CHRISTMAS COMES TO SHANGHAI

Had not expected to be seeing so much Christmas activity around Shanghai. As the Chinese don't celebrate Christmas I had thought, quite wrongly as it turns out, that it would be business as usual in the city.

But I guess the commercial lure of the season is just to much to ignore. So all around the city signs of the Festive Season are on display. From huge Grottos to a few bells and tinsel it seems everyone is jumping on the bandwagon.

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love everything connected to the season. Even the shopping, although here in Shanghai this is somewhat easier than at home as the shops are not all crowded with hoards of Christmas shoppers It is really business as usual here, so no queues for coffee or lunch when out on the weekend shopping trip. It is really very pleasant surroundings in which to seek out these special gifts for people we love. 

If anyone I love is reading this please don't get excited by the photo above, it is only to let you see the decorations, not an indication of where I have been shopping. 

Even my local coffee shop has decorated the windows and is offering Christmas mugs for sale. I just had to buy some and was really delighted that the boxes they came in actually played a Christmas song. Think they might be recycled in the coming weeks. 

If you are interested it plays "We wish You a Merry Christmas."

I will not be spending the festive season in Shanghai but will be heading home to Scotland, to be with the family. I am so excited about it, can't wait to be with them. However, thanks to the world commercialism connected to the season I can start the build up before I head on home.

One thing that took a bit of the shine of the Christmas Spirit was seeing a box of Cadbury's Chocolate Fingers, christmas packing, on sale for 88RMB, in real money £8.80. Seriously does anyone want one so much that they are willing to pay this? Think, or at least hoping not.

So I will be happily preparing for the trip home, shopping in comfort, in reasonable temperatures, enjoying coffees and listening to the Christmas music being played everywhere. I will not however be enjoying a Cadbury Chocolate Finger anytime soon!

SCOTS in SHANGHAI

Saturday night saw us "amongst oor ain folk". We were attending an evening hosted by a young couple who have fairly recently arrived in Shanghai. The get together was to bring Scots they had met together, to eat, drink and be merry, which as Scots we can do very well. An evening like this was bound to be a success.

I have to say we were not all Scots, an Irish couple had slipped through the net! I think they qualified as fellow Celts, and the host himself was only there because of his Scottish connection, his fiance, so we really had to accept him, and a couple of English ladies, with Scottish husbands, into the fold. Everyone warmly welcomed only criteria, have fun. And we all did.

Our hosts had done a wonderful job of pulling it all together, not just the assembled company, but also the delicious Scottish fare on offer. People had brought along various Scottish dishes and the hostess had worked really hard to produce some delicious food. I had taken along Scotch eggs, always a favourite, and some tablet  http://thecelticcook.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=tablet click on this for recipe.
However I was not alone in producing tablet, but there is never such a thing a too much, so I'm sure as the week went on the supply grew smaller. There was soup, a good wholesome broth, shepherds pie, stovies, an Irish stew, and a bowl of turnips, Shanghai style. Not a bad thing, they were delicious. It is just that some things are not so easy to track down here and sometimes you have to be prepared to compromise. But as far as I could tell it was a turnip dish, okay maybe a few varieties but pulled together tasted good. An attempt had been made to recreate the famous "square sausage" I did not get around to tasting it, but as people were tucking into rolls filled with it there didn't seem to be much wrong with it. There were even tattie scones and skirlie on offer.

The table groaned with a good old Scottish "Bill of Fayre" and everyone got stuck in. Desserts were also on offer, apple crumble, pancakes and jam to name but a few. I'm full thinking about it. "Fu tae burstin' " as a Scot might say, or as we are in China perhaps we should be saying, "wo chi bao le" A truly international blog today folks! 

Anyway, wine, food and conversation flowed. New aquaintances were forged and business cards exchanged. I am sure we will be spending more time with some of these people as our paths cross during our time in Shanghai. There is a comfort in chatting with people who know how you think, know where you come from, and are accepting of new cultures, not only of accepting but embracing them. We shared with these people the experience of living far from home,  the fun and challenges that go hand in hand with it. Until you have done this it is difficult to understand, and for a few hours on a Saturday night in Shanghai we were all able to share tales of here and of home. 

So a big thank you to our hosts. To organise this after such a short time here tells me that they will fit in. You have to put yourself out there and make the best of your time here and this was a great way of doing that. I'm sure many invites will come their way.

I had only one slight regret about the evening. 

And that was I had decided to wear my tartan shoes in celebration of the Scottish night.

