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Hi everybody! I don't usually follow most threads in the Cooking forum because I didn't have enough spare time. Thank you to JasonZ who pointed out this interesting discussion. I want to make some comments here: To make the wrapper for XiaoLongBao, the best is to roll your own wrapper. Packaged wrappers would not do justice. They will be very hard to pleat. Fresh dough is much softer and stickier, and is much easier to pleat. Also, package wrappers are typically not elastic enough. The dough is very basic: just high gluten flour and water. High gluten flour can be found in Asian grocery stores. I bought mine in 99 Ranch market and similar ones. The All Purpose flour may not have the glutinous characteristic desired to make the elastic skin. One fear is the wrapper will break during steaming (which will be no good for XiaoLongBao). Dumpling is usually wrapped with flour dough (or wheat starch dough in Cantonese dim sum), some with eggs added, some without. Buns are usually steamed bread. The dough usually either has yeast or baking soda added to generate tiny bubbles to make them soft and fluffy. Chicken feet will make the soup more jelly-like. If you don't want to use chicken feet, you may also use some packaged "gelatin". I usually pick them up in Asian grocery stores but I think you can also find it in regular grocery markets too. By itself, the taste is bland. It is good to jell up the soup you have prepared even in room temperature. But the soup will return to liquid when steamed - inside the wrapper, which is the key to making XiaoLongBao. The term rou referring to pork specifically goes back to the rural China in the old ages. Oxes are raised to plow the land and not as food. The most common animals raised in farms strictly as food were pigs and chicken. Therefore rou, though literally just means "meat", has an implied meaning of pork unless specifically called-out by other adjectives. XiaoLongBao, like most dim sum items, will not travel well. The best is to eat them right off the steamer while the soup inside is hot and juicy. Even if you wait more than only 15 minutes to eat, the soup inside begins to jell up again and is not as desirable. By the way, the "long" in XiaoLongBao doesn't mean "dragon". It has a literal meaning of "the bamboo steamer". So the translation is "dumpling in the little bamboo steamer". I know where the confusion comes from, thinking that "long" means "dragon". They sound the same (in both Mandarin and Cantonese). But they are two different words. The "long" as in "the bamboo steamer" is a different word than the "long" as in "dragon". The former word "long" has the "bamboo" radical on the top. But most Chinese in the Mainland take the lazy route and skip that part.

I watched my third episode of Kylie's show last night: Simply Magic: Hong Kong Food Craze (The schedule on Discovery Home channel is on Saturday 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm PDT.) This episode featured 3 recipes (plus some humorous entertainment towards the end): Soy Sauce Eggs White Cooked Chicken Stir-Fried Noodles (Recipes can be found here) I do like what I saw in this episode. Well... 2 out of 3. The Soy Sauce Eggs and White Cooked Chicken are good. Though I would add some star anise and clove to the Soy Sauce Eggs, and star anise to the White Cooked Chicken. Rather than pouring smoking oil on the ginger/green-onion/soy sauce itself, I would lay the ginger/green-onion on top of the chicken, pour the smoking oil on top, then finish it with splashing the light soy sauce. Or if you want the sauce separate, pour the smoking oil onto the ginger/green-onion by themselves first, then pour in the soy sauce (not before). I don't think much of the Stir-Fried Noodles. She laid sliced chilies and sprinkle sesame on top. It looks more like a Pad Thai than Chinese Stir-Fried rice noodle.

I don't know how many prawn wontons and how many cups of Mau Tai Kylie had fed him to cause him write that. I don't think those cookings, as shown on her TV show, would get me to hop on a plane for any time soon. Especially that it's a >20 hour flight from North America. Vancourver would be a much better choice for me. Kylie's recipes seem mostly Chinese "inspired", as she kept reiterating that in her show. I won't be expecting to see an illustration of the traditional Chinese recipes. Most are "her version" of something.

