Chinese Eats at Home (Part 1)

[v. gautam]

"altho, I don't eat the great white shark, but wld eat its other relatives, so won't post my Lunar New Year feast for fear of offending ."

Hi Peony,

Do not for a moment suppose that my issue about turtles [or whales for that matter] is based on moral stuff ----rather, purely ecological. Simply a matter of too many humans and too much pressure on the natural resource base.I have zero compunction about who eats whom.

The same with reef fishes, for example. In the process of satisfying growing demand from a ever-larger number of affluent consumers, dynamiting reefs to catch a few mature and large groupers today destroys the habitat for tomorow [and not just for groupers].

The collapse of the cod, the sea bass, the orange roughy etc.shouldgive us all pause. I beg to disagree with Gastro 888's contention that if i have the $$$ then i can pretty much dictate whatever i wnat. Sure. but tomorrow, there will be nothing left for anyone else, because these large-bodied animals have finite capacities for growth and require fairly extensive habitats that are in close competition by humans.

[Also, Gastro888 does me the extreme disservice by innacurately portraying me as wanting to force him or anone to do anything. Read my post carefully and honestly, Gastro, and see if the imperative is ever used! To urge, to beg and to demand are several quite different things quite undeserving your intemperate and uncivil comments.]

The problem as i see it is more funny in its tragedy than anything else. We want or choose to take away their homes plus we want them to be fat and sassy at the same time for our consumption. Those two ends may not always be possible.

With respect to farming, especially of turtles, that is not wholly a truthful industry. I do not want to enter into contention here but direct people to the Turtle Survival Alliance. The problem is that turles are slow-growing. The amount of food required to bring them to marketable size and to be able to provide them at the price points at which they are sold today just do not +cannot tally. As for enforcement, Asia and the whole world is a synonym for lawlessness!

Anyhow, nuff said. Hope people can employ their perspicacity and intellects to delve into what is being said, which is neither a sermon, nor condemnation, or any sort of a negative comment on the eating and depiction of "wild" foods.

As for fruit bats, so long as there are too many, good riddance. What a menace they were to subsistence farmers of my childhood. What wastage they wreaked on mango and lychee orchards just about to be harvested.

The tribal people living among us were expert archers who would bring down these huge animals on the wing in fading light at dusk---one shot! Flesh said to be best in the world; can believe it, diet of fresh fruit!

Scary to look at, close up, though. Your Dad must have been a very brave man to drink blood freshly drawn from one of these guys!

gautam

[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!!!!

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

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Hi cchow006, I really don't have exact measurements for the ingredients, I just "eyeballed" it per se. but here is what I used.

-8x6 piece of skin on porkbelly, boneless portion.

-half a cup or a tad bit more superior mushroom soy sauce.

-5 to 8 star anise

-2 cinnamon sticks

-10 whole cloves

-2 tsp whole szechuan peppercorns slightly toasted

-1 Tbsp whole coriander seeds slightly toasted

-5 cloves of garlic sliced in half

-2 inch knob ginger, sliced thick then bruised

-6 medium sized dried mushrooms

-a handfull of dried lilly flowers(bitter notes) or dried banana flowers(sweeter)

-1 and a half bar Pein Tong

-about a cup of Shao hsing wine

-enough water to cover the pork

- soak dried mushrooms, and lilly or banana flowers separately in warm water for at least 20 minutes, less for the flowers, maybe more for the mushrooms give or take. Then trim the mushroom stems and you can leave the mushrooms whole, slice them in half or in quarters depends on how big you want it, then put it back in the liquid till ready to be added to rest of the ingredients.

-rinse pork under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels.

-place the meat skin side up in a heavy pot and pour the soy sauce over it so the color sticks to most of the skin area let it sit for a good 20 minutes( same concept as Xiaoling was explaining, so the skin can soak the dark color of the soy sauce).

-add enough water to make sure the pork is submerged an inch below water level. add in the spices, mushrooms, pein tong, and shao hsing wine.

-let simmer in med to low heat for about 3 hours, turning the pork over carefully with a pair of tongs every hour. by the end of the cooking period the liquid should have concentrated to about half or less than half of the orig volume. take the pork out carefully making sure not to damage the skin coz this will be very soft. let meat rest for 15 to 20 minutes before slicing it.

