Pork Noodle 猪肉粉

Cravings alert! Yea, that's how bad it was! My craving for this pork noodle has always been there left unattended, well technically ever since I moved here. But each time it hit, I would usually manage to brush it off, distracting myself making do with plenty other options - settling especially on those that are not as much of a hassle in their making and of course a lot less time consuming too.

But having seen Sonia (Nasi Lemak Lover)'s post on her 新山粿條湯 Pork Kuey Teow Soup (Johor style), that craving couldn't be crushed any longer! So Sonia, thanks for the real good push! With streams of photos so attractive in her post, it's just hard to convince myself (and especially my tummy) that we can and should still wait until our next trip back to Malaysia for a bowl of this swine-centered goodness.

Pork noodle is especially my dad and my brother's all-time favorite. They just love everything with pork! Mom - she's the total opposite of them. She despises almost everything with pork! Me - I got a bit of both. My affinity for them does comes with a limitation though; anything beyond lean is a strict NO, and liver is the only innard that I tolerate pretty well.

Me and the liver - that story started when I was first told that I needed a boost in my iron consumption. So I started taking pork livers and cockles! Took me a couple of trials (and rejections), but eventually I have decided that the liver's not bad and cockles are amazing! So, some kinda acquired taste in both cases? Maybe...

A bowl of pork noodle usually comes with all the essential pork-based ingredients - there's the thinly sliced pork loins, minced pork and pork meat balls. A step up the adventure ladder and you get the liver slivers, intestines and kidneys. Of course, all these come tailored to your order; you can opt for some and exclude the rest. Served with some greens on the side [most of the time the Chinese mustard green (choy sum)], each bowl comes finished with some crispy fried garlic (essentially with their oil) and the crispy pork lards. So artery clogging! But still I can't help having a weak spot for them!

Having an extra egg is optional; but I certainly wouldn't object to having that beautifully poached egg topping a bowl of this pork noodle. And when you finally do breach the protective layer and get the runny yolk blended into the broth... gosh! A classic case of taste buds overloading!

Ultimately the broth that bathes all the ingredients in the bowl of pork noodle is what makes a stall selling this different from another selling exactly the same. Made with what must have been loads of pork bones simmered over a substantial amount of time, the resulting broth is one so flavorful it's just hard to miss the natural sweetness infused in it. And that is how the real good ones defined.

This homemade version incorporates the ribs and some vegetables that are sweet in nature in its broth making. It does come with a light difference compared to those 100% porcine-based broth, probably with an extra light hint of vegetables while missing the slight cloudiness and murkiness coming naturally from the heaps of pork bones. But this version inspired by Sonia is great nonetheless! Sweet (nothing artificial, of course) and flavorsome! And the good news? It has got my immense cravings for this pork noodle totally checked!

A mental note to myself - my next try would be a broth made with plenty of just the pork bones and nothing else and I'll see how that turns out... *evil grin*.

And now... let's get to the making!

Pork Ribs with Bean Curd Sticks Soup 腐竹排骨汤

A classic soup that I grew up having at home, this is by far one of my mom's regulars, my brother's favorite. Mom's version comes loaded with whole white peppercorns and I used to dislike this soup for that particular reason. Nothing to do with its peppery nature; in fact I loved the kick! I just happened to really hate those chances of me biting into them randomly with every mouthful of soup that I took, especially those hidden in between the many foldings of those bean curd sticks.

So while it continued to make an appearance at home, I would usually give it a pass. Nope, I didn't even resort to just having the soup plain and simple - no ribs, no bean curd sticks, nothing at all; there's always a risk of stumbling upon a peppercorn still! Is there a term for the phobia for peppercorns, by the way? I think I must have had that! lol.

Things took a turn for the better when mom brought home with her something new for her kitchen collection - the stainless steel wire mesh ball! This has got to be the best invention ever! lol. So thereon, no more loose peppercorns swimming around in the pot, and especially none gone hidden anywhere at all. Now stress-free, I then declared myself a fan too!

Moving here, it didn't take me long before I found myself in the kitchen preparing the ribs, soaking the dried bean curd sticks, pitting the dates and crushing the peppercorns. Yup, just everything my mom did, all in the effort to make my own pot of Pork Ribs with Bean Curd Sticks Soup 腐竹排骨汤. And the good news? I have mom's wire mesh ball with me! Tadaaa...

