Chee Cheong Fun (Steamed Rice Rolls) with Curry and Sweet Sauce 咖哩甜酱猪肠粉

I'm back! lol. Took some self-proclaimed holidays post the Chinese New Year celebration, fought the winter storm over the past week, laid back and rested and now I'm feeling all recharged! Browsing through my album, I reckoned I shall start off with this - Chee Cheong Fun (Steamed Rice Rolls) 猪肠粉. Something light and easy to write about, pleasant and soothing (hopefully) to read about lol.

My history with chee cheong fun started when I was a kid still. Back then chee cheong fun to me was steamed rice rolls of bite sizes that came served with just the sweet sauce 甜酱 with plenty of sesame seeds sprinkled on it. You get to pick the ingredients to go with the cheong fun - fish balls, meat balls, fish cakes, mini sausages, bean curd sheets (fuchok) and plenty more. Years later when I tolerated spiciness better, I started having them with some hot sauce on top of the existing sweet sauce (in a 1:4 ratio maybe). So that brought the cheong fun a different dimension; it is now packed with an extra flavor.

Then came another version of chee cheong fun into my life. Instead of them rolled, they came in sheets. Briefly cut, you can have them plain or served alongside a variety of yong tau foo. And instead of the sweet sauce, they came in a shallow pool of curry. Interesting...

At some points, dad introduced me to yet another version of chee cheong fun - his hometown, the Taiping version! This Taiping version has got to be the simplest version of all. Simple yet unbelievably awesome! There's the cheong fun in it; and there's the special red sweet sauce that came served with it. Oh, and it's loaded with fried shallots too. That's it! The red sweet sauce tastes very much like the red sweet sauce that is often served with steamed yam cakes. And as unique as it sounds, some cheong fun stalls actually sell those yam cakes too. So a lot of times, you'll see patrons slurping away plates of chee chong fun topped with yam cakes, all in a same serving plate. Even more interesting... lol.

An all-time big fan of chee cheong fun myself, it didn't take me that long to be craving for this when I moved here. And this featured here is a personal preference of mine; it's a bit of all those above mixed together. Rolled cheong fun with an assortment of yong tau foo and side dishes, drenched in both the sweet sauce and curry gravy with a dollop of chili sauce on the side and finished with sesame seeds and crispy fried shallots for garnishing. I haven't got the talent to be making my own steamed rice rolls just yet, so store-bought ones it is for now! Having tried a couple of different brands, the plain ones produced by the Canada Hung Wang Food Inc. has always been my choice. But someday, someday I shall live up to the challenge and start rolling my own in my kitchen lol. 

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!

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. 

Pan Fried Tofu with Dark Sweet Soy Sauce 油煎黑酱油豆腐

The joy of cookbooks - there always is something about the line of cookbooks on the shelf that make me feel delighted just at the sight of them. No doubt almost everything and anything these days is always just a click away on the internet, but my selection of cookbooks is nonetheless my personal pride still. No, I don't use them that often, and I hardly do flip through them, not even half as much as the time I spent browsing through the endless food blogs all over the internet. But it always is a simple joy to be taking a book or two out every now and then, discover something new that you have not read or seen before - pretty much back to the old school ways to picking things up in the kitchen. Sometimes it can be a page, or occasionally it can simply be a particular line or a photo that miraculously gives you that little spark of inspiration to try something new or re-create something classical that you have long forgotten. And a good thing about cookbooks? They are yours to be kept indefinitely, to be adapted and improved, to be marked and left with some personal scribbles or notes that will stay despite time.  

This Pan Fried Tofu with Dark Sweet Soy Sauce is one that came from one of those treasures of mine. Adapted from "the Steamy Kitchen Cookbook by Jaden Hair", this tofu dish always turns out so perfectly just as promised. Simple yet innovative, tasty and simply elegantly presented. Pan fried to perfect crisp and crunch drizzled on with a dark sweet soy sauce specially concocted, this is something extraordinary out of the very ordinary. The only fine-tune I did - I made it a little more spicier.  

