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Post your questions here -->> Q&A A Sampling of South Indian Breads Authors: Monica Bhide and Chef K.N. Vinod Introduction Kerala, situated in the southern part of India, is one of the most blessed places in the world. It is a gorgeous state boasting luscious green landscapes, magnificent waterscapes, and a cuisine to match. It also boasts a unique and healthy cuisine that has benefited greatly from the influx of settlers and traders throughout the history of India. Kerala hosts Hindus, Christians and Muslims and reflects Portuguese, Chinese, Dutch, French, Arabic and of course the British influence in its cuisine and culture. Chef Vinod, his charming mother, Pushpavathy, and I would like to present to you some of the unique breads from Kerala. We have borrowed a few from the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu as well ( the Dosas and the Idlies) to give you a birds-eye-view of the breads of South India. Most Westerners are more familiar with the standard North Indian breads that are available here in most restaurants, the Naan, the Tandoori Roti etc. We would like to introduce you to an entirely different concept of bread. Perfectly steamed breads made with rice flour and coconut. Some sweetened with jaggery (cane sugar), some drunk with pickles, others alive with peppers. Come join us on this wonderful journey into a world that will entice you. This is a mere sampling to whet your palate. You will notice that some of the preparations require special utensils. We have tried to show you the authentic way in which these dishes are prepared (at the Chef’s home in DC). Where possible we have indicated alternate utensils for the home cook. Many of the utensils, ingredients etc. can be purchased from www.namaste.com (Unfortunately, they do not ship outside of the United States). Banana leaves are readily available at most Korean or other ethnic food stores. A tip: Be sure to read the recipe completely before you begin. Please note that these are the Chef’s rendition of these recipes. There are always regional quirks and variations. Chef Vinod and his mother Pushpavathy. Cracking the Coconut We wanted to start with the basics! This will show you how to crack a coconut. Step 1: You can see that the Chef is holding the coconut and breaking it with large sickle-like knife. I would suggest you take it outside and bang it once or twice on hard cement!! Step 2: Here you can see the cracked coconut. (If you like, drink the water, which is unbelievably sweet. It's even better if you have green, young, tender coconuts). The water of this mature coconut may not be that sweet. Step 3: Here are two very traditional methods of grating the coconut. In the first method, Pushpavathy is sitting on the floor with a floor-based grater and in the second one, we have the grater fixed to the side of a table. Step 4: Being ever practical (remember – “What would your mom say”) I suggest you can also buy a bag of grated coconut, now so easily available! Puttu: Rice flour moistened and mixed with grated coconut and steamed. Ingredients • 1 cup rice flour • ½ cup grated coconut • 1 teaspoon cumin • ½ cup water • Salt to taste Method Mix all the ingredients and set aside. This recipe uses a pressure cooker and a very special cylinder called a Puttu Kutti (some people use bamboo). We will show two different ways to prepare this dish – one using the cylinder (hollow at one end, small hole at the other), one using a coconut shell. You can also create your own contraption to prepare this dish (see method 3 below). Method 1 Add about 8 cups of water to your pressure cooker. Cover and allow the pressure to build. In the meantime, using a spoon, fill the cylinder with mixture. Be sure to pack it tight Place the cylinder on the steam nozzle of the pressure cooker. Cover. Steam for about 3 -4 minutes. Remove the cylinder from the heat. Use a spatula to push out the steamed rice flour cake onto a plate. Repeat process until all the dry mixture has been used up. Serve hot. Method 2 Here we used a coconut shell to prepare the Puttu. Drill a small hole in the bottom of one of the coconut shell halves. Fill the half shell (with the hole), with the mixture. Place the shell on the steam nozzle of the pressure cooker. Cover with the other coconut shell. Steam for about 3 -4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Use a spatula to push out the steamed rice flour cake onto a plate. Repeat process until all the dry mixture has been used up. Serve hot. Method 3 Heat water to a rolling boil in a deep dutch oven or a deep pan. Place a hollowed cylinder in the center (hollowed at both ends). Place the coconut shell (with mixture as described in method 2) on the cylinder and follow directions in method 2. This dish is best served hot. It is traditionally served with bananas, Indian wafer (papadams) and black chickpeas. (We ate it with North Indian style with chick peas). Pushpavathy indicated that in some places in South India, it is also eaten with plain sugar. Puttu Served with plantain and channas Ada: Steamed and stuffed rice flour bread Ingredients • 4 cardamom seeds • 2 small lumps of jaggery • 7 tablespoons grated coconut • ¾ cup hot water • 2 cups of rice flour • A pinch of salt Method Roughly pound the cardamom seeds. If you use a mortar and pestle to pound the seeds, remove the skins after pounding. Alternatively you can use a spice mill, in which case you would leave the skins on. Using a grater, grate the jaggery. Add the powdered cardamom to the jaggery and set aside. In a bowl, mix the water, rice flour and salt. Knead into a loose dough. Divide the dough into seven equal parts. Heat a skillet or griddle or a hot plate on high heat. While the skillet is heating, prepare the bread. Place a banana leaf on the counter top. With moistened hands, place one dough ball on the leaf. Gently begin to press the dough out. Keep pressing and stretching until the dough is about 8 inches in diameter. Now we will add the stuffing. Stuffing 1: Using a spoon, spread about 1 tablespoon of coconut on flattened dough. Stuffing 2: In a small bowl, mix a tablespoon of coconut with a tablespoon of the jaggery mixture. Spread on the flattened dough. Fold the banana leaf into half, press down gently. (If the leaf is too large, trim the edges.) Repeat for all the dough balls. Place the folded banana leaf on a skillet. Brown for 3 minutes on each side (it might be a bit longer depending on how high your heat is). Cover and steam for about 7 – 8 