that makes for a better meal.