Braised Bean Curd Skin Packets with Mushrooms and Broccoli 香菇西兰花焖豆包 - Chinese New Year Series

The bean curd skin packet 豆包 featured in this post is something that I have had my eyes on since the first time I spotted it in the Chinese grocer more than a year ago. Back then I had no whatsoever idea about what they really is, let alone recognizing them as the very soy bean product that I have always loved. Braised, deep fried, or stir fried, they make a versatile ingredient just like any other bean curd products. Not knowing much, I resorted to asking the employees there about it but unfortunately, even that did not quite result in anything particularly fruitful. Well, I bought a pack anyway and figured I'll just deal with it later! lol.

The idea of incorporating the bean curd skin packets into this dish comes from the idea of the many Chinese banquets that I have attended over the past years. A brief glance at it, you probably would agree that this dish has got with it a natural sense of attractiveness. With the emerald green broccoli floret lined in a circle encasing the rich and elegant content in the center, this dish carries a blooming-like feature; one that looks and sounds auspicious enough to make it into the menu of those Chinese banquets.

Those restaurant-level versions, however, come a lot more fancier than this simple version of mine here; they often include high-end seafood products (abalones, sea cucumbers, dried oysters, fish maw or scallops) served alongside a variety of other side ingredients - the lotus seeds, black moss, assorted mushrooms, all kinds of soy bean products (tofu, bean curd skin or bean curd knots among the few) and plenty others.

Plainly an experiment, I chose to have the bean curd skin packets pan fried for a start. The end result? They were awesome!!! lol. Crispy on the outside while retaining their softness and flavors within, they pair exceptionally well with the braised fresh shiitake mushrooms so richly infused with the flavorsome gravy and the broccoli florets that come with a light crunch surrounding them all. Simple dish, simple ingredients, huge satisfaction! Wrapping up the Chinese New Year Series, here's to everyone -

Happy Chap Goh Meh 元宵节快乐!

Somen in Pig Maw and Chicken Soup 猪肚鸡汤寿面 #2 - Chinese New Year Series

This is an extension to the previous post by the same name Somen in Pig Maw and Chicken Soup 猪肚鸡汤寿面, or an updated post on that specifically. A tradition of the Hokkien or Putien Henghua people 兴化人, this is what hubby grew up having at home, especially on the many auspicious days we Chinese do celebrate and plenty other normal days in between. A closely related version to the Mee Sua soup 面线汤 that I grew up having at home, the differences between the two lie mainly in the specific type of noodles used and the garnishing that comes with them.

Celebrating the Chinese New Year here in the States this year, I made it a point to bring this into the picture as part of our small celebration. The difference between this and the previous post on somen? Well this post will be an in-depth post on a more elaborated version of the somen, probably one that makes a better replica to my mom-in-law's version. It comes with a little more preparations yes, and a little more time needed for its making in general. Lets just say that the previous post will be what I call the simpler version to this. I'll still settle for that whenever I feel like having somen in a snap on some random days, and I'll go for this on days when I have the little extra time to spare for something a little fancier maybe. Specifically, they differ in terms of...

• The chicken breast Instead of serving the chicken breast as a whole, I have them out of the pot of soup about an hour before serving and shred them fine.  
• The greens Previously I had blanched the Chinese mustard green (choy sum) and served them plainly as it is. This time I have them stir fried with some fresh shiitake mushrooms and sliced fish cakes before topping them onto the bowl of somen.
• The garnishings Mom-in-law's version always come garnished with some crispy fried fried seaweed of some great quality. Not there in my previous post, but it is this time. And yes, it does make a whole lot of difference! lol.
• The soup In terms of the pig maw and chicken soup, apart from the different types of mushrooms I incorporated this time (button and straw mushrooms as opposed to the enoki previously), they are all otherwise the same. 