-while waiting for the meat to cool off some add the reconstituted dried blossoms in the braising liquid, it should be cooked just in time when you are done slicing the pork.

*notes

- during the cooking period, when the skin side is at the bottom, turn the heat down a tad bit to prevent it from burning and sticking at the bottom of the pot.

- while slicing the pork let it cool off for 15-20 min so the fat solidifies some, and you would want to oil your very sharp knife to prevent the skin from sticking to it while you slice. a sharp knife is crucial so you dont mush the pork while slicing.

[peony]

I didnt said my dad drink bat's blood. He drank the blood of an animal you would not be happy to know.

this is just a food forum and you have made it so unhappy for me. to be honest, I don't understand ( nor do I want to ) what you want to tell me.

I am just a simple Chinese who enjoy whatever I eat.

[aznsailorboi]

Honestly ladies and gentlemen, I too felt uncomfortable about being riduculed of what we chinese people eat, specially me coz I'm the one who brough up the subject about exotic ingredients available in my local asian market. Be it a moral issue or an ecological issue, we get the point. But we all have free will right? so you can't dictate with your opinion what one should or shouldn't buy specially when its available in the grocery aisle for purchase.

Please understand that our cultures are different, and aside from that each and every individual has his or her own opinion on things, so you've said your piece, lets drop the subject and move on. And besides this is a food forum, what we talk about is food and not for other purposes of the animals being said. I think the participants in this thread have heard enough of this and we would like to move on to what the original intent of this thread which is Chinese eats at home. If you want to put more comments you can place it on the appropriate thread for it. Thank you.

Very respectfully,

Tim

[trillium]

I get super annoyed at those trollish posts about what Chinese people eat, allegedly or no, and it drives me crazy when fringe rights activists go after a group of people that get them more attention then going after the slaughterhouses that supply 99% of what most people eat, whether it's Asians who want a freshly killed chicken or people with a taste for fattened fowl liver.

However, no one can claim a cultural or racial imperative that precludes them from any responsibility about where their food comes from and how it got to their dinner plate.

As happy eaters and lovers of food, we owe it to ourselves to protect our food sources and manage them and the environment they need to thrive. I know it can be a little sad now, but it could get a lot sadder later.

I don't think a discussion about the impact of what we're eating is out of place in a food forum.

regards,

trillium

[Gastro888]

...

The collapse of the cod, the sea bass, the orange roughy etc.shouldgive us all pause. I beg to disagree with Gastro 888's contention that if i have the $$$ then i can pretty much dictate whatever i wnat....

[Also, Gastro888 does me the extreme disservice by innacurately portraying me as wanting to force him or anone to do anything. Read my post carefully and honestly, Gastro, and see if the imperative is ever used! To urge, to beg and to demand are several quite different things quite undeserving your intemperate and uncivil comments.]

...

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I agree we need to be aware of where our food is coming from and the impact on the environment, however, v. gautam's c omment to aznsailorboi went beyond environmental impact:

"...As a devout Buddhist, you especially will understand the plight of these beings and reflect on your bodhisattva vow to intervene in their sufferings.

Respectfully,

gautam"

You may not have used the imperative but who are you to call out someone on their religious beliefs in a FOOD forum? That's where I take issue. You've no right - none of us do - to comment on what people eat in conjunction with their spiritual and/or religious beliefs. That crossed a line and that is why I responded with:

"If someone doesn't want to eat something, they don't have to eat it. Just don't make me follow your beliefs. I take issue with people telling others what they should not eat. Unless you're paying for my grocery bill/meal..."

To put it bluntly, unless you pay for what I eat, you have no right commenting on what I consume.

It's good to spread the word on environmental impact but it's quite another to be dictating an edict from an ivory tower.

Edited January 11, 2007 by Gastro888 (log)

[v. gautam]

Gastro,

In contradistinction to any of us here, Tim often speaks happily and comfortably of his active participation in his Buddhist temple and the relevance it has for him, e.g. not missing a particular service, mantra restricted to initiates etc.