Stuffed Tofu 豆腐塞豆芽

Better known as "tauhu sumbat" among Malaysian locals, this makes an all-time great finger food often not served hot but at room temperature. Simple it is sure, and for a while I had contemplated if I should even make a post on this. But on second thought, this blog is after all about what we make and have at home as part of our everyday meals, so I decided that it should deserve a place here nonetheless lol. Basically fried tofu stuffed with vegetables, this makes a healthy and simple snack, pairing exceptionally well with the Thai sweet chili sauce or peanut sauce. A snack simple as such is made unbelievably even simpler with me using firm tofu that comes pre-fried. Surely not merely chosen out of convenience, this is instead an intentional choice made having tried both frying my own and using these. And they certainly have not failed in proving their worthiness in making stuffed tofu at least as awesome as those homemade. With those in hands, a steamer is all that I need to get these done within minutes. Instead of having the fried tofu re-fried, I put them to steam. And instead of blanching the vegetables, I have them steamed too. So all in all, they collectively make a healthier version of stuffed tofu on their own, at least to my very personal standard.

fried firm tofu, carrots, cucumber and bean sprouts
- the keys to a good piece of stuffed tofu

Stir Fried Bean Sprouts with Salted Fish 咸鱼炒豆芽

I remember hating bean sprouts growing up. Not the small handful served in a bowl of curry noodle or the few strands found in a plate of fried noodles or even those wrapped in a spring roll, but only when it was fried in a large amount and served as a vegetable entree accompanying a meal. I have not even the slightest idea as to what the reason was, but I do remember growing up thinking that a plate of stir fried bean sprouts was my mom's easy way (oops, sorry ma lol) to fulfill and satisfy my request to always have a plate of vegetables to go with our everyday meals. Not that it was simply done, it was never that. And it was not that we had to have it raw either. So honestly, I have no clue as to what was with me and the bean sprouts relationship. Maybe they are simply not green lol.

Over the years, I slowly did get my sense normalcy back in check and the relationship eventually took a change for the better - it turned neutral at the very least. I started to like it alright whenever it was served and the hatred feeling no longer felt. A few more years later was when an occasional craving did start kicking in once in a while. And venturing into the kitchen was when I truly started to adore bean sprouts and their crunchy with a delicate hint of sweetness nature. Pair with salted fish with some additional pieces of tofu just like how mom always makes it at home, I guess this is me traveling back in time reminiscing the love-hate feeling I once had for this.

Pan Fried Tofu with Minced Meat 油煎肉碎豆腐

A tub of soft tofu is a common sight in our very own refrigerator here at home. Made from soybeans, tofu makes a highly nutritious protein, on top of it being an inexpensive one. Its versatility is unbelievable, lending itself well to pan or deep fried, braised, steamed, stuffed, stir fried and even boiled and made part of a bowl of soup. With what seems like an endless list to the possible ways to getting it prepared, it is not at all surprising that tofu makes a good dish completing a meal anytime, often creating miracles.

This very version of having it pan fried then topped with minced meat and finishing with a touch of specially mixed soy sauce is one adapted from a rather similar dish I had years back in a dining place by the name of Pak Su Restaurant back in my hometown. A specialty of theirs, "Deep Fried Tofu with Minced Meat" 油炸肉碎豆腐 is made with their tofu homemade. They are deep fried instead of the one pan fried here. Crispy on the outsidevelvety smooth soft on the inside, it was easy to fall in love with that simple yet appealing dish. Topped with chopped dried shrimps fried to a light crisp combined with the fragrant minced meat, they on a whole create a very appetizing dish indeed, easily whetting anyone's appetite.

While you may wonder if pan frying would have made a difference rendering it less crispy that what intended, I must say that as far as it goes, I have yet to get disappointed with the results I would usually get with pan frying. Doing it the right way, a tofu with a crispy, nicely browned crust is almost always a guaranteed achievement. There may be a couple of points worth noting, however.

