Meanwhile, those 7±2 steps from the kitchen to the dining table would always drive my mother nearly to the brink of madness. My mother and I are alike in that way: We're both worrywarts who picture the worst-case scenarios in every situation, and end up taking precautions accordingly.
A repeat accomplice in my father's mischievous stress-inducing behavior is mung bean soup. I can't imagine a better partner on a hot summer afternoon than an icy bowl of this fare. It's a hearty dessert, and one of my favorite year-round standbys, consumed hot in the winter and iced in the summer. I have many a memory of my dad ladling out a full bowl for himself, and then slowly walking with the bowl in his hand to the table as my mother and I sat with our sensibly portioned bowls, biting our nails and not knowing whether we were rooting for him to succeed or fail. I'd reckon that he has about a 98 percent success rate to date.
Speaking of family memories and dessert, the following quote exemplifies one of many reasons to eat some cake...or any other dessert: stress eating. When you feel stressed out about something or other, it definitely helps to enjoy something rich and sweet like a slice of cake. Which brings me back to my original conjecture that my dad creates stressful situations like pouring liquid to the brim of the bowl or cup, simply because the beverage or soup tastes better after he's gone through some kind of minor struggle to enjoy it. Interesting thought, eh?
Luke was both alarmed and angered by the revelation of his family history. Luke knew Sara was worried about how he felt, along with feeling bad about losing her temper and yelling at Pearl. Luke wanted cake and knew that if he asked for a specifically small piece, he would get a larger one than if he had not specified the size. Luke could not stop himself from feeling alarm or anger. He could, however, and did, get dessert.Mung Bean Soup
—Blind Sight, Meg Howrey
1/2 cup green mung beans, rinsed and drained
6 cups water
Brown sugar, to taste
Put the beans and water in a covered pot over high heat. Once they reach a rolling boil, turn down the heat to low and cook until the beans are soft and mushy (or whatever texture you like them), about 45 minutes to an hour. Turn off heat.
Add the sugar while the soup is still hot. You can eat it hot like this in the winter (or in the comfort of an AC environment). Or, if it's a sweltering day, let cool and then transfer to the refrigerator. Or make popsicles out of the soup. It will get thicker in the fridge, so add water accordingly. Ladle out a bowl for yourself — whether filled to the brim or doled out at a safe serving size, it's sure to taste delicious all the same.