Quoting from my previous post on how to clean the pig maw:
1. Trim off any visible fat on the stomach lining.
2. Inverting the stomach cavity, scrape the lining with a butter knife, mainly to remove as much slimy impurities as possible. This is where it takes up most of the time with cleaning a pig maw. So do practice a little patience here, because once this is over, you are pretty much done. Keep the scraping going - rinse occasionally, and repeat all over again. My cue to stop? When you get less and less from scraping, you hold it better with hands (especially with the slime lessening over time) and the smell gets more tolerable.
3. It should be good to go now, but I usually do end mine with a bout of dry rubbing with corn flour in and out to remove whatever it is capable of removing, followed by a good rinse after.
4. Repeat the dry rubbing now with a good amount of sea salt. Rinse with warm water.
5. Blanch the pig maw in a pot of water for a minute or two. The pig maw will appear to set taking the shape of a pouch. Remove from heat and drain.
6. Bring a wok or skillet to heat on high heat. Bring in the pig maw and dry fry it against the wall of wok or skillet (my mom's golden piece of advice - it should further reduce the smell of the pig maw which I indeed find true!). Turn and keep moving the pig maw around the wok or skillet until it dries up and the skin gets slightly browned. Set aside and let cool. When cooled down enough, cut into pieces. Be sure not to slice them into pieces too small. Moderate size always gives better texture (I will recommend pieces measuring about 2"x1"). Set aside.

Homemade Mee Hoon Kueh (Hand-Torn Noodles) 面粉粿

A post rather similar to the Flour Noodle Soup (Pan Mee Soup) 清汤板面, this was made to satisfy my sudden craving for a bowl pan mee out of the blue. So sudden I hardly had all the ingredients I needed to make this our dinner that day. Yet I wasn't quite that keen on making a trip out to get them all. With some store bought flour noodles left barely enough for an individual serving, I resorted to making my own dough this time. Not my first time, but definitely one that I have not done for a while now. Probably so since I have found the commercial pan mee that I got so contented with, one that I still think is somewhat comparable to those home made ones as mentioned in my previous post.

The good thing about making my own? I guess rather than having the usual thin and round noodles 幼面 that I regularly made my pan mee with, I can opt for the hand torn version of pan mee this time around. mmMMmm, suddenly all my taste sensations just felt so awaken simply picturing a bowl of this mee hoon kueh lol. Not having the "manicai" with me, I have that green substituted with the Chinese mustard green (choy sum). And instead of the fried baby anchovies that I previously used, I made a batch for garnishing with the regular kinds of anchovies. Simple variations, minimal changes, huge satisfaction!

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Fried Tofu Puffs 香菇豆包焖鸡肉

This braised chicken with mushrooms and fried tofu puffs makes a classic home-cooked dish. So classic you can hardly see it printed in the menu, let alone served in most Chinese restaurants. But this is a dish commonly seen in typical Chinese homes. Probably not the exact version, but definitely one closely resembling this in one way or another. Simple ingredients with nothing much fancy, this makes a very appetizing dish that will definitely remind you of your childhood and all the home-cooked meals you used to have growing up at home.

There can be an endless variations to this. Apart from the fried tofu puffs and shiitake mushrooms, their places can be well taken by tofu, fried bean curd sticks or the wood ear fungus even . With the light soy sauce being the main ingredient constituting the gravy, it comes balanced with a tad of sweetness coming from the sugar and of course, the natural sweetness from the chicken. This dish goes exceptionally well with a bowl of rice. That tames the saltiness, counterbalancing the overall flavor. This is a case where simplicity is truly at its best! Whether to include a small bundle of the glass noodle is optional. But do try incorporating a small amount of these carbs into the dish. You will be amazed by how well they taste as they absorb the gravy so packed with flavor and taste. 

Somen in Pig Maw and Chicken Soup 猪肚鸡汤寿面

It officially marked the very first day to winter yesterday, so promptly greeted with the snowy weather that we had throughout the day yesterday. Returning from our anniversary trip to Las Vegas just the past weekend, hubby and I both are now again in our battle against the seasonal flu that we thought we had just recovered from not that long just prior to our trip - pretty much thanks to the sleepless nights and overindulging ourselves in the endless lines of great food, particularly the part on overdoing the liquor (oops). With our lifestyle going haywire in the sin city, the few crazy nights had surely knocked some consciousness into me at the end of the trip, something that I have to involuntarily accept now - that I probably am slightly beyond my age for those stuff ever again lol. Day 5 of feeling under the weather (and still counting), well this should prove that there must be some truth to that little fact check there, and that I should really be thinking twice before ever engaging myself in any of those again in the future. Sign of repentance? Oh yea, I bet it is lol.

We have an unusually cold weather here in Michigan yesterday, the lowest it has got thus far (but then again the tough days are just about to start! grrrrrrrrrrr). Feeling all so sulky on the whole, I guess it's a thing good enough that I have this little craving left stirring in me still - chicken soup! This somen in pig maw and chicken soup 猪肚鸡汤寿面 is pretty much a fusion of my mom's chicken soup and my mom-in-law's somen. Mom's chicken soup comes with a whole chicken cut into pieces, a variety of mushrooms, and dried scallops - clear and yet so very flavorful and nutritious it makes itself such a great comfort food on its own. Mom-in-law's somen on the other hand, has always been the iconic dish at home (in which the noodle represents longevity in general) especially to the many auspicious days Chinese do celebrate - Chinese New Year and birthdays among the few. Served with pig maw soup with some greens, crispy fried seaweed and deep fried shallots, this is a tradition of the Putian people, or Xinghua 兴化人, a Han ethnic group from Putian, Fujian - dad-in-law's origin.

Cleaning the pig maw is one that really only gets better with experience. I can never forget how my first experience with it turned out to be a real disaster. I spent some good four hours at it before I was convinced that they are good to be incorporated into my pot of simmering chicken soup back then. Your second try will naturally take a lot less time than the first and the next time you are at it again, you will then realize that you would have gotten the hang of it by then. But generally this is how I usually get mine done.

• Trim off any visible fat on the stomach lining. 
• Inverting the stomach cavity, scrape the lining with a butter knife, mainly to remove as much slimy impurities as possible. This is where it takes up most of the time with cleaning a pig maw. So do practice a little patience here, because once this is over, you are pretty much done. Keep the scraping going - rinse occasionally, and repeat all over again. My cue to stop? When you get less and less from scraping, you hold it better with hands (especially with the slime lessening over time) and the smell gets more tolerable.
• It should be good to go now, but I usually do end mine with a bout of dry rubbing with corn flour in and out to remove whatever it is capable of removing, followed by a good rinse after.
• Repeat the dry rubbing now with a good amount of sea salt. Finish with a good rinse using warm water. A little more boiling and dry frying (a little more elaborated in the recipe part as they come) and that is it! 

Tedious? Maybe, but practice really does make perfect. These days, it takes not much more than half an hour to get them squeaky clean. And the best part about it? Doing it yourself at home means you know exactly the quality of the pig maw you are getting into the pot of chicken soup and of utmost importance, what your family ingests as it gets served on the table later. So worth it!

Sautéed Assorted Mushrooms

An all-time big fan of mushrooms myself, I have always adored these fungi regardless of how they are served. But then again I must say that I have not had that many dining experiences with fresh mushrooms growing up in Malaysia. The most common ones that we used to have often come either brined in cans or simply dehydrated. Fresh mushrooms are definitely something that I have only come to truly appreciate years later leaving home to study abroad. Spotting first the fresh button mushrooms and then the many other kinds that I had or had not heard of back then was simply a sight so fascinating. And there it went - my love for mushrooms blossomed with every opportunity of savoring them over time. Sautéed mushrooms is by far my favorite whenever I have got the chance to get hold of plenty different kinds of mushrooms at the same time.

shiitake, king trumpet, enoki and white buttom mushrooms

Naturally earthy and rich in flavor, each comes with a distinct feature like no others - the aromatic shiitake, the meaty king trumpet, the crunchy enoki and the juicy white button, and together they can never disappoint when sautéed to perfection retaining their unique characteristics at their very best. So much so that they often are hearty enough to be made a meal on their own. And the absolutely great thing about this - it needs mothing more than the usual few things that you can easily get in your very own kitchen. Simple ingredients with an exceptionally extravagant result.

Farmer's Market Omelet

I have always loved and adored omelets for as long as I can remember. This goes especially to those breakfast buffet lines most Malaysia hotels serve, particularly upon me spotting the omelet kiosk usually with an inexhaustible queue. Nothing beats watching the chefs stylishly and single-handedly cracking up eggs and whipping up omelets after omelets right in front of you. Plus you do get the free smell lingering in the air while you patiently wait in the line, right until you put in your order and have it transformed to "your way omelet" piping hot and fresh on your plate minutes later. This favorite of mine has not changed a bit despite all the years growing up. 

