Know your strengths.

I just attempted to cook chicken adobo for dinner. It’s a fairly simple meal and I’ve seen my mom cook it a thousand times. I was pretty confident I could work it out. Just garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and chicken… how difficult could it be? Apparently pretty difficult. I don’t know where I went wrong, but it tasted like rubber. So cooking is not a strength of mine, it never has been. I’ve been trying to practice so that I can at least make edible concoctions (for my fiance and future children’s sake), but I’m never going to be a Rachael Ray and I think I’m finally okay with that. I never like accepting defeat, but in this case it’s the smartest, and safest, thing to do. Who knows, maybe every now and then I’ll surprise myself and come up with something fabulous, but for the most part I think I’m gonna have to stick with the basics. Instead of repeatedly trying and failing in an area that I’m clearly not cut out for, I’m going to start focusing that energy into things that I am good at. This doesn’t mean I’m giving up all together. I’m just accepting that I can’t be good at everything. :/

[Via http://ashleybowman.wordpress.com]

Pork Tenderloin - I Did It My Way

Hello again culinary fans,

Since my first blog, I couldn’t wait to take another WildTree voyage and experiment with some more products.  There are some great recipes in the catalog I got from Brenda and I will try some of them soon, but after you get to know me a little better you’ll find that I like to “wing it” and come up with my own ways to make things taste good (is that a little self-serving?  I don’t mean it to be).  I just like to try new and different things.

In this episode, before we get to the food part, I’d like to touch on cookware (the right tools make the job easier).  I use All-Clad most of the time but my favorite sauté pan is an 11” non-stick ScanPan w/glass cover.  This puppy is almost indestructible.  You can use metal utensils on it, you can put it in the dishwasher (although I don’t… call me anal) and you can bake with it in the oven up to 500 degrees (which is really why it’s my favorite).  I say it’s almost indestructible because I was baking pork chops in it once (with a nice mushroom sauce) and I pulled the pan out of the oven and put it on the stovetop.  I was multi-tasking at the time, and having many things going at once I (sort of) forgot that I had just pulled the pan from the oven.  I picked it up with my bare hand and YIKES…. You know what most of us do when faced with holding something that’s 400 degrees in our bare hand right?  Yup… It went flying, chops and all.  It hit the floor, made a huge mess (that’s an understatement) but the pan came through the incident with only a very small dent (not so for the contents, which littered the floor and the surrounding cabinetry).  Needless to say, I haven’t made that mistake again (the brain remembers pain, not to mention the mess).

OK, now that you know I can be a Klutz at times, here’s what I made next:

I took pork tenderloin (about 1.3 lbs), washed it and patted it dry.  I made a marinade with WildTree Garlic Grapeseed Oil and WildTree Opa Greek Seasoning Blend.  I must confess that I also added an extra clove of minced fresh garlic because…, well because I like garlic.  I also added a couple of tablespoons of juice from a jar of jalapeño peppers (I told you I like to experiment).  I marinated the pork in this mixture for about 30 minutes in the fridge.

I seared the pork on all sides in my trusty ScanPan and slid it in the oven at 350 degrees.  After 10 minutes, I turned it over and baked it until the internal temperature reached 160 degrees (years ago, cookbooks instructed us to cook pork until it reached a scorching internal temperature of 180 degrees.  Back then, the pork that landed on our plates was dry and leathery, and we often used lubricants like applesauce or sauerkraut to help get it down.  After more careful research, food scientists now tell us that pork is safe to eat after it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.  At that temperature, pork can be juicy, tender, and flavorful).  The pork also continues to cook slightly while resting.

While the pork was resting, I made whole green beans with a touch of butter and a teaspoon of the WildTree Opa Greek Seasoning Blend, just to carry the basic flavor to the veggies.  That, along with a nice mixed green salad and light raspberry vinaigrette dressing made for a super meal.  The pork was tender, juicy and had a tremendous flavor.  The extra garlic and the little bit of jalapeño juice kicked it up just a bit.  In a word, this meal was AWESOME.

Thanks for visiting, see you next time.

http://www.myvirtualproject.com

[Via http://lvtocook.wordpress.com]

Comforting Kale and Great Northern Beans

There are certain kitchen staples that I simply cannot be without.  They’re the items that I reach for again and again to enhance and brighten flavor or to awaken a dish.  Those things are garlic, red onions, lemons, and olives.  Their presence adds a certain completeness to an entree, and they’re useful for a wide variety of meals, from Mediterranean to Mexican, from stew to salad.  In addition to their added flavor, they are also nutritional powerhouses.  Onions and garlic have been shown to lower high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure.  Onions and olives have been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer, and the vitamin C in lemons makes the iron in kale more bioavailable.  Add those other pantry-staples, beans, dry pasta, and nuts, and you’re practically there for this lunch and dinner favorite.

