Revisiting the Appetizer Recipes & Making a Shopping List

This Month's Film: Raise the Red Lantern
Cuisine: Chinese

Of all the dishes I have planned for this month's Dinner & a Movie, the appetizers are the most tempting. I have chosen to make Mu Shu Pork, Crab Rangoon, and Spring Rolls. However, instead of making them standard sized, I'm going to make tiny pancakes for the Mu Shu Pork, I'm going to bake the Crab Rangoon in tiny tartlet shells, and I'm going to wrap the Spring Rolls in little wonton wrappers instead of the usual 8" sheets of dough. And since I'm only preparing appetizers for this week's phase of the menu, I will be making plenty of 'em!

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

Serving Dishes for a Provincial Chinese Dinner

This Month's Film: Raise the Red Lantern
Cuisine: Chinese

Having already prepared a dozen Asian feasts over the past year, I'm well stocked with attractive serving dishes. However, I can never resist stopping by my favorite thrift shop to see what turns up. The only problem is that I'm rapidly running out of space in my cupboards to store them all. And if this keeps up, who knows, one of these days, I may have to open a thrift shop myself.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

Special Chinese Cooking Utensils

This Month's Film: Raise the Red Lantern
Cuisine: Chinese

To produce the menu I've chosen for this month's dinner, I need nothing more than a good sharp knife, my wok, electric rice cooker, and garden variety utensils, cookware, and bakeware. That's the beauty of Chinese cuisine...no fussy gadgets or elaborate devices. Just the basics.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

Beverages to Go With a Provincial Chinese Dinner

This Month's Film: Raise the Red Lantern
Cuisine: Chinese

For my 'Raise the Red Lantern' provincial Chinese dinner, I will be serving Oolong tea, TsingTao beer (the most readily available brand), and the remainder of the plum wine from last month's Hong Kong dinner. But I have to remember to go lightly on the plum wine. It's so delicious and spicy and exotic that it goes down easy, but last time...just a few sips went right to my head.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:08 AM PDT Permalink |

Deciding on My 'Raise the Red Lantern' Provincial Chinese Menu

This Month's Film: Raise the Red Lantern
Cuisine: Chinese

After much deliberation over the bewildering array of provincial Chinese dishes I found on various Internet websites, I have decided upon my 'Raise the Red Lantern' dinner menu. And with my new cooking schedule, I won't have to wait all month to get started. I'll be making the appetizers next week.

Appetizers: Petit Crepes with Mu Shu Pork, Crab Rangoon Tartlets, and Baby Spring Rolls with Sweet & Sour Sauce

Soup: Velvety Hot & Sour Egg Flower Soup

Salad: Sesame Chicken Salad with Mandarin Oranges

Main Courses: Szechuan Kung Pao Shrimp, Mandarin Chicken, Hunan Beef

Dessert: Lychee Fruit with Almond Cookies

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

02:39 PM PDT Permalink |

Researching Chinese Provincial Recipes

This Month's Film: Raise the Red Lantern
Cuisine: Chinese

Of all the Asian cookbooks I have in my kitchen library, none have the kind of recipes I'm looking for to represent the major food provinces of China. So I had to rely on the Internet in the search for my 'Raise the Red Lantern' provincial Chinese recipes. Fortunately there is a seemingly endless abundance of Cantonese, Mandarin, Szechuan and Hunan recipes to be found on hundreds of websites. The challenge, therefore, is in the choosing. Nevertheless, it was easy this time, because I want to prepare a classic dish from each of the four provinces, the names of which are easily recognizable from the menus of the dozens of Chinese restaurants I've visited over the years.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

Last night, Rene and I paid a visit to the home of my friend Alice Jackson and her husband John, whose birthday is today. We spent a wonderful evening chatting about our adventures in Japan, watching Alice's video footage of her most recent trip to Japan, and touring their lovely home, which is decorated in an absolutely perfect blend of Japanese and Western style. At evening's end, which came all too soon, Alice presented me with a lovely gift: the very first donation to my 'Call for Chopsticks'...a beautiful set made of simple dark hardwood in an elegant matching wooden box. What's more, they are a souvenir from their visit to the town of Suzhou. Thank you Alice and John, for your gracious hospitality, your enchanting tales of Japan, and for a treasured gift that will certainly make an appearance on my 'Raise the Red Lantern' dinner table.

05:14 PM PDT Permalink |

Stocking a Chinese Pantry

This Month's Film: Raise the Red Lantern
Cuisine: Chinese

I've spent many hours over the past two days researching Chinese ingredients and now realize just how much there is to learn. Chinese regional cuisine is a vast culinary wonderland of unexplored ingredients and techniques just waiting to be transformed into memorable meals. But to get started, one must stock up on all the essential elements. Here is a link to my ThingsAsian article Stocking a Chinese Pantry.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

01:11 PM PDT Permalink |

About Chinese Provincial Cuisine

This Month's Film: Raise the Red Lantern
Cuisine: Chinese

This month, I will be exploring the four major provincial styles of Chinese cuisine: Cantonese, Mandarin, Hunan, and Szechuan. And although they share certain similarities, they each have their own unique qualities as well.

