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The titles are sorted alphabetically by authors' last name. Links have been added to lead to related articles, excerpts, and other Web pages which might prove of interest. The cover thumbnail is a link to a larger version. A More button leads to further titles for this letter.
|Robert A. Heinlein
Starship Troopers
Ace paperback
Feeling a strange compulsion to re-read Heinlein's Hugo Award-winning SF war classic? Yeah, us too. In a future where citizenship must be earned through military service, Juan Rico signs up with the infantry on a lark. Despite the grueling hardships of boot camp he finds himself determined to make it. But it's not until war comes with mankind's greatest enemy -- the bugs -- that he truly learns what it means to be a soldier.
Del Rey
Classic re-issue from Del Rey sporting an attractive new cover. We do miss Michael Whelan's interpretation of Heinlein's famous heroine, but we also realize that every generation must have its own Friday.
The Door Into Summer
Del Rey
Another classic tale from the Grand Old Man of SF, this one a tale of time travel and revenge. Dan Davis' is poised to be rich and famous -- his invention, a household robot with extraordinary abilities, could dramatically change the world. But when his greedy partner and fiancee lure him into suspended animation for thirty years, he awakens to find a world where time travel -- and a brand new spin on the old idea of revenge -- are now possible.
Starship Troopers
One of Heinlein's most popular bestsellers, back in print in time for this summer's release of the movie. A recruit of the future endures more than he thought himself capable of -- first in boot camp, and then in battle with the Terran Mobile Infantry against mankind's most frightening enemy, the Bugs.
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
A reprint of Heinlein's classic novel of revolution on the moon. It won the Hugo for best novel in 1967. Has anyone not read this novel?
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The Opportunity of a Lifetime. Limit One!
Last updated 6 years ago
The Opportunity of a Lifetime: New 2011 Allegro Phaeton 40QTH Closeout! The 2013 models are on their way, and it is time to clear out some of our Inventory. We have drastically reduced the price of our LAST 2011 Phaeton 40ft bus for immediate sale! One lucky individual will be making the buy of a lifetime as this opportunity is limited to one!
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subset: commoncrawl


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Thatcher, Mitterrand vie over EC financial straits
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and French President Francois Mitterrand squared off Monday over the financing of the virtually bankrupt European Community.
Mr. Mitterrand turned down Mrs. Thatcher's demand in the second day of the summit meeting here to limit the amount of money Britain pays into the EC. He accused Britain of trying to overturn the treaty founding the EC 26 years ago.
Mrs. Thatcher argued that France should bear more of the burden for financing the Commmunity, which will face heavy new demands if it grants membership to Spain and Portugal.
Mrs. Thatcher is expected to block any action at the two-day Athens summit meeting of the 10-nation Community. Talks Sunday night on reform of the costly farm subsidies system proved fruitless.


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Amazon UK list Dead or Alive 5 for PC
Amazon UK has listed Tecmo Koei's busty brawler Dead or Alive 5 for our beloved platform PC. This is pretty strange since Dead or Alive 5 has been officially announced for PS3 and Xbox 360 only.
Currently the listing carries no details about the game, no price and release date, just a mere "Sign Up to be Notified" option. You can check out the snapshot of the listing below.
Whether this listing is just a mistake or Dead or Alive 5 is indeed coming to PC, we will find out soon.
Would you like to see PC version of Dead or Alive 5?. Let us know your views in the comment section below.


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Security cameras are effective monitoring tools for large, industrial facilities. The devices allow operators to view targets from safe distances, with minimal direct contact. In some cases, a set of security cameras connected to a single network can be deployed to streamline monitoring of tanks, main pipelines or valves. In order to extend the functionality of security devices for nighttime applications, it would be worth considering the use of powerful infrared LED illuminators.
Extending Range and Visibility
Nighttime security cameras rely on infrared LEDs as a primary light source to capture images in the dark. The non-visible beams can help monitoring devices 'see' objects hundreds of feet away. Additionally, saturated beam angles may also boost visibility in locations that experience a lot of haze or smoke. This is particularly useful when checking for gas leaks on external surfaces of tanks and large compartments.
Compared to using a standard, visible light source, infrared LEDs are more discreet and applicable to facilities in high-activity or urban locations. Because the beams are non-visible, operators do not need to worry about light spillage on roads, nearby buildings and sidewalks.
Extreme Design
Infrared LED illuminators incorporate rugged designs, due to their extreme applications. The units provide 50,000+ hours of continuous illumination. This lifespan can be extended using photocells or timers that only turn the light on when it is needed. High-quality infrared LED units offer extended operation, beyond the lamp's expected lifespan, at reduced intensities (retention). The can be used as stationary or portable work lights.
During illumination, the lamps do not use infrared filters to generate infrared beams – as commonly seen in incandescent infrared light sources. Instead, the units incorporate diodes that generate the specific non-visible band. This not only improves the quality of the light, but also decreases maintenance, since there is no longer a need to install a separate filter on the LED illuminator.


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Talking LadybugArchived
Great for kids of all ages (and if you're an adult, great for the kid in you), you'll never be lonely when you have Talking Lady Bug on your phoneShe's a little shy at first, but she really wants to be your best friend! You can poke her, feed her, and interact with her in several other ways, and you can even have her mimic everything you say! She can also be easily shared with your friends over Facebook, Twitter, and email. Try it out for yourself: 1. Tap her mouth, and she'll show you a toothy grin. 2. Pat her belly, and she'll be a little frightened. 3. Tap her head to push her back a little. 4. Tap her head several times in succession and she'll fall over backward. 5. Swipe your finger from top to bottom and she'll laugh for you. 6. Touch her on her feet, and raise it up for you. In addition, you can also: 7. Punish her if she's been misbehaving! 8. Feed her some leaves! 9. Have her make a cute face! 10. Have her dance for you! 11. Watch her practice flying! Features: -3D -Interacti
Downloads: 245+


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Young Male Model : Mathias Lauridsen
Friday, August 14, 2009
Mathias Lauridsen hails from Denmark and is currently one of the most in demand male models of the moment. This uber gorgeous model with his piercing blue-green eyes has mastered all aspects of modeling in just a short period of time: runway, editorials and campaigns. This makes him the most diverse and most marketable than his male model counterparts.
Lauridsen was discovered in 2003 on the streets of Copenhagen and immediately did some modeling for a few local magazines. It was when he modeled for a Jil Sander campaign that other major brands took notice and within two years his face has been a part of campaigns for Christian Dior, Hermes, Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Perry Ellis, DKNY, Lacoste, Kenzo, Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss, and Gucci.
It's Lauridsen's boyish charm and small scar on his cheek that has given him the appearance of rugged naivety. He's walked the runway for Fashion Week many times and leaves fashion editors swooning in their seats. The rumor that he is shy has created an aura of mysteriousness and intrigue that has commanded the attention of fashion brands and designers across the globe.
* Fashion
* Male Models
* Mathias Lauridisen


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Green AngelBook - 2003
From the critics
Community Activity
CommentAdd a Comment
I loved this book. It is really a book about hope, written with plenty of poetic charm. This short story made me feel like I was in a dream, learning significant lessons along the way. With lyrical storytelling, this book brings you on a wistful journey filled with pain and darkness, but that finally leads to great redemption. If you like books that are thought provoking and loaded with hidden meaning, this is an excellent choice!
I love the concept for this book and was really enthralled to pick it up. It was a fun read, full of poetry and symbolism. However, most of the secondary characters come across as a bit flat and Hoffman moves through the plot so quickly, I feel like I missed out on a lot of potentially juicy details.
This is a short book and a very quick read. It is about the transformation of a young lady after a fire destroys her family and the town she lives in. She finds a way to survive and eventually make a new life for herself. I enjoyed the poetic style of this book.
I enjoyed this book.It is a story of hope and courage. Every person young and old should read it.
Nessie rocks!!
I read this years ago and I still remember how it went. Really vivid and touching. I really wish there were more characters like Green in teen literature.
SummaryAdd a Summary
After a terrible disaster (which the author hints is a man made disaster) where her parents and sister die, 15-year-old Green is on her own. She becomes self-destructive, inking her entire body with tattoos and wearing nails on her boots. It takes a series of mysterious encounters for her to relearn her true self.
AgeAdd Age Suitability
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Tips to gain weight fast for men include eating every two to three hours and eating calorie-dense foods. Examples of calorie-dense foods are: rice, bread, chicken, steak, milk, nuts and olive oil.
Gaining weight requires increasing calorie intake, so that more calories are consumed than burned every day. This can be as simple as adding another item of food to every meal, or doubling certain ingredients, such as using two chicken breasts instead of one. Eating nutritious foods is important for healthy weight gain without adding excess fat. Meal planning can insure that each meal has the appropriate nutrients, including carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats.
Breakfast should be eaten 30 minutes or less, after waking up, to fuel the body with nutrients. Snacks, such as granola or nuts, are a good source of extra calories throughout the day. Liquids should be scheduled between meals, because they can fill up the stomach, which reduces appetite. Water can be substituted with higher-calorie drinks, such as juice and smoothies. High-protein meals and drinks, such as protein shakes, are necessary for muscle gain. Resistance training is also important if muscle gain is a goal. Aerobic exercise should be avoided, because it burns calories. To optimize training sessions, training should never be done on an empty stomach.


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"canonsupport.co" thrives to be a reliable place where you can get any kind of drivers from, especially for Canon PIXMA TR8520 XPS Printer Driver. The required software and driver for this PIXMA TR8520 printer are off their latest version so you do not have to worry one bit about their performance.
canonsupport.co will guide you in the right way to download any kind of Canon Printer Drivers that you are currently looking for. Just make sure that the driver matches the model you own at home/office.
Don't forget to also choose and download a driver for your Canon TR8520 that is supported by the operating system running on your computer.
Canon PIXMA TR8520 XPS Printer Driver for Windows
This is an optional printer driver allowing 16-bits per color (BPC) printing.
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- Improper display by clicking the [Easy Ink Delivery] button has been corrected.
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Filename: xpp_-win-tr8500-6_10a-ea34_2.exe
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Canon PIXMA TR8520 XPS Printer Driver – Installation Instructions
Download / Installation Procedures
1. Download the file. For the location where the file is saved, check the computer settings.
2. Double-click the downloaded EXE file to decompress it, then installation will start automatically.