Comforting Kale and Great Northern Beans

Serves 2 as an entrée, 4 as a side

• 1/3 cup whole-wheat fusilli pasta
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch kale, remove tough stems and then coarsely chop
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• ½ small red onion, chopped
• 1 lemon, half juiced and half cut into slices and served with entree
• 1 15 oz. can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tsp rubbed sage
• 5 Greek olives, pitted and chopped
• Handful of pine nuts
• Salt, to taste

In a steamer pot, put a few inches of water to boil.  Once boiling, add pasta to water for 10 minutes.  Put chopped kale into steamer basket on top of pot with a cocked lid.  Allow the kale to steam 3-4 minutes, until it is bright green.  Then remove it from the pot and set it aside while the pasta continues to cook.  While the pasta is boiling, put a small amount of extra virgin olive oil into a sauté pan on a medium heat.  Sauté the garlic, mushrooms, and onion for a few minutes, until the onion and garlic are translucent.  Add the kale to the pan with the juice of half of the lemon.  Use the kale leaves to sop up any glazing of the onions or garlic on the pan.  Add the beans and sage.  Fully combine until the beans are heated through.  If it begins to stick, add a splash of water into the pan.  Drain the pasta and add it to the pan, combine.  Top with a handful of pine nuts and olives and salt to taste.

To make this dish gluten-free, omit the pasta.  This dish is also delicious with collard greens instead of kale, served over creamy polenta, or with chopped sun-dried tomatoes in place of or in addition to olives.  If you’re not a fan of sage, swap it out with a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar instead.

[Via http://cadryskitchen.com]

Whimsical Cupcakes

Makes 6

Ingredients:

115g Caster Sugar

115g Butter

2 Eggs

2 Tablespoons Milk

115g Self Raising Flour

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Icing:

Ready to Roll White Fondant Icing

Dr Oetker Ready to Roll Coloured Icing

Baking Cases:

Gold and Silver Standard Baking Cases by PME Arts & Crafts

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius (350 degrees farenheit). Combine the butter and sugar in a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, milk and vanilla extract whilst continuing to whisk.

Then fold in the flour and place the mixture in baking cases, filling them 2/3 full. Bake for 17 minutes or until a skewer placed into the cake comes out clean. Then take out of the oven and place on a cooling rack until completely cool, before cutting the tops off to create a flat surface.

Next, scatter a small amount of icing sugar over a clean surface and roll the white icing out into a large square. Then, cut six white circles the same size as the cupcakes using a circular cutter.

Next, use the coloured icing to create designs by tearing off small pieces and molding it with your hands or rolling it out and cutting shapes with a sharp knife.

Then, place the designs onto the circles, pushing them down to join the design to the white icing base, and finally transfer the circles onto the top of the cupcakes.

This is a great one to try with your kids, since it’s very creative and easy to do, but it’s just as much fun for grown ups and you can create some wonderful designs!

[Via http://sparklescupcakesupplies.wordpress.com]

Coping with the work week...

Cooking dinner has been the hardest challenge with returning back to work. I have been back to work fulltime 5 years now, and still, it can be a struggle. Finding the right balance is tough. I often get home right about 4:45 – 5:00 and sometimes the boys have scout meetings, ball practices etc that must take them right out again. No time for making a lasagna from scratch, or a stew.

Currently, I am on a kick of making several large meals on the weekend. This is when I have the time for multi-part meals, slow cooking of a stew or soup.. so I can make things like chicken enchiladas from scratch, or a veggie lasagna, and we can eat them for a couple of night during the week.

Today, it was a shepherds pie…

Making giant batch of mashed potatoes

The sauce is bubbling up and over the potatoes.. but yummm!

I made enough to make 2 large casseroles.. one went into the freezer, the other is ready to be heated for a weeknight meal. Each week I plan 2 such large meals, and several easy/quick meals, and one night of clearing out the leftovers. In addition, we can pull a meal from the freezer based on earlier efforts. We currently have one batch of enchiladas, one batch of stew, and one batch of meat and vegetable soup sitting in the freezer for this weeks freezer meal if needed. Planning ahead like this  means less stress on me during the week.

This shepherds pie recipe is a Martha Stewart version. When I plan my week, I like to look at a couple of favorite places on line.

Everyday Food is a good place for balanced meals requiring less effort but big taste.

Tasty Kitchen is the brainchild of Pioneer Woman and provides lots of time tested family favorite meals from families around the country. We have enjoyed many of the meals we have eaten from those recipes: Apple Cranberry Pot roast; Healthy Macaroni and Cheese; Great Northern Corn Soup, etc. It is like having a collection of church cookbooks from all over the world at my fingertips.

Mennonite Girls Can cook always has no-fail recipes that are similar to what I ate growing up. Last week we enjoyed these Pulled Pork Sandwiches which are not a meal I would have had in my German Lutheran Texan past, but is part of my current North Carolina heritage. They were eaten quickly.

I love being able to look up recipes on line, make my plans, try new things… and food blogs are always inspiring too. What a world the internet opens up!

[Via http://willowcaroline.wordpress.com]

Last Night's Dinner

I wasn’t feeling up to cooking much last night (and we didn’t have much in the house), so I decided to try a new but very easy looking recipe.

Tomato sauce with butter and onions

I didn’t believe it could be as good as Smitten Kitchen said with so little effort.  I was wrong.  It was really good.  I put it over a filled pasta.  The recipe made lots extra to freeze or use as the base for another meal this week.

My only adaptation is that a few bits of the onion came off of the main pieces (and I used chopped tomatoes), so I pulled out the hand blender and gave it all a little whir.

Yum!

[Via http://livingwithjoy.wordpress.com]

Mini Quiches

Time for another bridal shower recipe! I’ve had this recipe for ages but I think it originally came from Bisquick. These are relatively easy to make and you can swap out the main ingredients for any of your choosing (I made a set as follows below and a vegetarian version with sundried tomatoes in place of bacon).

Mini Quiches

Makes 24 mini quiches.

1 1/4 cups baking mix (I use Bisquick)

1/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup half and half

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons boiling water

6 slices bacon, fried and crumbled

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Grease mini muffin tins. Mix baking mix and butter. Add water, stir until becomes dough. Press dough on bottom and sides of muffin cups. Divide bacon evenly into cups. Beat half and half and egg together. Stir in onions, salt and cayenne. Spoon into cups. Sprinkle cheese on tops.

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

[Via http://spontaneoustruth.wordpress.com]

Great Uses for Olive Oil

I happened to shave tonight and as I rubbed olive oil on my legs it donned on me how many times a day I use olive oil… Then I realized, how many people really know about the many uses of this miracle fluid?

I’m excited to share with you this neato information that I hope will help you in your every day-to-day lives.

(If I missed anything or you know of another use, feel free to leave a comment! And do keep in mind that I welcome all kinds of comments.)

1.    After Shave

This is great for men and women both. Just use the olive oil raw on the damp/wet skin.

2.    Enhances Conditioner

If your hair is dry and frizzy, or has been damaged by color treatments, hair products, or styling then mix your condition with olive oil. You would want to only mix in 1/3 the amount of oil to your usual amount of conditioner. It doesn’t take much. Let the conditioner sit in your hair the usual amount of time that you do every other day. But make sure that you get the most of it out. You will definitely see a difference in your hair within the first few days. Will also get out the worst of tangles!

3.    Acne Controller

Every other day before you go to bed, wash all the make up and grime from your face and do a second “wash” with a mix of olive oil and salt. I only use a quarter size amount of both… It won’t remove the acne completely but there will be a noticeable difference.

4.     Oiling Hinges

Whether it’s a hinge on your front door or the hinge on your pocket knife, olive oil will help the part glide smoothly against each other. It doesn’t take much and you can even use a little water with it too. Just apply the oil onto the hinge and work it in.

5.     Knife Sharpening

Some people use soap, I use oil… The sharpening stone seems to hold onto the oil better than the water. If the stone is really dry, I will mix in a little water so I’m not using so much oil… Then when you’re done sharpening, a nice piece of veg. tan hide (or cow hide) will put a nice finishing edge on the blade! Barbers use the hide on their straight razors…

6.     Massage Oil

I don’t know about you, but I am the masseuse of the family and sometimes lotion doesn’t work the way you would like… I keep a small bottle of oil with me and a glass/bowl of water. I will put the oil on my hands, work them together a little, then dip my fingers in the water… It won’t clog pores, moisturizer the skin, and your hands glide beautifully over the skin!

7.     MakeUp Remover

I’m starting to hear this more often as I make my way through the day… It’s amazing really how well this works! Keep in mind ladies that if you don’t get your mascara off all the way, you can actually get microscopic bugs on your lashes that will eat away at them… Icky right! Olive oil will help get even those waterproof makeups off. Just apply it on a cotton pad and wipe away the makeup. Doesn’t hurt, won’t dry out the skin (will do the opposite), won’t pull out lashes, and doesn’t burn the eyes.

8.     Condition Leather

Women, do you have a leather purse? Men, do you have a leather jacket? How about cowboy boots? Or leather shoes? These wonderful leather items will sooner or later begin to dry out and crack… To prevent that from happening, just give the leather a light rub of olive oil with an old cloth. Those old wash cloths or dish towels work great! Just make sure that you give it a couple days to absorb.

9.     Oiling Wood

Instead of using those processed and chemically enhanced wood polishes, just use olive oil! Works just as good!

10.     Ease Tough Zippers

Have a stubborn zipper? Use a the littlest amount on the zipper and then work the zipper to distribute the oil. Bar soap works well too!

