A TRIP to TEA GARDENS in YUNNAN

Have been so lucky to have an amazing trip to Yunnan to visit, amongst other things, a Tea garden. After 2 flights, one 3 hour and the other a one hour flight, we were picked up in jeeps and started a 5 hour journey to Cangyuan which is a Wa autonomous area, the Wa being an ancient Chinese tribe. It is situated next to the Myanmar border. We were extremely lucky to be able to go to the border and walk across the no man's land between China and Myanmar. We were lucky to have been introduced to a lady who worked as a border official and she escorted us there.

 The journey was challenging especially once it turned dark. But we did arrive safely to a very warm welcome. Hotel was very nice, new, huge and basically empty of people. We were also to discover hot water was not always on tap as we have become used to, and that the Chinese favour very hard beds!

Next morning we started our journey, again not an easy journey to reach the tea garden. At one point very close to the final destination we were told we had to walk the next bit. So off we went up a fairly steep and very muddy hill only to find jeeps waiting at the top. The reason for the hike? Well apparently the people of this area believe people should connect with the land to have a real experience. I love these traditions, or beliefs as they are in this part of the world. 

The scenery was amazing. Tea plants growing all over the terraced hillsides, but there was also tobacco plants, sugar cane and along the roadsides pomegranate trees and pumpkin plants. Not a spare piece of land, every piece was cultivated.

On arriving at the gardens we were of course welcomed with cups of tea. Not the cups we are used to but tiny cups all prepared by 2 young Wa girls resplendent in their traditional costumes. 

A walk around the gardens and even an opportunity to pick some leaves made us very happy. It was such an honour to be able to do this. The hard conditions made me realise that I should never complain about the price of my cuppa!

Conditions here for the workers are very good. Twinings in conjunction with Save the Children have been investing in a school and a centre for the people. It includes recreational areas and also a medical centre with a birthing facility. It was really very impressive, and the people are very happy with this facility. It is now being used as a model for the area. 

We were then treated to a delicious lunch. Simple honest food, fresh and very local. I swear I heard the chickens squeal prior to our lunch! This was foraging at it's best, and it tasted oh so good as we squatted down on low stools to enjoy what was put before us.

I was even lucky enough to get a behind the scenes look at the kitchens. All food was cooked in a home kitchen, these were not restaurants as we know them. Conditions were challenging, not great, unlike the food that came out of them.

This was a trip I will remember for a long time.

My morning cuppa has a greater meaning now. A dunk of a tea bag into a mug a thing of the past, for now at least. I will savour the leaves, allow them to brew and drink it throughout the day. 

Maybe, well no I definitely have way too many gadgets in my kitchen, and I produce food no better than I ate on this trip. Perhaps it's time to say goodbye to a few of them. 

This was an amazing trip and I feel very privileged to have been able to visit and eat and drink with these people. I look forward to a return visit from them when hopefully I can repay their kindness and hospitality. Truly a trip I will never forget.

GALA DAY BAG SHANGHAI STYLE

Some of you will get this, mostly the Scots amongst you, to others it will be a complete mystery, but here goes anyway, stick with me......

Last week we were at my husband's company outing, or "trip" as it was known to me as a child. Every year we would be taken, usually to the seaside by the company your father, or mother, worked for. There would also be the Sunday school "trip" and if you were lucky maybe one or two others thanks to generous relations or friends. We also had gala days. A big day for small towns when everyone would be bought new clothes, families would get together and a fun time had by all.

One thing these two occasions had in common was the "bag". All the children were issued one, not sure why it was called a bag, as it was always a box! Inside would be a carton of juice, a packet of crisps, a chocolate snowball, some sweets and a scotch pie.  http://thecelticcook.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=scotch+pie to the uninitiated you can check it out. A strange mixture I know, but we all eagerly awaited it.

Fast forward to our Shanghai trip, complete with the aforementioned "bag" LoL

This time the destination Wuxi was a bit different, as it boasts an 88metre high Buddha. Quite a thing to see, and quite a trek to the top, as I can testify.

As we got into the car, not a bus, we've moved on a bit, my husband and I were handed a carrier bag each and told by our driver, Jack, to "eat". Was not prepared for the assortment of "goodies"inside. I say goodies with tongue in cheek as it really wasn't to our taste. Take  look at contents.

