I’ll probably say this about a lot of these movies, but this one in particular definitely has made even more of a mark recently. My lovely littlest pup, Oliver, the little chef himself likes his walks. He’s also a world-renowned escape artist. He is a true Aussie with his ingenuity and athleticism. He regularly made me question my choices of getting a second dog. I definitely blamed Opal for being so good.
On one of his great escapes to the neighbor’s front yard, he simply ran around a few yards until he was tired. But this gained him the nickname of “street rat” at first. I called him it lovingly and tried to remind him how he has such a great home and then realized that he is definitely not Aladdin; he’s Princess Jasmine. He has a nice and cozy life but is kept behind “palace” gates. No matter how lovingly they are constructed, he found that he needed some freedom. He got his small taste and a good dose of ridicule for it. I think between that and Opal letting him know that more walks were possible, was definitely a key in his change in attitude. He’s definitely still a growing boy, and I love the adventures that he brings to my life!
Now for some Aladdin lore. The movie that we have come to love was based on an Arabic folktale. It actually wasn’t part of the original text in One Thousand and One Nights but was added by a Frenchman as told by a Syrian storyteller. Totally not confusing, right?
Anyways, there are a ton of variations, but the one that closely aligns with the plot of the movie has Aladdin dwelling in a city in Ancient China where he’s then recruited for this mission to retrieve the famed oil lamp. Making this discovery was so much fun and why you will find a Chinese entrée listed below. It was a great way to honor the roots of the story along with this meal! There are two things about me that I will never pass up: 1) the opportunity to do some learning and 2) the opportunity to use a good pun. I was able to do both with the recipes here.
I hope you enjoy and learned a little something with me! May we all embrace our inner Princess Jasmin and Aladdin equally!
Entrée:
Side:
Dessert:
Drinks: