New Asian Cuisine » Lunar New Year

Singapore Pineapple Tarts

grace — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 04:17:04 +0000

Singapore Pineapple Tarts

By Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, A Tiger in the Kitchen

Cheryl’s article on Chinese New Year Pineapple Tarts can be found in the Wall Street Journal.

Yields about 100 tarts

When I was growing up in Singapore, Chinese New Year meant one thing: my grandmother’s pineapple tarts. The salty, buttery, bite-size circles topped with quarter-size dollops of dense, homemade pineapple jam were an obsession for me. We had them in the house just once a year, at the lunar new year, when Singaporeans spend two days visiting friends and relatives to swap tales of business and children’s test scores over tea and sweets. Quantities aren’t exact. My aunts don’t use a recipe, and they laughed at me the first 10 times I asked them for this one. The first set of instructions they gave me for pineapple jam was, “Aiyah, you just juice the pineapple, add sugar and then boil, boil, boil!”

For the jam:

4 pineapples
at least ½ kilogram sugar (at least 2 ½ cups, depending on desired sweetness)
2 to 3 pandan leaves* knotted together
1 long cinnamon stick, broken in two

Peel the pineapples, dig out the eyes and chop into chunks. Run the chunks through a juicer. Place the pulp in a large wok or pot with a large surface area and heat on the stove. Add the juice until the mixture has the consistency of porridge or grits; add the knotted pandan leaves and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil and keep it there for a total of three hours, stirring often. Halfway through, taste the jam, and add sugar by the half cup until it is as sweet as you desire. (Note: The amount of sugar needed will vary greatly depending on how ripe the pineapples are.)
The jam is done when the pineapple mixture has changed color from bright yellow to brownish ochre and most of the liquid has evaporated, leaving a dense but moist jam.

*Pandan leaves, also called screwpine, can be found frozen in some Asian grocery stores.

For the pastry:

375 grams salted butter (3 sticks plus 2 ½ Tablespoons) at room temperature
600 grams flour (about 4 ¾ cups)
4 egg yolks, plus 1 yolk for brushing onto pastry

With a mixer on low speed, combine the butter, flour and four egg yolks, mixing for 3 to 5 minutes.
Place dough in a cookie press fitted with a disc featuring a circle of diamonds. Press cookies out onto greased baking sheets. Form small balls of dough and press each one into the hollow of a cookie, forming the base of the tart.
Beat the remaining egg yolk with ½ teaspoon of water. Brush the rim of each tart generously. Take a scant teaspoon of pineapple jam (more or less, as desired) and form a ball, then press into the hollow of each tart. Pat the sides of the jam to create a small dome.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350 degrees, until golden brown. Remove cookies from sheets and cool on a rack.

Good Fortune Pickles

admin — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 01:01:36 +0000

Good Fortune Pickles Recipe

Fukujin-Zuke

Kansha: Celebrating Japan’s Vegan and Vegetarian Tradition

by Elizabeth Andoh

makes about 3 cups
brine
3 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 chunk daikon, about 3 ounces, peeled or unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 carrot, about 11/2 ounces, peeled or unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 small Kirby or other pickling cucumbers, each about 2 ounces, unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 ounces burdock root, scraped, cut into 1/4-inch dice, blanched for 1 minute, and drained (do not refresh in cold water)
1 small knob tender new ginger, about 1/2 ounce, scraped and finely minced
1 Japanese eggplant, about 3 ounces, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 package enoki mushrooms, about 31/2 ounces, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch lengths

pickling medium
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
3-inch piece kombu, preferably high-glutamate variety such as ma kombu
1/4 cup sake
1 cup rice vinegar
1 tōgarashi, broken in half and most seeds removed, or 3 or 4 black, green, or pink peppercorns

Make the brine: Combine the water and salt in a small saucepan and heat through, stirring, just until the salt dissolves. Remove from the heat and transfer to a widemouthed glass bowl or other nonreactive container. Let cool.

Place the daikon, carrot, cucumber, burdock root, ginger, and eggplant in the cooled brine and let soak for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours at cool room temperature. Because the vegetables tend to bob to the surface, use an otoshi-buta (page 243) or a flat plate to keep the vegetables submerged in the brine.

