What's for Dinner #30 - The Hearts & Flowers Edition - Feb '18

Congee is perfect!
The hotel we stay at in shanghai offers congee at breakfast, garnishes include scallions, cilantro, fresh bean sprouts, black vinegar, pork floss, soy sauce eggs (i think they’re just like tea eggs but with soy), chili oil, and something like a dumpling dipping sauce that is a vinegar/soy/sesame oil mix. The breakfast also offers a fried rice, savory dim sum, and of course regular steamed white rice. And a noodle dish that has veggies and some sort of sausage in it (that i have not tried), there’s also sauteed cheery tomatoes that split in a simple soy sauce and oil but I can’t tell if that’s for the chinese portion or british portion since the british whole sausages are next to it…

Another thought, back when i ate eggs more often i would buy cans of hard boiled peeled quail eggs in chinatown groceries, they were just $2-3 for a good sized can, i would just rinse and chill or warm up. Those could work as a congee garnish and also be ready when you are for them.

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Also one of my favorites with congee. I eat it dipped in soy sauce with my congee or regular rice.
Another confident smtucker can buy is jelly fish. It also comes prepared with either hot sauce or sesame oil and other spices. They were reasonable at around $1.50/pouch, on sale last time I purchased for my sister at 4 for $5.00. They were crunchy and nicely spiced. They keep in the pouch without refrigeration.
This is another suggestion but maybe for personal use as they have to be freshly made- Chinese Crullers ( YU TIAO) almost like doughnuts but savory if preferred with congee or rolled in sugar served with coffee.

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Yet another day of Crazy nonstop, lunch was basically an almond milk cafe au lait, half a clif builder bar and later in the afternoon a bucket of throat coat tea since i had to talk too much today.
Once I finally escaped i had a subway platform vendor pretzel packet appetizer.
Made a very important detour to find the pear hard cider i like

I just rewarmed my coconut kale tofu leftovers from last night (potentially even better today!) and had my hard cider. Dessert will be kombucha and probably a spoon of mixed nut butter, hoping to sleep without nyquil.

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It is/was. I feel so much better! My fantasy Chinese grandmother is smiling down on me.

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Glad to see someone else has a fantasy grandmother. Whenever my eaters say they want more sauce with their pasta, I tell them my Italian grandmother said no.

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The eggs are what we call century egg per Mr. Happy’s advise. They are great with congee.
They are sold in many Asian stores, and yes, the typical dipping sauce is vinegar/ss/sesame oil . I add garlic too with a bit of hot sauce
The sausage may be what we call in Fujien dialect Ian Jiang .
My son refuse to eat them as they are not healthy food…
At Costco, they are sold $9.99 for 2 packs of 1 pound 5 oz labeled as KAM YEN JAN made in USA .
They are not vacuum packed, not refrigerated Costco, but I do when I buy them, I throw it in my fridge. I love them just sliced thin diagonally, pan fried until the fat is rendered, take the fat out, and add scrambled eggs or use it with fried rice or to my steamed turnip cake .They are very reasonable as you get 2 packs of 1 lbs 5 oz for $9.99, cheaper than in Asian store .

In terms of nutrition, these sausages are far, far from nutritious. One can’t be too surprised as the second ingredient is pork fat. One sausage link packs in 240 calories, 190 of which are from fat. There are 21 grams of total fat, 7 grams of saturated, 50 mg of cholesterol, 650 mg of sodium, and 9 grams of protein. The ingredients for the sausages are: pork, pork fat, sugar, soy sauce, salt, grain alcohol, sodium nitrite, sodium erythorbate, in beef collagen casings.

Do you always cater your guests. I am turning my house into Air b@b this spring. Just wondering.

carbonara-ish dish tonight - tagliatelle, TJs applewood-smoked bacon, eggs, parm regg, pecorino, black pepper, parsley. Salad on the side of arugula with walnut oil and sherry vinegar. simples.


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Another Beauty, MARIA. :plate_with_cutlery:

Porky chicken tacos. Turn last night’s wings into a foe carnitas. Avocado , cheddar cheese totally against the rules. Cilantro mixed with red onion and white onion. Squeeze of lime good to go. Wine to drink🍷 cheers

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Weirdo messed up picture again.

Many good suggestions here already. I personally love the pork floss, chopped green onion. I think some people may like some chili oil. Deep fried green onion, garlic is classic. Personally, I hate century egg, tried it when I was young, tried it recently, texture is weird. I would prefer preserved duck egg (especially the yolk) to add the saltiness.

Sometimes with fish congee, peanut is added.

How about dried baby shrimp? Freezes well.
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If you make beef congee, sliced ginger, green onion with soy sauce is good.
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For the full cantonese experience, deep-fried dough stick (You Tiao) is great to add crunchiness. I think you can freeze the dough, and deep fry them in the morning for the guest.
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Being creative, you can add nori or katsuobushi, but they are not the traditional way.

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Art on the wall!

One of the deep buttons is perfect for the glass. But still… my stomach would flutter if something moves. :relaxed:

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My cat will probably knock the glass down when he tries to examine the beef. :smile_cat:
Or better, he would have already got rid of the sofa’s buttons slowly one by one. My cushion with a button was a victim.

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The steak looks perfect. The brussels too

Last night was a classic meatloaf and mashed for my husband and me. Good comfort food on a cool night.

My vegetarian son had leftover ricotta filling from some eggplant rollatini mixed with eggs and leftover kale that had been braised with browned onions, garlic and aleppo peppers, mixed with a couple of beaten eggs and some grated manchego. It was thrown together, but actually pretty tasty. IMG_1882

The leftover kale was from a vegetarian carbonara-esque from the night before. It was also pretty tasty tossed with lots of parm and romano.

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Perhaps this was to be directed to me? I don’t believe that @ccj has an AirBNB.

Lol, I tell my husband all the time that those buttons are not drink holders, but he never listens. As for the cats…they got their share in the kitchen, so no need to explore our plates. Spoiled brats. :heart_eyes_cat:

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I do, as they are my son’s friends. They come and stay mostly overnight because our house is too far from the city to drive home and we would feel guilty if they have an accident. Coming here means drinks, lots of wine and beer. Food is always on the house but they always bring wine, sometimes appetizer or dessert or I have to make dessert which my son prefers that we don’t. Some of them stay till 2:00-3:00 AM, have a nap and leave. Others stay till after breakfast. We also often have guests from foreign counties, as my son’s business is in Amsterdam and travels there and other countries, gets entertained there and we return favor being so close to DC . Although the house is large, it is not meant for overnight guest but for entertaining. There are only 3 BR, I converted the third BR to a sitting room as we need had guest staying overnight. However, there are lots of couches. For the 3 day party Christmas, they brought air mattrress. That is why I buy a lot, from Costco. never know I had been asked to use it for wedding photography which I agree to but the photographer prefers wedding for 100 people here, set up a tent and catered. It is rather tempting but I am not sure I want that as there would be lots of wear and tear here although I was told that only certain parts of the house would be available for guest. Maybe if I am broke enough, I will agree. But for the meantime, I am reluctant.