Ben Hong

Julian, that was a very literate and well written description. ( English as it was meant to be expressed). Good job describing a good dish.

This will sound heretic to a lot of people, but I really can't see the point of spending big dollars on something like sharks fin, which I will eat but not put a high priority on, certainly not buy. Same goes for bird's nest. To me they are in the same league as camel humps, sparrow's tongues, bear paws, moose noses. Like I say, I certainly wouldn't pay money for those items.

Jeez, I can't multi-task like I used to. Sorry, mea culpa, 888 lashes with a wet noodle. I had someone else in mind when I said Yan k-S died last week.

For all those who are "restricted" by certain dietary concerns there is a caveat I'd like to throw out, especially if pork is involved. Unless you go to a strictly vegetarian or a Chinese halal (!!!) place, you will get cross contamination.(even in those places, their pastries can have lard in them). Pork is so much an integral part of Chinese cuisine, that it is nigh on impossible to isolate in a busy Chinese restaurant kitchen; just think knives and utensils, chopping blocks, soup stocks, lard in pastries.......

If memory serves, aren't the two sesame balls different things? The ones sold at yumcha are solid through, and the ones that Dejah, Po Po and all the Toysan women make are hollow, sometimes with a bit of filling, eg. peanut pieces. And, I always thought they blew them up .

Yan Kit - So died last week. RIP. A true lady of many, many talents besides cooking. I really like Yan Kit-So's books - especially her Classic one. It is full of great side information. ←

Jo-Mel, that book is excellent. It comes with a decidedly Toysanese slant, reflecting the heritage of the authors.

Lovely to look at, but this li'l ole Toyshan boy would suffer at both ends.

Contrary to popular myth, you can get a juicy chop from lean "modern" supermarket pork. The secret is in the cooking. Using highest heat, sear both sides, turn down to medium and finish cooking both sides, but, only to medium doneness. Most people still have that phobia against eating "pinkish" pork. Modern supermarket pork is safe from parasites such as trichina, tapeworms and other nematodes. I can't say the same for true organic(!!) "free range" down-in-the-dirt pigs though.

If you like to eat street foods, I have a few tips that you might try to remember. Always look for cleanliness and hygiene. A place with access to water would be preferable (not always possible) Carry your own utensils or use disposable ones. Eat nothing that has been sitting for a while at luke warm temps. Always, peel fruit using your own knife. Stay with dishes that come right out of the steaming pot or hot wok. Drink only bottled water, bottled juices , soft drinks or beer. NO ICE CUBES. Patronize the busier stands, unless you know the merchant , of course. There are a lot more. In my travelling days, I always loved to eat street food for they are the epicurious soul of any culture. I have never been sick, not even a queasy stomach eating street foods.

If you live in a city with a "Chinatown", you're in luck, because most markets there sell sea cucumber already soaked and ready to use, ie; cleaned.

is it coz its bitter(im thinking represents bitter life or something??)...or any other reason for it being in the no-no food list ← Yup.

Hey, that's everything that my own dearly departed Mother would cook. But, she would also make "ho see sung". CNY was always special when we were veryyoung back in the village. Lots of new clothes, great foods (the youngest two would always get the goose drumsticks), toys, firecrackers and hung bao. What was especially appreciated was that for a few days everyone was encouraged not to think angry thoughts, say negative words or gossip about anyone negatively. Having those kinds of proscriptions imposed on us by the grandfather/head of the household also meant that we got a free ride...no scoldings, spankings or hurt feelings for us kids

Bitter melon (fu gua) is a definite no-no.

Another site that is of historical, cultural and culinary interest is www.taishan.com/english/index.html This site has a fairly active forum too.

Try www.apex.net.au/~jgk/taishan/menu.html for some cultural, genealogical and sociological background info.

Jeez, I almost always cook with a cold beer in hand.