Drain the vegetables, squeezing them gently to rid them of excess moisture. Add the enoki mushrooms to the mixture in the bowl and toss to distribute.

Make the pickling medium: Combine the sugar, soy sauce, and kombu in a wide, shallow pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat to maintain a steady, gentle simmer. Add the vegetables, stir once, and wait until bubbles form around the rim of the pot. Stir again and remove the pot from the heat. Allow the vegetables to cool in the liquid until there is no longer any steam rising.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a widemouthed 1-quart Mason-type jar, arranging the kombu on top of the vegetables.

Add the sake, vinegar, and tōgarashi to the liquid remaining in the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a steady, vigorous simmer and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until reduced by half. Skim away any clouds of froth with a fine-mesh skimmer. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Pour the cooled liquid over the vegetables. When the jar no longer feels warm to the touch, secure the lid, label and date the jar, and refrigerate it. The pickles will develop flavor slowly during the first week. After 4 or 5 days, open the jar and, with clean chopsticks or a fork, pull out a sample and taste. If the flavor is too intense, add 2 or 3 tablespoons cold water to the pickling liquid, re-cover, and refrigerate for about 2 more days.

The pickle will taste best 1 to 2 weeks after assembling, but it can be enjoyed for 4 to 5 weeks if kept refrigerated throughout. Flavors will continue to intensify, however, and you may wish to dilute the pickling liquid after a couple of weeks.

When ready to serve, select an assortment of chunks, draining only the amount you wish to use at that time. Briefly rinse the pieces under cold running water and squeeze out excess moisture. Mince the pickled vegetables, then gently squeeze the pile to form a low-rising mound.

Do not reuse either the brine or the pickling medium; assemble with fresh ingredients each time you wish to make a batch of Good Fortune Pickles.

Chinese New Year 2011!

admin — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:56:19 +0000

Chinese New Year 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit!

Chinese New Year begins on February 3, 2011 and is celebrated for 15 days. Each year, the date is different, it begins with the new moon of the new year and ends on the full moon.

Gong Hay Fat Choy! (in Cantonese) Gong Xi Fa Cai! (in Mandarin)

This will be the year of the Rabbit – and according to The Holiday Spot, here’s the horoscope for 2011:

A placid year, very much welcomed and needed after the ferocious year of the Tiger. We should go off to some quiet spot to lick our wounds and get some rest after all the battles of the previous year.

Good taste and refinement will shine on everything and people will acknowledge that persuasion is better than force. A congenial time in which diplomacy, international relations and politics will be given a front seat again. We will act with discretion and make reasonable concessions without too much difficulty.

A time to watch out that we do not become too indulgent. The influence of the Rabbit tends to spoil those who like too much comfort and thus impair their effectiveness and sense of duty.

Law and order will be lax; rules and regulations will not be rigidly enforced. No one seems very inclined to bother with these unpleasant realities. They are busy enjoying themselves, entertaining others or simply taking it easy. The scene is quiet and calm, even deteriorating to the point of somnolence. We will all have a tendency to put off disagreeable tasks as long as possible

Money can be made without too much labor. Our life style will be languid and leisurely as we allow ourselves the luxuries we have always craved for. A temperate year with unhurried pace. For once, it may seem possible for us to be carefree and happy without too many annoyances.

***

Chinese New Year Recipes

I’ve compiled a list of Chinese New Year Recipes from Steamy Kitchen and New Asian Cuisine for you – but first read up on some of the food superstitions – what to serve and what NOT to serve (especially if you want to keep your job in the Year of the Rabbit! ;-)

Recipes from Steamy Kitchen

My Mother’s Famous Chinese Egg Rolls (egg rolls look like gold bars, which symbolize wealth)
Chinese Boiled Pork Dumplings (also symbolize wealth)
Pan Fried Shrimp & Pork Potstickers (wealth)
Fresh Pear and Shrimp Stir Fry (shrimp for happiness and joy)
Shrimp Fried Rice (shrimp for happiness and joy)
Hainanese Chicken Rice (for Chinese New Year, serve chicken whole and cut at table)
Chinese Broccoli Beef Noodles (noodles for longevity)
100 Flower Blossoms Dish (broccoli and cauliflower look like blossoming flowers to represent blossoming prosperous new year)
Long Life Fertility Noodles and Happy Shrimp
Chinese Lettuce Cups (lettuce = rising fortune)
Stir Fried Beef with Nectarines (nectarine = happiness, health)
Chinese Whole Steamed Fish (having more than enough for this coming year)
—> more Chinese New Year Recipes on Steamy Kitchen