Cute little thingy huh? lol. I'm not sure if mom eventually bought another one for herself after that replacing this, but this has ever since been a little treasure of mine. One that comes with a memory no money can buy, no time can erase...

Quoting from my previous post on the White Radish Soup 白萝卜汤,
"The longer the soup is left to simmer, the better it will be infused with all the flavors coming from the different ingredients. The water level will drop slightly as the simmering goes on but additional water will be unnecessary unless the water content has really decreased considerably. I would maintain it around 4-5L. Should you need to add in more water into the pot, make sure you add in only hot boiling water to ensure that the simmering does not get disrupted with the water of a different temperature. Add in just slightly more than enough to cover the ingredients comfortably. Any more will have the soup diluted rendering it less flavorful. If you are left with enough leftovers from this for the next day or two (I always do! lol), you will be amazed with how much better they taste after a night out. Try adding in some noodles of your preferred choice while using this as your soup base; you will have a good meal in a snap of time!"

And a few last notes to end this...

• RECONSTITUTE The bean curd sticks come dehydrated in a pack. Before they are fit for the pot of soup, they have to be reconstituted in water. Depending on their quality and thickness, they can take some time in between half an hour and up to 2 hours. So do make an early start. Have them soaked in advance and leave them soaked until it's time to bring them into the pot.
• COOK and TIME
  Different brand comes with different qualities and thus different time needed to cook them well and thorough. Some get cooked in a matter of minutes, others are just way tougher against heat and water. So you may want to get to know the ones you are using. If you have found a good one, stick to them.
  
  Get the soup base with the pork ribs started first (while the bean curd sticks are getting soaked). Add the bean curd sticks into the pot of soup and simmer with the rest only for the last two hours prior to serving. If you are unsure of their quality and texture, check them out about half an hour after adding them in. Well cooked and all soft - you should just stop the simmering there and then; intact and tough - let the simmering continue and recheck half an hour later.
  
  Keep watch to avoid over simmering; they break the bean curd sticks up. The taste will still be there, just not the mouthfeel, not to mention the not-so-appealing appearance in the end. Just for the record, mine took about 1½ hours.

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!

White Radish Soup 白萝卜汤

One of the few favorite soups of mine, this has been one that shows up rather regularly on our dining table ever since I started in the kitchen. Making Chinese soup has always been something relatively easy needing little skill. Some past dining experiences or a little imagination with how and which ingredient will go well with what others will surely help a big deal however. That little bit plus I have in me has got to be attributed to the many years of my mom's home cooked food I have had growing up at home. Likewise, this has been one of mom's regular too. Over the years whenever we had this served as part of our meals, mom would naturally start reminding us of how this particular white radish soup works exceptionally well in cleansing and detoxifying our digestive system, just exactly what we needed every now and then. Where and when has she got this piece of information from, I have little idea really lol. But despite having not a fact check done on it ever, I have always loved this soup for how simply tasty and refreshing it is nonetheless.

While I have never really tried studying the nutritional values these radishes have in the past, I do find myself accepting the claim mom has always had more than alright. One thing that I have never failed to notice myself each time I happily dig into the mounts of white radish chunks in the soup will be how extensive the mesh of fine lines within the radishes is. These lines are made visible to the naked eyes and I supposed they do get more prominent the longer the get cooked, turning translucent. Whether they are the digestible or indigestible fiber or both, they must be the very contributors to whatever digestive system facilitation these radishes have on us. That aside, taking a brief look on the white radish introduction anywhere will reveal that they come packed with a considerable good amount of the immune booster we all need, the Vitamin C. Low in calories with virtually no cholesterol, they naturally present themselves as a very good dietary option for many.

Commonly boiled with the pork ribs, mom's version always comes with a handful of white peppercorns in a wire mesh -  a little heat to balance the cooling nature white radishes have. This is definitely one particular addition that I have always accepted happily for the extra kick and spice coming from these peppercorns. With a touch of sweetness coming from the presence of red dates and an extra flavor coming from the dried oysters or the dried cuttlefish, they collectively make a hearty bowl of soup so comforting and nutritious anyone will easily appreciate on any days.
 

Lobster Stew

One of the many many things that had happened in 2012 - I am now a self-declared big fan of the Bon Appétit magazine, the very first food magazine that I have subscribed to. An elegant entrée showcasing the generous lobster meat in a soul-satisfying stew, this recipe by Scott DeSimon comes from this very magazine of the December 2012 issue. A serving of soup comes loaded with chunks of lobster meat with the row and/or tomalley adding a deeper richness to the stew, the presence of milk, butter and especially the reserved liquid from par-cooking the lobsters together with a gentle touch of natural herb and a swig of sherry had done nothing but only a superb work in harmoniously enhancing the general flavor of the stew. 

