Midnight snacks

[hzrt8w]

It's past midnight, and I am hungry. If I were still living in Hong Kong, I would have loved to walk downstairs from our flat to some 24 hour shops and have a bowl of wonton ho-fun and a dish of deep-fried fish skin.

Yeah, deep-fried fish skin. Very crunchy, like potato chips.

Or a Gow Jing Zong (the Cantonese style zongzi wrapped in lotus leaves) would be nice.

What do you long for as midnight snacks?

[Ben Hong]

Living in a very small place in a very small province in Canada has it's limitations. On of them is that you just can't go out at midnight to the neighbourhood "dai pa dong". To be sure, there is a plethora of Chinese take-out places but some of their offerings would be nightmare inducing. No, I just have a bowl of cornflakes or leftovers.

[tissue]

I love all kinds of soup. I crave noodles, like dan dan mien. And also deep fried tofu. I'm fortunate to live around plenty of this type of food... so I can run out and get some anytime.

[Laksa]

To be sure, there is a plethora of Chinese take-out places but some of their offerings would be nightmare inducing.

You're lucky if those places are still open at midnight. Where I live, none of the Chinese restaurants stay open past 10pm.

It's little consolation but I think... it's not good to eat so late at night anyway.

[jackal10]

shcrambled eggsh...on toast

Chicken Vindalooo

[hzrt8w]

You're lucky if those places are still open at midnight. Where I live, none of the Chinese restaurants stay open past 10pm.

In Sacramento where I live, there are a few Chinese restaurants that open until 2:00 am to 3:00 am. Try to catch late shift workers, late movie goers, or the restaurant workers I guess.

I am sure there are plenty of those opening late in San Francisco and the San Gabriel Valley and New York and Toronto and Vancouver.

[Laksa]

I am sure there are plenty of those opening late in San Francisco and the San Gabriel Valley and New York and Toronto and Vancouver.

New York City, yes. Wappingers Falls, NY, no. On Thanksgiving day last year we felt like some Chinese food. Every restaurant we went to was closed! And others that we called on the phone were also closed. I bet that one in Greenland would've been open.

[jo-mel]

It's past midnight, and I am hungry. If I were still living in Hong Kong, I would have loved to walk downstairs from our flat to some 24 hour shops and have a bowl of wonton ho-fun and a dish of deep-fried fish skin.

So what did you finally snack on??

My refrigerator is the only place that is open -- where I live, but I don't have snacking desires as such. Before bed is a wedge of Laughing Cow and a glass of red wine.

[lorea]

New York City, yes. Wappingers Falls, NY, no. On Thanksgiving day last year we felt like some Chinese food. Every restaurant we went to was closed! And others that we called on the phone were also closed. I bet that one in Greenland would've been open.

That's too bad...around here, the only places I CAN count on to be open on holidays are Chinese restaurants.

Midnight snacks for me would be jong zi, Cheezits, dumplings, Nutter Butter, or shrimp chips.

How I love shrimp chips!

[hzrt8w]

So what did you finally snack on??

Half a bag of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers, Parmesan flavor. Helped to swallow them down was a glass of Burgundy, thinking how myserable my food life could be.

Shrimp chips would have been great. I need to secretly stock up some because I am on food curfew after 9:00 pm. I love the sensation of the dry shrimp chips sucking up the taste buds on my tongue.

[lorea]

And the salt, and MSG, right? They are so addictive.

[jo-mel]

I have well-stocked shelves and refrigerator. Lots of crackers (no Hydrog. oils) peanuts, Chinese umbrella cookies --- in the refriig are , at the moment, 9 different fruits, all kinds of cheeses and pickley things --------BUT, if there was a bowl of leftover noodles, be it spaghetti, or a Chinese noodle dish, THAT would be what I would grab for if I had a snack attack. Left-over zhajiang mian, spaghetti with clam sauce, noodles with cheese sauce , whatever----I could eat it cold, just as it is! And be happy!

Since we eat latish, I don't get hungry in the evening ------But for breakfast, I'd attack those noodles!

[hzrt8w]

It's amazing how one's lifestyle changes when living in a different country.

When I was working in Hong Kong, I typically had 5 meals a day.

1. Breakfast (jook, cheung fun, or eggs sandwich + coffee, or McMuffin)

2. Lunch (dim sum, or something over rice on a plate)

3. Afternoon tea around 4:00 pm (wonton noodle or egg custard + tea, or street food)

4. Dinner (the really good stuff, ate out 4 to 5 nights a week)

5. Late snack around 11:30 pm

Since I lived in the States, I have only 2 meals a day typically. Skip breakfast.

1. Hamburger or leftover for lunch

2. Dinner at home mostly

Typically, we (Chinese as a whole) eat less meat and a lot more carbo (rice, noodle, bread, etc.) in a meal. In Hong Kong, people walk a lot more though. Typically I used to walk a minimum of 2 to 3 miles a day. Just to get from home to subway stations, shopping, out to lunch, etc.. Here in the US, I see people get in the car and drive half a block from one parking lot to another, or wait in the car for a parking space for 10 to 15 minutes to save a hundred feet of walking distance. There are so many diet theories and diet plans out there. But I know this: If one would not walk and resort to driving half a block from one store to another, none of these diet plans would help much.

Edited July 23, 2004 by hzrt8w (log)

[Ben Hong]

HZRT8W, You get 100% agreement from me with regards to walking and exercise vs. diets. I am well in what one would euphemistically call the senior citizen age group, and I can still play 3 hours of singles tennis at a go, usually against opponents 1/3 my age because almost all of my contemporaries are too decrepit, or too fragile health wise. To see so many people "abusing" their bodies with fad diet after fad diet after scary quick fixes really distresses and frustrates me, when all they have to do is get out and walk 30 minutes a day.

