Recipe: Fried Rice Vermicelli/Rice Sticks/Rice Noodles with Chicken (炒米粉)

(Click the above to view 3 pictures. Best viewed with Internet Explorer 7.) As a Chinese, I've never had to think hard when it comes to buying noodles at the market. Noodles are a staple in Chinese cuisine; the varieties of noodles available are just like pastas to the Italians--they come in different sizes, shapes, colors, texture, and forms. There are rice vermicelli, yellow noodles, green (spinach) noodles, egg noodles, steamed chow mein, pan-fried chow mein, lo mein, crispy noodles, Shanghai noodles, fresh noodles, glass noodles, udon-like "laifen," flat rice noodles, Taiwanese noodles, etc. And then, there are dried packaged noodles from all over Asia and the lists and brands go forever on. Despite the many offerings in the marketplace, picking out the right noodles for that perfect fried noodles dish is our natural ability. However, the experience could be overwhelming for others, a fact that I have just come to realize. For many non-Chinese/Asians and Asian food beginners, buying noodles is a somewhat daunting--not to mention confusing and frustrating--task. There are just too many different noodles to choose from--especially if you shop in Asian supermarkets. For example: how do you tell the difference between "steamed chow mein" and "pan-fried chow mein?" They look almost identical; the only difference is the texture of the noodles. So, how do you select the perfect noodles for a homemade fried noodle dish? I thought I would provide a simple example/recipe that is sure to please most people... Rice sticks are also called rice vermicelli or rice noodles in the United States. In Chinese, we call them 米粉 or mifen as they are plain noodles made from rice flour and water. In Malaysia and Singapore, they are simply known as beehoon or meehoon. The Vietnamese call them bun. They are very common across all Asian cuisines, be it Chinese, Malaysian/Singaporean, Indonesian, Filipino (called pancit or bihon), Thai, or Cantonese. Rice vermicelli is always a safe bet if you are just starting to learn about Chinese noodles. For this fried rice sticks with chicken recipe, I used the simplest of ingredients--chicken, rice sticks, and bean sprouts (which lend a "crunchy" texture and a refreshing taste to this dish). Despite the uninteresting and very humble look, fried rice sticks always rank high in the taste department. 炒米粉 or fried rice sticks do make a good and satisfying meal. If you are a Chinese noodles newbie, do try this recipe. I think you would love it, especially if you top it off with a fiery hot chili paste. :) Recipe: Fried Rice Vermicelli/Rice Sticks/Rice Noodles with Chicken (炒米粉) Ingredients: 1/2 pack rice sticks (8 oz) 2-3 cloves garlic (chopped) 1 big handful of fresh bean sprouts 3 stalks scallions (cut into 2-inch length) 1 boneless & skinless chicken breast (cut into small pieces) 1/2 teaspoon corn starch (to marinate the chicken) 4 tablespoons oil Seasonings: 4 tablespoons soy sauce (Kimlan Light Soy Sauce) 1 tablespoon ABC sweet soy sauce 4 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon sugar 3 dashes of white pepper powder Method: Soak the rice sticks in warm water for 30 minutes or until they turn soft. Set aside in a colander to drain the excess water. Rinse the bean sprouts with water and set aside to drain excess water. Lightly coat the chicken meat with the corn starch (to tenderize the chicken). Mix all the seasonings and water together and set aside. Heat up a wok and add in the cooking oil. Add in the chopped garlic and stir-fry until aromatic or turn light brown. Add in the chicken meat and stir fry until the chicken is half done. Add in the rice sticks and then follow by the seasonings. Stir the rice sticks continuously to blend well with the seasonings. Continue to stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until noodles turn soft or no longer wet, then add in the bean sprouts and chopped scallions. Stir-fry for another minute or until the bean sprouts are cooked. Dish out and serve hot. Cook's Notes: You can substitute chicken with pork, beef, shrimp, or other seafood. You can also do a combination of them. Once you master the techniques of stir-frying noodles, you can start experimenting with other noodles. Eventually, you will discover what makes that perfect fried noodles dish for you. :) Continue Reading "Recipe: Fried Rice Vermicelli/Rice Sticks/Rice Noodles with Chicken (炒米粉)"

Eating Xiao Long Bao (Shanghai Soup Dumplings)