The name and the idea of dealing with live lobsters may be rather intimidating a picture to take in; while I probably would have agreed that it does take a little more effort and time in its making, it really is not a hard one to make. With just a little patience and putting aside enough time to spare, making this lobster stew may be one that you can breeze through, creating an especially comforting bowl of stew within your very own comfort zone at home. And the best thing of all - this is one that you can and really should make way in advance of serving time in which the taste greatly intensifies especially when left to chill overnight. The end result? A milky broth appearing to be slightly orange in color, so genuinely infused with the flavor from the lobsters and other subtle seasonings in the making - a flavor truly defined with time.

Bak Kut Teh (Spare Ribs Soup) 肉骨茶

Being my dad and brother's all-time favorite, we have plenty of bak kut teh growing up and dining out with never a specific time to having them - they never are confined to just breakfast or dinner in particular. Lunch and sometimes even supper, it has always fit so well like no others. Having different versions of bak kut teh from town to town whether they are of the same or different origins, this one featured here has got to be the one that I am most familiar with - Hokkien style? I am not exactly sure myself. Apart from this being one with a broth tinted with a touch of dark soy sauce, I have had others that come clearer in general - some taste more peppery than others, some come with ingredients all loaded within one same claypot, and some will have the different ingredients served in small, separate portions each. And in some later years was when I was introduced to yet another version with a totally different dimension from any aforementioned, nothing like the conventional bak kut teh in fact - the dry form of bak kut teh. Rather than being soupy, this is served in a caramelized thickened gravy usually loaded with dried chilies and heaps of garlic.

If I were to describe bak kut teh as per my very own experiences with them, it will have to be a claypot dish on its own in which the pork ribs are cooked in a herbal soup base infused with a concoction of herbs and spices. Savory in general, the pot of soup with such a herbal richness is made wholesome and complete with the addition of other simple ingredients - assorted mushrooms (shiitake, button and enoki to name a few), fried tofu puffs, deep fried bean curd sheets and some greens, among the common few. Great served with a bowl of plain white rice, yam rice or the fried shallot oil infused rice, they go exceptionally well with a side serving of crispy crullers with birds eye chilies and minced garlic in sweet dark soy sauce as the dipping sauce on the side. Too big a picture to take in? Maybe lol. But when you have found a good place serving bak kut teh that suits your very own taste according to your personal liking, having bak kut teh has got to be one of the few that always comes a maximum satisfaction guaranteed each time. 

Making this at home comes rather easily especially when you have managed to recognize and get hold of a spice mix meant for making a good serving of bak kut teh. With that in hand and those few essential ingredients to be incorporated together, time will be the remaining factor before you have a pot of bak kut teh simmering away within your very comfort zone, filling your home with a lingering robust and intense aroma as the cooking goes on. Moving here, it was months later before I spotted the first pack of bak kut teh spice mix with a brand most Malaysian will be familiar with - Yeo's. One single try and I have ended up going back to the same Chinese grocer to stock up on these spice mix since. They are in fact the best that I have come to try thus far, and never could I have been more satisfied with the pot of bak kut teh that we do get at home these days.

Making bak kut teh at home is one that I have always made sure that they come more than enough for just a meal or two. The fact that they never fail to taste better the longer they are left to simmer makes it a reason good enough to be having the same for the day or two after. So do aim a little more than what your tummy can accommodate - chances are they will always leave you wanting for more as soon as you are done with your first round of bak kut teh!

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!

ABC Soup ABC 汤

A hectic week pre and post Thanksgiving and we finally caught the festive flu. Made worse with our lack of sleep and constant nose blowing, they surely did wear us down challenging our immune system further. And with my appetite plunging low getting super fussy, there really was not much that my aching throat could tolerate and approve. This ABC soup has always been the only thing that I have never said no to in my life - my all-time comfort food it sure is. It had been this soup that I had happily had through all those times when I got under the weather growing up and especially when I was on those orders for soft diet post all the teeth extraction nightmares in life. Gentle on the stomach and needing negligible effort to chew, it is amazing how they can be so tasty and still packed with all the essentials to sustain the good and reverse the bad. Packed with carrots, tomatoes, onions and potatoes and a little extra protein, their health benefits derive from the antioxidants, minerals, dietary fiber and particularly the provitamin A, vitamin B and of course whatever amount of vitamin C that is left still after the long hours of simmering. A soup so aptly named!