Recipes from New Asian Cuisine

Prosperity Cakes
Singapore Pineapple Tarts
Chinese Pork Ribs with Daikon and Dried Oysters
Tangerine Pie
Red Roast Duck with Baby Bok Choy
Teochew Braised Duck

Other Chinese New Year Recipes

I’ve handpicked more Chinese New Year Recipes for you – let me know in the comments if you have any more suggestions! Would love to know some of your favorite recipes!

Steamed Chicken in Lotus Leaf – RasaMalaysia
Stir Fried Pine Nuts with Corn and Peas – RasaMalaysia (dish means “full of gold and jade”)
Stir Fried Broccoli and Scallop – RasaMalaysia (“richness and abundance”)
Baked BBQ Pork Buns – RasaMalaysia
Soy Sauce Chicken – RasaMalaysia (though serve your chicken whole & cut at table for Chinese New Year)
Chinese Almond Cookies – Simply Recipes (beautiful, Garrett, just beautiful!)
Fortune Cookie Recipe – Martha Stewart
Fortune Cookie Recipe video – Cookbook Maniac (love her tips for fortune cookies)
Chocolate Fortune Cookies – Martha Stewart
Vegetarian Buddha’s Delight – Epicurious
Orange Peking Duck – recipe from Ken Hom, author of Ken Hom’s Top 100 Stir Fry Recipes
Sweet & Sour Pork – recipe from Grace Young, author Breath of a Wok
Buddha’s Delight with Tofu & Brocooli- Cooking Light
Peanut Sesame Noodles – Appetite for China
Water Chestnut Cake with Ginger – Appetite for China
Dragon Well Tea Shrimp – Appetite for China
Dan Dan Mian – Appetite for China
Scallion Pancakes – Tigers and Strawberries (perfect recipe. we made these many times)
Chinese White Cut Chicken – Sunday Nite Dinner (serve your chicken whole & cut at table for Chinese New Year)
Tea Smoked Duck – Cooking Channel
Nian Gao Cake - Asian Grandmother’s Cookbook
Shanghai Style Nian Gao – Donna Cooks (“rising higher each year” This dish is a must for our table – I love the soft, chewy noodles. This is also one of my Dad’s hometown dishes)
Stir Fried Shanghai Nian Gao – mmm-yoso
Lion’s Head Meatballs – NY Times (lion = strength; big round meatballs = family togetherness)
Fuscshia Dunlop’s Braised Pork Belly – Cookbook Maniac
Year of the Rabbit Cookies – Lily’s Wai Sek Hong (cookie with rabbit cutout – you can find rabbit cookie cutter usually as part of big box of 100 cookie cutters, like this one or this)
Chinese Walnut Cookies – Lily’s Wai Sek Hong
Paper Lined Cup Sponge Cake – Lily’s Wai Sek Hong
Dragon Cookies – Lily’s Wai Sek Hong (love this idea – we’ll make these dragon cookies w/my kids)
Almond Cookie Cresents – Lily’s Wai Sek Hong
Double Sided Gold Noodles – Lily’s Wai Sek Hong (one of my favorite noodles as a kid)
Steamed Pork Bun Recipe + how to fold Chinese buns video – Christine’s Recipes
Braised Chinese Mushrooms – Christine’s Recipes (easy dish to make, we always have whole Chinese mushrooms on CNY)
Egg Custard Pastry – Christine’s Recipes (with a cheater crust! brilliant)
Stir Fried Glutinous Rice – Christine’s Recipes
Stir Fried Broccoli with Fish Fillet – Christine’s Recipes
Butter Cookies – Christine’s Recipes
Baked Coconut Cake – Christine’s Recipes
Radish Cake – Christine’s Recipes

Do Not Eat for Chinese New Year

Squid: means to get fired
Tofu – white color of tofu signifies death

***

Chinese New Year Gifts

Part of the Chinese New Year tradition is the act of graciously giving and graciously receiving. I remember making the rounds as a kid in Hong Kong – my parents would present baskets of fruit, a special dish or a bottle of wine; and all the kids got Red Envelopes or “hong bow.” If you’re invited to someone’s house to celebrate Chinese New Year, there are certain gifts that symbolize wonderful things….and then there are the no-no’s.