#83, Hong Kong Style Curry Chicken (咖喱雞球)

Pictorial Recipe Hong Kong Style Curry Chicken (咖喱雞球) Curry is originated from India. There are many adaptations in the Asian countries. The curry dishes in Japan, China, Vietnam and Malaysia all taste very different. Let me show you the Chinese adaptation of curry in Hong Kong. It is very easy to make at home. Serving Suggestion: 2 - 3 Preparations: Main ingredients (upper right, clockwise): - 3 boneless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 lb - Garlic, use 3-4 cloves - Ginger, use 1-inch in length - Onion, use 1/2 - Some Madras curry powder - 1 pack (16 oz) of frozen peas/carrots mix - (Not shown) 1 small egg Notes: - You may use "dark meat" (chicken thigh or drumsticks), bone-in or bonless, to make this dish. You may also use other meats in making this dish. - I sometimes use one potato in this curry dish. Slight fry the potato wedges and brown the surface first, about 10 minutes. Using green bell pepper is also popular. Trim off chicken fat and discard. Cut chicken breasts into large cubes. To marinate the chicken: simply use a mixing bowl. Add the chicken cubes. Add: - 1-2 tsp of corn starch or potato starch - 1/4 tsp of salt - Break 1 small egg, use egg white only - (Optional) 1/2 tsp of ground white or black pepper Mix well. Set aside for about 30 minutes before cooking. Peel, trim and chop the 1/2 onion into small wedges. Peel and mince 4 cloves of garlic. Grate 1-inch of ginger. Defrost 1 package of frozen peas/carrots. Slightly rinse them under water. Drain well. You may also use fresh peas/carrots if you like. Cooking Instructions: Use a pan/wok, set stove at high. Add 3 tblsp of cooking oil. Wait until oil gets hot. Add the marinated chicken. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side. Stir well. Remove the chicken when it is still slightly undercooked. Add 2-3 tblsp of cooking oil to pan/wok. Wait until hot. Add wedged onions, minced garlic, grated ginger and sautee for a minute or two. Add 1/2 tsp of salt. Dash in 2 tsp of ShaoHsing cooking wine. Add 2 tsp of chili sauce (or 1 tsp of ground chayanne pepper). Stir well. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Add 2-3 tsp of Madras curry powder. (Note: Do not add the curry powder while sauteeing the onion. Experience shows that the curry powder turns bitter if overheated with oil.) Add the green peas and carrots. Cook for a minute or two. Mix well. Return the pre-cooked chicken cubes. Stir well. Cook the chicken for another minute or two. Thicken the sauce with corn starch slurry (suggest: 1 tsp corn starch with 2 tsp of water. Adjust) to the right consistency. Transfer to a serving plate. Picture of the finished dish.

It is true generally. Lao [Mandarin], which literally means "old", is used as an adjective before a noun as a meaningless adjective but a space filler. But in this recipe it does call for older ginger.

I don't know what Chinese black sugar is. Maybe something is lost in translation? Old ginger is just the ginger that is getting... old? (Opposite to the young, spouting ginger) When you cut up a piece of ginger, you feel the grain, and you see fibers at the edge, the color of the cross section is a darker shade of yellow instead of bright yellow, that is old ginger. From the outside, feel the skin. Old ginger skin is much rougher, instead of smooth. Color: darker brown instead of pale brown or dark yellow. You probably would be looking at using some vinegar like this: Chinese Black Vinegar (Koon Chun)

Thank you sugarhoc! Feel free to browse my collection of 82 pictorial recipes (and counting): Pictorial Index and cook some more goodies to win your husband's heart!

You may want to post the question in the "Elsewhere in Asia/Pacific" forum. Lemon grass is not used in conventional Chinese cooking. It's much more common in Vietnam, Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries.

What is "tea oil"? I don't think I had that before.

Thank you jo-mel for putting it so eloquently. Meat loaf and clam chowder! I will always remember that! Indeed there is nothing like food that would bring out emotions in people. Indeed it's a matter of what one is used to. If I were fed 20 hot dried chilies everything day since the age of 5 growing up, everything else will be nothing but bland.

I don't know. I have been to Chinese restaurants only in places where I know there is a large Chinese population, such as Chicago, Boston, D.C., NYC, Philly, Seattle, Portland, and a few cities in SoCal and the Bay Area. There are good ones to be found, provided you know where to look. But more often than not I was met with disappointments. I dare not even to bother, unlike my FIL who insists on Chinese food wherever he goes, in my travels to other places with less Chinese population. It's not to say they don't have good ones. I was surprised by one Chinese restaurant in the heart of Orlando - mostly patronized by tourists - that they offer great dim sum. So for places I haven't been to, Ann Arbor for example, I could not tell if theirs are great or not until I have tried it. And I am speaking as a guy who had been eating dim sum for over 40 years.

