Chinese Eats at Home (Part 1)

[hzrt8w]

Pumkin soup. Made with chicken bones.

Picture of the pumkin. It is quite small compared to other pumkins. I wonder if this is a Chinese variety. (I got the pumkin from the in-laws.)

[XiaoLing]

WOW you go away for two weeks and you come back to hundreds of delicious posts!

I went to one of my favorite resturants in NYC recently and was very displeased. The food has gone down hill and the portions have disappear. I heard that the chefs have left and went to the restaruant across the street. Well, that's where I will be headed when I go back to NYC in Feb.

Either way, here are some pics of the meal. Like I said, it's less than stellar.

The only saving grace was their peking duck.

Edited January 8, 2007 by XiaoLing (log)

[Gastro888]

Ooh! Peking duck! Where did you go, XiaoLing?

[hzrt8w]

...  I heard that the chefs have left and went to the restaruant across the street.  Well, that's where I will be headed when I go back to NYC in Feb.

...

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It happens all the time. Sometimes patrons follow the chefs. Did you try the restaurant he went to across the street?

What is in that big bowl (is it a clay pot?) near the camera? Some kind of soup?

[XiaoLing]

Ooh!  Peking duck!  Where did you go, XiaoLing?

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Tung Shing House on Queens BLVD. I have to say they have one of the best Peking Ducks in NYC. It use to be one of my favs but now I have to pick another place. Possibly across the street.

[XiaoLing]

It happens all the time.  Sometimes patrons follow the chefs.  Did you try the restaurant he went to across the street?

What is in that big bowl (is it a clay pot?) near the camera?  Some kind of soup?

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No, I didn't get a chance to try it yet. But my mom said we will try them the next time I come home.

The so-called "big bowl" is my favorite fish head soup. It used to be twice as tall and you can see the fish head poking out of there. I was very disappointed. As you can see from the pic, it's not that big anymore and you can't even see anything in the soup. The flavors are still there but the quantity is no where near. Very disappointed.

[hzrt8w]

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XiaoLing: are you going to introduce to us the dishes you had? Or you want us to play some guessing game?

Let me guess...

Starting from the "big bowl", counterclockwise:

Big bowl is fish head soup - you said that.

Next: red shell and white meat? Sauteed lobster?

Next: stir-fried "see gua"?

Next: on the pedestal: scallop?

Next: Too dark, couldn't tell what it is.

Next: Lionhead meatballs?

Next: Tofu and black mushroom in oyster sauce?

In the center: deep-fried pork chop? Or pieces of fish?

Edited January 8, 2007 by hzrt8w (log)

[Gastro888]

Ooh!  Peking duck!  Where did you go, XiaoLing?

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Tung Shing House on Queens BLVD. I have to say they have one of the best Peking Ducks in NYC. It use to be one of my favs but now I have to pick another place. Possibly across the street.

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OH! Where on Queens Blvd? Near Woodhaven Blvd? Was this near Flushing? Yum. Peking Duck. I might have to go there this week!

[XiaoLing]

Oops...sorry...I was so over comed with grief that I forgot my manners...

We had:

Starting from the Fish Head Sand Pot Soup in the front and going clockwise.

Homestyle tofu with mushrooms (not sure why we got that one)

Lion's Head Meatball (very tender and tasty)

Black peppered filet migon

Fish filets and black wood ears

Sauteed chinese Okra

Ginger and scallion lobster

and in the middle was salt and pepper Pork Chops

Ah Leung, you got most of them right!!

We had more dishes but I forgot to take more photos. My hunger consumed me....hehehe....

Edited January 8, 2007 by XiaoLing (log)

[hzrt8w]

... Sauteed chinese Oakra ...

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Okra! Ah! They do taste a little bit like "see gua". Perhaps a miniature one.

I haven't seen okra offered in Chinese restaurants here in the west coast.

[XiaoLing]

Actually see gua is okra. That's what non-chinese people call them. I found that out recently too. Apparently they're from the same family. Only the American version is a LOT smaller than the Chinese version.

[Dejah]

See gwa and okra are very different items. I think non-Chinese call see gwa okra because of its similar ridge appearance.

See gwa is from the squash family while okra is from the mallow family. I've seen okra used more in East Indian than Chinese cooking.

[XiaoLing]

Okay, I started to get confused and looked it up.

