A confused parsley?

Is that P-C? Or would this parsley prefer to be called "a mixed herb"?

"What would you like to go with that?"

We found this on the supermarket near our hotel in Yangshou.

Lunch at Dazhai Village

We have been travelling since 3 pm the previous day. When we arrived at Dazhai Village, it was just about time for lunch and we still have an hour of uphill climb before we reach our accommodation.

We were not only tired but very hungry as well. My travel companion knows how I get very cranky when I am hungry so we ordered the fastest and simplest lunch.

First to arrive was the bitter melon omelette which was not at all bitter. The owner of the restaurant claims the eggs are free-range, from chicken raised in the mountain.



And of course, rice...there has to be rice. Lots of it. The rice was served on a nice little wooden bucket. Rustic but very nice.



Next came the tofu wedges which were filled with meat and herbs.


And as always in a Chinese table, there's hot tea. Here's my tiny bowl crammed with food.


I do not have pictures of the aftermath but I practically cleared everything! A few more cups of tea and we're happy to go.

Pang-inggit!

Look what I found in the market! These tamarinds are from the Philippines.

Look at these! Aren't they gorgeous? And they are really sweet!

Pork Nilaga (or what happens when I clear the fridge)

I’m going on a trip to China for a long Easter weekend so on Sunday I thought about clearing the fridge of left-over vegetables. There‘s half a radish ( the radish in Hong Kong is really huge!), a carrot, a medium-sized potato and a small head of wong nga bak (Chinese cabbage). But I could not make anything of those veggies unless I add something. I decided I will make pork nilaga because it’s really easy.

I know radish is for sinigang, not nilaga, but I don’t think the nilaga will complain anyway! You might ask – then why not simply cook sinigang? Well, I do think the carrot and the potato would not feel comfortable in sinigang, don’t you? Of course a proper nilaga should have more than just those veggies (green beans, leeks, perhaps a plantain or two) but remember I was just clearing my fridge!

So I went to the meat shop to get a pound of fresh pork (the neck part). Then I picked up a piece of chayote from the store just to make it more colorful. I boiled the meat with salt, an onion and a few black peppercorns for an hour. I didn't even have to keep an eye on it. Then I threw in the chunks of veggies, cooking it for another 30 minutes. I added the cabbage just before I turned the heat off.

Here's the nilaga after an hour and a half.



I grew up in a household where you have to watch your nilaga – at least until it boils - to skim off the scum and to prevent the scum from froathing…or it’s going to be messy, and the broth is not too appealing. But I find that if I boil the water first before adding the pork ( or any meat for that matter), and then turning the heat to the minimum as soon as the meat is added, I don’t get scum. Also, if you wash the meat properly before you add it into the boiling water, it’s the kind of scum that you wouldn’t care about. Try.

Cannellini Beans (White Kidney Beans)

I have been experimenting with beans ever since I saw this post.




I couldn’t easily find cannellini beans the first try so I used butter beans instead. The result was pretty good. Really good in fact that I decided I had to do it using cannellini beans.

I was once in the Happy Valley neighbourhood and went to the branch of an Italian Deli popular in Hong Kong. As it would turn out, they have cannellini beans! I was so excited I grabbed 2 cans but realized that between my already heavy backpack and the commute to Lamma Island, it would be wiser to just get a can and hoped that I could be back in the neighbourhood anytime soon. But the beans are not as good as I was dreaming it to be. Unlike the butter beans which stay whole even after 40 minutes of cooking, these cannellini beans break apart so easily. In fact, I couldn’t find a whole bean when I opened the can!

On another try, I found from a local supermarket an English brand but the beans are hard - I had to boil it for a good hour using fresh water before I could actually use it. Now before I bring out the knife and the chopping board, I would first open the can and check the quality of the beans. Though it’s easy enough to buy dry beans and boil it away for 2-3 hours, I prefer to just head out to the nearest supermarket and hope before I open the can that it’s good beans inside.

Cannellini Beans

Ingredients :
1 can Cannellini Beans ( about 400 grams), drained, set the liquid aside
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped bell pepper (red or green)
2 tbs chopped Italian parsley

2 tbs olive oil
a clove of garlic, sliver
1/4 cup chopped white onion
1 tbs tomato paste

1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp paprika
a pinch of dried chilli flakes
1/4 cup of water
salt


Here's how I cook it –

1. On a medium heated pot, saute garlic and onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add carrot, celery and bell pepper and continue sweating for about 3 minutes.

2. Add the salt, tomato paste, chilli flakes, cumin, coriander and paprika . Stir thru for about a minute.

3. Add the cannellini beans, half of the drained liquid and water. Stir and put the lid on.

4. Let on a gentle simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring once in a while to prevent from sticking at the bottom of the pan. Add a little more water as necessary - the idea is to make a stew.

5. And just before taking it off the stove, add the parsley.

I prefer to top it on a bowl of steaming rice (white or a combination of red/brown) or on toast, preferably whole wheat or 5-grain bread as it gives a nicer crunch. Scrumptious!

ETT at TAG

The Amateur Gourment was at Elvie's Turo Turo in NYC. Read it here.