My husband is a passionate man. Although much of what gets my dander up rolls off him like water off a duck's back, the things he does care about get his whole heart and soul.

His kids are the light of his life, and our family is at the center of his world. The only thing that he'll voluntarily ... and enthusiastically, I'll add ... sign up for that puts distance between him and his family is fishing. Although the charm of bobbing around in a tiny boat for hours on end as it fills with wriggling, smelly fish escapes me completely, it's Heaven on Earth for Mark.

Only one thing compares in terms of relaxation and enjoyment for my special spouse, and that's cooking. Hours in the kitchen, even cleaning up as he goes, are passed in a state of contented concentration. He loves trying new recipes, and on those few occasions we find ourselves in a city with book stores he can always be found in the cookbook section.

Fish, of course, is a specialty, as that gives him the perfect opportunity to combine both of his beloved hobbies. Very few things give him the satisfaction of serving up a delicious dish that prominently features a creature that until meeting up with him a few hours before was minding its own business swimming around in the Indian Ocean.

Asian food has always been a favorite, even before our family's intermingled roots could be traced to Cambodian soil, and he loves finding new dishes. He's discovered a number of plants that grow in the bush around our house that are totally ignored by Seychellois, but treasured in Asia for what they add to food. Ma-khue, a tiny, pea-sized eggplant, is actually considered poisonous locally, but the Thai dish gaeng keow wan, a green curry, can't be properly made without them.

We grow our own kha, also known as galangal, and cilantro, as neither are available here, and every trip to Singapore includes a trip to Little Thailand to stock up on essential supplies.

Here are some shots of Mark in full all-my-dreams-have-come-true mode, preparing a meal of Asian food ... which did include a fish he'd caught baked and served Khmer-style wrapped in banana leaves ... while surrounded by his darling and attentive children. He's explaining the gaeng keow wan gai ,Thai green curry with chicken, as he prepares it, letting them stir and test (before the chilies go in).

It won't be long before they're all cutting and chopping and simmering in cooperative efforts. Lucky me!

For more Love Thursday posts that feature husbands, check out this from Coley, this from Rebecca, this from Abby, and this one from Erin.