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Thank you for your kind words, Sencha and Erik. I recently made this dish again and this time with firm tofu instead of silken ones. The texture is sure different. I think I like it both ways. I would probably alternate in the future.

I am not an orthodox Sichuan cook. I usually cheat - I just use peppercorn powder. Especially when I only need a small amount. Quite a time saver.

Siu mai's, at least conventionally, have open tops, not closed. Cantonese wontons have closed tops, or else the filling tends to fall into the soup. What you described seems to be the "Hung Yau Chow Shou" [Cantonese pronounciation], or Shanghainese wontons, which looks like this:

Thank you all for your comments and kind words. Food dye? I never thought of it. I supposed it's possible. I never really read the fine prints on the package (if they state it at all). We get the same kind of noodles in Hong Kong though. The reason why I separate the soup and noodle/wonton boiling water: These noodles (and wonton wrappers too) bear a lot of soda-based substances. The taste is a bit nasty. While I can use the same boiling water for wontons and noodles, definitely keep the soup separate. And my father-in-law, as many other Chinese do too, eats these noodles with a spoonful of red vinegar. They believe in neutralizing the alkaline substances with acid to avoid kidney stones.

I am confused. Whose recipe is this? The 2 recipes looked identical. Qing: were you trying to comment on JH's recipe?

#54, Cantonese Wonton Noodle Soup (鮮蝦雲吞麵)

Cantonese Wonton Noodle Soup (鮮蝦雲吞麵) Being a native Cantonese, I grew up eating wonton noodles. To us, this is the ultimate comfort food. Making wonton at home takes a little bit of work. But having the freshly wrapped wonton in soup with noodles as good as those made in Chinatown right at home is well worth the efforts. Involve your young children in wrapping the wontons. It is quite fun for kids. That's right, just like wrapping ravioli. If you make more filling than you can consume in one meal, I would advise to freeze the filling and the wonton wrappers separately in the freezer. Wrap the wontons only shortly before you cook them. Picture of the finished dish: Serving Suggestion: 4 to 5 Preparations: Main ingredients (from left, clockwise): - 1 lb of ground pork - 1 lb of shrimp with shell (or without shell) - 2 stalks of green onions - about 10 prigs of cilantro - 1 package of Cantonese wonton wrappers - 1 package of Cantonese egg noodles (see next picture) - (not shown) some fresh vegetables Typically wontons are made from fatty ground pork. I personally like to use lean pork. Adjust this for your personal taste. You may also use ground chicken or ground turkey in place of the ground pork. The typical ratio of ground pork to shrimp is about 1 to 1 by weight. These are the egg noodles and wonton wrappers (wonton skins) that I like. In choosing the best noodles: the noodles should look yellow (from the eggs), not white (without eggs); very thin; prepared fresh and sold in the refrigerator section (versus the dried noodles). The wonton wrappers should also look yellow (from the eggs) and thin. There are many kinds of "dumpling" wrappers. Do not buy the thick, white dumpling wrappers that are only suitable for Northern Chinese dumplings (which are also called wonton). I prefer to wrap small wontons and have more of them in a serving than to wrap big wontons and have few of them. Trim off the shrimp head. Shell and devein each shrimp. Depends on the size of the shrimp you get. With the size of the shrimp shown in the picture, cut the shrimp into halves or 3 pieces. Place all the shrimp pieces in a bowl. Marinate them with 1-2 tsp of sesame oil, 1/4 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of corn starch. Mix well. Use a medium size mixing bowl. Add the ground pork. Add 1 tsp of sesame oil, 1/2 tsp of ground white pepper, 1-2 tsp of ShaoHsing cooking wine, 1-2 tsp of light soy sauce, 1-2 tsp of corn starch and a pinch of salt (suggest: 1/4 tsp). Mix all the ingredients well. At the end, combine the marinated shrimp with the ground pork. Mix well again. Prepare some fresh vegetables with the wonton noodle soup. Here I used some Taiwanese bok choy. In general, prepare about 1 stalk of small vegetable per person. In the restaurants, they like to cut these vegetables lengthwise into 4 quarters because that's better for presentation. I found that a lot of dirt can be trapped where the leaf paddle joins the stem. At home, I like to peel off each leaf and wash it under running water to get rid of the dirt. Take each "ball" of egg noodle out of the package and shake it loose, make it fluffy before cooking. To wrap the wontons: Take the wonton wrappers out of the plastic package, about 20 or so at a time. Break one egg and beat it well. Use this as a "glue" for the wrapper. To make each wonton wrapper separate easier during wrapping, fan out the wrappers. Grab the stack of wrappers between your left thumb and index finger. Hold tight. Grab the other side of the stack between your right thumb and index finger. Twist your left and right wrists in opposite directions a few times. The wrappers will fan out nicely. To wrap each wonton: first lay a sheet of wonton wrapper flat on your palm. Use a small spoon, dip into the bowl of beaten egg, and use the back side of the spoon to spread a thin layer of beaten egg on top of the wrapper. Use another spoon to scoop up some wonton filling and place on top of the wrapper. Try to get one or 2 pieces of shrimp in the filling. Curl up your fingers towards your palm. Use the other hand to give the edge of the wrapper a few pinches to close the top of the wonton. Continue to wrap the rest of the wontons. As a general guideline, prepare about 7 to 12 wontons per serving, depending on the size of your wontons and how hungry your family is. Here I wrapped about 2 dozens of wontons. Trim and finely chop the green onions and cilantro. Put them in a bowl to serve as a condiment at the dinner table. Cooking Instructions: I fully utilize the multiple burners of my stove. On one, start boiling 2 cans of chicken broth. (Typically prepare about 1 can of chicken broth per serving.) Use a medium size pot, boil about 1/2 pot of water on a second burner. First add the vegetables. Boil the vegetable for about 2 to 3 minutes until soft. Remove and drain off excess water. Use the same pot of hot water for boiling the noodles. Wait until the water starts boiling again. Add the egg noodles. Cook until el dante, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use a third pot to boil 1/2 pot of water. This is for cooking the wontons. I like to keep the wontons separate from the noodles. Definitely don't use the chicken broth to boil the noodles. Use plain water to boil the noodles and discard the water afterwards. The wontons take about 3 to 4 minutes to cook through in boiling water. When done, they will float to the top as shown in the picture. Be sure to use a pair of chopsticks or a wooden spoon to stir and separate the wontons occassionally during cooking so they won't stick together. When the noodles are el dante, remote from the pot and run some cold water over it. Drain off the excess water. To assemble the wonton noodle soup: Use a medium/large size soup bowl, place the noodles at the bottom. Add the cooked vegetables. Scoop the cooked wontons into the bowl (but not the water). Finally, add the boiling chicken broth onto the bowl. Serve immediately. (Picture of the finished dish) Add a few drops of sesame oil on top when served. Condiments: Chopped green onions and cilantro, ground white pepper, light soy sauce and red vinegar.