(Click the above to view 7 pictures. Best viewed with Internet Explorer 7.) If you are my Twitter follower, you should know by now that I had some fabulous Xiao Long Bao/小笼包 or Shanghai soup dumplings this past weekend. (If you haven't yet "Follow Me" on Twitter, look to the right of this post and you will see the blue box that leads you to my microblog on Twitter.) Last Friday night, my colleagues and I went to Ding Tai Fung in Arcadia, the famed outpost of the multi-million dumpling house originated from Taipei. After watching my American colleague repeatedly burning his tongue by the piping hot Xiao Long Bao and had the "soup" inside the dumpling squirting all over his shirt and face, I asked him the following question: "Do you know how to eat Xiao Long Bao?" As obnoxious and condescending as my question sounds, eating Xiao Long Bao is indeed an art and a technique; it's not just about putting the food in your mouth, chew, and swallow--which guarantees two mishaps my colleague encountered! There really are certain ways to eating Xiao Long Bao, if you wanted to truly savor the essence and juiciness of this delicacy...(learn how to eat Xiao Long Bao properly after the jump) So, I thought I would put together a step-by-step guide to eating Xiao Long Bao for those of you who haven't yet tried out Xiao Long Bao. I am not going to write or describe the pleasing flavor of Xiao Long Bao as this is the kind of food that you just have to experience yourself. Words--especially my shallow English vocabulary--will do no justice. Step-by-Step Guide to Eating Xiao Long Bao or Shanghai Soup Dumplings: Pour some vinegar to the shredded ginger. (Xiao Long Bao's are always served with shredded ginger and Chinese black vinegar.) Gently pick up a Xiao Long Bao with the chopsticks and make sure that you don't break the skin. You can do so by holding the Xiao Long Bao in the middle. Gently dip the Xiao Long Bao in the ginger vinegar sauce. Lift it up and place it on the spoon. Nibble the side of the Xiao Long Bao and suck the soup/broth inside the Xiao Long Bao. (This is the best way of savoring the meaty, juicy, and flavorful broth/soup inside the dumpling.) Add some ginger and vinegar (as you like) to the dumpling and eat the rest. Voila! No more broken dumplings and wasted soup, and definitely no more burnt tongues and stained shirts. *wink* Notes: I didn't make these Xiao Long Bao, they are the frozen Xiao Long Bao I ordered from Ding Tai Fung. Just steam them for 10 minutes and they are almost as good as eating in. If you are in Malaysia, you can try out the many Xiao Long Bao restaurants in KL here, here, here, here, and here. If you are in Penang, go to Shanghai Ding. Ding Tai Fung 1108 S Baldwin Ave Arcadia, CA 91007 Phone: (626) 574-7068 Continue Reading "Eating Xiao Long Bao (Shanghai Soup Dumplings)"

A Fishy Tale

Fried whitebait consumed at a tapas bar in Madrid, Spain. I just love fried fish, little fish, to be precise. The best ones were my family's specialty--small fish lightly marinated with turmeric powder, deep-fried to crispy goodness, with a vinegar-soy dipping sauce loaded with chopped bird's eye chilies. Heavenly! Continue Reading "A Fishy Tale"

Recipe: Mini Raspberry Muffins

(Click the above to view 9 pictures. Best viewed with Internet Explorer 7.) There is something very comforting about baking on a Sunday afternoon. First of all, the smell of baking perfumes my whole house with sweet and buttery aromas; secondly, there is no better way to beat my Monday blues than with homemade baked goods and start off the busy work week on the right foot. So, that was exactly what I did this past Sunday afternoon--making these cute-looking mini raspberry muffins. I don't like my muffins big because I could never finish the whole thing and always end up wasting the food. When it comes to baking, I love everything mini--mini egg tarts, mini tartlets, mini cupcakes, etc. (My obsession with small baked goods also explains my petit fours fetish in Paris recently.) I always opt for a light breakfast in the morning so mini muffins fit my bill... I personally loooooove my mini raspberry muffins photoset very much. I usually shoot with an Aperture of 3.2-3.5, but today, I experimented with a much lower setting. All these pictures were shot with an Aperture of 1.8-2.2; I thought they look great and somewhat dreamy. Anyway, if not for the taste of these mini raspberry muffins, I hope you enjoy the pictures I presented. Click here to view the complete photoset. Have a great week ahead! Recipe: Mini Raspherry Muffins Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter/1 stick butter/4 oz (at room temperature) 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup fresh raspberries Some powdered sugar (for sprinkling) Method: In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electronic hand mixer. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in milk. Add all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to the mixture and continue to blend with the hand mixer. Gently fold in the raspberries. Lay out a mini muffin pan and arrange mini baking cups. Fill the baking cups with the mixture (about 2/3 full). Sprinkle the tops with a little powdered sugar. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Continue Reading "Recipe: Mini Raspberry Muffins"

Food Porn: Escargots

The slimy but savory reason why I love Paris. For the sweet reason, please click here. Escargot (AKA edible snails) is a popular French gourmet food--an appetizer that I never miss whenever I dine at French restaurants or in France. I just love them with parsley butter or prepared A La Bourguignonne... (more picture after the jump) The soft texture of the snails and their woodsy flavor just go so well with the garlicky parsley butter mixture. They are simply delicious and irresistible! Yum. Continue Reading "Food Porn: Escargots"