annachan

I love soy sauce noodle! With a bowl of plain porridge, it's great anytime of the day! I have to say that I never tried to make this at home as I could get that at many places in Hong Kong and in San Francisco. Now I'm in Australia and nowhere near a large Chinese population, I should learn how to make it. Other than beansprouts, I have seen versions with green onion or chinese chives in them. Some places use onion but I don't like that. I don't mind a sprinkling of toasted sesames on top though. I'm hoping someone here has a good recipe as I can't wait to try it out myself.

Headed over to Canberra Costco's membership office today. I was told that Canberra Costco is scheduled to open July 22 and the Sydney branch the day after. I hope they stick to that schedule!

Seems like I really shouldn't waste my vinegar. I totally would give them away if I know someone who likes that stuff....

Thanks for the suggestion. I did that the other day but only used up a few. I'll have to make quite a lot of egg salad to use up the jar. Good thing this stuff is suppose to last for a long time....

Yes, they were labeled as cornichons! That's why I didn't read the ingredient list. I will from now on since I really don't like this type of pickles sweet.

I love cornichons and picked up a jar at the supermarket the other week. I did not pay attention to the ingredients because I have never done so before. I opened it the other day and noticed these cornichons don't taste the same as the once I'm used to. They taste quite sweet. I looked at the label and noticed the 2nd ingredient is sugar. I don't like my pickles sweet but I would hate to waste an entire jar. So, is there a way to fix this? I was wondering if I can drain the jar of the liquid and than fill it back up with vinegar. My concern is that I may somehow contaminate it and cause them to spoil. I don't want to get sick from it. Any advice on what to do here? Can I safely replace the liquid or should I just toss it?

I think they taught me how NOT to cook....

I grew up on Bovril and just love that stuff! Used to just mixed it in hot water to drink as a broth or add some to rice porridge. Now that we're in Australia, I have been sneaking Vegemite in my cooking. When I want some extra flavor that I would usually use stock for, but don't want to open a box of stock just for that, I put in a spoonful of vegemite. It's been working great. I've added it to gravy, to stew and even some to a laksa like broth.

Looks like Sydney and Canberra Costco will be open soon. They've set up offices for folks to sign up for memberships at both locations. They're hiring as well. The sooner they open, the better!

Didn't know they offered free shipping! Thanks!!!!

Don't know how I managed to miss this thread before. This is just so funny to me. Chow mein without noodle? That's really some lost in translation there. I wonder what chow mein is translated to in Chinese on those menus.... Or maybe someone decided using bean sprout would be a good low carb option....

Dried scallops have a pretty unique flavor. The only thing I can think of that is somewhat similar is dried shrimps. Not so much the tiny ones but the large dried prawns, with shells and heads on. Not sure if that's easy to source either....

This sounds really interesting. Is it just wings cooked in a red sauce? I have some wings in the freezer and may give this a try. Yes. The chicken wings are simmered in the red sauce. When done, they should be soft, almost falling off the bone, but still hold their shape. Browning the wings beforehand will firm them up and add a nice touch of color when they're cooked. Made this last night and it was lovely! I totally forgot to season the wings before browning them, but they still turned out quite well. Will definitely add this to my regular rotation.

The thing is, this book is so expensive in Australia. I think I can get it at about $70 online, but most places sell it for $95 or so. I know I'll be doing some cookbook shopping when I make a trip back to the US....

I grew up eating shark fin as my grandfather and other family members were in the restaurant business in Hong Kong. The problem I have with it now is how shark fins are being collected. I'm a firm believer of using the whole animal. If we kill an animal for food, we should be respectful enough to use the entire animal. I'm not opposed to eating shark fin if the sharks were caught as a whole and we use up all the parts. The way its done now, taking the fins and then dumpling the sharks back in the ocean to die is more than cruel. Being close to extinction or not, you just don't treat an animal this way. If someone cut off a pig's leg to make ham and just let the pig die a slow death, I think many of us would have a problem with it. The last time I was in Hong Kong (Sept 2010), there were even ads on TV urging people not to consume shark fin due to cruelty. When we had a banquet, my husband and I insisted that shark fin not be part of the meal. I know we've had a long tradition of eating shark fin, but we didn't start out treating sharks this way. Once upon a time, the whole shark was being used. Until we start doing that again, I will just have to stick with imitation shark fin, which I love anyway.

This sounds really interesting. Is it just wings cooked in a red sauce? I have some wings in the freezer and may give this a try.

Eggs! One of my favorite pasta dish is just cooked pasta of your choice, a little good olive oil, s & p to taste, and then top with a fried egg (runny yolk) and some toasted breadcrumbs. Break the yolk over the pasta and it's just gorgeous. Egg and rice is another cheap meal. Either a fried egg or two on top of the rice with some soy sauce, or just a simple egg fried rice.

I know the packaged food does specified the initial amount of water and how much you should put in after. However, I don't think it was specified back in the day when they were using this method to cook wontons, dumplings, etc. When we make fresh wontons or dumplings at home, the amount often varies. Therefore, we would began with different pots and different amount of water each time. Even the cup/bowl we use to as a measure for the cold water would differ. Generally, the amount of water added is enough to calm the boil. Sometimes its 2 additions, sometimes its 3. So, a dumpling from each batch is usually tested after the pot comes back to boil after the 2nd addition of water. With dumplings, there are more variables than noodles. When making dumplings, especially when you have several people making them at the same time, the size would vary. Depending on what type of filling you use, that can also influence cooking time.

That's the way we cook dumplings in my family. The only thing I've been told is that it's a timing thing. It'll be interesting to find out if it actually makes a difference in the final product.

Since moving to Oz, I've been having a hard time finding good, crusty bread. The crusty breads I've come across tend to have a thin, soft crust. There is nothing wrong with that, I just prefer a thicker and harder crust. I haven't had any luck at local bakeries (chain and non-chain), supermarkets and at various markets. Where can I find a proper loaf of baguette and such around here?

I probably won't be getting a saw for this anytime soon....but I was going to see if the butcher shop would just cut it in half for me.

I was actually thinking of having that thing in the BBQ to surprise guests! Hubby doesn't think our guests will be amused though....

When we're in Hong Kong, I made sure we got a roasted piglet for a banquet. Hubby has just learned to love pig ears. So, when the pig got to the table, I put the head on my plate and cut the ears off for him to enjoy. Someone else took the rest of the head home for soup. That is kind of what I want to make at home. Roast it whole, eat the parts we can and then use the rest for soups/porridge, etc.

Just checking my FL cookbook now.

I've been seeing pig heads on sale at some butcher shops. $5 for an entire head, raw. I'm tempting to get one to try it. I'm thinking of roasting it. How would one go about prepping it? Would you poke holes with a fork like you do with cracklings? Would you brine it? What kind of seasonings? Wet marinade or dry rub? What temp in the oven and how long?