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Ed, what Chinese cookbooks do you like? What is your book going to cover?

One thing I have noticed about Chinese food vs Western is a greater appreciation of texture, particularly gelatinous textures. eg: - Prized products sharks fin, birds nest or abalone, which seems to be prized for texture as much as flavour - Sea slug, fish maw, bamboo pith! - Chicken feet! I wonder what your thoughts are on this one - is there more emphasis on texture that in the West (bearing in mind it /was/ the French who brought us pied de cochon)? How important is texture vis-a-vis taste? Why do the chinese seem to dig gelatinous so much? cheerio J

At the time one is puzzled by the perplexing question of the first Creation of the earth and of man, or troubled about the sources of defeat or victory and success or catastrophe in the Iliad and the Odyssey, some of us are simply pursuing a passion toward the baby pig. Of several conversations I had with Ms. X (an eGullet dining companion), there was none that did not contain a reference to the baby pig she recently tried at New York Noodle Town. Well, since Montaigne wisely noted that among three classes of philosophers (those who claim to have found the truth; those who deny that truth can be found; and those who confess their ignorance and go on searching) only the last are wise, we decided to pursue our search for the truth about the perfect baby pig by setting a lunch date to be held at New York Noodle Town. Using self-exploration to help illuminate the world may be quite noble in some instances but very disturbing in others. In my case, not taking into consideration the late hour we set for the lunch and leaving the house with nothing but three grapes consumed in a hurry, which added to a quite elaborate symphony successfully conducted by my stomach while passing by China town’s cozy little restaurants and cafés with their enticing smells teasing my senses with the provocative images of delightful and tempting food, wasn’t very smart. Well, the good thing about the bad thing is that everything comes to an end, and, in my case, it was the end of my sufferings as soon as the three of us were seated at a cozy table for four. “I am so hungry! All I had today were three grapes,” said Ms. X while browsing the menu. If one could ever think of a better time to start believing in fate or telepathy or any other weird stuff, that certainly was a good one. Not just any hunger, but the “hunger of three grapes” and the thoughts of the baby pig added a communal sense, and bonded us for life. We ordered: Barbecued baby pig Salt baked seafood combination Roast duck with flowering chives Sizzling casserole with chicken and Chinese sausage The baby pig served at room temperature was certainly a star. A nearly perfect execution of crisp skin and tender baby flesh provoked no less than cute little sounds of satisfaction exchanged among us all, not overlapping but rather creating a perfect harmony. The meat was a little tiny bit too salty for me, but again, I may just be a supertaster. The salt baked seafood combination wasn't as good as I remembered it from two years ago. More or less crisp while still hot, it turned soggy upon cooling, like a balloon losing air. The roast duck with flowering chives was very good indeed. Not as crisp as it would’ve been had we ordered duck separately from the chives, the meat was very tender and added a certain ducky flavor to the chives that was definitely worth trying. What I liked the most was that the dish was not overwhelmed with the flavor of the brown starch sauce, contrary to what we had at New Lok Kee in Flushing. The sizzling casserole was quite sizzling when it was brought to our table. We all agreed that it wasn’t spectacular, but pretty good. To be fair, though, we were quite full by that time. I’ll let others chime in with more details. Overall, the food made us happy, and that is probably the best praise one can give. As to Montaigne, he was wrong. We did find the truth about the perfect baby pig in New York Noodle Town.

So, whatever became of this proposed Banquet?

Today, I picked up, experimentally, some frozen prawn and chive dumplings from a supermarket in Chinatown. They were made by Royal Gourmet, a brand that turns out to be a subsidiary of the Royal China restaurant group. The packet listed no ingredients (fairly sure that's illegal; there was a space for them so maybe a glitch) and had no cooking instructions. Another packet of frozen dim sum I looked at said to steam for 15 mins, so I tried that with half the dumplings. They disintegrated. The other half I steamed for half the time. They tasted fine, and if I'm still posting tomorrow evening I guess the food poisoning wasn't too severe. Any tips on how to judge this kind of thing, though, in the absence of directions? Quality-wise, they were just okay. (I note I'd be unlikely to buy equivalent frozen versions of Western dishes. Strange.)

What are best, most popular and newest Chinese restaurants in Paris?

LA has one of the most vibrant Chinese food scenes. You can drive forever through Monterey park and adjacent neighborhoods and see one restaurant after another, from fancy HK style dim sumeries to mom and pop places. What's really good these days? What's new?

Ed - Even though the number of different Chinese cuisines available today is far greater then when I was growing up (70's), I feel like the general quality of Chinese cuisine in NYC has deteriorated over the last 30 years. Do you find this to be the case as well? Or are we just more knowledgable these days and as a result we have become tougher to please? I have found that most Chinese food these days is a mass-produced version of Hong Kong cuisine, especially banquets. If I went to Golden Unicorn, Ping's, Sweet 'n Tart of The Nice Restaurant, could I tell the difference between their Salt Baked Squid?