Good Gifts:

Red Envelopes: Children (and in our tradition, children also means any unmarried person) get Red Envelopes, pronounced hoong bow (red pouch). Another wait to say red envelopes is lai see. Inside the red envelope is money, and it can be as little as $2.00 to whatever bill denomination you want. But try to keep the dollar amount an even number – happiness comes in pairs! Odd numbers are are for funerals. Try to get crisp new bills from the bank. How much to give? It’s just a nice tradition and gesture, so you really don’t have to go crazy (edit from my kids “unless you’re my grandparents then go ahead and stuff the envelopes fat!”…heeheehee!)
A bottle of wine or spirits.
Fruit such as kumquats, oranges, pomelo and mandarin oranges (with leaves attached is good!) symbolize happiness, good fortune, good health
Blossoming flowers, especially plum blossoms and chrysanthemums (both symbolize prosperity)
Live chickens. Okay, this was in the olden days. I think we can scratch this one off.
Food and sweets – like pastries, cookies, candy, chocolates.
Round candy tray – filled with sweets and seeds

***

Chinese New Year Superstitions

In addition to food…there are some traditions that are important to welcome in the new year.

Clean your house to rid of bad luck! But please make sure you do this BEFORE the first day of Chinese New Year. You don’t want to clean on February 3 as that would mean sweeping or dusting away your good fortune. On New Year’s eve, open up all your windows to expel the bad and old!
Wearing new clothes: Wearing new clothes on Chinese New Year is something I’ve done since I can remember! This symbolizes having more than enough for the new year. You want to try to look as fresh and new as possible. However, do NOT wash your hair on New Year’s day – it would mean washing away good luck! Wear bright red (happiness & joy) or gold (prosperity).
Blooming Flowers: Fill your house with beautiful blooming flowers and plants, especially plum blossoms and chrysanthemums (both symbolize prosperity), pussy willows, bamboo, pine (longevity), peony. Flowers and plants represent new growth and a blossoming new year.
No fighting, kids: Your temperment on Chinese New Year will set the tone for the rest of the year! So no complaining, swearing, fighting…banish bad thoughts!
Firecrackers: Are meant to scare off the bad spirits.
Color Red: Colorful bright vivid red scares off bad spirits and demons too! Red also symbolizes virtue, joy and happiness.
Dragon Dance: Ushers in the New Year bringing good luck.
Do not say the number “four” – which symbolizes death in Chinese

***

Books For Kids

These are all books that we own, and I’ve listed them in the order of our favorite first!

Moonbeams, Dumplings & Dragon Boats: A Treasury of Chinese Holiday Tales, Activities & Recipes by Nina Simonds ($14.28)

I love that this book has recipes! Nina Simonds is a very well respected cookbook author, she’s a specialist in Chinese cuisine. ~Jaden

Filled with delectable recipes, hands-on family activities, and traditional tales to read aloud, this extraordinary collection will inspire families everywhere to re-create the magic of Chinese holidays in their own homes. They can feast on golden New Year’s dumplings and tasty moon cakes, build a miniature boat for the Dragon Boat Festival and a kite at Qing Ming, or share the story of the greedy Kitchen God or the valiant warrior Hou Yi.
This stunning compilation from bestselling cookbook author Nina Simonds and Leslie Swartz of the Children’s Museum, Boston, is the perfect gift for families that have embraced Chinese holidays for generations–and for those just beginning new traditions.

