jo-mel

I'll say! For the same long green, stiffish, round stem with the closed bulb at the tip, is 'suan miao' in Beijung, --- and 'jiu cai hua' in other places. Same vegetable, different characters, similar meaning. In "A Classified and Illustrated Chinese-English Dictionary"( Guangzhou Inst. of Foreign Languages), they have 'da suan' listed as garlic and 'jiu cai' as Chinese leek. AARRGGHHHH! I'm glad I just need to select the vegetable I want and not rely on the name.

If you are talking about the green stem with the flower-bud tip (Jiu cai hua) rather than the leek (da suan) that is white, or the Chinese chive that is flat, then my favorite way is the stir/fry it with beef hreds that have been marinated with a soy, sherry, sugar, cornstarch and hoisin marinade. Dahlen and Phillips's "A Popular Guide to Chinese Vegetables", describes leeks as 10 to 12 inches long,1' in diameter, cylindrical, and a non-bulbous neck. They say the Cantonese treat it as an onion -- like in stir/fried beef and onions. In the North it is chopped in strips and rolled, in a pancake, with filling and a sauce, but it doesn't give a recipe.

When Fresh Fields first opened, they had baskets and baskets of their bread slice/bites all laid out to sample. You had to practically get in line to taste them. It was nothing to see people go from basket to basket and end up with a meal - including me. They are now Whole Foods, but the free meal finally eased off. But the taste experience paid off and their 7-Grain bread is a 'must buy' whenever I go there.

Different people in different situations ask for: Asian Wild Rice Salad Santa Barbara Pot Stickers Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies American Chop Suey

Do you mean that Maine blueberries are wild, picked randomly in the woods? In the woods and -- my favorite places -- the islands off the coast. Small craggy bushes with beautiful pure blueberries. I never thought to check Whole Foods for the 'wild' berries. I was able to get them at a large Shop Rite. Those small ones are great for pies, sauces, and muffins. Since blueberries are supposed to be the best fruit as far as bolstering your immune system, I guess it doesn't matter which blueberry it is. I'll eat whatever blueberry is in front of me, or whatever I can reach for.

I'm with the 'cranberries/ Massachusetts' and blueberries/Maine' group. I'm not just loyal to my New England birth, (married to NJ) but NOTHING compares to a Maine blueberry, in flavor or texture. The cultivated ones don't even come close. It is like the difference between a hot-house and a garden-picked tomato.

Now THAT is a white pie I'd really like!! Is the garlic sauteed first, or just spread raw, and allowed to cook in the oven? Too often white pies are studded with broccoli. I do not like broccoli on my pie, Sam I Am!

Don't forget "the world famous" Star Tavern in West Orange. (thin crust)

About the menu ----- If there is a whole fish, you all can get in line, behind me, for the cheeks. Well, on second thought, I'll share ---- I'll only go for one cheek.

I don't know the differences between the usual chains to give a educated answer. I'm not a hamburger enthusiast anyway, but when MacDonald came out with Fahitas, thats all I want! At least three of them at one time, as they are not very big. They are easy to eat, when I am driving. Oops -- I forgot Sbarros. Does that count? I like their Philly Cheesesteak Pizza.

Does Beijing still have the 'written/unwritten rule' that buildings must not turn on the heat until sometime in November? I was attending classes (as an adult) in the 80s, and those buildings were COLD!! Broken windows in some classrooms didn't help. You could see your breath and we all wore mittens, scarfs and coats --- in the classroom! I guess it is simply a matter of Chinese frugality, as very few Chinese grocery stores seem to have comfortable heat in the winter, here in Northern NJ AWA NYcs Chinatown. The cashiers always seem to have jackets on. Some of the 'open' stall type stores, without doors, sometime have a blast of heat at the entrance, but once you are in the store, it is cold.

Pan and Big Bunny are close! Lilah Kan's book has a recipe called Sizzling Chicken in Gravy -- her version of a clay pot dish she had in San Francisco at Bow Hon - a clay pot place. I had a dish there with chicken and Chinese sausage similar to the one above. I combined the two, into one recipe, and it is my prime cold weather comfort food -- with lots of rice to sop up the wonderful gravy. I use dark meat chicken. White meat just doesn't stand up.

Rosie -- slightly off-topic. Do you know why Ocean King, in Livingston, (which replaced North Sea Village) didn't reopen in a new area, ----when that block of stores closed down? They had some good Shanghai dishes, and their Lion's Head Casserole meatballs had just the right texture that I like in those meatbals. I had them recently at China 46, and the texture was simply like a meatball -- not that special gelatinous density that I have come to expect. Ocean King also had a noodle dish with a gravy-like sauce that was great. I was sorry to hear that they left, but didn't know if they plan to reopen in a different area. Would you know anything about it? What is it with my fav restaurants? Another one that left, was Empress Garden in Essex Green shopping center. They had a Beef with Pickled Mustard that was wonderful. They made their own pickle and it was a great dish. I haven't seen the dish anywhere else. It's probably out there somewhere --- just not the places I go, I guess.

You mean chopped in the shell, and stir/fried with black beans, pork, garlic a mild, cornstarchy sauce and an egg drip? Yes. I never cared for the eggy sauce. Even as a kid, when Lobster Cantonese was THE thing to order in Boston's Chinatown. I would much prefer the lobster shelled, steamed and a good hearty black bean/garlic sauce ----without egg white.