6" heels + 4 hours standing = "sair feet" 

"Hell mend you" I can hear my mother say.  Fellow Scots will I'm sure know this phrase.

So a big thank you to our kind hosts. Here's to many more nights like this.

AUTUMN in SHANGHAI

Today is a beautiful day here in Shanghai. The sun is shining, the skies are blue and it is a perfect cool 16c. The hot humidity of summer has gone leaving everyone feeling more comfortable. The trees are still green, which feels strange but there is a definite feel of Autumn.

This is the time of year I love. I love being able to pull on woolies and to feel cozy and warm. Especially at night when outside it is much chillier and I can cozy up with my magazines, a good book, DVD or on the rare occasion when there is something worth watching on the TV. I feel so happy at this time of the year.

However I do miss being at home. I don't miss the rain and grey skies, but I do miss beautiful colours of the trees and the build up to Christmas, which will now be well under way at the moment. Here of course there is no Christmas, but there are signs of some places cashing in on the ex pats love of this time. Not too much, but a hint of the commercial side of this holiday.

One thing I love to do on these cooler nights is to get back into the kitchen and start cooking some homely warming dishes. Often in summer it is just too hot to put the cooker on. Hard to believe I know but can be the case.

So not quite cold enough for stews and thick soups, but I have made a few delicious soups and look forward to a nice big stew cooking away all day in the slow cooker. I love the smell when I come home and the house and is filled with a nice aroma of supper. I think smells are the one thing that stimulates the brain most. Smells can transport me back into my Gran's kitchen, to Mum's kitchen on baking day and even back to the school dining room. All very evocative of good times. Great memories all prompted by the smell of cooking.

Anyway it was a creamy risotto I turned to this week. A nice comforting dish to be had any time of the year. But as the mushrooms were looking so good at the market this week a risotto seemed the obvious dish.

I choose a big bag of different kinds and set off home to make supper. I knew this dish would please my husband. One of his favourites.

I used to be afraid of attempting risottos, but once you make a few then you realise just how easy it is.

I cannot buy arborio rice here but with so many choices I chose one which looked much like the one I use at home. I knew as long as I could get the starch out of it then I would be fine.

A splash of oil, a finely chopped onion, a small glass of wine and some gently boiling stock was all I needed.

 

I gently sweated the onion before adding the rice. I stirred to coat it in oil the added the glass of wine and stirred until it evaporated. I then started to add the stock a cup at a time all the while stirring gently, coaxing it into a nice creamy dish. There should still be a bit of a bite in the centre of the rice, so constant tasting is essential.

I fry the mushrooms in a splash of oil and knob of butter. I also season them well with salt and pepper. Once the rice is ready I season it then add the cooked mushrooms. Mixing it all together.

To finish off I sometimes add a handful of grated parmesan, or to make it a really special and extra creamy a spoonful of marscapone will do the trick. This is for special suppers only, not for mid week nights.

So soon we were tucking into a nice bowl of risotto and of course nothing to do but drink the rest of the wine which I had used to cook with. We both enjoyed it. The mushrooms were really earthy and delicious. A very satisfying supper indeed.

CHINESE COOKING CLASS

Yesterday I went to my first Chinese cooking class. Although I do what I can at home I wanted to check out the real way to cook good Chinese food. We were a group of 10, two celts, two Germans and the rest of the group were American. Our teacher, Mike, was in fact Korean, and not Chinese, so were were truly a multi cultural group.

The class started with a trip to a wet market, much like the one I use, only this one was much bigger. Mike helped out answering our question on some of the more unusual fruits and vegetables, giving us tips on how to prepare and cook them. I love being able to but fresh bamboo shoots, fresh dates and fresh water chestnuts. It's great to see all the rows of neatly arranged produce just waiting to be be turned into something delicious. 

Then on past the rows of rice. So many different kinds, one good for sticky rice, another better for fried one for boiled, it goes on and on. I am still experimenting with the different types. It seems they all turn out to be sticky by the time I've cooked them. I'll crack it eventually.

No hard sell here. "Man,man lai" is a phrase they use here which means take it easy, and I think the person photographed here is taking the advice very seriously. Anyway a group of foreigners are probably not going to be his biggest buyers today.

We continued our trip around the market, finding new and interesting things around every corner. Some of the things and smells not so pleasant. But you kind of get used to that here, and it doesn't bother me as it did in the beginning, although  few of the ladies were very new to Shanghai and found some things very difficult to deal with. I know it's not how we do things in the west, but it's not so long ago you would find live chickens at markets and be able to buy parts we no longer use, although it seems there is a new revival of nose to tail eating. Easy to find that here.

