jo-mel

That makes two of us. My wok can be turned upside down, over a fire, with the convex top used as a grill. Tip it over and you can boil, fry or whatever. The long handle gives you the heft for a weapon and the thin edges can be formidable. Turned upside down, it can be a rain hat. The other survivors might want it for themselves, -----so sleep with it, using the round part as a pillow.

My wok.

~~~~~And wait ---- If you order in the next 10 minutes, you will also receive~~~~~~!!!!!LOLOL! I'm with you on cleavers! I have a million dollar set of Cutgo which I never use. My cleavers are -----as they say ----- my Chinese food processors! Aside from the cutting and flat edges, the blunt end of the handle will mascerate things like garlic and salt or beans. The blunt edge pof the actual knife blade will tenderize and flatten that last piece of chunky meat, and the whole blade will scoop everything up all at once. I have quite a few cleavers, both wide and thin blades and I can't even think of cooking without them. I don't mind the stained appearance of the carbon steel ones, but my Dexter, with the carbon inside and coated with stainless is my favorite. Next is my fruit knife, (a cleaver with a thinner blade) which I reach for constantly.

Thanks for that link. It is quite clear ----and shows that first pleat rather well. You can show some people how to do it, but some just don't get the idea of pleating. (believe me) Thanks to the Internet, they now can see for themselves.

When did tailgating actually start?? I suppose I could google it, but I wonder if it is only a North American thing or what. Did someone just want to beat the traffic, and get a good parking position at a stadium ---- so brought lunch, and it blossomed with everyone trying to outdo one another? Whatever----- it is a phenomenon. Fun to be part of, and interesting to walk around and take notes. A giant festive block party!!

Whew!!! You are a cat lover!! You had no idea what I was thinking, when you mentioned your cleaver, cutting board, and live hog!!! While I never served my kittiekats chicken in aspic, Pansy (all 13 of them), Daisy, Elmer, (calicos and tortoiseshell - Elmer was a girl) and Teddy all ate better than most. Teddy - the one lone orange/yellow male, used to eat onions if they were dressed in olive oil, and he loved nibbling the corners of wrapped Pumpkin Breads that were gifts for people. I had them in a cool room. He went in, during the night, and helped himself. The following year, I smartly closed the door ---not realizing that he was already in the room! Sagwa is so special, that she deserves at least squab or quail -----not plain ole chicken! Current kitty cat sounds lucky to have you. When she realizes that her life is now for real, you might have her eating minced chicken --- if it is served on the proper plate, of course!

Not 4 I understand the "4" taboo (and how you can neutralize it), but what is the reasoning for '4-Happiness Shou Mai', '4-Color Rice Pudding' the Four Virtues/Arts/ etc. You can't get away from 4-Season Beans, because there are 4 of them and that can't be changed. I've found myself making excuses for 4 pleats, by thinking they are really 2 & 2 divided by a pinch in the middle. I don't step on cracks on the sidewalk, either!!! LOL!

Ahhh --- er - um ---why would you like to have Sagwa around?

Snowangle's directions for pleating are good, as is her recommendation of Tropp's book, Barbara Tropp speaks as tho she is standing behind you -- guiding you. All her directions are quite detailed and complete. When I am teaching someone to pleat and they are all thumbs, I suggest they start with one pleat on each side of center -- just to get the hang of it. Once they get the feel for it, they can add 2 to each side, and then on to 3 -- on each side of center, the other side of the half-moon has no pleats. Again on Tropp -- she details the feel of dough you would need for particular dumplings. As snowangel said -- other books may deal with dumplings and doughs, but Tropp's book is really complete in this matter. Another good one is Florence Lin's "Complete Book of Chinese Noodles, Dumplings and Breads. Lin's book is one of my Bibles on doughy things. I googled this pictorial link on pleating. It may give you some idea. http://www.digsmagazine.com/nourish/nourish_dumplings4.htm On stirring in one direction -- I wrote this out years ago. It was talking of shrimp paste, but the same would apply to other meat fillings. By stirring in one direction, you are lining all the meat fibers up. when you change directions, it is like matting hair. STIRRING IN ONE DIRECTION: 1 - Evenness of texture 2- Eliminates air spaces 3 - ?Superstition? Stirring shrimp paste in one direction creates even texture and eliminates air spaces. The result is a homogenous elastic mixture. Do not change direction, for that would create rough spots with pockets of air, undoing earlier work.

