Revisiting the Soup & Salad Recipes

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

For the next phase of my Raise the Red Lantern Dinner & a Movie menu, I will be making the Velvety Hot & Sour Egg Flower Soup and the Mandarin Chicken Salad. For those two items, I will be needing to shop for a few fresh ingredients. I already have chicken breasts for the salad and the soup stock, a can of Mandarin orange sections, crispy chow mein noodles, water chestnuts, ginger root, garlic, chili paste, eggs, vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, soy sauce, and sesame seeds. So it looks like my shopping list is going to be very short. Spring salad greens, bamboo shoots, carrots, cucumber, celery, shitake mushrooms, and scallions. With only seven items in my basket, looks like I'll be eligible for the express lane.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

03:00 PM PDT Permalink |

How Does My Garden Grow?

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

Mary, Mary! Quite contrary!
How does your garden grow?
With silverbells and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row.

I loved nursery rhymes as a child, and I am often reminded of this one when I go out in the mornings to survey my garden. There I have sown two kinds of tomatoes, four kinds of peas and beans, zucchini and yellow squash, cantaloupes and watermelon, corn, cucumbers, japapenos, tomatillos, leeks, swiss chard, two kinds of lettuce, watercress, and several herbs, including mint, dill, basil, marjoram, chives, parsley, and catnip. I also have planted several varieties of flowers, including Sweet William, zinnia, lobelia, marigold, impatiens, and nasturtium. Still to be sown are Japanese eggplant, pumpkins, and bok choy.

I must say that I am puzzled at the results. Some of the things I thought would surely grow have failed to germinate. Some of the things I had doubts about are doing the best. And then there is the daily battle with the garden pests. They've eaten the cotyledons off many of my seedlings before they got a chance to sprout a second set of leaves.

Among the most successful varieties are romaine lettuce and mesclun greens, leeks and snow peas, corn and watercress, zucchini and yellow squash, cucumbers and tomatoes. The slow starts or complete failures are the melons, most of the herbs, and all the flowers except nasturtiums. I've had to put out insecticide for pill bugs, snails and a host of other hungry vermin that emerge at night and feast on the most delicate sprouts and even whole mature leaves. It's astonshing to wake some mornings and find yesterday's growth completely vanished. And I planted some things a little too early, I think, and therefore they did not germinate. Those I will replant tomorrow.

The fruits of my garden are definitely too far off to make an appearance in any of the dishes for this month's Dinner & a Movie, but I've got a good feeling that I will have a bounty of vegetables and greens for my summer menus.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

02:23 PM PDT Permalink |

Raise the Red Lantern Redux

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

As the credits rolled at the end of Raise the Red Lantern last night, Rene asked me why it had unseated Babette's Feast as my new favorite international film. I was hard-pressed to give him an answer. So, in the stream of extemporaneous verbal analysis that followed, I began by saying that much of my love for it is visual. Zhang Yimou makes such powerful use of the world he created within the palatial setting and its furnishings, not to mention the riveting beauty of his leading lady, Gong Li.

But beyond the veneer of its aesthetics, Raise the Red Lantern has so many deeper layers, from the specious treachery of the female dynamic that builds by subtle degrees among the master's four wives, to the unquestioning observance of tradition, without regard to reason or circumstance. I think Rene was also puzzled that I would favor such a tragedy, when my all-time favorite movie is a dead-heat tie between Zorba the Greek and Groundhog Day, two very profound yet buoyant films.

Perhaps it's for precisely that reason that Raise the Red Lantern speaks so strongly to me. That, despite its dark message, the tale is beautiful and compelling enough to hold the place of highest esteem in my international film library. But... I still love Babette's Feast as much as I ever did, so maybe I will have to declare a tie for my favorite in the international film category as well.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

04:19 PM PDT Permalink |

How the Appetizers Turned Out

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

As part of the new scheduling format for my monthly Dinner & a Movie, I made three appetizers last night: Petite Pancakes filled with Mu Shu Pork, Tiny Egg Rolls filled with chicken and minced vegetables, and Crab Rangoon baked in tiny tartlets, all of which were delicious, and either met or exceeded my expectations. I served them up on trays in the living room to enjoy while we watched this month's film, Raise the Red Lantern.

Rene liked the Mu Shu Pork best, but for me, although absolutely delicious, it was edged out ever so closely by the deep fried Egg Rolls. Perhaps that's because, after many greasy, soggy, failed attempts at making them over the years, I finally got them right for the very first time. This batch turned out perfectly. Perhaps it's because the oil was just the right temperature for the quick sizzle needed to render them light and crispy. Or perhaps it's because they were tiny, instead of enchilada-sized and therefore didn't need to spend so much time in the oil. Or perhaps it's because the filling wasn't too juicy and had been pre-cooked so that only the wrappers needed to brown. Or perhaps it's all three. Whatever it was, the gods were smiling on my kitchen last night.

Only slightly disappointing were the Crab Rangoon Tartlets. The tiny pie crusts I shaped by hand and baked to a golden brown yesterday afternoon turned out perfectly, and the finished appetizers were tasty, but not nearly as pretty as I'd hoped. The addition of steak sauce and soy sauce to the snowy white mixture of cream cheese and crabmeat, as prescribed by all the Rangoon recipes I consulted, produced a muddied effect, somewhat reminiscent of the 'Silly Putty' we played with as children. So I am going to adjust the recipe slightly by omitting the offending ingredients and substituting a little ginger for spice, and perhaps a little rice vinegar for tang, in hopes that the next batch will retain both its Asian ethos and its pristeen purity.

And regarding my new, more relaxed cooking schedule, I think I could get used to this. By preparing only one course each week, I am so much more relaxed than after those hair-pulling, kitchen-wrecking, stress fests that I produced every month for a whole year. Not that I didn't love every minute of it, but this is just so much more sensible, practical, realistic, and favorable for the cook [that's me]. So after a rhapsodic yet leisurely afternoon in the kitchen, I was able to sit down and enjoy the fruits of my labors with my sanity and good humor intact.

The recipes and photos will be posted at the end of the month.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

03:35 PM PDT Permalink |

Shopping for Fresh Ingredients

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

This afternoon I went shopping at my neighborhood Safeway for all the ingredients to make my 'Raise the Red Lantern' appetizers: Petite Pancakes with Mu Shu Pork, Crab Rangoon Tartlets, and Tiny Spring Rolls with Sweet & Sour Sauce. As exotic as the dishes may sound, the fresh ingredients are anything but. I was easily able to find garlic and ginger root, napa cabbage and scallions, bamboo shoots and bean sprouts, cream cheese and crabmeat. And had I needed any, hoisin and soy sauce were both available in the Asian section of the international food aisle. So shopping was a breeze.

A Call for Chopsticks Click here for details.

12:01 AM PDT Permalink |

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 |