jo-mel

How about pancakes like this? PEASANT PANCAKES 1 cup flour – all purpose 1 cup chicken broth 1 Chinese sausage – diced small ½ cup finely diced shrimp ½ cup finely chopped scallion ¼ cup finely chopped water chestnuts ¼ cup finely chopped carrot ¼ tsp. sugar ½ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. pepper ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (opt) Salt to taste Oil for pan frying – about 5 Tbsp. Mix the flour and broth to a smooth batter. Add everything else ---except the oil. Mix well Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil to cover the bottom. When oil is hot, add 2 Tbsp. batter. Fry until set brown and crisp on the bottom. Turn and brown the other side. Keep warm in oven until all pancakes are cooked. Serve warm or with a soy/vinegar dip. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Or -- this one I've used from a little Hong Kong Dim Sum booklet: CHINESE SAVOURY PANCAKES Batter: 10 ounces flour ½ tsp. baking soda 2 tsp. shrimp paste 2 ½ cups of water ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. sugar 3 Tbsp. lard or oil Filling: 5 oz. roasted pork (BBQ) 5 oz. Shrimp / or use 2 oz. dried shrimp 3 oz. Leek 1 oz. Carrot dash of pepper ½ tsp. sesame oi - Sieve flour and baking soda together in a bowl. - Mix shrimp paste with water, add salt and sugar and mix. - Pour liquid into dry ingredients, add the oil and stir again. -Chop the pork in small pieces. - Wash and chop shrimp. - Boil carrot till tender crisp and dice small. - Mince leek. - Put all these ingredients into the batter. - Add pepper and sesame oil, and mix well. - Heat a pan and add a little oil. - Pour ¼ cup batter into pan. - Let pancake set, then turn and brown the other side.

Those noodles in the pictures from Noodle Loft looked like empty "4-happiness shao mai" to me. That was my first thought. There is no filling? Are they just the noodles formed in a special way? Why? My fond memories of hand cut noodles (Dao Mian 刀面) are from a 'food street' in Beijing near the UIBE. The chef stood near the street and his pot of boiling water. Some of the noodles fell onto the sidewalk, most hit the pot. I have to say that those were the best noodles and the best broth I can remember. I have had 'dow mian' since, but none can compare to those in my memory.

Years ago, at the Chinese Expo in NYC, I watched an expert demonstrate the whole process. Looked easy. So I went home and tried to do it. HeeHee! New respect for that expert noodle man. And, in China, there was also an expert who gave us a demonstration. At the very end, when he was twirling on the last pull, with all those strands waving thru the air ----- one strand broke. Disaster! The demonstrator was upset and proceeded to do it all over from the beginning. Success and great applause. If I ever tried to do it again, it would be the 'easy' version that Florence Lin offers in her Dumpling/Noodle book. But I'm too lazy to try.

I'm afraid i have to take responsibility for that meal jo-mel! The little sauce on the left is my standard ginger/scallion/coriander oil and the one on the right is just light soy with some sliced bird's eye chilli. Both of them for the chicken dish. ← OOPS! Sorry 'bout that! I looked at the poster name on the side and not with the picture of that great meal. It looks like chunks of ginger rather than shredded, or ginger just used as a flavoring in the oil --- along with the scallions. More like oiled ginger and scallions?

kbjesq ---- What are in the two little sauce dishes -- especially the one on the upper left?

XiaoLing -- your baos are absolutely beautiful. I could almost get an aroma and taste just looking at them! Question --- did you also add a bit of sugar to the dough? I don't think I've ever seen a recipe for a leavened dough for guo tie (or shao mai) wrappers. Just plain flour and water. Actually for those I use just plain wonton skins, and they are not leavened. And -- I really like the idea of putting soy sauce in the noodle water. Such a simple idea, yet clever!!!!! I can't wait to try it!

I agree that pork belly is the best! I see that it is now available in a major supermarket in my area-- Shop Rite. When I was making Hui Guo Rou (回鍋肉) in my cooking classes, the people just looked at the pork belly and groaned. But when they ate the dish you should have heard them!! Instant converts!! Was it Danny Kaye, the comedian, (and who was a Chinese cook from way back) who told his kids "never deny yourselves the chance to try something new". ?? I used that on my kids all the time, and not one is/was/or ever will be finicky.

Thanks for that idea of using pork belly! Do you steam the slices first -- before coating and the final cooking?