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Every now and then, I come across a news story that attracts my attention. I would think a lot about the main protagonist of the story and wonder why they did what they did…
A 36 year old mother and her 17 year old daughter committed suicide in June of this year by jumping in front of the train at London's Ealing station, surrounded by shocked bystanders.
A 17 year old girl is usually capable of making her own decisions about her life. And a 17 year old has her whole life ahead of her. From all accounts it appeared that they linked arms and ran out from the waiting room of the station to the platform's edge and jumped. What could have been the reason for this decision for mother and daughter to want to die this way? The mother isn't even old. At 36 she is younger than me. She had her daughter at 19. What else could I find about her?
Her name is not very common. Searching only produced a handful of social media accounts. Only one Celise Mclean I found was based in London until the day she died. The other Celise Mcleans were white women in Australia and America. As a result of my own findings, which I'll detail below, I conclude that the Celise Mclean in the news article is a British black woman, possibly of Jamaican origin, who was a long term resident of Havelock Estate in London.
There was a news article dated the 24th December 2008 here which mentioned her here :
In this article, the writer reprinted Celise's poem, which he spotted as he walked past a Black/Afro hair salon in Hounslow, London. Addressing her poem to black males, she makes a sincere plea for them to consider switching from a life of violent crime to pursuing the beauty of the spoken word. To be a real man, she implies, requires dropping the knives.
Celise was quite the poet. Googling found me more of her self-penned poetry. I find her poems raw and full of sincerity, honesty and emotion.
Here is a short eBook of 2 of her poems published in June 2008 that that can be downloaded here :
The first poem being of a romantic sexual nature. The second, a tribute to women of colour, praising them for their strength in overcoming the adversity they were up against from the moment they were born. She also describes quite bittersweetly how many black women go through a pattern of relationship failures with black men, who went on to substitute them with "white Barbie doll" partners.
Through this website, I found that Celise had an active account there around 2008. I've never been a big poetry fan and I never knew there were websites like this enabling amateur poets to showcase and publish their poems online. It even has a medal system to encourage active participation amongst its member poets! Well at least Celise had published some of her poems on there and they will always be in her name.
On another poet's page on that poem site, Celise commented on and praised a poem composed by Melvina Germain :
Dedicated to black baby boys, Melvina reminds mothers about the importance of nurturing their (God-given) black baby boys so as to enable them to counter the negative social pressures, stereotypes and oppression they will face in life.
It appeared that all was not well with Celise perhaps, by the end of the year 2009, about a year after she had published her first 2 poems.
From her main profile page at poemhunter.com here :
there were 2 comments left by a friend of her's on the site – someone by the name of Edwin Empestan (alba) – who seemed to be concerned about Celise's well-being. On the 22nd of November 2009, at 2.43 PM, Edwin wrote "Where are you Celise?", followed a minute later by "Are you okay? I been looking for your poems."
It seems as though Edwin knew something about Celise's problems. Edwin is a Filipino poet, from what I surmised from his profile page on the site. He worked in the healthcare field so naturally this points to the fact he is a "helping" sort of person. Perhaps Edwin had been privy to her problems. Perhaps they chatted at some point.
I also found information on the electoral roll about Celise here, which sounds about right and seems to fit :
Both addresses she was registered to on the electoral roll were in a similar area, with Uxbridge postcodes. Now that sounds about right too, as the news reports of her train suicide also say she is from Uxbridge.
Here's something I tried to find out about the area where Celise used to live, according to her electoral roll records. It says that she lived at 50 Hillary Road, Southall, UB2 4PX. That area was part of one huge housing estate called Havelock Estate, plagued with drugs, homelessness and crime (and poverty).
Then I found this from the local council of the estate which says that the estate is scheduled for regeneration starting from 2013, and thus will be demolished. Many residents in the estate will be told to move out in phases. Where Celise used to live, according to electoral roll records, was 50 Hillary Road. Says there on the local council link that residents living in house numbers 18 – 64 (even numbers) on Hillary Road will have to move out by January 2015. That's Celise's house in there then, meaning she'd have moved out by Jan 2015. This matches up with electoral records showing she was a registered voter at 15 Brentford Close in UB4 for the year of 2014 to 2015.
It also says at the bottom of the council page's Q&A section regarding the demolition and regeneration of Havelock Estate :
"Will there be a ballot of residents before the regeneration goes ahead?
No. The decision to proceed with the regeneration was taken by the council's cabinet in April 2012. It is not a requirement for councils to ballot residents on proposals to demolish and redevelop estates. A ballot is only required if there is a change of landlord for an existing home. "
I don't know about you but I always found it shocking that housing estates can be demolished and residents forced to move at the drop of a hat.
Celise would have been one of those forced by the council to move out, even if she didn't wish to. She could have been upset at having to move from a home in which she had lived for a very long time, and grown attached to. She moved to Hayes, Middlesex, about 3 miles away from her old home. Not too far away. However who knows how much the move had affected her? What if she had made some close friends whilst living in Havelock Estate for so long, and due to the regeneration, she and her friends were thus separated? Perhaps her friends moved far away from her as a result? What effect would that have had on her?
And if she had mental health issues, she would likely have been failed by the services meant to protect her. The mental health services in UK especially fail people from BME (Black and Minority Ethnic) backgrounds. In fact, she could have been even more troubled by a forced move from a home she had grown attached to, if she had mental health issues, which would further destabilise her mental health.
Celise seemed mentally troubled. No one in their right mind would commit suicide the way she did. Her friend Edwin's remarks on her profile page too relate to mental problems or at least problems in life of some kind. Perhaps quite serious ones as it seemed she was a very active poet on there and all of a sudden she wiped out all her poems so they cannot be seen by anyone. From her spelling, I think she may have been dyslexic. It's just my guess of course and I am happy to be corrected. If she really was dyslexic, then she could have found it hard to succeed in academics. This could have limited the career options available to her, especially if she wanted to pursue some sort of literary career – like poetry? And she was an aspiring poet.
What about the Heathrow comment she made before she died? In the news article, a witness said she asked him for directions on how to take a train to Heathrow airport. It sounds like her wish to go to Heathrow airport was related to travel abroad. And she mentioned she wanted to stop some people in Heathrow airport from doing something. Perhaps she wanted to stop them from leaving the country? I don't know. That was the strongest gut feeling I had when I read her last words. It sounded like people she loved or was close to were leaving her and she wanted to stop them from doing so.
What adds to this fact is that Celise was possibly an immigrant herself. I was unable to find a birth record of her in the UK, so chances were she moved to England as a young child.
This is bolstered by the fact that I've found quite a few people online whom I believe are her relatives – many of them black musicians or artists of Caribbean descent – with the surname Mclean. I don't want to name names here because it appears that they wish to remain private. If the leads that I've found so far are correct, then many of her relatives are currently living in London and America (particularly New York), tracing their ancestry from Jamaica.
One male I found in my searches who may be her relative is about the same age as her and was listed as having moved from London to New York in the 80s. Now that made me think that perhaps a branch of her close family had moved abroad in the 80s (when she was still a little girl, as she must have been born in 1979 if she was 36 this year). Perhaps all her life, she always wished that hadn't happened, for some reason or another. She chose to jump in front of the train because she knew getting to Heathrow airport by then was a pointless exercise – perhaps her family had already left a long time ago and nothing could change that fact. Perhaps the thought tortured her so, she chose to die jumping in front of the train, hoping that if she focused on going to stop "them" at Heathrow when the train hit her, she would be able to go back in time or be teleported to the place and time in order to alter destiny! If that is the reason, then my suspicion is she could be schizophrenic or suffer from delusions. Also seems likely as she certainly was a creative individual, as well as her artist/musician family members (if the leads I found were correct). Creative minds mimic "schizophrenia".
Hey but we live in a mysterious universe. And scientists say that that time exists in dimensions. Is time travel/teleporting possible? Very Dr. Who-ish I know, but it is a possibility just not technologically feasible at this stage of human civilisation… Having so very few facts to go on, with quite a bizarre set of circumstances leading up to her death, it is easy to let our imaginations run wild. No wonder this news article was so popular – it was reported in at least several UK and US media outlets.
Alternatively, the actual reason for her actions might be less fanciful than I imagine. Perhaps all that talk she made about Heathrow was just to fool the bystanders around her so they wouldn't predict she was going to jump, and thus no one would try to stop her from doing it.
From what I've gathered, there seemed to be a somewhat dreamy, imaginative quality to Celise when she was alive, so it is not impossible that she might well have planned her suicide in the hopes of it leading to something greater than death… as if she was trying to transcend death itself and move on to another plane of existence. It is very easy to imagine a whole string of possible reasons why she could have wanted to jump in front of the train really.
The sad facts are that Celise's death was the total result of so many very deep and interconnected issues – institutional racism, prejudice and poverty seemed to feature poignantly in her life. When all these factors are present, there is a higher chance of developing mental illness and the illness not being treated correctly because she was black. It is sad to see that someone would ever think of wanting to die the way she did. I tossed and turned in bed and could not stop thinking of this, and I felt this would never be appeased until I write about it in my blog. Despite never having met or known Celise nor her family – I did live in London many years ago for a short period and I do wonder if we've ever bumped into each other, even once. I am now writing this as a sort of tribute to this lady whose story had affected me.
Celise was a strong black woman. A kind mother who tried very hard to do right by her kids. I refuse to judge her based on the way she chose to kill herself. Neither will I judge her decision to commit suicide, or to leave her son behind. I will never be able to understand what she went through, but I can try. Walk a mile in her shoes before you judge somebody, as the saying goes. Without knowing her state of mind at the time, or her exact worries at the time, it is impossible. And no one can ever know that about a person. No one can ever truly know someone inside out.
As for her daughter Leia, I can't find anything online about her other than what could be her Twitter account @McLeanLeia – very inactive, or at least, there were no posts/photos so she could have posted but deleted everything, or she never used it after setting it up, or perhaps it has been locked down by Twitter following her death. I looked on her friends list in the Twitter account and found out some of them are Londonders so this gave me some reassurance that this Twitter account was indeed her's. Of course, none of this explains why she chose to die with her mum. I think she may have been very close to her mother – perhaps they even had a codependent relationship – and she couldn't envision life without her mum. So perhaps one day her mum expressed a wish to die, and she decided to die with her mum as well? Who knows? Did Leia have any special needs or mental health issues which made her vulnerable to being persuaded to do something easily? Who knows?
I feel sorry for her son, Devon, whom she left behind, but I hope he will find solace in the fact that she did love him and wanted him to do well. That she would not have killed herself if she could see a better way out of her situation at the time.
Devon, she wanted you to be strong and wise, and to do the right thing. Forgive her if it might seem as if she had made the worst decision. Whatever it was, she was clearly not able to see hope in staying alive in this world. She did what she did because it was the best way she knew how. She is now at peace and forever able to be at your side. No longer hindered by material hindrances, her eternal consciousness will watch over you lovingly from above, as long as you live on this Earth. Remember her hopes and dreams for you. She believes you can make them come true.
Rest in peace Celise and Leia.