Here in the States having breakfast has somewhat become something that I really do look forward to and especially so during the weekends. I get to eat and easily spend the morning hour away, taking my own sweet time to enjoy our selection of scrumptious breakfasts - never have to rush for anything, just some moments to sit back and relax. Getting a good omelet here is never at all difficult - you get them almost everywhere you dine. In fact they easily make a full page on the menu in any diners you go to. If anything, my only problem will be to settle for just one out of the very extensive menus of theirs. Torn as I have always been, I started making my own at home. This way I get to decide and be as greedy as I can ever be, loading my omelet with just anything that tempts my palate. Being as versatile as ever, making them is never too tough a job. And with it being a homemade, you decide how healthy they should get, just exactly the way you like it. An extraordinary treat on any ordinary days, these are simply egg-a-licious!

Steamed Chicken with Dried Lily Buds, Wood Ear Fungus and Mushrooms 金针木耳冬菇蒸鸡

Apart from the Peppered Pork Tenderloin 胡椒肉, this version of steamed chicken is yet another family recipe from my dad's side. I grew up having plenty of this especially at my aunt's place whenever we were over for the many lunches and dinners that we used to have together at her place. One brief glance at it, it does look simple enough, probably not even half as appealing as many others especially those with their vibrant colors or others with fancy ingredients incorporated. The name tells pretty much all what this steamed chicken is about. Dried lily buds, wood ear fungus and mushrooms trimmed and sliced and put to steam on a bed of chicken with a little extra touch of seasoning - as simple as that really. But this is one of the few times when look can really be deceiving. This is to me a masterpiece where simplicity is at its best. Have it served with a plate of  plain rice, and just that combination alone will be good enough to let the homey feeling contained within revealed at its best. Aunt's version came with some chopped birds eye chilies in it but I started without back when I first attempted making this a year or two back. It nonetheless shines like none other and if anything, it actually accentuates the natural flavors better, and so I have been sticking to this version ever since. A case where less is more? Maybe yea lol.  

 

Shanghai Abalone Mushroom 上海鲍鱼菇

I should start with a credit to the very restaurant where I first heard and had this dish - Shanghai Abalone Mushroom 上海鲍鱼菇, a name probably exclusive to the restaurant itself. The restaurant goes by the name of Soo Ser Yen Restaurant 素食园冷气餐厅 back in my hometown, Kuantan. It was a love at first try for many of us that night years ago. Oyster mushroom deep fried to perfect crunchiness and then lightly drenched in a sweet and sour sauce - to plainly say that this is very appetizing seems like an understatement still. Not only it tempts your palate like none others, it leaves you craving for more with each bite taken. Exaggerating? I don't know, it could be just me after all lol. The last time I had it was when our parents met up with each other for the first time ever prior to our wedding. With my mom-in-law being a vegetarian, this was where we decided to have our dinner here together. There is a saying that goes "absence makes the heart grows fonder". Certainly true in some ways, but probably not so in others. To be back in the restaurant after so many years have lapsed was when I was reminded of this specialty of theirs. So I guess sometimes absence actually makes the heart conveniently forgets too lol. But all in all, I was truly amazed with how the restaurant had proven to be ever so consistent with their food quality throughout their operating years - this dish turned out exactly like how I have always remembered it.

This dish can be a continuation to the Deep Fried Oyster Mushroom 炸鲍鱼菇 that I had made previously although the thought of making this came way later after I thought I have finally perfected the frying batter for the mushrooms. With that essential part to the making of this dish covered, the sweet and sour sauce is what I am left to deal with. As the name suggests, it's both sweet and sour but not too much of either, accentuated with a tinge of spiciness in my case, and neither too thick nor too runny. With hubby's agreeable "ooooh and aaahhh"s as we had this that night, it probably is safe to say that this is surprisingly one of the rare and few too-good-to-be-true perfect first attempts of mine. And sure enough - you know you nailed it when it leaves you craving for more as the plate got polished at the end of the meal. 

