Lunch! What'd ya have? (2012–2014)

[Kim Shook]

I have LOTS of hardboiled eggs to use up . A recent lunch:

Easter ham and sliced hardboiled egg sandwich.

Another:

Egg salad.

[huiray]

Been staying away for a bit to cool down.

Meals I've had the past week, mostly lunches:

2013-0401

Late night snack

• Eggs scrambled with chopped Chinese chives (韭菜; so-called “Garlic Chives”; the leafy fronds, not the flowers buds which is 韭菜花).

2013-0402

Lunch

• Kon Lo Mein – skinny wonton noodles tossed w/ a sauce of sautéed smashed chopped garlic, julienned ginger, minced pork, fish sauce [Red Boat], oyster sauce [Lee Kum Kee], Worcestershire sauce [Lea & Perrin], hoisin sauce [Lee Kum Kee] and chopped scallions; using peanut oil. Garnished w/ additional fresh chopped scallions.

• Wonton soup – with shrimp, Chinese celery & pork wontons [Wei Chuan]; and this week’s “young vegetable shoots” (“菜苗”) which were just a variety of young Shanghai bok choy this time. See, e.g.: http://www.tainongseeds.com/ChingChang.html

In a soup made from pork stock simmered w/ broken-up dried shiitake mushrooms (“Far Koo” type), ginger, a bit of garlic & a few other odds and ends which I don’t quite recall now.

2013-0402

Dinner

• The remainder of the sauce for lunch (see above), on white rice (Basmati) & w/ more chopped scallions.

2013-0403

Lunch

• Simple vegetable soup of Taiwanese long-type “Wong Nga Pak” (long-type Napa cabbage) and cauliflower florets in chicken stock.

2013-0403

Dinner

• Fried rice – with dried salted fish^¶ (Croaker fish, headless; 去頭香或魚; see picture) [鴻昌隆 brand] (…and no, it is not “Salt Cod”), dried shrimp^§ (“Har Mai”; 蝦米), short-chopped Chinese long beans (Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis), a bit of sea salt, halved shallots, red Thai bird’s eye chillies (de-seeded), and day-old white rice (Basmati). No eggs involved. Additionally salted to taste at table.

^¶Soaked in water for a bit to soften, then shredded coarsely.

^§ The common Chinese de-shelled variety, fairly large size grade. Soaked in water to soften, used “whole”.

2013-0404

Lunch

• “Yu Choy Sum” blanched in oiled boiling water, dressed w/ ponzu sauce, lime variety [Kikkoman] and freshly ground white pepper.

• The rest of the salted dried fish, dried shrimp, Chinese long beans, shallots & Thai chillies fried rice from dinner the night before, re-fried/re-heated w/ fish sauce [Red Boat] added in.

2013-0404

Dinner

• “Kai Lan/Gai Lan” (芥蘭; See here, here for images) blanched in oiled boiling water, dressed w/ oyster sauce [Lee Kum Kee] & freshly ground white pepper.

• Pork, leek & shrimp “Shui Kow” dumplings (NOT gyoza/potstickers; NOR wontons) [Wei Chuan] & skinny wonton noodles in a pork-based stock,^¶ dressed w/ chopped scallions.

^¶The “shui kow” stock:

Smashed, chopped garlic; sliced ginger – sautéed in peanut oil; sliced pork (tenderloin + ribs) added, tossed, sautéed; handful of dried anchovies and broken-up dried shiitake mushrooms (thick-cap flower-pattern “far koo”) added in; fish sauce [Red Boat] added and the mix tossed around; sufficient water added; salted; rock candy added; simmered for ~ 1 hr.

2013-0405

Lunch

• Soup, with opo squash (浦瓜) (See here, here, and here for more pics). Smashed garlic, sliced ginger, short-cut pork spare ribs sautéed in peanut oil, snow fungus, sea salt, water, sliced squash (unpeeled), light soy sauce (“Sang Chow”) [Kimlan], jozo mirin [Morita].

• Fried rice. With scads of sliced scallions & chopped cilantro, sliced Western celery, and Worcestershire sauce [Lea & Perrin].

2013-0406

Lunch

• Pan-fried sockeye salmon fillet, skin-on. Seasoned w/ just salt & pepper.

• Boiled white round potatoes, tossed w/ butter.

• Halved white button mushrooms & baby portobello mushrooms sautéed w/ skinny fresh asparagus.

