What's Fer Dinner?

[woza17]

AJ with all due respect I hate that dish it just tastes like chicken with apricot jam. I have tried several different recipes.
I went shopping at walmart today and went to the used by date table and bought 3 tins of Mocha Rocha, Brown and Hailey different flavours for 12 kwai each marked down from 35 and a 750gram jar of pickled cucumbers for 2 kwai.. Also Walmart bakery makes a very very decent date and walnut loaf. Sometimes they leave the pips in though so you shouldn't bite down on it. sort of gum it and feel for the pips with your tounge.
Bugger I should listen to my own advice lost a filling off to the Dr. Pain

Went upstairs and bought some great DVDs. Went home cleaned the kitty litter tray and disinfected the balcony. Cleaned my room then made a coffee and cake and started watching The Shield fifth season.
I just realize I have only eaten one real meal today at the Japanese restaurant a big bowl of noodles with heaps of vegies and dumplings. Quite interesting a lot of the kids from the local high school bring their girlfriends which is encouraging instead of taking them down to Machas down the road ,the restaurant is fairly upmarket.

[acjade]

Tonight so far half a watermelon and two cantaloup icecreams for dessert. For mains I stopped at one of the local barb-b-que places in the village after my afternoon class had finished. They weren't open but I stuck my head through the door and rasped,' Bing piu jiu. Qing wen. Kwai, Kwai.'

Best tankard of bear I've ever had. Ice cold, a good head and served in a squeaky clean glass so the bubbles didn't sink in grease. Half an hour later had ten yang rou kebabs, Brilliant.

NB. Note spelling of 'beer'. I thought at first I oughtta edit the misspelling but then I thought, no. Let this serve as a sober reminder to all those who think introducing a topic such as panda bears into their writing classes ought to be safe enough... Think Again.
When time after time you read: Panda Beer... Your reality changes.

[Lotus Eater]

One class has realised I am especially busy on the evening I have them - so they have commenced bringing me food as they realise I haven't had time to eat. Easy take away stuff - roujiamo etc but very thoughtful of them.

Hey Mr N - when you were in Oz and asked what you were having for dinner didn't your mother (or whoever) answer with the staple or main food - i.e. roast lamb? Did she always add peas, potatoes, carrot etc. I figure it is the same here - the staple is mentioned - rice or noodles - and the rest is just add on.

[Mr Nobody]

She didn't say "potatoes" and let me guess the rest. Even your example, we are at least told it is meat, what kind of meat, and how it is cooked. We can guess the rest, since after that, there is little guessing, and if it is special you will get told. Eg roast beef and yorkshire pudding. Standard with roast lamb is you know, peas or beans, roast potatoes, that kind of thing. There is a limited range, all similar.


But 'rice' doesn't tell you anything. ALL the food has rice. So I don't know if it is chicken risotto or jambalaya, or something Chinese for a change.

[Lotus Eater]

When my little blossoms asked me I would generally answer "Poison and you'll like it".

However I found a little known mathematical formula in this process. A nice little inverse proportion rule. The more effort and energy I put into a meal, the less they liked it - and naturally the converse was - if I put zero effort and energy into making the meal they loved it. KFC, fish and chips, Maccas. Pizza Hut delivery.

[Mr Nobody]

Well, no-one said children had sophisticated tastes.

[acjade]

Children have tastes?

Fish n'chips sounds good. As long as the batter isn't soggy. A couple of fried dimsims or a chico roll and a couple of potatoe cakes. Lots of salt and tomatoe sauce.

[Lotus Eater]

Mine had touches of very sophisticated taste. I never bribed them with sweets - they got olives or smoked oysters instead for bribes/rewards. They were really into Camembert, Brie, swiss and smoked cheeses. Their lunches were mini-kebabs with olives, different types of salami, baby tomatoes and cheese. They loved these at home but preferred not to have them at school as other kids had jam or peanut butter sandwiches. They were really good at whipping them up, handy when it came to visitor time.

I used to have to hide the olives and smoked oysters - and they always gave me these as comfort foods as well.

[mermaid56]

Hei1 bai2 cai4 BLACK AND WHITE VEGETABLE. If done right it is chinese cabbage chao'd with reconsistuted wood ear mushroom. at least here in Canton.....delicious and healthful

[woza17]

Having 10 students over for a late lunch was up at 5.30 cooking then off to a four hour class race back they will be here in an hour taking time out for a beer a chat then back to the chopping board. Most of these guys are from Hunan so I am jsut doing my usual dishes except adding heaps of chili to everything except the trifle they can add it themselves.
I thought we would have an after lunch part of monopoly get them out the door and next 2 hour class at seven. i am spiking the orange juice with vodka I will tell them though I bought the Kaluha for those mudpies drinks but I dont think I have the other ingredients

[mermaid56]

am pleased to certify that basil grows well in Guangdong---not convinced that beetroot will-too much clay in the soil. I have a variety of basil "lettuce leaf" that makes humungous leaves with good flavor and it is happy in a pot on my porch as long as it is hot and gets some sun....NOT an issue in Guangdong. Now, where do I get pine nuts for pesto?