With my absolute love and fascination with all of China's food, I have to join the two who want their lobster New England style. I was weaned on it, but I use to dip the meat in vinegar, not butter. (At this time in my life, I use rice vinegar! LOL) No one -- but no one can clean the nooks and crannies out of a lobster as I can! DH and family always give the bodies to me and I can make a meal of them. If I HAVE to eat it Chinese style, I'll take Black Bean Sauce.

Earlier, someone mentioned "The Thousand Recipe Cookbook" by Gloria Bley Miller. That book came out at a time when there were few books around. It was my bible for awhile. There is a complete section of 'Supplementary Information' that was quite useful at the time --- substitutions, storage, how to, a glossary, soaking, terminology, etc. Unfortunately, the newer edition isn't as complete. But I have to laugh about how things have changed over the years. So many of the ingredients in the 'storage' section that were said not to require refrigeration ----- now have "Refrigerate after opening" plastered all over the labels! Our litigious society? Another book I cherish is "The Mandarin Way" by Cecelia Chiang. It is more a memoire than a cookbook, but I have read it several times, and often refer to it for rites and rituals. She lived in a fascinating time and crossed the bridge from the old, into a new life. Quite a gratious woman.

Sounds like you all had a wonderful time and and a very successful Hot Pot!! HeeHee! <<<<<often fighting over the food and stealing from eachother>>>>> Sounds like a typical hot pot meal! It is a wonderful icebreaker for new friends and for family -- it is family as usual! LOL! I've been at hot pot where a little too much to drink ends with people saying "Lets just throw everything in all at once and just fish it out!!" I'm happy that the sterno question is settled. Now you know what your pots need and how to do it. How did the pickerel work out? I've never used regular fish, except monk fish, because of how fish flakes. My first strainers were beautiful brass ones, but they soon were replaced by plain wire ones. That brass lost their gloss so soon, and they were a pain to shine and ugly to use, so the wire ones are now my choice. Hot pots are such fun. I'm sooo glad it turned out so well! Thanks for the report!

Why wouldn't the 2 centers be a plus for Chinatown? I know the two complexes would have their own food areas, but it would be bringing people into the general area. Wouldn't that be good?

LOL! If you want to sin-out on Spinach with Garlic, Spaghetti Cabonara, and Garlic Cheese Bread, then Luigi's is your place. At the Orleans, I usually get Crab Cakes with big chunks inside. Actually I can't compare them with any other restaurants, (except for the food at sport's bars) as those two restaurants are where we always go. The proprietors are very accommodating to my political friends, when we have impromptu gatherings. When I'm there for reasons other than a convention, and am in the city proper, I usually stay on Scott Circle, so Meiwah may be the one to check out? Anything special to look for? Last time I was in DC, I took a walk through Chinatown. I had been there about 25 years ago, and only remember a couple of restaurants and a hardware/gift sort of store. This time, it was larger, but didn't seem to have the vibrance of say, NYC's. I didn't stop to eat. I was just checking it out. I love to collect Chinatowns.

Actually, I'll be in Crystal City, over the river. I'll be manning a booth, and there are banquets each night, so that lets out a New Year's experience. I don't even plan to set off a firecracker in celebration! However, not all is lost as I'm driving back on the 25th and plan to attend a banquet that a group of e-Gulleteers have planned at a restaurant in NJ. This wil be the ?3rd? time they are doing this and I'm sooooo happy that I found thi site so that I can join them! I've never eaten in DC's Chinatown. When I'm there, everyone wants, and does, go to Luigi's or to The Orleans. But I did go to a good place on the Leesburg Pike one time. Peking Gourmet Inn - made famous by a General and President from a different administration. They have an extensive menu, but their Gan Bian Niu Rou (dry fried beef) was chewy and good, and they had quite a few black pepper dishes, which always delight me. (Gee! What doesn't delight me?)

In the past, I've gone out or ate with Chinese friends. But, this year, I will be in DC at a political thing, nowhere near a Chinese restaurant , except one of those Chinese hot food places that dish up fried rice and sweet/sour pork. So no banquet for me to either cook or consume. However my Kitchen God will have had a sip of honey before he goes up the flue to give a report on my doings this past year, and my front door Christmas wreath will be replaced by some sort of Chinese door decoration.

Well, I can't compete with most of the above! I've eaten my share of Pigs Blood and Bamboo Rat, etc --- but the one dish that always comes to mind is Fried Fat. It was in China, and I was with a bunch of students in Heng Shan, North of Beijing. (I was one of the -ahem - older students) We were in an auditorium with hundreds of other people and one of the dishes looked like fried meatballs. It wasn't. It was just plain cubes of fat that had been deep fried. I guess nothing went to waste!

What was the casserole dish that you didn't like? Do they have many casserole selections? I HAVE TO GET OUT MORE and go to these places!!! Maybe now that the holidays are over, I can concentrate on my stomach rather than family dinners and decorations!!

Is this so different from Coke playing games with their soda, bringing back the old bottles and finally 'settling' on Classic Coke to 'appease' the protestors? Whatever works --- works. Someone in marketing is going places if M&Ms gets attention. But as I said ---- put some peanuts inside and I'll eat any color.

At the risk of getting slapped around, ----I used to take my knives to the front walk to have them sharpened. There was a little guy with his own cart and a foot peddled stone. For pennies, (it seemed) he would do a great job. However, I haven't seen him in years. Sorry -- I'm no help.