minutes. Serve hot. The perfectly melted and caramelized jaggery oozes sinfulness from the bread. Another version of this dish is called the Kozhi Katta – here the dough is tighter and is stuffed with jaggery and steamed. Pathiri A divine and delicate bread made by the Muslim community (also known as the Moplahs of Kerala). This is the Chef’s own rendition of this South Indian classic. Prepare the dough as you would for Ada. (Some people use coconut milk instead of water to prepare this dough.) A touch of cumin seeds may be added for taste. It is prepared in a similar method as the Ada. The difference is that the dough is flattened out much thinner to obtain the “flat bread” appearance. Serve hot. Dosa One of the most famous South Indian breads. A perfect crisp crepe-like bread prepared with rice and dal (lentil). These days, you can buy packaged mixes from your local Indian grocer. They save the soaking and fermenting time. (you can also purchase these online at www.namaste.com.) Ingredients • 4 cups long grain rice • 1 cup white urad dal ( also called Dhuli Urad) • ¾ cups water (approximately) • Salt to taste • 2 -3 tablespoons vegetable oil Method Soak the dal in water for at least 3 -4 hours. Drain and set aside. Soak the rice in water for at least 4 – 6 hours. Drain and set aside. Put the the dal and a few tablespoons of water into a blender. Blend to a smooth consistency. The trick here is to try to do with it as little water as possible. Remove from blender and place in a bowl. Now add the rice and salt to the blender, again with ½ cup of water. Blend to a paste – this will not be as smooth as the dal paste. Add more water if needed. Add the rice batter to the dal batter and mix well. Your batter should have the consistency of thick pancake batter. Leave the batter to ferment overnight. This needs a warm environment. I generally warm the oven. Turn it off and then place the batter in it to ferment. An oven with a pilot light works well as well. Now we are ready to make the dosas. Heat a non-stick skillet. Using a paper napkin, dipped in a bit of oil, wipe the skillet. Using a small glass bowl or a metal bowl (anything with a flat base), pour a ¼ cup of batter onto the skillet. Using the bowl, make concentric circles to spread out the dosa. Sprinkle a few drops of oil to prevent the dosa from sticking. You will begin to see small bubbles forming and the dosa will begin to crisp. Using your spatula, carefully roll the dosa off the skillet. Serve hot. There are many ways to stuff the dosas. You can also eat them plain with your choice of chutneys. See the Indian Forum for some lively discussions on Dosa and some noteworthy chutney recipes. Uttapam: A savory pancake topped with chopped bell peppers, onions and cilantro. Serve with your choice of chutney. Ingredients • Leftover Dosa batter • 1/4 cup, each, chopped bell peppers, onions and cilantro leaves Heat a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Pour a ¼ cup of batter onto the skillet. (If you have a large skillet you can make more than one at a time). Add a generous helping of the mixed peppers. Cook for about 2 minutes. Flip over and cook for another 4 -5 minutes. Serve hot. Appam Madhur Jaffrey once described Appam as a marriage between a French crepe and an English muffin. This classically Keralite dish consists of rice batter mixed with coconut and fried like a pancake in a wok called cheena chatti (This wok gets its name from the fact that it was historically a Chinese utensil. This shows the influence of the Chinese on this cuisine). Ingredients • 1 cup rice • ½ cup water • ½ cup coconut milk • Salt to taste • 2 tsp.sugar • Pinch of baking soda Soak the rice overnight. Drain. In a blender, blend the rice with 1/2 cup of water and half cup of coconut milk. Place the batter in a bowl. Take about 3 tablespoons of the batter and place it in a small non-stick pan. Bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and add it back to the main batter. Mix well. Leave to ferment overnight (see directions under Dosa for fermentation environments). Add salt, sugar and baking soda to the batter. Mix well. Adjust the consistency if necessary with water (Pancake batter consistency). Heat a small (about an 8 inch) skillet. Add about a ¼ cup of the batter. Swirl the pan so that batter sticks to the sides. It will remain a bit thick at the center (think – French crepe on the sides, English muffin at the center). Cover and steam for about 2 -3 minutes. Once the appam is cooked, the sides appear lacey and the center is spongy. Remove gently from the skillet. Serve hot. Appams are traditionally served with mutton or chicken stew. Idlies These are another famous South Indian treat. These steamed rice cakes have found a happy home in almost every South Indian restaurant abroad. They are served with chutneys and the tantalizing Indian lentil based Sambhar. Many people swear the best way to eat them is warm, drizzled with hot clarified butter (Ghee). Ingredients • 2 cups rice • ¾ cups white Urad Dal • Salt – to taste • For stuffing – Your favorite Indian Pickle *(optional) • cooking spray Method Please note that this dish needs the Idli steamers. You can purchase these at your local Indian grocer or at www.namaste.com. Alternatively you can steam these in small bowls placed in steam baths. These can also be microwaved (a few tablespoons in a glass bowl, and about 4 minutes in the microwave) – although this does alter the taste. They are best steamed. Soak the rice and dal together for 4 – 5 hours. Drain. In a blender, blend the dal and rice separately with a few tablespoons of water to a pancake-like consistency. The Dal should be ground very smooth to make the idli light and fluffy. Mix the ground dal and rice together and let it sit to ferment overnight. Add salt to taste and mix well. Using a cooking spray such as Pam, grease the Idli steamers. Now heat water in a deep pan (the pan needs to be deep enough to hold the steamers and it needs a lid). Place a few tablespoons of batter in each holder If you are going to prepare stuffed Idlies, pour in about a tablespoon of the batter and add half teaspoon of the pickle and then top it off with more Idli batter. (You can use any thick chutney like Mint, Coriander, Tomato or anything of your choice.) Place the steamer inside the deep pan. Cover and steam for about 7 – 8 minutes. Idlies are done (like cakes) when they pass the toothpick test. Uncover. Sprinkle a few drops of water on the idlies. Remove with a sharp knife. Serve hot. Post your questions here -->> Q&A