Here's what I found:

"Chinese Okra Squash

A long, cylindrical variety of squash, native to Asia, that is generally harvested when it is between 1 to 2 feet in length, but can be grown as long as 8 to 10 feet. It has a dark green outer skin with longitudinal ridges covering a somewhat spongy and fiberous pulp, somewhat similar to a cucumber. If picked when it is young, about 6 to 10 inches in length, the meat is tender and similar to a zucchini in flavor. When allowed to grow longer in length, the squash becomes bitter tasting and less flavorful. It is a good squash to add to salads or stir-fried foods. Since the meat of this squash is very absorbant, it takes on the flavors of other ingredients as it cooks. As a very small and young squash, it is sliced into round pieces and used as an ingredient for soups, stews and rice dishes. Larger sized squash are most often served as a vegetable dish or cut into smaller pieces for stir-fried dishes.

After harvesting, Chinese okra should be kept refrigerated in a paper bag for 5 to 8 days. As an Asian squash, this variety has many different names. It is known as dishrag or dishcloth gourd, luffa, loofah, ridged loofah, ridged gourd, silk gourd, silk squash, see gua, sin qua, sing qua, smooth squash, sponge gourd, as well as cabatiti, ghosala, hechima, kwa, muop khia, patola, patolang, see kwa, shui, sing gwa, sinqua, sko ah, sze gwa, ta toorai, and tooria, and tsu kua. The dishcloth or dishrag name refers to the fiberous webbing that forms inside the older and larger squash, as they mature, that can be removed and is actually used for washing in some countries."

Young Okra

Mature Okra

Source: http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t-...hinese-okra.asp

Additional sources:

http://www.cheneybrothers.com/sinqua.shtm

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extensi...ialty/okra.html

[C. sapidus]

“Millie Chan’s chile shrimp” from Breath of a Wok. Simple and easy: stir-fry the shrimp until pink, add Shaoxing rice wine, and remove from the wok. Stir-fry ginger, chilies, and scallions (we were out, so I used shallots), and then add soy sauce, sugar, and chile bean paste. Return the shrimp and rice wine to the wok and stir-fry until done. Good stuff.

I love stir-frying shrimp in a wok. With the wok shovel, you can feel the shrimp’s resilience change when they are perfectly cooked.

Edited: Oops, wrong picture.

Edited January 9, 2007 by C. sapidus (log)

[Domestic Goddess]

... The dishcloth or dishrag name refers to the fiberous webbing that forms inside the older and larger squash, as they mature, that can be removed and is actually used for washing in some countries."  ...

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Great! I can eat and do my laundry too!

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The dried fibrous weblike cylinders are the best bath brushes I know. Some people also call the see guah by the alternate name of "loofah".

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In the Philippines, this is not called okra but PATOLA. We call the regular ones okra. Sliced patola soup with rice noodles is a common lunch side dish in my province. Usually paired with fried fish and rice.

[aznsailorboi]

PORK BELLY.....that's what's for dinner.

braised pork belly with dried mushrooms and dried lilly flowers.

*pics also posted on the braised pork belly with daikon thread*

wow page 17 already!!!!

Edited January 10, 2007 by aznsailorboi (log)

[Dejah]

PORK BELLY.....that's what's for dinner.

braised pork belly with dried mushrooms and dried lilly flowers.

*pics also posted on the braised pork belly with daikon thread*

wow page 17 already!!!!

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Beautiful colouring on that belly of yours.

Did you use bing tong with the mushrooms too? Somehow I can't get past the sweet and what I consider savory of the mushrooms.

[hzrt8w]

Beautiful colouring on that belly of yours.  

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And with the right ratio of fat to meat.

[peony]

an old fashioned cookie : peanut cookies

[hzrt8w]

an old fashioned cookie : peanut cookies

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Now where did the red color come from this time? Food dye?

[peony]

ooi, I not color fadie hor

its red cherries

[aznsailorboi]

an old fashioned cookie : peanut cookies

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hi peony! do you mind posting the recipe for the peanut cookies, those look quite decadent.

[Ben Hong]

PORK BELLY.....that's what's for dinner.

braised pork belly with dried mushrooms and dried lilly flowers.

*pics also posted on the braised pork belly with daikon thread*

wow page 17 already!!!!

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Sailorboi, sailorboi...when are you going to invite your old Ben Sook to supper. That picture of the pork is an astoundingly effective stimulus to the salivary glands.

Good job.

[sheetz]

Here are a couple of photos from this past week:

There was a great sale on frozen jumbo sea scallops at a local store this week. These were coated with chopped almonds and sesame seeds and pan fried according to a Martin Yan recipe. Then served with a mustardy sweet and sour sauce.

A simple curried chicken stir fry.

Edited January 10, 2007 by sheetz (log)

[cchow006]

PORK BELLY.....that's what's for dinner.

braised pork belly with dried mushrooms and dried lilly flowers.

*pics also posted on the braised pork belly with daikon thread*

wow page 17 already!!!!

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WOW...Would you be interested in posting the recipe and how to make the pork belly?