Buddha's Delight - Luo Han Zai 罗汉斋

Luo Han Zai in Mandarin is basically the stir fried mixed vegetables in general, a well-known common vegetarian dish among the Chinese community. Known to some as the Buddha's delight, I think apart from Buddha himself, this probably is every vegetable lover's delight. Surely that makes me exactly one of those too. A vegetable lover I sure am, that I have always known, but to think that I have liked this plainly because it is a dish loaded with vegetables will be an understatement. All in all I think what really attracts me most about this dish is the well-elaborated presentation brought about by the many different ingredients found within the same one plate. No, this is not those 2 or 3 or 4-in-1 kind, but it is one of the few dishes that can easily manage to carry double the types of different ingredients used to say the least, yet not appearing to be too suffocating or complicated in the end. Personally, I think this is one of the few classic examples of how different ingredients when chosen right can really be mixed and matched in harmony - no one really stands out and no one really masks any others. And to top things off, a perfect serving of luo han zai requires only the minimal seasonings - the red fermented bean curd 南乳 and light soy sauce to taste.

napa cabbage, fried bean curd stick, glass noodle, wood ear fungus, fried tofu puff,
baby corn, enoki mushroom, shiitake mushroom, ginger, garlic and red fermented bean curd

Braised Chicken Feet with Mushroom 冬菇焖鸡脚

I remember having my first go at chicken feet when I was still a kiddo in a local coffee shop specializing in curry noodles soup back in my hometown. A humble and a relatively old shop by the name Teng Haw Coffee Shop 祥和茶室, I honestly have got a very fond memory of this coffee shop. This is the very coffee shop that my family had spent every Sunday morning in for our breakfasts growing up. And with every, I actually do mean each and every Sunday, apart from the very few weekends that we happened to be out of town, or the even fewer times that the coffee shop took some breaks from their never-ending business. That happened for at least a good two decades of my life until I moved out during my uni years. But even with my brother and I away from home, dad and mom had carried on with the little tradition of our family until my dad passed. And it remains as my mom's favorite place for a good bowl of curry noodle soup still to-date and of course, mine too whenever I get to spend some time back in my hometown. 

This coffee shop is probably the only place that I have seen serving bowls of curry noodle soups with chicken feet in it. That comes optional, of course. But growing up, this was how we had always had it - a bowl of chicken feet braised in curry broth on the side to go with the bowl of curry noodle soup served with assorted yong tau foo that we would be having individually still. I'm not sure if I had had a pause for thought when I had my first ever encounter with chicken feet. But if I really did have hesitated then, it must have been a short-lived one. I remember how I would always be looking forward to dining there, and how especially dad and I would be disappointed whenever they ran out of their chicken feet. I probably won't be able to tell what about them that really caught my interest, picking the many small bones of theirs or merely enjoying their texture maybe but over time I did discover a great affinity for them - braised, deep fried, simply boiled or those come steaming away in those carts at dim sum places.

Unused and considered inedible in some parts of the world, chicken feet make a delicacy in few others. Moving here, it was many months later before I spotted the first pack of chicken feet sold in a Chinese grocer and that was my first time ever dealing with chicken feet in my very own kitchen making this braised chicken feet with mushroom. And that was a disaster (!!!) with tedious cleaning before and after, and not forgetting the hot oil-water war that started the moment the chicken feet hit the heated oil. While I had somewhat expected some kinds of reaction then, to say that the massive splattering totally got me freaked out still is an understatement. And yes, I felt bad to have taken all the times that mom had made at home for granted all along, at least for a while lol. That battle, however, is something that gets better with experience. With myself getting better braced and more equipped against especially the mini volcano eruption, I soon got comfortable dealing with this doing it the second time and many more after that. That aside, you know it's worth the hassle with the conscious anticipation of a good bowl of chicken feet braised to extreme softness and tenderness as the cooking gets wrapped up at the end each time.

