Vacations take people to unusual places. Some places are more familiar than others.
We've had people in the office take vacations to mountain tops, to bottom of rivers, from one continent to another, from state to state and from city to town. And everyone has a story to tell about their wonderful visits to all corners.
But what caught my ear was a trip one of our reporters took to Seattle's Chinatown with his family. They visited a Chinese tea house. It brought back memories of my stay in Hong Kong and the exotic and tasty delicacies served at Chinese tables in homes and at restaurants there.
Chinese tea houses serve dim sum at these establishments. The literal translation for dim sum is ''dot heart.'' The poetic translation is called ''heart's delight.'' Dim sum are delicious tiny little dumplings either deep fried, baked or steamed and served with a variety of sauces. Other dishes offered at lunch time are noodles in soups, pan fried style chow mein with different meats and vegetables, and a favorite thick rice soup called ''joak'' served with a variety of condiments.
In every country there is a place where people hang out. In England there are pubs, France has bistros and in America we have cocktail lounges, corner bars or coffee carts. The Chinese have tea houses.
Many tea houses open as early as 5 a.m.. The most hectic hours are from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. As you enter, there may be a lot of noise, talking and clanging of dishes. This is typical. Some tea houses give menus. But if you're familiar with the offerings, no menu is necessary.
If you prefer to order noodles or soup, the waitress will help you. The dim sum is carried on trays or carts. When the trays of food passes by you, just wave at the waitress. She'll stop and offer what she has on her cart. Don't fill up on the first cart. Wait for other carts to appear with a different variety.
When you have had just about all you can eat, the waitress will count up the number of dishes you have on the table, multiply it by the cost of each dish and present you with a bill.
If you are daring and want to venture out on your own, or can't seem to get to a tea house, here are some recipes that could get you started and you could enjoy in your home. Most ingredients are available at your local grocery store in the oriental/ethnic section. Good luck.
THICK RICE SOUP (JOAK)
1/2 cup long grained rice
1/2 cup glutinous rice
5 quarts chicken broth
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 stalks green onions
12 water chestnuts
Rinse rice 2 or 3 times. Soak overnight. Mince green onions and water chestnuts. Mix with ground pork, soy sauce and salt.
Bring stock and rice to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until rice breaks down completely and the soup becomes thick and creamy. Turn heat up and add ground pork mixture, shaping 1 teaspoon at a time into a small ball and dropping it into the soup. Cook for 5 minutes or until pork balls are done. Correct seasoning. Serve in individual soup bowls. Pass the condiments (listed below) around for each person to choose his favorite toppings.
May be made ahead and reheated slowly.
Comments: You can also use chicken slices, ground beef, fish filet or ham slices. A roast chicken or turkey carcass is excellent for making the stock. Just cook the carcass, rice and water together. Take out the carcass when the soup is done.
Condiments Sesame oil
White pepper
1 bunch Chinese parsley (cilentro), finely chopped
1/2 cup tea melon (sweet cucumber), finely chopped
1/2 cup Szechwan turnip (ja choy), finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
GLUTINOUS RICE DOUGH
Salty Dough 21/4 cups glutinous-rice flour
1/4 cup potato flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
11/2 cups boiling water
To make wrapper: Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil for several minutes. Meanwhile, combine the first 4 ingredients. Now, measure the amount of water needed and return that to a boil and immediately pour the boiling water over the dry ingredients. Mix well and knead on a floured board for 3 or 4 minutes.
SHRIMP TURNOVERS
(JOW HA GOK) Dough
1 recipe of glutinous rice dough
Filling
3/4 pound shrimp, shelled, de veined and minced
2 tablespoons pork fat
10 water chestnuts
1/4 cup salted turnips, finely minced
1 stalk green onions, finely minced
1/4 cup Chinese parsley (cilentro), finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons sherry
To make filling: Mince pork fat with water chestnuts, then add shrimp and mix together. Mix with rest of ingredients.
