I also have your Asian Dumplings book and today I asked myself why I had never used it, while Asian Tofu is one of my culinary bibles.
I saw it immediately: cups cups everywhere - and I just refuse to work with them.
Have you ever made a cups to grams list yourself? The internet is absurdly unreliable there.
I mean, I don't care about a cup of scallions (though I still think it is absurd) but cups for water going into a dough? I refuse to go there.
So if you know where to find 100% reliable info about cups to grams*, then I would love that. I'm bitten by the dumplings bug now and I'd love to use that book.
Sorry for the grumpiness, and that as a comment to another post entirely...
*I really tried but you end up at sites that think that all flours are created equal, or that there's no difference between water and oil, et cetera. Plus the inherent nonsense of cups: some have measuring lines inside, some don't, but how precise can they ever be if you don't know exactly how much to pour? Sorry, I'll stop but it drives me bonkers!
Researching beef stir-fry with french fries in Vietnamese doesn't yield any result, unfortunately. I guess every culture has their own version of a meat and potato dish. I've always associated this dish with winter (can't ever think of making it in the summer).
Your sharing of meat box makes me think of buying tofu without using plastic bags. There are two ways to buy tofu here:
1. At the supermarket, where every tofu is packed nicely into square plastic boxes.
2. At the market (chợ), where tofu is soaked in buckets of water.
I think tofu soaked in water is better, but I don't buy it that frequently because I don't want to deal with plastic bags.
Beef steak and khoai tay were not part of the traditional diet. One time, my mom made the dish with sweet potatoes (khoai ta) and it was delicious. My American best friend was like, "WHOA, what is this happening so beautifully on the plate?"
At the wet market, a little reusable box is perfect. Plus, you can carry the tofu home knowing it's well protected. All the plastic bags in Vietnam. Not long ago, everyone double bagged!
Yes, that's what my initial thought as well. The original dish "beef and potato stir-fry" has been around for a long time and it's what my grandma (born in the 1930s) usually made. I used to be reminded of fries and beefsteak whenever I had that dish. The "tofu and potato stir-fry" is Andrea's vegan take (a delicious take nonetheless).
I’ve made the sorbet from EGV several times. Easy, refreshing, and delicious! I’ve just started reading Invitation to a Banquet, and Dunlop says that potatoes were/are the least desirable carb. That you would only have them if you couldn’t afford rice, but then in that situation you wouldn’t have meat either. I would love to help you at TJ, I bet you never forget your bags!
Growing and processing rice is incredibly laborious. That's why every grain is precious. A potato -- you can dig it up, cook it and eat it up. In Vietnam, people eat starchy 'western' potatoes and sweet potatoes, which people consider as local/native-ish potatoes. It's easy to grow sweet potatoes in the tropics and we eat what we can. It's not banquet food, like Fuchsia writes.
A fair amount of space in our car truck is devoted to grocery bags!
A dumpling festival? OMG that is one festival I would love to attend! It's so wonderful that you have your mother available as a resource and that you have carried on her cooking traditions.
The dumpling class was so fun! In order toake dumplings with ready made wrappers, I need to drive an hour from where I live(Port Townsend, Wa.)& need too busy to do so. But I will! When o.lived in Portland it was so easy to find a plethora of Asian grocery stores. Not here though.
Sasha! I've been to Port Townsend and it is a nice spot but not a dumpling hub. But now you can create one in your home from ingredients that are within reach! Thanks for spreading the Asian dumpling joy.
My husband grew up putting a slice of bread in the bottom of a bowl and spooning canned fruit and a portion of the juice over it. It’s still one of his favorite snacks. When I’m sick the only thing that tastes good to me is the juice from canned peaches. So he gets the peaches and I get all the juice.
It's mostly a summer thing for me but I freeze the juice in ice-cube trays.
I don't have much of a sweet tooth but one cube in a glass of water is very nice, especially with fresh mint added to the glass.
Thanks to the cubes, you can make the drink as (non)sweet as you want.
Adding a slice of lemon to the glass is also an option.
Nice idea way to save the liquid for later! There's soooooo much of it.
I have two big freezers.
Something else - and a bit moany...! (Sorry.)
I also have your Asian Dumplings book and today I asked myself why I had never used it, while Asian Tofu is one of my culinary bibles.
I saw it immediately: cups cups everywhere - and I just refuse to work with them.
Have you ever made a cups to grams list yourself? The internet is absurdly unreliable there.
