Dejah

Dark soya would do the same. My mom used a large diameter straw to make circles rather than dots. You could get real fancy and make the Olympic rings! You got me going here, nakji. Got my char siu done and will be making my grandson's fav. tomorrow - char siu baozi!

When I use ground chicken, I add water, a little oil, a little cornstarch, and diced onion. Chicken is leaner than ground pork, so I do add the above ingredients.

I use the shirataki noodles, both the clear ones tied in knots and the egg-coloured ones in soup. Just rinse off, add to fat free chicken stock, add romaine hearts cut length-wise into quarters. I sometimes add shrimp, or any other kind of thinly sliced beef or chicken, or leftover roasted meats. Very low calorie and low points if you're on WW. I find the texture of the noodles take me longer to chew - slows me down as I tend to often rush through lunches.

I like your additions to the pork filling, especially the shitake mushrooms as they are so flavourful. The addition of water and beating it into the filling makes it "fluffy" or "fow" in Cantonese. Otherwise, the pork will become a hard, harsh lump of meat. I put my baozi on a square of wax paper or cupcake paper liner. There is still a tiny bit of dough sticking to the paper but never enough to tear the bao on the bottom. My family will clean off the bits left on the paper! The cheesecloth may be too textured, so it may cause more sticking.

Yes. The dried flower mushrooms. Stir-fry diced chicken, onion, lapcheong, slivers of ginger, and rehydrated mushrooms in oyster sauce. I finish it off with a thick sauce of cornstarch and oyster sauce. Let cool, make into baozi. For "pigs-in-a blanket" I should have said 1/2 a lapcheung instead of a quarter. No sauce is needed because of the full-bodied flavour of the lapcheung. Some people, like my husband, still wants sweet chili sauce, sirracha, or Saigon chili oil for his.

For the restaurant, I made char siu baos. For family, I make two other kinds of filling: chicken,Chinese mushroom,lapcheung; curried chicken. If I have left over dough, I use 1/4 of a piece of lapcheung for each "pigs-in-blanket"...

Yes. Baozi can be steamed then frozen. I used to make dozens at one time, froze, re-steamed and served as luncheon platters when I had the restaurant. Dim sum was not our regular fare but made to fulfill some special requests by regular customers.

The extremely crispy bead-like noodles under the calmari at Spice Avenue are likely deep-fried mung bean threads. They are probably more for plating in this dish. Other times, hot food with a sauce may be poured onto the crispy noodles at the table - for the crackle presentation. Then the noddles soften and soak up the sauce. I remember my mother deep frying these then sprinkling fine sugar over the pile for a sweet treat at Chinese New Year. A mess to eat as they basically crumble when picked up.

I agree with Ben that anchovies would not be a suitable substitute - wrong flavour. If you're serving it as a light soup, forego the oysters, mushrooms, conpoy. Just boil up then simmer some pork neckbones for a good broth, add slices of wintermelon, then silkened pork tenderloin slices at the last minute. For the heartier version, I'd cut the melon into chunks with the rind on. This version would be "lo fau", with dried oysters, red dates, ginger,but no beans.

As mentioned in the youtube video, she only used "a few" of the bitter almonds because it is stronger in almond flavour. I don't think anyone has to worry about cyanide poisoning. My grandmother-in-law always put bits of apricot pits(cyanide)in her peach and apricot conserve for a touch of bitterness to the sweetness. And she lived to be healthy 87. I've also added a few to one of my Chinese herbal soups. If you are concerned, I am sure you can substitute a good quality almond extract for the flavour boost.

Dan: Are you sure it's glutinous brown rice and not just brown from flavouring? If it doesn't have to be specifically vegetarian, check out this thread: Cantonese = leen yeep joong (sticky rice in lotus leave) Or search out the thread on joongzi / joong (sticky rice in bamboo leaves)

Is it traditonal dim sum restaurants where you've had the great almond tofu? In dim sum restaurant, they usually serve tofu fah - which is totally different from the almond tofu you can buy, or make at home, unless you are making tofu from scratch at home. That's the ancient Chinese secret.

Or just use the boiled salted eggs as the protein part of your meal along with steamed rice and a dish of vegetables. With uncooked salted eggs, I sometimes cook them in their shell along with the rice.

