Dejah

Enjoying your blog very much... However , I think your "title" is a misnomer...adventures in the ordinary? I hardly think so from the looks of the images!

We are familiar with the multi-course meals at weddings. What about for birthdays, baby's "full month shaving head" celebrations, or any other special occaisions? Does your family observe any special rules for the food served? My Mom always required: "sam sang". . . chicken, pork, seafood, plus rice, some kind of "tsee" (Chinese pastry), and fruit. There must be 6, 9 or 12 dishes. For the baby's special day, did your family have a banquet? Were there pink eggs, new mother's soup? Was this banquet oly for baby boys, as was the old tradition?

re-hzrt 's recipe for haum ha...I've never heard of sesame oil with this. Asked my mom tonight and it was new to her. Is that HK style? I will try it next time! Mom used to take pork fat, deep fry it until crisp THEN steam it with haum ha. That was "pre- cholestral" days.

Ok, that's it! Can I come and work in your office? Just send me applications for whatever position is open! Everything looks great. Thanks for sharing!

I really don't have much info' on cockroaches, other than what I have "heard" from one of my former cooks. They mentioned adding these pests into a soup with herbs. I have never seen the large roaches other than in display cases. That's enough to scare me!

Yeah. Yim Gok Dan (salt-baked egg). Yim Gok Gai (salt-baked chicken). Steamed or baked? Well... the name of the food (in Chinese) said "baked". But it's really steamed. I would imagine you can bake it in the oven (eggs or chicken in a pan of salt). Just use very low heat (e.g. 300F) and bake them for an hour. Nowadays, many restaurant "cheated". The salt-baked chicken is actually boiled (low heat) in a pot of brine with five spices. Taste pretty good too. ← [/quote I am trying to visualize steaming eggs or chicken pieces laying in a bed of rock salt. I have an "egg -cooker" that steams eggs, soft or hard "boiled"., so it would be like that. The egg would taste salty all the way through, where as with an ordinary boiled egg, you would have to salt each bite? But you mentioned adding 5-spice and salt when you eat these? Have you tried this at home? hzrt? Take a picture for me. My Chinese students, in the past, have always made tea eggs as part of their international food fair. I'll have to ask for their "recipe". That could be their next writing assignment" Explanatory composition"!

Re: The pictures from the Mongolian adventure. The "birds"...are these the ones that are a favourite with Vietnamese people? They are usually still in their shells? Does one have to pluck the feathers before devouring? or do you eat the whole mess? I have 2 students from Inner Mongolia this term. I should send them the url and ask if they know anything about these delicacies.

Steamed? or baked? yim gok dan? yim gok gai?

I remember eating those "giant" water beetles 46 years ago, in HK. I am not sure I can handle them now. In memory, they were crispy, and eaten like popcorn at the movies. Cockcroaches are supposed to be good medicine for people with asthma.

jo-mel, With all the new technology, which I am sure my techie hubby and kids will know all about, blogging will be easier and perhaps more graphic when I DO travel! You know, one doesn't have to go to China to experience great food in less than great places. When I was a teenager, I worked in my uncle's large Chinese restaurant in Winnipeg. They served good food, but when we were not working, my cousins and I would head to a dingy little Chinese diner. Now that was good tradtional cooking! Cantonese, of course. I don't think any other regional styles had spread to the prairies at that time. Jo-mel, do you use your notes in any way in your cooking classes? It would be interesting to hear about the dishes as you introduce the recipe.

A reminder to those who have checked into Astrid's blog to read her updates. http://www.wrappedindough.com/ Her latest posts are about the Sichuan Food Festival in Chengdu http://www.chengdu.gov.cn/itd/chengdue/New...t.jsp?ID=200099 and Chinese candy.

hzrt, I haven't been back since 1958 when I left HK. Had lived a pretty sheltered life in so far as travelling and any regional Chinese cuisine.I don't remember eating out in restaurants except for the many celebratory banquets. They were great, of course. I do remember hawker food, especially around North Point where we once lived. I've probably experienced more variety in the last 20 years travelling around Canada and the US. This forum has been wonderful in allowing me to travel and eat vicariously! I thank you all for this delicious education!

OoooooooYetti! You are a trouble maker! Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I don't feel I can do justice to the job at this time. But, Gary would certainly be a good choice.

Yetti, Smack me on the side of the head! How could I have forgotten to mention Pan?!! There will be many whom I didn't list...but then, I didn't want to write all the posts myself. Pan, I wish we could tour the Far East. My late b-i-l knew people who worked in radio broadcasting. When we first recorded our music, they DID play the records...as novelties, I am sure. We have one more kid to put through university, then, look out world!

