Chinese Fruits and Vegetables

My ma sometimes tells me about herbs and I have no idea how to translate them into English typically. This is to provide a quick guide in case I am asked again in the future.

Myrica rubra

Also called yangmei, (Chinese: 杨梅; pinyin: yángméi; Cantonese: yeung4 mui4; Shanghainese: [ɦiɐ̃².mɛ⁴]), yamamomo (Japanese: ヤマモモ) Chinese bayberry or Chinese strawberry and often mistranslated from Chinese as arbutus. It is a subtropical tree grown for its fruit.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myrica_rubra 

Brassica juncea

Commonly called Chinese mustard, Indian mustard, leaf mustard, vegetable mustard, it is a species of mustard plant. In Chinese it is called 芥菜 (jiècài). One variation of it is called snow mustard (雪里红）.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassica_juncea

Cooking - Desserts

I have a sweet tooth but I am not very well-acquainted with the names of things. Here I keep track of all the delicious sweets out there in a list that I can refer to. This is delicious research. Now someone has to make all of it for me or I have to go places to try them all!

Boston Cream doughnut

The Boston cream (pie) doughnut or donut is a round, solid, yeast-risen doughnut with chocolate frosting and a custard filling, resulting in a doughnut reminiscent of a miniature Boston cream pie.

The doughnut was made out of inspiration from the Boston cream pie which was, in turn, created by chef M. Sanzian at Boston's Parker House Hotel in 1856. The cake consists of vanilla-flavored custard sandwiched between two-layers of sponge cake and topped with chocolate glaze and has been popular in Massachusetts since its creation. The doughnut adaptation of the pie is popular not only in Massachusetts but throughout the United States and Canada.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_cream_doughnut

Recipe: Vegetarian

Easy Vegetarian Recipes

A couple of my friends are vegetarian. Why not share a few recipes they can learn to make?

Hunan Style Tofu
https://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-easy-dinner-recipes-hunan-style-tofu-vegetarian-20130603-story.html

Recipe: Eggplant Pakora

Eggplant Pakora Recipe

Pakoras are Indian fritters, made of vegetables (cauliflower, potato, spinach, onion, eggplant, plantain, chili pepper, etc.), paneer, bread or meat, dipped into a spicy gram flour. They are then battered and deep fried.

1. In a big bowl, mix besan / gram flour, rice flour, green chili, cilantro leaves, turmeric powder, red chili powder, a pinch of asafoetida and salt.

2. Add 1 cup water and whisk to a smooth medium consistency without lumps.

3. Wash and slice eggplant / baingain / brinjals. Dip them in the batter.

4. Heat oil in frying pan on medium heat. Gently place eggplant slices and fry until crispy and golden brown on both sides.

5. Remove pakoras and place on paper towel to remove excess oil.

6. Serve hot or warm with chutney or tomato ketchup.

Reference

http://myindiantaste.com/eggplant-pakora-recipe-baingan-pakorapakoda/

Food to Eat (or Cook)

Food to Eat (or Cook)

A list of interesting food that I want to try out and eat. If I'm motivated, maybe make as well?

Turducken
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turducken
Turducken is a dish consisting of a deboned chicken stuffed into a deboned duck, further stuffed into a deboned turkey.

Enjoying Cooking

I'd like to cook my experimental tomato soup. It'll have tomatoes and potatoes and carrots. I'll also like to buy some bread so I can make eggs-in-a-hole. This dish is quite simple and I learned it from my Texan friend Stefan. You take a piece of bread and fry it on a pan. Hollow out a circle in the middle and put an egg inside. This way, the egg will be fried and confined within the bread and it will join together with the toast.

Cooking is fun when I see it as a game where I can try different things to make different dishes. When I'm the only one eating food, there doesn't seem to be much motivation. Tomato soup requires a combination of corn flour and water to give it the thick feel. In other words, a combination of corn flour and water increases the viscosity of the fluid. You first put in tiny chopped pieces of tomato in the pot along with small pieces of garlic and cook at a low heat with water.  Add in small pieces of cabbage, carrots, potatoes, and other vegetables such as onions, cucumbers and scallions (spring onions). Put the top on and boil at low heat for 20 minutes. Add in the eggs when the tomatoes are no longer solid. At the end, if the broth is not thick enough, add in corn flour and water.