Winter Melon Soup10/5/2011 Winter Melon Soup I remember as a kid, coming home to the welcoming smell of the long slow cooked soups that Mom made. Now, Alex has moved into his own apartment and he surprised me by saying, he misses the Chinese soups we make at home . . . . and the other night, Katie asked me to teach her how to make Winter Melon Soup. See my recipe here.
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Gahm Mi Oak Restaurant - Koreatown NYC10/4/2011 Sul Lang Tang is a Korean soup of beef bones boiled carefully until the stock turns white. Whenever we visit Los Angeles, we always order Sul Lang Tang as San Francisco doesn't seem to have a Korean Restaurant that serves a good one.
Gahm Mi Oak Restaurant in Manhattan's Koreatown on 37th Street near Broadway -- and right around the corner from the Empire State Building -- serves a superior Sul Lang Tang. Chris has declared it perhaps better than our Los Angeles favorite. The intense beef flavored soup with slices of beef comes steaming hot. Season it yourself at the table from large bowls of salt and slices of green onions. This is a dish that isn't easy to attempt at home. One the surface it is easy, but getting the right flavor and color seems mysterious to me. When I went by the kitchen, the stove seemed to be a clay- like structure. They wouldn't let me take a picture so I guess it is their "secret". 4 Star Theater - San Francisco9/28/2011 SF Chinatown's Great Star Theater Back in the day, San Francisco Chinatown boasted at least 5 movie theaters. My favorite was the Great Star Theater on Jackson between Kearney and Grant Avenue and across the street from the old Sai Yuen Restaurant where my grandfather was an owner. It was at the Great Star Theater that I saw all the great Shaw Brothers Martial Arts films during the 1970's. Sadly they are all gone. The 4 Star Theater on outer Clement is about the only place to see the latest martial art films from Asia. The theater itself is pretty plain and doesn't have the grandeur of the Castro. It doesn't matter. Kudos to the owner for keeping this tradition alive.
As part of my studies to become a docent at the Asian Art Museum, I'm studying Indian art. The Hindu God Ganesha is an auspicious symbol and believed to be the remover of obstacles and often found at the entrances to temples.
According to the Hindu stories, Ganesha is the son of the Hindu God Shiva and his wife Parvati. Shiva cut off his head by accident, but restored him to life by giving him the head of an elephant -- elephants being symbols of fertility and plenty. This lively sculpture is particularly nice with the curve of his trunk echoed by the curve of his dancing body followed by the curve of his hands. His holds an upraised weapon to cut away obstacles, a bowl to sweets to feast upon, and his broken tusk - broken in a battle with a demon. D & A Cafe Steamed Eggs9/12/2011 I've written about Chris' work on perfecting steamed eggs - Chinese style with just a dash of soy sauce on top and in this photo a sprinkle of green onions for color. D&A Cafe on Clement near 5th Avenue in the Inner Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco is know for its inexpensive Chinese food with generous portions. While some of their dishes are better for quantity rather than quality, their steamed eggs are as good as any.
The surface is smooth to allow the soy sauce to glaze the top evenly and the texture of the steamed eggs itself is like the best custard without air bubbles and barely set. I'm happy to say that Chris' last effort matched this, but I didn't take a picture. You'll just have to take my word. You can see her previous effort here. Carving of Ganga: This small carving (about 15" high) is the subject of my first practice presentation I am giving as part of my Asian Art Museum docent training. The sculpture is of Ganga the Hindu Deity of the Ganges River. People growing up familiar with the Hindu tradition would recognize the lotus flower in her left hand and a water vessel in her right hand and symbols representing Ganga. She is standing on a mythical water creature called a makara. Hindus believe that all who came into the path of Ganga would be purified.
The deity Ganga and the Ganges River are one and the same. According to Hindu mythology, Ganga came down from the heavens to form the Ganges River originating in the Himalayas, flowing 1500 miles through North India into the Ganges River Basin in Bangladesh and into the Bay of Bengal. The identification with water is significant for Ganga. For centuries and to this day people flock to bathe in the Ganges River to be purified of sins. My presentation went well. San Wang Pea Sprouts9/8/2011 I don't usually expect much in the way of leafy green vegetables from San Wang Restaurant in San Francisco. I usually order their spicy egg plant or dry-fried green beans - both highly seasoned dishes. This restaurant is owned by Chinese owners who have lived in Korea and the wait staff speaks fluent Korean. Their approach to vegetables seems very different form Cantonese restaurants.
I was surprised to find their chowed pea sprouts cooked to perfection, the bright green of the vegetables still vivid and appealing. Seasoned simply, it was a great accompaniment to the braised fish and hand pulled noodles. Some of my earliest childhood memories come from the House of Chung restaurant in Reedley, CA where I watched the chefs shaking the heavy woks and tossing the ingredients, cooking them quickly. The oils in the wok would sometimes vaporize and with the tossing, the oils would ignite in a dazzling display. Wok cooking is hard work. Any chef that has spent years behind a Chinese stove probably has burn scars on their arms to show for it.
That said, I grew up listening to elders wax longingly about the nature of wok hay an how this nuance to the dish is only possible with intense heat cooking in a wok and with an experienced cook who knows how to time the addition of ingredients and the length of cooking. There is little margin for error and when done right, it is incredible. The most humble of ingredients can be wonderful. San Francisco native, Grace Young has written extensively on this subject and published several cookbooks. Chinese Typeface9/1/2011 For two thousand years, Chinese writing has been defined by the brush with it's fluid nuances. It doesn't translate too well to typesetting. Most Chinese fonts you see need to be appreciated on its own terms.
This poster I saw rendered the Chinese character for dancing (wu) rather nicely - giving it a sensual quality that recalls a brush. The softly rounded voids formed by the intersection of the vertical and horizontal strokes -- heightened by the lime green outline -- give the "wu" character a soft focus look and a sense of movement -- appropriate for the word "dance". Thai House Express - San Francisco8/31/2011 Moving from one block to the next can make a great change in neighborhoods in San Francisco. In some instances, just crossing the street can make a difference. The south-west corner of Geary and Larkin is just plain nasty! Cross the street to the north and you start leaving the bad parts of the Tenderloin. Not posh mind you, but better.
Thai House Express is located on the north-west corner of Geary and Larkin. It is our favorite Thai restaurant in the City. The staff is friendly and there is an open kitchen. Of all the cuisines, Thai seems to be the spiciest and they ask how spicy you would like the food. Medium seems to be hot enough for me. If you like fried bananas with coconut ice cream, they have it here. AuthorCatagories
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