Wrapping: Pinch off a small piece of dough, the size of a walnut, and roll in your palms until it becomes a ball. Flatten slightly and roll out to a 3-inch round disc about 1/8-inch thick. (During rolling, if the dough becomes sticky, flour lightly with potato flour.) Place 1 teaspoonful of filling in center. Bring opposite sides together and pinch to form a semi circle. For a fancier appearance, pleat or flute edge by pressing it with your thumb nail. Press sesame seeds on both sides.
Deep frying: Heat oil on medium high heat. Deep fry for 3 to 4 minutes or until turnovers float. They will brown slightly due to a small amount of potato flour added to the dough. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
STEAMED OR BAKED BUN DOUGH
1 cake of fresh compressed yeast
1 3/4 cups warm water
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 1/2 cups unsifted all purpose flour
To make dough: Dissolve 1/2 yeast cake with sugar in warm water. Immediately add baking powder and then the flour. The dough will be fairly firm and a bit on the dry side. Knead on board for 20 minutes (you should not need to flour the board) until dough becomes elastic and smooth. Place it in a big mixing bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a dry, warm place (away from drafts) until dough doubles in bulk. (Every kitchen is different. My dough usually takes about 21/2 to 3 hours to double in my electric oven, which I slightly preheat to a warm setting for 2 to 3 minutes then turn off.) Now punch down dough and knead again for 5 more minutes. It is now ready to be stuffed with fillings.
Comments: This is a just a basic yeast dough with a bit more sugar added. For those of you who do not care to make this from scratch, you may use frozen bread dough as a substitute.
BARBECUED PORK (CHA SIU)
1 3 to 31/2 pound boneless pork butt
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
4 tablespoons ketchup
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation: Cut pork butt into 4-by-2-by-1-inch strips. Mix rest of ingredients and rub over pork pieces. Marinate at least 4 hours or overnight.
Cooking: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line roasting pan with foil and place pork on roasting rack. Roast a total of 45 minutes, turning over once or twice.
Do-ahead Notes: Barbecued pork can be made anywhere from a few days to two weeks in advance. Just wrap and freeze. For cold appetizers, thaw, then slice just before serving. To reheat, thaw first and reheat in a slow oven until just heated through (about 20 minutes). Delicious either way.
Comments: Barbecued pork can be used in fried rice, egg rolls, filling for steamed pork buns, stir fry with vegetables and as garnishes for many noodle dishes.
POT STICKERS (KUO TEH)
Dough
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup and 2 tablespoons warm water
Filling
1 pound fresh ground pork
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sherry
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons minced green onions
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons minced Chinese parsley (cilentro)
To make dough: Mix flour with warm water and knead for 10 to 15 minutes. There is no need to add any flour on the board as you knead because the dough should be at a perfect consistency. Let dough rest for 20 minutes while you make the filling.
To make filling: Partially thaw spinach and lightly squeeze out liquid (leave some liquid with the spinach). Mix with rest of ingredients.
Wrapping: Divide dough into 4 parts. Roll each part out to about 12 inches in length and divide into 12 balls. Roll each ball into 3-inch round flat discs and drop 1 tablespoon of filling in center. Fold the dough over the filling, pinching together just the top to make a half circle. On the side nearest you, form 2 to 3 pleats on each side and pinch them to meet the opposite side to seal.
Cooking: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly brown Pot Stickers until golden on the bottom, pour 1 cup water into the skillet and cover immediately. Cook over medium heat until most of the liquid is absorbed and the Pot Stickers are golden brown on the bottom. Serve with the following dip: 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Another good dip is chili oil.
Do-ahead Notes: Wrap and freeze them. Cook just before serving. Pot Stickers turn out even better when the freezing process gives the filling an additional moisture, making them juicier and tastier! Add 5-7 more minutes to cooking time if frozen.
Comments: To prevent Pot Stickers from actually sticking to the bottom of the pan, it is best to use either a Teflon, a heavy-bottom commercial aluminum, a cast iron or a well seasoned steel skillet.