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CHINDEX INTERNATIONAL SHAREHOLDER ALERT: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP is Investigating the Chindex International (CHDX) Board of Directors for Potential Breaches of Fiduciary Duties
Juan E. Monteverde, a partner at Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP, a leading national securities firm headquartered in New York City, is examining claims against the Board of Directors of Chindex International, Inc. ("Chindex" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: CHDX) for potential breaches of fiduciary duties in connection with the superior bid for the Company by an unidentified bidder.
The investigation focuses on whether Chindex's Board of Directors breached their fiduciary duties to the Company's stockholders by failing to conduct a fair sales process prior to agreeing to enter into the proposed transaction with a consortium of buyers including Ms. Roberta Lipson, the CEO of the Company, and whether and by how much this proposed transaction undervalues the Company to the detriment of Chindex's shareholders.
If you own common stock in Chindex and wish to obtain additional information and protect your investments free of charge, please contact Juan E. Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com or by telephone at (877) 247-4292 or (212) 983-9330.
Please tell us about yourself by completing the form below and we will provide you with additional
information at no cost to you on how to join the Class Action.
* The submission of this form does not create an attorney-client relationship.
MergerInfo Request
Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP
685 Third Avenue 26th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Tel: (212) 983-9330
If you have information regarding this case that you would like to make available, please click here to contact us about our investigation.


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WRIGHT, Wyo. (AP) — The progress of an $800 million power plant that's been in the works for 17 years has some people in Wyoming skeptical that it ever will be built.
The Two Elk Energy Park in Wyoming's Powder River Basin was originally supposed to start generating electricity in 1999.
The 300-megawatt plant would burn a mix of low-grade coal and timber killed by beetles. But all that's been built is a storage building and partial foundation.
Two Elk's developer, North American Power Group, is seeking a partner for the project. A state panel is meeting Monday on whether to approve the project's seventh permit extension.
A company official says the power market and economy can make it difficult to build a power plant. Others say Wyoming should pull the plug.


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Credit Suisse has assigned thematic specialist Angus Muirhead to support Citywire + rated Patrick Kolb on the firm's dedicated robotics fund, Citywire Selector has learned.
Muirhead, who joined Credit Suisse from Ethenea in September of last year, was formerly a thematic investment specialist at the Swiss firm's rival UBS Asset Management.
He was assigned to work alongside Kolb on April 28, according to company documents and the fund factsheet.
Kolb was handed the CS (Lux) Robotics Equity fund in June 2016 and has accrued $226 million (€207 million) in assets since its launch.
During his tenure with UBS, Muirhead had been responsible for a global technology fund and moved to work as an analyst covering technology, IT and healthcare when he joined Ethenea Independent Investors.
His assignation to the robotics-focused fund comes during a boom period for these strategies, which saw Pictet's dedicated vehicle soft-closed after rocketing to €3 billion in assets just 18 months after being launched.
The CS (Lux) Robotics Equity fund returned 27% in US dollar terms over the 11 months from launch to the end of April 2017. This compares to a 31.2% rise by its technical indicator, the FTSE AW/Technology TR.


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Pink Footed Geese (Anser brachyrhynchus)
C023/5035 Rights Managed
530 pixels on longest edge, unwatermarked
Request/Download high-res file
Uncompressed file size: 63.3MB
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Credit: ASHLEY COOPER/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Release details: Model release not required. Property release not required.
Keywords: aerodynamic, animal, anser brachyrhynchus, biological, biology, bird, efficiency, efficient, fauna, flight, flock, flocking, fly, flying, fylde, gaggle, geese, goose, grass, lancashire, martin mere, migration, ornithological, ornithology, pink footed geese, pink footed goose, skein, slip stream, uk, united kingdom, v formation, winter, zoological, zoology
Licence fees: A licence fee will be charged for any media (low or high resolution) used in your project.


text: I am using multiple catchall domains and I can only get some many accounts made (about 40ish) per domain with using proxies. I am starting to wonder if they have a new system in place with different domains other then the big free email providers they see to block so many accounts after a certain amount being made. Who knows.....Time to register some more domains.. Any tips?? Make accounts slower?


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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17016481656023398852018-09-22T12:08:57.813-04:00Helen's Asian Kitchen by Helen ChenWelcome to my blog. I'll be using this site to share with you new tools for the kitchen, menu ideas, recipes and cultural information from China and beyond . . . I hope you'll find my blog to be informative, interesting and useful. Welcome and welcome back! - Helen ChenHelen email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-47340143532127788092013-05-13T15:41:00.001-04:002013-05-15T15:20:58.327-04:00Champagne MangoesThe Champagne Mango

I absolutely LOVE mangoes and in the last few years I have been enjoying the small, yellow Champagne Mangoes also known as the Ataulfo mango from Mexico. These have a soft, sweet and very juicy taste that's rich with that wonderful ripe mango fragrance. They are far less fibrous than the larger Tommy Atkins variety. Mangoes are rich in vitamins A, B, C and fiber.

I think I got my love for mangoes from my father. We used to buy them by the case and keep them in the basement to ripen. So far, I've purchased 2 cases of Champagne Mangoes this season and they do ripen beautifully in our dark, cool basement. My husband doesn't care for mangoes, so I have them all to myself :-) The only problem is that they all ripen at once so when they are ready -- it's feast time!

The Champagne mango season is May to early August. I still have a few more months of delicious eating to go!

A neat way to serve mangoes is to cut the flesh off either side of the pit with a sharp knife. The pit is flat at the widest part of the fruit. Holding a piece that was sliced off, make evenly spaced diagonal cuts in a diamond design through the flesh, but not into the skin. Do the same on both pieces.

Holding a mango piece in your hands, push the center up so that the skin flips up and the mango pieces separate and stand up -- looking like a porcupine's back. Serve as is, scooping out the cubes with a spoon or slice off the cubes with a knife and serve them in a dessert dish.

Don't waste any of the delicious flesh remaining around the pit. Peel off what's left of the skin around the mango pit and enjoy. I consider it the cook's reward!

Helen firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-62464516675690289792013-04-01T21:10:00.000-04:002013-04-01T21:13:43.556-04:00
Step into spring with Stir-Fried Asparagus

I'm so ready for spring - not only for its warmer temperatures and longer days, but also for fresh produce that will start appearing in local farmer's markets. What better harbinger of spring than asparagus?

To help celebrate the arrival of spring, try my quick and easy Stir-Fried Asparagus recipe.

1 pound asparagus
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup canned chicken broth
1 1/4 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

1. Snap the tough ends from the asparagus. Cut on the diagonal into 1 1/2-inch lengths.
2. Heat oil in a wok or stir-fry pan over high heat until hot. Add the salt and garlic and stir a few times. Add asparagus and stir for about a minute. Pour in broth and cook, covered over medium-high for about 2 minutes or until asparagus are tender-crisp.
3. Stir up cornstarch slurry and pour into the pan, stirring until the liquid thickens. Remove from heat, correct seasoning and serve hot.

In New England, there are a number of asparagus farms, but in Hadley, a town in Western Massachusetts, they pride themselves as "The Asparagus Capital of the World." Here in Massachusetts we are used to hyperbole. After all, Bostonians know Boston as "The Hub of the Universe!"

Flavor Tip: For those who like a little gingery flavor, add in a couple of slices of fresh ginger with the garlic.

Asian Cutting Technique: Cut the asparagus spears on the diagonal for a more attractive dish:

Text, recipe and photograph copyright 2013 by Helen Chen. All rights reserved.

Helen firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-4556374078729845572012-02-02T15:46:00.002-05:002012-02-02T15:49:23.245-05:00The Chinese Lantern FestivalThe Lantern Festival, called Yuan Xiao Jie in Chinese, is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month. This year, in 2012, it will be on February 7th. The fifteenth day is the first full moon of the new year and marks the end of the Chinese New Year celebrations. The word Yuan means the first month, xiao is the ancient word for "night," and Jie means "day." Along with decorating the house with lanterns, the Chinese also enjoy the traditional food ( of course) of this festival - small glutinous rice balls filled with sweetened peanut paste, ground black sesame seeds or red bean paste. These delicious rice balls, about the size of small ping pong balls, are called Yuan Xiao.

Few Chinese makes these at home anymore due to busy schedules and because you can easily purchase excellent frozen Yuan Xiao in most any Asian market.

Frozen Glutinous Rice Balls (Yuan Xiao)

Frozen rice balls before cooking

I like the ones filled with ground peanuts or black sesame seeds. They are very easy to prepare, but do keep them frozen until you are ready to cook or they will stick together.

When done the rice balls will float to the surface.

Simply drop frozen rice balls into a pot of boiling water and gently stir to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When the water returns to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a nice, steady boil that's not too vigorous. Stir occasionally to keep them from sticking. When they float, they are ready.

 I like to let them boil for an extra 30 seconds to one minute after they pop up to the surface. Serve them with a little of the hot water in a bowl. They will be hot, so don't put a whole rice ball into your mouth at once. Pick one up with a spoon and take a small bite. The filling will begin to ooze out and cool a little, whereupon you can nibble some more or take a larger bite.

Yuan Xiao with sweet peanut paste filling.

Complete your enjoyment of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations by serving these deliciously addictive sweets on February 7th, the Lantern Festival Day. The sticky glutinous rice balls symbolize the sticking together of friends and family and the sweet fillings represent a sweet year ahead.