Cantonese Cuisine

The term Cantonese cuisine actually refers to the food of the Guangdong Province surrounding the old port of Canton, now known as Guangzhou, which also includes Hong Kong. Guangdong province is surrounded by a mountain range that separates it from the rest of China, and therefore, much of its culture is influenced by international maritime trade. A large number of Chinese immigrants in countries around the world are descended from Guangzhou families whose native dialect is Cantonese.

The sea has also influenced the cuisine, which is rich with a seemingly endless variety of fish and shellfish dishes. The flavors of Cantonese food tend to be mild and subtle, compared to that of their spicy neighbors to the west. Perhaps the most widely recognized type of Cantonese cuisine is dim sum, which literally means 'to touch the heart'. A typical dim sum repertoire usually consists of but is not limited to an array of steamed and deep fried dishes, including dumplings, croquettes, spring rolls, and meat filled buns, as well as more exotic items like savory sausages, delicate seafood creations, and even chicken feet, a common dim sum standard. Each type of dim sum is prepared in large batches in the kitchen, and then loaded onto rolling carts in stacked bamboo baskets. The dim sum waiter then rolls the cart into the dining room past all the tables, lifting the lids of the steamer baskets for the customers to get a peek to see if it looks appetizing enough to partake.

Mandarin Cuisine

The term 'mandarin' refers not to a province, but to the capital itself, Beijing, formerly known as Peking, where the mandarin officials of the Chinese Empire once resided. The metropolis of Bejing, a name that means 'Northern Capital', is located in the northeast region, near the Great Wall of China, and is the site of the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, and the Ming Tombs.

The surrounding area is rich with agricultural products, mainly wheat. Mandarin cuisine can be quite elaborate, and popular dishes include Mu-Shu Pork, Peking Duck, and Mongolian-influenced items such as pot stickers, garlic-scallion beef, and cook-it-yourself hot pots.

Szechuan Cuisine

The province of Szechuan (Sichuan) is named for the four tributaries of the Yangtze River (Min, Tuo, Fou, and Jailing), which flow through a large basin formed by the surrounding mountain ranges. The terrain is well irrigated and therefore perfect for the cultivation of rice.

The flavors of Szechuan are rich and spicy with chilis and peppercorns. The cuisine is also marked by the taste of the vinegar used to preserve meats and vegetables for the winter. Common favorites include Szechuan Beef, Ma-Po Tofu, and Green Bean Stir Fry.

Hunan Cuisine

The province of Hunan is located in the south central region, famed as the birthplace of Chairman Mao. Much like that of its neighbor, Hunan cuisine is as spicy if not moreso than Szechuan cuisine, and the common methods of preserving are garlic laced oils and hot chili pastes. Preparation techniques include seared and stir-fried dishes such as Orange Chicken, Crispy Spicy Fish, and Garlic Eggplant.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

Raise the Red Lantern: About the Film

Rivalry, treachery and conspiracy abound in Zhang Yimou's 'Raise the Red Lantern', when concubine number four (Gong Li) joins the palatial household of a wealthy Chinese aristocrat, where his other three wives are already ensconced.

Within the household there are rules, and the rules are simple: Each afternoon, Chen Baishun, the master's valet, announces which wife the master has chosen to spend the night with, and orders the lighting of the red silk lanterns outside her quarters in honor of the occasion.

As a reward, the chosen one gets a soothing foot massage, the pleasure of the master's company for the evening, and the right to dictate the next day's menu. And simple though they are, the ways in which the rules are applied give rise to a complex and deceptive female dynamic in which nothing is as it seems.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

Bells & Whistles, Confetti & Party Hats

Welcome to Dinner & a Movie for the month of May. Not only is today the beginning of a whole new experience in Asian food and film, it is an occasion for celebration:

The FIRST ANNIVERSARY of my Dinner & a Movie weblog! It's been fabulous fun, and I can honestly say with great pride that I have not missed a single day throughout the year. And in the course of those 365 days, I have had nearly 100,000 visitors stop by to read about the goings-on in my humble kitchen.

Moreover, I can't wait to get started on my list of films for the upcoming year, of which I will reveal only one today. The rest will remain a surprise to be announced on the first day of each month. I will say however, that I will be making my first foray into the food and film of Singapore, Mongolia, and Turkey, and will be revisiting the food and film of Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Korea, Thailand and India.