I mean, I don't care about a cup of scallions (though I still think it is absurd) but cups for water going into a dough? I refuse to go there.
So if you know where to find 100% reliable info about cups to grams*, then I would love that. I'm bitten by the dumplings bug now and I'd love to use that book.
Sorry for the grumpiness, and that as a comment to another post entirely...
*I really tried but you end up at sites that think that all flours are created equal, or that there's no difference between water and oil, et cetera. Plus the inherent nonsense of cups: some have measuring lines inside, some don't, but how precise can they ever be if you don't know exactly how much to pour? Sorry, I'll stop but it drives me bonkers!
“I live in a town with a fair amount of tree huggers” 😂
This town is stereotypical Northern California in many ways. We have great farm fresh ingredients too!
Fantastic!
I'm just so so excited about your book with Pim.
Wish me luck!
Researching beef stir-fry with french fries in Vietnamese doesn't yield any result, unfortunately. I guess every culture has their own version of a meat and potato dish. I've always associated this dish with winter (can't ever think of making it in the summer).
Your sharing of meat box makes me think of buying tofu without using plastic bags. There are two ways to buy tofu here:
1. At the supermarket, where every tofu is packed nicely into square plastic boxes.
2. At the market (chợ), where tofu is soaked in buckets of water.
I think tofu soaked in water is better, but I don't buy it that frequently because I don't want to deal with plastic bags.
Beef steak and khoai tay were not part of the traditional diet. One time, my mom made the dish with sweet potatoes (khoai ta) and it was delicious. My American best friend was like, "WHOA, what is this happening so beautifully on the plate?"
At the wet market, a little reusable box is perfect. Plus, you can carry the tofu home knowing it's well protected. All the plastic bags in Vietnam. Not long ago, everyone double bagged!
"Where did that dish come from?"
I have no idea if this is correct but my first thought was, 'Could this be a colonial thing?'
Maybe the local people trying the dish with French fries, or the occupiers thinking, what if I put some of 'their' tofu on our frites?
Again, no idea if that's correct but this kind of colonialist 'inspired' fusion is quite common.
Maybe colonization but also nowadays, as it is made, it may about migration. It took a long explanation, so I put it on my website.
Yes, that's what my initial thought as well. The original dish "beef and potato stir-fry" has been around for a long time and it's what my grandma (born in the 1930s) usually made. I used to be reminded of fries and beefsteak whenever I had that dish. The "tofu and potato stir-fry" is Andrea's vegan take (a delicious take nonetheless).
I’ve made the sorbet from EGV several times. Easy, refreshing, and delicious! I’ve just started reading Invitation to a Banquet, and Dunlop says that potatoes were/are the least desirable carb. That you would only have them if you couldn’t afford rice, but then in that situation you wouldn’t have meat either. I would love to help you at TJ, I bet you never forget your bags!
Growing and processing rice is incredibly laborious. That's why every grain is precious. A potato -- you can dig it up, cook it and eat it up. In Vietnam, people eat starchy 'western' potatoes and sweet potatoes, which people consider as local/native-ish potatoes. It's easy to grow sweet potatoes in the tropics and we eat what we can. It's not banquet food, like Fuchsia writes.
A fair amount of space in our car truck is devoted to grocery bags!
A dumpling festival? OMG that is one festival I would love to attend! It's so wonderful that you have your mother available as a resource and that you have carried on her cooking traditions.
It was a fun time with the class! I hope to teach again in late summer. Maybe more dumplings, maybe something else.
Indeed, I'm feeling mighty lucky these days that my mom is around and feisty.
The dumpling class was so fun! In order toake dumplings with ready made wrappers, I need to drive an hour from where I live(Port Townsend, Wa.)& need too busy to do so. But I will! When o.lived in Portland it was so easy to find a plethora of Asian grocery stores. Not here though.
Thanks again. Hope you do more online classes!
Sasha
andshecooks@gmail.com
Sasha! I've been to Port Townsend and it is a nice spot but not a dumpling hub. But now you can create one in your home from ingredients that are within reach! Thanks for spreading the Asian dumpling joy.
My husband grew up putting a slice of bread in the bottom of a bowl and spooning canned fruit and a portion of the juice over it. It’s still one of his favorite snacks. When I’m sick the only thing that tastes good to me is the juice from canned peaches. So he gets the peaches and I get all the juice.
I suppose that slice of bread (especially if its the squishy white kind) plus the canned fruit becomes like cake. Such a simple comfort.