Peanut Sauce...

One of the things my Dad and I had in common was our love for food. So it made sense that around the age of 14, he would introduce me to Thai food and it would quickly become my favorite indulgence.

One Thai food experience in particular transcends all others...I was 15, I know this because I had just gotten my learning permit and I drove our entire family PLUS my friend Vanessa all the way to Sisters from Crooked River Ranch. If you've ever driven those winding roads, you know we're lucky to be alive. That and because at 15, I was definitely the world's worst driver. My Dad had spent the day on the golf course, which meant that he had spent the day drinking, which meant I could talk him into letting me drive, which meant he could talk my Mom into letting me drive, which he did. So after a white-knuckled 45-minutes of my crazy driving we made it safely to the Thai restaurant.

Vanessa, or "Lil' V" as we called her, had never eaten Thai food, and my Dad was more than happy to show her the ropes. He ordered a ton of food (and probably a few more drinks), but the first thing to come out were the chicken and beef skewers. Those of you who love Thai food know that those skewers come with a delicious peanut sauce, and when you're feeding 5 people that sauce tends to run out. The combination of our sauce running out and my Dad having "golfed" all day aligned to create the perfect comedic moment...

Having gotten the waiters attention, my Dad managed to slur out, "Exsscuse me...can we gettssomore peanusssauce?"

The whole table burst out laughing. We laughed until we cried, until our bellies ached, until we couldn't laugh anymore. And for the next 10-years all you'd have to do is mention, "Peanut Sauce" and we'd all be transported back to that table, laughing over slurring words.