Ever since I started in the kitchen, strolling through the aisles at any grocer place has been my favorite thing to do. Spending all the time I do have browsing through all the shelves, picking up items and studying them not necessarily buying them at the end of it, I think I did learn a whole lot about the range of ingredients that can be incorporated into our everyday meals. And should I have not had the curiosity that got me started in the first place, I probably would have missed this - the spice tea bags. Decided to give this a try about a year ago, I have since been using this pretty much for braising and can never be more satisfied with the end result I get each time. Optional it is, but if there ever were a chance you can get hold of this, this is definitely something so worth a try.

an inexpensive bag of spice that brings hype to braising
ingredients: cinnamon, flennel, zingiber, clove

Claypot Chicken Rice 瓦煲鸡饭

I may not be a big fan of the claypot chicken rice, but this being one of the many popular local delights is something that I do enjoy having every now and then. I probably could have counted the few little times that I had ordered and had a personal pot all to myself dining out. This has always been more of a family affair with our family sharing a good pot or two for a meal at times. Dad and brother on the other hand, loved this like none others. This claypot chicken rice had even been a reason we would be exploring some cities or towns hunting for some renowned stalls specializing in claypot chicken rice, heard, recommended or seen advertised anywhere when we happened to be out of town. Nope, not at all exaggerating here. So despite me not particularly loving it, I grew up having plenty of it nonetheless. And good ones they sure are.

When you have two claypot chicken rice enthusiasts at home, over time you will find that you actually do learn and pick up some stuff from them subconsciously. For one, I have learned that it all starts with a queue and a long waiting time. Making a pot of claypot chicken rice traditionally involved the use of the charcoal flame as the main source of heat giving it an earthy flavor. That method of fueling is certainly getting less and less seen these days, largely replaced with the gas burners saving plenty of time and effort. Regardless of which is used, I do know that the basic to a good pot of this goodie starts with the rice. It should be cooked using the claypot itself rather than having it pre-cooked and assembled in a claypot simply after. With that slow and steady rule #1, that explained the wait. Thinking back, it was amazing how a good pot of this could actually test and tame the two men at home with the least patience back then lol.

Chinese sausage, shiitake mushroom and a good piece of salted fish
- the essentials to a good pot of claypot chicken rice

With the waiting over, a pot of smoky and aromatic chicken rice is what you should be anticipating - the aroma especially coming from the salted fish and the Chinese sausage or lap cheong 腊肠 , the pleasant sight of the color given by a good quality of dark soy sauce, grains of rice nicely separated looking firm and the steam seen as soon as the lid is removed suggesting a piping hot content right to the core of each grain of rice. Giving it a stir prior to serving, a good layer of crust should already be noticeable. "The best part" as how dad would describe the slightly burnt crust, he would always be the first one to claim that piece of treasure totally ignoring mom's disapproving look lol. With all those criteria scored, the result will be somewhat indescribable - lets just put it as "satisfaction in every spoonsful guaranteed".

fried salted fish broken down and sprinkled over rice prior to serving

Deep Fried Oyster Mushroom 炸鲍鱼菇

Inspired by my mother-in-law, this is one of the few dishes that probably fits the Pringles' original slogan "once you pop, you just can't stop" really well lol. Thinking back, I am amazed with how that big serving of deep fried oyster mushroom never needed much time to be wiped off squeaky clean and still left me craving for more soon after. Intended to be served as part of a meal, I think we would have all agreed that it made a perfect snack even better judging from the fact that it was always almost gone even before we actually took our places for dinner. Getting a chance to watch and learn as she was making this in the kitchen during one of our trips back, she certainly did make the whole process looked simple enough  - preparing the batter, minimal coating and a gentle deep frying.

While her recipe called for a coating flour commonly used for frying chicken, I waas taught how it can always be substituted easily combining a bit of this and that. But even with that gold piece of advice in hand, it still took a lot more of a kitchen newbie like me to get all these right in the beginning - the ratio of flours, the batter consistency, the flavoring and the correct heat to begin with. A couple of experiments and soon things slowly took a change for the better. Done right, the end result will be a plate of golden brown fried mushrooms crispy on the outside while retaining their juicy and tender natures on the inside. 