11.     Care for your dog or cat

I don’t know about you, but during the weather changes, my dogs get some nasty dry skin. Just add in a small amount of olive oil and it will not only give them good skin, but also a wonderful coat! And they will eat up their food like they are being timed.

12.     Cooking

I know that this is a given… But it will work great for oiling a pan for a dinner dish or if you are making those yummy grill cheese or quesidillas. Just add a little in, instead of butter or margarine, and your off!

[Via http://gypsyrosefootprints.wordpress.com]

Bob Barker's Summertime Pasta Salad

The title of this recipe just strikes me as funny since Becky loves The Price Is Right. This was so easy to throw together and easy to do ahead of time and pull out of the fridge just before the bridal shower began. And it feeds a lot of people! I made a few adjustments according to the bride’s tastes (swapped sundried tomatoes for grape, used black olives in place of kalamata, left out the artichoke hearts) but it still came out great. (In the black-and-white striped bowl.)

Bob Barker’s Summertime Pasta Salad

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Magazine

1 pound tri-color fusilli pasta

3 yellow bell pepper, and red, and green, cut into strips

6 ounces grape tomatoes, halved (1 cup)

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped

1 6.5-ounce jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 red onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup packed fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Italian seasoning

Salt

Pepper

1. In large pot salted boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and transfer to baking sheet to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

2. In large bowl, toss bell peppers, toamtoes, olives, artichokes, onion, garlic, oil, and vinegar. Add pasta, basil, and lemon juice and toss again. Season to taste with seasoning, salt and pepper.

[Via http://spontaneoustruth.wordpress.com]

Make it from Scratch

Here are Chiot’s Run we don’t buy manufactured food. Our pantry is filled with dry goods, home canned items, and spices. We make our own pasta, butter, cheese, bread, granola bars, salad dressings and try to stay away from food that contain long ingredient lists, preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, and any weird unpronounceable ingredients.





We occasionally buy pretzels, those big sourdough niblets that have a short ingredient list; the same things I would use to make them myself (we do make soft pretzles at home, but haven’t mastered the art of crunchy ones yet). Other than this however, our pantry is devoid of boxes and bags of items made in a factory somewhere far far away.



If you’re trying to eat healthfully and avoid preservatives it’s much much cheaper to make things at home than buy them at the health food store. It does take some time to learn to make all the different things you enjoy. Sometimes it takes a palate adjustment to learn to like and prefer a homemade version of a store-bought item (like ketchup).



This is something you probably don’t want to do all at once. A great place to start is by replacing items in your pantry with homemade versions when you run out. This way you don’t waste food you’ve already purchased, and you aren’t overwhelmed by trying to learn to make everything homemade at once. Once you learn and make something a few times it becomes much easier. Start with something simple as well, like homemade salad dressing or made from scratch pancakes, muffins or a cake.



Pretty soon you’ll wonder why you ever bought mixed and pre-made items from the store, especially since you’ll notice the homemade version taste so much better. Not to mention all that extra cash in your wallet!

How much of what you eat is made from scratch at home?

[Via http://notdabblinginnormal.wordpress.com]

Masterchef? I Think Not

Well I’ve had a rather interesting few days.

Sorry, I didn’t have time to post yesterday. I was too deeply immersed in my Fanfiction writing – which is, I’m pleased to say, actually going somewhere. But that wasn’t all I was doing.

I was enjoying a peaceful Monday at home – alone – when Mum rings and asks would I be able to make something quick for dinner? She, Dad and my brother were all at Dad’s work and I couldn’t very well expect them to come home starving. So, I got started with the tofu – as directed by mother. It seemed easy enough: heat the oil, pop in the tofu cubes, take them out. Ha!

Before I knew it, there was smoke billowing out of the pot, fuming all through the kitchen and dining room. Seriously, it was like a bleeding bushfire without the bush. Bloody hell. Mum had told me to wait till the oil was “bubbling” – which I thought was a bit weird but I decided to trust her on it (she’s the brilliant cook). Then, when I called her for the millionth time that afternoon, she told me that there only needed to be “a little smoke” coming from the oil in order for it to be ready. Geez, thanks Mum. I could’ve set fire to the house, but okay, no problem!

Anyway, chucked out the burnt tofu, had a good laugh at it and fought the urge to hurl it at one of the noisy neighbours. Cooled down the oil and got down to business. Within half an hour, it was all done and I was feeling more relieved than proud of my (overall) success. Fried some eggs, fixed up the duck and cooked the rice. All done and I just had to take a picture of the tofu – to prove I’d done it.

After that rather… amusing debacle, I’ve vowed to never consume another piece of tofu. Ever.

Anyway, spent the rest of the day working on my fanfiction (as mentioned), before crashing into bed at around one in the morning (nothing new there). However, to my own surprise, I woke up at 6:20AM. When I didn’t need to. On a Tuesday morning. On the summer holidays. I am so proud!