Happy Lantern Festival!Helen firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-75341680183327308482012-01-22T11:53:00.001-05:002012-01-23T11:43:25.491-05:00Chinese New Year Lucky Candy BoxIt's Chinese New Year's eve tonight and at midnight we will usher in the Year of the Dragon. Besides the usual feasts, lucky couplets and signs I have put together a traditional candy box. Each little tray in the box contains candy and sweetmeats -- symbolic of luck, prosperity, good health and progeny. My box doesn't represent all the various sweets, candied fruit, nuts and seeds we have available, but it does contain some of my favorites.

First, the box itself. One box is orange colored lacquer ware and has the Chinese character "FU" on it. It means "good fortune" and "happiness." The candy box is always round to signify togetherness - no sharp corners or edges. When open, it reveals seven little shallow porcelain trays. The filled candy box is brought out when guests arrive and is enjoyed with freshly brewed tea.

The pictures show two of my lacquer candy boxes. The dark one with the phoenix design is my favorite -- delicate and understated. It belonged to my mother. You can see that the box appears rather deep, but in actuality the trays are flat and it's mostly empty space underneath.

Candy Box with Chinese character "FU"

My mother's lacquer candy box

Candy Box with Shallow Porcelain dishes

What's in my candy box?

Candy Box filled with symbolic foods for the New Year

Starting a the far left at 7:00 are candied kumquats symbolizing wealth and prosperity; wrapped in colorful cellophane are walnut and date candies symbolizing a sweet year; the candied lotus roots for purity and if I had room, I would have put out candied lotus seeds which symbolize many children, i.e. fertility; then there's candied coconut ribbons, the coconut symbolizes togetherness; there's the candied melon representing growth and good health; then hard coconut candy and finally, in the center, peanuts that I oven roasted with 5-spice powder, they represent longevity. I don't have the requisite watermelon or squash seeds, both symbolizing fertility -- just not enough room.

I wish I could share my lucky candy box with you, but alas it can be done only virtually.... At least I can share my Five-Spice Roasted Peanuts recipe with you. They are really easy to make and are delicious -- anytime. If you are on a sodium restricted diet, you may omit the salt or reduce it to taste.

Five Spice Long Life Peanuts

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon Five Spice Powder
1 pound raw, blanched peanuts

Dissolve salt and five spice powder in 1/4 cup hot water. Put peanuts in an ungreased rimmed baking sheet. Pour the salt mixture over the peanuts and mix until the nuts are evenly coated. Spread out in a single layer and let sit for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 325 F.
Roast the nuts for 30 to 35 minutes until they are lightly golden brown. Stir occasionally for even roasting. When done, remove nuts from the oven and let them cool completely before serving or storing. When cool, the peanuts will be crisp.

Copyright 2012 by Helen Chen. All rights reserved.

So, for all of you, Xin Nian Kwai Le (Happy New Year) and Wan Shi Ru Yi (May all your wishes come true).

HelenHelen firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-1318503723636337302012-01-20T20:27:00.001-05:002012-01-20T20:34:31.404-05:00I Love PersimmonsThe persimmon is native to China and Japan and very popular to Asians in the fall and winter when they are in season and plentiful. There are two varieties available ... and they are both delicious. My father favored the Hachiya persimmon. It's shaped like an acorn and should only be eaten when soft to the touch and fully ripe. When ripe it's not only sweet, but juicy, so we would place it stem side down on a plate and eat it with a spoon. We had these grapefruit spoons that were serrated at the ends. This allowed us to scoop up the soft, juicy pulp and avoid the juice from running down our arms. The Hachiya persimmon should never be eaten when hard. It will be very astringent and unpleasant.

It was on a November visit to Japan many years ago that I tasted my first Fuyu persimmon. This persimmon is rounded, like a tomato, and may be eaten when firm or soft. The first time I tasted a Fuyu persimmon I fell in love with the delicious sweet flavor and crunchy texture, much like an apple. It made for neater eating and serving.

I always peel my persimmon. Some people eat it with the skin, but I find it slightly astringent and prefer to concentrate on the fruit itself. In Japan, the firm Fuyu persimmon is peeled, cut into quarters and served on a small plate with toothpicks. It's a great way to end a meal -- something sweet and fresh and not too filling.

Lately I've been buying Fuyu persimmons by the box at a local Asian market. I store them in our cool basement to slowly ripen since I've come to enjoy them when they are slightly soft. My husband doesn't care for persimmons, so I have the whole box to myself. Goodie!

With Chinese New Year approaching on January 23 persimmons take on a more symbolic importance. When persimmons are depicted with tangerines this grouping symbolizes the wish for good fortune in all undertakings.

Happy and Prosperous New Year to you all!

 Fuyu persimmon on left and Hachiya persimmon on right

Fuyu persimmon peeled and quartered for serving.Helen firstname.lastname@example.com, MA, USA42.3584308 -71.059773242.2729373 -71.193729199999993 42.4439243 -70.9258172tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-58267800055941299162011-06-16T09:32:00.000-04:002011-06-16T09:32:30.555-04:00Radishes my Mother's WayI so enjoy spring, not only for the fact that the weather warms up and the days are getting longer, but seasonal vegetables such as radishes and asparagus are readily available...and, in season, they are wonderful.

Farm fresh radishes ready to be cleaned

The best and freshest radishes are those with the greens still attached. It's best to remove the greens before storage because they will draw out moisture from the roots and eventually dry out the radish.

Fresh, crisp red radishes were one of my mother's favorite vegetables and here are a couple of ways she taught me to enjoy them.

 For a quick, healthy snack, just spread a little peanut butter on the radish. The peanut butter cuts down on any sharpness and it provides protein so a low calorie snack like this will last and help reduce the craving for additional snacks. A great treat if you're trying to lose weight.

The other is a simple radish salad my mother used to pull together in seconds. It's delicious, very quick and easy and you probably have all the ingredients in your kitchen right now. My mother would serve it as one of the side dishes to our Chinese meals. I hope you'll enjoy it.

SWEET AND SOUR RADISH SALAD - serves 4 as a side dish

2 bunches of fresh radishes ( about 20 radishes) - both ends trimmed and washed well
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

Crush each radish with the broad side of a knife. A Chinese knife is best for this job. Cut larger ones in half before crushing. Just crush enough to crack the radish so it will absorb the dressing better.

Place the radish in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 15 minuites and drain. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Mix the sugar and vinegar together in a small bowl and pour it over the radishes. Drizzle with the sesame oil, toss and serve.

Sweet and Sour Radish Salad

Helen firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-70127988688473045092011-05-26T11:13:00.001-04:002011-05-26T11:15:16.833-04:00Gado GadoAs promised, here's my Gado Gado recipe. I hope you'll enjoy it.

 GADO GADO

This classic salad of blanched vegetables dressed with a spicy peanut sauce is considered one of the national dishes of Indonesia. Cucumber, bean sprouts, cabbage and green beans are traditional, but the variety of vegetables may differ. Try using boiled and sliced potatoes, blanched broccoli florets, blanched spinach, or sliced jicama. This salad should be served at room temperature with the vegetables tender-crisp. I like to serve Gado Gado with a basket of crisp, deep fried krupuk (Indonesian shrimp crackers).

Serves 4 or 6 as part of a multicourse meal

1 medium cucumber, cut in half lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
4 cups bean sprouts, parboiled for 20 seconds, rinsed in cold water and drained well
3 cups shredded green cabbage, parboiled for 1 minute, rinsed in cold water and drained well
 1/2 pound green beans, ends snapped and broken into 2" long pieces. Parboiled for 5 minutes, rinsed in cold water and drained well
1 medium carrot, julienned, parboiled for 1 minute, rinsed in cold water and drained well
2 hard boiled eggs, shelled and cut into wedges
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fried shallots

Peanut Sauce for Gado Gado
Yield: about 2 cups

This sauce, known as Sambal Kacang (pronounced Ka-chang), is equally delicious as a lukewarm dip for a crudite platter or sauce for chicken and beef satays.

3/4 cup peanut butter, smooth or chunky
1/4 cup lime juice
2 - 3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce ( Ketjap Manis) or regular soy sauce. If using regular soy sauce use the larger amount of sugar.
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce, or more to taste
1 cup coconut milk

Combine all the ingredients together in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Stir constantly with a spoon or wire whisk. When smooth, add 1/4 cup water and continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil Turn down heat and allow to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking and burning. Remove pan from heat. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve lukewarm. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

Assembling the Gado Gado:

Ring a large platter with the cucumber slices, then spread the bean sprouts, cabbage and green beans in layers in the center. Pour 1 cup of warm peanut sauce over the vegetables and arrange carrots and egg wedges on top, then garnish with the fried shallots. Place any extra peanut sauce in a small bowl on the table so people may add extra sauce as desired. Serve with deep fried krupuk crackers, if desired.

Gado Gado for 2 in a Delft, Netherlands Indonesian restaurant

Helen email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-78400993992929450532011-05-26T10:36:00.003-04:002011-05-26T10:40:11.076-04:00KRUPUKThe brand of krupuk I buy is Komodo brand from Indonesia. As far as I know, it is available in two sizes -- a small chip that puffs to about 2" in diameter and a larger size that reaches about 6" when fried. Krupuk Udang refers to the shrimp or prawn flavor of these chips. Krupuk come in other flavors too including vegetable. You can get them at Amazon and other Asian online or brick and Mortar markets.

Another brand from China is Pigeon Brand and is called Prawn Crackers or Shrimp Chips. I used to use the Chinese ones, but after I discovered the Indonesian brand I switched because the ones from Indonesia have far more flavor and better texture.

The Krupuk come dry and have to be deep fried for the best results. Krupuk Udang is made from ground shrimp, starch and salt. Some people microwave the chips to avoid deep frying, but I've found this method to be far from acceptable. The chips end up tough and rubbery and the edges are often uncooked. The best way is to fry them. Here's how -

Pour cooking oil in a wok or stir-fry pan to at least 1-inch deep. I use canola oil. Heat the oil to about 350 F or until a dry krupuk slipped into the oil sizzles and puffs up.

