Sometimes nostalgia is the most important ingredient. When Evan and I were just cutting our teeth in our relationship, there was a divey Vietnamese take out place a block from his apartment. There was an endless supply of excellent Vietnamese food only a quick subway ride away, but this place was decent, and delivered. They also had a meal that the carefully edited menu described as "boodle." It was some delicious combination of ground pork, ginger, rice noodles and other mystery flavors.
I have been unsuccessfully replicating this dish for over 10 years now. Every time it tastes only mildly like the original, and every time we love it. What it really tastes like is falling in love. Boodle.
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