In that definition, many of the Chinese restaurants in the US soil are "joints". Unlike how they depicted it in Hollywood, most Chinese restaurants are not where you want to take your first date to give an impression.

The Chinese version would be called "Bloody Ma Lay"?

Of course not true! The best xiaolongbao are to be found in Hong Kong.

I think saying Cantonese food is bland as a blanket statement may not truly understand the cuisine. Cantonese, or perhaps along with its cousin Shanhainese, may be the minority in China who do not eat hot food. In Cantonese cooking, most dominating spices (cumin, sichuan peppercorns, dried chilis, etc.) are notably absent in daily diets. The climate in Canton has historically been mild compared to the extreme cold in the north and west in the winter, and the extreme hot in the north, and west in the summar, and the humid and hot in the south. We don't eat chili as a way of warming the stomach, producing sweat or stimulating the appetite. We believe in presenting the featured ingredients in their own natural tastes - and this is the characteristics of many Cantonese style fresh seafood dishes from steamed to stir-fried. Don't want to bombard the meat with hundreds of red chilies (what flavor can you bring with 500 dried red chilies that you cannot do with 250 dried red chilies?) like the Sichuan style, or the dark-soy, sugar, master-sauce everything like the Shanghai style, or pump in the vinegar on top of hotness like the Hunan style. I know this is a debate that will never end. By the end of the day, those who demand a wallop of hot oil and hundreds of chilies in every meal would continue to do so. And us who get used to eating "bland" food will just continue to do the same.

What... no music by The Beach Boys?

I realize that 99 Ranch Market sells hot Chinese food entrees. I had tried some and they were not bad. Not as good as the ones in restaurants but quite decent. But that seems to be expected because 99 Ranch is an Asian super market after all. I didn't expect to find potstickers in the American chained super markets. And Safeway surprised me. They did a pretty job at that too. And too bad there isn't any 99 Ranch Market in the Sacramento area...

#82, Minced Beef Fried Rice (生炒牛肉飯)

Pictorial Recipe Minced Beef Fried Rice (生炒牛肉飯) Do you like Fried Rice? This is a very simple dish: Minced Beef Fried Rice. I loved to order this in restaurants in Hong Kong. It is quite easy to make at home. Serving Suggestion: 2 Preparations: Main ingredients (lower right, clockwise): - 1/2 lb of ground beef - 2 medium size chicken eggs - a plateful of cooked, plain steamed rice, about 4-5 cups - 2 stalks of green onions - about 1/4 head of lettuce Note: the best rice to use for fried rice dishes are day-old rice (in the refrigerator). If you use freshing cooked steamed rice, it's best to let it cool off in room temperature for about an hour before using it to cook fried rice. To marinate the ground beef: use a mixing bowl, add the ground beef. Add: - 1 tsp of sesame oil - 1-2 tsp of light soy sauce - 1 tsp of corn starch - 1/2 to 1 tsp of ground white pepper - 1 tsp of ShaoHsing cooking wine Mix well. Set aside for about 30 minutes before cooking. Cut the 1/4 head of lettuce into very thin shreds. Trim end on green onions and cut into fine chops. Break the 2 eggs into a small bowl. Beat the eggs with a small fork. Cooking Instructions: Use a pan/wok, set stove at high. Add 3 tblsp of cooking oil. Wait until oil gets hot. Add the marinated ground beef. Cook for about 1-2 minutes. Remove. Add another 2 tblsp of cooking oil to the pan. Add the beaten eggs. sprinkle about 1/4 tsp of salt on top. Use the spatula to break up the eggs into pieces while cooking. Remove when the eggs are cooked, about 2 minutes. Add another 3 tblsp of cooking oil to the pan. Wait until oil gets hot. Tip: to prevent frying the rice too long on the pan/wok (which tends to harden the rice grain), first use the microwave to pre-heat the steamed rice for 4 to 5 minutes at high. Add a few spoonful of water before heating and cover it as to keep the rice moist. Add the pre-heated steamed rice to the pan/wok. Keep using the spatula to break up the rice lumps. Add the shredded lettuce. Continue to stir well, and cook for about 3-4 minutes. If you like MSG, here is the time to sprinkle a few onto the fried rice. Continue to stir and fry. Return the ground beef and eggs. Stir well. In the final minute, splash in about 2 tsp of light soy sauce. Stir well. Transfer the fried rice to a serving plate. Picture of the finished dish.

