I have been meaning for the past decade to record my family’s history beyond our beloved recipes, to learn as much as possible—big and small—from my grandparents. I have always wondered how they met and courted, what motivated them to leave Vietnam after the war, and even what foods they missed most during the early days at Camp Pendleton. While I’ve gathered bits and pieces of information over the years, the busyness of life kept me from immersing myself in the subject and fully satisfying my curiosity.
