Dejah

Hi Pam, Great to see a Manitoban blogging! Looking forward to seeing your new store.

That wonton soup looks great! Ah Leung. I love Shanghai bak choi with mine as well. The only differences between your recipe and mine are the finely chopped waterchestnuts in my filling, and my way of wrapping. I have a 2 cup mini-chopper, and I use it to chop up the shrimp and waterchestnuts. I find it easier to wrap. Instead of cornstarch, I mix up the ingredients with my mixer, or beating it by hand to give it the "springy mouth feel". When we had the restaurant, we'd make up the filling with 40 lbs of ground pork, 1 large restaurant-size can of waterchestnuts, 5 lbs of shrimp, etc. My son had the job of chopping up the shrimp and waterchestnuts by hand, using 2 cleavers. I have a picture of my soup in the blog I did acouple years ago. Had to scale down the recipe for Jason Perlow as he didn't want to make 50 lbs of wonton filler! For even more flavour, I sometimes add slices of lap cheung when I add the wontons. I don't like to wash up, so I just use one pot: cook up the noodles, rinse the pot, bring stock to boil, add wontons, lap cheung, vegetables, serve over noodles topped with a dollop of ma la oil.

This second wok looks to be spun carbon steel, Ah Leung. At least, it looks like the two that I have. My two have wooden handles and flat bottoms. Carbon steel won't rust if seasoned properly. The only time I have problems is when I cook beef and tomatoes. Then, I scrub it well, and rub it down with oil, or deep fry something with the wok.

Good job, Ah Leung. I have the foo jook sheets, and use my mini chopper to make the shrimp paste, so that's my project during my break.

I think foo jook would be difficult to soften enough to roll out. Can you find flat dried sheets? I bought some once, thinking I'd soften and do the rolls. Sitting in my cupboard, it got all broken up, so I will make sweet tang with it. Another week and a half, and I'll hear from Tepee that I am to use the new package I have.

Can you post pictures of the ingredients? I do make herbal soups, but I don't know the botanical names, and my pronunciation may be a mix of Cantonese and Toisanese! I make a "say may" tong with more than 4 things! Leen jee, hung yun, bak hap, luk juk, see goo, sang day, sah tam and pork. This is to ease "yeet hai". I sometimes add dried fig, mut jo (honey dates) or American ginseng (fa ka tam) My favourite part is sang day (literal translatin is raw earth).

Thanks for this, eje. This certainly is like a tasting menu. A question: With the entrees, the portions look quite big. Were they served individually, or portioned from a large platter by the server? Is that what you meant by "family style"?

Tepee! Why didn't you show me that page when I ask!? I still haven't used the package of bean sheets I bought. These were on a shelf, not in the fridge, and they are soft. In 2 weeks, I'll be on school break. Must remember to try my hand then.

Looks like Tae's meal was the only one comparable to tasting menus as described in various blogs. I wouldn't consider banquets where the server dishes up the food to individual guests as a tasting menu. With our culture, food is served communal style, so I wonder if the style of service in tasting menus would ever "make it". Older generation probably say " Gum daw woon deep! Si doh ga see ah!" - too many dishes to wash!

Not really...

I'm not sure if I can phrase this question clearly: In reading all the foodblogs, I find tasting menus, where small portions of multi-courses are served over a period of time, fascinating. The menu showcases the chef's innovative use of local food products and clever presentation. Does this style of dining appear in upscale Chinese restaurants, or only in Asian/fusion restaurants? Would the traditional Chinese banquet fit "tasting menu", except the food is served communal style rather than individual plates? The Asian chefs can be creative with subtle changes to tradtional methods of preparation and presentation, but can we put this into the "tasting menu" catagory?

Tsk! Tsk! Irwin. You didn't take pictures?! You MUST get with the digital technology!

In reference to making crab cakes - It would be great to show a complete contrast to the way crab is served in China. I have bought 1 lb cans of dungenese crab meat - excellent quality, in one of our supermarkets. This is what I used for crab cakes. If they are available in your area, you might consider the option. I am assuming that canned goods would be allowed through customs into China? Using bacon to wrap seafood such as shrimp would be an elegant appetizer or main course. Are scallops readily available? Frittata made with colourful ingredients and cut into different shapes would make a nice presentation. Too bad you don't have an oven. It would be so easy to do a Thanksgiving turkey (extra large chicken?) with traditional stuffing...or even individual Cornish hens with stuffing. What about deep fried Cornish hens, then brushed with a marmalade glaze, and stuffing on the side? Damn! I'm getting hungry! We DEMAND PHOTO DIARY EVERY STEP OF THE BANQUET!