In the days and weeks to come, I will also be making a few changes in format and timing. I will be including a photo in every day's weblog, and instead of preparing an elaborate, multi-course banquet once a month, I will be preparing all the various courses throughout the month, with appetizers the first week, soup & salad the second week, main course the third week, dessert and film review the fourth week. I will also be allowing readers the option of posting comments. And finally, when all the votes are in, I will be giving my weblog a catchy new name. Suggestions are welcome.

And now, without further ado, this month's film and cuisine: Zhang Yimou's Raise the Red Lantern, with a menu of dishes from the four major cuisines of China (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hunan and Szechuan).

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

'Mr. Nice Guy' Film Review

Mr. Nice Guy is a 1997 Hong Kong film directed by Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, and starring Jackie Chan. The film is set in Melbourne Australia, where Chan is a celebrity chef who is drawn into a rival gang war when a female journalist at the television station where he works videotapes a murder and appeals to Chan to help her elude the revenge of a powerful drug lord.

Of all Jackie Chan's Hong Kong films, this one is my favorite, mainly for its food-related theme and one fantastic fight scene that takes place on a building construction site. Here is a link to my Film Review

03:30 PM PDT Permalink |

The Recipes & Photos for My 'Mr. Nice Guy' Hong Kong Dinner

Four grocery stores and three nights in the kitchen later, my Hong Kong dinner is finally all cooked, photographed, consumed, washed-up-after, and recorded. Not one of my more streamlined efforts, all due to circumstances beyond my control. Nonetheless, it was a delicious, and seemingly endless feast that included Sashimi Rice Paper Rolls, Sesame Shrimp Toast, Shrimp Balls, Hot & Sour Soup with Shrimp & Roast Pork, Orange Roughy with Sweet & Spicy Chili Sauce, Mahogany Duck, Five Spice Cookies and Warm Plum Wine.

Here is a link to the Photos and Recipes

12:10 AM PDT Permalink |

Fait Accompli

After four days of fielding curve balls, going with the flow and rolling with the punches, I have finally finished the last detail of preparing, photographing and sampling my 'Mr. Nice Guy' Hong Kong dinner: the Mahogany Duck. And I must say that after spending two hours in the oven and two days in the fridge, it was remarkably moist and tender. But perhaps that's because I used steam to reheat it instead of putting it back in the oven or, heaven forbid, the microwave. Of course, if ever the skin was crispy, the steam undid all that. Nevertheless it was quite palatable and pleasantly delicious.

Tune in tomorrow for the recipes and photos...

01:39 AM PDT Permalink |

Hong Kong Dinner Redux

After last night's abbreviated attempt at my 'Mr. Nice Guy' Hong Kong Dinner & a Movie, I revisited my kitchen twice today to finish cooking, photographing and sampling two more of the dishes: the Hot & Sour Soup with Roast Pork and Shrimp, which Rene and I both had for lunch; and the Pan Fried Fish with Sweet Chili Sauce, which I had for dinner while Rene worked a special event aboard a Hornblower Yacht in San Francisco Bay. According to his description, they fed him lavishly, and he even brought home a little sampler of the cutest and most perfect Petit Fours I've ever seen. But I still think I got the better deal, since my fish was fantastic.

There's still one piece of the puzzle remaining, however: the Mahogany Duck. I wanted to share it with Rene, but it was simply too late when he arrived for something as rich as roast duck. So we will be sampling it tomorrow evening, after we return from my son Will's theatrical debut in the role of the 'Senior Second Lord' in his high school production of Shakespeare's As You Like It, done Wild West style, of all things. Should make for an interesting evening...let's hope the Mahogany Duck that awaits us afterwards has survived two days in the fridge.

01:25 PM PDT Permalink |

An Unfinished Symphony...

Despite my best efforts, this evening's dinner was fraught with complications as it coincided with my son Will's dress rehearsal of Shakespeare's As You Like It. And although Rene generously agreed to pick him up and ferry him to his dad's house while I made dinner, the rehearsal ran long and Rene didn't arrive until after 11 p.m. By that hour, we were ravenous enough to eat our own heads, and I was worn out from twelve hours in the kitchen, many of which were spent fussing over the ingredients and the simmering dishes to ensure that they didn't spoil or overcook.

When Rene finally arrived, we sat down to enjoy the Sashimi Rice Paper Rolls, the Sesame Shrimp Toast, the Mint-Garlic Spareribs and a bonus dish of Golden Shrimp Croquettes made from the excess shrimp paste for the shrimp toast. Given the lateness of the hour, we decided to forego the main course and went straight for dessert, Five Spice Cookies with Warm Plum Wine. Of the dishes I managed to bring to the table, all were delicious, and everything else went in the fridge for an encore appearance on tonight's dinner table.

03:13 PM PDT Permalink |