Mushroom and the no-wash rule. This is something that I knew nothing about until the topic once came up in one of the episodes of Ugly Betty - a scene with Betty's papi (father) yelling at a chef on the TV about wiping the mushrooms instead of washing them lol. Well honestly, as silly as I can get sometimes, I actually did bother checking on the internet and tried looking for its relevance then. Unknown to me all the while, there indeed are plenty of ongoing comments and discussions about whether or not mushrooms should be handled in some specific ways. Some said that mushrooms are naturally good absorbents and rinsing will therefore allow part of the water to be absorbed rendering them less flavorful. And some have debunked that saying that water naturally constitutes over 90% of a mushroom so a little of water can hardly do harm. 

I do have to confess - despite the fact that it actually came out from a scene of a drama, I have stood by that very first idea that I came across since lol. Not all the time, however. There are still times when I would find it hard to be convinced that certain mushrooms are clean enough with just a few wipes, and then I will be catching myself giving them a real quick rinse still. So a truth or a myth? Obviously I am still a clueless me.

Flour Noodle Soup (Pan Mee Soup) 清汤板面

Pan mee has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember. This I must have picked up from mom, who in turn has gotten it from my grandmother. Dad and brother, however, not so. Despite losing the two biggest fans at home, mom would still be making this pretty often and especially when dad and brother were not home for some reasons occasionally. So counting back, my very first exposure of this must have happened at home, with the most conventional type - the broad, flat, non-uniformly shaped hand-torn pieces served in soup that mom would always make. "Mee hoon kueh" 面粉粿 is what we call this in Hokkien. 

With this being one of the many local favorites in Malaysia, soon I learned that they are plenty other types of pan mee around. Often involving the use of a pasta maker machine these days, there are the thin and round noodles 幼面 and also the wide flattened long strips noodles 粗面. Instead of the basic dough made of plain flour, water and sometimes the egg, some have even evolved to incorporate the use of some natural colorings from natural ingredients creating a multicolor pan mee. Thinking back, I remember how a shop selling the 3-color pan mee 三色板面 was such a hit back in my hometown when it first made its appearance years ago. They have the red from dragon fruits (pitaya), orange from the carrots, and green from the spinach.  



While the soup version remains the most basic one that I am most familiar with, the dry tossed pan mee is yet another common way of having the pan mee served. A lot similar to the dry version of wonton noodle, they are tossed in a specially mixed dark soy sauce. Either way, they are both served with the usual topping most commonly seen - minced meat, some sliced mushroom, fish balls or pork meat balls, deep fried anchovies and not forgetting some greens on the side. Fast forward a few years later during my uni years was when a close friend, Simon introduced me to the world of chili pan mee. A subgroup of the dry tossed pan mee, the chili pan mee is mixed and tossed in fiery dry chili flakes fried to perfection instead of having it tossed in a special concoction of dark soy sauce.

a bowl of homemade chili pan mee commonly served with a poached egg

With all the years in between and more different versions of pan mee continue sprouting out, I continue to adore pan mee all the same, if not more. Entering my married life, my mother-in-law makes especially good homemade pan mee. Knowing that I am a big fan just as she is one herself, pan mee was a guaranteed dish that she would always be making time after time, again and again whenever hubby and I got to spend some time at home, enough to drive my youngest sister-in-law out of the house literally each time she was warned ahead of time of the upcoming lunch or dinner menu lol. Well it just so happens that she is one of the few that I know who really despises pan mee wholeheartedly. 

Moving here, a pasta maker machine is one of the first few items in the kitchen that we invested in. And that began the series to many trials and errors experimenting with the noodle making in our very own kitchen. Right until I stumbled into this pack of noodle in the Chinese grocer that I frequent weekly and decided to give it a try. Plain flour, water and salt are all that listed under the ingredients on the package and just like pan mee, it comes in all three different types - big cut pieces, the thick noodle as well as the thin one. I must say that I have been very happy indeed using this for all those bowls of pan mee so far. With all the time and effort saved minus the hassle dealing with flour, it is a shame on me to admit that the machine has since been kept away for a while now. A failed investment? Maybe lol.

