DIM SUM from my CELTIC KITCHEN

I have been enjoying getting back into the kitchen again after having flu. Although I've had no one to actually cook for as my husband is still out of town, it hasn't deterred me from playing around. And of course, I still have to eat, so I've been cooking to feed myself. Feels good to have my appetite back.

I have to admit rather than cooking what I fancy eating I have been eating what I fancy cooking. Does that make sense? I'm sure you all know what I mean. Sometimes I see a recipe and think I must try that and it lies around and somehow never makes it to the oven or pot never mind to the plate.

So yesterday afternoon I had planned to make some dumplings. There are many kinds of dumplings here in Shanghai, all with different names, different fillings and different ways of cooking. Some are steamed, some boiled and the pot stickers start of frying before water is added. This gives them a nice crispy bottom.

Mine were basic. They are called SHUI JIAO, which translates as cooked in water. Filling was chopped prawn, 150g  and minced pork 50g, a very popular filling here. With some garlic chives, S&P, oyster sauce 1tbs and rice wine 1tbs. I cheated and bought the wrappers. Getting the shape is tricky but I think the more I made the better I was getting. A couple let in water but most were fine.

I was quite happy with them and served them with soy sauce and Chinese black vinegar for dipping. This is the traditional dipping sauces here in Shanghai.

As I had some pork left over I decided to experiment with the shape. I added grated ginger, chives, 5 spice and soy sauce. They tasted ok but something else was needed. I need to work in those ones. But they were edible just lacked a bit of flavour.

As I was preparing them it made me think again about how similar food is wherever you are. I had been making samosas earlier in the week to take to a friend who was doing a curry night.

A samosa is just another filling enclosed in a pastry, as is a sausage roll, a Cornish pastie, an empanada, ravioli and I am sure you can think of others. It always amazes me the similarities in foods from different corners of the world.

Fried rice, byriani, nasi goreng, risotto, rice and beans and good old Scottish kedgeree. All ways of using up ingredients in the fridge and using rice to make the leftovers go further. Of course nowadays these dishes are much more sophisticated than their origins, and I'm sure much tastier too. But basically they all started out as a way of using up leftovers. Something I like to experiment with. from time to time.  Sometimes with great results and sometimes not so great! But you never know until you try.

A SHANGHAI BIRTHDAY

Friday was my birthday. Hubby was out of town, I had just recovered from flu, and my birthday lunch with friends had to be cancelled as my flu was now being passed around, and several girlfriends were now suffering. Not a great way to spend a birthday, alone!

Then another friend came to my rescue. An invite to join her and her husband for dinner at Shanghai Town and Country Club where her husband is GM. This is a new club, just opening as I write this. It is an amazing venue. Spas, pools, restaurants, hotel, apartments, retail and the most amazing children's play equipment. I was blown away with this "community" within Shanghai. 

Our evening started in the bar with a rather welcome G&T and a selection of canapés which were on offer. It would have been rude not to try one of each! Right?

As we sat and relaxed and enjoyed the lovely surroundings I thought how much my husband would have enjoyed this evening. Hopefully on his return we do this again, and again!

Soon we were sitting in a private dining room and choosing what we would like to eat. A difficult choice as there was quite a lot of dishes I was being tempted by. 

Duck, always a favourite of mine, this time Cantonese Style seemed like a good choice. We were not wrong. It was delicious and tender and very tasty. Just melted in your mouth.

One thing I do enjoy about eating in China is that food is always served "family style". So all the dishes are laid out on the table and you can pick and choose from a selection of dishes.

To me this makes so much more sense than everyone ordering one dish. How many times do you order something, but when it arrives you wish you had ordered something you see someone else getting? This way everyone gets a chance to taste all the dishes.

A sweet and sour pork, fried rice, shrimp and vegetable dishes were soon joining the duck on the table. 

Sweet and sour pork was the right side of sweet. Sometimes I find it can be a bit too sweet, and not enough sour. As you can see this dish, unlike in UK, doesn't come covered in a gloopy red sauce. It will be difficult to go back and eat Chinese food in UK. It is just so different, and not in a good way. I will have to find a good Chinese, or cook it myself. Not that I'm putting my cooking skills at this level. I'll just have to do my best. Maybe I could put in a request for a few lessons from the chef.

Just when I thought it was all over dessert arrived. I had wondered why I hadn't been asked for any input, and then I saw it and realised why. 

Lemon tart and tiramisu. Whats not to love?

So what could have been a lonely day for me turned out to be a good one. A delicious dinner with two lovely, relatively new friends, spent doing what I love to do. Yes, you've guessed it, eating good food with good friends. Difficult to beat. Having my husband with me would have made it absolutely perfect. However, I am sure the pressure was off as he had left me in safe and capable hands.

It was a lovely evening and I was so happy not to have spent it alone. 

A big thank you to two lovely people.

STAYCATION SHANGHAI

For Chinese New year my husband and  were heading to Tokyo. I was so excited as I have never been to Japan, and I was so looking forward to some great sushi.

However we never made it thanks to my taking poorly. Flu! But just to make it worse I had also picked up a stomach bug. So we were homebound. Now the coughing, sneezing, snot and headache I could probably have put up with but the constant nausea, that's so hard to deal with.

For three days I was never out of bed, and for two weeks I couldn't shake of the feeling of sickness, and I had absolutely no appetite. For me, who lives and breathes to shop and cook this was a disaster. I didn't even want to read my food magazines or pick up a cook book. I existed on tea and toast for a whole week! I so wanted it all to end. I can't even imagine what life would be like without my cooking. I spend so much time doing it. Either deciding what to eat, shopping for ingredients, cooking and ultimately sharing it with friends. I was not a happy person.