STEAMED BARBEQUED PORK BUNS (CHA SIU BOW)
Dough
1 recipe of bun dough
Filling
4 cups finely diced barbequed pork
1/2 cup dehydrated onion flakes
Sauce mixture
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sherry
4 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
To make filling: Soak onion flakes in a cup with just enough water to cover flakes. Mix sauce in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium-high heat until sauce thickens. Stir in the diced pork and onion flakes. Chill 3-4 hours.
Wrapping: Divide filling into 24 portions. Divide dough into 24 balls. Slightly flatten each ball then roll out into 4-inch discs, leaving the center of the disc twice as thick as the side. Place 1 portion of the filling in the center of the dough. Gather up the sides around the filling in the center of the dough. Place on a 2-inch square piece of wax paper, twist side down. Put the wrapped buns at least 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet and allow the buns to rise in a draft-free place (the oven) for another hour.
Steaming: Steam for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and let the steam subside before lifting the cover.
Baking: Cha Siu Bow can also be baked. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set buns 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Brush with a mixture of 1 beaten egg white, 1 teaspoon water and 1/4 teaspoon sugar. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter.
Do-ahead Notes: Cook and freeze. Reheat by steaming if steam-cooked originally. Steam frozen buns for a half-hour to reheat. If baked, thaw and wrap buns in foil or cover pan with foil and reheat in slow oven for a half-hour.
Comments: A good filling should have some pork fat mixed in with the lean meat. Most importantly, Cha Siu Bow filling should be very juicy. That's why I use so much liquid in the sauce mixture. By chilling the filling thoroughly, the sauce, which is very thick, adheres to the filling much better. Ideally, when you make the barbequed pork, you should try to save the pork drippings and use them as part of the sauce mixture. I deliberately leave the center of the dough a bit thick because, if you roll it out to an even thickness, the top of the bun will end up being too thin in comparison to the bottom due to the way the dough us wrapped. In a pinch, you may use frozen bread dough as a substitute. However, frozen dough works best when baked. It does not steam well.
SWEET RICE PUDDING CAKE (BOK TONG GO)
1 cup long grain rice
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 cake compressed yeast
Preparation: Soak rice in water (have sufficient water to cover 1 inch above level of rice) for 2 days. Drain well. Mix compressed yeast with 1/2 cup lukewarm water. Add 1/4 cup sugar. Cover and set in warm place while you do the next step.
Put 1/3 of the soaked rice and 1/3 -cup water into blender and blend at high speed until rice is liquified and mixture is smooth (about 3-4 minutes). Set aside in mixing bowl. Blend remaining rice and water by 1/3 -cup quantities, setting aside each portion into the same mixing bowl. Now pour the entire mixture back into blender and add 11/4 cups sugar. Blend at high speed for 2 more minutes. Add yeast mixture and blend at low speed for 30 seconds. Pour into mixing bowl, cover and leave in warm place until mixture is bubbly and almost double in bulk (about 11/2-2 hours).
Steaming: Start water in steamer boiling. Lightly stir batter again to mix evenly. Pour batter into round or square cake pan to about 1/2-inch high. Steam for 12-15 minutes. Cool completely. Lightly rub a little oil on top to give it a glossy appearance. Cut into diamond shape. Pudding is eaten when it is at room temperature.
Do-ahead Notes: Bok Tong Go is a perfect dessert recipe, since it must cool completely before serving. The pudding cake will keep for 2-3 days at room temperature.
Comments: The rice needs to be soaked for 2 days so it will be easily liquified. The fermenting process is extremely importnat, so don't hurry it. The textural appearance in the cross section of the pudding cake should be one full of holes (air pockets) throughout. I've tried using rice flour, but it has a much coarser texture and a most unpleasant odor. The recipe itself appears deceptively simple. The secret is in the proper proportion of ingredients and technique in combining them.