This forum is so incredible and every thread piques my curiosity. I can't stand it any more! I must know the answer to the following question: How often do you get to go to China and sample the great food and gather such knowledge!?? I mean, there's Gary who has an apt. in Shanghai, but lives in US. Yetti, who I believe will soon relocate to US? maaraw who gave such detailed info on HK but lives in Madrid? Jo-mel who is non Asian but IS Asian at heart, with lots of travelling in China. And the list is endless! This poor prairie woman is feeling so deprived!

nessa, I have never made joong with banana leaves, but I have used them for cooking fish on the BBQ. I am assuming that they would be as strong as bamboo leaves, so I'd probably follow the same proceedure as with bamboo leaves. It's kind of hard to describe the proceedure, but if you have Grace Young's Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen, on page 153 is a great explaination and photos of wrapping and tying packets made with bamboo leaves. If you don't have her book, and still need instructions, I will try and condense the info for you. I do a quick stir-fry with my filling along with seasonings before wrapping: meats, dried shrimp, onions, peanuts and mushrooms. Please report back, along with photos, when you get these Texas BBQ joongs made!

Your work is delicious, Jason! I love the ingredients you used.. They are all my favourite things. But, you must be a really serious "egg roller" when you have to import wrappers from HK!

Ho Yetti! It's about time you waded in here I used to make these a lot too. With my restaurant contacts, I can get the puff pastry sheets in bulk. When I make these, I add mashed potatoes to the meat. This gives it a nice texture. This will also cut down on the amount of meat used. Remember...600 people! Thanks for reminding me!

Crab rangoon sounds good. Normally I don't mind deep frying, but we don't have a commercial kitchen. And, I don't know if we can handle deep frying 2-300 rangoons each show plus any other finger foods. I did a Middle East flavoured ground beef in phyllo pastry cigars for a party a few days ago. I am thinking maybe doing a chicken mixture with a an oriental flavour...citrus? hoisin? cilantro/ ginger? Meat balls on toothpicks would be handy. Shrimp chips could be done early. Hmmm...Dai choy ko may be a possibility. We have until April, 2005 for more ideas! Keep those ideas acoming.

Hey! Not boring at all! Tomato, crumbled crackers and LOTS of pepper is the best for me when I can't have homemade. I like to have mine in a big mug, so I can hold it close to my mouth, inhale the steam and eat at the same time.

Rain and snow flurries the last couple of days. Temperatures are around 3C during the day. Soup pot is in full use now. On Monday, I made a curry soup with yellow split peas, lots of leeks (on sale!), diced celery (including the leaves), carrots and potatoes. I pureed some of the veg so the final product was thick and chunky. This was great with baguette. Today, I am making Hungarian mushroom soup, with lots of fresh dill and sour cream. Not sure what I'll have with it...perhaps buttermilk biscuits.

I've printed out jo-mel's recipe for the meatballs. Sounds delicious and do-able!. Thanks!

jo-mel, You can definitely come! We'll need all the expertise and hands that we can get a hold of. The dates are: April 27, 28, with prep day on the 26th. Keep the suggestions a coming! I'll take 'em all to the next meeting.

Our local dragon boat team of breast cancer survivors, Westman Waves of Hope, have put on a fundraising fashion show for the last few years. Each time it's been a sell out with a waiting list. For April, 2005, they want a Chinese theme. Who do they call? They will be putting on 3 shows, a matinee and evening show on Wed, then an evening show on Thurs. They are expecting about 200 for each of the shows. Last year, a grocery chain store in the city donated all the finger food for the event. Except for one Chinese restaurant, I don't think the others are so community-minded that they would donate "all that food". Aiyeeah! So, what kinds of economical Chinese finger foods would be good to prepare on the Tues, and will hold up well for the shows? The chapter has about 40 members so I offered to coordinate if it comes down to doing the work themselves. We will have access to the large kitchen in the church where the show is staged. It would be good to have some items prepared for the freezer. I have suggested summer rolls, meat balls in sweet & sour pineapple sauce, perhaps chicken wings. We need stuff to feed the adventurous and the timid. It would be good to stay away from deep frying, but oven stuff would be fine.

Dear Carolyn, My condolences on the passing of your mother. Thank you so very much for sharing your thoughts with us. Food we share as a family, that we love from an early age, the term "comfort foods", feels so very right for times like this. They can bring wonderful memories to mind. Tears may come with these thoughts, but they will also bring many moments of laughter and warmth in future days. Congratualtions on all your up-coming endeavours. Don't be too sad that your mom is not here to share your joy. Be comforted with the thought that if she was here, she would be very proud of you, as I am sure your father is. Dejah