The Myths about Tofu

A former student S.P. emailed me after she tried the "Stewed tofu with snow peas" recipe I posted on January 22nd with a good question: how do you make tofu dishes more flavorful? She said her husband, like my partner from the Midwest would add cheese to tofu if they can help it! It's true tofu itself has hardly any flavor but this is exactly its characteristic and uniqueness: it absorbs whatever flavor you add to it. Another thing I don't see mentioned much in recipes and what the Chinese are so particular about is "texture". To Chinese, texture is as much, if not more important than flavor. Tofu, along with bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, wood ear, just to name a few, are used and savored for their textures in Chinese cooking.

Here is a recipe which includes shrimp, ground pork for people who want to enjoy tofu without being deprived of flavor.

Stuffed Tofu with Pork and Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 boxes of firm tofu
1/2 cup raw shrimp, shelled and gutted, finely chopped
1 cup ground pork
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon rice wine
2 Tablespoon of cornstarch mixed with 4 tablespoon of water,
1 Tablespoon of dry cornstarch
2 Tablespoon soy sauce
                                                      1 teaspoon of sugar
                                                      1 cup water or chicken broth(more flavor)
                                                      3 Tablespoon oil
                                                      1 teaspoon sesame oil
                                                      a dash white pepper (optional)

                                                      cilantro, green onion for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

1. Put ground pork, shrimp, salt, rice wine, 1 teaspoon of cornstarch mix in a small bowl and blend well.
2. Cut tofu into triangles and scoop out the center, add to the pork/shrimp stuffing mix. Sprinkle a little dry cornstarch inside the tofu triangle. Stuff the triangles with shrimp mix and set aside.
3. Heat the oil until hot in a wok or frying pan. Dip the triangle's stuffed side in remaining corn starch mix(save one teaspoon) before browning, this prevents them from separating. Cook with medium heat until all sides are golden brown.
4. Add soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, water or broth and white pepper if using. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add cornstarch mix (1 teaspoon corn starch, 2 tablespoon water), cook until the sauce thickens.
5. Put on a plate, drizzle sesame oil, sprinkle cilantro, green onion and serve.

Notes: Tomatoes or shitaki mushroom will add interesting and extra flavors to this dish. Add one or the other (I wouldn't use both, then it is too much flavor and we have a name for it - Chop Suey!) at step 4.

S.P. asked another good question which might interest you as well: How do you make dishes flavorful but not spicy? -  I used lots of garlic and onions (green onion for Chinese.) For Asian cooking, fermented black beans, dried shitaki mushrooms, sesame seeds and oil, Chinese rice wine, Cantonese oyster sauce, Japanese sweet wine Mirin and miso, Vietnamese fish sauce, Thai Tamarind, tomatoes, basil, lemon grass and chicken broth all enhance flavor without adding heat. Another aspect of Asian cooking I think need to be addressed is the balance between saltiness and sweetness, Asian American restaurants tend to be "crowd-pleasers" leaning too much towards the sweetness.

I'm excited that a neighbor is going to teach me how to make tofu from scratch. You might wonder why a Chinese need to lear how to make tofu from an American. Well, this is another assumption many people have - the reason I don't know how to make tofu is in Taiwan tofu is so available and inexpensive, and there are so many varieties, not just the white square in a box you see here, and they are freshly made daily. By the way, please don't ask me how to cook rice on the stove stop, I don't know because I always use a rice cooker!  Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! (February 3rd, 2011)

The Myths About Tea - Bon Appe-Tea

I gave a colleague a small bag of tea I brought back from Taiwan for her birthday. I told her I will email her some information on this tea and brewing instructions. Then I was inspired by the idea of sharing it with more people. Having a blog is a great way to fulfill my desire to share.

The tea I gave her is Bao Zhong (包種), it is a tea, to my knowledge, unique to Taiwan. It has a beautiful soothing aroma, when it's brewed it looks like green tea but its taste lingers and layers like Oolong. The best way to brew Chinese tea is using a small teapot; it is a worthy investment. You can probably find something inexpensive on-line or find them in the International District in Seattle.

How to prepare Bao Zhong:

1. Place one tablespoon of tea in the teapot, pour just-boiled water over the tea, pour immediately to warm up your teacup and pour the rest in another cup or a creamer. It's important to drain all the tea from the teapot after each infusion, so the tea doesn't get bitter and you can enjoy many infusions. Breath in the tea aroma before you take the first sip.

2. Add more hot water into the pot and leave the second infusion for approximately 20-30 seconds.  Pour and enjoy. In my opinion, the second and third infusions are usually the best. Continue adding 20-30 seconds more to each infusion (so third infusion is one minute, fourth 1.5 minutes so on and so forth). Most good quality tea will endure  up to 6 infusions.