A chinese wok sauces course for eGCI would be brilliant.

Wesza- It sounds from your post like you are may have been involved in the NYC Chinese restaurant community, as I was. My knowledge of that period is strong and while I don't know everything I do have different memories than those you have expressed. To my recollection the Hunan restaurants of the upper west side date to the mid and late 70's. Hunam located on 2nd Ave and Uncle Tai's at 1059 Third Ave. were in fact the first Hunan-style restaurants in NYC and in North America for that matter. They opened in the end of 1972 and the start of '73. They were inspired by a trend in Taipei where the well respected Chef Peng opened a very popular Hunanese restaurant a few years earlier. He eventually wound up in NYC as well (on east 44th St.). The menus of these restaurants were filled with specialties 'never before served in NYC' as the ads read, and featured items that Chef Peng had popularized in Taipei. Dishes like Lake Tung Ting Shrimp (brocolli & egg white), Vegetable Pie (mock Peking Duck), Tung-an Chicken, Honey Ham w Dates, Homemade Pock-marked Beancurd (Chef Peng's Beancurd), were truly exciting to experience. The restaurants along upper Broadway, which were centered in the 90's (street numbers), Hunan Cottage, Harbin Inn, The Great Shangahi, Eastern Garden, The Pomegranate Garden, Chuan Hong, Shanghai Cafe, Szechuan, were just some of the names, constituted an exciting and resaonably authentic food experience. While a number of the Northern and Shanghai restaurants predate the early 70s, the Hunanese restaurants all date from '75/'76 or later, some years after Hunam & Uncle Tai's. As for authentic Szechuan restaurants and chefs. The Chinese government did send teams of chefs to NY, but again this was years AFTER this cuisine hit the streets. Szechuan Pavillion (1975/6?) was the Manhattan restaurant that was famous for having a mainland kitchen crew. By the way, on the occaisions I dined there, I never thought the food was of the same quality as that of the best chef's at NY's top woks. I for one, had no trouble finding excellent professional chefs who knew and specialized in great Szechuan restaurant and banquet cooking. The Four Seas, one of the earliest players, was located in the Wall Street area, and was first reviewed in The Times in (I would guess) 1966. It's chef, Lo Huey Yen (Uncle Lou) was one of the great Szechuan chefs of his generation, not just in the states, but worldwide. He was the family chef to the preminent 20th century Chinese painter Chang Ta-Chien. A year or so later he formed a partnership with Robert Chow and the recently deceased David Keh and opened Szechuan Taste on a corner in NY's Chinatown. I believe this to be the first dedicated Szechuan restaurant in the US. It was followed a year or two later (1969) by Szechuan at 95th & Broadway. Another great chef, 'shorty' Tang ran the kitchen there. He prepared very clean and highly authentic Szechuan food. Tragically Chef Tang passed away not long after that, but his family opened Hwa Yuan Szechuan at 30 East Broadway which became a mecca for Szechuan food fans. Generations grew up on their spicy cold noodles and carp braised in hot bean sauce. This was an era of fine classic authentic cooking, prepared by chefs trained in China who had learned pre-1949. In those times one could staff a kitchen with elite, highly trained professionals, something that became much more difficult just a few years later as the seasoned chefs grew too old and as the industry expanded and its labor pool became dilute and spread thin.

Pad Kee Mao is “drunken noodle” as “Kee Mao” means a drunk in Thai. A lot of dishes as so called “kee mao” because we Thais believe that certain spicy dishes are good with alcohol. Pad kee mao ingredients: meat (chicken, beef, shrimps, etc.), oil, some garlic and chilli chopped together, fish sauce, a tiny pinch of sugar, a wee bit of Chinese dark soy sauce (optional), egg (optional, most likely none), a big handful of Bai Krapow (holy basil) and kway teo (flat rice noodles). Also optional, onions, bell peppers, and other vegetables (Americanized version). Into a very hot wok or large sautéed pan goes the oil, then the garlic and chillis, stirring very vigorously to avoid burning them. As soon as you can smell the garlic, throw in the meat, stir a couple times, then add fish sauce (and dark soy sauce) and a pinch of sugar, stirring again vigorously too cook the meat. When the meat is almost done, stir in the noodles, keep flipping, then at the last minute add the basil. Pad see ewe ingredients: meat, oil, some chopped garlic, Chinese dark soy sauce, Chinese broccoli, fish sauce, egg, a biggish pinch of sugar, and kway teo. Pad see ewe is made with pretty much the same method. As for the noodle, your best bet is to find fresh, unrefrigerated ones, though I’ve once had to use the noodles that had been previously refrigerated. I found that steaming them first helped me to loosen the sheets.

I think I had this in Palermo's vucciria market, but without the ricotta and caciocavallo. The vendor stood next to a large propane cylinder topped with a burner and what looked like an inverted hubcap (the Sicilian wok?). He slid a few very thin slices of some kind of meat (parlo un po, ma non siciliano) into a pool of hot fat, then scooped it onto a hard roll. A half lemon was squeezed over the meat, and I sucked it down. If my wife wasn't already wandering off toward a rack of leather goods, I would've eaten a few more. Jim Exactly -- this is generally called 'panino con milza' which is generally spleen and with a bit of lung sometimes. I have never heard the word 'vesteddi' used in this context (and Google only lists articles about that particular restaurant with that word. Traditionally this is served on a sesame seed bun (the Arab influence) and Sicilians claim this is the ORIGIN OF THE SESAME SEED BUN for fast food. You can get it all over Palermo, especially at a place called Antica foccaceria di San Francesco in front of the church of the same name. There they have it simmering in a big vat with an inch thick layer of saturated fat on the top, that they occasionally mix back into the juice. The two cheeses are quite correct as well. It's really good. There are some pictures on this page here

This blows. I mean, I'm happy for you guys, and all, but this does nothing for folks like me in San Francisco. It's all just one big tease. Even the picture, jeez, was that really necessary? On the other hand, I've already got a bag of peppercorns. But I'm worried about the day I run out. Don't you feel it, now, too? It's a good sized bag for a buck, sure, but do you really want to be invested like this? You're making a dish you love that does great with a really big pinch of the peppercorns (neatly discovered after a dozen or so recipes and halfway through the bag), and you hold back a little, thinking that if you drop a couple back in the bag the dish will probably be just as good, and you may be able to stretch this dish, this habit, out a couple more months? Instead of cooking you're managing resources. Putting off the inevitable. Envisioning putting Dunlop's book in a plastic bag and throwing it in a closet or something. Or giving it away, it doesn't matter. All you got is your memories. And your wok that no longer smells of sichuan pepper. But it's ok, Cantonese food is, you know, all right.

I'll add my two cents from observation (I've not cooked fresh rice noodle Thai dishes, though I have cooked chow fun): when I order guaytiaow phad kee mao at my favorite place in Bangkok, they bring the noodles out from the kitchen/washing up area in the back in a plastic basket --- already pliable in a little pile so I'm thinking they dip or rinse them with hot water. The wok jockey up front adds what looks like 1/4 cut oil to a VERY hot wok, oil heats up and is swirled around a bit, and when smoking noodles go in with a wee bit of fish sauce. Stirred around vigorously for just about a minute. Noodles come out, rest of ingredients go in with just a little more oil. When their cooked noodles go back in to be mixed with the rest, another wee bit of fish sauce, and that's it. Basil leaves are added at the last minute. If phad siiew, a good Tbsp of black soy is added to the wok WITH the noodles on their first fry, so that the soy soaks into and flavors them. Trillium is right --- heat is crucial. Not only so that the noodles don't stick but also so that they get sufficiently smoky in taste. BTW, what are "Drunken" noodles? Good luck.