It contained a bag with 12 small rolls, a box of 8 cake slices, various packs of dried fruits, crisps, a yogurt drink, which after being in the car all day in 30c heat was not exactly enticing me, a cold coffee drink and a pack of what looked similar to the famous M&S Percy Pigs. But I should have guessed, we were in China and what lay inside was tiny little dried pork sausages. The smell................still haunting me, again pork in car, in heat, for a long time, not a great idea. Still the Chinese tucked into it all, more accustomed to these delicacies than we are.

It made me think, not for the first time on my travels, that basically things are much the same the world over. People enjoy doing the same things, maybe what we eat differs, but we still all like a treat in whatever form it comes. Most importantly people enjoy having fun and spending time with friends and family.

The world should really be a more simpler place!

WET MARKET

My local wet market is a wonderful place for buying all my fruit and vegetables. This week everything just looked so tempting. Everything is so fresh and the vendor will always make sure I get the freshest. Must be a good customer having been going at least twice a week for the last 14 months.

So with this nice box of produce I started to plan meals and recipes. Peas and asparagus, easy call, a summer soup. I like to add a few handfuls of spinach at the end of cooking as this keeps a good green colour. Then I blend it all together. Sometimes I hold back a cup of the pea mixture to give a bot of texture, other tomes I strain it for a velvety smooth plate of yumminess. Depends on my mood, and on how much time I have. I would use only the stalks of asparagus and save the tips to add to peas and small onions, with a touch of the mint it would be a nice side dish.

As there was so many peas I made some pea and chickpea falafels. Always a favourite in this house, and with a yogurt and mint dip I was on my way to using up the contents of my shopping basket.

Beetroot would be pickled. 

With left over mint there was only one way to go and that was down the mojito route. A nice cocktail before eating. A perfect beginning for a tasty supper. 

I will continue my trips to the market. I enjoy wandering round, and engaging in basic conversation. It's amazing how attitudes change when I attempt my language skills. Beat a big supermarket shopping experience anytime.

Wonder what the next season will bring.

HAINAN CHICKEN

For someone who loves to cook, I find living here in Shanghai with all it's many great restaurants, and great social life, I cook less than I normally would. I am not complaining, but when I do cook I realise just how much I enjoy it. So when we were on holiday on Hainan Island a few weeks ago I enjoyed this chicken dish. On returning imagine my delight when browsing through a Ken Hom cook book, Exploring China, there was the very recipe.

Ingredients gathered I set to work. It is a simple but tasty recipe and one I will return to again and again.

The parts of the dish are all served separately and everyone puts it together to suit themselves. It's a bit like a deconstructed chicken soup.

RECIPE (serves 4)

1x1.5kg chicken, salt, 1.75 litres chicken stock, 6 slices fresh ginger, 6 whole spring onions, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper,  1tbsp oil, 2tbsp finely chopped garlic, 400mls long grain rice, measured in a jug.

Rub chicken all over with salt and put into pot and cover with stock, add more water if necessary. Bring to a boil. Add ginger, spring onions and pepper, cover tightly and turn down and simmer for 30 mins. turn off heat and leave for 1 hour.

Remove chicken and allow to cool. Remove ginger and onions from stock and skim off any fat. Measure out 900mls of stock and set aside. Reserve the rest of the stock..

Heat large frying pan. When hot add the oil and add the garlic and 1tsp of salt, stir  then add rice and stir for 2 mins. Now add the 900mls of stock and boil until most of stock has evaporated. Cover tightly and cook at very low temp for 15 mins. Remove and let rest before serving.  

The dish is served with garnish and dipping sauces. Again served alongside the chicken and rice to be added as required. These are very simple and really add to the flavour.

GARNISH

1 large cucumber, 225g tomatoes, 2 spring onions.

Peel and remove seeds from cucumber. Slice. Slice tomatoes and chop spring onions and mix together.

SAUCES

GINGER and SPRING ONION.  4 tbsp finely chopped sprong onion, white part only, 2tsp finely chopped ginger, 1tsp salt 2tbsp oil.

Mix together in a heatproof bowl. Heat the oil in a pan and when it is hot pour over ingredients.

CHILLI SESAME DRESSING. 2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped, 2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp salt.

Combine altogether in a bowl.