• Patience - allow enough time for each side of the tofu to brown and crust up evenly before flipping them over to another side. Any less and all the effort may be well wasted in the end, either torn or broken while they are still adhered to the pan undone or there just is insufficient time for the crusting to even begin. 
• Temperature - I always have them done on high heat throughout and I do think that it is vital to have a well heated pan with hot oil to begin with. Avoid overcrowding the pan. Always leave a little space in between tofu pieces. Pan fry them in batches instead if needed.
• Tofu condition - Medium or firm tofu are no doubt easier to manage but soft tofu is always all the same doable, with just a little extra care needed when dealing with them. Start with a good quality of tofu especially making sure that they are good in shape. Blot dry by gently pressing them in between layers of paper towels right before putting them into the pan. 

And a little of a last warning ahead of time - be ready to embrace yourself to some level of splattering once the tofu hits the frying pan.

Stir Fried Green Beans with Diced Shrimps and Tofu 粒粒脆

I have to admit that I had a real hard time trying to name this. I have always known this as "lap lap ceoi" 粒粒脆 in Cantonese, translated to mean "a crunch on every bite", a dish very well named indeed depicting the nature of the dish rather well. In an attempt to name this in English, any names that crossed my mind seemed somewhat lacking and insufficient, not doing enough justice to represent this well. I reasoned that to the fact that every single ingredient used in creating this - big or small, expensive or not so, holds a crucial role in defining this dish as a whole making naming a little challenging. Stir fried green beans with diced shrimps and tofu was what I decided on in the end. That I made a decision based on what I see and decipher with one quick glimpse at the picture on top - green beans, diced shrimps and tofu with the other two mostly hidden (possibly a blessing in disguise in my case? lol). 

One of the few regulars of mom's at home back then, this is a simple dish that easily shines almost like none others. The only challenging part it ever poses is the cutting part getting everything diced, uniformly sized preferably. This goes exceptionally well with a bowl of plain rice, congee or even as a snack on its own. Green beans cooked to the perfect crisp, springy and firm shrimps, moist yet bouncy tofu, crunchy and aromatic peanuts all further enhanced with the salty and distinct flavor of the preserved radish, each bite brings about a kaleidoscope of color, texture and taste guaranteeing a contentment at the end of 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

Stir Fried Romaine Lettuce with Fermented Bean Curd 腐乳油麦

A simple dish with a surprisingly robust flavor thanks to the cubed bean curds preserved in brine used here, this makes a great dish to go with any other dishes in a typical Chinese meal. The fermented bean curd 腐乳 is not something that is naturally well acceptable by everyone. For many, this is definitely an acquired taste. Generally salty with a tad of sweetness, this together with a few other simple ingredients are indeed the very few needed to bring out this dish it's unique characteristics - aromatically pungent, lightly spiced up with the birds eye chillies and leaves of lettuce cooked to the perfect crisp. A distinctive dish this sure is, making it an all-time favorite of mine perfectly balancing and completing a wholesome meal anytime.

Yong Tau Foo 酿豆腐

Yong Tau Foo, of which a direct translation will be "stuffed tofu" is probably a name very well depicting the dish itself. While the history may have started with just that, the dish must have evolved over the decades, tested against time, influenced by the food customs of different nations around the world, modified and molded along the way bringing us the versions that we actually see and savor today.  

My personal history of yong tau foo started with the very version featured here stuffed with fish paste, served on top of a bowl of curry noodles back in my hometown. And then there were these served on the side with a plate of smooth rice noodle roll 猪肠粉 bathed lightly in a sweet sauce, or served topping a bowl of plain noodle soup and not forgetting the one served in a big combination platter on its own to go with rice. 

