Dejah

Jason sounds like my husband. Whenever we go to a restaurant that says "We don't use MSG", he threatens to ask for the MSG shaker! I use it in my cooking, but not as much as some Chinese restaurants do. Excessive use, it seems to me, is to compensate for poor quality ingredients. We used it in the restaurant, but again, sparingly. And, we ALWAYS leave it out whenever a customer requests it.

Oivey! Aiyeah! Dah say nay! Decisions, decisions...

I have been observing my students from mainland China, at various food oriented functions. They act like they haven't eaten for days and heap their plates up without regard to those who follow. Maybe it's because they see homecooked Chinese food they haven't seen for a few months!? But then, they do that with non-Chinese food too. Perhaps they haven't eaten for days because none of them are overweight.

Yes, xiaolongbaos are soup dumplings...containing soup INSIDE rather than dumplings cooked in soup. I want some! Guess I will have to try and make them myself. The soup inside is a piece of jellied broth that liquidfies when the dumpling is steamed. Laksa's list really throws the term dumpling into a quandary...When I think about dumplings, I think of xiaolongbao, har gow, siu mai, anything steamed. But then, steamed and panfried potstickers? I suppose everything else that is not steamed is just classified as "dim sum"?

← YES! YES! I've won over one person at least! For one who likes mooncakes so much, all the more reason why you MUST make them yourself. Let's see....you'll be needing a mooncake mould. I've updated my page on Mooncake Moulds Do you have anyone in chinatowns in the US who can get it for you? If not, I'd be happy to shop for one. Do your grocers carry lotus seeds, melon seeds (I reckon it'll be easier for you to get pumpkin seeds which will do), red beans (preferably from Tianjin), maltose, alkaline water? For starters, you might like to go into http://www.kuali.com and key in mooncakes...there are lots of recipes. Lotus paste Mooncake. ← The pressure is on! You need to start a mooncake cook-off, Tepee. I have received moon cakes from the USA. No problem thru' ordinary air mail delivery. The customs didn't tamper with the package. Maybe it was because of all the layers of packing tape around the box?

Jo-mel, I think the Snacks book is a different "edition". Chinese Dim Sum has a green "bamboo" cover with a steamer basket of siu mai and pearl balls. One of my friends just ordered Snacks from Amazon, but I have never seen that one. I want Florence Lin's book so bad I can almost taste it! But, they are collectibles, and the price on eBay is a tad high...

I find the Wei Chuan Chinese Dim Sum book to be really useful. There are large clear pictures of the finished product as well as smaller pictures on specific techniques. There are 5 sections in the edition that I have, and they cover yeast dough, hot water dough, falky dough, cakes and mochi, and a miscellaneous section.

I'm past the age where I can be "nudged" into making moon cakes out of love. Mooning...err...past that long time ago too! Was talking to Po-Po about mooncakes tonight over supper. She reminded me she used to make moon cakes when they were not readily available. She used the cans that salmon came in - washed well and aired. Salmon flavour was not desirable. I vaguely remember them but don't think I enjoyed them much as a kid. Now, a different story - a different palate.

The cost for homemade may be a little less than store bought, after you have made your initial purchase of moulds, etc. You would certainly use only the best ingredients, a plus! When I was in Chicago, I saw the moulds and wanted to buy some, but I was too lazy to carry them around all day as we were sightseeing. Don't think I would make them myself, but they would make great decorations and conversation piece. I will be spoiled this year as I won't have to buy any..."Di Gaw" wesza is sending me special treats from Seattle! Of course, I am to give full report on their quality.

If the restaurant indicates "No MSG", sugar is often used in larger amounts to "enhance" the flavour of the food. I, myself, prefer MSG, and do use cornstarch as a thickener. Perhaps not as many Chinese people are overweight because food prep. at home is focused more on steaming and quick stir-fries, and not on deep frying.

jo-mel, give me some of that mushroom you're eating. I want to see that elf too. ← Me thinks Jo-Mel is eating a "different kind" of mushroom! I like scrambled eggs with straw mushrooms in them. Kids don't care for them.

Back at my own computer! Got in about supper time from a 2 day drive from Chicago and headed straight for my wok. As for the potato starch, I use 2 tablespoonfuls for ONE 12 oz. BAG of har gow flour.

From what I remember, the starch that is collected from all the squeezing and wash is used to make the cheung fan. It is a labour intensive chore. The lump that was left over was into the garbage. I am not sure if you can use it for anything. I am in need of a cheung fan fix!