Chinese Feasts & Festivals: A Cookbook by S.C. Moey ($18.21)

Beautiful hand-illustrated book with authentic Chinese recipes for many different Chinese festivals, such as The Dragon Boat Festival, Mooncake Festival and of course Chinese New Year. Gorgeous book and definitely worth every penny. ~Jaden

The rich culinary tradition of China is largely inspired by a calendar year filled with joyous occasions for eating, drinking and making merry. Food, fittingly enough, plays a leading role in everything from festivals to reunions and weddings to anniversaries. The combination of flavors and symbols, such as wealth, happiness, luck, and prosperity, involved in many of these dishes are a spiritual celebration and an earthly pleasure.
In Chinese Feasts & Festivals, author S.C. Moey assembles facts and fancies along with a collection of festival specialties that every Chinese food lover will read and enjoy. Full of delicate, subtly-rendered illustrations, this exquisite and yet functional cookbook will inspire you to cook up a feast no matter what the occasion.

China: DK Eyewitness Books by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore ($10.87)

You’ll learn much more than about Chinese New Year in this beautifully photographed book. Highly recommended and great for all ages -Jaden

China investigates the present-day culture of the most populous country on the planet, and Oil takes a look at the controversial substance responsible for the beginning-and, if we’re not careful, the end of life as we know it today. Includes clip-art CD and wall poster.

Dragon Dance: A Chinese New Year Lift the Flap Book by Joan Holub ($6.99)

It’s Chinese New Year and there are so many fun things to do! Shopping at the outdoor market for fresh flowers, eating New Year’s dinner with the whole family, receiving red envelopes from Grandma and Grandpa, and best of all-watching the spectacular Chinese New Year’s parade! Introduce the customs of Chinese New Year to even the youngest readers with this festive new lift-the-flap book.

Illustrated by Benrei Huang.

Celebrating Chinese New Year by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith ($6.95)
Review from School Library Journal: Grade 1-5 Hoyt-Goldsmith and Migdale have done a stellar job of bringing readers into a holiday celebration. Beginning with the pre-New Year preparations, children follow 10-year-old Ryan Leong and his family as they celebrate the Chinese New Year in San Francisco. Through big, bright photographs and a clear, easy-to-follow text, readers see the preparations and festivities and learn about the history and traditions. The author includes the symbolic meanings of the foods eaten and other customs, an explanation of the Chinese Zodiac, and an in-depth look at the Lion Dance. The book is more detailed than Kate Waters’s Lion Dancer (Scholastic, 1990) and June Behrens’s Gung Hay Fat Choy (Children’s, 1982). The color photographs make it more inviting than Tricia Brown’s Chinese New Year (Holt, 1995). Hoyt-Goldsmith’s excellent book makes the Chinese New Year celebration accessible and understandable to all children. (c) Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The Dancing Dragon by Marcia K. Vaughan

Review from School Library Journal: Kindergarten-Grade 2-In rhymed couplets, a Chinese-American child describes the excitement, preparation, and festivities of the Chinese New Year, culminating in a parade that includes a magnificent dragon carried aloft on sticks. The format of the book is foldout cardboard; for best effect, after reading it aloud, stand it on a table to show the eight-page panorama of this fine, fierce creature and the appreciative throng of celebrators in the streets of Chinatown. The watercolor-and-gouache illustrations are full of bright colors and action, reflecting the culture and the festivities. Combine this title with Kate Waters and Madeline Slovenz-Low’s Lion Dancer (Scholastic, 1990), which is more detailed and full of vibrant photographs. Carolyn Jenks, First Parish Unitarian Church, Portland, ME Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Sam and the Lucky Money by Karen Chinn

Amazon.com review: It’s Chinese New Year in Chinatown, and young Sam has four dollars of New Year money burning a hole in his pocket. As he and his mother are milling through the crowded streets–alive with firecrackers, lion dances, and shoppers–Sam accidentally steps on the foot of a homeless man who is buried in a pile of red paper. Flustered, Sam hurries back to his mother, and is soon distracted by the char siu bao and other sweets he might buy with his gift money. When he sees fish-tail cookies that remind him of toes, he remembers the old man again, and Sam starts to think of his “lucky money” in a new light. Karen Chinn’s winning story is perfectly complemented by the vibrant watercolors of Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu, creators of the award-winning Zora Hurston and the Chinaberry Tree and A House by the River. Voted “Pick of the Lists” by American Bookseller, Sam and the Lucky Money succeeds at telling a simple story, while allowing young readers to explore the sights and sounds of an American urban Chinatown during the Chinese New Year. (Ages 4 to 8)

