It’s what got me into cooking in the first place. My journey began as a sophomore in college–I missed some of the everyday foods I enjoyed in Taiwan so I did something about it. I have memories of watching my mother and my grandmother in the kitchen; those visual implants serve as a kind of cookbook even today.
It has been a very long time since I’ve cooked Chinese food, maybe a year. I had forgotten the pleasure of super-heating the cast iron wok, watching the rustically chopped ginger and scallion pop in the screaming oil and finally enjoying the bay scallops and shrimps come together in a few short but exciting minutes. Then there was a simple soup built from nothing but chicken, ginger and burdock–perfect for winter (except it’s not really cold out). I love soft tofu, how it melts like clouds; contrast that with a spicy and sour curry stew and it was happiness. A steamed pork resting on top of some small taro pieces also brought back some memories. There was so much more, I don’t remember what else I made!
Desert was an tri-colored jelly (firmed up not with gelatin but with agar agar): barley tea, mango and coconut cream. I wrapped everything up with some really great jasmine tea, one of my favorite teas. It was somehow liberating to return my roots and to get my hands back on ingredients and procedures that I truly loved.
Steve, I hear you about memories of food. I grew up watching Mom make everything from winter melon soup to steamed pork buns to spicy coriander spareribs. My brother and I even helped with the folding of the won tons.
I decided over the last few years that I wanted to connect with my Mom and my past by making some of these dishes. I has been enriching to connect with her through some of these favorite recipes.
I have a killer recipe for “Lions Head” that is a bit of work to make but totally worth the trouble. If you’re interested in the best pork meatballs cooked with cabbage, I’d be delighted to share it with you.
By the way, I don’t know if you remember, but I corresponded with you about strings for my GV Rubio. Got some thougts to share with you about that…
Cheers,
Eric