I went and did some more shopping in 2 local stores in Sacramento for more ideas on the burners and woks. At Kwan Hing, I saw a couple of burners that look like this: I kinda rejected the top one because it has only 2 rings and the gas outlets are tiny. But the bottom one caught my eyes. A close up look: It has 6 rings! Diameter of the outer ring is about 8 inches. Nice! US$59.00 I went to a third store, SF Market, and I found they have boxes and boxes of one model: 4 rings. US $42.00. I would prefer to have something with a bigger heated surface. This model may be too small. On for looking at some woks. I picked up this one at the store: Stainless steel. Too light. Too small. 16 inch diameter. I don't realize people use such a small wok to cook! I think this is definitely too small for me. A big problem when doing a stir-fried dish for more than 2 people - not enough room to stir the ingredients. And I picked up another wok, about 18 inch in diameter: Stainless steel I think. I like the feel of it. The label said "Beijing Wok". Then it darned on me that this is the same make as the one I looked at in Wing Wa (Store #1 posted earlier). No wonder I like it! At least I am consistent! It also darned on me now that I should have read the labels on the burner to get their BTU/hour rating. But these stores are very unorganized and merchandises are not very well labelled. The search is still on...

Sorry... I need to ask: What are you not able to get of good quality in NY metro area? Not trying to be cute. I am unfamiliar with what's available in the NY area. I thought you can get pretty much everything since there's enough Chinese immigrants in NY. I like one place that serve Shanghainese/Taiwanese food: 一條龍北平麵點 301 W. Valley Blvd., #110-111, San Gabriel, CA 91776 626-282-5953 Not quite sure what their English store name is. Perhaps you can call them and find out. I like their Xiaolongbao and beet stew noodle soups. They have some stir-fried entrees (e.g. fish) and Shanghai/Taiwanese "baos" kind of thing that I also like. (e.g. the thousand layered cake? Ja Bing [Mandarin]??? - it is pan-fried. You can peel off rings and rings of the fried dough to eat. Very tasty.) For hot pot (all you can eat), I think it's this one: 海星自助海鮮火鍋 Sea Star Hot Pot 740 E. Valley Blvd. Alhambra 91801 626-282-1883 that I tried a while back. They might have changed hand. I think they used to be "Coriya Hot Pot". If you like Hong Kong style "western food" (not sure if you do)... there is "JJ Cafe" that I really like: J J Hong Kong Cafe Address: 447 W Garvey Ave # 102, Monterey Park, CA 91754 Phone: (626) 280-3833 I really love their Hong Kong style Curry Beef (over rice or spaghetti) and their red bean shaved ice. They have other things such as Seafood Black Pepper Udon that I like. There is also this big shopping mall complex (big in Asian store standard) at the corner of S. Del Mar Ave and W. Valley Blvd in the city of San Gabriel: (Anchored by a 99 Ranch Market). You can park your car there and just stroll around to find the eatery that you like. They have an Islamic Chinese restaurant there, Sam Woo (very good Cantonese BBQ and Cantonese stir-fried entrees... very crowded) and some other styles (e.g. Taiwanese). Go with the ones that are crowded. (Note: my recommendation has a Hong-Kong Cantonese bias. Take it for what it is.)

jo-mel: both woks shown in the pictures have round bottoms. A standard, 20 lb, portable propane tank. Thank you all for your indulgence! I figure that through sharing my own search it may help some readers think and evaluate what kind of woks/burners would be best for them.

janiac: Thanks for sharing your result. Malt sugar is really hard to deal with. I didn't like the work involved using it either. Brown sugar sure works really well too.

#53, Shrimp Paste Wrapped in Bean Curd Sheets (鮮蝦腐皮卷)

