In my quest to design elegant dinner party menus, which incorporate healthy eating choices, but do not sacrifice my demand for exciting flavours, I am often drawn to my experiences in Southeast Asia. It was there where my true passion for all things food really began to blossom. I was helping friends run a restaurant in a little town in the country of Laos. My favourite part of each day’s preparations was gathering around the low lying chopping blocks with the ladies in the kitchen to work on my Lao vocabulary and learn the true brilliance of the spicy, sour, sweet and salty balance within their cuisine. I found when each of our taste buds is satisfied, the experience is refreshing, rewarding and long lasting. It truly “satiates” the pallet! A favorite to many of my friends is my Spicy Shrimp & Glass Noodle Salad recipe, which is always requested anytime I am offering to put on a Southeast Asian Spread. Glass noodles are actually bean thread vermicelli, which is different from rice-based vermicelli. You can find them in any Asian grocery store. I prefer the smaller, individual packages – it saves me from wrestling to break apart a tangle of dried noodles! This can be a great part of an Asian tapas menu when served in little Boston lettuce cups. Spicy Shrimp & Glass Noodle Salad Serves 4 12 small shrimp, cooked, de-veined & tails removed

2 Tbsp fish sauce 2 Tbsp lime juice

2 Tbsp sugar

2 cups glass noodles, re-hydrated

1 Tsp Thai bird chilies, chopped (for less heat, remove seeds prior to chopping) ¼ red onion, finely sliced 1 Tbsp lemongrass, finely chopped ¼ cup mint leaves, finely chopped ¼ cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped ½ cup grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise To re-hydrate noodles, soak in warm water until they reach a texture similar to pasta. Drain and transfer to a medium sized bowl. In a glass jar, mix fish sauce, lime juice and sugar until sugar has fully dissolved. Add along with remainder of ingredients to glass noodles and mix throughout.