Hi steve If the Portland you mean is Portland, OR, then you're right, I haven't seen any unrefrigerated either. In other cities I've lived in I usually could find them on the counters at bakeries or snack shops. I'm sure they can be found here in Portland, maybe at the place that actually makes them, but I haven't seen them at An Dong, Pacific Supermarket, or any of the shops on Sandy Blvd or 82nd Ave. I'll confess I'm having trouble picturing a big block with serrations. The way I usually buy them is a long sheet folded into a square of several layers. This block fits onto a styrofoam tray and is wrapped in plastic. If they've been in the fridge then the block will break in the folded area, but I've never seen them serrated, sometimes just sliced. Anyway, the treatment is about the same. You don't want to precook them at all, which you learned, boiling water is too hot for them. You want to rinse them in hot running water which is comfortable to have your hands in. The idea is to get them pliable enough to pull apart but not make them waterlogged. Something to know is that they're already cooked, they're made by steaming a batter of rice flour and water, so they're very different from wheat noodles. Try to get them into 1 or 2 layer thicknesses (1 layer is best, but sometimes it's impossible to pull them apart without breaking them) and the length that you want (by cutting or breaking the serrations). I'm guessing that your thick noodles were really more than one layer, and they needed to be pulled apart. Then pat them dry if they have a lot of water on them and toss them around so they stay fluffy not lumpy. What I do is dump them from the cutting board onto a clean dishcloth and toss and dry on that. Usually they don't have too much water because they're coated in oil so the water runs off. If you're frying 1 lb of noodle and you have a nice big frying pan (12 inches or more) then you can do them all at once if you make certain your pan is preheated and you let the oil get hot enough as well (peanut oil works well because it has a very high smoking point). To give you an idea of timing for preheating a pan on my stove you could go look at the numbers I gave for stir frying veggies in the southern Chinese cooking class here. A well seasoned cast iron pan or iron pan or wok works best, the stainless steel will be too sticky and the nonstick will not let you get as nice of a sear. If you're having tons of trouble you could start out with nonstick and then switch once you get comfortable. I don't think you'll need 1/2 cup of oil, although it might be easiest to start out with that amount, but you'll end up with very greasy noodles. I probably use 1/4 - 1/3 cup of oil total for both the noodle and the other ingredients, but when I just started I remember I used a lot more oil. You want to fry them until they're soft, and it's better to underestimate their doneness and add the rest of the ingredients, then to overcook them and end up with a soggy, oily mess. I've never timed it, but they're done pretty quickly when you're tossing them around at a high temp. There are some very accomplished cooks around and hopefully they'll add their advice to mine. Cooking fresh rice noodles at home does take a little practice, but I'll bet it will go much better next time. regards, trillium

I think I had this in Palermo's vucciria market, but without the ricotta and caciocavallo. The vendor stood next to a large propane cylinder topped with a burner and what looked like an inverted hubcap (the Sicilian wok?). He slid a few very thin slices of some kind of meat (parlo un po, ma non siciliano) into a pool of hot fat, then scooped it onto a hard roll. A half lemon was squeezed over the meat, and I sucked it down. If my wife wasn't already wandering off toward a rack of leather goods, I would've eaten a few more. Jim

trillium -- thanks a lot. That could really help. The noodles I last used came from a refrigerated section (I don't know of any stores in Portland that sell them unrefrigerated, but I'll certainly look harder in the future). They were in folded into a block, but presliced, sort of. That is, one big block with serrations where you could break the sections apart. I had wide, relatively thick noodles. I tried to put the noodles in a pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes to loosen or cook them. Then I added them to the wok where the rest of my sauce was cooking. Bad idea!!! So I guess I need to figure out the best way to unstick the refrigerated noodles first. Rinse with hot running water? Cold soak? Hot soak? Then, dry and separate noodles. Next, fry in batches with lots of oil (I'm assuming a half cup or so???) Any suggestions on length of frying? Finally add back in with other ingredients for a final few stirs. Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

jo-mel, Way off It's a herb and used sparingly as a herb, never as a veggie. But you bring forth a mouthwatering reminisce of amaranth; tender, earthy, satisfying. Truly a south Chinese "soul food", especially flash wokked with shrimp sauce(haam ha) and slivers of ginger.

Mr. Kinsey- I have a few small questions to ask you, about cookware. Your comments on this website have been insightful, extremely well-articulated, and enormously helpful to me. As an amateur chef, I have been seeking to learn more about cooking for almost two decades, and I've found few websites, or books, that have been as effective as your comments in helping me gain a better understanding of cooking techniques. My cookware consists of a set of anodized aluminum Calphalon which I purchased years ago, thinking that it's better than it is. A couple of saucepans, a 10 inch saute, a 12 inch saute, 8 inch and 10 inch omelet pans, an 8 quart stockpot, and a Calphalon wok which I don't like at all. I also have a 5 liter wide bottom pot, high sides, Matfer stainless with aluminum disc, I think, which I bought from a French chef at a cooking school in Wheeling, Illinois where I take classes occasionally. I'm not sure about the specs on that pan, but it's sturdy, nicely sized for boiling pasta and simmering Bolognese and other sauces, but too small for simmering chicken or veal stocks. I also have a 10.5 inch covered stainless saute, All-Clad, which I like, purchased at outletsonline.com before I learned from your comments that other stainless cookware is probably better quality and cheaper. And, finally, a cumbersome Le Creuset ridged grill pan. In June, I was delighted to visit Dehillerin for the first time, in Paris. As you can imagine, I was overwhelmed by their inventory, not armed with sufficient information to purchase cookware wisely, so I settled for a set of Guy Degrenne stainless flatware, which, astonishingly, cost little more than $100 for 12 5-piece settings. I digress. I would like to buy one piece of 2.5mm commercial copper cookware, stainless lined, and experiment with it. I would buy it by mail from Dehillerin, or from the factory in Villedieu-Les-Poeles, unless I find a way to return to France soon. Naturally, I would like to select a versatile piece that I'll use often. You have stated that your 11 inch curved sauteuse evasee is perhaps your best and most versatile pan. I've carefully investigated the products made by Mauviel, Bourgeat, and Falk Culinair, and Falk seems to be the only company that makes an 11 inch curved sauteuse evasee. Is this correct? At Dehillerin, I was shown the Mauviel 11 inch Rondeau, lidded, with very high sides and a stated 7.5 liter capacity. It was so big, and so heavy, I concluded that I would not often need a pan that large, given that I rarely cook for more than two. I thought I'd have trouble getting it home with my other luggage. However, I am strongly interested by the 11 inch Mauviel saute, the commercial-grade, with cast-iron stem. I cook pasta regularly, and this pan would enable me to add the pasta to the sauce and finish it. It seems like a wonderful pan, and large enough, to cook an entire chicken, or to use for cooking Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic, Chicken Marsala, various fish entrees, and related dishes, but small enough to be useful for lesser quantities of food. In short, quite versatile. Would you consider this pan to be a good choice for a first experience with top-quality copper cookware? My 8 quart Calphalon stockpot is serviceable for simmering stocks on a snowy Sunday, but I intend to get a larger, cheap stainless stockpot soon. However, my 2.5 quart Calphalon saucepan, though a nice size, drips, and I'd love to replace it with something better. Would you recommend a flared saucepan, if I wanted to go the copper route on that? Would 2.5 quarts roughly, be a good size pan to get, or should I be thinking of a slightly larger pan? I apologize for the length of my post. Like many people, I bought my set of Calphalon years ago when I didn't fully understand the value of buying cookware one piece at a time. The set was so cheap, I thought I had to buy it. My 10 inch saute pan warped, and was replaced by Calphalon, but now, I see that much of the anodized aluminum is being discontinued entirely. Would you mind being so kind as to share any thoughts you may have regarding the pans I've thought of purchasing? I rarely use my frypans, and seldom cook eggs or fry food per se, but I find my saute pans extremely versatile and easy to use. I'd love to hear anything you have to say that might assist me in my next purchase. I live in Chicago, and lots of stores sell cookware, but oddly, the inventories available seem far less extensive than New York offers, not to mention Paris. It's always better to see the pan before you buy, I'm sure you'd agree, but even in a city as large as Chicago, that's not always possible. Thank you very kindly.

