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Every morning in China, we would wake up to a smorgasbord of a breakfast buffet. The hotels and cruise ships had anticipated every kind of craving - from “orange sauce” to “dessicated potatoes” , Chinglish for orange juice and hash browns. But when in China, eat like the Chinese. Plus, “stewed encased meat surprise” (sausage) and “fresh cream squirt” (I have NO IDEA what that really was) just didn’t sound too appetizing…(continued)….
I’ve been on a recipe-writing and testing streak! But I’m NEVER going to ever finish a cookbook if I keep publishing all the recipes on the blog! I mean, who the heck would want to buy my cookbook if all my recipes are available on SteamyKitchen.com…for free?
DUH! Well, damn it…. I’d better make a career out of cooking on TV cuz I think a cookbook will certainly take Fuh.Ev.Uh.
When I eat dim sum, there are certain dishes that I always order - Cha Siu Bow (bbq’d steamed buns), Fung Jow (steamed chicken feet), Ha Gow (steamed shrimp dumplings) and Pai Gwut (steamed spareribs with black bean sauce.) If you are lucky enough to live near a large Asian supermarket that has a meat section, the pork rib tips are easy to find. You can also ask, beg, bribe your butcher to cut normal ribs cross-wise to get small 1-1/2″ riblets. If you live in the southeast part of the U.S. and have a chain supermarket called “Publix” - look for a package called “rib tips.”
Traditionally, whole black beans are used in this dish. However, they are hard to find outside of Chinese markets. I’ve substituted with jarred black bean sauce - which you can normally find in any supermarket ethnic section. This recipe only took about 5 minutes to prepare and 20-30 minutes to steam….continued….
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husband making fondue, andrew swiping bread
The conversation starts so innocently with, “So…what are your plans this week?” Before sensibility, 3 loads of laundry and my mile long to-do list can catch up to my big mouth, I’ve already invited half the neighborhood over for supper. As the “gourmet chef” amongst my friends, it’s been a natural progression over the past few years to just consider my home the free local restaurant. Normally, this is a great thing, as my friends are recipients of recipe testing and my fanciful food experimentations. Plus, they bring wine, laughter, cute kids and sometimes even help wash the dishes afterwards.
But it’s getting old.
It would just be nice to be invited to someone’s house for a change. To not have to plan menu, shop, prep and crazily clean the house 15 minutes before guests arrive. And when I say “clean,” I really mean throw toys in the closet, scootch cracker crumbs under the couch with my feet, swipe the layer of dust on the glass table with my forearm and stash away traces of super convenience foods like Rice-a-Roni, instant ramen and Betty Crocker. You know, items that a gourmet chef would never be caught dead with in her kitchen.
Most of my friends would rather treat us out for dinner occasionally, sparing themselves of the unnecessary stress of entertaining. Maybe it’s the fear factor of what to prepare for someone who cooks and writes about food for a living. Oh but how I long to let my kids mess up their house, spill a little red wine on their cheap ass carpet, ask them difficult math questions while they are orchestrating the final touches of 5 dishes to be served steaming hot simultaneously, and get deliriously drunk and “forget” to help clean the kitchen…..continued….
This is my quick-fix snack, Rolo Pretzel Turtles. In a matter of 10 minutes, I can satisfy my sweet tooth, my salty tongue and my fat ass. Can you imagine anything more heavenly than glorious chocolate hugging a salty pretzel, topped with a crunchy toasted nut and oozing with warm caramel? All in one bite.
Life does not get any better than this.
If you aren’t interested in my recipe, still read on…as I have a funny video to share with you!!! It involves live on-air webcast, Chinese beer “snacks” and unsuspecting hosts. I was a bad, bad girl. Story after the recipe…
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