CHINESE NEW YEAR 2007

[Hiroyuki]

It's roughly 1 month left before Chinese Lunar New Year, the date falls on Feb 18, 2007. The zodiac animal that rules this coming year will be the Fire Boar>>not roasted pig  .

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Interesting. I thought that Japan was the only country in Asia in which 2007 was a year of the wild boar, not of the pig.

[peony]

ya tepee,

after all the cooking and baking for the reunion dinner, steamboat is so much easier on 2nd day of CNY.

We have vegetarian meal on the first day of CNY too.

[Gastro888]

Gung Hay Fat Choy everyone! No internet access at home so apologies for the late greetings. Hope everyone has a fruitful year.

[racheld]

Teepee, it's always wonderful to see your pictures---so recognizable even without your logo---just beautiful. I'm so glad to be viewing everyone's happy New Year celebrations---this is absolutely our favourite cuisine in the whole world, and I want to taste EVERYTHING!!!

Everyone's dishes from every home are just spectacular, all laid out perfectly, like one enormous banquet that goes on and on. And I love hearing about all the gatherings with family---My Deep South roots are firmly embedded in generations of family gatherings.

And this one---what a beauty, and all that WORK!!! What a great honor to all who saw and tasted at this table:

here I pan fried it on both sides and served it in a cast iron skillet.

Inside:

I do hereby, from VERY far away, confer the G.R.I.T.S. Order of the Black Skillet upon sheetz, wielder extraordinaire of the sacred skillet. This was just spectacular.

And my Mississippi River heritage begs me ask: Could you please tell me about "steamboat," or provide a link?

[Tepee]

Aahh...ms racheld, we, at this forum, are warmed by your ever gracious and generous words. Thank you for visiting.

Ask and you will receive. Steamboat = Hotpot = Da Peen Lo

[sheetz]

I do hereby, from VERY far away, confer the G.R.I.T.S. Order of the Black Skillet upon sheetz, wielder extraordinaire of the sacred skillet. 

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Thank you, I'm truly humbled!

[I_call_the_duck]

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If Hannibal Lechter was a chicken, his house would probably look like this!!

[Tepee]

A thing of horror* to some (or a majority here?) is a thing of beauty to others. I admit when I saw them from inside the car, they did present a somewhat morbid sight...I could just see the back view, with the heads dangling. And these were hung up 9 feet high. Curiosity got the better of me, and I went closer and balanced myself, shakily, on a ledge...and was rewarded with staring straight at the Art of Skinning.

(Should I have pasted a warning note to queasy tummies?)

* since I gather there are problems getting animals with heads intact for some of you.

Edited February 20, 2007 by Tepee (log)

[Gastro888]

Wow, Tepee! That was very brave of you! Thank you!

I think I would take those skins, roast them with some roasting mix and just eat it over a bowl of rice. YUMMY!

[Dejah]

A thing of horror* to some (or a majority here?) is a thing of beauty to others. I admit when I saw them from inside the car, they did present a somewhat morbid sight...I could just see the back view, with the heads dangling. And these were hung up 9 feet high. Curiosity got the better of me, and I went closer and balanced myself, shakily, on a ledge...and was rewarded with staring straight at the Art of Skinning. 

(Should I have pasted a warning note to queasy tummies?)

* since I gather there are problems getting animals with heads intact for some of you.

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No problem with these "thing of horror" when I remembered the delectable dish made from these.

Why were they hanging to dry?

Would sheetz's chicken be the one and only real"nor mai gai"?

[Tepee]

No problem with these "thing of horror" when I remembered the delectable dish made from these.

Why were they hanging to dry?

Would sheetz's chicken be the one and only real"nor mai gai"?

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I considered making this my mission... to trace the restaurant which is using these skins for some dish. I don't think it will be sheetz's nor mai gai (good one, Dai Gah Jeh! ) as these skins will be too dry, no? However, hubby and I have some reservations, as these were hung to dry near a busy road. I don't think I'd appreciate the taste of added fumes and grime to my crispy something. No, thank you.

[sheetz]

Why were they hanging to dry?

Would sheetz's chicken be the one and only real"nor mai gai"?

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Yep, the real chui pei nor mai gai and not the "fake" ones like what is typically served at dim sum and often mistaken for joong. Now look at that nor mai gai and tell me if that looks anything like a joong!

[peony]

ahhh...sorri..abt my incomplete steamboat dinner pic. ...ms racheld

here's how the untidy dinner look like at the end of the meal

[hzrt8w]

If Hannibal Lechter was a chicken, his house would probably look like this!! 

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Actually if Hannibal Lecter was a chicken, we would see him making a pot of chicken soup. It was the "Buffalo Bill" character that skins other chickens.

(A fan of Thomas Harris' novels)

(Removed the nightmare-inducing pictures. )

[I_call_the_duck]

If Hannibal Lechter was a chicken, his house would probably look like this!! 