Shrimp Paste Wrapped in Bean Curd Sheets (鮮蝦腐皮卷) I bought some shrimp paste (ground shrimp) from a local Asian grocery store. One of the best ways to cook it is to wrap them in bean curd sheets and fry them or fry-then-steam them. You can make your own shrimp paste. Simply shell the shrimp, devine, and put them in a food processor. Grind for 1 minute or so. You can find this dish as a dim sum item in dim-sum restaurants. The ones that are steamed typically have ground pork as fillings. If you like a vegetarian version, you may use reconstituted black mushrooms mixed with shredded bamboo shoots and bean sprouts as fillings. There are different types (different grades) of bean curd sheets. The best ones are fresh (not dried) and are kept in the refrigerator/freezer section in the Asian grocery stores. In Cantonese, they are called seen jook. They are soft to the touch and very flexible. In my opinion, they taste the best. The second best ones are dried and sold in a plastic package. In Cantonese, they are called foo jook. In dried form, they are very brittle. They need to be soaked in water briefly before use. Picture of the finished dish: Serving Suggestion: 2 to 3 Preparations: Main ingredients (from lower-right, clockwise): - 1 lb of packed shrimp paste (or have about 1 1/2 lb of shrimp with shells, shell them and grind your own) - 1 stalk of green onion - 1 pack of dried bean curd sheets (or "tofo skin"). This pack was loosely translated as "beadcurd sticks"). Use 4 sheets. (Need to divide each sheet in half) - (not shown) 1 chicken egg The shrimp paste (ground shrimp) purchased from the store is unseasoned. If you grind your own shrimp, you may season it slightly with salt, ground white pepper and (optional) 1-2 clove of garlic - pressed. Add the seasoning and pressed garlic in the food processor when you grind up the shrimp. The dried bean curd sheets very brittle. They need to be soaked in water briefly before use. Gently lay 4 sheets of bean curd sheets in a bin of warm water. Soak for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove and drain off excess water. Caution: Do not soak the dried bean curd sheets for too long, or else they will turn very soft and look opaque-white. The best to use if when they look semi-translucent. Alternatively, you may wrap a couple of wet towels around the dried bean curd sheets to moisten them. Use a small bowl. Break the egg and beat it. Use this as a "sealant" for the bead curd rolls. Lay a soaked bean curd sheet on the board. Use a small knife to trim off along the edge on one side to divide one sheet into two (these sheets are usually sold folded up). Just make sure the size of the sheet to use is about 6 to 8 inches on each side. Scoop about 3-4 tblsp of shrimp paste (ground shrimp) and lay it as flat as you can on top of the bean curd sheet. Use a small brush to brush on the beaten egg around the edges. Fold it diagonally. First from the bottom, fold up. Then from the left, fold right. Then from the right, fold left. Then roll up the rest. Brush on a little more beaten egg to seal the end. Continue through the same process to make about 8 rolls. (Not shown: trim and chop up the green onion.) Cooking Instructions: Use a pan, set stove to medium. Add 3 tblsp of cooking oil. Wait until oil is hot. Add all the bean curd rolls. Sear until golden brown, about 3 minutes or so on each side. Turn the rolls over and sear the other side. If you like to eat these rolls when they are crispy, stop here. (Perhaps adjust the cooking time just slightly longer.) Remove and serve. If you want the bean curd sheet soften up a bit, continue. Add about 1/8 cup of chicken broth. Cook with the lid on for another 5 minutes. This technique is very similar to making potstickers: steaming and frying combined. After 5 minutes, the chicken broth is mostly evaporated. Transfer the rolls to the serving plate. Use a pair of kitchen sears, cut up each bean curd roll into 3 to 4 pieces. To make the sauce: continue to cook in the same pan. Add 2 tblsp of cooking oil. Add the white portion of the chopped green onion. Sautee for 20 seconds. Add 1/4 tsp of salt (or to taste). Dash in 1-2 tsp of ShaoHsing cooking wine. Stir well. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add 2 tsp of oyster sauce, 1 tsp of sugar, and 1 tsp of dark soy sauce. Mix well. To thicken the sauce, use corn starch slurry (suggest: 1 tsp corn starch in 2 tsp of water). Adjust to the right consistency. Scoop up the sauce and ladle on top of the bean curd rolls. Sprinkle the rest of the chopped green onions on top. Serve immediately. Picture of the finished dish. (Note: The quantity of food made in this recipe is about twice the portion shown in this picture.)