3. Clean teapot with hot water, never use soap. Some believe it is harmful to drink tea that has been sitting in the pot overnight. I don't drink it just because it doesn't taste very good.

Here are some common myths about Chinese tea I find amusing:

1. The pros don't drink the first infusion: This made sense in the old days because tea was aired outdoors on the ground in the elements, I don't believe that it is the standard procedure any more, at least not in modern Taiwan. Tea was dried indoors in bamboo trays stacked in many layers in carts similar to the ones Western bakeries use. In recent years when I visited Taiwan it is not a standard practice to discard the first infusion any more.

2. Tea is healthy: I've been asked many times whether tea can help people loose weight - my answer is "Yes", if you also eat right and exercise. If you drink tea mindfully I believe it is very relaxing. I don't drink tea after 3 p.m. because it effects my sleep.

3. Whole-leaf tea is expensive: it is not more expensive than coffee because it is so light-weight and you can get so much out of it from just one spoonful of tea.

4. Green teas are made from green tea plants and black teas are made from black tea plants - tea is similar to wine in ways that where, how and who grow and make it has everything to do with its quality and taste, and just like wine is made from grapes; tea is made from Camellia sinensis. It is the method of processing that determines how it is categorized.  The green, Oolong and black teas are best known in the West, but in Asia the categories are much more refined.

Let's Pour Tea

5. A good question: Where do you get good Chinese tea in the U.S. - I am spoiled and I can get tea from Taiwan directly so I have not explored much. In the past when I was trying to start a tea business I did some research but I must say as Chinese tea goes I didn't find any resource that satisfied my pallets. Maybe things have changed,  if you are interested in engaging in this wonderful art, you have to do your own research and experiment. Of course you are very welcome to come to my house and we can practice "pour tea" together.


Tea-drinking is a very personal experience and you can create your own. My attitude towards tea is similar to food; I am not a gourmet - I enjoy creating from what is available to me, the process and the people I share the experience with. Bon App-Tea!

An Improvised Evening Well Received

" Isn't it a great joy when friends visited from afar?" - Confucius

This past Monday a couple of friends from New York paid us a spontaneous visit. We already spent the weekend in Seattle cooking, eating, and carousing with other friends. Although it was fun I felt a bit "partied out" and was looking forward to come back to the quiet woods. I was glad when Jeffrey and Brigitta agreed to drive back with us. I was hoping they might appreciate a change of scene from the cities. I improvised a Chinese dinner which Jeffrey later emailed me after they returned to New York for the recipes. Nothing pleases a cook more than being appreciated, so here they are.

This dinner is what I and maybe most Chinese would consider a "typical" dinner for a middle-class (the rich families will have maybe two meat dishes more elaborately prepared) family of 4: San Cai Yi Tang, three meat and vegetable dishes and a soup. If there are 5 people, then it is Si Cai Yi Tang: four dishes and one soup. This ratio is followed almost unconsciously and taken for granted at Chinese homes and restaurants. At restaurants these "set menus" (vs. ala carte) are called "He Cai". Chinese eat soup at the end of the meal; using the same bowl for rice.  I skipped the soup from this meal as I was short on time and ingredients.

Steamed Cod with Fermented Black beans, Ginger and Scallions

Ingredients:

A fillet a cod, cut to size so the pieces fit on the plate for steaming
2 Tablespoon each of thinly sliced (julienned) ginger and scallion
1 Tablespoon of rice wine
1-2 Tablespoon of fermented black beans (If you can't get these, miso works well too but it tastes completely different.) Some black beans are saltier than the other, soak them in water if they are too salty)
2 Tablespoon of oil
salt

Instructions:

1. Rinse and pat dry cod. Sprinkle and gently rub in the rice wine and salt, set aside.
2. Cut ginger and scallion into thin slices. Chop fermented black beans.
3. Bring 1/2 pot of water to boil. I used a bamboo basket that fit over a big pot for steaming , but you can adopt any Western-style steaming method.
4. Distribute ginger, scallions and black beans evenly on top of the fish.
5. Steam with medium high heat for 8 minutes. It is very important not to overcook the fish. Check the thickest part, if it has turned white, it is done.
6. During the last minute before the fish is done, heat up the oil in a small pan until hot.
7. Pour hot oil over the fish. I served the fish directly in the basket.

Steamed Cod with black beans, ginger & scallions

Stewed Tofu with Snow Peas, Carrots and Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1 box of firm tofu, slice into 1/4" thick pieces
A handful of Snow peas, stringed
1-2 carrots, cut into 1/2" chunks
Mushrooms, I used Enoki mushrooms because I had it in the fridge but any mushrooms will do, slice or cube
2 Tablespoons of oil
1 Tablespoon of rice wine
2 Tablespoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 cup of water
a pinch of salt
(Note: You can substitute 2 Tablespoons of Japanese Mirin for the rice wine and sugar.)