2013-0406

Late night supper

• Lotus root soup – with a skin-on reasonably fatty chicken thigh [bell & Evans], Chinese red dates (Jujubes; 紅棗; Ziziphus jujuba), plus a small dried cuttlefish. Simmered using just water and seasoned w/ just salt to taste.

[heidih]

I really enjoy the egg and garlic chive combination but have never used such a high ratio of green to egg. Must try it when mine are prolific.

[huiray]

Some recent meals:

2013-0407

Lunch

• Broiled Angus T-bone steak, dressed w/ salt & pepper only.

• Spiced white rice.^¶

• Salad.^§

^¶ Smashed garlic, sliced shallots & sliced ginger sautéed in hot oil; whole coriander seeds, cardamom pods, cloves & dried bay leaves tossed in; the mixture stirred briefly; Basmati rice [Zebra] poured in and the mix stirred more, then water & salt added and the rice cooked in the usual way.

^§ Taiwanese long-type Napa cabbage, trimmed into long-ish pieces; white button mushrooms & baby portobello mushrooms, halved; a few fennel bulb bracts, thinly sliced (& some of the fronds); slender asparagus, snapped into two pieces; & cherub tomatoes, whole. Tossed w/ 8-year-aged Modena Balsamic vinegar & Maussane-les-Alpilles olive oil [Moulin Jean-Marie Cornille, Fruité Noir], Himalayan pink salt & fresh ground black pepper.

2013-0408

Lunch

• Edible amaranth, red-streaked leaved variety (莧菜; as bought, most probably Amaranthus dubius or a hybrid) (see also here) (Baike article; Google translation) & pork ball [Venus] soup in pork stock.

• Thin-type wonton noodles dressed w/ a cooked sauce of finely chopped garlic sautéed in peanut oil and w/ a mixture of (fish sauce [Red Boat], Hoisin sauce [Lee Kum Kee], oyster sauce [Lee Kum Kee], & sesame oil [Dragonfly], diluted w/ a little water) and sliced de-seeded hot long green chillies, trimmed cilantro & sliced scallions.

2013-0408

Late night supper

• Leftover spiced rice (see 2013-0407 lunch), reheated; flash-scrambled/marbled eggs; remainder of the edible amaranth fished out from the leftover soup (see 2013-0408 lunch); pickled scallion bulbs.^¶

^¶Allium chinense. These were Japanese rakkyo, pickled and jarred [Nishimoto Trading Co. Ltd.] See also this eG post.

2013-0409

Lunch

• Bak Kut Teh (肉骨茶; Yale Cantonese: yuk6 gwat1 cha4). With pork baby back ribs, cut into individual ribs; flat-type tofu puffs (fried soybean curd) [Korean brand, imported by Rhee Bros. Inc.]; herbs & spices^¶; 3 heads of garlic; light soy sauce [Pearl River Superior]; oyster sauce [Lee Kum Kee]; and dried longans [sun Kee].

• Yau Char Kwai (油炸鬼; Yale Cantonese: yau4 ja3 gwai2; Chinese fried crullers) [Chef Hon], re-crisped in the oven; cut into rounds.

• Steamed white rice.

^¶Shaved "Tong Kwai" (當歸; Yale: dong1 gwai1; "Radix Angelica Sinensis"; Angelica sinensis); "Yook Chook" (玉竹; Yale: yuk6 juk1; Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce); "Chan Pei" (陳皮; Yale: chan4 pei4; dried tangerine peel); “Tong Sam” (黨參; Yale: dong2 sam1 (Codonopsis pilosula 'Nannf') [package as bought is labeled as “正紋党”]; cinnamon sticks; whole cloves; whole star anise.

[huiray]

Some recent lunches (& a dinner)

Lunch

• Small (2½ lb) air-chilled chicken, salted & left for a while; then rinsed, scallions & ginger pieces placed in the cavity, then poached in salted & generously gingered water. Chopped into pieces and served on a bed of chopped Napa cabbage & garnished w/ trimmed coriander.

• White rice (Basmati), cooked w/ the poaching liquid plus some of the ginger.

• Soup of baby Shanghai bok choy wilted in some of the chicken poaching liquid.

• Scallion, grated ginger & peanut+veggie oil “sauce”.

Simple dinner after shopping at the local Chinese grocery.

• Roast pork (from the store).

• Watercress in chicken stock.

• White rice (Basmati).

Lunch

• Cod fillets steamed w/ salted soy beans (“tau see”) [Tiger brand], julienned ginger, finely sliced de-seeded hot long green chillies.

• Sautéed fresh mushrooms – white beech & oyster; plus chopped garlic, scallions, and coriander leaves.