There probably is not a golden rule as to how this should be made. There can be no limit to the types of ingredients to be included and how much of each to be used. This is the version that I have grown up getting to know and love, and so this is how it shall always be to me personally with carrots > potatoes > onions > tomatoes quantity-wise. As with all the other homemade soups, I always have the cooking started early in the day and leave them simmering gently away until dinner time. Tailor the amount of ingredients to how much soup you wish to make. Essentially it will be good as long as the composition remains the same as aforementioned. ABC soup is one of the few that I always make sure that I make more than enough for our main meals and a sip or two in between meals for a day or two and probably even three. And I better not forget mentioning that this is just the perfect fit to keep you hydrated as you battle through - nutritious and tasty, hearty and healthy.

Wonton Noodle Soup 云吞汤面

This wonton noodle soup is made in accordance with the one request put forward by hubby. Not so much of the Hong Kong type of wonton noodle I would say, and I reasoned this with the different kinds of wonton used to begin with. Those in Hong Kong comes with wontons wholly made of shrimps, while this is shrimps:pork = 1:1. Chewy noodle cooked al dante on a bed of shrimp wontons served in a savory broth is what one sees at first glance of a typical bowl of Hong Kong style wonton noodle. This, on the other hand, comes lined with a portion of Chinese barbequed pork (char siu) on top of all those aforementioned. This of course is not limited to just that, it could have been the roasted duck, roasted pork or any of these combinations.

A good bowl of Hong Kong version of wonton noodle soup has the savory broth made with dried flounder and shrimps, some with shark bones even. This featured here had used a broth made of anchovies and chicken instead (or some made with pork bones simply). And last but not least, bowls of wonton noodles in Hong Kong are deliberately sold in smaller portions, an effort made to ensure that the noodle texture stays the same throughout the dining experience or so it seems. The one here comes in the size of a typical bowl of noodle soup, probably measuring up to about twice of that in Hong Kong. All things considered, this is the wonton noodle soup more commonly seen in Malaysia, having come under the many influences of the local Chinese community there.  

wonton noodles, wontons and Chinese barbequed pork

The wontons made for this bowl of noodle soup somewhat resemble the extended and a more elaborated version of the Fried Pork and Shrimp Wonton that I had posted on a while ago - the same few basic ingredients but lightly further enhanced with some additional additives and seasonings. Firm, springy noodle served with a generous amount of plump wontons and Chinese barbequed pork in a savory soup balanced with a tad of sweetness, these make a simple dish with a satisfaction somehow not-as-simple describable.

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.

Anchovy Stock 江鱼仔上湯

Anchovy stock has always played a big role in my family's diet growing up, certainly unknowingly to me back then. It makes the basic to many different soupy dishes that mom always makes at home - bowls of noodle soup, the many more elaborated soups that we have had every now and then, and this even makes the soup base to which bowls of congee are made. Obviously oblivious to anything happening in the kitchen when I was a kid, this is a discovery that came way later in the years when I have grown up and learned enough to care. It all then make every sense as to how we have never failed to be awed by how flavorful, sweet and perfectly balanced those soups were back then - everything good minus the usual unquenchable thirst from soups you would get dining out. And if there were just one thing that mom was really proud of her cooking, it has got to be the absolutely MSG-free food that she has made over the years, and this is just one of them.

To have a special liking in a good anchovy stock is definitely something that I picked up from mom. To have a preference for a stock appearing to be slightly cloudy rather than an all-clear one, that I must have got the influence from my ex-room mate, ChanSee who has always been a natural in the kitchen. Having the anchovies lightly pan fried in just a little bit of oil is what needed to do the trick, giving it the right color and hue when made into stock later.

Anchovy stock is one that can always be made pure with no unnecessary additives or flavor enhancers needed. What really matters will be the amount and particularly the type of anchovies selected to begin with and the rest will then depend on the way this is prepared. Of equal vital importance here is the surprising fact that unlike many other different kinds of stock, anchovy stock is one that does not get better with prolonged simmering time. 10 to 15 minutes are all it takes, beyond which the sweetness diminishes and the bitterness then dominates. This is good to be made right there and then when required or even well ahead of time. They can be kept refrigerated or frozen in batches for up to two months and come in really handy anytime a good soup base is needed to prep a meal.