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan until hot, gently place the tofu pieces into the wok. Shake the wok or pan a couple of times during frying to prevent sticking. When the tofu slices are brown on both sides, move them to a small pot. Add soy sauce, salt, rice wine, sugar, water, mushrooms, carrots and simmer for about 10 minutes. If using Enoki mushrooms, add last with the snow peas as it takes no time to cook.
2. Add snow peas and Enoki mushrooms if using. Cook 30 seconds or until snow peas are crisp-tender.

Stir-fried Boy Choy

Ingredients:

A bunch of Boy Choy ( I used regular boy choy, baby coy choy, Chinese broccoli, You Choy, regular broccoli will all work.), chopped
1 Tablespoon of oil
1-2 Tablespoon of water
A dash of rice wine (optional, it is believed the rice wine keeps the green color vibrant.)
A dash of salt

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil until very hot, put the greens in the wok, add salt and rice wine, stir, add a little water and cook about two minutes more or until the white part of the vegetable is translucent.

A typical Chinese dinner for 4 (minus soup)

Stir-fried Boy Choy

After dinner we all stretched out on the sofa, full and happy like fat cats. But after some pleasant and lazy conversations  I could tell Jeffrey was starting to get a bit restless. When he jokingly said he'd eat dog treats I knew I had to come up with a desert. Chinese rarely eat deserts after meals; a little fruit sometimes. I was so thrilled to see I had one apple left in the fruit bowl. I knew just the right desert to make. Again it was something quick and easy using whatever was available - my favorite kind of cooking. It gives me great pride and joy to improvise and make our guests happy. 

Apple Oven Pan Cake 

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoon butter

1/4 brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 apple, peeled and sliced

3 eggs

1/4 salt

1/2 cup each flour and milk

1 Tablespoon each fresh lemon juice and powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees. Melt butter in a cast-iron pan or ovenproof pan over hight heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, stir to combine and add apple. Cook about 3 minutes or until apple just starting to soften.

2. Use a blender, food processor or a whisk and a bowl, blend eggs, salt, flour and milk until smooth. Pour egg mixture into the pan and bake until puffed and brown, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and powdered sugar.

I told our guests this quick desert would taste so much better using our own fresh apples and eggs. I hope they will come visit again when they can harvest flowers, fruits, vegetables, fresh eggs themselves. I think that would be a very nice experience.  

Crabs with Green Peppers and Black Beans

Ingredients:
Serves 2

1 large crab, cleaned, drained, pat dry and cut into pieces (I separated the legs and left the body halves whole)
peanut oil, 2 cups and 3 tablespoons
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1/2" chunks
1 tablespoon each, ginger, garlic, green onion, black beans, chopped
1 tablespoon of hot chilly pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons of corn starch
Sauce: 1/2 cup of water, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 teaspoon each of sugar and salt

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 cups of oil in a skillet or wok until hot. Dip the crab pieces cut-sides into the corn starch, shake the access and fry about two minutes each side. Set aside on a big plate, let them drain over paper towels.  (Be aware that the crab pieces will "scream" when they are fried - wouldn't you? This recipe is not for the faint-hearted.)

2. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a clean skillet or wok. Stir-fry the ginger, garlic, green onion and black beans until fragrant about 30 seconds. Add crabs, green pepper and sauce. Lower the heat and cook 3-5 minutes until sauce is thickened, pepper tender and crabs cooked through.

3. Serve immediately with lots napkins.

For My Wildish Un-Declawed Sisters

Sniff, Track, Hunt

Whenever I feel dry and frozen I read "Women Who Run With the Wolves" by  Clarissa Pinkola Estes. It was given to me in 1993, a year after I moved from Taiwan to Minneapolis, with two suitcases and an ill-fitted red coat on my back, no hat, no gloves, in the dead of winter. The person* who gave me the book was a transplant from Spokane, my American bosses family friend, my first woman friend in the new country.

Last night I felt drawn to the Ugly Duckling story and read until midnight while the snow whistled like a ghost in the wind. The light flickered uncertainly but the power never went out. Of all the stories in "Women Who Run with the Wolves" I keep returning to the Ugly Ducking, like recurring dreams. This morning I woke up and the crank in my neck disappeared and the snow was melting in the sun.

          " While it is useful to make bridges even to those groups one does not belong to, 

          and it is important to try to be kind, it is also imperative to not strive too hard, 

          to not believe too deeply that if one acts just right, if one manages to tie down 

        all the itches and twitches of the wildish criatura, that one can actually pass 

       for a nice, restrained, subdued, and demure lady-woman. 

        It is that kind of acting, that kind of ego-wish to belong at all costs, 

          that knocks out the Wild Woman connection in the psyche."