Fry only 2 or 3 at a time, if using the large variety, as they will expand to almost four times size. Stir the krupuk as they begin to sizzle at the bottom of the pan. In a few seconds, they will puff up and rise to the surface. Stir and push them down a couple of times to ensure even cooking. Don't let them float in the hot oil too long or they will scorch.

When the krupuk no longer puff up, remove them immediately with tongs or a Chinese wire skimmer ( also known as Spider) and put them in a clean brown paper bag to drain. Give the bag a few shakes to help drain all the excess oil. Transfer the fried krupuk to a basket or bowl, They are best eaten right away as they are apt to absorb humidity in the air and soften. If its humid, or you plan to eat them later, drain and cool the krupuk completely and place in a tightly sealed plastic bag. The krupuk are best eaten the same day they were fried.

Pigeon Brand from China

Komodo brand from Indonesia. These are the large chips.

Krupuk fried and ready to eat

Helen email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-14878650302190695912011-05-25T21:22:00.000-04:002011-05-25T21:22:41.210-04:00De Rijsttafel in HollandMy husband, Keith, and I returned recently from a vacation in the Benelux countries -- that's Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. We had a wonderful time and the weather, notorious in the Netherlands for being wet, was beautiful and sunny every day. Not good for plants or farmers, but great for tourists.

Our dear and longtime family friends are Dutch and told me that I had to have the Indonesian meal called rijsttafel, or "rice table." I was familiar with this Dutch inspired Indonesian meal that features many small dishes. At the center of this multi-dish feast is freshly steamed rice and deep fried shrimp flavored chips called krupuk. I had rijsttafel before in the Boston area and, of course, at our Dutch friend's home. Interestingly enough, there are very few, if any, Indonesian restaurants in Greater Boston an area that encompasses over 4,000 square miles and about 4.4 million people. We are becoming quite a foodie destination here in Boston, but there's barely an Indonesian restaurant and no rijsttafel.

The first rijsttafel dinner we enjoyed was in Amsterdam with my 7th grade French teacher who flew in from Lausanne, Switzerland to meet us and her friend, a native of Amsterdam. As we were planning our meeting via email I asked if we could have rijsttafel together. I'm so glad I did because we ended up at a marvelous little restaurant - 3 generations old, and in a part of Amsterdam we would never have found ourselves. The meal was absolutely wonderful! 14 various dishes encompassing meats, seafood, vegetables, pickles, chutneys, rice and krupuk ( one of my favorite). I took some photos, but what's missing is that incredible spicy aroma and rich flavor that permeated every dish. I loved the different textures, temperatures, spiciness and tastes. Yum!

If you ever find yourself in Amsterdam and want to experience rijsttafel here's the restaurant. I highly recommend it, but be sure to make reservations. The place was packed when we were there.

Tempo Doeloe
Utrechsestraat 75, 1017 VJ Amsterdam
Tel: 020-625 67 18

We enjoyed the meal so much that while we were in Delft ( to be in the hometown of the painter Johannes Vermeer), we had another rijsttafel dinner. This time it was just the two of us, but the meal was as delicious as the one we had in Amsterdam. Our delightful waitress was from Canada and she was studying and working her way to a graduate degree and hoped to remain in Holland afterwards to work.

One popular dish that appeared in both rijsttafel dinners was Gado Gado. It's really easy to make and perfect warm weather food. You must also try and find krupuk because once you taste it you can't just eat one chip. They are addictive! A must at a rijsttafel, but they al make excellent hors d'oeuvres.

I'll give you a recipe for Gado Gado and tell you how to fry krupuk tomorrow! Until then, you'll just have to dream about the food.....

(Clockwise starting at left) Noodles, pork, sauteed greens, marinated beef, salad.

Medley of Dishes and Sides at a Rijsstafel

4 sides, including Indonesian fried rice, krupuk and Dutch beer.

Table with 14 different dishes!

Gado Gado - Blanched vegetables with a peanut butter sauce

Curried Eggs and Toasted Coconut Shreds with Peanuts

Rice, Lemon Grass Chicken and Pickled Vegetables

Beef with Star Anise

Sauteed Green Beans

Krupuk

Me...starting to chow down on satay!

Helen email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-73277898612994858622011-05-23T10:42:00.000-04:002011-05-23T10:42:22.148-04:00I Remember MamaWhenever lily of the valley come into bloom I think of my mother. These delicate and beautifully fragrant flowers were one of my mother's favorite. They are easy to grow and spread so fast they can become a nuisance, however when we were growing up in Cambridge, Massachusetts, we couldn't get them to grow at all. They would get started and then die off. It was always a precious and rare commodity to get lily of the valley to give to mother for Mother's Day.

This year, the lily of the valley in my yard bloomed late, but very profusely. I have them growing in various corners of our 2 acre yard. So much so that my husband has warned that they are crowding out other plants. For me, I can never have enough.

So in honor and remembrance of my dear mother, I have a big bouquet of lily of the valley at my kitchen counter. The perfume of those flowers are heady indeed and each time a whiff of that fragrance meets my nose, I remember mama.Helen firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-52107892579868450622011-04-14T15:34:00.023-04:002011-04-14T17:05:53.263-04:00The DIM SUM Pocket Guide

Speaking of Dim Sum, I have this neat little pocket guide (Dim Sum Pocket Guide by Kit Shan Li, Chronicle Books, 2004)that is small enough to stick in a purse or pocket and can guide you through about 46 common Cantonese dim sum. They are categorized by how they are cooked - steamed, deep-fried, pan-fried, congee and desserts. There's a clear photograph of each type of dim sum accompanied with Chinese characters, Cantonese pronunciation, English name and short description of the dim sum. The author also starts the book with short chapters on how to order dim sum, use chopsticks, the different teas, and a glossary of some unusual ingredients you'll encounter.

Many Cantonese dim sum restaurants still have the push carts where the server will bring the various dim sum right to your table and you can peek under the bamboo steamer lids and see what you might like to order. Some restaurants have abandoned the carts and list the dim sum on a menu instead. I prefer the push carts because you get to see everything before you order. Either way, you'll find this little handbook very helpful.

Some of my favorite dim sum are the chicken feet, euphemistically called Phoenix Claws in the Chinese; steamed spare rib nuggets; shrimp dumplings wrapped in rice flour skins ( ha gao); barbecued pork buns called cha siu bao; sweet sesame balls - glutinous rice flour balls filled with lotus seed or red bean paste and rolled in sesame seeds before being deep-fried; and tofu pudding (dao fu fa), a very soft, silky tofu served warm with a sweet ginger syrup. YUM!

Cantonese dim sum, sometimes also called "yum cha", is very famous and enjoyed by all Chinese. The busiest time is on the weekends when whole families along with friends gather together to savor the large variety of textures, tastes and flavors. It's always so exciting and fun to be in what the Chinese call a "hot and noisy" environment enjoying food.

So, gather your family and friends together and look for a dim sum restaurant near you. Armed with this little guide book, you'll find yourself to be an old Chinese hand!

Helen firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-48118612708094995312011-04-11T15:03:00.037-04:002011-04-14T17:44:29.960-04:00XIAO LONG BAO - Shanghai Soup Buns

Helen at Dumpling Cafe in downtown Boston

Dumpling Cafe's Xiao Long Bao

Last week I had a great lunch of steamed "Xiao Long Bao," sometimes called soup buns or dumplings because each steamed bun is filled with ground pork and a wonderful tasty soup. The buns are traditionally a yeast dough skin wrapped around a filling of ground pork or a ground pork and crabmeat mixture and steamed. The question is, "How do they get the soup into the buns?" Well, the answer is the filling is mixed with small diced aspic. So, when the buns are steamed, the aspic melts and creates this incredible soup. It's very clever.

I've noticed that restaurants call these steamed buns by different things - Steamed Minced Pork Buns, Yangchow Steamed Buns, Small Steamed Buns, Shanghai Buns... To be sure you're getting the right thing it might be better to ask for them using the Chinese. "Xiao", means "small" and is pronounced "show", as in shower. "Long" refers to the bamboo steamer and is pronounced "long" as in room, "Bao" means bun and sounds like "ow" in about.

Eating Xiao Long Bao the proper way

Now, there's also a particular way to eat these bao so that the soup doesn't squirt all over you and your neighbor or spill on to the table. First, with chopsticks, gently pick up the bao by the top where the dough is thickest. Try not to poke a hole in the dough or the soup will leak out. Dip the bao in the soy ginger dipping sauce always provided with xiao long bao. Then, with a Chinese soup spoon in your other hand and support and cradle the bao. The bao skin is very delicate and jiggly because of the soup inside, so the spoon really helps stabilize things. Take a tiny bite of the bao along the side and immediately suck in the soup. Be careful, because the soup may be hot. After you enjoy the soup, eat the rest of the bao in one or two bites. It may take a little practice at first, but you'll get the hang of it.

The xiao long bao I had on Friday was at a new restaurant in Boston called Dumpling Cafe ( 695 Washington Street, Boston. Tel: 617-338-8858) It's open everyday from 11:00 am until 2:00 am. Great for late night snacking. There I am standing in front of the restaurant.

It's obviously very popular with the lunch crowd because by noon the place was packed with a waiting line. On a scale of 1 - 10 ( 10 being perfection), I would give it an 8. The bao were a little larger than the Shanghai style and I think the menu referred to them as Taiwan style. See how they fill the bamboo steamer and overlap over the sides of the spoon? These were the tastiest and soupiest bao I've ever had in Boston. You get 6 large bao per bamboo steamer for $5.95 and if they're filled with pork and crab, the price for 6 is $6.50. By the way, this restaurant calls xiao long bao "Mini Steamed Buns." See what I mean about the nomenclature?

For fabulous Shanghai style xiao long bao there is a fantastic chain of Shanghai dim sum restaurants called Din Tai Fung,with shops in Asia, Canada and the West Coast of the USA. Unfortunately they haven't come to the East Coast yet. Go to their web site ( www.dintaifungusa.com) and you'll see a nice close up picture of their specialty - Shanghai xiao long bao. The xiao long bao at Ding Tai Fung are more like the ones I enjoyed in China when I first went with my mother and brother in 1972. So far I've been to about 4 different Ding Tai Fung restaurants ( Tokyo, Taipei, Shanghai and Toronto) and they all have wide open kitchens ( behind huge panes of glass) where the xiao long bao are continually being handmade. Behind the chefs are towers of bamboo steamers waiting to be filled and steamed. The xiao long bao at each location were all delicious!