As for breakfast… well, I’ve decided to stick to the complete opposite of tofu (easy to prepare and very unhealthy): Pizza.

Ah, the Italians are wonders.

If I wasn’t Chinese, I would like to be Italian, just for the food. Or Japanese… they seem to have mastered every other type of cuisine as well as their own. Honestly, the pasta I had in Japan was perhaps the best I’ve ever tasted. Then again, I haven’t yet been to Italy. When I do, I’ll be sure to update!

In other news: am rather amused at the Prince William stuff going on (a man got arrested for “attacking” the Prince with a sausage and piece of bread?); waiting to see darling Roger on the court at the Australian Open; feel like watching The Lord of the Rings; am really sick of The Biggest Loser and So You Think You Can Dance Australia 2010 promos (we get it, it’s coming on TV!); and wish that they would hurry up and play The Golden Globes on normal television – it really sucks not having Foxtel sometimes. Oh well.

Well, that’s it for now. Until the next time I blow up a kitchen…

CZQC.

[Via http://czhiqi.wordpress.com]

Untitled - Depression Era Excerpt

Image by chalkdog via Flickr

So it is Excerpt Monday again! This month I am sharing an excerpt from a Depression Era piece that I started and well…you know. Haven’t worked on again in a while. I am not sure I would call it “romance” but then again…who knows where it might lead! Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

~~~~~~~

I can remember mama in the kitchen getting dinner together. She would pluck a plump white chicken while she hummed a tune, though I can’t quite remember the name of it. The string beans sat in a bowl on the counter not far away, their ends all snapped off. Potatoes were next to them, peeled and gleaming a creamy white from the water that still lightly layered them.

I can see her in her blue dress with the pale yellow floral print apron that she always wore. Her chestnut hair was captured back in a simple bun that allowed a few whispy strands to fall around her face. Every so often she would reach up with the back of her wrist to gently push some of the tickling strands away. She enjoyed preparing dinner then, but that was before it happened.

One day I was just coming down the stairs as a knock came at the door. It was Mrs. Kelsy from down the lane wanting to buy a chicken. You see, we raised chickens to sell as well as eat. I smiled as I saw her and leaned around the dining room entry to holler back at mama.

“Mrs. Kelsy ‘s here for a chicken mama. I’m running down to the coup to get her one.”

“Alright Wilma, just send her on in here to have a chat while she waits.” Mama replied. Turning back to Mrs. Kelsy I passed on the message in short order, “Mama’s in the kitchen. I’ll be right back.” And I was off running down to the coup.

Mrs. Kelsy waited with mama in the kitchen swapping gossip as she casually laid 50 cents on the table in payment for the chicken. Mama would never turn around, she knew the money would be there when Mrs. Kelsy left. Shortly I reappeared with a squirming and clucking sack. I handed it off to Mrs. Kelsy and then disappear back into the upper reigons of the house.

Long about 4pm daddy would return from working at the factory up the road. He wasn’t a laborer though, he worked in the office. I can still recall the musky smell of his aftershave as it mixed with the grease he put in his hair to hold it in place. In the evenings as he came in, he would drop his hat and newspaper by the door along with his lunch pail. Early in the morning mama would put a fresh lunch in his pale and throw out yesterdays paper.

It was the same Monday through Friday.

Every once in awhile he would go out in the evening to get the days paper, usually when he was too busy at work and had to skip lunch. Sometimes when that happened, while I was little, he would take me with him to get the paper and buy me a piece of penny candy in the store. As I got older those walks happened less and less until not at all by the time I was in high school.

I miss those walks.

[Via http://dyockman.wordpress.com]

上海游記 Nov. 28 – Dec. 16, 2009 Day 7, part II, Shanghai

上海游記 Nov. 28 – Dec. 16, 2009

Day 7,  part II, Shanghai, Thursday, December 3, 2009

The first thing we need to do after breakfast was to get a new cell phone at a nearby telecomm shop. We quickly found a place to buy another SIM card for ¥118 for the second Samsung cell phone we bought from the U. S. The phone works just fine except that it couldn’t show Chinese characters. As such, I couldn’t read any text message sent to me by the phone company or others.

We asked the sales guy about my lost cell phone and our effort to retrieve that taxi driver’s phone number. He said that we could try Shanghai’s sales office of China Mobile or 中国移动 “zhong1 guo2 yi1dong4” at 第一八佰伴 “di4 yi1 ba1 bai3 ban4,” a giant department store in Pudong not far from the financial district.  八佰伴 was a chain department store originally from Japan. The company declared bankruptcy after Asian currency crisis in 1998. The company’s 450 stores were bought by another Japanese company but kept the name for its Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei stores.