YES LIVE PIGEONS FOR SALE................

 AND YES BELOW IS A SELECTION OF BIRD HEADS FOR YOUR DELECTATION

My husband had duck head for lunch this week, not sure why. He said it tasted fine but here wasn't much eating in it. Really! A big part of the Chinese enjoyment of food it chewing and sucking on bones. Not for me, especially when they are spat out on to the table in front of you. There are things here which I don't think I'll ever get really used to. But it is all a great experience, one I would not have missed.

So as we wandered around, a group of women many meeting each other for the first time, we had fun getting to know each other. Finding what had brought us all to this amazing city, mostly our husbands! We were a group of lucky ladies looking for things to do in our adopted city, and there is never a shortage of things to do. I find the thing is there is almost too much to do, and to see. So meeting at this class meant from the get go we all had something in common, a love of cooking, or for eating, and most of all a wish to become more familiar with the cuisine of Shanghai.

Soon were all back in the kitchen, chopping and preparing. Mike had good English and explained the dishes well. We were cooking Shanghai Noodles, Spicy Green Beans and Mike would demonstrate a Spicy Chicken Stir Fry. It always amazes me at just how few condiments and spices are used to produce the amazing flavours. Garlic, ginger, dried chillies, light and dark soy sauce, pinch of sugar and salt and a shake of pepper are the only flavourings we used. Although in the Shanghai Noodle dish we did put a pinch of five spice. I am always surprised at how few spices are actually used to produce such wonderful flavours.

The green beans were the first dish produced and we all tucked into them. It was surprising how all the dishes tasted a little different depending on how much of the various spices we added. But they all tasted good.

So the afternoon progressed, we were creating new dishes and at the same time making new friendships. I was a great afternoon. All too soon it was time to go our separate  ways. We had all gained an insight into new ways of cooking. Some of us would be trying out these dishes as soon as we could. Some of us would probably never cook them, but had enjoyed the company and the fun of the day spent in the company of like minded women. We will probably meet up again at various events and classes, some of us will have made new friend. But whatever people get out of these events one thing is for sure is that they are always fun.

So thank you ladies, and thank you Mike for helping make my time in Shanghai a great one, and for creating another memory of my time spent here. 

Cheers!

HAIRY CRAB SEASON

Tanks of crabs in shop

The Hairy Crab Season has arrived in Shanghai. Ever since arriving here, seven months ago, I have been hearing about this delicacy. They are in season through October and November, and people go crazy for them. Shops open up selling only hairy crabs. People sell them from buckets in the street, and it seems that every restaurant you go into is selling them. There is no getting away from the hairy crabs.

Market seller

 Believe it or not there are even "fake" crabs for sale. Fake in the sense that they are tagged with fake tags stating they are from the best crab areas. This must be the silliest fake I have heard of here, apart from maybe the fake IKEA store which looked exactly like the IKEA we know and love, except the furniture was all pre built to look exactly like the original. Now anyone who has struggled with assembly of any flat packs I'm sure would welcome this, fake or not.

Knowing that it was only a matter of time before we were either, invited out to eat these little crustaceans, or gifted some, I though I should find out as much as I could about the cooking and eating of them. From what I could see there would be very little to eat as they are not big.

If you are wondering why they are called hairy crabs, it is because there is hair in the claws and legs. Unfortunately you can't see this in the photographs.

My language teacher kindly brought in a video of what to do. I learned all the appropriate lingo and watched with care. 

Hairy Crabs

 As I had thought, there is not a lot of eating in a hairy crab. In fact the Chinese suck the roe, and sorry to say the sperm from the bodies, as that is all that is left once the heart, intestine and gills are removed. The heart was a big no no, on no account should we eat this. I know, the thought of it made me feel quite ill too. I made sure I could tell the sex of the crab, I could probably manage a bit of roe.

 Hope you are staying with me!

Well the day came. My husband texted me on the way home from work to say he had "the crabs" My did we titter! Anyway, a very kind colleague had gifted us a bag of crabs. So now I would have to put my knowledge, and my stomach to the test.

Crabs arrived in a very nice weaved parcel. Inside were eight crabs.

So I set about preparing them. I put the water on to boil. I had been told to add beer and ginger to it to give more flavour. Who am I to argue? I put the crabs into the steaming basket, popped on the lid, placed the basket on top of the boiling water and waited for them to turn pink. 

Ready for the pot

In 12 minutes they were looking ready to eat. Nice and pink.

I carefully removed them from the steamer and cut away the string. I placed them on a board with the mixture of back vinegar and grated ginger sauce for dipping.