Fast forward a few years dining at a relative's place was when I had my first try of the Hakka version of yong tau foo. While the choices of vegetables and soy products used for stuffing are generally the same - eggplant, bitter gourd, okra, red chilies, tofu, bean curd sheets and tofu puffs being the most common few, the main difference between this posted here and that of Hakka will be the stuffing used. Instead of plain fish, the stuffing includes two other ingredients that are often incorporated into Hakka cuisines - pork and salted fish. Served in gravy made with fermented bean paste, Hakka version of yong tau foo, infused with the aroma and taste of salted fish has a flavor distinctly different to this other version. I must however say that either version is nevertheless just as awesome in their very own specific ways.

Growing up in Malaysia with yong tau foo so easily found everywhere throughout the country, this is something that I must have taken for granted all along unknowingly. It was only after moving here to the States that I really do begin to appreciate this heavenly dish. The closest thing we have here is probably the stuffed eggplants often served at dim sum places with the stuffing made of pork and shrimps instead. Not as good maybe, but they do keep my occasional cravings in check most of the times.

Back at home in my younger years, I did know that making this from scratch was indeed very time-consuming and labor-intensive involving bouts of literally throwing, slapping and pounding all in the pursuance of a springy and bouncy stuffing in the end. I had personally seen mom in action making this every now and then and it indeed is a shame on me that never once had I got myself involved to learn from her back then. A spoiled brat I sure was lol! To make one from scratch over here is definitely made difficult with the limited choice of fresh, whole fishes available in the market. I may have seen some Atlantic Spanish mackerel every now and then in the Chinese grocer, but one single bad experience here with its freshness was more than enough to stop me from ever getting near it again. So with that coming to an end, my hope and dream for a homemade yong tau foo eventually got halted too. Right until the day I spotted this - frozen Cha Ca fish meat emulsion at the Chinese grocer.

Skeptical I indeed was initially of especially the quality but this being probably the only option to reliving my dream again, I bought one and gave it a try anyway. And - well lets just say that my dream came true soon after! While this may never be on par with those homemade ones done from scratch, this has indeed become my best choice since.

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.

Tofu with Ridged Gourd 胜瓜豆腐

One of the many dishes that I especially like in most Chinese restaurants, this casual yet elegant tofu dish easily stands out among the other tofu options in their menus. Soft and smooth tofu met with the naturally sweet and good absorbing natures of the ridged gourd - when drenched in the savory, starchy beaten egg gravy, they make a simple but scrumptious dish on its own.

ridged gourd with plenty other names - luffa, angled loofah, Chinese okra or silk gourd

A ridged gourd appears to be elongated in shape, protected by a layer of toughly ridged green skin with tapered ends. The first step to handling this will be to have the skin removed using a peeler or a knife, exposing the white flesh within. These gourds get more fibrous as they mature, so it is always best to choose a relatively younger gourd to ensure the flesh at its peak tenderness.

Shredded Pork with Tofu and Hot Peppers 双丝小辣椒

I first had a taste to this dish in a Shanghai-style restaurant in Canton, Michigan. While the restaurant's name Best China may have easily misled anyone to think that it is one of those many Chinese take-out restaurants in town, this eatery is a contrary to that. In fact, Best China was listed as the best Chinese restaurant in Michigan on CNNGo earlier this year.

This shredded pork with tofu and hot peppers is one of the first few dishes that we tried there, and had since become one of our favorites. A simple dish with simple ingredients, this dish stands out easily with its fiery hot jalapeno peppers balanced with the tender well marinated shredded pork and tofu strips.

Salted Egg Tofu 咸蛋豆腐

I first had a taste of this years back in the Sri Mahkota Seafood Restaurant back in my hometown, Kuantan. One of their specialties is the finger-licking good salted egg crabs. This tofu dish is one with a close taste to that, with the main ingredient being the tofu, of course, instead of the crustaceans. Requiring minimal ingredients, this dish is a simple, neither too light or heavy for a dish yet satisfyingly completing a dinner.