Cantonese wok versus Northern Chinese wok? I used to work in over half a dozen different Chinese restaurants in San Diego. In the ones that served "old" Cantonese style (read "chop suey, chow mein, moo goo gai pan"), their woks are hugh. Only 2 ears and no handle. And the cooks usually use the flat kind of spatula. They used the big wok even for cooking one small dish of Chicken Chop Suey. Sometimes they used up to 2 spatulas when cooking "big", such as enough house fried rice for the lunch crowd for that day. This kind of woks scale well from small to large food quantity. In the restaurants that served Northern Chinese styles (a mix of Sichuan, Beijing and Hunan), their woks are usually small ones. No ear and one wooden handle. And the cooks usually use not a flat spatula but a big scoop - the one that is used to scoop soup! I saw them used the left hand to hold the wok up, tossed and tossed, and the right hand to scoop up dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili bean sauce, MSG, salt, etc. and stir in the wok.

Thanks Ben Sook. I will see how that works inside the kitchen first. I have the option to use the garage or the back patio.

Ha ha ha... Thank you Chris, Andie and infernooo for your words of encouragement. That skillet (actually there are 2 of them. They are twins. If you take a closer look at their burnt marks you can tell them apart. ) has a special place in my heart too. After all, I have been using them for almost 20 years. I still would use them but may use a wok and the special burner for specific dishes. For the most part, my skillets/frying-pans are adequate in making most of the Chinese dishes that I make, day to day. There are times, however, that I really want to use a wok and a (more importantly) strong burner. Examples are: - Salt and pepper shrimp - Seafood (scallop/shrimp) sauteed with yellow chive - Pea shoots The quick, intensive strong heat is critical in making these dishes... something that is lacking in my kitchen currently. Frying fish is also another instance where using a wok is much better. With a wok, I can tilt the wok at different angles to direct the heat without lifting the fish (which is a no-no in frying fish because the delicate fish meat will fall apart). It is time to take my skill to the next level.

