Dejah

I didn't realize teff is not allowed for export. I see it in our little Asian food store that also caters to the Ethiopian population in our little city of 44,000. Chinese is my native cuisine, but Thai is my favourite outside of that, Indian a second.

I'm not sure of the name of the lily that yields edible bulbs. After a most uncomfortable "accident" years ago, I don't eat the edible ones in my garden because they have cross-pollinated with other lilies in the garden. I always buy the bulbs in the Asian supermarket when I go into the city. The lilies are orange, upright. I have saved the inner sprout from the bulbs I buy and planted them because my Mom wanted me to. They do grow, so if you have an area far from other lilies, try growing your own. Mom said one has black "berries " on the stalk, the other variety doesn't, but I can't remembe which one is edible! Mom is gone now, so I can't even ask her. I might check with one of the "aunties" next time I visit their gardens. The fresh lily bulbs, I use them for a savory soup. Boil the heck out of some pork neck bones for stock. Add the cleaned and separated bulb layers, then add seasoned, velveted pork slices. Bring to a boil and enjoy! You have to be careful not to over-cook them. The soup has a sweet flavour - not like candy tho', and you can really get the lily bulb flavour. I'm not sure how to describe it. The same if you're making sweet dessert soup - add the fresh lily bulbs last as they are very tender. You really have to separate the layers to clean them - lots of dirt wedged in. I found the best way is to trim off the bottom just enough to losen the layers. Separate them and soak them in a bowl of cold water. You may need to rinse a couple of times. I suppose you could try them raw, in a salad? Never thought of that. I just do what my Mom did.

Jo-mel, These are fresh lily bulbs, not the buds. But I have been tempted to use the fresh lily buds from a friend's garden. She has a massive bed of them, and she's an organic gardener. Her +80 year old mother tends the beds lovingly, in that, she cuts the flowers off daily and lays them out to dry in a flat box in perfect rows. I always think about taking some home, then we'd get talking and I'd forget! My own garden...too many grand-dogs visiting...

I use lily buds in my hot and sour soup as well. Do you tie a knot in your lily buds before adding to the soup? It keeps them from shredding. There are actually two kinds of ear fungus - wood ear with the light colour on one side, and cloud ear which are more delicate and almost transluscent. The wood ear has more cruch, and the cloud ear, again a more delicate "crunch" A visiting professor from China came for supper at my house, and she brough a bag of cloud ear and was cooking it as a gift for her visit. She soaked it until softened, then stir-fried the lot with ginger and garlic. She said it was a very special dish...I was not too impressed with the lack of flavour but appreciated the gesture. I use wood ear in hot and sour soup - can handle the cooking better. The cloud ear, I add to Budhha's Delight - a great dish for Chinese New Year, along with lotus root, gingko nuts, Chinese mushrooms, etc. The dried lily bulb, I use in a savory soup (say-may tong- four flavours - healthy soup) along with rehydrated lotus nuts, and other herbs. You can also use it in a sweet soup along with lotus nuts, peanuts, red beans, and sometimes thin vermecelli. Fresh lily bulbs are incredible...touch of sweetness, good for the lungs. I usually make a savory soup with pork stock.

That is indeed tatsoi. I have bought it at an Asian supermarket, and they have started to show up at our local farmers markets. I like to cut it into segments and stir-fry like bok choi. As for dou miu, I have never seen the immature sprouts. The only kind available here, from what I've seen, are actual cuttings from the mature snow peas plants. When my chef's wife came from China (about 15 years ago), she said the big "new vegetable" was dou miu. Big patches of plants are grown just for the cuttings. The plants sprout new "branches" for a continuous harvest. The grocer puts cuttings in closed bags. Sometimes, half the bag is wasted because the cuttings are too long -stalks being tough. Lovely stuff quickly stir-fried with minced garlic and ginger, finished with a drizzle of sesame oil. The immature sprouts would cook down to nothing? Would they be better used like sprouts in a salad or in a sandwich?

While in Winnipeg at a well-stocked supermarket - with lots of unusual Asian produce, I picked up a bag of papaya leaves. They looked really interesting, but no one at the market seemed to know what to do with them. The only info' I've found is using the juice for medicinal purposes. Any info' or recipes would be most appreciated.

I've developed the knack of peeling the shell with the shrimp IN my mouth. If the shrimp is large, I'd bit half of it into my mouth, roll it around with my tongue and spit out the shell. In Ah Leung's pictorial, I don't think the shells would be crispy enough to chew and swallow (you did, Erin?!) If the shells were really crispy, I still don't eat much of the shell but definitely eat the tail - shell and all! Hubby does not eat the tail part, meat or shell. He thinks it's too fishy. That's fine by me 'cos I love it - where all the flavour is, More for moi.

I find Chinese restaurant owners/cooks are just as ill-informed about the presence of MSG. Several have proudly told me and advertise to the public that they no longer use MSG, but that they are using "chicken powder" such as Knor or no-name bulk instead. MSG is usually the 3rd or 4th ingredient on the list with salt often being 1st or 2nd ingredient! The food is often salty because they also add salt when cooking.