We rushed to 第一八佰伴, found the sales office on the 6th floor and informed the sales person about my dilemma. Her answer was that it was impossible to retrieve the telephone number unless we can locate the lost SIM card. In other words, I had no way to inform the taxi driver that it would be okay for him to pick us up at our hotel in Puxi tomorrow morning and take us to 朱家角 (zhu1 jia1 jiao3.)  I wasn’t sure that she gave me the correct answer because I thought there had to be a record somewhere in China Mobile’s server of my communication with him. She didn’t give me the answer I wanted to hear probably because I was nobody. Another option was to go to China Mobile’s HQ in the 普陀区 “pu3 tuo2 qv1” Puxi. Since that place was too far away and it would take at least 2 to 3 hours to take care of this matter, I decided not to pursuit it any further. Well, I’ve put in a reasonable effort but the situation was beyond my control and I just had to let this go. We’ll find another way to go to 朱家角 on Friday.

Since we were in Pudong and not very far from 金茂大厦 “jin1 mao4 da4 xia4” or Jin Mao Tower, we decided to visit the second tallest building in Shanghai. Bao and I knew a restaurant in 金茂大厦 from a Chinese TV food show and we had planned to try its food. The restaurant was called 天萃庭 “tian1 cui4 ting2” or Paradise Garden specialized in Cantonese cuisine, dim sum and Shanghai cuisine. To reserve a table, you needed to call the restaurant at 57575777. In Chinese, it reads wu3 qi1 wu3 qi1 wu3 qi1 qi1 qi1 which sounds like 我吃, 我吃, 我吃吃吃 wo3 chi1 wo3 chi1 wo3 chi1 chi1 chi1.

The fancy restaurant occupied ½ of the top floor of a 6-story shopping mall adjacent to the 金茂大厦. The mall has numerous top notch shops and restaurants and天萃庭’s kitchen was located on the 5th floor. Although we didn’t have a reservation but, since it wasn’t very busy, we got a table by the rail overlooking the lower levels of the mall. The restaurant has another section which included a big dinning room and many rooms for private parties.

As we sat down at our table, a waitress gave each of us a warm bar towel. We were asked if we wanted tea. I asked for choices and she gave me a few selections. I chose 西湖龙井 xi1 hu2 long3 jin3 since it was the best in this area and she said it was something like ¥50 a cup or nearly $8 in US. I said yes. She asked how many. I replied three. Well, I knew it was expensive before I came here but didn’t know it was that expensive. This was some expensive tea. It’d better be worth the price tag. Well, 即來之則安之 “ji4 lai2 zhi1 ze2 an1 zhi1.”

The ambiance of the casual lunch area was cheerful and elegant with gold and red-colored decoration around us. The jade-colored table setting and the red-colored menu with a gold-colored logo were very stylish. The wait staff was quiet attentive but not pushy.

Logo on menu

One dish we had to order was 果汁鹅肝冻 (¥128) or chilled foie gras in fruit jelly. We saw a special program recommending this restaurant and this beautiful dish. It attracted our curiosity and we had to try it.

Other dishes were:

Appetizers

• 萝卜丝拌海蜇 “luo2 bo1 si1 bang4 hai1 zhe2”- julienned white radish with jelly fish

• 松子冬菇 “song1 zi3 dong1 gu1”- Roasted pine nuts with Chinese mushroom

• 素雞 “su4 ji1” – Vegetarian chicken made from soy bean

Entrées

• 蟹粉獅子頭 “xie4 fen3 shi1 zi1 tou2”- Braised pork balls with crab meat

• 醬肉煎包子 “jiang4 ro4 jian1 bao1 zi3” – Pan-fried dumplings with meat and sauce

• 蟹粉豆腐 “xie4 fen3 dou4 fu3” – Tofu with crab meat

Dessert

• 酒釀湯圓 “Jiu3 niang2 tang1 yuan2.” Sticky rice balls with sweet fermented rice wine.

Our jade-colored placemats were removed before the lunch was served and we each got a white dinner plate instead. Shortly after we placed our order, we were served with a nicely prepared before-dinner xiao cai including pickled root vegetable, gelatinous pork and mushroom with 枸杞子”gou3 ji2 zi3,” and a salty fish of some sort. The fourth container had soy sauce if I wasn’t mistaken.

The gelatinous pork and mushroom with 枸杞子was the best among them. The pork was well seasoned and枸杞子 added a nice touch to this savory dish. The 枸杞子 ”gou3 ji2 zi3,” or wolfberries, are the dried berries of an easy-to-grow, low growing (about 6’ tall by 6’ wide,) deciduous flowering shrub. Its branches have very sharp thorns and the flowers are small and purple in color. The small, bright-red colored berries ripen from August to November depending on its location. In fact, my parents have to such plants growing in their vegetable garden at their house. One could also buy them from Chinese grocery stores at very affordable prices.

