I have always had a fascination with Asian cooking. When I was younger, I would beg my parents for meals from our local Vietnamese and Thai restaurants and as I got older, any time I had the opportunity to eat out, my preference would be sushi or Pho. Several years ago, I started playing around with learning to cook food that tasted mildly similar to my restaurant favorites (I had particular success with baby bok choy).

If you have a similar culinary obsession to mine, there's a contest going on now that you might want to check it out. It's something of a long shot, but what an amazing trip it will be for the lucky person who wins. Thai Kitchen and Simply Asia are giving away a seven-day trip for two to the winner's choice of one of the following locations: Beijing, China; Shanghai, China; or Bangkok, Thailand. The trip includes air travel, hotel accommodations for six nights, transfers to and from airport and hotel, and even some spending money cash. Sounds like a dream vacation to me.

Even for those who aren't interested in the contest, it's worth checking out the website, as they offer lots of recipes as well as how-to instructional videos with Chef Katie Chin. One of their recipes, for Spicy Pork Noodle Soup, is after the jump.Spicy Pork Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
4 oz. pork tenderloin
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp cornstarch
6 oz. Thai Kitchen dried rice noodles
1 fresh hot red chili pepper, seeded
2 green onions, with tops
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp Thai Kitchen Roasted Red Chili Paste
1 tsp minced garlic
4 cups chicken broth

Directions:
Remove and discard the fat from the pork. Slice the pork into 1/4 - inch matchstick strips. In a medium bowl, mix the salt, pepper, and cornstarch and toss with the pork. Marinate the pork for 20 minutes.

Soak the dried rice noodles in warm tap water for 15 minutes; drain. Rinse well with cold water and drain well. Set aside.

Cut the chili pepper into thin matchstick strips. Cut the green onions into 1 1/2 -inch matchstick strips.

Heat a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the chili paste, garlic, and chili pepper and sauté for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the pork and rice noodles; stir to separate the pork pieces. Return to boiling again and turn off the heat. Add the green onions.