This has been an amazing blog, Shelby. I am exhausted each day after trying to catch up with you! Your husband seems to plays a big role in providing the ingredients for your labours of love. Will we get to see the "big game hunter" before the end of your blog?

Thanks, everyone, for all the info' on this request. I've noted it all down and will be trying my hand in the near future. Hubby and I are on a kinda health-related restristed diet at the moment. Looking forward to trying this out with shrimp, crab AND the corn...one complete menu...

Thanks for documenting the butchering proces, Shelby! My future s-i-l is an avid fowl and deer hunter and butchers all that he hunts. I'm going to forward your blog to him. Enjoying the rest of your blog as well!

What nakji posted up above is what I know as Shanghai bok choi. They come in different sizes from little 6 cm floret-like ones to 18 cm more fully grown ones. They have a sweeter taste and finer texture than regular bok choi. I don't speak putonghua so Cantonese will have to do from me. Yu choi is different again from bok choi. The stalk is solid with slender leaves branching off from it - like gai lan but much more tender and brighter green. Often, there are yellow blossoms at the end.. These are very tender and are called yu choi because they are usually just cooked very quickly in oil with ginger and garlic - yu - meaning oil. Check the bottom of the stalk when you are purchasing. If the end is transluscent green, then the choi will be fresh and tender. These are great thrown into wonton soups at the last minutes.

An amazing start to your blog, Shelby! I am envious of your kitchen, especially the pull out shelves and the very long counter above your stove. Does your stove have downdraft ventilation?

Good morning, and Merry Christmas, Chris! Wonderful blog and great read. You are THE MAN to have for fantastic meals! Thanks for the tip on using the Ziplock bag over the tortilla press! I've struggled with tying Saran wrap on both halves whenever I make dim sum. Now my task will be much easier!

Thanks, Prawn! Those look exactly like the ones I had last week! I've saved your notes and will try your method soon! Trust a young'un to teach an old dog new tricks.

I wonder if raw salty egg yolk was used, would it still have that "sandy" texture? Need to experiment... Any suggestions for a batter? It looked "crumbly". I just might have to go and eat another plate to refresh my memory.

Actually, the restaurant makes a Gum Sa Crab, but when that's not available, it's Gum Sa Shrimp. This restaurant is a small place (seats 60 max) with new owners. Having been once a week, then taking our 50 international students (45 Chinese) there for year-end dinner, and my being able to speak Cantonese, we've struck up a friendship. They said if we wanted to take in a crab, they will do the Gum Sa crab for us. My s-i-l was goading me to ask for the recipe, but...So, I'm asking here. I think the idea is to mash up the cooked salty egg yolk, then incorporate it into the batter.

Had a new dish (to me) the other night at a local restaurant now serving "authentic" Chinese food. We've been several times and working slowly through their massive menu. One item that really caught my fancy was Golden Sand Shrimp - Gum Sa Ha. It is supposedly coated with a mixture of mashed cooked salty egg yolk. Any information, ideas, or recipes would be most appreciated! The coating was golden, like a crunchy batter, and the shrimp was barely cooked - to perfection.

Been running about to the stores: -28C outside (-18F) Finishing up a large bowl of home-made chicken noodle soup with green beans, celery, carrots, peas, barley AND egg noodles. Very comfortable now. Have a small prime roast in the oven with purple sweet potatoes in jacket. Been checking out the sweet potatoe thread for some great ideas. Think we'll be eating these with a compound butter of lime (rind and juice), chilli, fresh coriander/cilantro and coarse salt as suggested by Snadra. Thanks, Snadra!

Winkles are lovely stir-fried with ginger and black bean garlic sauce - Chinese style. Once the trap doors are opened, they're done. Need paper towels and lots of rice for the sauce. I also enjoyed picking them out of their shells with a straight pin, eating, and walking along the seashore in places like Whitby, England! I think these were just boiled in seawater or salted water?

Hungarian Mushroom Soup - Moosewood: http://www.food.com/recipe/Hungarian-Mushroom-Soup-from-the-Moosewood-Cookbook-135215 Great stuff!

Katie: Make duck congee next time. I've beenfinding bags of mushrooms on sale for half price at our Superstore, so it's been Hungarian Mushroom soup from Moosewood Cookbook Recipe #135215. This seems to freeze well with adding some fresh dill and the cream when heating up to serve.

The perfect imagery, Jo-mel:-)

Chris: Try slicing the carrots on a diagonal. Leave the slices in the shape of the carrot as you slice, then pat them down, still in the "shape of the carrot" then julienne. I find that much easier then stacking the slice then cutting.

I have two egg urns just like the ones you mentioned. I have "elephant ears" - ornamental taro planted in them. They sit outside during the summer, and I've brought them in to winter over as they take a long time to sprout. The taro is just like the edible ones, but not sure if these are edible. The leaves are big so quite suitable for this size of container. I used to be able to get the eggs covered in light-coloured mud and grain husks. Then it was just very fine black ash-like dirt. They were such a pain to clean off. Now they are just wrapped in double plastic in styrofoam boxes of 6. I don't think the shelf life is as long as they used to be when covered in dirt. The dirt covering might have prevent air and moisture in the air getting into the egg causing it to dry out or ferment. The shell would be porous. Possible? I always keep my cartons in the fridge.