wolfberries, 枸杞子, are mild in nature and slightly sweet in taste. It has been said that taking a small amount of 枸杞子 on a regular basis, like 5 to 10 pieces a day with water or wine, can be beneficial to your lungs, liver, kidneys and eyes. It is also said that枸杞子have been used as a sexual tonic. There have been many recent researches on枸杞子 at University of Hong Kong, China and Korea. In addition, there are no known side effects from taking 枸杞子 which has been used as food and herb for hundreds of years in China and other Asian countries.

Of all the appetizers we ordered only the 果汁鹅肝冻 (¥128,) or chilled foie gras in fruit jelly, was exceptional. Its presentation, taste, sauce, foie gras and fruit jelly were all top rated. Other appetizers were ordinary. The texture of the pork meat balls was slightly firm and the flavorful chicken broth was infused with crab meat; something I usually would not do. The tofu with crab meat was the best tofu dish I’d ever had: the tofu was soft and coated with tangy sauce. The golden colored sauce got its color from none other than 枸杞子 too. The small amount of Crab meat augmented the flavor of the sauce and tofu to a higher level. A great dish by the chef! The pan-fried 醬肉煎包子 tasted liked Cantonese 叉燒包 “cha1 shao1 bao1” but the ingredients and the sauce of the 包子餡 “bao1 zi3 xian4,” the inside of the 包子, were different. It also didn’t have red coloring as it usually did in Cantonese 叉燒包.

The dessert was another favor of mine and I knew bao liked it too. The湯圓, made from sweet rice powder, was slightly chewy but not sticky to my teeth. I could taste the slight sweetness of the 酒釀 and smell the alcohol from the fermentation process as it escaped from the surface of the soup. The meal took about an hour and half and I actually enjoyed it very much. I wasn’t sure how much Xiaobao liked it because he didn’t like seafood at all. Well, we’d give him some more jiao3 zi1 and cong1 you2 bin3 later.

After the lunch, Xiaobao wanted to take us to see the dinning room up on the 86th floor of the 金茂大厦.We walked around the building and found the elevator to the restaurant. We told the hostess that we wanted to have some coffee but she won’t let us in because the restaurant was still busy with its lunch crowd. She sent us to the bar two floors down on the 84th floor.

The interior of the bar was very impressive. There was an elevated stage at the center of one wall which was flanked by an open bar on both sides. The semi circular room had probably 20 tables, each with two or three sofa seats. The bar had a very high ceiling, probably 300’ tall. The open space extended all the way to the glass roof which made it a very unique place to have a cup of coffee or a glass of martini. I wondered what the band would sound like because of the high ceiling and acoustic effect. We ordered a coffee and a tea and the bill came to ¥100.

Before Xiaobao left Taiwan, his friend suggested a few place to visit while in Shanghai. One of the places was 南外灘輕紡面料市場 “nan2 wai4 tan1 qing1fang3 mian4 liao4 shi4 chang3” or South Bund Soft-spinning Material Market, a three-story fabric market, located in South Bund at 399  陸家濱路 “lu4 jia1 bang1 lu4.” Note that Shanghainese pronounced 濱 like 幫忙’s ”bang1 mang1” 幫 instead of 檳榔’s “bin1 lang2” 檳.”

The big character in the middle is 布 "bu4" or fabric

When we got there, it was almost 6 PM; their closing time. The guard won’t let us in so that we had to look for a shop outside near the huge sign at the front of the building. The owner of the shop and his two female assistants talked us into buying two suits (¥1,400) for me and four shirts (¥1,200) for Xiaobao. Turned out that the owner was also a 湖北人 “hu2 bei3 ren2” but I didn’t think he gave me any special discount at all. His two young, female assistants were very helpful and I bet they sweet-talk to all their customers in order to make the deal. We paid half of the price as downpay and agreed to come back on Saturday to pick them up. Since it was time for lunch, we took the owner’s suggestion and went to a near by Sichuan restaurant called 川妹魚庄酒樓 “chuan1 mei4 jiu3 lou2,” Sichuan Sister Seafood Restaurant, a suitable choice for a chilly evening.

We ordered three appetizers, four entrées, soup and a 大餅”da bing3” as our 主食 “zhu3 shi2” and dessert.

• white beans with fermented sweet rice 酒釀白豆 “jiu3 niang2 bai2 dou4.” This was a very simple dish to make. It was sweet and full of the aroma of sweet rice wine.

• Pickled radish with edamame beans 豌豆蘿蔔干 “wan1 dou4 luo2 bo1 gan1.” I started to eat 蘿蔔干 when I was a little boy growing up in Taiwan. Back then, we ate a lot of 蘿蔔干 because it 下飯 “xia4 fan4” or made rice easier to eat because of its saltiness. It was very cheap and easy to make. My Mom would cut the white radish into sticks of ~3” long and ¾” wide on four sides. She’d rub them thoroughly with plenty of salt and dried them under the sun for a few days. Because of its saltiness, it could be kept without refrigeration for several days. It was also a regular dish in the morning with congee. Nowadays, I occasionally make this dish because it reminded me of the old days in our small house, tiny kitchen and a round table just outside of the kitchen. I no longer have to make 蘿蔔干the old way because it is widely available in Chinese supermarket. Instead of stir-frying 蘿蔔干 with edamame beans, it can be made with scrambled eggs and green onions which was another regular dish on our table 50 years ago.

