Dejah

I will be using muffin tins, regular size ones. There is enough "fat" in the pastry that unmolding shouldn't be a problem. Having said that....

What has been said about the condensation with metal steamers is probably true, but I've never noticed excess moisture on the dim sum I've made...baos, sui mai, har gow, etc. Maybe this time I will use the big bamboo lid I have and see if there is noticable difference. That's what's great about a cook-off...trying and learning something different!

Dim sum: touch(like a finger tip) of heart... Grapefruit size: PUNCH! In the movies, if you punch someone in the heart, it stops! Might take some waiting to cook... I don't use a bamboo steamer when I do large amounts. I use the perforated inserts in my steamer. It works fine. If you use a plate inside the steamer, then you will get an accumulation of liquid which may make your sui mai skin soggy.

I think you can make sui mai with just pork, or a mixture of pork and shrimp, crab, glutineous rice, and you can also add chopped bamboo shoots, ginger, Chinese mushrooms. To get the springiness to the filling, the addition of liquid(I use water), sugar, baking soda, lemon juice and cornstarch all seem to be at work. My KitchenAid does the "abuse" for me. When you see "threads" in the meat mixture, you will get the springy texture.

I have recipes that use a short pastry. I am sure frozen would work, but you may not achieve that layered flaky tart shell...me thinks...

Such party poopers! They focused on fat content and sodium, but what about the sugar content in waterchestnut cake and bean soup! That's why we need to make these items at home. We can be more health conscious and adjust the ingredients, then just go out once in a while an OD at restaurants! Moderation is the key word. Repeat after me!

Hi Wendy, I love all the pictures of your work. I wonder if all the "piping" you do with cakes, etc has caused any discomfort in your hands, wrists? Do you make up a supply of frequently used decorations to pull out whenever needed, or do you make these fresh each time? My 6 year old grandson wants your halloween cakes for his next party. He loved the rats!

I have always used frozen wrappers as I have to go into the "big city" to find a Chinese store. The ones I use look like wonton wrappers but half the thickness. These are very pliable and thin enough for sui mai.

Snowangel, I have been checking out my Pei Mei's Volume II. She calls them the inside and outside layer. Wei Chuan calls them water-shortening dough and flaky dough. BTW, how many volumes are there for Pei Mei?

This thread is wonderful! I've been spending a lot of time looking through the recipes. Thanks for the link, Jason. My Saudi student had to return home for this term but will be back in Sept. I have these months to practice some of these recipes. He wants to bring back a camel for me, but I hope it is not possible! The Morrocan cigars are wonderful. I have made them with lamb and beef. The recipe ran in one of our national papers and I have been making and stockpiling them in the freezer for quick appetitzers. I coat the tops with sesame seeds for that extra touch. Little birds are sold as street vendor food in China. I remember eating them in HK years ago. They were very crispy and I think they were delicious, but I don't think I can handle them now.

This thread is for Dan Tart, or Chinese egg custard tart. Are you using puff pastry, 2 dough pastry, pie pastry? How do you keep the custard from boiling over? Do you keep a pan of water in the oven during the baking step? Show all! Tell everything! No secrets allow among eGulleteers.

There are 2 items in this inaugural Chinese cook-off: This thread is for sui mai. You can use ready made wrappers, or if you are ambitious, make your own. The filling too will also be your choice. Do post pictures of your effort...and the recipes or instructions as I know some of you are "a bit of this, a dab of that"...

So glad I found this thread. We have been eating a lot of roast cauliflower, stir-fried cauliflower, etc. etc on our diet. I want french fries; and maybe now I can!

Yetty with the LEGS, Was the pastry savory then? The lo paw bang I've eaten have been sweet and made of wintermelon paste. The pastry looks exactly the same as your "pornographic pictures" Gai jie bang, the recipe I am hunting down char sui bao for, is savory. It would have 5 spice, nam yui and bits of diced pork. It is quite chewy, and I love it so much! The shape and pastry however is different from your pictures.

Exactly my question! How did you make the ears? Royal icing? The carrots at the back? The large Easter egg is awesome! Styrofoam?

Tommy, Please take pictures of all the food you get to try (and if you can, the food at the next tables ). This will be particularly useful for us to see how the same ingredients are prepared in different regions of China. If it hasn't been said already, WELCOME to "eGullet's China".

I hope you and Tommy will both take lots of PICTURES and NOTES!!! (of food and otherwise) while you are vacationing in Toisan. That will be a real treat for people like me who have never been back. One of these days I WILL go.

Have you ever tried to freeze bananas? I do that whenever they are on for half price. Just peel, stick in a popsicle stick and lay them out in a Ziplock. Freeze then you can dip them into chocolate sauce and crushed nuts for a frozen treat. It's like eating a banana fudgsicle. A question about the cherry trees that are in bloom: These are all ornamental cherry trees? Or are some of them of the eating variety?

Ok, that's weird...not sure I can handle eating in a former funeral parlour. It was unsettling to me that Hy's Steak Loft was besidea funeral parlour! Well, you can always come meet me and eat at my house...seriously... I finish teaching on July 22, but away for the second and third week of August. Do you have any idea when you will be through Manitoba?

When a recipe calls for rice flour, unless they specify "GLUTINOUS RICE FLOUR", or "NOT glutinous rice flour" then I use "ordinary rice flour" I buy these pre-package in Asian stores and they are clearly marked as just "Rice Flour" with the red label, or "Glutinous Rice Flour" with the green labels.

Oy. Hy's Steak Loft.No matter when I went to Hy's, I would know at least 3 other tables of people there. Theory is they may be trying to appeal more to the expense account crowd now that they are in the bank district. beachcomber.... am I right in thinking this was next to the convention center? ← Exactly! I was so impressed before with the waterfall, "Hawaiian" dishes, etc. They used to always present the ladies with a gardenia. Then we went in for an early supper one night before they turned the lights down low. It was in pretty bad shape, grunginess hidden by the darkness. The food was pretty mundane compared to all the new places coming into Wpg. We never went back. I wonder if there is still a Beachcomber at the York Hotel in Calgary? We were there in 1966 for our honeymoon.

I heard about it on the radio (I've been paper-less for a couple of months). Do you think they'll rebuild? It sounds like it'll be a great loss to Brandon. I haven't been through in years - but I keep saying I should do more roadtrips - Brandon would be a good one. ← The owners of the building said they will rebuild, but the women who own Lady of the Lady said they haven't gotten beyond the shock of seeing the flames to think about the future at this time. It's unfortunate, but I don't know if they can reproduce the unique atmosphere of the old building. If you ever decide to venture beyond "the perimeter", please give me a shout. Amandasmom and family came out and spent yesterday with us. We had a great visit over eGullet and food. Whatever topic came up, it always reverted back to food! Is Hy's Steak Loft still in Wpg? Anyone remember Happy Vineyard? How about the old Beachcomber? Am I dating myself?

What if you used a double boiler?

Wonderful blog, Kris. Egg of some form seems to be present in many of the food photos. Are eggs used as a filler, for appearance, or extra protein? The chocolate banana that Hide was enjoying, is it fresh or frozen?

I would definitely call the above comfort food, especially"When I get old and losing my teeth , errrr....hair"