I just heard of China 46 when I found e.Gullet.com a short time ago. Can hardly wait to go there. Two of the best restaurants in my NorthEast area have closed, so when I heard of this place, I was beside myself. I saw their menu on-line, and am salivating!!

I have so many useless things, I don't know where to start. Most have been tossed in a box in the basement. Those roasting pan fork thingies, are in that box, too. Once I almost had a complete collection of garlic presses. One day I used a cheese grater (1/8 inch holes) and expirimented. TaDa! Iuse it exclusively for garlic and ginger. I don't even peel. (The garlic peel stay on the top side) My cleaver is a runner up for garlic. When someone called a cleaver "a Chinese food processor" he wasn't far from wrong!

Now THAT is some classy tailgate!!!! My most memorable tailgate was for a college game. I was cooking some potstickers, Chinese chicken wings, some lettuce wraps and I forget what else, in the trunk of our car (sizable trunk). A pick-up pulled up beside us and the guys started to put their lunch together. They looked our stuff over, and asked what it was. My husband, (a Dinty Moore/Chef-Boy-Ardee gourmet) asked what they had. ----- a loaf of white bread, some sliced baloney and cheese, a jar of mayo and some mustard. My husband ate theirs and the guys joined us!!!

I clicked on 'google' and found some instructions for deboning a turkey. Seems to take about 20 minutes. Take your choice: http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navc...boning+a+turkey I always have 2 small turkeys, 9 to 12 pounds, and roast them ala James Beard. Breast down, baste turn to one side. baste turn to other side, breast up for remainder of the time. Doesn't take long, and they are easy to handle. Plus, plenty of drumsticks. I've brined with good results.

Some of my packages of dried noodles have translations that are charming. Not funny -- simply charming. (I wish I could translate as well as they do) On a packet of "Instant Sizzling Rice": 1- Prepare soup stock with your favorite ingredients boil & set aside. 2- Bring 3-4 cups of cooking oil to a boil. Deep fry the "sizzling rice" pellets to a golden brown withdrawn & quickly add to soup stock you will hear the sizzle & enjoy the flavor. (BTW, I can make them from scratch, but I also buy them ready-made. I'm lazy) The amusement in language works both ways. In Beijing, I was copying the characters on a building, for later translation. A crown gathered and was watching me ---but they were laughing. I asked why? It seems I was writing from the wrong direction!!! Those characters were from right to left, as it was in that time, when the buildings were erected, and I was writing left to right. We all had a good laugh, and I cherish the incident.

You might consider a chive filling. or a combo chive and cabbage. A 'google' search will give you recipes. Prepared 'gyoza' wrappers need to be sealed with egg or water. (I use water)You just wet the perimeter where the dough meets. Pleating them is tricky. Look for a book or some drawings on line to guide you. Once you've done 2 or 3, you will get the idea. As Shiewie said, it takes some skill. Only one side is pleated, but it is the dexterity that is needed. I freeze these successfully. Homemade dough wrappers need just to be pinched to seal. They freeze nicely, also. I freeze them uncooked. If you are steaming them, leave a bit of space between them. In pan/frying, as with pot stickers, they can be crowded/touching. When boiling them, cold water needs to be added to the boiling water, to control wild boiling. You want them to cook, but not fall part. Are you using any particular books to guide you?

I don't see that many. But, I just checked my menu collection and found "Mixed Mead", "Braised Goose Wab", "Steared Bean Curd" and "Brained Pomfred" all at one NYC restaurant. Actually it humbles me. My Chinese, with missed strokes, and wrong tones, must look as funny. I do , however have a small packet of Steam Powder that I will keep forever. The directions say: 1/ "Cut spareribs or Pig's belly or beef of meats into bitten size then with sugar papper some rice wine and soy sauce for 30 minutes. 2/ Then mix it with rice powder covering the meats. 3/ Place the meats in a steamer and steam for 40 minutes. *To be able to put some sweet potatoes or potatoes or taro....etc at a plate of bottom with meats to gather that will be a delicious dish." Love it!