Btw, low carb diets are anathema to this coolie, simply because I don't think life is worth living without my large daily quota of noodles and rice.

[Dejah]

I know what I will be snacking on tonight...gai jai bang...those little chewy cookie things with nam yu in the middle. My sister just came in from Burnaby, B.C. with a suitcase full of goodies. I have beside me, nam yu peanuts, candied ginger and of course the cookies mentioned above.

She also brought me lots of dried goods, for making soups. I have just found out what one of the items I use all the time is called in English. At least, this is what is written on the package " fragrant solomonseal rhizome". Also, I got lotus nuts, Chinese almonds, shittake mushrooms, and several other soup ingredients.

Back to the topic on hand...midnight snacks: I love having leftover soup or vegetables from supper as my midnight snack.

[Dejah]

Last night, (because I couldn't wait until today!) I had Wife's Cake and Pai Dan Gow for late night snack.

My neice arrived from Burnaby laddened with boxes of pastries from Kam Do Restaurant and Bakery Ltd. of Richmond, B.C.

[hzrt8w]

I had Pai Dan Gow for late night snack.

Should it be "Pai Dan So"? "So" means crispy skin (made of flour and butter mostly). "Gow" means cake usually. I am familiar with Pai Dan So. What does Pai Dan Gow taste like?

[Dejah]

I had Pai Dan Gow for late night snack.

Should it be "Pai Dan So"? "So" means crispy skin (made of flour and butter mostly). "Gow" means cake usually. I am familiar with Pai Dan So. What does Pai Dan Gow taste like?

hzrt8w: You are correct. Pai dan so...of course!

Should I have another piece for dessert right now? or Wife's cake?

[hzrt8w]

Should I have another piece for dessert right now? or Wife's cake?

I know what I am having for morning snack: I am heating up some Lo Bak Gow. Made yesterday right here at the hzrt kitchen.

[lorea]

I know what I am having for morning snack: I am heating up some Lo Bak Gow. Made yesterday right here at the hzrt kitchen.

I'm eating that right now too! Also homemade.

How do you make your lo bak gow?

[Dejah]

I use a recipe from About.com as a base.

http://chinesefood.about.com/library/blrecipe053.htm

[hzrt8w]

My recipe is fairly close to the one posted at Above.com with small differences. Cantonese Lo Bak Gow typically doesn't contain parsley and sesame seeds. And 1 cup of water seems too little for 2 1/2 lb of Lo Bak.

Anyway, here's my version for your info:

Recipe for Lo Bak Gow (Daikon Cake)

- 4 lb of Lo Bak (Daikon)

- ¾ lb (12 oz) of Regular Rice Flour

- 2 to 3 tsp corn starch

- 3 to 4 tbsp dried shrimp

- 3 to 4 dried black mushrooms

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp ground white pepper

- (optional) you may add lap cheung or other ingredients to suit your taste

Yields: 25 to 30 slices of Lo Bak Gow the size they serve in dim sum restaurants

Peel the Lo Bak, then shred them using a food processor. Cook the shredded Lo Bak with 5 cups of water until soft (about 20 to 30 minutes) over medium heat. Drain away the excess water to a bowl. Add ground white pepper and salt and sugar to the Lo Bak. Use the excess water (about 2 to 3 cups) to dissolve the rice flour and corn starch (2-3 tsp), create a medium-thick batter. Pour the batter back in the pot with the Lo Bak, continue to apply heat and stir until the batter/Lo Bak mixture just start to boil, about another 5 to 10 minutes.

On the side, soak the dried black mushrooms in water for at least 2 to 3 hours. Remove the stems and dice up the mushrooms to small pieces. Soak the dried shrimp in water, drain. Place a pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of cooking oil, add dried shrimp and diced black mushrooms and stir-fry for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt.

Add the dried shrimp and black mushrooms to the Lo Bak mixture. Stir to ensure the dried shrimp and black mushrooms spread evenly. Transfer the entire mixture to 1 or 2 rectangular aluminum cake baking pans. Use a steamer to steam this mixture for about 30 minutes. The Lo Bak Gow should then harden. You may store this in the refrigerator up to a few weeks. When ready to serve, cut the Lo Bak Gow into 1/2 inch slices and lightly fry over slow heat for 10 to 15 minute to slightly brown the surface. Serve with soy sauce.

Please note the ratio of Lo Bak to rice flour. Too little rice flour, the cake will be very soft and fall apart easily. Too much rice flour, the cake will be hard and you cannot taste the Lo Bak. My experience showed that the ratio of Lo Bak to rice flour should be around 5 to 1 by weight. I used 4 lb of Lo Bak, and 12 oz of rice flour. This amount will yield about 25 to 30 pieces of Lo Bak Gow the size that you see in dim sum restaurants. How much water you use to dissolve the rice flour is also a key to making good Lo Bak Gow. Too much water, the cake will not harden. Too little water, the cake will be too hard. You have to feel it. The batter mixture from Lo Bak/rice-flour/water should be kind of like pan-cake batter -- just liquid enough to flow slowly. The recipes give you some idea to start, but you may need to adjust.

[Laksa]

Last night, (because I couldn't wait until today!) I had Wife's Cake and Pai Dan Gow for late night snack.

What are Wife's cake and Pai Dan So?

[hzrt8w]

What are Wife's cake and Pai Dan So?

Pai Dan So is an century egg wrapped around by a crispy crust made from flour/shortening.

Wife's cake is..... errr, let me ask my wife...

[lorea]

Thanks hzrt8w! Your lo bak gow is similar to mine, except I don't use as much rice flour. I'll try yours next time and see if I like it better! Also, do you know how they keep the texture of the daikon in dim sum restaurants? Do they not cook the daikon during that initial stage?