I've never had goot foon in the savory style. Mom taught me to make it with rock sugar. When it's ready, a fresh egg is beaten in a bowl then swirled into the mixture. I prefer to eat it when cooled - not chilled. My Mom ate it often, especially when she has an upset stomach. Whenever relatives went back to China for visits, they always brought us a supply. Now that my Mom has passed away, I seldom think to make it. Maybe it'll come back to me when I approach 100!

As for serving mapo tofu on top of noodles, I don't think they absorb the flavour and sauce quite as well as rice...IMHO. But I'll eat it any way!

I wonder if the confusion is in the Americanization of Chinese dishes. On the Canadian prairies, and in my own restaurant of years gone by, chow mein can be like chop suey with a sprinkling of crunchy egg noodles on top - like the ones available in supermarkets. Cantonese chow mein is stir-fried mixed vegetables, meats on top of a bed of stir-fried noodles. Sometimes the noodles can be slightly crispy. Lo mein is where the vegetables (usually julienne veg like celery, onion bean sprouts) are stir-fried/mixed in with the noodles. I prefer the Cantonese style where the noodles at the edge of the platter stays crispy while the ones under the meat and veg are softened by the sauce.

Daughter and fiance came out from Wpg yesterday with 2 bags of fiddleheads from Crampton's. Love those, and they'll be part of Mother's Day supper: surf 'n' turf. Missed out on the fresh morels apparently. Won't hold that against them;-)

Not farmer's market, but check out the new Lucky Supermarket on Winnipeg Avenue for great selection of Asian produce, etc. Brandon farmer's market by the river also opens in June. Last spring, pickins were slim at the beginning. Maybe with the early warm temps, more will be available this year.

I prefer to blanch gai lan whole with a pinch of baking soda to preserve the lovely green colour. The sauce is done separately in a wok - stir-fried slivers of ginger and garlic, add a dollop of oyster sauce, a pinch of sugar, and a bit of chicken stock. Once the gai lan is barely tender, I lift them out gently, lay them out on a plate, cut into desired lengths with scissors, and ladle the sauce over the greens. This has got to be my favourite vegetable.

I was able to buy canned dace in Dayton, Ohio last summer. I was disappointed though, as they did not contain the black beans. Somehow, it's did not the taste the same. I don't know if they are using a different recipe/process, or the beans made the difference. I never liked the ones with bean curd sticks. I used to be able to buy a can for under $1.00. This time, they cost $3.99!

As posted above" because it is aesthetically pleasing", food in Chinese dishes is often left in whole stalks and large pieces. But, we are not supposed to put the whole mushroom or whole stalk of gai lan into our mouths at one time. We usually bite off a piece, and leave the rest in our rice bowl. When we have eaten what we have in our mmouths, we take another bite. Sometimes, stalks of gai lan will be braised or steams whole, but once plated, kitchen scissors are used to cut them into more manageable lengths but still maintaining that whole-stalk appearance.

Ahhhh. Thanks, Sunflower. Now I know what "deep-boiled" soup is - one of the techniques my Mom taught me.

Do they still carry the cumin/black sesame seed snack "strips" or bars? Expecting a package from friends in Calif. and hope those are in there!

Why do I always forget to take pictures on memorable dinners? Extended family (23) Boxing Day (Canadian/Bristich thing): 7-rib AAA prime rib done in Fine Cooking herb-salt-crusted standing rib roast with morel sauce. Incredibly flavourful, succulent, tender. Hubby deemed this to be the best roast I've ever made in our 44 years of Xmases. It was great with Yorkshire puddings. I also made the traditional English trifle. My s-i-l and her daughters contributed scalloped potatoes, brussel sprouts in bacon, thyme,and maple syrup, sweet potatoe - marshmellow casserol, Chinese cucumber salad, baby carrots, sweet & sour beets, steamed rice, and 3 other desserts: lingonberry-raspberry puree-pomogranite shooters, "creamsicles", and tapioca and yogurt with whipped strawberry jello topping. There were too many wines to remember... on the 23rd, I made Nigella's Aromatic lamb shanks with red lentils. Xmas eve was my first brined turkey. I was happy with the way it turned out. Xmas day, I made maple syrup-brined boneless pork rib roasts. Very good also - tender, juicy. Today was leftover-turkey pot pie with puff pastry. In our primarily Chinese family, the only Chinese food served was watercress soup, rice and spicy cucumber salad. I couldn't post in the "Chinese food for Christmas Dinner" thread.

Braised beef tendons in my lu shui this week. Great with a bowl of shrimp noodles, yu choi, and chili oil.