Sorry to let this thread lapse for so long...and missing the focus of the response. But, I found a good recipe for the velveting and I consider it essential step in some of the dishes that call for stir frying meat, esp. chicken for a Chinese dish. As noted before...1 1/2 -2 cups of oil heat in a wok to about 275º 1 large egg white 1 tablespoon corn starch 1 tablespoon Cooking Sherry - or Shaoxing Rice wine 1/2 Tsp. salt 1 tablespoon peanut oil (I use oil previosly seasoned from frying chicken and refrigerated for freshness) Coat the chicken pieces and in small batches, pass through the heated oil for about 30 - 40 secs. just until the chicken turns white. If it turns yellow, it will be tough later on. Remove form the oil, and drain and set aside for use in the stir frying. The result: Tender, soft chicken after stir frying in Kung Poa chicken. Definitely, the step I was looking for to gain the texture I found so desirable.

OK to add something to this thread? (Since I found this wonderful site, I've been like a kid in a candy shop!) I have both a big aluminum steamer and several sizes of bamboo ones. I use them all, but prefer the bamboo. Someone asked what else besides fish is steamed. I like Scallops with Black Bean Sauce, but a favorite is Steamed Beef with Spicy Rice Powder. (I wish I could give credit for the original recipe, but I forgot where I found it.) SPICY RICE PSTEAMED BEEF WITH OWDER Ingredients: ½ pound flank steak Marinade: 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce 1 Tbsp. sherry 2 tsp. hoisin sauce ½ tsp. chili paste with garlic 1 tsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. minced scallion 1 tsp. minced ginger 1 tsp. minced garlic 1 Tbsp. sesame oil 1 Tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp. water 2/3 cup glutinous (sweet/sticky) rice, rinsed and soaked 4 hours in hot water. Drain. ½ tsp. five spice powder 1 Tbsp. minced scallion Preparation: ---Slice steak across the grain into pieces ¼ inch thick and 1 ½ inch long. ---Mix the marinade. Add the steak. Mix well. Let marinate 1 hour. ---Place the soaked, drained rice in a heavy dry pan or skillet and stir over medium heat until the rice is golden brown and very dry. ---Remove from heat, place into a blender or food processor with the steel blade and process to a coarse powder. ---Mix the rice powder with the five-spice powder. ---Dredge the pieces of beef in the rice powder until they are well coated. ---Place the slices on a heat-proof plate in one layer, or place them in a steamer tray that has been lined with parchment paper that has been poked with holes or lined with leafy greens. Cooking: --Fill a wok with water to come below the plate about an inch, or to the bottom edge of the steamer tray. --Bring water to a boil and place the plate or tray over the boiling water. --Cover the steamer and steam over high heat for 20 minutes until meat is cooked and rice is tender. --Sprinkle the scallions over the top of the slices and serve. Notes: Instead of glutinous rice, use long grain rice and skip the soaking. Toast the rice till light brown, then pulverize till about 1/3 the original size. Combine with the five-spice powder. Rice crumbs can also be found in Chinese grocers in small cardboard packages, labeled ‘Steamed Rice Powder’. Cream of Rice cereal can be substituted. Toast the cereal, then combine with the five-spice powder.

Yakisoba noodles are meant to be stir fried in a wok with oil over HIGH HEAT. I use them all the time but I have 15,000 BTU burners. Put your oil in your wok and turn the heat on as high as you can go, get the oil hot until it just smokes(peanut is the only oil to use) and add you noodles, the rest is basic heat tranfer and physics. -Dick