Now you are ready to put everything on the table. 

Chop the chicken into pieces and arrange on a platter. Reheat remaining stock and put in a serving bowl and put salad and sauces into serving bowls. Give everyone a bowl and enjoy.

It is amazing how the simplest of foods always taste so good. Just takes good quality ingredients.

It was good to be back in the kitchen, and with the leftovers I just put some chicken, chopped smaller, some rice and the stock and we enjoyed a delicious bowl of chicken soup for supper the following night.

A SAD DAY IN SHANGHAI

Last week was a very sad day here as I was saying goodbye to a friend. Moira and her husband Alastair had been two of the first people we met on moving to Shanghai. A lucky chance meeting in a supermarket brought these two wonderful people into our lives.

Sadly their contract is now over and they are headed back to UK.

So last Sunday night we were on our last night out with them in Shanghai. I say in Shanghai, because I hope one day we will meet up again and catch up. It would be hard to think we will never see them again. I know this is going to happen again with other friends. People come and go all the time here, we welcome them, and then we are saying goodbye. However, Moira and Alastair had become good friends, they were Scottish, so there was a natural connection in the beginning. As I got to know Moira it was obvious we liked the same things. We both loved crafts, buying stuff for our homes and of course the shopping trips to the market. She had been here for 5 years so knew all the best haunts. Thankfully I was able to benefit from her knowledge.

Anyway, our last evening together. We were headed to a restaurant we had wanted to try for some time, Mr & Mrs Bund. A pre dinner drink chez Muir, of the bubbly sort, of course, then across the river to the restaurant. On entering I immediately knew why everyone raved about it. There was a great vibe. It was larger than I had thought, it was modern and lively, I knew we would all have a great night here. I was not disappointed.

The menu looked very enticing and choices were going to be difficult. Bread and crackers were brought to the table with the restaurant's signature tuna pate, for us to nibble on while making our choices. The tuna was delicious.

I had to go with the foie gras. It is so seldom you see it on a menu, and I know I will have a lot of people hating me for my choice, but it was delicious. I make no apology for my choice.

Another starter of prawn cocktail was ordered, another foie gras and a smoked salmon completed our starters. All superb. Waiting staff were friendly and attentive but not over fussing. I like that. I hate being interrupted every five minutes to be asked if everything is ok, as my mouth is probably full of food making it very difficult to reply.

Our main courses also proved to be good choices. For me grilled jumbo prawns, for the others a lamb dish, cod baked in a bag and a tomato salad. Served with "skinny" chips it all went down a treat. The delicious wine made everything perfect.

And lastly the desserts. I am not a huge dessert fan but was tempted by a profiterole. A lemon concoction was ordered as was a chocolate fondant. Moira resisted. Such will power.

What can I say but mmm!  All were superb. However Alastair's lemon pudding was the most impressive. It was a whole lemon filled will a lemon mousse and it was all edible. The lemon must have been cooked and scooped out before being filled. I was filled with awe with this beautiful plate. Tasted good too. Thankfully these friends don't mind sharing their food.

So with empty plates and drained glasses it was time to head back across the river, for Moira and Alastair for the last time. 

As we dropped them off and said our goodbyes we were happy we had been lucky enough to have had their company for the last year, but also sad as this was our last night together in Shanghai.

So a big thank you Moira and Alastair for helping us find "our Shanghai" for helping us settle in and for being our friends. We really appreciated it. I hope when we leave we will have left someone with the legacy you left us. 

I wish them lots of luck with their future plans and look forward to seeing them sometime, somewhere. In the meantime we will be returning to Mr & Mrs Bund. A huge thanks to them for a wonderful experience in this Shanghai restaurant. We will not forget it.

ALONE in SHANGHAI, (not)

Last week my husband was out of town, in Calcutta to be precise, with a couple of days in UK tagged on to the end of his trip. Ahead of me, including a weekend lay in store. I was busy making plans of things to do while he was away.

I would fit in a pedicure, tidy some drawers, I had a couple of DVD's lined up and also a couple of books downloaded, oh and I might fit in a bit of shopping! I was going to enjoy this week. The sun was shining and temperatures due to be in mid to high 20's. It would be a relaxing week, the diary was clear. Or so I thought!!!!!