As far as making a bowl of pan mee soup goes, balancing the noodle and the toppings with some good quality of soup base is crucial in defining its final quality. Living by mom's pan mee-making principle, the anchovy stock is what I will always make to go with the pan mee. While I am not particularly choosy when it comes to the type of greens used, the sweet leaves, better known as the "mani cai" 马尼菜 is probably the most common vegetable typically seen served in a bowl of pan mee. To spot or secure this here in the States was what I used to think as something totally out of the question. Moving in to a new town and exploring the different Asian stores around soon after, one of the Vietnamese grocer's place here was where I surprisingly spotted this for the first time ever here. Excited I sure was and there a day or two later, we finally had a taste of what seemed like the most classic version of pan mee soup, feeling all so satisfied.

Fried Dumplings (Sui Gow) 炸水饺

A tasty snack almost comparable to wontons, these dumplings make one of the few items that can be made in bulk ahead of time and kept frozen for future use anytime perfectly. Rightly frozen, it makes an all-time convenient add-on to many different meals - soupy or dry noodle, as a side dish served with rice in our everyday meals, or a snack served simply on its own. Being somewhat related to wontons, dumplings are probably just another version of wontons, both within the same family with slight differences between the two. With both wrappers similarly based on flour, they differ only in shape these wrappers take - round for dumpling and square for wontons. Round dumpling skins are generally thicker in texture, probably designed to do a better job in encasing their relatively more elaborated fillings compared to the wontons. Otherwise, they both are generally wrapped pockets filled with a combination of meats and vegetables.

The filling mixture for dumplings often differs, chosen and tailored to personal preferences. The most popular few meat choices are pork, shrimp and chicken, all of which are commonly enhanced with mushroom, carrot, water chestnut, cilantro, spring onion, chives and I once had some with dill even, giving different hypes to the dumplings in terms of texture, taste and colors. As flexible as they can be, they are great boiled and served with soup, simply steamed and served with dipping sauce on the side or deep-fried to perfection, as featured here in this post. 

Soondubu Jjigae (Soft Tofu Stew) 순두부 찌개

My first ever Korean meal was one that I had in Sri Petaling, Malaysia with all my housemates celebrating one of our birthdays. This part of the city was where we started our uni life together. Owned and run by Koreans, that restaurant in which I had plenty of fond memories was sadly no longer in operation the last time I returned to the same area. Being my very first time there, ordering out of the menu required a whole world of imagination on how it would look and taste like. Having very little idea of what to expect, every dish big and small that was served after that came as a pleasant surprise. As with all Korean joints, we started with banchan, each small plate so elegantly presented. Simply appetizing they sure were, they were made perfect for sharing. Our main entrées that followed were not at all disappointing in any ways too, although it remained a fact that I probably would never know if they tasted the way they should then.

Moving to the States, Korean was one of the very first Asian food that I had here. It was a hit right away and it sure did not take me long before I declared myself a Korean food fan. While I could not possibly compare this to the few experiences that I had back in Malaysia - with different menus and me trying different things, I think it would be fair to say that they simply are awesome in their own ways. Whether or not they are on par in terms of the standard and quality, the memories of my very first experience of Korean food stays unchallenged.

Getting more comfortable with food making over time, here in the US kitchen was where I started exploring into homemade Korean food. Like many other different cuisines, I started simple too - first with bibimbap, before engaging in more. This soondubu jjigae is one that I have come to love so easily. Bubbling hot and spicy, it warms a tummy on any chilly day so perfectly. And making it at home sure has its advantages - you get to decide on the choice of ingredients, spiciness level adjusted to personal spice tolerance and nothing beats homemade cooking simply said. These surely are good enough to satisfy my occasional random cravings at home without the hassle of getting a table and dining out, well lets just say at least for a while.

Dolsot Bibimbap 돌솥 비빔밥

A signature dish in Korea, this is pretty much the Korean version of mixed rice. Served in a hot stone bowl, it is a surprisingly versatile dish - a bed of cooked rice, topping it with an array of vegetables, a choice of meat, a runny egg and completing it with the gochujang (red pepper paste). There is not a defined line of ingredients that must be used in making this. Prepared individually either seasoned or sautéed, the selection of vegetables including the choice of meat served can always be tailored to one's personal preference. Right before serving, the runny egg will be broken and mixed up with everything else in the bowl creating a concoction of taste, colors, and texture in every bite.

bean sprouts, spinach, shiitake mushroom, carrots,
wood ear fungus, zuchhini and pork