Many who know me on EGullet know that I don't use a wok to cook Chinese food. I have been using flat frying pans to cook all my meals since I came to the USA for college back in the late 70's. I didn't bother with getting a wok primarily because I feel that using a wok without an adequate heat source is not effective. One thing that I always amused myself with is reading online bulletin board comments, that when someone is getting excited about learning how to cook Chinese food... before he/she even buys any Chinese cookbook, the first thing he/she would do is to buy a wok! And... typically... a "non-stick" wok with flat bottom so one can use it over an electric stove, and a plastic spatula. Anyway, things are about to change... All because I happened to see this gas burner for sale in the local grocery market at only US$32.00: It has 4 rings. The diameter is about 8 inches. Just use a portable natural gas tank. Nice. I was hoping to find some burner that uses compressed air to boost the heat but so far I haven't seen one available in the USA. That just got me interested to start a project on my stove and wok shopping. I am posting my photo journal to share with all of you on my thought process in evaluating different burners/woks and related equipment. The burner that I saw, of course, is far less powerful than the one posted by infernooo: My new wok burner, 120000 BTU/hr! but it is still pretty nice to have. Assuming that I am going to get that burner, my next task is to shop for a good wok, then go through the proper way to season it, etc.. In the same shop, I have found only 2 different models. The first one: is a cast-iron wok, about 28 inches in diameter. I rejected this wok right away because: 1) It is very heavy. There is no way to pick up the wok and toss the food around. 2) It has 2 small "ears" but no handle. I like to use the handle to toss the food around when cooking, the same way I do with the frying pans. The second model: is a stainless-steel (I think - but it's all black in color) wok, about 18 inches in diameter. This looks promising. It is not too big, and not too small. It looks just about right. It has a round bottom, not flat. I picked it up with my left hand and practice the tossing motion and it felt about right. I took the second wok to placed it on top of the burner. It wasn't a perfect fit. The wok was too small to rest on the outer tripod. It was resting on the smaller, inner tripod. The wok could wobble a little bit. I am not sure if this would cause problems. I haven't come to any conclusion yet. I need to shop around some more for different wok models and, possibly, burner models. I will make a trip to San Francisco to see better selections if I have too... Any comments and idea sharings are appreciated!

Share 1/2 Dungeness Crab? Really? These crabs sold in our markets are typically a bit less than 2 pound each. Most of the weight goes to shells, the uneditable gills and guts, and the high water content of the crab meat. 2 pound may sound like a lot but it really isn't. I can easily eat one Dungeness crab myself. It's hard to imagine the restaurant shares a crab into 2 dishes.

What do you think is the best way to cook this beast? Anybody? Salt and pepper? White steamed? Typhoon shelter style? Ginger and scallion? I always wonder about these high-end delicacies... what is the best way to pay respect to their ultimate sacrifice?

Re: Ching Bo Leung Here is a picture of the package: I usually double them or triple them (these packages are small) when I cook the soup.

Re: Chinesesoup.com Frozen Chinese herbal soup! What a concept! I wonder if they can eliminate or greatly reduce the freezer burn.

I used to work in Cypress. One side of Disneyland is on Katella Ave. Is 9 miles driving along Katella Ave too far? There is a "Katella Deli" (Jewish deli). Excellent chicken soup and sandwiches. I also like their chicken parmasan. Price is quite reasonable. Katella Deli-Restaurant Address: 4470 Katella Ave, Los Alamitos, CA 90720 Phone: (562) 594-8611 (Near Los Alamitos Race Track). A little bit farther (maybe 11 miles from Disneyland), there is a "Los Alamitos Fish Company". Really really good seafood (grilled, fresh). Price is moderate. May have long line but weekday should be okay. Los Alamitos Fish Co Address: 11061 Los Alamitos Blvd, Los Alamitos, CA 90720 Phone: (562) 594-4553 (Katella Ave crossing Los Alamitos Blvd)

I wish Invision would support an easy way of uploading and sharing audio files, the same way that image files are uploaded and shared.

One caution about BBQ is that: yes Chinese like BBQ... but the Chinese style of BBQ. From my experience, the US Southern style BBQ (Texan, Louisiannan, etc.) such as pulled pork is overly sour for Chinese' taste. Just something to think about. (It's not easy is it?)

sheetz: If I remember it correctly you live in or near San Gabriel Valley (good access to Chinese grocery stores)? Somehow I got that impression. Motivated by Tepee's illustrated, last night I had tried using foo jook instead of seen jook to do shrimp paste rolls. I needed to soak the foo jook sheets in a bin of warm water for about 30 seconds to 1 minute (don't do this for too long - or else the sheets will become overly-hydrated). It does work. (Thank you Tepee) However, I have to say that foo jook is not as tasty as seen jook. Also, seen jook is much more elastic and easier to work with.