• Gelatinous pork 肴肉 “yao2 rou4.” My Mom used to make this dish when I was a small boy. It was one of the dishes Mom made for Dad’s many college friends who came to our house regularly. I haven’t made this for a long time not because it was difficult to do but because I have had more things to choose from now.

• 干扁四季豆 “gan1 bian3 shi4 ji1 dou4” or string beans Sichuan Style. Our restaurant also carries this dish but this one was more flavorful and hot. The aroma was more pungent because of various spices, including 花椒 “hua1 jiao1” or Sichuan pepper, a specialty spice from Sichuan province.

花椒 “hua1 jiao1”

• 絲瓜炒青豆 “shi1gua1 cao3 qing1 dou4.’ This dish, not very common at a Sichuan restaurant, was very pleasant to look at, fresh, tender and delicious. It didn’t have much sauce which was different from how I would cook it. 絲瓜 is a green, hairy fruit vegetable about 12” to 18” long and 1” to 3” in diameter when matured. It’s slightly sweet and has a mild taste. It is called 絲瓜 probably because when the skin is peeled off, it produces a sticky sap which stretches like spider’s silk (絲.) I am very fond of this vegetable but not good at cooking it. I often cooked it too long which made it too soft and turned it into a darker color. From time to time, Dad would plant this in his vegetable garden in Virginia and we have had some of this wonderful vegetable a few times in the past. We used to have 絲瓜 at our house in Taichong, Taiwan as well. We ate some and kept a few till maturity for seeds. We also left a few hanging on the vines until they completely dried. After peeling off the skin and getting rid of all seeds, we saved the network of tissues as sponges to clean dishes. They could also be used as bath sponges and body scratch which was called 絲瓜筋 “shi1 gua1 jin1.”

• 香干肉絲 “xiang1 gan1 rou4 shi1” or shredded pork with dried bean curd; another one of my favorite dishes; tender pork coated with mild hot sauce, slightly chewy dried bean curd and green onions. Very little sauce like what it supposed to be. Not too much cooking oil but enough to make it shinning on the outside of every piece of pork and bean curd slices. Our restaurant recently added this dish to attract Chinese customers. However, our dried bean curd, to me, is a little too chewy at times.

• 麻婆豆腐 “ma2 po2 dou4 fu3” was the quintessential Sichuan dish we had to try here. And we weren’t disappointed: soft Tofu, ground pork, hot pepper, unique Sichuan spices, right amount of cooking oil and topped with green onions. Just the way we liked it except it was a little to hot for us. I bet my daughter would love this dish. It was another dish that’s so 下飯 we could eat a whole bowl of rice with this dish only.

• 湯 “Tang.” I actually forgot what kind of soup I ordered and I didn’t keep any notes either. It looked good. The 10 or so 枸杞子 floating on top of the soup, the green onions, the pan-seared meat in the soup, the clear broth and the clay pot made it a savory addition to our meal. Too bad I didn’t remember what it was now.

• 黑芝麻大餅 “zhi1 ma2 da4 bing3” or black sesame paste thick flat bread. This was a wonderful dish and I was glad that I ordered it. Xiaobao liked it and we also liked it too. I often saw this kind of flat bread sold at Chinese grocery stores. However none of them had sweet black sesame paste inside. The bread was leavened and pan-fried and the sesame paste was sweet and had a very fine texture. The flat bread was served right off the hot pan which was soft and smelled so good. I wished I could ordered a few more and bought them back to the U. S.

Well, as usual, I ordered more than what we could finish. But it was a satisfying meal and we were all stuffed.

Before we headed back to our hotel, we went to the famous 南京东路步行街 “nan1 jing1 dong1 lu4 bu4 xing1 jie1” which was not too far from our hotel. This part of 南京东路 was designed for pedestrians only. The street was lined with department stores, fashion shops, brand-name stores, and restaurants, by the time we went there, it was too late because more places were getting ready to close for the day. We walked around and found a place to have some coffee and latte before walking back to our hotel.

We’d go to 朱家角 “zhu1 jia1 jiao3” tomorrow. I’d figure out how to get there after we got back to our hotel since I lost my cell phone and couldn’t get hold of that taxi driver tonight. Well, it was too bad that we had to pay for the Internet service at the hotel at ¥20/hr or ¥120 a day.

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