More Resources for Chinese New Year

Customs and Traditions of Chinese New Year – Chinatown Connection

Celebration of the Chinese New Year – Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco

Fun Chinese New Year crafts for kids – Enchanted Learning

A Guide to Chinese New Year – About.com

Free Chinese wallpapers, info on zodiac calendar – The Holiday Spot

Chinese New Year teacher resources – Teacher Planet

Chinese New Year e-Cards from Blue Mountain

Dragon Dance videos – YouTube

Good Luck Lo Mein

grace — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 17:47:45 +0000

Good Luck Lo Mein

By Martin Yan, Yan Can Cook

Martin Yan Quick and Easy

Serves 4

8 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded carrots
2 celery stalks, julienned
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup snow peas, cut in half diagonally
1/2 cup julienned bamboo shoots
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions; drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Place a stir-fry pan over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add carrots, celery, bean sprouts, snow peas, bamboo shoots, and green onions; stir-fry until vegetables wilt slightly, about 2 minutes. Add noodles, oyster-flavored sauce, and sesame oil. Toss to mix noodles with vegetables and cook until all vegetables are tender, about 2 minutes. Serve.

Chef’s Quote: What’s the one dish that’s a must at Chinese birthday, anniversary, wedding, and New Year’s celebration? –Noodles! The long length of noodles symbolizes a long, luck-filled life. Although fresh Chinese noodles have the best texture for a stir-fried dish, spaghetti or angel hair pasta can be used as a substitute. Gung Hay Fat Choy-Happy Chinese New Year!

Credit: Yan Can Cook

Chinese Pork Ribs with Daikon and Dried Oysters

admin — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 18:40:39 +0000

This is a Chinese recipe using dried oysters (which is perfect for Chinese New Year). The entire thing is slow braised to bring out all of the flavors – the sweetness of the daikon, tender pork ribs and saltiness of the oysters. The goji berries also add a little fruity sweet element.

Chinese Pork Ribs with Daikon and Dried Oysters Recipe (白萝卜蚝干焖排骨)

recipe from Rasa Malaysia

1/2 pound pork ribs
1 daikon/turnip (medium-sized)
6-8 dried oysters (rinsed and soaked in water for 15 minutes)
1 tablespoon wolfberries/goji berries
1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste
1/2 tablespoon oil
6 cloves shallots (peeled)

Heat up a wok or claypot (preferred) and add in the oil. Sauté the shallots until slightly aromatic, then add in the dried oysters and daikon. Do a few quick stirs, follow by the pork ribs, rice wine, soy sauce, and water. Lower the heat to between medium and low, and then cover it up with a lid. Braise for about 20-30 minutes or until the water reduces and thickens. Add salt and sugar to taste and serve hot immediately.

Cook’s Notes:

If you don’t like pork ribs, you can use chicken drumsticks. Just cut the chicken drumsticks into pieces, with bones in.
You can use Japanese sake if you don’t have Chinese rice wine.

Prosperity Cakes (Fatt Gou)

grace — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 04:04:57 +0000

Prosperity Cakes (Fatt Gou)

By Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, A Tiger in the Kitchen

Over the last few days, I’ve had the good fortune of spending quality time in the kitchen with Auntie Hon Tim, the Colorado-based mother of my dear Auntie Donna in Singapore. Now, Auntie Hon Tim used to own and run a Chinese restaurant in Lakewood, Colo. — so she’s got some serious cooking chops. Besides teaching me the quickest way to skim fat off a pot of stew and how to rapidly chop carrots without slicing off my fingernails, Auntie Hon Tim has been showing me how to make some of her favorite lunar new year recipes.