Do I have a recipe for xiao long bao? Sorry to disappoint, but no, because I don't make them at home. In fact, I don't know anyone who makes them at home. My mother never did. It's a specialty that's complicated and time-consuming to make. We all go out to have them. I do have other dim sum recipes that are relatively easy to make -- but that will have to be another time.

So, check out the Dumpling Cafe when you're in Boston and investigate Ding Tai Fung if you're lucky enough to have one near you. Both are well worth the effort to find.Helen email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-885996233278907622011-04-05T15:55:00.009-04:002011-04-05T16:34:40.683-04:00Seasoned Seaweed as a Low Calorie Snack
Just like everyone else, I sometimes need that "taste" for something to ease a food craving. And just as everyone else, I'm also conscious about avoiding unneeded extra calories or foods with unhealthy profiles - i.e. saturated fats, cholesterol, simple carbohydrates, etc.

There are times I want something sweet, so I might enjoy a small piece of rich, dark chocolate. One piece only, please. But there are other times when I want something savory and I discovered that a small pack of seasoned seaweed (nori), like the seaweed used in sushi, but flavored, can really hit the spot for a total of 5 measly calories and "0" calories from fat!

These small seaweed sheets ( About 4" x 5") are seasoned with, among other flavorings, sugar, soy and bonito extract. They are then toasted until crisp. I buy mine from a local Korean market and it comes in a bag of 8 sealed packets each containing 8 sheets of seasoned seaweed. The brand is "Nico-Nico Nori" from China, but there are many different brands available. I open one packet and enjoy one sheet at a time, slowly savoring the slightly sweet/salty taste and the crunchy texture. It has saved me many a times from grabbing something that I would have regretted eating later on.

For something a bit more substantial you can take a seasoned seaweed sheet and wrap it around a small ball of cooked rice.

Hmmm. I might just have some right now :)Helen email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-67842163530419969922011-03-28T20:29:00.006-04:002011-03-28T20:43:59.107-04:00The Honey Tangerine
In the last month, if you've been shopping for oranges and tangerines, you may have noticed the Honey Tangerine or Murcott. This was one of my mother's favorite because of it's rich flavor and juiciness. The skin tends to be tight, so I use a paring knife to help start the peeling process. My mother liked to air dry the fragrant peels and use them in cooking. You'll see that the peels have very little white pith. The only downside to the Honey Tangerine is that they have lots of seeds and a fairly heavy membrane, but their sweetness and juiciness are incomparable.

The Honey Tangerine season is starting to wind down, but you can still find them in the marketplace. I look for ones with tight, smooth and shiny skins because they tend to be the juiciest. I also dry some of the skins like my mother used to do. Makes me think of her.

So, if you haven't discovered this delicious tangerine variety start looking for them now. You'll be glad you did!Helen firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-63420081201707386142010-02-13T11:43:00.004-05:002010-02-13T17:22:43.685-05:00Happy New Year!Gong Xi Fa Cai! (Wishing you prosperity!) Chinese New Year starts on Sunday, February 14, 2010, and ushers in the Year of the Tiger. In China, tigers symbolize power, strength, and passion. People born in the year of the tiger are great to have around -- you just have to be energetic and ready to keep up with them. They tend to be dynamic, impetuous, intense, and adventurous. The tiger personality is outspoken and can be impatient and often quick-tempered. Balancing this volatility, the tiger person is affectionate, sincere, generous and warm. In matters of the heart, the Tiger person is a romantic -- passionate and sentimental, but with a tendency toward over possessiveness and jealousy.

Tiger years are explosive years with vast swings of extremes. Fortunes will be made and fortunes will be lost. It's a big, bold year that promises many surprises.

To emphasize and hope for positive surprises in the new year, all Chinese and Asians who recognize the Lunar New Year, will prepare and enjoy symbolic foods to ward off the bad and welcome in good fortune.

Have you ever noticed Chinese calligraphy posters hanging upside down in stores and on doors? It's always one single Chinese character -- usually gold on a red background ( auspicious colors). In the photograph I'm holding the word for Good Fortune ( fu) and I'm holding it upside down. The reason is that the Chinese word for "upside down" is a homonym for the word "has arrived." Therefore the symbolism here is that "Good Fortune has arrived." When I was at my cousin's home in Beijing they have the good luck character pasted upside down on their door. Look for it when you are in Chinatown or a Chinese market.

I also have dishes with apples and oranges. These two fruits symbolize prosperity and peace. The Chinese word for apple is ping guo. Ping is a homonym for the word, "Peace." And oranges, in ancient times, was given out by the emperor to his officials for good luck. The Chinese word for orange, ju, sounds like the word ji, "luck" or "good fortune."

There's also a large ceramic peanut on the counter. It's an unusual piece to Western eyes. The peanut symbolizes long life so having peanuts and serving peanuts during the New Year is symbolic of Longevity.

So, my photo is more than just a picture. It carries with it hidden meanings to wish you all peace, luck, longevity and good fortune.

XIN NIAN KUAI LE! (Happy New Year!)Helen firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-36347232029783786822009-05-07T16:27:00.000-04:002009-05-07T16:27:47.952-04:00Hangzhou, my father's hometownToday, I received an email from my cousin who lives in Hangzhou, China with photographs of West Lake in spring with cherry trees and flowers in bloom. Surely a sight for sore eyes for those of us who endured a harsh winter. It brought back memories of my late father, his love for his hometown, and the natural beauty that surrounds the area. Chinese children, when asked from which town or city they come, always answer with the home city of their father, no matter where they were actually born. So, although I was born in Shanghai, I should really answer, "Hangzhou." The American sister city to Hangzhou is Boston -- where I now live. Maybe meant to be?

Hangzhou is an ancient city that is the capital of Zhejiang province and lies about 112 miles southwest of Shanghai. The main attraction of Hangzhou is West Lake ( Xi Hu in pinyin). The lake was originally a shallow bay, formed into a wide lake through years of dredging and damming . Every ancient civilization and culture have legends that try to explain where things came from. The West Lake myth is that a dragon and phoenix in the Milky Way formed a pearl that fell to earth and thus created West Lake.

Besides the cultural relics and scenic beauty of the area, Hangzhou is famous for scissors manufacturing, high quality silk and a variety of green tea, called longjing, or "Dragon Well."

And, of course, how can we refer to any city in China without talking about its culinary specialties? There are many delicacies for which Hangzhou is renowned, but some of the most popular are West Lake Fish ( poached carp from West Lake served whole with a light sweet and sour sauce); shrimp stir-fried with fresh, tender Dragon Well tea leaves; Dongpo Pork which has a history of almost 1000 years( braised pork belly slow-cooked in wine, soy sauce and rock sugar. It's named after the poet-governor Su Dongpo); stewed duck tongues ( did you know a duck even had a tongue?).

The 100 year-old Lou Wai Lou restaurant located on the edge of West Lake is famous for these and other local specialties. If you go there, be sure to make dinner reservations. It's very popular and always crowded.

Tea houses dot the perimeter of the lake and it costs only a few cents to spend a lazy afternoon sitting by West Lake sipping Dragon Well tea while munching on a dish of seasoned melon seeds, or enjoying a bowl of lotus starch thickened soup, sweetened and garnished with crushed, roasted chestnuts and sweet olive flowers, another specialty of the region. Here I am at a West Lake teahouse with my cousin's wife and my husband relaxing with a dish of lotus root starch soup. Perhaps it doesn't sound all that appealing to everyone (it didn't to my husband), but to me it speaks of family, memories and comfort.Helen email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-37718463507627569392009-03-27T13:14:00.014-04:002009-04-16T10:07:08.474-04:00My Universal Kitchen ScissorsThe vernal equinox or the first day of spring was on Friday, March 20th. Not much fanfare, but I love that day because it holds so much promise. Promise of longer days, warmer weather, blossoming buds, escape from the very cold and snowy winter we just experienced here on the East Coast. I go out every few days to look at the growing buds on our huge maple tree in the front yard as well as the Star Magnolia we planted last spring in memory of our sweet cat who died last April. And with the burgeoning buds, my thoughts turn to gardening and the joy it brings me. Our house sits on nearly two acres of fine farm land. A pitchfork can be dug into the ground without hitting any rocks. Now that's great soil.

Who doesn't need a great pair of scissors? When I think of getting back to gardening I also think of Helen's Asian Kitchen's Universal Kitchen Scissors. It says, "Kitchen," but it goes anywhere and cuts nearly everything. The secret? Incredibly sharp blades made of the finest stainless steel that's used in fine German and Japanese cutlery. AND, the soft, flexible Rabbit-ear handles that move with your hand. No more sore fingers or painful hands. These scissors are unique. I use them in the kitchen to trim fat off of meat, trim artichokes, clean shrimp, snip herbs and so much more. They're dishwasher safe, strong and durable and so comfortable to use.

Outside of the kitchen they are tremendous gardening scissors. Use them for deadheading, light pruning, trimming away unsightly leaves, harvesting flowers, vegetables, fruits and herbs, cutting fine wire, twist ties, string, rope, and so much more! I always keep my garden tool box with me when I'm out in the yard. It holds my trowels, diggers, weeders, gloves and these incredible scissors.

So, whether your in the kitchen cooking, in the garden or working on your hobbies, these scissors are indispensable. When you start using them you'll wonder where they've been all your life. Perfect for anyone with arthritis, carpal tunnel (which I have), weak hands or for any cutting chore - right or left handed - these scissors are for you. Look for them in gourmet shops where Helen's Asian Kitchen line is sold or contact Harold Import Co. for the store nearest you. There isn't a better pair of scissors anywhere!Helen email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-45851320565241324312009-03-23T11:32:00.018-04:002009-04-16T10:12:27.260-04:00Helen's Asian Kitchen: Easy Chinese Stir FriesHelen's Asian Kitchen: Easy Chinese Stir- Fries

April 27, 2009 is an important date for me this spring. It's the publication date of my new cookbook, Helen's Asian Kitchen: Easy Chinese Stir- Fries, published by John Wiley & Sons. The book is just what I wanted – small (128 pages), relatively inexpensive (under $20) and chock full of easy, healthy, home-style recipes.