Read reviews and do some research and decide what you want...then go hunt... When you know what you're looking for, it makes it much easier to walk away from stuff that looks good, but you're not quite sure about..and you end up buying quality pieces that'll last you a long time, vs. cheap stuff that'll die in a year or two. A friend of mine watches rebates constantly and walked off with a 40$ basic nonstick bakeware set for free through amazon. I'll walk through thrift stores from time to time as well, just in case. Back when I was broke and needed bake/cookware, they supplied me with some decent pyrex pieces. Target also occasionally has some great deals. Sign yourself up to Bed Bath & Beyond's coupon mailing list -they regularily send out 5$ off coupons and 20% off coupons... I use the 20% off ones on bigger appliances like a KA mixer, cuisinart food processor, KA blender, etc. William's Sonoma, BB&B and I *think* Linens 'n Things will pricematch. Anyway, on to the bargains...I heartily agree to the TJ Max & Marshalls thing - just have to sift through the junk that sits on the shelves with the good stuff. I found a Le Crueset 8 qt french oven for 90$ at Marshalls... I've bought cutting boards, mixing bowls, sifters, strainers, wooden spoons and other odds and ends there as well. First place I made a beeline for is their kitchen section... second place I head for is their books... I found the Cook's Illustrated Poultry book there for a few bucks... as well as Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen and a couple others on my list. I've found some pretty fancy looking copper pots stashed in the back behind cheapo t-fal and lower end stuff (I don't need or want copper pots, so they stayed there to be someone elses great bargain). Calphalon put out their anniversary edition of the 10" professional nonstick omelette pan (there's another one out now, either updated or a different model, not sure which) for 24 (or 28, can't quite recall now)$ at Bed Bath & Beyond. The only difference between it and the 80$ version was the box. They have another one now at amazon for about 20$. I also picked up the KA 5qt mixer for about 200$, the cuisenart 11 cup for 150$. Picked up pizza screens from www.katom.com for 3 or 4$ each - beware their shipping costs, however. Picked up 2 used pizza hut 16" deep dish pans for 2$ each off ebay. They're in great shape & work fine! I saved about 15$ on my Henkel's 4 star chef knife at BB&B vs. WS. TJ Max has supplied me with a couple very nice saucepans that have done me well...both were under 30$ and both are clad. I'd have to go look to see what they were exactly... the only complaint I have is with my wimpy wrists, the one, when full, is a pain to pick up and pour. Another place to pop into is Cost Plus Imports... generally they have cheap quality stuff, but you can pick up plain ceramic ramikens there cheap as well as the odd kitchen utensil like a ricer or microplane inexpensively. They have woks and steamers as well as some cast iron and grill utensils...lots of cutting boards, pot racks, etc. I'm just in the process of making out a new shopping/wish list...I need breadpans, sheet cake pans, a new pizza stone, silpat sheets, jelly roll pans, large saute pan, a light saucepan with a pour spout.... the list is getting longer every day...

Following up from Tonkichi's explanation, Sar Hor Fun (or Hor Fun for short) or Kuay Teow are names for flat rice noodles. Ipoh Style Noodles (Yee Poh Sar Hor Fun in Cantonese) refer to the style in which they are cooked - flat rice noodles in a light but intensely flavoured soup made from from pork bones, chicken and prawn heads and topped with shreds of poached chicken, shelled prawns and chives. Another Ipoh style of serving sar hor fun is with a plate poached chicken and a separate dish of blanched bean sprouts dressed with some soy sauce, oil, oyster sauce and pepper. The hor fun is served in a separate bowl either with the chicken soup or dry, tossed with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and some oil. Ipoh is famed for its sar hor fun which are thinner, smoother and springier (or more elastic, doesn't break as easily). As explained by Tonkichi, this is due to the higher alkalinity in the water in Ipoh caused by all the limestone hills around it. The same goes for the bean sprouts - fatter healthier sprouts. Some restaurants in KL supposedly truck the superior sar hor fun from Ipoh daily. (Was watching a program on Discovery Travel & Adventure on the weekend which featured congee, rice noodles in Guangzhou and it mentioned that a certain restaurant in Guangzhou has spring water delivered to it daily for its hor fun making.) The Hor Fun dish that you refer to which is stir-fried with the eggy gravy and seafood is know as "Wat Dan Hor Fun" (Smooth Eggy Hor Fun) or "Kwong Fu Chow Hor Fun" (Cantonese Style Hor Fun). Malaysia Restaurant in Melbourne's Doncaster East does a pretty good Cantonese Style Hor Fun (and KL Style Hokkien Mee too). Char Kuay Teow is found all over Malaysia. Char Kuay Teow is a Malaysian Hokkien dish and Penang is predominantly Hokkien so the Penang style is the preferred version. You can get the Penang style Char Kuay Teow in KL. My mother, the KL native, biasly thinks that the Penang style portions are smaller as Penang Hokkiens are notoriously thrifty (or stingy as my mother would say). There is a slight difference between Penang style Char Kuay Teow and the KL style - the KL one is darker than the Penang one as there is dark soy sauce in it. Whichever style, it must have wok-hei in it as mentioned by Tonkichi. As far as I know all Char Kuay Teow used to be fried with lard albeit Penang or KL style (even better if there is "jue yau char" - pork crackling in it). But with health concerns and halal versions, some are now fried with vegetable oil. Tonkichi - do you mean "see ham" (cockles) when you mention mussels in Char Kuay Teow? Corrected typo

I love rice noodles too. I think in general, Cantonese people in Malaysia prefer rice noodles, e.g. hor fun, mai fun (beehoon) while the Hokkiens prefer wheat noodles e.g. tai-luk meen, wanton mee; at least it seems this way among my family and friends. Also Cantonese like the thinner type of noodles and Hokkiens like the thicker type; a good example is fish head beehoon, my Cantonese dad would go for the thin beehoon while my Hokkien mum would prefer the thick beehoon. Back to Ipoh style noodles... I think it is because the best versions seem to come from Ipoh. My dad thinks it is the water in Ipoh that contributes to a better tasting noodle, which makes it that little more slippery and smooth without addition of oil or other lubricants. The water theory may be right. Ipoh is full of limestone caves, maybe the alkalinity makes the noodles more toothsome? I don't know, just my own theory. The Penang version seems to be the most popular version found all over Malaysia. Penang style means it is fried in lard, with prawns (maybe add crabmeat for luxe version), beansprouts with optional extra of chilli sauce, Chinese sausage (lap-cheung) and semi-cooked mussels. The finished dish is a pale brown, which means little or no dark soy/ sweet sauce is used. Again, some argue that the best version is found in Penang. I've tasted really good Penang style CKT in KL as well as Penang. The critical part is the wok-hei fragrance imparted from a very hot wok by a skillful cook.

Do try asian greens. You can get a good variety of asian greens at the asian grocers / supermarkets in Australia, especially if you're in Melbourne or Sydney. I had the pak choy blanched last night with a bit of salt and sesame oil added to the water to blanch it for some flavour. We had it as a green on the side ... or rather as the green dish of a meal with rice. I was too lazy to stir-fry it in the cast iron wok last night so I just blanched it in the stainless steel wok that I was going to steam the fish in. You can have it blanched and dressed with oyster sauce, stir-fried with some minced/slices of garlic (and some slices of ginger if you like) or add some chicken slices, pork slices, chinese roast pork, char siu, uncooked shelled shrimp or dried shrimp when you stir-fry the pak choy. We sometimes poach some chicken and then blanch asian greens (sometimes broccoli or cauliflower) in the stock once you remove the chicken and there you have it, dinner is done all in one pot.

