Saucy Stir-fried Choy

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 4 baby choy hearts (bok choy, or your favorite choy)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
• 2 tsp corn starch
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• salt to taste
  
• a sprinkle of MSG (optional)

Preparation (5 minutes):

1. Rinse the choy, splitting the hearts into individual stems.
2. Chop coarsely. The pieces should be about 1/2 inch wide.
   


3. Mix the corn starch with the chicken stock, whisking to make sure it all dissolves.
4. (Optional) Sprinkle some MSG into the stock.
   

Cooking (5 minutes):

1. Pre-heat a wok with the vegetable oil.
2. Add chopped choy. Stir occasionally.
3. When the choy stems start to turn slightly translucent, add the chicken stock and corn starch mixture. Stir well.
   
4. Salt to taste.
5. Choy is ready when the leaves are wilted and the stems are mostly translucent.
   
   

Black & White Stir-Fry

Ingredients (serves 4):

• 4 fresh bamboo shoots
• 6 oz. fresh wood-ear
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1.5 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
  

Preparation (30-45 minutes):

1. Rinse, peel, and trim the bamboo shoots until no more stiff brown layers are left.
   
   
2. Cut the bamboo in half length-wise, then chop into thin slices.
   


3. Wash the wood-ear well, since it tends to be gritty.
4. Crush the garlic.
   

Cooking (15 minutes):

1. Pre-heat a medium wok with the vegetable oil.
2. Throw in the bamboo shoots. Let them fry for at least 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. Add the garlic and wood-ear. Mix well.
   
4. Fry for another 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
5. Drizzle the sesame oil and soy sauce over the veggies. Mix well, and let cook for another minute or so.
   
6. Enjoy!
   
   

Chili Liver

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 1/2 lb fresh chicken livers
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp Guilin chili sauce
• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp black rice vinegar
• 4 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp chicken stock
• 1 Tbsp ginger (grated)
  
• 2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
  
• 2 scallions (spring or green onions) (finely diced)
  

Preparation (15 minutes):

1. Mix the sauce. Combine the chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, rice wine, salt, sugar, and stock.
2. Grate the ginger.
   
3. Crush the cloves of garlic.
4. Finely dice the scallions.
5. Rinse the livers under gently running water, taking care not to burst the membrane holding the livers together.
   
6. Trim off the excess fat. If desired, cut the livers into smaller pieces. This will make cooking them a little messier in the pot.
7. Pat the livers dry with a paper towel. The livers will be going into a pan of hot oil, and you don't want to get hurt.
   

Cooking (10 minutes):

1. Pre-heat a medium wok with the vegetable oil.
2. Fry the ginger, garlic, and scallions until fragrant.
3. Toss in the livers, stirring gently so as not to rupture the membranes.
4. Fry over medium heat until the livers are close to done. (Done is internal temperature around 160 F).
5. Add the sauce. Stir well to coat all the livers evenly.
6. When the livers are done (internal temperature around 160 F), serve and enjoy!
   

Braised Belgian Endives

Ingredients (serves 2):

• 4 Belgian endives
• 1 can chicken stock (14oz) or vegetable stock
  
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
  
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 tsp marjoram, broken leaf
• salt to taste
  

Preparation (10 minutes):

1. Rinse the endives thoroughly. Trim off the base if dry, being careful not to cut off too much. The leaves should remain together instead of falling apart.
2. Cut the endives length-wise into quarters. Each quarter should be held together by 1/4 of the base.
3. Place the endives into a pan big enough to fit everything in one layer.
4. Pour the stock, wine, and olive oil over the endives.
5. Sprinkle marjoram and ground white pepper over everything.

Cooking (approx. 45 minutes):

1. Simmer over low heat until most of the liquid has cooked off.
2. Salt to taste, though it probably won't require any.

Dumpling Breakfast

This morning, J woke up, looked at me, and revealed a desire for dumplings. We decided to satisfy his cravings at Tong Dumpling Pot in San Jose.

If you're going to go here, you must speak Mandarin. The people who work here don't do well with English, and they are constantly busy and very full, so they can be a bit impatient. But if you go with a Chinese person, or a Mandarin speaker, and let him/her do the talking, it can be a very pleasant experience.

The dumplings are all freshly handmade. In fact, you can watch as they make them! The skin is thicker than the manufactured skins, but it's soft and smooth, and very tasty. I liked the pork and chive filling best, with its rich meaty flavor lightly accented by the sharpness of the chive. Dip in a little soy sauce and black rice vinegar, and have a little party in your mouth.

Toast to Moon and Shadow

The name is inspired by an old Chinese poem, in which a man comes upon a jug of wine, and drinks with the fine company of the Moon and his Shadow.

In that spirit of fleeting harmony, I will use this space to write about the joys of food and drink.