How times have changed in the book publishing world. When my first book was published in 1994 I was told in no uncertain terms by the publisher that there would not be any color photographs – too expensive. In fact, even line drawings were restricted to a certain number. Now with the cost of color printing being more affordable, very few cook books are published without color photographs.

Easy Chinese Stir-Fries exemplifies the type of cooking I like to do – simple, straightforward home-style dishes that are low in fat and healthy, but still taste delicious – dishes that Chinese home cooks make for their own families.

Stir frying is considered one of the healthiest cooking techniques. Many nutritionists and dietitians recommend stir frying as a way to incorporate healthier eating habits into our lives. It's low in fat, uses heart-healthy oils like canola; fresh vegetables of all kinds and especially dark leafy greens like bok choy and mustard greens – mainstays in the Chinese kitchen; smaller quantities of lean meats that are just part of the dish, not the whole dish; and quick cooking techniques that maintain the color, texture, vitamins and minerals of the ingredients. All these attributes are part of every day stir frying.

We read and hear about healthy ingredients and healthy, low-fat recipes all the time, but few home cooks actually enjoy cooking that way. Maybe it's the recipes, but the attitude seems to be that "healthy" food is boring, tasteless, and uninteresting. So we continue to pay lip service to healthy eating, but resist incorporating it into our daily meals.

Preparing healthy meals isn't difficult. In the beginning it will take a little extra thought, effort and discipline. But once you get the hang of it you'll be surprised at how automatic and enjoyable it can become. What a great feeling it is to know that you are cooking delicious meals using nutritious and healthy ingredients – with hardly any effort! What a gift to both yourself and to the ones you love.

When I look at lists of "healthy" foods I am not surprised to see that so many of them are part of Asian cuisine – vegetables, dark leafy greens, fruits, seafood, nuts and seeds, beans, whole grains, green tea –

Do take a look at my new book and discover for yourself how easy it can be to go from the "dark side" of cooking and eating to the "lighter" side of health and good nutrition – without compromising on or abandoning fabulous taste.

Advance sales of the book are taking place right now at Amazon.com, or visit your local gourmet store and reserve your copy there.

- Helen

Here's a sample recipe from HELEN'S ASIAN KITCHEN: EASY CHINESE STIR FRIES. It's a quick and easy recipe that's low in fat and delicious. If you like the ease and taste of this recipe, you'll love the other 59 recipes in my new book. Enjoy!

Shanghainese Shrimp with Peas
Peas go nicely with shrimp, complementing but not overpowering them, and their bright green color is pretty against the pink of cooked shrimp. This is a perennial favorite at Shanghai restaurants.

Serves 3 to 4

1/4 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or pale dry sherry
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 cup green peas, fresh or frozen and thawed
1 scallion, bulb split and cut into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons canola oil

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ginger, wine, cornstarch, and salt. Add the shrimp and mix well.
2. If using fresh peas, drop them in boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Drain immediately and run under cold water to stop the cooking.
3. In a wok or stir-fry pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until the oil is hot but not smoking. test by dipping a scallion piece into the oil; it should sizzle. Add the scallions and stir a few times. Add the peas and stir for 1 minute. Stir up the shrimp mixture and add it to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the shrimp turns opaque and pink, about 1 minute more. Transfer the shrimp and peas to a platter. Remove and discard the scallions, if desired. Serve immediately.

Recipe reprinted from Helen's Asian Kitchen: Easy Chinese Stir-Fries, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, NJ, 2009.
Recipe and text Copyright 2009 by Helen Chen. All rights reserved.Helen email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-44928039185253724372009-02-10T19:56:00.034-05:002009-04-16T10:14:34.045-04:00The Lantern FestivalFebruary 9th is the Lantern Festival and signals the end of the Chinese Lunar New Year. It falls on the fifteenth day of the first month of the lunar year when the full moon hangs in the night sky like a giant, glowing ornament.

As is true with every Chinese festival there is a special food that accompanies the celebration. On Lantern Festival we eat small glutinous rice balls known as yuan xiao or tang yuan.

The white rice balls hold sweet fillings made from either sweet red bean paste, white or black sesame paste or ground peanuts. The rice balls are boiled in water and served hot in the water in which they were cooked then garnished with, you guessed it, candied osmanthus flowers. The rice ball's round shape and white color resemble the full moon and symbolize togetherness and happiness.

Frozen rice balls are readily available in Chinese markets. Some are imported from Taiwan or China and come in a variety of flavors, mostly sweet. They are very easy to prepare, simply drop them,frozen (no need to thaw), into boiling water and when they float to the surface they are ready! Serve them hot.

My personal favorites are the ones filled with peanut paste and I'm going to have a bowl of them tonight.

Happy Lantern Festival!

Copyright 2009 Helen Chen. All rights reserved.Helen firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-57546406879655215732009-01-21T12:58:00.050-05:002009-01-24T09:42:18.709-05:00WHY CHINESE NEW YEAR IS NOT ON THE FIRST OF JANUARYThe Chinese use the lunar calendar, as opposed to the West's solar calendar, to calculate the dates of all their festivals. Just what day Chinese New Year starts changes each year. In general it commences anytime between the middle of January to the middle of February. It is not a single day event, as the New Year is in the West, but a seasonal festival that is celebrated for up to two weeks.

You can learn to determine Chinese New Year day yourself as long as you have access to a calendar which shows the phases of the moon (this site has one that's easy to follow: http://stardate.org/nightsky/moon/). First, locate the date for the Winter Solstice – usually December 21st or 22nd - and count 2 new moons from that date. The second new moon is the first day of Chinese New Year.

The fifteenth day after Chinese New Year day is Lantern Festival (the first full moon of the New Year) and marks the official end to the Chinese New Year or Spring Festival. Every festival has its special food and the Lantern Festival Day is no exception. On that day it is traditional to enjoy yuan xiao, or glutinous rice balls filled with either sweetened black or white sesame paste, red bean paste or ground peanuts. The white rice balls (a little smaller than a ping pong ball) are served floating in the boiling water in which they were cooked. The hot liquid is garnished with fragrant sweet olive (osmanthus) blossoms. The floating rice balls remind us of the first full moon of the New Year.

Copyright© 2009 Helen Chen. All rights reserved.
Helen's Asian Kitchen is not affiliated with Joyce Chen products.Helen email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-59693672206468218692009-01-19T22:57:00.102-05:002009-01-24T10:10:19.894-05:00PEKING RAVIOLI (JIAO-ZI) – ONE OF MY MOTHER'S MOST TREASURED RECIPES
Jiao zi are popular in Northern China in areas such as Beijing and Shangtung where wheat flour is used. In the Northeast of the United States these tasty dumplings are commonly called "Peking Ravioli," a name coined and made popular by my mother when we opened our first restaurant in the late 1950's.

My mother coined the name Peking Ravioli, because when we started serving jiao-zi in our restaurant in the 1950's, no one had seen anything like them before. Borrowing from the Italian at least gave people the idea that they were dough pockets with a filling. Interestingly, although the name potsticker is common now, just about all the Chinese restaurants in this area still call these dumplings Peking Ravioli because of my mother's influence.

Making Jiao zi is a social occasion for the whole family and a tradition during Chinese New Year. Here I am with my goddaughter making jiao zi for the new year. The dumplings take on different names depending upon the manner in which they are cooked. If they are pan fried, they are called "guo tie" or potsticker because they stick to the pot when cooked. If they are boiled they are called "jiao zi."

I will give you my mother's recipe for the dumplings just as she gave to me:

JIAO ZI or PEKING RAVIOLI

YIELD: 32 DUMPLINGS

1 pound napa cabbage
1 ½ teaspoon salt, divided
¾ pound ground pork
1 ½ tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
½ teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or bacon drippings
1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
1 pound round dumpling wrappers

Wash and drain cabbage and chop very fine, sprinkling 1 teaspoon salt over the cabbage as you chop. Place chopped cabbage in a cloth bag or in a sheet of cheesecloth, doubled over. Squeeze out enough liquid to make 1 cup. Discard liquid.

Put the remaining ingredients, except the wrappers, into a large bowl and add the cabbage. Mix well – hand mixing is the best way. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

There will be enough meat filling for about 32 jiao zi.

It's now fairly easy to find round dough wrappers called Dumpling or Gyoza wrappers in a good supermarket or Asian market. I like to use Twin Marquis brand "Dumpling Wrapper (Shanghai Style)" which come in 16 ounce packages.

TO FORM THE DUMPLINGS:

Place a heaping teaspoon of the filling in the center of a round wrapper.

Fold the wrapper in half to form a half moon shape and brush the edges with a little water.

Pinch the edges together to seal tightly (you can also use Helen's Asian Kitchen Dumplings Press).

Place formed dumplings on a floured baking sheet or plate until ready to cook. Keep them covered with a damp cloth to prevent drying.

NOTE: Uncooked dumplings may be kept in the refrigerator for several days or frozen for several weeks. To freeze, place the dumplings on floured baking sheets in the freezer. When they have frozen, you can put them into a plastic bag and seal. Do not drop them into a freezer bag while they are soft or they will stick together.

TO BOIL THE DUMPLINGS:

Bring 5 quarts of water to a boil in a stock pot.

Slip the dumplings into the boiling water, being sure there is enough room to allow them to swim about freely; cover and cook over medium high heat until water boils again. Keep and eye on the pot because it can foam and boil over easily.

As soon as the water returns to a boil, add a cup of cold water, cover and continue cooking over medium heat. When the water comes to a boil a third time remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 2 - 3 minutes. This procedure ensures that the filling will be cooked through.

Remove dumplings with a wire strainer and drain in a colander. Transfer to a plate or shallow platter and serve immediately.

It is customary to serve boiled jiao-zi with a vinegar/soy(light)/hot oil dip that guests may put together themselves. Just set out cruets of each (you can also use Chinkiang vinegar) and let people mix their own. My family and I actually prefer to eat jiao-zi with just cider vinegar.