I steam using a perforated metal insert in a stainless steel wok covered with a stainless steel cover. Like Hest88 and Wena's grandma, I just remove the cover really quickly away from me (so that the steam doesn't hit you in the face) and tilt it to the side so that the condensation drips from the cover back onto the wok and not onto the food. You could also try placing a tea towel on top of the steamer before covering it to abosrb the codensation from the steamer cover when steaming buns.

sorry about that! I never did get a chance to make it, so I will just pass on the recipe, this version is a very simple soup and all the spice comes from the pork topping. In a saucepan, heat up 900ml of torigara soup stock, this is a Chinese style chicken stock usually sold in granule form at the store (you could probably substitute chicken broth) then add 2 Tablespoons of red miso and stir to dissolve, and then season to taste In a wok, heat up 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil then add 1 minced garlic clove 1 minced piece of ginger 1 minced dried chile pepper 1/2 Japanese long onion, minced (substitute scallions) stir-fry until fragrant then add 200grams ground pork 1/2 of a small bamboo shoot, minced when the pork has just lost its pinkness add 1 teaspoon tobanjian 2 teaspoons tenmenjian and stirfry for a couple seconds, then add 180ml of the torigara soup stock bring to a boil then turn the heat to low and simmer until thickened, season to tase Boil according to package directions 4 packs of fresh Chinese egg noodles drain and then place into 4 bowls pour the hot soup over the noodles and then add the pork mixture garnish with finely sliced long onion (or scallion) and more tobanjian and/or sliced dried chile pepper

Post your questions here -->> Q&A The Festival of Lights – Diwali Authors: Monica Bhide with recipes by Sudhir Seth Close your eyes and picture this: You are on a hilltop, looking at a dark moonless sky. The dark night suddenly bursts with brilliant light. Colorful sparkles light up the sky as the firecrackers do their magic. You sense a glow, you look down towards the earth. A stunning view awaits you. Lights as far as your eyes can see. Lights in every shape and size, from small terracotta lamps to large lamps, a visual delight. You start to smell: delicious rice pudding, mouthwatering carrot halwa. You hear the children laughing, the bells in the temple chiming, the sounds of chants and prayers being offered. You feel a sense of warmth and wellbeing. Then you feel as though a gentle hand has patted your head. You, and those around you, have been blessed -- it is Diwali. Welcome, to my memories of the quintessential Indian festival of Diwali or Deepavali (translates to “Rows of Lights”). This festival has crossed boundaries of religion and faith, creating a magical feeling of one community. Passed down through generations, the different intriguing stories of how Diwali originated, all focus on the eternal truth of good triumphing over evil. The festival of lights is celebrated for five days every year during the darkest part of the Hindu month of Ashwin (October/ November). The celebrations include the lighting of lamps and candles and the bursting of crackers. Prayers are offered. Sweets are prepared. There are frantic shopping sprees, spring cleaning of home and repainting of walls. People buy new clothes and in fact, in certain communities, it is absolutely essential to wear new clothes on this day. And if you forgot to snail mail your Diwali greetings, you can always send a quick Diwali e-card. Did I mention, there is one other custom – gambling. It is all in fun, though, in a spirit of merrymaking. Diwali, in North India, celebrates the return of the exiled India God Lord Rama after his enforced abdication as the royal heir to the Ayodhaya (an Indian city) throne. The people of Ayodhaya illuminated the kingdom with earthen lamps to celebrate the return of their king. The business community in India also begins its new year on this day. It is celebrated by inviting the Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth, into the house. According to a myth, Lakshmi will not enter a dark house. So homes are adorned with a multitude of lights and lamps. The lamps also welcome home the spirits of dead ancestors, who are believed to visit on this auspicious night. Prayer or puja is performed to welcome Goddess Lakshmi. In some parts of India, mostly in north India, gambling with cards is an intrinsic part of Diwali celebrations. It is believed that the Indian Goddess Parvati played dice with her husband, Lord Shiv on this day. The legend goes on to say that anyone who gambles on Diwali will prosper throughout the year. Each part of India offers its own legend as to why Diwali is celebrated. In western India, the legend of Diwali focuses on the demon of hell, Narakasura being defeated at the hands of the Hindu God Krishna. The demon was defeated and killed at the dawn of “Narakachaturdashi”. In South India, Diwali celebrates the Ramayana, the 24000-couplet epic that tells the story of Lord Rama. In eastern India, Diwali is celebrated in honor of the Goddess Durga slaying the buffalo demon. Durga is a powerful Goddess holding the javelin of Agni (the Fire God), the trident of Shiva ( The destroyer) , and the discus of Vishnu ( the Preserver). Diwali would not be Diwali without food, and lots of it! Every kind of imaginable sweet dish in multitude of sizes, shapes and colors grace the tables on this day. Savories of every kind are prepared with equal enthusiasm. It is quite amazing to see the variety and the styles of the boxed sweets and baskets now available for Diwali. All the women in our household seem possessed a few days before Diwali! Kneading Chickpea flour for Besan Laddos, frying flour dough in sugar syrup for Jalebis, boiling milk to prepare rice pudding, cutting, chopping, dicing. From Kulfi (homemade ice cream) to Carrot Halwa, the kitchen smelled like heaven on earth. These delectable pieces are first offered to God during prayers and then to the family to eat and celebrate. However and wherever it is celebrated, Diwali is an occasion of joy and renewal. As the Bengali poet and novelist, Rabindranath Tagore, put it: "The night is black/ Kindle the lamp of love/ With thy life and devotion." Chef Sudhir Seth and I would like to present you with some mouth- watering recipes that are served at Diwali meals. Enjoy these simple recipes. We have thrown caution to the wind as we present some Indian favorites (two are even deep-fried ) Chef Sudhir Seth and his team. He is in the middle Aam Ki Lassi (Mango Yogurt Drink ) Serves 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: None Note: You can use fresh ripe mangoes for this recipe if you like. Ingredients • 2 cups plain yogurt • 1 cup canned mango pulp • 1/2 cup water • 10 ice cubes • Sugar to taste (approx. 4 tablespoons) Method In a blender, add the yogurt, mango, water and ice cubes. Blend well. Add more water if you like a thinner consistency. Serve immediately. Aloo Ki Subzi (Cumin Flavored Potatoes) Serves 4 Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Note: Cumin adds a heady aroma to any dish. You can even add dried fenugreek to this dish. Serve with Poori (fried Indian bread) from the recipe given below. Ingredients • 4 medium potatoes, boiled • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil • 2 teaspoons cumin seeds • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, roughly pounded • 1 Jalapeno pepper, slit lengthwise • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder • 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder • 1 small tomato, roughly chopped (optional) • Table salt to taste • Water, as needed Method Peel and dice the potatoes. Set aside. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil on high heat. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and the pepper. Lift the pan off the heat. Add the turmeric, red chili and salt. (The chef has added a bit of water here to show you how to keep the spices from burning ) Place the pan on the heat and add the potatoes. Mix well to coat the potatoes with the spice mixture. Add about 3 – 5 tablespoons of water. (At this point, if you like, you can add the tomatoes and sauté for another 5 minute or until the tomatoes are soft ). Cover and cook for about 5 -6 minutes until the spices have released their flavors. Serve hot garnished with chopped cilantro. Poori (Indian Balloon Bread) Serves 4 Prep Time: 25 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes Note: This is a classic Indian bread – to be enjoyed this is best eaten hot. Ingredients • 2 cups Indian atta flour (whole wheat flour) • 1 teaspoon salt • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil • Water, as needed • Vegetable oil to deep fry Method In a bowl, combine the wheat flour, salt and vegetable oil. Mix well. Add water, slowly and begin kneading. Continue to add a little water at a time and knead until you have a smooth dough that is not sticky, 4-5 minutes If the dough sticks to your fingers, add a little bit of vegetable oil and continue to knead. Cover the dough with a damp cloth or a plastic cover and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 18 -- 20 equal pieces. Roll into balls and cover with a damp cloth. Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a deep pan to 325 degrees F. Roll out each poori to 4 inch circles. Deep fry one poori at a time. Lower it into the oil and use the back of your slotted spoon, to press down lightly on the poori. This will make it puff up. Turn it over and fry for another 20 seconds or until golden brown. Remove poori from the oil using the slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Serve immediately. Shahi Tukra ( Royal Bread pudding) Serves 4 Prep time 30 minutes Cooking Time: 45 minutes Ingredients • 4 thick slices sourdough bread or plain bread • Sugar Syrup: 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 2 -3 cardamom seeds, crushed • Cream Sauce 1 quart milk ¼ lb. sugar • Vegetable oil to deep fry • 1 teaspoon slivered almonds • 1 teaspoon unsalted cashews, roughly pounded • 1 teaspoon raisins • 2 teaspoons slivered pistachio nuts Note: To save time, prepare the sugar syrup and the cream sauce side by side. Method Slice the bread into triangles. Cut off the crusts. (TIP: See the picture – the chef cut off the sharp edges of the bread). Place the bread on a flat tray and refrigerate for an hour or so. This removes the excess moisture from the bread. While the bread is cooling prepare the sugar syrup and cream sauces. To prepare the sugar syrup: Combine the water, sugar and cardamom seeds in a deep nonstick bowl. Heat over medium heat, bring to a boil. Simmer for five minutes. Simmer until the mixture gains a syrupy consistency. Remove from heat and set aside. To prepare the cream sauce: Add 1 quart of milk to a nonstick pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat Continue to cook the milk until it reduces to about 1 pint. During the cooking process, scrap the cream that sets on the sides, back into the milk. Set aside to cool Remove the slices from the fridge. Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep wok to 150 F. Add one slice of bread to the hot oil. The oil will begin to bubble around the edges. Fry for about a minute, flip over and fry the other side. The bread is done when the oil stops bubbling and the color is a dark brown. Preheat the oven to 350 F Remove the slices with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel Now dip each slice into the sugar syrup, remove and place on an oven-proof dish. As you can tell we had a lot of extra syrup that we made.. way more than 1/2 cup! Sprinkle the almonds, raisins and cashews on the bread. Pour on any remaining sugar syrup on the bread. Now pour the cream sauce over the bread. Cover this dish with foil Place in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 175 F. Bake for about 30 minutes Remove the foil. Increase the heat to 500F. Bake uncovered for 1 minute. Remove from heat Sprinkle pistachios and serve warm For more simple Indian recipes: The Spice is Right :blush: Post your questions here -->> Q&A

