1961 replies to this topic

[peony]

Chinese love to eat livers, esp the women..

Livers and kidneys cook with mee sua...
this is a confinement dish for women after birth.

[Dejah]

Stephen, Peony, Tepee: I also have the same pattern for dishes, except mine are yellow! My s-i- has the red set, and my sister has the turquoisy blue set.

I actually have 2 sets, both yellow. The set my mom and I brought from HK in 1958 was fired much better as the glaze is not peeling. The newer set we ordered from Taiwan has smaller dinner plates, and the glaze is fading or flaking.

I need to buy some more. Maybe I'll check out the stock in the stores and see if I can replace some of them.

Grandson is here for supper tonight, so it's leftovers and oyster sauce ho fun. He'll have the ho fun, "just oyster sauce, please, gramma" with such a smile. How can I refuse?

[hzrt8w]

I actually have 2 sets, both yellow. The set my mom and I brought from HK in 1958 was fired much better as the glaze is not peeling. The newer set we ordered from Taiwan has smaller dinner plates, and the glaze is fading or flaking.

You are still using the set bought/brought in 1958? Almost half a century? Everyday? Wow! These things last a long time!

[hzrt8w]

Kim Chi for the girls? Wow! They are really trained to handle hot taste when they are young! last week I cooked the string beans with just a minute amount of chili bean sauce (1 tsp for the whole dish feeding 8 people) and served it during Thanks Giving dinner... My 7-year niece said the food "burns her lips".

I observe (and now recall) the dishes and bowls are smaller in Asia. You go to the dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong, they give you "tiny" bowls (3-inch diameter).

You should have seen the footage from the Kylie Kwong show. In her friend's restaurant in Shanghai (or maybe her friend's home), the bowls they use (individual bowls for holding rice)... 12 inch in diameter!

[Tepee]

Personally, I have an aversion to kidneys and livers. I used to love them in my younger days, but, during my latest confinement, I ordered the food which was delivered daily for one month. On the 3rd day, they gave me lots and lots of these stuff. They were undercooked (I think) and I had the worst case of purging, lost 5lbs in 2 days. Another case against liver is a close friend who had a craving in her early pregnancy ate a lot of liver, and during her 20th week had to abort because the baby had problems. A coincidence?

[Tepee]

You are still using the set bought/brought in 1958?  Almost half a century?  Everyday?  Wow!  These things last a long time!

Mine are also around that age. My MIL just gave them to me...got them when she was first married. Among them is a big yellow soup bowl. They're made in China.

Ah Leung gaw, the 12-in individual bowls must have taken up a lot of space on the table! The table must have been huge.

Edited by Tepee, 30 November 2006 - 04:38 PM.

[Tepee]

Kim Chi for the girls?  Wow!  They are really trained to handle hot taste when they are young!

Only the youngest has not developed the 'tongue' for heat. My 12yo can take the kimchi better than I.

[hzrt8w]

Ah Leung gaw, the 12-in individual bowls must have taken up a lot of space on the table! The table must have been huge.

They seat 4 at a table that would otherwise seat 8 in places like Hong Kong.

[Tepee]

I haven't been to HK, but my relatives tell me how they have to sit elbow to elbow everywhere, lol! And, they expect you to give your order the moment you're seated

Edited by Tepee, 30 November 2006 - 04:55 PM.

[hzrt8w]

I haven't been to HK, but my relatives tell me how they have to sit elbow to elbow everywhere, lol!

Yep. That's the norm. Very uncomfortable. But you get used to it for those who grew up there.

And, they expect you to give your order the moment you're seated

No. That's Vietnamese style from my experience. In HK you have to hail the waitstaff to order.

[herbacidal]

I haven't been to HK, but my relatives tell me how they have to sit elbow to elbow everywhere, lol! And, they expect you to give your order the moment you're seated

That's mostly true for tai pai dong and cha chan teang, the 2 simplest kinds of restaurants right on the street.
Large fancy restaurants are still packed with people, but there's more room between tables, lots of room for kids to run around in, plus more room in general.

[Domestic Goddess]

Peony - we have that same soup in the Philippines, too. My mom would add cubed kidneys along with the liver for the miswas soup. The soup is served hot with freshly chopped chinese celery (kinchay). It's a great warming soup for those windy, rainy days.

[sheetz]

Kung Pao Chicken a la Fuchsia Dunlop

Edited by sheetz, 30 November 2006 - 10:40 PM.

[Ben Hong]

On the 3rd day, they gave me lots and lots of these stuff. They were undercooked (I think) and I had the worst case of purging, lost 5lbs in 2 days. Another case against liver is a close friend who had a craving in her early pregnancy ate a lot of liver, and during her 20th week had to abort because the baby had problems. A coincidence?

Sounds to me like the underdone pork liver still harboured parasites.

[peony]

strange isn't it ? some can take everything, others has adverse effects from eating the pig's internal organs.
we used to eat every part of the pigs, ...brain, livers, kidneys, intestines and even its blood... but nowadays has to refrain ...

[Tepee]

Delicious pix, sheetz. BTW, would like to ask questions about the Fuchsia Dunlop book. Are most of the recipes spicy? Will this be a good christmas prezzie (for myself)?

BTW, Malaysian food today. So no posting.

Edited by Tepee, 01 December 2006 - 04:55 AM.

[Tepee]

Sounds to me like the underdone pork liver still harboured parasites.

Most probably. Methinks I should be a food hygiene inspector. If any place doesn't prepare their food properly, my system is the first to feel it. And, I never return.