• Watercress soup – in pork stock w/ sautéed garlic & dried scallops. (not pictured)

• White rice (Basmati).

Lunch

• Pork, Chinese celery & shrimp wontons [Wei Chuan] in chicken stock (simmered w/ dried anchovies (“ikan bilis”), dried shiitake mushrooms & the tougher parts of fresh Chinese celery stems; then decanted) w/ sliced Chinese celery hearts & leaves, skinny wonton noodles, and a generous scattering of chopped scallions.

Lunch

• Chicken, cabbage & fennel bulb soup; in chicken stock.

• Beef & bittergourd, “stir-fried” w/ garlic & a little ginger. The garlic & ginger was sautéed, sliced beef tossed in (plus salt) and stirred around to generate some nice browning fond then the sliced de-seeded bittergourd added in.

• White rice (Basmati).

Lunch

• Wood-ear fungus, snow fungus, baby portobello mushroom, red bell pepper, scallion, cilantro & peanut soup. (no picture)

• Pork stir-fried w/ garlic & brussels sprouts (halved & partly peeled open).

• White rice (Basmati).

[TinaYuan]

Huiray, your meals are really authentic chinese! Reminds me of home~ Love that cod fillets

[huiray]

Tina, thanks for the kind words.

p.s. Nice to see you here on eG.

[rotuts]

huiray

authentic or not, you seem to eat very well, and have a decent appetite to boot !

[Steve Irby]

huiray - I really shouldn't have clicked on this post before dinner. By the time I got to the third photo I consumed half a pound of almonds. Great meals and photos.

[huiray]

Thanks, rotuts & Steve Irby.

[rod rock]

Hey guys, i made some nice lunch with mushrooms, pork liver, onion and green Salad. It goes excellent with sour cream!

[judiu]

Rod Rock, tell us more about the liver and mushrooms, etc. please!

[huiray]

Some recent meals:

Lunch

• “Harm Choy Tong” – with pickled sour mustard (See this post and this post for more info), chicken thighs, sliced ginger, sliced tomatoes, sea salt, rice vinegar, soft tofu slices. The soup was made the night before and left at RT which also gave a nice “melded” flavor. Reheated for lunch, of course.

Dinner

Part 1:

• Fresh steamed pork buns, Tianjin baozi (天津包子; Baidu article; Google translation) from a local Chinese stall, like these.

Part 2:

• Pork, scallop & shrimp “shui kow” dumplings [Wei Chuan] (these) in chicken stock w/ watercress & skinny wonton noodles.

• Winter melon filling baked cakes (“Lou Por Pang”; Sweetheart cakes”; 老婆餅; Yale Cantonese: lou5 po4 beng2) from that same local Chinese stall. The ones I had were like these.

Lunch

• More of the “Harm Choy Tong” previously made.

• Stir-fried pork tenderloin slices^§ w/ chopped Chinese celery (see also Liuzhou’s post earlier in this thread) & zucchini sliced into sticks, with garlic in peanut oil.

• Steamed white rice (Thai Hom Mali).

^§ Pre-marinated w/ Shaohsing wine, peanut oil, fish sauce [Red Boat], fresh ground white pepper, “aged soy sauce” [Kimlan], tapioca starch.

• Mung Bean Cake (綠豆餅; like these) (Baidu article; Google translation), from that same local Chinese stall (see above).

Lunch

• Shrimp in spicy broth with vegetables.^¶

• Steamed white rice (Basmati, Zebra brand).

^¶De-headed, de-shelled & de-veined shrimp were soaked in a mild alkali “Kan Shui” solution ( 雪鹼水; Yale Cantonese: syut3 gaan2 seui2; potassium carbonate + sodium bicarbonate solution) [Koon Chun; this one] diluted w/ some water, for a while; then drained and washed briefly then set on the side. Sliced fresh de-skinned galangal & finely chopped fresh lemongrass were sautéed w/ hot & sour paste (a.k.a. Tom Yum paste; gia vị nấu canh chua; 酸辣香醬料, Yale Cantonese: syun1 lat6 heung1 jeung3 liu2) [Por Kwan], Sambal Terasi [Cap Ibu], Tamarind concentrate [Dragonfly] in veggie oil, quenched w/ water and the mix simmered for a while, then filtered and the stock reserved. Halved shallots & chopped smashed garlic were sautéed in veggie oil, the reserved stock added, and to the simmering mix baby Lady’s Fingers (a.k.a. baby okra), Thai eggplants & hot long green chillies were added, followed at the end by the reserved shrimp which were just cooked through before serving.

