I think we were in the Hankou area of Shanghai on a walking tour of the former Jewish ghetto, where thousands of Jews took refuge during the holocaust. Then we moved on to a former slaughterhouse, now called "1933" which is trying to be a fashionable, upscale consumer destination for the rich and is well on its way to doing so. Personally I felt horrible fengshui in it and I had to force myself to remain with my 8 friends when I felt like getting far away from there. Ironically it's a hot spot for fashion and photo shoots but no amount of money and glitz is going to erase what that place once was. Later I went with another group of friends to have 'hot pot' in a restaurant that specializes in fish hot pot. After we chose our ingredients and flavors, they showed me the fish. I'd say it was about 8 pounds. The taste was actually really delicious - only it was served with the bones in, like every Chinese restaurant. Still I would return there because we also had the yingyang hot pot, with one side spicy and one side plain and it was great. It's feeling a bit like Christmas already with the cheap, seedless Satsumas available everywhere. We have the fruit sales truck selling in front of my complex until the police show up and it drives off. So last night I managed to get a bag of about 3 pounds for about $1.25. It's one of the joys of living in Shanghai to have year-round holidays. Thanksgiving is next week and soon will be the Christmas vacation when I get to go home for the holidays, soon followed by the Chinese New Year, another week off in February. Throw in multiple international customs and we have lots of fun parties to attend to. Bonny Buckley |
March 1, 2011
Szechuan Spicy Wontons Makes about 50 wontons (Feeds 6) Filling: 1.5 lbs ground pork (half fatty/half lean) 1/2 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined 2 Large pieces Woodear Fungus, soaked and chopped finely 1/4 cup green onion, chopped finely Soy Sauce Hoisin Sauce Sesame Oil Sugar 2 packs Shanghai Style dumpling wrappers, square kind (they are white, as opposed to the yellow Cantonese-style wrappers) Dressing : Chili Oil Vinegar Garlic, finely minced 1/4 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped 2 stalks scallions, rougly chopped Combine your pork, shrimp, green onion and woodear fungus. I find that the best way to mix your filling is to lay it all out on large cutting board and mince it up with a cleaver. Incorporate the soy, hoisin, sesame oil, and sugar to taste. Mince until you have a fine paste. Place a quarter-size amount of meat in the center of the wrapper. Dip your finger in a cup of water and trace the water around half the dumpling, it will act as glue when you press all the
Comments