Today I saw my second episode of Kylie Kwong's program on Discovery Home: Kylie Kwong: Simply Magic. Episode: New Shanghai The show did a little bit of her food adventure in Shanghai, and then zoom in to her recipe demos in the studio. I wish they would air more of the former. The 3 featured recipes: Crispy Prawn Wontons with Sweet Chilli Sauce Chinese Iceberg Lettuce Salad Sweet and Sour Pork (The complete recipes here) They showed her eating jian bao (round potstickers) in Shanghai. How that inspired her to make Deep-fried wonton with shrimp filling (no pork). I don't know. She ate some salad on the side in Shanghai (I think the total airtime of her food adventure on this was something like 15 seconds), then it inspired her to make Chinese Iceberg Lettuce Salad. She saw some appentice rolling marinated pork in flour to prepare for sweet and sour pork... then it inspired her to make sweet and sour pork! (That makes sense.) You guys are right!... she puts sichuan peppercorn in everything... grind that and sprinkle on your "Chinese" salad. And fish sauce... "Sweet Chilli Sauce" for sweet and sour pork. I want to watch all 8 episodes! So I can find something to write about...

A few days ago I went out to have lunch with some coworkers. They wanted to go to Safeway and pick up some sandwiches. I did not want any sandwich. What else do they have? Then I saw some Chinese take-out entrees such as sweet and sour pork (what else? ), chow mein, beef with broccoli, etc.. I really didn't think much of these Chinese food take-outs typically. But between a cold-cut sandwich and a hot entree, I would rather have the latter. I proceeded to order some potstickers, and didn't have any high expectation. But... they surprised me! The taste was actually pretty good! It was the only Chinese food item I tried that day. If I am dragged to have lunch inside the Safeway market next time, I might try their other Chinese take-out items. My FIL used to work as a cook for the local Reiley's market before he retired. He was hired to cook these Chinese take-out items for the market. Whether he was given a wok to cook, I don't know. Has any of you tried Chinese food take-outs inside American super markets? What are your impressions? Any pleasant surprises?

I cannot agree to "Cantonese food is overrated". Of course one would say that I am biased. I am a Cantonese. I think that a majority of the "Chinese" restaurants in the U.S. is mediocre. They don't do justice in giving good impression of what real Cantonese has to offer in terms of taste. I don't know what Discovery used as a measure in determining the "food capital" of China. In terms of taste? Variety? Simply number of restaurants per capita or per square kilometer? I think in whichever measurement, Beijing would not be at the top. It seems to be just a casual assertion. Just taking a look at the variety of food Cantonese has to offer: - Stir-fries, Cantonese seafood - Cantonese BBQ - Clay pot dishes - Hot pot - Dim Sum - Preserved sausages and ducks - Noodle soup (wonton, etc.) - Congee Each one of these categories contains many dozens of varieties. From my travels inside Mainland China, I just haven't seen something comparable yet. Or maybe I am way off.

Is that coleslaw? I thought they are some thin noodles! Thanks for your picture. That looks lovely!

Two weeks ago I watched the premiere broadcast of the program: Discovery Atlas: China on the Discovery Channel. This first episode featured China. In the program, there was a small segment on Beijing. The narration said "Beijing is the food capital of China". I was thinking "What?" immediately after I heard that statement. The clip featured some cooks working in the restaurant kitchens in Beijing - just some generic shots. I felt: Where did the Discovery channel research staff get their information? Since when did Beijing become the food capital of China? The capital, yes. The cultural capital, maybe. The food capital? Hmmm??? Years ago when I was in Beijing, the one thing I liked and longed for was Peking Duck. Over the past 2 decades, things have much improved. But... The show seemed to be carefully avoiding the mentioning of Hong Kong. Perhaps because of Hong Kong's "special" status. It is China and it is kind of not China enough? If they turn their head and not look at Hong Kong, how about at least look at Guongzhou or Shanghai? Beijing - "THE" food capital of China. Do you agree?