*Julie Neraas is a Presbyterian pastor, spiritual director, and professor in the Graduate Liberal Studies program at Hamline University. Her first book "Apprenticed to Hope" was published in 2009.

When Nulang Meets Zhinu - Round 1, The Call

Nulang, Water-Buffalo Boy and Zhinu, Silk-Weaving Girl are Chinese folklore characters. Their story was romantic and tragic, like Romeo and Juliet, only older, a few thousand years older. Nobody really knew what shenanigans Nulang and Zhinu got themselves into, only they were banished from the Jade Palace (English translation: Heaven) forever. Rumor has it drugs were involved and according to the legend the punishment for their stealing the Ecstasy for Immortality was permanent exile to live on the opposite bank of Yin He (Silver River, the Milky Way to you Westerners). On the third appeal the Jade Emperor agreed to let them cross the Silver River once a year. On the 7th night of the 7th Lunar month of every year, if you look up the sky and look very carefully you would spot the two most brilliant stars in the Milky Way, Nulang and Zhinu, still arguing about who's fault it was that they don't live in Heaven any more.



Round 1 - The Call

Zhinu came home from work tired. She finally found a job in the nearby town. Her past-life skills in the galaxy (global is the more hip word nowadays) commerce haven't proven to be in demand in the earthy community she lives in now. She tried house cleaning once, for a damn Republican, as Nulang likes to call everyone who makes more money than he does. But that didn't last long. After she insisted that her employer (a retired Admiral's wife) called her by her human name instead of "Yoohoo", she never heard from that woman again. Nulang told her she was being too proud and demanding, "No Americans can pronounce your name." "Well, I am not a cat."said Zhinu indignantly.

This summer with luck and a little networking Zhinu found a job teaching Chinese to five-year olds. It is hard work; five-year-olds have attention spans like fruit flies and they cry when Zhinu can't understand their 5-years-old English. Overall Zhinu is grateful to have found a job that is not going to break her back or makes her feel like a pet.

Nulang greeted her warmly. He is nice that way. He asked her how her lesson went, she said fine. She asked Nulang how his day went like American couples she saw on TV.

"Robert called and we talked for over an hour."said Nulang.

Robert is Nulang's high school friend. Zhinu feigned interest because she remembered the time when Nulang was working and she wasn't, she often waited all day for Nulang to come home so she could share the news of the day with him. Being a housewife or househusband is a lonely and thankless job.

"How is Robert?"
"He is okay I suppose."
"Is he still working at the hospital?"
"I guess."
"How is Julie?" Julie is Robert's wife whom Zhinu can't stand.
"I don't know, she didn't come up during the conversation."
"So, What did you talk about?"Zhinu knew it was a stupid question but she asked anyway.
"I don't know. This and That."
"For an hour?" Zhinu thought, not out loud.
"Robert might come visit." Nulang said after a few minutes as if he just remembered this insignificant detail.
"Did he say around when?" If Zhinu ruled the world she would like to know the exact hour if not the exact minute her guests would arrive but she knew she didn't rule the world, not yet, so she tactfully used the "around" word as to give her partner some space.
"No, he just said he would like to visit next year."
"Great." Zhinu chirped, a little too cheerfully, then she went on preparing her favorite lunch - Velvety Chicken and Vegetable Noodle Soup.

Ballsy Crabs- Spicy Good

Ingredients:
Makes about 8 Balls

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon jalapeno, minced(more if you like it hot)
1/2 red or green bell pepper
2/3 cup of corn
1 teaspoon each of cumin and  paprika
a dash of cayenne pepper and white pepper

3 cups of crab meat

1 egg white

1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon cilantro
Zest of 1 lemon
salt and black pepper
1-1/2 cup of Panko (Japanese Bread Crumb)

1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet with medium heat, saute onion, garlic, jalapeno, bell pepper corn and spices until tender, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, mix crab meat with egg white, mayo, salt, black pepper, cilantro, lemon zest and cooled vegetable mix. Gently combine with a fork.

3. Put Panko on a plate. Form crab mix into 2" balls in your hand and carefully roll them in the Panko, carefully lay them 1" apart on a lightly oiled cookie sheet. Sprinkle more Panko on top and gently pat it down. This step takes great care as the crab balls tend want to fall apart. They are not as ballsy as they sound.

4. Bake until golden brown on the top, about 20 minutes.

They can be enjoyed as a warm appetizer, put one or two on a lettuce leaf and sprinkle with lime juice or a dollop of mayo. Wrap two in a warm burrito skin with your favorite garnishing, or eaten as a crab burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo and mustard. I've not yet try putting them in Udon noodle soup like Tempura. I bet that will work. In fact I'm going to try that for lunch! Stay tuned.