Yong Tau Foo Noodle Soup 酿豆腐清汤面

yong tau foo noodle soup served with flat rice noodle

Easily done, this is a post incorporating many others previously featured. Mixing and matching, they bring together a whole different dimension creating yet another sumptuous meal. Hubby has always had a thing for anything soupy, especially one served with noodles in it. Easygoing and hardly ever a fussy eater, you know he means it well whenever he says he has certain cravings kicking in. More often than not, noodle soup is one of the few that always tops his list, although not necessarily served in any specific ways (flexible he sure is! lol).

This is yet another follow-up from the Ipoh Bean Sprouts Chicken 芽菜鸡 made previously. With a good amount of chicken soup base made and saved up, the soup base makes the most important basic ingredient for this. The rest will be a work of imagination tailored to any personal preferences from the type of noodles used to the choice of toppings selected to complement the chicken soup. With some Yong Tau Foo 酿豆腐 made ahead of time and frozen Dumplings (Sui Gow) 水饺 in hand, this is a matter of assembling them all together creating this masterpiece in the end. Easy, convenient, fulfilling, comforting, hearty and healthy, you name it -  this makes too good to be true a wholesome meal, guaranteeing a satisfied tummy anytime of the day.

dumplings prepared ahead of time

Ipoh Bean Sprouts Chicken 芽菜鸡

I have to say that I have little personal history with this. There was once when dad's work had brought us to Ipoh, the very city where this originates from. Having traveled long hours from our hometown and gone long enough without food, growling stomach got the better of me and dad knew he had better stopped by for our late lunch soon. Obviously unfamiliar with the roads around, we took turns here and there and ended up in an old, low-key restaurant or restaurants more like it. Plural because if I actually do remember anything about this restaurant, it would be the two shops side by side, linked by a small walkway at the back. And yes, you can be seated in a shop and order from another - not at all a problem. 

Charmingly old with a historical feel, this is one of the few shops that I know has done really well in preserving their heritage. Not forgetting the aged huge long mirror lining the wall right beside where we were seated and the slightly chipped antique marbled round tables and chairs they were using still. Surprisingly, this very mirror was what I used as my keyword in an attempt to search and relocate this restaurant online earlier today and finally getting to know it like never before. And so it is the Thien Chun Coffee Shop in Ipoh old town that I have been talking about. 

Reading about it, many have cited that they have the best shredded chicken rice noodle soup 鸡丝河粉 in town. And this was what we had back then - with extra servings of poached chicken and bean sprouts served separately. Not the conventional bean sprouts chicken posted here, the differences being:-

•  the noodle soup base is made using chicken and additional shells of shrimps to give an extra favor compared to just the chicken used here
• having made the soup with shrimps, each bowl then is served with a couple of fresh, plump juicy shrimps which will not be seen here
• the chicken is shredded and usually served with the noodle as one in a single bowl, but of course you can request for additional servings which will then be served chopped up on a separate plate - just like how it is with that posted here 
• the rice noodle soup won't be seen served with meatballs on the side, but bowls of meatballs (or even plates of sliced up chicken gizzard sometimes) will be a common sight when it comes to the bean sprouts chicken

But other than those, they both are pretty much the same having the same kind of smooth and juicy poached chicken, fresh and crunchy bean sprouts and the velvety smooth flat rice noodles. Having this close to 1½ decades ago and recalling this now - nostalgic? Yes, it is for me indeed.

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.

Lotus Root with Peanut Soup 莲藕花生排骨汤

This is one of my few personal comfort food and it probably is yet another classic dish among the Chinese community. A few ingredients and this hot bowl of soup will almost guarantee anyone a satisfied and an all warmed up stomach at the end of it. 

I have to say that I honestly know not much about Chinese soup. Recalling what I think I do know about this soup - well I do remember my mom telling me about this soup regulating our body temperature. It tames down what Chinese would call "yit hei". Not literally bringing down the normal 98.6 °F body temperature, but it actually refers to that excessive internal heat in our body that Chinese believe often is the culprit for minor sickness like sore throat, headache or well...lets just say a not-so-smooth bowel movement too lol. And I do remember my uni room-mate, ChanSee once mentioned that it works just as well in modulating our blood circulations. Citing from the Wikipedia page, "Lotus roots have been found to be rich in dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, copper, and manganese, while very low in saturated fat". So all good I guess?