I don't think the proverb: 'Be born in Suzhou, live in Hangzhou, eat in Guangzhou and die in Liuzhou' came about by accident. Anyone know the origin and how far back it goes? Thank goodness for Chinese regional foods. All have historical reasons for their being. All are good. I appreciate them all, and delight in their differences. I don't have any preferences because I love them all for their own uniqueness.

Sounds to me that you should just jump in and do it. Find a book, whose directions appeal to you as far as 'how to' and ingredients that you might like. Allow yourself to learn by your own mistakes. Keep notes. AFA ground pork ---- I live near some great Chinese supermarkets/grocers, so I buy their meat. I like the course grind of their pork, and the choice of lean or less lean. I also have the choice to select pieces to be freshly ground. I've never used regular supermarket ground pork.

StellarWOK-----That 'illusive smoky flavor'---- Next time you are in a Chinese take-out, watch the cookers. They are using very high heat. They will take that wok and tilt it, using arm control. It shift the woks contents so that the high heat will come in contact with the oil vapor/fumes in the wok. It will flare briefly, then die out. The wok contents gain in flavor, and the wok itself takes on its own special something --usually called Wok Qi -- Wok spirit --- that is then transferred to the food in the wok. It is not something that can be attained on our regular kitchen stove. They are not hot enough. Maybe others can explain it better than I.

The Spark!!! LOL! As a little girl, it was the bottle of La Choy Soy Sauce, on the shelf. It was a staple. The flavor was soooo intriguingI I yearned to wear a red brocaded top with a Mandarin collar, and to have long black braids! The soys on my shelves,now, are Chinese and Japanese. But one day I was in a friends home and she had a bottle of La Choy. I just had to taste it and it brought me right back!!! Same flavor - horrible, salty ----but still intriguing. (Same note to the La Choy Corporation)

When I have a lot of cooking, with chopped things, sauces, etc. that are prepared before hand, I use plastic tubs and styrofoam trays. They just get tossed as I empty them. I have a supply of different sizes -- from sour cream. butter, cream cheese, whatever. The meat trays have handy sizes, also. I teach a cooking class, and using those containers cuts the stuff that has to be cleaned, waaaaay down. The same thing with a meal like Thanksgiving. I prepare the stock for the gravy ahead of time and keep it in one of those soup containers from take-out. Nuts or chopped parsley that goes on a dish at the last minute are in tossable containers, too. Vegetables that are cut up ahead of time go in plastic bags. Anything I have to measure to be added to a dish, and leftovers go in those containers too. Less to be washed later on. I hate clean-up, but someone has to do it, and I'd almost prefer it to be me. I don't mind a sink full of dishes, but I hate the counters to be filled with dirty plates. When it is all done, then I also sit in front of the fire with my glass of well-earned wine.

Some people put salt on everything -- even without tasting first. Those same people probably douse everything with soy, too. But that is their choice. So be it. I have friends who put chili on everything. I guess they have built up a tolerance, and need it. I like Ma Po and Ants hot. When there is supposed to be charred chilis, I want to see them. I prefer Lan Chi Chili Paste with Garlic to be from a freshly opened jar. I also want regional food to taste like the region. Subtle tastes delight me as much as anything. To the point that I don't always like dipping sauces. There is a line in Chinese Gastronomy, in which the authors are talking about a Cream Stock. "The flavor cannot be simulated. Extraneous seasoning is unnecessary, except for a little salt at the end of the operation. Some prefer it without salt, leaving in the single flaw to show up its near-perfection." I never forget that line when I'm eating something that is bland ---- and is supposed to be bland. The range of flavors, textures, and taste sensations are one of the things that make Chinese foods so interesting. I Love it all!!

Tell me about it! DH adds chili to his tabasco. He met his match, one time, when we were fishing in the Yucatan. A Mayan chef made a tortilla soup with a broth to die for. He put a fresh habenero pepper on top, as a garnish. DH, not knowing what it was, picked it up, put it in his mouth, chewed and swallowed it. Shortly after, he turned to me and asked --"Was I supposed to eat that thing?" LOL! He really suffered!

Hear! Hear! I want my taste sensors to be enlivened --- not deadened.

Just the way it is. It is a take-off on hoisin sauce. The BBQ sauce has some tomato added to it. If it seems too thick, just thin it out with a little sherry or ShaoXing wine.