Friday night cocktails on Jason Atherton's roof terrace 5-00pm Debbie's text said. Saturday lunch at new Deli said Fiona's text. Sandra's text was very similar, drinks on terrace of Puli Hotel followed by dinner. My weekend was full. Of course I accepted all three invitations, and so happy I did. Debbie's invite ended with dinner at Paula's apartment, a casual relaxed evening. Good conversation, and as this was the first time I had met Paula, a Boston native, I was delighted to be included.

Saturday lunch was another relaxed affair. Sitting outside enjoying lunch and watching people promenading along the street. This is one of the newest areas opening up in Pudong and a five minute walk from the apartment. Think I could spend a lot of time there this summer.I loved the sun. Not yet humid, so able to enjoy it.

                                     Manage to fit in pedicure on the way home.

On to Sunday. Was picked up at 4-30 driven across the river to pick up my friend Sandra. Her husband was at a meeting and may or may not join us for dinner. Sandra and I have been friends from my first weeks in Shanghai.

We arrived at the terrace bar and I was slightly surprised to see everyone lolling across very wide sofas. I have to admit they were not the most comfortable unless you actually did lie back, but hey that made my drink too far away and crawling to pick up a drink is not really cool. We sat as elegantly as we could, trying to look trendy and cool. Think maybe we were the oldest people there. But no problem, sun was still shining and we were in a beautiful environment, and the conversation was good, as always. A cold glass in hand and all was well with the world.

Dinner was delicious, and although Sandra's husband got stuck in a meeting, it did not detract from our evening. Sorry Melvyn, not to say evening wouldn't have benefited from your company, but we did the best we could!  Back across the river and safely home I was thinking what a great weekend I had had.

It is so great to know that in a strange city I never need to feel alone. After just one year here I have a wonderful group of women who all look out for, and care for each other. We are all experiencing the same things, husbands away, different customs and cultures and at times it can be difficult but knowing there is a friendly face always willing to share a cocktail or two, lol, makes it all seem so much better.

Now when can I get those DVD's watched and the books read?

XIANGLONGBAO RESTAURANT gets MICHELIN STAR

When people come to visit here in Shanghai we try our best to take them to all our favourite places. Places to see, places to eat, to drink and places to view the city at night. It gives people a glimpse into how we live, although we don't, as we do when they are here, do it every day and night.

A trip across the river with a visit to a rooftop terrace is always on the agenda. The views across the river never fail to impress. My brother in law and his wife were blown away with the views, and of the city. Well it's difficult not to be impressed by what Shanghai has to offer.

Another favourite place, this time to eat lunch, is a xiaolongbao (dumpling) restaurant, Din Tai Fung, which is located in a mall about a 15 minute walk from us. Again everyone loved the food on offer. A selection of delicious dumplings, the xiaolongbao, being the famous Shanghai one. As you bite into it a warm soup escapes. Delicious, but needs care when eating otherwise it lands everywhere except your mouth, and it is really hot. Unlike fast food chains it does not come with a warning that it is hot! I'd be disappointed if my food wasn't hot in a restaurant.

One big surprise on this visit was that it has been awarded a Michelin star. Yes this place, in a shopping mall has achieved an award for the food. I am so happy, and yes I think it is deserving. Apart from delicious food the staff are excellent, always smiling and welcoming. I love the large open kitchen where you can watch the chefs at work. It is nice that a place like this can achieve Michelin status. No need for starched table covers, snooty waiters and waiting lists of months. I hope more like this will follow.

Din Tai Feng is a chain and is in cities from Tokyo to Sydney and many places in between. So if you come across one on your travels it is worth your while stopping by. You will be happy you did.

So my guests were impressed that we had taken them there, and as with everywhere we went, they were impressed by the city. The old parts especially as it is there you really feel you are in different culture. Still four days isn't really long enough to"do" Shanghai, although we gave it a shot. When they left I was relieved to be able to sit down and catch my breath. With my hubby off in India there is no need to cook, clean or do anything I don't want to. Ahh, peace perfect peace.

However, it won't be long before I'm wishing our next visitors would hurry up and arrive and we can do it all over again. I love when people come to visit us in Shanghai, indeed anywhere. I love Shanghai and want to share my time here with family and friends.

Luckily we have a list of people all wanting to visit with several people already having flights booked. So it will be a busy year, but so much fun.