On her must list every year is fatt gou, or prosperity cakes — cupcake-sized desserts that she makes to send friends wishes of riches and sweetness in the new year. Auntie Hon Tim’s cakes are super simple to make — they require just four ingredients (all-purpose flour, pancake mix, water and brown sugar) and the instructions basically involve stirring and steaming. What you’ll have to be careful about, it turns out, is how many you give. ”Don’t give five!” Auntie Hon Tim sternly warns in Cantonese. ”The word for “five,” sounds like “won’t” or “don’t,” implying that the recipient won’t prosper in the new year. Eight or “fatt,” which sounds like “prosperity,” is the luckiest number, of course. Nine or “gow,” a homonym for the word for “enough,” is great, too. And three, which sounds like the word for “business,” isn’t bad either. Like many other Chinese desserts, their sweetness is subtle and they’re not overwhelming or heavy.And, hey, if eating some may bring you a year of good fortune, what’s not to love about them, right?

Here’s to a happy and prosperous year !

Makes six cakes

1 cup water (room temperature)
1/2 to 1 cup brown sugar (depending on how sweet you want the cakes)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup pancake mix

Decoration: 3 dried red dates, each sliced in half (optional)

Preparation:

Stir together brown sugar and water until sugar has dissolved. Then, gradually mix in flour and pancake mix until a batter forms.

Insert six paper cupcake liners into six stiff tin-foil cups that will hold their shape during steaming. Fill cupcake liners to the brim with batter. If using red dates, cut dates in half and soak them in hot water for a few minutes to soften before using. Then, dot the top of each cake with half a red date.

Steam for 30 to 45 minutes — the cakes are done when you stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean.

If not eating right away, keep them refrigerated and re-steam them for five minutes before serving.

Noodle Stir Fry with Shrimp

admin — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:00:23 +0000

This is a simple noodle dish, great Chinese New Year – the shrimp in Chinese is pronounced “ha” which symbolizes happiness and laughter. You can use any type of noodles you want – from egg noodles to rice noodles to even thin spaghetti!

Noodle Stir Fry with Shrimp Recipe

recipe from Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen

6 ounces dried noodles (I used thin spaghetti noodles)
7 ounces raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt, divided (or 3/4 tsp table salt)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/4 cup snow peas, thinly sliced on diagonal
1/4 cup matchstick cut carrots
1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1. Bring a stockpot of water to boil. Add 1 tsp of salt to water and cook the noodles, according to package directions. Drain. While pasta is cooking, place shrimp in a small bowl and add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the cornstarch. Mix well and let sit for 8 minutes. Rinse the shrimp well, washing off the salt and cornstarch. Pat very dry with paper towels. This step helps clean and make the shrimp more succulent.

2. In a wok or large saute pan, heat cooking oil on high until a bead of water sizzles and evaporates upon contact. Add the shrimp and fry until halfway cooked through, about 1 minute each side (you’ll add the shrimp back in at later step) Dish out the shrimp to a plate, keeping as much oil in wok as possible (you should have about 1 teaspoon of oil left and you may add an just a bit of oil into the pan if needed.)

3. In the same pan, turn heat down to medium and add the garlic. Fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds then add the snow peas and carrots. Fry for 1 minute, until the carrots and snow peas are just slightly cooked but still retain a nice crunch. Add the soy sauce and rice wine. Turn heat to high and when bubbling, add the drained noodles and the partially cooked shrimp. Toss well to combine. Let cook for 2 minutes, until shrimp is cooked all the way through.

4. Toss with sesame oil and sesame seeds.

Yields 2 auspicious servings

Red Roast Duck with Baby Bok Choy

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 03:53:15 +0000

Ming Tsai and How2Heroes have a great Lunar New Year dish for you – whole red roast duck with baby bok choy. Watch as Ming Tsai shows you how to make this dish!

Red-Roast Duck With Baby Bok Choy Recipe

This spectacularly fragrant duck dish celebrates Chinese red roasting and French confit making.

A red roast, which is in face a super braise, derives its special character from the use of dark soy sauce (the source of the duck’s ‘red’ color), Shaoxing wine and rock sugar. The duck, red roasted until its meat is velvet, ends up confitlike, but without the stewing in fat that preparation entails. I’ve added baby bok choy and some chile heat to the duck, which underline the dish’s Asian origins and ensure that people who eat it will be very, very happy!