Prepared for eating

As you can now probably see from the picture they are not so big. Not quite as big as my hand. The claws were about the size of the top of my thumb, and from what I was thinking there wasn't going to much meat in there.

So finally my thought on Hairy Crab. Sorry, but I have to be honest and say there was way too much effort for too little return. Give me a nice, sweet, large  Dungeness crab any day. At least there is nice chunks of crab to eat, not just a lot of sucking out little pieces. 

I am happy to have had the experience, but won't be rushing to do it again.

WINE SHOPPING

One of the things which is very expensive to buy in Shanghai is wine. Of course, as with all imported goods it carries a heftier price tag, and as yet we have not found a Chinese wine which we would buy.

Our supplies were running very low so it was good to hear that our local supermarket would be holding it's bi-annual wine sale. 2 for 3, 3 for 4, 4 for 5 or 5 for 6 depending on what you bought. On top of that there was another 20% off the total. A sale we could not miss.

Lots of samples on offer helped us make our choice. Well not quite, as we already had a good idea as to what we wanted, but who would refuse a free sample? We could have been missing out on some fantastic product as yet unknown to us. A risk too big to take lol.

Soon we were being followed by a variety of people all trying to push their wines. But we stayed focused on our search, picked out a friendly face and she helped us navigate our way through the wine marquee to our chosen wines. Pinot Noirs, French, Chianti Ruffino, Riojas, Australian Sauvignon Blanc, always a safe bet, French Chardonnay, yes I know it's not as fashionable as it once was but I like it! What can I say? A case of Prosecco  completed our purchase. However we had to go to another cash desk to get free wines. It was chaos. However we remained patient, I pointed out they had not given us all our free bottles! I wonder how many people were done out of a bottle or two amid the chaos. I was not to be detracted, and we soon had our full entitlement and made our way home.

Our driver seemed somewhat bemused as he loaded it all into the boot, but was delighted with the bottle we gave him. He must wonder what we are up to.

So wine racks looking very healthy, with some to spare. So no popping out for an odd bottle or two. Hopefully this will stretch until the next sale in the spring, or am I being a tad optimistic there? 

Cheers everyone!

SHANGHAI TENNIS MASTERS

I was very happy to be at the final of the Shanghai Masters on Sunday. I was even happier that a fellow Scot, Andy Murray, had made it through to the final. As he was playing Djokovic I knew this would be a great match to see. This was to be my first live tennis event and I was really excited about it.

We arrived at the stadium with lots of time to spare. A wander around the various eating, drinking and retail areas, a quick bite of lunch and we were all set. The stadium looked amazing. The roof is in the design of a lotus flower. When the roof is closed all the points of the flower come together to meet in the centre. It must be amazing to see the "petals" swivel inwards.

However, as it was a beautiful late summer afternoon the roof would remain open. It was so nice to be sitting outdoors, wearing t-shirts this late in the year. Even when we were leaving the venue at around 9-00pm there was no need for a coat or even a cardi. Is this really mid October?

So we settled down to watch the doubles final. Have to confess it was not so exciting. It seemed that more than half the stadium was empty at this point. Obviously everyone was waiting for the big event. But I feel as we had the tickets for the day, why not enjoy as much as we could.

Soon it was time for Murray and Djokovic come onto the court. The stadium was now filling up and the atmosphere had changed significantly. A great game was about to begin.

The crowd were cheering on both players, and I was surprised by the number of Chinese people carrying Scottish banners, flags, and Murray banners. This accompanied by shouts of "Mullay, Mullay" made me smile. Yes, the Chinese do pronounce "r's" as "l's". It was really funny. The game was soon underway and as expected it was a great one. Both players playing a hard fast game. From the beginning you could sense it could go either way. Obviously our hearts were with Murray and we were willing him on. No one was giving an inch and the first set eventually went to Murray much to our delight. 

Second set was also very close but Murray just couldn't close on it, although had a couple of match points. Still a third set was okay by me. Sadly it was not to be Andy's night in Shanghai. He had won this final for the last two years, but tonight Djokovic won through. It was not a walkover by any means, it was a great final.

Did the outcome spoil my day? Not in the slightest. I saw a wonderful game of tennis in a wonderful city, and it is another wonderful memory of my time here. Can't be much wrong with that.

I think these two players are about to dominate the tennis world for the next few years. The number one and two spots will be theirs. The next generation of tennis superstars. Can I dare hope to see them play again? I certainly hope so, maybe next time the result will be different.

My experiences in Shanghai just go on and on. I am so very lucky.