I'm back with more food ideas!

a long hiatus..

so many things have happened..

1) Pan's father passed away after a long struggle against lung cancer. We were all there during his passing, which was, without going into too much detail, blessedly short but also very painful for all of us. We miss him every day.

2) we have been shuttling back and forth between bloomington and ann arbor, trying to move forwards with a deal with UM hospital. Pan's working hard on this, and he's currently not in town trying to structure a deal. Cryptic? let's just say nothing state-secret-esque, but I'd do best to leave business to business, unlike this person.. I do feel sorry for him.. Haha not really..

3) I'm effin' twenty five. TWO FIVE. what the heck just happened here? My birthday was great, spent with friends in ann arbor, hard cider, good old patron silver tequila shots, and monopoly deal. I loved it. But honestly, where the bleep did my life go? I'm twenty five! -sob-

And although I've been silently suffering from having to apply for jobs and be denied the opportunity to work in the field I would love best, I have been secretly amassing a variety of easy, quick meal ideas for you; I mean this website.

Ideas like.. Lacinto kale salad with a peppery, garlicky, mango dressing! Savory, entirely accommodating and easy tung oh soup! How about a selection of steamed toufu dishes that appeals to everyone?

Thank God for simple Chinese meals, or else this crazy energy in the kitchen would just grow and radiate and kill everyone around me. Everyone else but me, cuz i'd turn into a crazy, frothing-at-the-mouth monster welding a chopper. Yikes!



so let's start with the latest yummy little thing.. this beautiful veggie that all MUST spring to get. and "spring" indeed heh heh, because this delicate vegetable is seasonal and also survives in the cold (not like this cold weather is ever going to end..).

TUNG OH SOUP

Tung-oh, or shingaku in Japanese, is a wonderful veggie that you ought to try. A member of the crystanthemum plant, you'll be able to spot them in the Asian veggie isle by the characteristic leaves. Don't go plucking them off the flowers from the floral department though, you little hipster. That be different!

I've gotta warn ya though, it's a little of an acquired taste, but once you've learnt to appreciate it, it's delicious and will leave an indelible mark on your heart. How does it taste like? A delicate, subtle, herbal taste that I feel tastes closest to wild celery (not that I've ever tasted wild celery.. but.. JUST BELIEVE ME ON THIS.)  Recipes for Tom has a lovely write up on shingaku and also provides several Japanese recipes for it, which I highly encourage you to take a look at.

This soup I am dying to share with you make records for myself to remember is simple in that there are only 3 main points to remember

1) You need a meat to flavor the soup. This can be a delicate white, non-oily fish (like tilapia or flounder), chicken (breast is more ideal), a lean cut of pork (minced, loin, picnic or.. you get this right?) or beef balls-- the frozen, Vietnamese type. Pan and I go crazy for these. Umami-ballzzzz to the max.
2) Chosen meat needs to be seasoned with with sesame oil, soy sauce, oyster sauce. salt and sugar optional. The quantities of which depends on how salty/sweet/savory/bland you prefer your soup.
3) Ginger. Ginger. Ginger. Use a generous, healthy knob of ginger, sliced, in this dish. Like the seasonings, if you are crazy for ginger, use a very generous knob, if not, scale it down a little. but this dish definitely needs ginger to balance the astringent taste of the tung oh. A very generous knob would be the size of my thumb, for a two-to-three person serving.

Oh, sorry make that 4 points

4) Don't use too much water for this soup. Think of it as a very brothy veggie dish. Too much water and you'll be diluting the awesome flavor of this veggie. So start off with enough water to simmer the ginger and meat pieces in it, then adjust as you go.
 

OK! So, now that that's out of the way, this part is simple-dimple. Of which i have none. :C no dimples on my sweet cheeks.. on my face???  Here are two examples for two tung oh soups I've cooked recently. They both feed two or three, depending on how many side dishes you are serving, and whether you're feeding a big hungry lad. Like Pan.

Example #1 : Tung Oh with Pork Soup 

Marinate 300g of lean pork (I used butt), sliced thin, with 1 tbs of oyster sauce, 1 tbs of soy, and 1/2 tbs of sesame oil. Let it sit. 
Slice ginger.
Bring pot with 2 cups of water to boil, add sliced ginger, let it boil rapidly for 5 minutes, add marinated meat. 
While that cooks, clean and prepare veggies. (About 250g; or 12 big stems worth, is enough for 2 people) Slice off bottom 1/2 inch, trim off yellowing or unhealthy leaves. There are two ways to prepare this veggie-- the easy way, and the more traditional way. The easy way dictates that you chop the stems in 1-2 inch pieces, then chop the remaining length of leaves in half, while the traditional method requires you to strip the leaves off each stem, and then snap the stems into desired length. 

I'd say each has it's benefits. The first method is quick and fuss free, but then the veggies might result in a not-so-easy-to-eat tangle. The second ensures that each bite of veggie is more enjoyable. If I were you, I'd decide based on how much time you have, and your energy level for that day. There are times when I! NEED! TO! GET! THIS! SHIT! DONE! NOW! and days when I'm like.. oh tung oh. I would like to write a haiku about you. and rhyme it at the same time..  

Don't forget to rinse the prepared tung oh at least 3 times though. This veggie, like many other asian vegetables, can be quite gritty, which is not nice when you're enjoying the broth and want to write a ditty.

Where were we.. oh yes, once the meat broth comes to a boil, let it simmer for about 10 minutes while you prepare the veggies, and once you're good to go, toss the whole colander of rinsed tung oh in, close the lid, and let it simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring to make sure all the veggies get to simmer in the broth. Add more water if you'd like, season to taste, and serve. 

I like my tung oh stems soft; some like them crunchy. I would rhyme this but it's lame, and I'm too cool for that. Seriously, though. Cook it for as long as you want.  

 

Example #2 : Tung Oh with Beef Balls and a Tomato


 Now that you've gotten the hang of it, here's the recipe, quick-style

1) Boil ginger, beef balls, seasonings, 1 tomato sliced, in water, 5-10 minutes. 

2) veggies, trimmed, add in, 10 minutes. 

done. 

try them both. The tomato adds a delicious tang and umami to it. Fish is also very commonly used; the sesame oil marinade and tung oh helps mask the taste of any fishy-ness, so this is a very common Cantonese soup. Enjoy! Spring's almost here!