Irwin, again thanks for your slice of cultural history. As a 6 year old spending 4 long months of 1949 in HK awaiting passage to Canada, I remember with a child's vivid memory the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Kowloon. Living on one of the busier streets of Kowloon at the time, Shanghai St., our senses were literally assault every waking moment...the wet markets where the police raids led by the "Red Haired Devils" who mercilessly beat little old ladies trying to peddle a few vegetables without a "license", the crowds of poor beggars at the railroad station and the ferry terminals, the gala hubbub Chinese New Year's, the boat people (dangka) whose little children always wore a gourd on their backs, the crowded conditions caused by such a huge flood of refugees from the mainland, so bad that "bed spaces" rented for a king's ransom, the nauseating tar and diesel fumes that turned the stomach of this little country bumpkin, all contributing to the uncertainty and the dread of a very uncertain future for a young boy whose Mother was advised to save his life by letting a relative's family take him to Canada. In this state of turmoil, money was very scarce and the "aunt" had to, as a necessity, husband her resources with extreme vigilance. A few wilted veggies, and some scraps of meat and fish from the end of the day at the wet markets were the regular fare for two meals of the day, stuff that we used to feed the pigs back home in the village. This kind of hardship was compounded by the fact that the water supply from the mainland was interrupted every other day. Carrying a pail of water that weighed almost as much as I did up four flights of stairs was not a favourite memory. The happiest few weeks of my young life at the time was the period where a favourite older cousin came out of China on his way to Canada with his mother and stayed in HK for about 4 weeks awaiting passage. Their financial situation seemed a lot less tense, and for almost every day of those four weeks, he took me on his explorations of HK. It was during this time that I really discovered my stomach and taste buds, for together we had sampled almost everything that the dai pai dongs and street hawkers had to offer. I remember some of the treats that he bought for us; hot sand roasted chestnuts, chunks of beef flank(gnow nam), jook and fried devils, soupy noodles and of course the wontons and sui gow. A favorite aural memory is the sound that the wonton hawkers' noise makers made. These noisemakers were made of a couple of bamboo sticks and were the exclusive calling card of the wonton hawkers. Each night after nightfall, when general businesses closed for the day, the hawkers would open for business. Most would be calling out their wares, but the wonton hawker always used his noise maker, clapping them together to make a sound which the Chinese, who love the play of words, would punningly say that it sounded like "barely cooked". Gin-sook, gin-sook, gin-sook.... Wontons were said to be the favourite snack of gamblers and whores, so my Aunt said.

We in Atlantic Canada don't have to go far to get the best butter in the world. Two butters, salted and unsalted, from medium sized local dairy in Sussex, New Brunswick, Dairytown Ltd., beat out 1312 entrants from France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Australia, Italy , the U.S., et al, to win the title of the BEST BUTTER IN THE WORLD. It happened in March 2004 at the world's biggest cheese and butter competition held in Madison, Wis. The win at this event capped a long string of high placements and wins at many national and international judgings. But...it's only available in Atlantic Canada, eh? Hot home made bread slathered with Dairytown Butter...yummm mmm

Hmmm, I'm thinking that gow yook is a truly international meat and would be great prepared in the "national' specialties of their origins.... Irish (setter) stew, French (poodle) boudin, Chinese chow (chow) mein, Boston (bull) baked beans, Bisque de Bichon frisee, Staffordshire terroir, Brittany spaniel flan, Viszla vienerschnitzel..... In Hong Kong if you really, really want K-9, the secret words are 6,3 or 3,6

One menu item that is almost a "must' as an autumn Toysan dish: "Gow yook mun fujook".

[ I feel that it's about time credit should be attributed to where it began from since I feel in Chinese Cuisine the World follows Hong Kong, while Hong Kong follows Toysan. Irwin ←

Wow, why is poor Old Ken Hom taking such a slagging? To my mind he is doing alright for himself as he has sold a gazillion cookbooks. I really and truly don't think that Ken is targetting the experienced cook or the golden-palated "experts" on this site. I am only envious because he has created a career catering to the folks who want to dabble in Chinese cooking. Even if Ken can't cook a lick, my old Canadian toque is off to him.

"Upscale"? " Toysan"? I love it...a classic oxymoron Question is, which is the ox and which is the moron

Irwin, I must say that I airdry without trussing just as often as stuffing and trussing. But if I don't truss, salt gets into the cavity if one is not careful and it becomes too salty. In any case, moistening the skin and burying the bird in hot salt is a fool proof method.