Beverage tip: Spicy, dried-cherry Shiraz/Syrah Australian (Brokenwood Hermitage)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 bottle dry red wine
2 cups Shaoxing wine, or 1 cup dry sherry
1 cut dark soy sauce
3 cups soy sauce
4 cups water
1 large duck, about 6 pounds
2 boxes (about 3 pounds) rock sugar, or 2 cups dark brown sugar
1 5-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 whole head garlic, unpeeled and halved horizontally
2 bunches scallions, white parts sliced into 3-inch lengths, green parts sliced
1/8 inch thick
2 star anise
4 Thai bird chiles
2 cinnamon sticks
8 baby bok choy, halved and cored

Directions:

In a large, deep pot, combine the wines, soy sauces, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat and add the duck. If the liquid doesn’t cover the duck, add more water. Bring to a boil again, then reduce the heat and simmer, skimming the liquid until no more scum forms, about 30 minutes.

Add the rock sugar, ginger, garlic, long scallion pieces, star anise, chiles, and cinnamon sticks. Stir to dissolve the sugar and taste the liquid for sweetness. It should be pleasantly sweet; if not sweet enough, add more sugar. Place a second pot or stainless steel bowl half-filled with water into the first to keep the duck submerged and simmer until the duck is very tender and almost falling from the bone 2 ½ to 3 hours. Do not overcook or the meat will come apart. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the bok choy.

Using a large-mesh spoon, carefully remove the duck and bok choy to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm Strain and skim the stock, return it to the pot, and reduce it over high heat until lightly syrupy, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the duck to a serving platter and surround it with the bok choy. Glaze the duck with the sauce, garnish it with the scallion greens, and serve.

The History of Dumplings

grace — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 23:04:21 +0000

Courtesy of Twin Marquis

The Dumpling is one of the main dishes on the Chinese New Year menu. Its history dates back to 200 B.C. with its ancestor Han Dynasty’s “Wonton”. Wonton acquires its shape for commemorating the creator of the world in the famous fable, Pan Gu. In the fable, Pan Gu ends the chaotic states by separating the world into two half-egg shaped parts: sky and earth.

The earliest record of dumpling in ancient literature was during 500 A.D., which says Wonton “shaped like half moon and food was passed around the world.” At that time, due to undeveloped cooking methods and lack of cooking equipment, the dumpling, with wrap and stuffing, was considered an extremely delicate food. Its delicacy made it an exclusive dish to savor. People ate them with soup and the style is still popular in some areas, however, different places have different soup bases. Eating dumplings soup started in the Tang Dynasty.

In 1972, Chinese archaeologists discovered dumplings in a Tang grave near Tulufan, Xinjiang. Its shape was similar to the modern dumpling.

Dumplings gradually became the ideal Spring Festival food in the northern part of China during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. During the Spring Festival, every house have tables filled with white and shiny dumplings. The first Spring Festival dumpling meal must be eaten by the midnight of Chinese New Year’s Eve.

People associate different meanings with dumplings. People stuff dumpling with items to express good expectations of the New Year. For example, stuffing with gold jewels expressed “best wishes for next year”; sugar and honey meant “to more happy days in the future”; shelled peanuts meant “good health and longevity (peanuts are also called long-living nut)”; jujube and chestnut meant “fortune and blessings for a child for a couple.” Also, because the dumpling’s shape is like that of gold ingot (ancient Chinese money), eating dumpling during the Spring Festival means to “gather money.”

Pan Fried Meat Dumplings

grace — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:47:45 +0000

Pan-fried Meat Dumplings

By Twin Marquis

Serves 4

Wrapper
4 ounces Wrapper

Twin Marquis Shanghai Dumpling Filling
7 ounces lean pork
2 ounces dried mushrooms
4 water chestnuts
½ ounce dried shrimp
2 ounces ( approx.) cloves

Seasoning
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch of white pepper

1. Mince pork. Peel chestnuts and red cloves, chop them into fine pieces. Soak dried mushroom and dried shrimp until soften, chop them into fine pieces. Add seasoning into filling, mix well and marinade.

2. Put suitable amount of filling on wrapper. Put water on the edges, fold the opposite sides to make half circle. Heat pan and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Put dumpling on the pan and pan-fry until color change to golden brown. Add water and put cover on until they all cooked. Serve.