[huiray]

bloomingmom, I don't know of an "Hour Time" restaurant in Indianapolis. There is an "On Time" Chinese restaurant (no website) in Indianapolis, where I had dim sum today, off Lafayette Rd on Commercial Drive just N of Saraga International Market in that same "strip mall-like area". Is that what you meant? If so, the dim sum is decent/OK, not fantastic, but is about as good as what one can get in Indianapolis.

This place used to be called "Great Garden" some years back; it was shuttered briefly, then reopened as "On Time Seafood Restaurant" which morphed into "On Time Chinese Restaurant". BTW Googlemaps has it as "On Time Seafood" and places it S/SW of Saraga both of which is wrong.

There *is* an American cuisine restaurant in Lafayette, IN called "Hour Time Restaurant" - might you be confusing this one with "On Time Restaurant"?

Ah, funny. I was mixing the "Hour Time" with "On Time". I grew up near the "Hour Time", not sure I've ever been there. Thanks for answering my "On Time" question though. We'll have to go sample their dim sum, with "something is better than nothing" in mind.

"On Time" Chinese Restaurant is now "Lucky Lou" Seafood Restaurant, same location.

@bloomingmom, see my following post also.

[huiray]

Dim sum Sunday lunch today, plus other stuff, at "Lucky Lou" Seafood Restaurant. This was previously "On Time" Chinese Restaurant, now under new ownership & management.

I had:

• Beef tripe (with slivered ginger) (牛拍葉)

• Pan-fried shrimp roll (pan-fried then poached/simmered w/ sauce) (腐皮卷)

• “Phoenix Claws” a.k.a. Chicken feet (鳳爪)

• Shrimp dumplings a.k.a. “Har Gow” (蝦餃)

plus

• Cantonese-style beef pan-fried with wide rice noodles (“Hor Fun”; 河粉 ), scallions & ginger.

• Kai-Lan/Gai-Lan (芥蘭) with oyster sauce

plus

• "Kuk-Po" tea (chrysanthemum flowers (菊花) + Po-lei (普洱) tea)

Decent/edible overall, but not at the standard of good Chinese restaurants in larger cities with larger Chinese populations.

A more extensive post is on the "Heartland" subforum here: http://forums.egullet.org/topic/83044-indianapolis-restaurant-reviews-recommendations/page-2#entry1916297

[Steve Irby]

Salsa Salad. Fresh salsa with shredded lettuce, diced avocado, pulled pork, dab of sour cream with homemade hot sauce and topped with a slice of native orange I used the little native oranges in the vinaigrette for the salad and as the acid in the salsa. I'm the type that can drink a bowl of salsa at a mexican restaurant so this is kind of a riff on that -something between salsa and gazpacho. It turned out to be a quick, tasty lunch.

[TinaYuan]

huiray, I love dim sum! But there is no good one in my place. I have to go to New York for good dim sum , almost two times a year...

[huiray]

Tina, do you go to NYC Manhattan "Old Chinatown" (around Canal Street) or to the "Second Chinatown" in Flushing when you go to NYC?

NYC's Chinese food is generally held by many people to be surpassed in general by the Chinese food to be found in the SGV (San Gabriel Valley) in LA (Los Angeles) and even by that found in the San Francisco Bay Area, in terms of the USA. Within North America it is thought by many that Vancouver (Richmond) and the GTA (Greater Toronto Area - e.g. in Markham) have the best Chinese food, above that of the SGV and SFBA. But perhaps you know this.

[huiray]

Salsa Salad. Fresh salsa with shredded lettuce, diced avocado, pulled pork, dab of sour cream with homemade hot sauce and topped with a slice of native orange I used the little native oranges in the vinaigrette for the salad and as the acid in the salsa. I'm the type that can drink a bowl of salsa at a mexican restaurant so this is kind of a riff on that -something between salsa and gazpacho. It turned out to be a quick, tasty lunch.

Looks interesting and tasty. I confess that I don't eat much avocado or avocado-based stuff and never have had particular hankerings for such stuff, though.

[huiray]

Lunches the past two days:

2013-0422

Lunch

• Broiled turmeric chicken wings (黃薑雞翼).^§

• Chinese long beans stir-fried w/ garlic in peanut oil.

• Steamed white rice (Basmati).