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Actually if Hannibal Lecter was a chicken, we would see him making a pot of chicken soup. It was the "Buffalo Bill" character that skins other chickens.

(A fan of Thomas Harris' novels)

(Removed the nightmare-inducing pictures. )

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Tepee, not a thing of horror to me. What would induce nightmares to me is if it wound up in the garbage like the skin of a certain Thanksgiving turkey did one year.

Actually the chicken on the right looks a little happy...like he fulfilled his destiny. OK, I'll stop now.

[Pan]

[...]White cut chicken. Has to be a kampung (village in Malay) chicken, ie, free-range, so the meat has more chew in it.

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Nice-looking chicken head! Who ate the head?

[Tepee]

It was reserved for you, Michael, lol. Since you didn't show up, the pet labrador had the honors.

Edit: Oops. Just read how ill you were. No wonder you didn't show up! Yes, there's a chinese new year wish for health and this is my wish for you...It's keen hong fai lok (cantonese) or jian kang kwai le (mandarin) = 'healthy and happy' or sun tai keen hong © or shen ti jian kang (M) = Good Health.

Edited February 21, 2007 by Tepee (log)

[Pan]

Thank you, TP. I wish the same to you and indeed to all!

[Kent Wang]

We had a pretty good dinner on Sunday here in Austin at Pao's Mandarin House. See thread for many more beautiful photos.

[infernooo]

Teepee: Your photos look divine!

If you don't mind my asking, is there any chance of getting a rough recipe for the yee sang? Also, what are the bits on the blanched bok choy? looks like pickled/fried vegetables of some sort?

Thanks!!

[Tepee]

Thanks, Infernooo. Yee Sang is one dish that I've heard many try to make themselves at least once, us included. But that's usually the last time. Too much grating and prep work. Have fun! Click and click

Those bits are just finely chopped garlic fried in oil.

[Tepee]

Nice-looking chicken head! Who ate the head?

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I pointed this thread to an Austin friend of mine (caucasian) and she said her whole family, who was looking at the thread, SCREAMED when they came to this pic. "I don't think it's even possible to buy the chicken's head here, much less see it on a serving platter! I'm amazed how different the food is between here and there.. [snip].. Even what we call Chinese food isn't close to what you had in the pictures! "

On the last bit, I concur. Most (not all) of the chinese food we have tried in NYC and LA was...not what we call real chinese. For that matter, what we call real chinese here, may not be considered authentic by a mainland chinese.

Sorry for going OT.

Edited February 22, 2007 by Tepee (log)

[Fengyi]

I pointed this thread to an Austin friend of mine (caucasian) and she said her whole family, who was looking at the thread, SCREAMED when they came to this pic. "I don't think it's even possible to buy the chicken's head here, much less see it on a serving platter! I'm amazed how different the food is between here and there.. [snip].. Even what we call Chinese food isn't close to what you had in the pictures! " 

On the last bit, I concur. Most (not all) of the chinese food we have tried in NYC and LA was...not what we call real chinese. For that matter, what we call real chinese here, may not be considered authentic by a mainland chinese. 

Sorry for going OT.

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Just to continue OT - you can't buy chickens here at our local market *without* getting not just the head, but the feet and quite a healthy lot of the 'inside bits' too!!!

I was a bit surprised the first time I bought one and discovered bits I couldn't identify on the inside when I ....er....put my hand up its bum (for lack of a more delicate way of saying that...). It even included the washed out ..errr.. anus attached. Well, waste not, want not!

With regard to the food here in Beijing - it is different - but yummy! But I don't think a lot of people outside China would recognize it was the Chinese they know (i.e. quite of lot of it involves lamb kebabs and lots of pancakes and bread).

When I was in Sichuan (with my Chinese mum), she didn't recognize the dandan noodles OR the yuxiang (fish-fragrent) eggplant because she'd never had the real sichuan versions!!

[Ben Hong]

On the last bit, I concur. Most (not all) of the chinese food we have tried in NYC and LA was...not what we call real chinese. For that matter, what we call real chinese here, may not be considered authentic by a mainland chinese. 

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Strictly speaking, any food that is consumed by a Chinese person is indeed "Chinese food".

[Pan]

Just to continue OT - you can't buy chickens here at our local market *without* getting not just the head, but the feet and quite a healthy lot of the 'inside bits' too!!!

I was a bit surprised the first time I bought one and discovered bits I couldn't identify on the inside when I ....er....put my hand up its bum (for lack of a more delicate way of saying that...). It even included the washed out ..errr.. anus attached. Well, waste not, want not! [...]

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Using the entire animal that's been killed for food (well, except for shark fins) is one of the things I respect most about Chinese people. If we make the choice to kill members of the Animal Kingdom for food, using every edible part of the carcass is the most respectful, responsible, and honorable thing to do, in my opinion.