We've had some interesting Soy Sauce threads on the site before. http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...ST&f=19&t=22120 http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...T&f=19&t=17775& http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST...T&f=71&t=18720& Basically with soy sauce, the first ingredient should be soy beans, followed by wheat, and then water, and you should avoid ones with alcohol and salt as an ingredient. The more expensive organic soy sauces that are whole bean should be used as a condiment or dipping sauce only. The best advice is that you should buy a few soy sauces that are of good quality from different manufacturers and test them out, to find the one you like best. The bottom line is that you can make a very good home style fried rice, but its basically impossible to duplicate chinese restaurant cooking conditions in the home, even with a semi-pro range. Its all in the wok burner and in the restaurant-quality roast pork.

Friends from HK definitely know of "Sing Chow Mai Fun", as do the HK Chinese in Canada. For SE Asians, though, it tastes like wok-fried rice noodles with curry powder and onions... Yecch.

Went twice to A Pacific Cafe. In our opinion, the appitizers were weak but the main courses were EXCELLENT. Appitizers ordered: Deep fried curry oysters w/marscapone and scallion sauce. The scallion sauce was great, marscapone was not needed and the oysters were overcooked. Ahi and Hamachi Sashimi w/maui onion dressing. This was good and refreshing Steamed baby lobster shu mai (dumplings) w/tangerine vinaigrette and jicama melon relish. We were drooling at the sounds of this one, but was very blah. Foie gras spring roll w/scallop. Was good,but not as good as it sounded. Entrees: The "original" wok charred mahi mahi. Mahi Mahi had a garlic sesame crust and was served w/a lime ginger beurre blanc, also Asian stir fried veggies. GREAT, intense lime flavor. I liked it alot. "Imu Style" Slow Braised Duck with Caramel Lilikoi sauce and purple Okinawan Sweet Potato. My wife liked this dish so much she had it both nights. Duck was incredible as well as the bright purple sweet potato. YUM. "Mongolian" Style Rack of Lamb w/Chinese Black Bean Maui Onion Cabernet Sauce. served w/a potato gallete and baby bok choy. WOW, one of the best dishes I've had in years. Reservations are recommended after 7pm, we were there at 5:30pm and 6pm w/out reservations but it filled up fast.