^§ Chicken wings & drumettes (sans the tips) were marinated w/ grated fresh turmeric root (like these) plus powdered turmeric, some “gula melaka”, a few splashes of light soy sauce [Pearl River Superior], sea salt, veggie oil + peanut oil, some water, and very generous fresh ground black pepper. Broiled under high flame/heat to lightly caramelize & cook relatively fast, juiciness well maintained.

Marinated wings & drumettes laid out for broiling:

2013-0423

Lunch

• Beef short ribs, daikon, flower-pattern shiitake mushrooms & garlic soup.¶

• Preserved plums (陳皮梅) for dessert.

^¶About 2 heads of garlic, cloves peeled & smashed, sautéed in veggie oil then taken out & reserved; short ribs (cut into individual riblets, bone-in) browned in the garlicky oil, sea salt added, the garlic added back in & tossed w/ the ribs a bit then water added to cover and the mix brought back to a boil, pre-soaked thick-cap flower-patterned shiitake mushrooms (“Far Koo”; 花菇) added in and the mix then simmered for about 1 hr. Skinned sliced daikon was then added in and simmering continued for > ½ hr to ¾ hr. Seasoning was adjusted and the soup left to meld overnight. Reheated for lunch the next day, i.e. today.

[Kim Shook]

huiray – your lunches are astonishing! I especially liked the Kon Lo Mein.

Lunch today was grilled cheese, tomato soup, chips and pickly things:

[TinaYuan]

Tina, do you go to NYC Manhattan "Old Chinatown" (around Canal Street) or to the "Second Chinatown" in Flushing when you go to NYC?

NYC's Chinese food is generally held by many people to be surpassed in general by the Chinese food to be found in the SGV (San Gabriel Valley) in LA (Los Angeles) and even by that found in the San Francisco Bay Area, in terms of the USA. Within North America it is thought by many that Vancouver (Richmond) and the GTA (Greater Toronto Area - e.g. in Markham) have the best Chinese food, above that of the SGV and SFBA. But perhaps you know this.

Huiray, thank you so much for this information. I typically went to old Chinatown for dim sum. I didn't know the interesting things you said about Chinese food in America. You really know a lot! Unfortunately, Vancouver and GTA are still far far away from me

[Plantes Vertes]

I ate with a pupil's family of six children and made a corn chowder.

Edited April 25, 2013 by Plantes Vertes (log)

[huiray]

2013-0424

Lunch

• More of the beef short ribs, daikon & “Far Koo” soup, well-developed/matured in taste now; with a bundle of “Fun See” (粉絲; cellophane noodles) added in to the reheated portion of the soup taken.

2013-0425

Lunch

• A riff on lotus root soup.

Generous garlic (~ 1 head, deskinned, dehearted, halved) sautéed in veggie oil; baby pork back ribs (1/2 rack, cut into riblets) added, sautéed w/ sea salt; water added, brought to a simmer; added in “Tai Nam Chou” (大南棗) (large sort-of-smoked large Chinese jujubes), generous “Yook Chook” (玉竹; Yale: yuk6 juk1; Polygonatum odoratum (Mill.) Druce), raw peanuts, finely sliced soaked wood fungus (木耳), a couple of dried cuttlefish (小墨魚) (see here); and the mix simmered for about ½ to ¾ hour. Soaked, trimmed snow fungus (Tremella fuciformis) and thinly-sliced de-skinned long-type (i.e. crunchy-type) lotus root added and the mix simmered till done.

Left overnight to meld further and reheated for lunch. Except for the hard pits of the jujubes and the pork rib bones everything is now edible; but the soup itself – the broth – is the more appreciated part. Yum.

• Rat tail noodles (老鼠粉; Yale Cantonese: lou5 syu2 fan2)^§ dressed w/ a chicken liver sauce^¶ & chopped scallions.

^§ In Hong Kong & Taiwan (& mainland China, I believe) it would be better known as “Silver Needle Noodles”, 銀針粉; Yale Cantonese: ngan4 jam1 fan2. See the wiki article.

^¶Generous sliced shallots & a couple of chopped smashed garlic cloves were sautéed in veggie oil; chopped fresh chicken livers added & the mix stirred a bit; followed by fish sauce [Red Boat], Ryori-shu [MRT], sweet mirin [Honteri], light soy sauce (“Sang Chau”; 生抽) [Kimlan; Grade A], a splash of rice vinegar [Marukan] plus a little water and the mixture stirred then covered and simmered for a while. Some sesame oil [Dragonfly] was added towards the end.

[huiray]

I especially liked the Kon Lo Mein.

Which one, if any, in particular?