I still couldn't shake it off but fortunately as it was the Chinese New Year my husband was at home taking good care of me. This weekend I started to eat a bit more but only because I knew I had to. I was feeling pretty shakey on my feet. Can't say I enjoyed it which is something I never thought I'd say.

Then last night. Oh dear, whatever was troubling me came to the fore, with vengeance. But today it's like a new me. It must have worked it's way out of my system.

I've just made some tomato soup and I'm so happy to be back in my kitchen. I'm going to take it easy, but not having the feeling of nausea is such a relief. I was actually starting to think it would never go.

So hopefully I will have something nice to blog in the next few days.

So a very belated  XIN NIAN KUAILE    Happy new year.

A WEEK at my TABLE

People from home often ask if we eat Chinese every day, and there will be some weeks when we pretty much do. However, as you know I love to cook, and I do cook Chinese on occasion, but this week we pretty much worked our way around the world.

MONDAY: Cauliflower cheese soup with Cauliflower Pakora. English/Indian I think I'd call it.

This came about as I had just started cooking cauliflower for cauliflower cheese when my hubby called and said he would be late. I poured out half of the water, added hot milk to make up. When cooked blitzed it and added grated cheese. I also rescued a few florets to make pakora. Just dipped them in a batter with some curry powder added and deep fried just before serving. My husband loved it, and there was leftovers for his lunch the following day. Time in kitchen, just as long as cauliflower took to cook and blitz, about 25 mins. Another 10 before serving to cook pakora.

TUESDAY: Chicken Paprikas with boiled rice. Definitely Hungarian. A favourite when I spent time living there.

A really quick and easy meal. Chicken strips, onion, chopped garlic and mushrooms fried off with S&P and a heaped teaspoon of paprika. When its cooked through add a cup of sour cream and stir through. Boil rice. couldn't be easier. Time in kitchen is about as long as the rice takes to cook. While it's cooking you can stir fry the chicken etc.

WEDNESDAY: Nasi Goreng. We're now in Indonesia. No reason except I love this dish and I'm using leftover rice from yesterday and some chicken strips I'd held back.

Ok I always make too much rice! So a Nasi is often on the menu the day after we have rice. I had held back some chicken strips and defrosted some prawns. I think 3 prawns and maybe 4 pieces of chicken per portion works. I chopped and onion and red pepper. I did make my own Nasi Paste, but it is easy, and quick, which is important.  I hate all these half empty jars that litter the fridge and I can never remember how long the should last, or when the were bought. I'll put Nasi recipe at end of blog. It's just a case of stir frying everything together with the paste. I add the rice last. I serve with a fried egg and a few slithers of spring onion. Again maybe 15 minutes cooking, and the paste takes all of 10 minutes to make. I served some ribs with this but the were taken from the freezer, already in marinade, I find this way it really penetrates and gives plenty of flavour. In the oven for 30 mins. So these are cooking while I get on with the rest of supper.

Thursday: Thai  Fish Curry. Thailand!

I use the extra prawns I'd defrosted yesterday a piece of salmon and this time I am using a pre made spice paste. I can buy this in packets and it's a one time use, so no waste. Coconut milk, green beans and noodles are the main ingredients. I fry off the paste until oil starts to separate, add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. I add the fish and beans (sometimes I use mange tout) you can use whatever you have.If I have lemon grass I will pop one in. The noodles are soaking in boiling water to be added at the end. At this point I usually add a splash of fish sauce and a squeeze of lime juice. Not necessary but it can lift the flavour a bit. 

I put noodles in bottom of bowls add the curry mixture and scatter over some coriander. Once again quick and easy and maybe 20 minutes in total. I like to serve with some naan bread to mop up the sauce.

FRIDAY: Fish, of course. Harks back to when I was a child and the fish van would come around on a Friday. Everyone ate fish.

However these days it's not going to be breaded haddock in bright orange breadcrumbs. What made them that colour ?

Sichuan Squid, followed by Fish Pie. An East meets West I guess!

Squid dredged in flour mixed with Sichuan pepper. Simply deep fry. Easy and delicious. Just don't overcook........  It can get tough if cooked too long. A couple of minutes is fine. A piece of lemon on the side to squeeze over and some, in this case, sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Fish Pie was a mix of salmon, cod and prawns all poached in milk, with a few frozen peas thrown in towards the end. I thicken the poaching liquid to make a sauce, first removing some to use in the mashed potato topping. This is completed in the time it take to boil and mash potatoes and assemble the pie. It can be done ahead and reheated. 30 minutes should see this dish completed. Fish cooking, the sauce made while potatoes are boiling. I always add an egg yolk to my mash as it helps it puff up and brown when in oven, or under the grill.

So that's a look at what was on my dinner table last week. No more than 30 minutes spent in the kitchen for any of these meals, and I hope you'll agree they all look very nice. As for the taste, you'll just have to take my word for it, delicious. Hubby left clean plates every night so I must be doing something right. 

You don't have to spend hours in the kitchen to produce good home cooked meals. It's all down to organisation. Making best of leftovers and having a good selection of ingredients in your store cupboard.

HAPPY COOKING.

NASI PASTE RECIPE:

3 tbsp oil, 4 chopped garlic cloves, 1small onion(or 2 shallots) chopped, 15g rasted salted peanuts, 6 red chillies chopped, 1tbsp tomato puree, 1/2 tsp dried shrimp paste, 1 tbsp ketchap manis (sweet soy sauce)

Put everything into a food processor and blend.

I actually did it in my mortar and pestle. Less washing up!