I've only been to Kum Koon, Grand Garden, Dim Sum Garden, and a little congee/noodle place on McDermot called "Double Happiness?" Have heard many good reviews on Victoria Seafood, so that's our destination next leisurely trip into the city. Unfortunately, most of my trips have been for teacher's conferences over at St Boniface College or Mennonite College with collegues. I'll have to change that! What is the addrsss for Victoria Seafood? Do they serve xiao lung bao? Kum Koon is so crazy busy. We were there acouple Sundays ago and had to wait for 30 minutes. When we came out, the foyer and waiting room was so packed I struggled to get to the cashier. The times that I have been there, the food was hot and good. I especially like the hot tofu fah and the taro battered stuffed shrimp. I don't care for Grand Garden - the staff is definitely NOT friendly...and scowl when you order something from the kitchen. I just want a plate of gai lan with brunch! Dim Sum Garden on Rupert is pretty good. You order each item and it's always hot. My son likes to go there from 2 pm to 5? when it is half price dim sum. He eats alot! But, it's Victoria Seafood next trip. Any items you would recommend that are a "must have" there? What's a good time to go?

Sorry Irwin. This is the first time I've heard of this term (both in Chinese and English). What is it like? ← I'm not sure about the Chinese name but on menus in the English section in Hong Kong, Seattle and Hawaii it called "Capitol Pork Chops". They are quick fried with a light coating, seared, served together with slightly spicy, dash of vinegar, wine, sliced onions, superior both, corn starch thickened sauce on a platter with several dried chili's. In Seattle my favorite place for this dish is "Hing Loong" in the International District. ← This sounds like a mixture of our Canton Pork Chop and Toisan Pork Chop. The Canton version is much as you described, Irwin, but without the chilis. Our Toisan version was concocted by our chef using worchestershire sauce, broth, etc. Again there were no chilis nor sliced onions, but the sauce had a bit of a kick. But "pi quat" actually means sparerib...so I wonder why they call it pork chop?

Chinese do eat tomatoes, but most Chinese I know don't like Italian style tomato sauces. ← I agree with Sheetz on the Italian tomato sauce. My Mom (97) loves tomato beef stir-fry, but her stomach does not tolerate tomato sauce. Clam can be rubbery in chowder, so it may be difficult for Grandma's. Fish chowder would be a better choice. Again, I would make Boston and not Manhattan style. Someone upthread mentioned creme brulee. That would be a good dessert- much like egg tarts. My Mom loves it.

That's why it's generally sold in small packages or by bulk, and not like white rice, in bags of 25kg, 50 kg, etc. I tried eating brown rice for its nutritional value, but it just doesn't sit well with my palate. My twenty and thirty-something nieces "try" to eat brown rice, but they still eat white rice more often than brown.

No need to apologize! It made for good discussion and sharing of experiences. So, it seems that if you immigrated to North America at an early age, like I was at age 10, your first cheese experience was the Kraft slices - that some of us may still harbor a fondness for in grilled cheese sandwiches.

Why would brown rice be more perishable? It's the same grain except it still has the outer layer of bran intact.

Pardon my ignorance, but why would you import rice from Texas, Carolina or Arkansas to Shanghai? Is it cheaper? Was all the rice in China marked for export? Is American rice of better quality? There IS a niche for Uncle Ben's - the converted rice- They serve it in our university cafeteria. It's awful, and I feel sorry for the Chinese students. No wonder they move out of residence as soon as they can.

Had my first taste of cheese when I was about 8 living in Hong Kong. I vaguely remember it was hard, strong cheese from England, offered by the English lady living in the next apartment. I didn't like it as my brother told me it was "jee see -pig poop" in Toisanese! I probably would've liked it as I love stinky tofu. I came to Canada when I was 10 and ate Velveeta slices in our restaurant - grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese burgers. I loved the little round slices served as part of dainty trays at bridal showers. Then I found the squeeze tubes of cheese whiz. Didn't REALLY taste cheese until I got married and mingled in the adult Caucasian world. Our musician friends from England introduced us to wine and cheese parties in the 70s. I loved caephilly(sp?), esrom, brie - whatever they had to offer. My Dad, Mom and siblings will eat cheese, mild cheese, especially on apple pie. I think they all pretend to like cheese at parties, but they don't keep anything except slices in their fridge. Older Chinese may not like cheese because dairy products were not part of their growing up. The texture and taste may be difficult to get used to. We keep 2 or 3 kinds in our fridge, mostly for snacking, but I'd trade it all today (just today) for some stinky tofu! (to keep this in line with China and Chinese cuisine! )

Errrr....looks like there are a few things accumulating on this thread that THIS CHINESE won't eat. Unless I don't know what it is!

Using the tip of your knife, remove the stem, some of the ribs and seeds. Cut pieces of cheese, jack, mozza, any mild cheese to fit the cavity. Stuff the peppers, dip into a batter, and deep fry them babies! Packs more of a wallop then jalepeno poppers. I also heat up canola oil, add some chopped scallions, garlic and whole habaneros to make ma-la oil. Great for stir-fires!

Must have lots of wilted lettuce under Chinese mushrooms braised in oyster sauce. Romaine lettuce is a must when I make ramen noodles. I add whole leaves a minute or so before I eat it.

Must be showing our age, Ben Sook. I'm with you on the "basic jook". I made jook on Monday as I bought some cooked pig stomach at the Chinese BBQ shop in Winnipeg on Sunday. It was soooo good and tender. Worked beautifully thinly sliced and laid on top of the jook. One piece per spoonful along with some scallion and cilantro.