I don't have that particular box of powder, but I have a similar one. 蒸肉粉 Companion is the brand. The two packages are probably the rice itself in one, and the seasonings in the other. (anise, cumin, cinnamon, pepper, etc) Also, in the picture, the foods are in a bamboo basket, but I don't know what that white wrapper is. It is a steamed dish, tho. Here is a recipe I use. It is pretty basic, and with the box of powder you have, you can skip over the rice prep. Go to "Notes" at the bottom of the recipe to see the comments. All you have to do is mix the rice with the seasonings and follow along. BTW -- this is one of my favorite dishes to make when I have a lot to make. Can be prepared ahead, ready to serve in its own basket, and its simplicity makes preparation easy. AND -- it is tasty! --------------------------------------------------------------- STEAMED BEEF WITH SPICY RICE POWDER INGREDIENTS: ½ pound flank steak Marinade: 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce 1 Tbsp. sherry 2 tsp. hoisin sauce ½ tsp. chili paste with garlic 1 tsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. minced scallion 1 tsp. minced ginger 1 tsp. minced garlic 1 Tbsp. sesame oil 1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp. water 2/3 cup glutinous (sweet/sticky) rice, rinsed, & soaked 4 hours in hot waterDrain. ½ tsp. five spice powder 1 Tbsp. minced scallion PREPARATION: ---Slice steak across the grain into pieces ¼ inch thick and 1 ½ inch long. ---Mix the marinade. Add the steak. Mix well. Let marinate 1 hour. ---Place the soaked, drained rice in a heavy dry pan or skillet and stir over medium heat until the rice is golden brown and very dry. ---Remove from heat, place into a blender or food processor with the steel blade and process to a coarse powder. ---Mix the rice powder with the five-spice powder. ---Dredge the pieces of beef in the rice powder until they are well coated. ---Place the slices on a heat-proof plate in one layer, or place them in a steamer tray that has been lined with parchment paper that has been poked with holes or lined with leafy greens. COOKING: --Fill a wok with water to come below the plate about an inch, or to the bottom edge of the steamer tray. --Bring water to a boil and place the plate or tray over the boiling water. --Cover the steamer and steam over high heat for 20 minutes until meat is cooked and rice is tender. --Sprinkle the scallions over the top of the slices and serve. NOTES: Instead of glutinous rice, use long grain rice and skip the soaking. Toast the rice till light brown, then pulverize till about 1/3 the original size. Combine with the five-spice powder. Rice crumbs can also be found in Chinese grocers in small cardboard packages, labeled ‘Steamed Rice Powder’. Cream of Rice cereal can be substituted. Toast the cereal, then combine with the five-spice powder.

CaliPoutine -- I thought I had put in the Shrimp/Walnut recipe that I've used in my classes. But maybe I didn't click on "post"?? (This was some time back) (And thanks for the drumstick recipe. I will be using it this summer!) The sauce I use for the shrimp/walnut dish is sweet, but tangy. There are also 2 alternate sauces and both have a tang to the sweetness. I like the one with the concentrated pineapple juice as it seems more like the one I've had when eating this as a banquet dish. SHRIMP WITH CANDIED WALNUTS INGREDIENTS: 1 pound large shrimp (31 to a pound) Salt –( kosher preferred, as its roughness helps ‘scrub’ shrimp) MARINADE: ½ tsp. salt 2 tsp. cornstarch 1 egg white SAUCE: 1/3 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann’s preferred) 1 Tbsp. honey 1 Tbsp. frozen concentrated pineapple juice 3 cups oil for cooking – peanut, corn, canola or soybean oil (vegetable oil) ½ - 1 cup shelled, candied walnut halves (see recipe for preparation below) (or buy prepared) PREPARATION: ---Prepare candied walnuts as below. ---Peel shrimp. Make shallow cut down the back and remove sand vein. ---Add a couple Tb. salt to shrimp and rub in well. Rinse well, drain, pat dry. (this step removes ‘gunk’ and refreshes the shrimp. Rinsing well removes added salt taste.) ---Mix shrimp with marinade. Cooking: ---Heat a wok to smoking, Add 3 cups oil and heat to 350’ ---Add shrimp to oil, stir to separate pieces. ---Cook about 1 minute or until they change color and become firm. ---Remove shrimp and drain . ---Pour off oil from wok and turn off heat. ---Return hot shrimp to still hot wok and add the sauce, mixing to coat shrimp. ---Place shrimp on platter and top with walnuts. Serve. CANDIED WALNUTS - 2 cups shelled walnut halves / ½ cup sugar / 1/3 cup water / 2 cups oil. ------Heat a wok, Add the sugar and water and stir to dissolve sugar. / Bring to a boil and cook on low heat until the the syrup becomes a little thick. / Add the walnuts and cook until they are well coated. Remove walnuts to an oiled plate. ------Wash wok, heat wok and add oil. Heat to 300’. Add cooled walnuts and stir until they start to become golden in color – about ½ to 1 minute. Remove and drain. Separate them when they have cooled. ALTERNATE SAUCES: 3T mayo / 1/2T honey / 3 t. lemon juice / 3 T coconut milk or 3 T. mayo / 2 T. honey / 1T. lemon juice / 1/2T. cond. milk