[Dejah]

Delicious pix, sheetz. BTW, would like to ask questions about the Fuchsia Dunlop book. Are most of the recipes spicy? Will this be a good christmas prezzie (for myself)? 

I haven't done a lot of cooking from Fushia's book yet. I'm waiting for Xmas break to really explore. Her red braised pork is not spicy, if that helps.

And, spicy or not, OF COURSE it will be a good Xmas prezzie for YOU! Silly question.

[Ben Hong]

strange isn't it ? some can take everything, others has adverse effects from eating the pig's internal organs.
we used to eat every part of the pigs, ...brain, livers, kidneys, intestines and even its blood... but nowadays has to refrain ...

No need to abstain or refrain. There is a need to be vigilant and selective. Certain parts of certain animals have to be cooked through. In most parts of the world pork is still the biggest vector for trichinosis. I still eat offal or organ meats quite often.

[sheetz]

Delicious pix, sheetz. BTW, would like to ask questions about the Fuchsia Dunlop book. Are most of the recipes spicy? Will this be a good christmas prezzie (for myself)? 

I actually don't own the book. Right now I'm just trying out some of her recipes that I've found on the internet to see how I like them. They do seem very authentic.

Some online recipes:

http://www.leitescul...k/kung_pao.html
http://www.uktvfood....chef&iID=530777
http://www.theeagle....1503sichuan.htm
http://www.leitescul...reen_beans.html
http://www.sfgate.co...FDGGG3D9RB1.DTL

Edited by sheetz, 01 December 2006 - 11:02 AM.

[Pan]

[...]Tempoyak is fermented durian cooked with chili, sweet-sourish in taste. Fortunately, my whole family love this tempoyak bought from a stall near my house. It also has ikan-bilis(whitebait) and petai(stinky beans) in it.  [...]

Wow, tempoyak with petai! Talk about stinky!

(For the record, I find tempoyak OK with nasi ulam, but prefer budu [fish sauce]. I do like petai on occasion, but it sure does a number on the urine.)

[Tepee]

Not much petai in there, Michael, so no Pee-U effects.

Thanks, sheetz, for the links!

[sheetz]

Instead of the typical fattening stuff for dessert I made the poached bosc pears from Eileen YF Lo's The Chinese Kitchen. Very light and refreshing.

[Tepee]

Very light and refreshing.

...and very good to chase away phlegm and cough too.

I haven't been to China or HK or any other chinese majority countries...so I need you to tell me if the following are Chinese or Malaysian What we ta-paued for Saturday lunch; weekends are rest days for me.

Pan Meen..it is a must to eat this with the sambal (Michael, a noodle named after you )


Curry Meen


Chee Yoke Lo Shee Fun

Edited by Tepee, 01 December 2006 - 11:19 PM.

[Tepee]

Hey, guys!! We started off so well. Where is everyone? For those of you who are not able to post pix, we'd love just hearing what you ate. I feel so self-conscious now.


Soup flavoured with pork ribs and some dried seamonster creature hubby bought from a seaside town...see thing in spoon. Also has peanuts lurking at the bottom of the bowl and old cucumber.


A vegetable we call choy taam (looks like brussel sprouts with bigger leaves?).


Initially, I was supposed to make BBQ pork ribs, but the ribs took too long to thaw, so what wuz a responsible homecook supposed to do so that her family get their protein? Call the neighbourhood resto which does great and cheap homestyle food. Kung Po Fish Fillet.


I made this during the weekend...ping pei rolls. The top is lotus seed paste and the bottom is black sesame seed plus winter melon. A very well-received sweet.

[Dejah]

Well, I'm glad someone is on the ball! I'm knee-deep in marking exams, then this weekend was sorta repeats of Ah Leung's pictorials. I did take some pictures but just haven't had time to process. So, Tepee, keep on feeling "self conscious." Are you going to tell us what that "seamonster" in your soup was? How did you get my spoon?!

Let me see, I can describe our meals and post pictures later:

Friday, daughter was home so we had kung po chicken, store bought potstickers (disappointing), and shrimp sushi.

Saturday, second son was home, and it was lemon chicken with sauce made from half a can of frozen lemonade and sugar. I've been mixing foods alot lately, depending on my mood. So, with lemon chicken, we had jeera rice. For vegetables, it was Canadian chop suey.

Sunday was pretty traditional English for China's bday: 10 lb AAA prime rib roast, Yorkshire puddings, oven roast potatoes, veg sides, and Ambrosia Delight for dessert. My saving grace for this thread was chicken and snow fungus soup.
Soulin, the grandson, didn't like the fungus as he said it "looked like brains", but he liked the broth.
I've packed the other half of the soup to take to my students this morning.

Tepee: Not only are your pictures artistic, so are your sweets! I think I could handle, eating them, that is, anything that you'd bake.

Edited by Dejah, 04 December 2006 - 06:00 AM.

[Nishla]

I've really been enjoying everyone's posts here. You all make some great looking dishes!

Last night I made pork, five spice tofu and soybeans:

[Tepee]

Thank you for posting your dinner, Nishla. It's especially heartening to see a non-chinese (you are not a chinese, I presume?) cooking chinese, and doing such a great job. Your soybeans are intriguing...I've never seen green soybeans before.

[peony]

tepee, your fillings of lotus paste with winter melon, do you have to cooked the filling again or just add in the winter melon ? I need to use up my lotus paste n kao fun too.

[Tepee]

Peony, the lotus paste is by itself. For the other filling, I mixed ground black sesame seeds with finely-chopped winter melon, then added ko fun and water (agak-agak).