As a fellow Buddhist, i was speaking very humbly solely to him and only to him about a particular point. You are right, it was not something that should have been made in public; a pm would have been more appropriate. I was being emotional, carried away by memories of the butchering practices of turtles in India [probably not too different from those carried on here at Asian markets].

Anyhow, i was perhaps mistaken in thinking of this forum as close enough a family where civil exchanges would not be misinterpreted for what they were not meant to be.

But i see now that different points of view, attention spans, and indeed, different exposures to the English language can create very large misunderstandings, for which i apologize.

Peony, although it was not my intent to cause you distress, [and you will need to ask someone with a contrasting experience of the English language than yours to go over my posts with you and convince you very, very thoroughly of this truth] i apologize to you if you believe i hurt you, and especially your father, in any way. Trust me, that was never done. Please, at least read my post once again, carefully, before professing injury, and that too on some racial or personal level.

The bat thing was an attempt at humor to lighten up an otherwise dark post. but now I have learnt my lesson well. This is not a place for different points of view, even respectfully raised or for "outsiders". Thank you.

As for ivory towers, wise Ben Sook's wordless post captures it perfectly: towers can be of many kinds, even those built of dollars and hubris, believe it or not!

gautam

Edited January 11, 2007 by v. gautam (log)

[aznsailorboi]

Leftover day today, so I have the honor of having "twice cooked" of everything LOL I have "twice cooked" braised porkbelly, "twice cooked" kimchi chigae, and "twice cooked" rice. bwahahahaha.

I will most likely gonna cook this weekend not sure what just yet, but Ah Leung, I'm browsing your pictorial so it will most likely be inspired by one of them. lol

[Domestic Goddess]

I made this for dinner today.

MAPO TOFU

I gave some to my korean best friend when I made it the last time and her hubby ate all the mapo tofu before she could have a taste. Today I gave her 3 servings so that she can have a chance to taste it. Next week, I will be showing her how to make it. Ah Leung, your Mapo tofu is making rounds here in Janghowon, Korea and it's a real hit! I keep telling them I have a great Chinese teacher.

[Gastro888]

..."twice cooked" kimchi chigae...

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Kimchi chigae is awesome but it's murder on the digestive system. Don't forget your matchbook!

[sheetz]

Mmmm, I have a craving for pork belly now!

I didn't have much at home so I made scrambled eggs with shrimp

[C. sapidus]

Pork belly, scallops, cookies, mapo tofu, shrimp – I love this thread!

Our dinner was kung pao chicken with cashews (gong bao ji ding). From Fuchsia Dunlop, of course.

[Dejah]

Here are some of the dishes we've been eating:

This couldn't have been very memorable as I can't even remember what it was called or what cookbook I culled it from! I THINK it was chicken breast stuffed with chopped shrimp, coated with panko crumbs and deep fried.

This seemed to have been a favourite of everyone in this forum: beef, bittermelon and dow see. I usually make lots of sauce and have it in a side dish.

This cold snap we are experiencing on the prairies - with the windchill factor = -50C - is perfect for hot 'n' sour soup. Hubby always adds steamed rice to his.

Thursday was hubby's bday. My mom said he must have chicken on his bday. As I was teaching an evening class, I had this braising in the oven for supper: chicken legs, Chinese mushrooms, daylily buds, bamboo shoots, and deep fried tofu in chicken stock with a touch of oyster sauce. At the end, I added suey choy and thickened it with a cornstarch slurry. The sauce was wonderful on rice.

Atticus, our Great Pyrenees dog is minding his manners, waiting patiently for his handouts.

We are invited to a house party this evening - after supper. There will be lots of finger foods to snack on, and they didn't turndown my offering of summer rolls. Just got these finished.

WHEW!

[Pan]

I love the looks of the chicken dish in the clay pot! I also am a fan of bitter melon, with duck or beef or featured on its own. What's dow see?

[Cookwithlove]

Dinner today.

Potatoes sauté with pork slices n onions.

this is a kind of stew made out of left-over in my fridge.

It is know as choy keok in cantonese. Basically, I dump whatever is in my fridge, esp roast meat. Add dried mushrooms and stew in a sweet n sour soup. The important ingredient in this dish is  ' kai choy ' - mustard leaves.