[Dr. Gonzo]

SPELL CHECK MAN SAYS POTATO AND TOMATO DON'T END WITH "e". He He.

[Mr Nobody]

They can if they want toe.

[Lotus Eater]

When they are pluralised they have an "e"- but must then be accompanied by an "s". But in most cases poor spelling can be attributed to advanced drunkeness. Then you read your posts on the morning after and go "oh hell, was I that drunk?".

[Mr Nobody]

And the answer is " I certainly hope so!"

[woza17]

Pine nuts are everywhere in China. I see them in the small supermarkets to the big ones.

[Lotus Eater]

daoding said:

And the answer is " I certainly hope so!"

Alternatively, if the answer is NO, then the next question should be "Am I really an English teacher?"

Pingguo niurou (apple and beef) with suanyikuanggua (fresh cucumber in sesame vinegar with loads of garlic) for dinner tonight. The restaurant I go to for this gives a free bowl of soup and a discount on the bill as well.

[Mr Nobody]

Hey, that reminds me. Something I loved but was hard to find back home - something called 'hot sour soup'. Cantonese. Has all sorts for weird stuff in it. Tasty as hell.

Haven't seen it down my end of China, but then, I don't know either the putonghua nor the cantonese. So, if anyone knows anything . . . .

[woza17]

Mr N
I have a packet of the soup in front of me. I will hold it up to the screen so Helen can write down the Chinese for you.

The brand name in English is Knorr.

I have just cooked fish pie in a creamy mustard sauce with prawns and fish fillets topped with creamty mashed potatoes.
Served with steamed carrots and brocolli in a garlic butter sauce

[acjade]

I'd spent most of the day in bed reading and once the meaness of the sun faded I pulled on my daks and headed up to the village for a walk and to buy some eggs and fruit and decided on a quick supper at the local Barb-b-que.

A table of young men next to mine were having a bit of a session and feeling brave with a few piu jui under their belts went through the gan bei lao wei routine. No sooner had I eaten my first tender and tasty kebab and swallowed enough draught to wash the brick dust down my throat when one of the gan bei Charlies stood up and barked onto the floor beside me splashing my shoes and pants.

I'm going vegetarian as from tomorrow.

[acjade]

doctorg said:

SPELL CHECK MAN SAYS POTATO AND TOMATO DON'T END WITH "e". He He.

He he.

Thanks for the corrections, Gonzo. George is totally overworked so I appreciate your call.

Potatoe, though, does have an e as in tatie doesn't it? But tomato doesn't as in the way Americans say TomAtOH.

[George61]

Potatoe, though, does have an e as in tatie doesn't it?

No! There aint any such animal as a "tatie" Yer can have a "tater" or a "spud"..or even a "pratie", but no "taties". That's carrying babytalk to the far extremes.

[acjade]

'Peel the taties, will yer love?'
'Nana. You're embarrassing me. Just call them spuds!'

[mermaid56]

Suan1 la4 tang1 Hot and sour soup, sorry, not cantonese, they just look at me funny when I try to order it. My students have never heard of it. THe dried kind is ok, I make it and pour it over cooked glass noodles, the noodles suck up the flavors, a little spicy, a little squishy. Doesn't compare with the real thing. Really good hot and sour soup in Beijing.

[Mr Nobody]

The cantonese cook told me it was cantonese - but I didn't know him very well, and he cooked other stuff too. I made it, from a book that purported to be a cantonese cookbook, but then it had other stuff in it that isn't.

I was going by what I was told. I will clear it up - this one you DON'T put over noodles. Nor have I seen it in packets. However, I am prepared to be enlightened. I don't remember seeing in in HK or Guangdong, for that matter, in the times I have been there.

Maybe I have the name wrong or something, then. I will ask my cantonese chef mate next time I see his daughter online. Worth checking, although it could take a while, and he would know for sure.

This one has sliced liver, carrot, hard tofu, black mushrooms, sliced chicken, all made into slivers. Black chinese vinegar, chilli of course, other stuff. Sesame oil, bamboo shoots maybe. I can't recall, a million ingredients.