I am sitting at the Write Inn Hotel, in Oak Park Village, in Chicago!!! This computer has been tied up with attendees from the Edgar Rice Burroughs convention, of which hubby and I are members. Finally, it was vacant so I can get my eGullet forum fix! Haven't had any free time for Chinese food yet but we may be heading down to Chinatown tonight. Sun Wah, "the little" Three Happiness, or the Phoenix are recommended by the heartlands group, so we will head for one of those. BOT now! As for the ha gow flour, if you haven't already used the flour, why don't you try half and half? Use half the bag as is, then the other half with 1 tbsp. of potato starch? That way, you can tell the difference. Myself, I've always followed my "little old aunties" teachings. They said that the starch will improve the texture and make the dough easier to handle.

I am assuming that Bing Pei indicates that these mooncakes are not baked, but rather, chilled? Have never had one, but Tepee...they look lovely! Have you devoured them all...or will they be kept for Moon Festival?

Midland's - a name from my restaurant days. We used to get supplies from them too. Farmer's market in Brandon, down the hill along the riverbank, and in a downtown shopping centre parkade.They have just the usual carrots, zuchinnis, etc...never any Asian vegetables...Superstore has those covered. One of the vendors has local honey and I usually buy small jars of different flavours - great on toast on a cold winter morning.

I cooked for a gang of 26 last night. Unfortunately, no pictures as I was too busy cooking and everyone else was too busy munching or visiting! Can this menu be any more international for a Chinese/Scottish family composition? Greek salad, Chinese cucumber salad, Waldorf salad, Vietnamese summer rolls with B.C. smoked salmon, whole clove garlic bread or potato rosemary bread (store bought), Saudi Arabian lamb on flat bread, BBQ Manitoba bison strip loin or beef tenderloins, Cajun spiced BBQ chicken breasts, jasmin rice, English trifle, Okanogan Vallley cherries and white flesh peaches, Texas watermelon, daughter's choice of wines were a shiraz and a cabernet merlot from Australia, a merlot from Chile, and a white from the Okanogan. Nephew brought a Single Cask Old Barbados Rum, 1995 from Secret Treasures, for dessert. There was nothing left except for the watermelon rinds and cherry pits!

Hi AzianBrewer: Welcome to eGullet and the Chinese Forum. I love balsamic vinegar for dipping my baguette in, and I also marinate a roasting chicken with it before popping it into the oven. Balsamic might work in an emergency as a stand-in for black vinegar , but it may not be vinegry enough to work as a substitute.

Even tho' the pros outnumber the cons two to one, I think the "cons" won this round hands down! It would be a good visiting concept, and may work if there were serving utensils?

trillium and Jo-mel both mentioned how difficult it is to make good ha gow skin. I think only my "aunties" know how to make it perfectly everytime. I need a few more years under my ...errr...apron. Any suggestions from your experiences? I use a pre-packaged ha gow flour, but add 2 heaping tbsp. potato starch to the mix. Boiling water is added slowly just until 95% of the flour is incorporated...a little flour is still visibly dry. This is left to rest until it is slightly cooled - just so you don't hop around with pain from the heat! Knead gently until all the flour is worked into the dough, very soft but not sticky ( about a minute). Roll into a long sausage about 1" thick. Cut into pieces and flatten in the tortilla press. I wrap both parts of my press with saran wrap. This keeps the dough from sticking.

The syrup collected from a container of thinly sliced Spanish onion layered with brown sugar is an old Icelandic recipe for croup or phlemy chest. Onion is a natural expectorant and the addition of brown sugar makes it into a nice sweet syrup that makes drinking easier. Cranberry juice for urinary infections. Grape juice to make you pee lots. Ginger for cleansing the blood and for queasy stomaches. Cloves of raw garlic tucked up between the gums and inside of your cheeks will cure a cold, prevent a cold, or make you into a great bluegrass musician. Comfrey leaves make a good poultice on a festering wound. Water from the first rice washing clears up facial blemishes ( so said my Po-Po). Rehydrate conch meat simmered with an old laying hen will improve hearing...so you can hear the ocean in the conch shell. Deer tendons simmered with Chinese herbs to improve strength in the legs.

I used to buy brown bean sauce ( man see/ mean see?) in a large 48 oz cans. I can't remember the brand, but now, I have a jar of whole bean brown bean sauce by YEO'S in the fridge. Haven't tried eggplant with this, but it sounds good! I use it with pork ribs and plums in brine. Mix a couple spoonfuls into the ribs. Let it marinate then top with pieces of these salty plums. Steam for about 30 minutes and eat with lots of rice. Mouth is watering and we just got back from eating out! I also use it to make BBQ duck. Mom uses it for siu jook. Sister-in-law uses it with chicken for baos.

Thanks for the confirmation. BTW, did I mention I'm a guy? Perhaps this is Dejah's MO. Maybe an intentional or non-intentional method of finding out by assuming? Since the statement usually elicits a reactionary response... ← Whatever works

Please take pictures of the "possibly exploding custard"

Understood...Now...