Hi Ed. So, I wouldn't consider it too terribly unusual in the year 2002 for a nice American boy to become interested in Chinese cuisine. But to become obsessed with it in 1973? Now that's unusual. What happened? What flipped the switch in your head that made you into the Chinese-food guy?

Do you have experience of Chinese restaurants in London. If so, any comments? v

I'd be interested in some examples of dishes in which certain Chinese wines are utilized for braising (e.g., in certain abalone preparations), are included in a marinade or sauce or are otherwise deployed. What might the unusual taste or aroma qualities of certain Chinese wines utilized in cooking be, in your assessment?

Every time I have ever been served orange slices at a Chinese restaurant, I've noticed that the oranges are sliced perpendicular to the blossom & stem end. The oranges are sliced down the equator, exposing the fruit in its multiple sections rather than in wedges that can be easily removed from the skin. Does anyone know why it is that oranges are served this way at Chinese restaurants? I don't consider this a wrong or a right thing, I'm simply curious to know if there is some logic or superstition behind this. Thanks, Rich

In my local Chinese supermarket I have noticed cyrovac bags of "Wind dried Duck" legs. What is it, how is it made and can I use it instead of confit duck legs?

It looks like a gathering at my flat is going to coincide with the first day of the Chinese New Year, and I'd like to observe the event as far as my cooking/sourcing skills will allow. Does anyone have any suggestions for food, ingredients, or serving? I'm open to both traditional and "nouveau" ideas. So far I'm leaning towards doing a more "Euro twist" approach, but that's probably more about not knowing where to start rather than trying to avoid real Chinese dishes. I've been toying with the idea of kicking things off with lychee martinis, lotus root crisps and Sichuan peanuts, but that's as far as my thinking has gone. Does anyone know if peach blossoms smell/taste of anything? Or for that matter, where I'll be able to find them in London in February?

i just picked up some sliced rice cake. these are basically pasta-like slices, about 1/2 to 1 inch in diameter (oblong), made of rice. they are slightly chewy and quite satisfying. i've never seen these other than at a shanghai place in NJ (china 46), where they are served with shrimp in what is a brothy, garlicy "sauce" (the sauce tastes as though it has butter, as it's so rich, but i'm assured by the restaurant that it doesn't). it seems to me that they really take on the flavor of whatever it is that they might be cooked in, he said, ending a sentence in a preposition. i'm wondering what i can do with these things. any ideas?

In a post on the hoisin thread Anna N asks for some ideas for dipping sauces for egg rolls. Any thoughts?

i end up buying hoisin sauce at the supermarket when i don't have a chance to get to chinatown to find a brand that looks "authentic." however, the sauces vary so much in flavor that i'm not even sure what the stuff is supposed to taste like! looking through my pantry now, and reviewing the ingredients lists, i see that they are oftentimes made from completely different ingredients. most are heavy in some sort of sweetner. they seem to have varying amounts of soy product, and some contain tomato paste. the bottom line is, they are all quite different in flavor. what should one look for on a label? if anyone could go as far as to suggest a brand, that wouldn't hurt either.

Just as the French appreciate grenouilles, the Chinese have dishes featuring a type of frog in their repertoire. Have members sampled frogs at Chinese restaurants, or attempted to purchase frogs purchased in Chinatown?

I have recently noticed fresh high quality shitake mushrooms in Chinatown. They are exported from China and seem to be a different (and superior) variety than those grown here. They are what the Chinese call 'flower' mushrooms due to the lines and crenellations in their caps (when dried, these sell for a premium over the other types of shitakes). They sell for the reasonable sum of $3-5/lb.

What do you think are the basics a novice must have before starting Chinese cooking? What are your favorite stores in NYC where one can find these ingredients? Are there mail order places one can buy from? And any other tips for someone like me that has never cooked Chinese food would be much appreciated.

My friend loves to hunt. He loves his dog. He writes, sometimes about food. And for 4 years that I know of, he has been on a quest to cook and eat a dog. I assume he would only do this where the law (and culture) permit. Though in his heart I know he dreams of chowing down at some little out of the way storefront in Flushing and discovering that the mystery meat in the casserole was not sold by the pound, but AT the pound. So far, (when last I heard), his quest has gone unfulfilled. So calling all you intrepid eaters, especially you Cantonese and Korean types, I want to hear about the real thing. Unleash those reminiscences! Some of you must have had dog skin in Beijing or Seoul.

When you steam a Chinese dish what kind of steamer do you use? What dishes do you steam?

So, which is it?

I think baby backs are second-tier ribs. Not as meaty or succulent as those straight bone ribs I grew up with. Plus the restaurants that feature them usually purchase them frozen. After I read his Blue Smoke Q & A, I discovered that Danny Meyer apparently agrees with me, praising the St Louis cut regular ribs as the way to go. Yet marketers have had a field day with those alliterative baby backs. Sounds better, doesn't it? But do they eat as well? What do y'all think?

Home delivered Chinese take-out is comfort food. Any memorable stories or comments? Anyone pull a cat out of the bag?