Dejah

As Ben Sook requested: How many of you make and indulge in joong in May? Do you know the history behind this tradition? What are your family recipes? This is my joong session from last year: http://www.hillmans.soupbo.com/soos/joongzi.html May is always a busy teaching time for me so I don't have a set date to make mine. I do have my supplies on hand, so I will enter the fray when I can no longer control the drooling! As with all cook-offs, it is never too late to enter! I am still trying to make my siu mai and more attempts with dan tart.

Ben, I suspect you initiated this to ensure a supply of joong in case you make it out to Manitoba in July!

Those look good enough to eat, Tepee! That pastry looks a lot better than mine did with the 2 dough pastry. Did you have a lot of bubbles in your egg mixture before you poured it into the tart shells? The texture on top makes me think that it is excessive mixing, thus the rougher appearance on the surface. That's quite a combination in your tong. Did you use the foo chook sheets?

Thanks for the directions, ejebud. I have copied and printed. Grandson's bday is the 17th. It may be a good time to try these out!

prasantrin...you bad...mentioning Tall Grass Priaire cinnamon buns when I am 2.5 hours away! My neice lives on Home Street and I always pick up a doz to eat and some to bring home when we visit. Produce: I suppose Asian vegs are different from the usual carrots, cauliflower, etc. How about chayote, taro, fennel, kale...I have been stir- frying sliced chayote with 4 peppercorn seasoning, or roasting them (and fennel) in chunks in the oven. Use taro in place of potatoes. Kale, I like to add them to curry. Quite often, I'll make a light soup with chicken or pork and watercress or spinach. I drink the broth, but take out the veg, drizzle with some chili sesame oil to use as a side. Soya bean sprouts (or mung bean sprouts) stir-fried with ginger and green onions. You can top with meat also. Has anyone tried banana blossoms? How do you use them? What do they taste like? When are you back to Canada, Prasantrin?

I used regular size muffin tins. There was enough from Rhoda's rcipe to make the 24 tarts. I am going to Wpg next weekend, and I want to shop for actual tarts tins. I saw one in a Gourmet Chef shop in Minot, North Dakota last weekend, but it was $23.00 US. I think I have seen them cheaper in Canada, Canadian funds. We were only gone for 24 hours, so it would have taken me over the $50.00 Canadian I am allowed to bring back before duty. So much for free trade! As for interchange between oil and solid lard, I don't think you can do that with baking.

Probably use just egg-york, right? If you didn't, try so. ← Rhoda's recipe called for 2 extra large eggs plus 3 extra large egg yolks, 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup half and half. I was happy with the results. Thanks for the info' on the oil dough. I was on the right track then...and rolled and folded and rolled and folded. Will try again with various pastry recipes posted in the trhead.

Your words OIL DOUGH made me sit up and think. I have been using lard, but the Wei-Chuan book called for oil(liquid form, right?). Did I assume wrongly that they meant lard? Because I have always used lard, shortening or butter in my pastry, I couldn't imagine making dough with oil. Has anyone ever made pastry dough with oil? This dan tart is getting curious-er and curious-er! The recipe I used for the custard called for eggs, milk, cream and sugar. It was silky smooth...much like the ones from Chinese bakeries.

- steam the sausages, then wrap them up with dough to make lapcheung bao. - dice and add them to a steamed pork or chicken jook bang with ginger and Chinese mushrooms - slice them diagonally and steam with sliced chicken, pork, ginger, and again, Chinese mushrooms - steam then deep fry quickly, slice and serve as an appetizer - cook them with other wind-dried meats and rice for a one dish meal - add to noi mai gai - slice and add to tang yuen and so on, and so on, and so on...

Those look so cool! Can you post some of the ingredients you used? I can see the gummy fish, fruit rollups, sprinkles? What did you use for "rice"? I think this will be fun for my grandson's bday party.

Are these the wind dried ones sold in vacuum packets...lap cheung?

I never add broth, but I do add vinegar, and the juice the cooking process extracts from the tomatoes provides enough liquid. The beef is silkened before I stir-fry. When I add the cooked tomatoes and onions to it, there is enough cornstarch on the beef to thicken the liquid. This makes the sauce stick to the rice better...not runny, but silky texture. As for being a Taiwanese dish, I don't know...seems it's quite widespread. Myself, I think it's a TOISANESE thing...

My Mom says I always make my soup "yoong". No surprise there! So, I can't give you any proportions. Do most of you always make just enough soup for X bowls? I always make too much to ensure leftovers. This may be kept for another day. My s-i-l often portions her leftovers abd freezes them for maybe next week.

My qi-gong master is from Shanghai. He came to Brandon for his first workshop about 4 years ago. I was delegated to feed him. The first time, it was simple - I still had a restaurant at that time and we had banquet fare. After I got to know him better, I "found out" that he'd really appreciate home style cooking. He misses having simple basic fare when he is travelling - the kind that he'd cook at home. Since then, he eats at least once at our house - enjoying whatever our family is having. I usually do a soup, steamed dish, stir-fry, simple vegetables, lots of rice, and fruit. Or, I may have a sweet soup a little later rather than sitting back with coffee. I also keep a record of what I feed him each time so there is variation. So, as someone else suggested, find out, discreetly if you can, what your guest prefers. He may be tired of "banquet fare" if he's been travelling for some time. Sometimes, highly respected guests like to "let their hair down".

So, Ben, I guess you are considered "family"? BTW, your other Manitoba family is coming for the day on the 7th of May. I guess I'll try to work on the dan tart before they come. Also, I'll make my siu mai for lunch time along with jook, etc.

Gastro: Is that all waterchestnut in the bowl with the green wrapping? Looks like your Mama has a heavy hand with liu like I do!

Looking forward to the pictures, Gastro888.

At last! I checked out the recipe Rhea_s and I will give it a try again. Thanks for posting the pictures. There IS hope

So, what is in the spring rolls that CHINESE people eat? hzrt, I honestly cannot imagine cheung fan with hoisin sauce. I like the sweet soya and chili oil on mine, but I will try next time....with hoisin.

Let me repeat again: Frozen Puff Pastry does not work for dan tart!

I always thought plum sauce or apricot sauce was for egg rolls, and hoisin was for duck.

Well, it seems what jschyun and sheetz have said is true - the pastry recipe is a well kept secret! I know my second pastry, single layer method was flaky, as in shortcrust...but it's the elusive layers! I might try the double layer method again in a little while. Do I have the determination of the little yellow train who could? Think I'll put a call out to Irwin (wesza) and CharSuiBao and see if they have any contacts! Hope your foot is coming along, Kris.

Do as I did, drive down your neighborhood street and share with any neighbors you see standing outside!

Hog barn raised....hmmm I wonder if hog manure would have anything to do with their "monster size"! NOT a good thought...sorry... Actually, friends of mine have developed a system to take out 95% of the manure in hog barn sludge sloughs. The result is a grey ash-like odour-free material that is used as fertilizer, and the water extracted can be used for barn cleaning, etc. The experiments are being done on several Hutterite colonies at the moment.

Lovely siu mai dinner, Tepee. What is the "red" on top of the siu mai? What did you use for binding? I see asparagus is in season in Malaysia too...or is it always in season? I have been eating it with everything. The lobak goh, what recipe did you use as reference. If I know anything about you from your posts, I'd say you never follow ONE recipe! I often put too much lieu in my goh.