For a whole meal, Chinese style, allow 6 to 15 pieces per person depending upon their appetite. The Chinese also like to serve the cooking water as a refreshing hot beverage after the meal. I personally find it tasteless, but many Chinese are partial to it.

Copyright© 1994, 2007, 2009 Helen Chen. All rights reserved.
Helen's Asian Kitchen is not associated with Joyce Chen Products.

Helen firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-30994267305174691992009-01-19T22:29:00.106-05:002009-01-25T23:59:59.857-05:00GONG XI FA CAI! "Hope you get rich!" (or - HAPPY NEW YEAR!)That's the greeting that will be heard throughout Asia as January 26, 2009 ushers in the New Year – THE YEAR OF THE OX . . .

 Chinese New Year, known in China as the Spring Festival, celebrates the coming of spring with its symbols of rebirth and renewal. It's a chance for a new start and a chance to wipe out the old and begin with a clean slate.

This year the New Year coincides closely with the January 20th inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44th president of the United States – a hope for change and renewal in the United States.

In the Far East, the lunar New Year is a serious celebration with much feasting and socializing. Millions of Chinese will be traveling to be with family and loved ones during this most auspicious and important celebration.

As opposed to common thought, it is not a time to be a tourist in China. Offices, stores, factories – practically everything – will be closed and at a standstill. It will be almost impossible to get train or air tickets because they will have been sold out long in anticipation of the New Year.

In China, as with all Chinese celebrations, food plays a central role in the New Year festivities. Of course my childhood memories of red envelopes with "lucky" money was anticipated and enjoyed, but my strongest memories are of the special foods my mother prepared for the New Year.

My Favorite New Year Foods

Two dishes spring to mind – sweet glutinous rice cakes called nian gao and Beijing style boiled dumplings called, jiao zi.

You can find ready-made Cantonese style nian gao at most Asian markets during the Chinese New Year, but I've yet to find the Shanghai style nian gao my mother used to make flavored with fragrant sweet olive flowers.

Nian gao is literally translated as "sticky cake". The words are homonyms for "Year High" - in others words - a great year to come. A high year means you will have good fortune throughout the year and the stickiness symbolizes the sticking together of the family.

My mother's sweet nian gao was made with ground glutinous rice mixed with water and white sugar. She would sprinkle candied sweet olive flowers on it for fragrance and flavor, tint it pink for good luck and then the whole thing would be steamed.

Cantonese nian gao is made with the same glutinous rice flour and water, but sweetened with brown sugar and sometimes garnished with Chinese dates, known as jujubes. As a child I used to call nian gao "glue" because of its extraordinarily sticky and elastic texture.

Shanghai nian gao vs. Ningbo nian gao

Don't confuse my mother's sweet Shanghai style nian gao with Ningbo nian gao (Sometimes also called Shanghai nian gao.) Although made from the same glutinous rice, Ningbo nian gao have a much more dense and firm texture (although still sticky and chewy when cooked). Ningbo nian gao looks like a flat, narrow white slab. It's sliced and usually sold in this country frozen in 2-pound bags. Frozen Ningbo nian gao is available in most Asian markets and the slices can be cooked into a savory or sweet dish. If you'd like to know more about Ningbo nian gao let me know.

The special feature of my mother's nian gao are the candied sweet olive flowers (a.k.a. osmanthus), which we call gui hua in Chinese.

People from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces flavor their New Year cakes with these flowers, much the way Westerners would use vanilla. Sweet olive flowers come from the Osmanthus fragrans tree which is related to the laurel. These trees grow in mass profusion in Guilin (named after the trees) and Hangzhou along the beautiful West Lake. Hangzhou is famous for the high quality of their sweet olive flowers. In October the tiny flowers – only about ¼ inch long – are harvested. I was in Hangzhou once for the harvest and the whole city was drunk with the heady fragrance of the flowers. It's an olfactory experience one never forgets. I found it most interesting watching the harvest of these tiny blossoms. The harvesters walk around the city with long bamboo poles. They spread large cotton sheets under the tree and slap the tree branches with the poles to make the flowers drop. All the flowers are collected in large wooden wheelbarrows and taken away for processing into sugar, candies, liquors, tea, etc. For more information on the Osmanthus fragrans tree, check out this link: http://www.trax2.com/info/factsheets/osmanthus.html.

I have a sweet olive tree growing in my own greenhouse (a gift from my father over 20 years ago) that's over 6 feet tall, but I have found that its blossoms aren't as fragrant as those in China. My sixth aunt tells me that the sweet olive trees here in the U.S. are not the same as the more yellow colored Chinese ones. I used to painstakingly collect and dry the flowers from my tree for cooking, but stopped after I realized they were really lacking in taste and aroma. Now, I just enjoy the fragrance when the tree is in bloom.

Whenever I visit Hangzhou to see my one of my first cousins I always come home with many packets of sweet olive sugar for myself and as gifts. They keep a long time. In fact, I have a jar of sweet olive sugar (complete with the blossoms) from 1997 and it's still good and still fragrant!

My second favorite New Year food is the Beijing jiao zi (more commonly known in this country as potstickers). Not as popular as the pan fried version, these pork filled dumplings are called jiao zi when they are boiled (the preferred cooking method to the Chinese). When the dumplings are pan fried they are called guo tie or literally, pot stick, because they tend to stick to the pot when fried.

The tradition in China is for the family to get together and make loads of jiao zi for the main meal of the day. In my family we used to count how many we could eat and announce that number at the end of the meal. My mother was born in Beijing so this Northern tradition of making and eating jiao zi remained a strong ritual in our home.

Most people don't make their own dumpling skins anymore because it's so easy to buy them in Asian markets. Get the ones that are round, not square. And a plastic dumpling press really helps to get the production line going. In fact, one of my first cousins who lives in the U.S. (I have over 30 first cousins, some in the U.S., but most are still in China ) has a supply of the plastic presses in her kitchen for just such a New Year's tradition. She loves to use that press! (To find out more about the press, check out www.helensasiankitchen.com. Available in most kitchen and houseware shops near you!)

Along with the nian gao recipe I also give you my mother's jiao zi recipe which was published in my now out of print cook book, Helen Chen's Chinese Home Cooking. If you're interested in the book you may still be able to find used copies floating around on Amazon or Ebay.

The nian gao and jiao zi recipes are given in memory of my mother and father. I hope you enjoy them. GONG XI FA CAI! May you have a happy, healthy and successful New Year. HAPPY NEW YEAR! - HELEN CHEN

Copyright© 2009 by Helen Chen. All Rights Reserved.
Helen's Asian Kitchen is not affiliated with Joyce Chen Products.

Helen email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-52173013960465231702009-01-19T21:53:00.064-05:002009-01-23T09:50:49.374-05:00Mother's New Year Nian Gao

This recipe closely approximates the sticky rice cake, known as nian gao, that my mother used to make for the Chinese New Year celebration. She used a fresh glutinous rice dough that I haven't been able to find, but glutinous or sweet rice flour does a nice job. Perhaps I'm being fussy, but somehow, nothing can ever be the same as my mother's nian gao. I make my nian gao thin because it keeps me from eating too much of it!

If you can't find the Sweet Olive Sugar you may garnish the nian gao with some brown sugar or leave it plain.

MOTHER'S NEW YEAR NIAN GAO

YIELD: (1) 9-inch diameter, 3/4-inch thick cake

2 cups glutinous rice flour*
1 cup white sugar
1 cup water
2 drops red food coloring, optional
1 tablespoon sweet olive sugar

Mix the rice flour, sugar and water together in a medium bowl until smooth. You will have a thin batter. Stir in the food coloring, if using.

Grease a 9" heatproof pie plate with canola or other vegetable oil. Pour the rice flour batter into the pie plate.

Bring water in a steamer to a boil. Place the pie plate into the steamer and steam for about 20 minutes, or until the batter appears translucent and the tip of a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from steamer and while still hot, sprinkle sweet olive sugar over the top. You may serve immediately or cool and cover for later use.

Nian gao must be eaten hot so its soft and sticky. There are three ways to re-heat the nian gao: Cut the cake as you would a pie, and re-steam however many pieces you wish until they are soft and sticky, about 5 to 8 minutes depending upon how many slices you are reheating. You may also heat in a microwave oven. Cover the nian gao and heat about 1 minute on high, or until soft. The nian gao may also be pan-fried in a lightly oiled non-stick skillet over medium heat. Lightly brown both sides for a crispy surface. Some people like to dip the slices in a beaten egg first, but I prefer to just fry the nian gao plain.

*Sometimes called Sweet Rice flour.

Copyright© 2009 Helen Chen. All rights reserved.
Helen's Asian Kitchen is not affiiated with Joyce Chen products.

Helen email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-1701648165602339885.post-27640485939581448042009-01-19T20:56:00.065-05:002009-01-24T09:41:30.936-05:00SOME SYMBOLIC FOODS FOR THE CHINESE NEW YEARWhether you're planning on preparing your own Chinese New Year banquet, or celebrating the New Year at your favorite Chinese restaurant, here are some "LUCKY" FOODS that you may wish to add to your menu, and what each one symbolizes:

SHANGHAI SPRING ROLLS – signify wealth because the deep fried rolls resemble gold bullions.

CLAMS – look like old Chinese silver ingots when they open, so they also signify prosperity. Eat them steamed or stir fried with black bean sauce.

WHOLE STEAMED FISH – symbolize abundance. The Chinese word for Fish ("YU") is a homonym for abundance. This must be prepared as a whole fish, with head and tail intact. My favorite is live killed fish steamed the Cantonese way.

ORANGES – signify good luck and are frequently given as gifts during the Chinese New Year. Clementines and tangerines are in season now, so serve them as a refreshing, low calorie dessert.

PEANUTS – symbolize long life. Serve dry roasted peanuts with cocktails before the meal or cook them into a dish like KUNG PAO CHICKEN (Szchuan chicken with peanuts).

NOODLES – the long strands symbolize long life. Eat them stir-fried or in soup.

NIAN GAO – (sticky rice cakes) represent the sticking together of family and a good year to come. (Picture Left - Cantonese Style New Year Nian Gao).

Copyright© 2009 by Helen Chen. All rights reserved.
Helen's Asian Kitchen is not affiliated with Joyce Chen Products.
Helen email@example.com


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