My opinion - for what it's worth -- is that those who rave about it simply don't know real authentic Chinese food. To many, it is the 'in' place to go. Fine! Let them join the 'in' crowd. I've only been to a PFChang in Denver and it was the same crowded/wait scene as described here. The food was acceptable, but not interesting. When a branch opened in North Jersey, I wasn't the least bit interested. Give me Chengdu 1 or Hunan Cottage or Noodle Chu--- or any place that has tables full of Chinese eating everything ------but S/S Pork! Which makes me wonder -- Do Chinese go to PFChang?

v.gautam ---- I also enjoyed your post, and sensible comments. About Barbara Tropp. I agree on her wordiness, and as you said -- she is an excellent teacher. It is as tho she is right over your shoulder as you cook. She leaves no questions as to technique. I remember a Chinese cook who was being asked about steaming. He referred the questioner to Barbara Tropp and her steaming instructions! Now -- as you are in' Take-ou't, may I ask a technique question about ribs. For years I have used an excellent oven (over water) recipe and these are about the best BBQ ribs I've ever had. But they take time for marinating and then the time for cooking. I have googled quick ways to do ribs, and many involve pre-cooking in foil in a low temp oven (or boiling or steaming), with last minute cooking on the grill. Nice when you want to avoid high kitchen heat in the simmer. BUT the texture is just not right. I don't want falling-off-the-bone texture. I like the texture of my oven roasted ribs. So my question. How does a take-out do it? When I order ribs, they take the ribs out of the refrigerator and put them in that hot oven and in a few minutes --- they are ready. AND delicious, AND have the texture I like . So ------- do take-outs pre-cook them? Are they seasoned before the final cooking? Can you give me any clues? I can't seem to find any answers on line.

Good sub for China 46 is Hunan Cottage. The name is misleading. Despite the Hunan name, they have many Shanghai dishes ---- among them WuXi Ribs, Lion's Head Meatballs and noodle dishes with Shanghai noodles. Ask for the Chinese menu -- if they haven't yet combined their menus. Quite extensive menu, BTW.

Gee, they look good!!!! I can almost smell the lucious aroma! Don't go away until you give us a recipe -- you hear??

I'm not going to tell you how many woks I have in my kitchen! But the reason for so many is because they are used in my cooking classes and I need to show size, material and round/flat bottom differences and usefulness, and so on. But-- for my own use, I often go for a non-stick, or a cast iron one, or a 12 inch carbon. I have a stainless steel one, with two handles that I use for steaming. I never use my regular seasoned woks for that. But this stainless one is probably used more than any other pot/pan in the kitchen as I use it for mixing (stuffings /meatloaf/ for instance) and it is the best for boiling pasta! Its use is endless. I have several sizes of the stainless and they are treasures!

When you look at Hzrt's fantastic pictorials, you then see that you really DON'T need a wok! When I started on my Chinese cooking venture when I first married (50 years ago) we couldn't afford a wok. I used a flat iron pan and it was just fine. I use my different sized woks now, BUT I don't use one of those round 'nests' for holding the wok. I prefer to have the wok right on the burner. This makes for tipping, but since I usually have my hand on the handle, this is not a problem. Also, I invert the stove grid that is over the gas burner. That side is a bit concave and it helps with the balance of the wok. Big Bunny -- that "heartbreaking thud" is so descriptive!! In my cooking classes, I tell people to cook with their ears as well as eyes and nose. You want to hear that sizzle!!