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Poeny can you show me how you post those picture here? I hope to do the same like you to share with others. Thanks

[Dejah]

We've been having some kind of tong everyday: guy choi, choi gone, say may, etc, etc.

Tonight, we're having lee gnow (lotus root) with pork and octopus. Supper will be "fusion" - red braised leg of pork, another pork shoulder butte roasted with rosemary and dijon mustard. Our son, his fiancee, my grandson, and my mom are coming for supper. I wanted my mom's opinion on the braised pork.

Cookwithlove: Look in the technical forum for instructions on how to upload images. I believe Ah Leung can also give you a quick and easy lesson as well.

We will look forward to your pictures!

[XiaoLing]

Over the holidays my family and I (well more me ) craved hot pots. So we had a few hot pot dinners. We had a Ying Yang hot pot because majority of the family loves Ma-La Hot Pot but my parents can't eat spicy foods anymore due to their health. My aunt went a bit slap happy with fish balls but it was all good. We opened the windows, turned off the heat and most of us ate standing up. Ahh..that's the life!

We had over 20 items for the hot pot.

Edited January 14, 2007 by XiaoLing (log)

[sheetz]

Wow, that hot pot looks gorgeous!

Today I made a Cantonese version of a "hot pot" with tofu, seafood, chicken, mushrooms, and lettuce.

[XiaoLing]

WOW...drool....

Any chance of getting a recipe for that Cantonese Hot Pot??

[sheetz]

WOW...drool....

Any chance of getting a recipe for that Cantonese Hot Pot??

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LOL. I was hoping nobody would ask for a recipe. This was the first time I ever made it so I just added a little of this and a little of that until it "tasted right."

It's pretty simple, though. Put some iceberg lettuce in the bottom of the pot, along with some ginger, black mushrooms, chicken stock, oyster sauce, dark soy, light soy, sugar, shao hsing wine, sesame oil, and bring to a boil. Add some cornstarch slurry until pretty thick (the juices from the seafood will thin it out later on). Toss in some fried tofu cubes, various kinds of seafood (lightly marinated with salt, tiny bit of cornstarch and wine), sliced chicken (marinated with soy, sugar, cornstarch, wine) and bring back to a boil. Cover and simmer for a few minutes until seafood is 3/4 cooked. Remove from heat, give it a toss, adjust the seasoning and serve.

The pot keeps the food hot so it will continue to cook after it is removed from the heat, which was annoying because I had to rush to take pics before the seafood would get overdone.

[Dejah]

WOW...drool....

Any chance of getting a recipe for that Cantonese Hot Pot??

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Cover and simmer for a few minutes until seafood is 3/4 cooked. Remove from heat, give it a toss, adjust the seasoning and serve.

The pot keeps the food hot so it will continue to cook after it is removed from the heat, which was annoying because I had to rush to take pics before the seafood would get overdone.

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A suggestion: After you add all the ingredients except the seafood, bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. Then, add the seafood and take it off the heat right away. As you said, the pot will keep the food hot and it will continue to cook. This will keep the seafood from overcooking while you put out the rest of the food.

Don't you just love how the fried tofu soaks up all that flavourful sauce?

[sheetz]

^Thanks, I'll try that next time. And you're right about that fried tofu. It's just as good as the seafood itself!

[hzrt8w]

We had over 20 items for the hot pot.

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All 20 items in the shapes of meatballs?

[hzrt8w]

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Promised. No recipe question... but what's the wire thing at the bottom of the clay pot sheetz?

[XiaoLing]

That's what I asked my aunt!!

We couldn't put everything in the pot because the meatball took up too much room and besides, the whole purpose of eating hot pot is to cook what you like and eat it while it's hot! We always use up at least 2 canisters of propane when we eat hot pot.

A few of the items we had are:

Dou miao

napa cabbage

sweet potatoe noodles

mung bean noodles

frozen lao tofu

enoki mushrooms

fresh shitake mushrooms

pig's blood

live shrimp

crab

tofu noodles (not sure what they're really called)

fresh salmon

clams

scallops

etc.