You want the 'heat' --- that is a given. But if you are working with a regular kitchen stove, the thing to keep in mind is not to overload your wok (or pan). Whatever heat you have under that wok -- and even if it is at the smoking stage, all is for naught if you dump in a pound of meat at one time. All that heat is dissapated in seconds. The pieces of meat will not sear, and their juices will run out ----- leaving you with a watery stew. Rather -- work with just 1/2 or 1/3 of a pound at a time. In other words, do what is called for with just a portion of the meat. Remove it and do the next portion and so on. At the end of the recipe all the meat is added to the vegetables, seasonings and sauces, or whatever the recipe calls for. I timed myself doing it this way, and it does not take any longer to do it in portions than to do the whole pound at once ----- and the texture of the meat is better. One other thing, stir-frying doesn't mean that food is tossed all over the place---- especially in the air where it cools. When doing the meat, press the pieces into the hot oil, and then turn them over when they have seared. Have you ever tried the 'velveting' method of cooking meat? It is sort of an oil poaching, and the high heat of a wok is not an issue.

This one is pretty basic, but easy and tasty: STEAMED SEA SCALLOPS WITH FERMENTED BLACK BEANS INGREDIENTS: 1 pound sea scallops / 1 Tbsp. fermented black beans / 1 scallion Sauce: 3 Tbsp. light soy sauce 1 Tbsp. sherry 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar 1 Tbsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. sesame oil Thickener: 2 tsp. cornstarch 1 Tbsp. sherry PREPARATION: -------Slice scallops into 2 rounds. -------Rinse fermented black beans well, drain and coarsely chop. -------Combine the sauce mix. -------Combine the thickener. COOKING: --Place scallops on a heat-proof dish small enough to fit into a steamer. --Sprinkle black beans and scallions over the tops of the scallops. --Pour the sauce over top of the scallops. --Place dish on a rack, one inch over boiling water. Cover top. --Steam about 3 minutes or until scallops are cooked through. Don’t over cook! --Carefully remove dish from the steamer and pour the liquid into a saucepan. Restir the thickener and add to the sauce, stirring over heat until thickened. Wipe the scallop dish to make it presentable. Pour the sauce over the scallops, and serve. Notes: Scallops can be placed in scallop or clam shells. No black beans? Try ½ cup finely chopped smoked ham.

I've never been a fan of XO sauce and always wondered what the big deal was. In dishes where it was an added flavor to other flavors, it just didn't move me. But maybe just adding some to plain noodles would give me some apreciation for it. Thanks for the idea.

Duck! Any way and any time! As much as I love Cantonese or Peking duck, one of my favorites is Shanghai duck, yet I have never seen it outside of one of my old Chinese cookbooks. The duck is braised, cooled and then roasted. The braising liquid is reduced to make a dip. (ginger, soy, anise flavored) Slices of the duck are placed in steamed buns and dipped in the dip.

Over the years, during my visits, I guess I've eated in every price range and quality spectrum in Hong Kong. And what came to mind -- immediately -- after reading this post? a little congee and noodle place near the hotel I was in when I was there for the changover. They had the best Yi Fu Mian I'd ever had and I couldn't get enough of them. Give me the hole-in-the-walls anytime!

The flakiness is not so much as the amount of oil (or the temperature) they are fried in, as much as the amount of oil/fat or whatever, is encased in the dough. When the dough is rolled out, make sure it is nice and thin, then don't spare the oil when you spread it on the dough. I've used regular oil and sesame oil, but crisco or lard is even better. When the thin layer of dough is rolled up, cut, and then rerolled, all that fat is trapped in layers in the pancake. Back a while, Chef Robert Tsou had a wonderful pictorial on-line. I have a copy of it, but I can't find it on a google search, no matter how I try. But the secret is in using plenty of fat within the pancake and then frying in a small amount of oil over moderate heat.

And I thought that QingDao Fahitas (Martin Yan ) were nouveau! LOL!

Both recipes sound great! They are in my near future! Thanks! I was curious about raisins in China, --- and they are -- or were there. According to Chang's "Food inCHinese Culture", there were raisins in the "Chinese dominions of Turkestan". Also, during the T'ang, Shanshi was the chief grape grower, and they sent parched grapes to the court. And by the 9th century, raisins were abundant in Yunnan altho at that time, Yunnan "could only facetiously be regarded as Chinese territory.

Fat Guy. You are too nice! I would have sent the kids to the car and stayed behind to order a take-out of the rice noodle rolls -- and would have eaten them on the way to the car!!