crossing the bridge noodles (guoqiao mixian)

Several people asked me last week how Nate and I were able to talk our way back into restaurant kitchens in China. In fact, this is one of the most common questions we get asked right after how do you as siblings work together and not kill each other? (For this, all I can say is stay tuned, that may very well happen one day. There was a certain time this weekend when Nate erased the contents of my camera without asking that brought about a close call.)

I vividly remember the first place in China that we asked if we could venture back into the kitchen to take pictures and observe the chef. It was a hole-in-the-wall bake shop in the city of Nanjing where the cook was decorating Western-style cakes. We were so nervous. All I could imagine was what would happen if we walked into a NYC restaurant and asked to observe in the kitchen! With a camera! We would wait as Gordon Ramsay or some other formidable chef with furrowed brow would stomp out of the back and undoubtedly, personally throw us out the door.

Nate nervously told the bake shop's store clerk that we were there in Nanjing to collect recipes for Westerners and would she be so kind as to show us into the kitchen. Fortuitously, kindly, confusedly she did. We were so thrilled at the opportunity that we literally took 90 pictures in the 15 minutes we were there. The unfortunate part of this adventure was that the camera was set to the wrong shutter speed and every last picture was blurry (see the one picture that worked out here). But it didn't matter; we were hooked. We got very good at smiling and explaining our odd mission. Of course, more times than not, we didn't get our wish, but I will always be grateful to the many generous and mysterious cooks all across China who, wanting to share their delicious and under-appreciated cuisine with the world, offered lessons to this modest, aspiring cook and perpetually hungry traveler.

This brings me to my dinner last night, Crossing the Bridge Noodles, a dish from Yunnan Province and the local restaurant cook without whom I never would have thought to add cilantro. Yunnan residents are very proud of their food and Crossing the Bridge Noodles is famous all over China. The story behind these noodles goes: there once was a scholar who, studying for an important exam, isolated himself in a cottage away from distractions. Every night his wife crossed a long bamboo bridge to bring him noodles, but they were often cold by the time she reached his table. Being somewhat smarter than her scholar husband, she devised a plan. She poured a layer of chicken fat on top of the broth to insulate the noodles from the cold air and keep them hot until she arrived at her husband's cottage. And yes, the scholar passed his exam.

When we were in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, I couldn't get enough of this pleasantly salty, healthy, fresh and light noodle soup. The soup's ingredients are brought to the table raw-- fresh and overflowing: squid, shrimp, chicken, spinach, prosciutto ham, chinese black mushrooms. Add to your liking and they cook right in your bowl! It's delightful and always leaves me feeling like I've eaten all my omega 3 vitamins and vegetables for the day. Of course, the original recipe calls for a thick layer of chicken fat on top of the broth, but we've excluded that from our recipe. If you're not traveling far, it doesn't affect the flavor much and let's face it, who of us wouldn't do well to forego "chicken fat" in our meal when it's not totally necessary?

-mary kate

UPDATE: A reader made a comment asking if he can use frozen calamari rings instead of fresh squid bodies and we say yes! I found some beautiful fresh squid at the seafood market over the weekend but I have used frozen calamari rings before and they also work and take less prep time.

Crossing the Bridge Noodles

(Makes 4 bowls)

8 dried Chinese black mushrooms
8 oz round rice noodles

1/4 lb squid bodies
1/4 lb medium size shrimp, headless and shelled
1 small chicken breast
1 bunch spinach, leaves only
1/4 lb prosciutto ham, thinly sliced
6 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine
3 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 handful fresh cilantro leaves, rinsed

Soak the mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes, drain, and set aside. Prepare the rice noodles according to their package, drain, and set aside. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil for blanching the ingredients. Clean and prepare the squid and slice into small ringlets. Blanch the squid in the boiling water for 1 minute then remove with a strainer. Slice the shrimp length-wise and blanch for 1 minute, then remove with a strainer. Slice the chicken paper-thin and blanch for 1 minute, then remove with a strainer.  Blanch the spinach for 1 minute, drain, and set aside. 

In a large covered pot, bring the chicken stock, vegetable oil, Shaoxing rice wine, green onions, ginger, and salt to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Submerge four large ceramic soup bowls in the sink under hot tap water until they are very warm. Place 1/4 of the noodles in each bowl. On top of the noodles, place 1/4 of the squid, shrimp, chicken, spinach, and prosciutto. Pour the boiling broth into the bowls and let them sit for 2 minutes. Top each bowl with a little cilantro and serve.

ingredient stalker: what is lotus root?

Lotus root (藕,ǒu)  is my favorite vegetable. Actually a root vegetable, it looks kind of like giant white sausage links and grows in the mud at the bottom of lakes. It has a crunchy texture like water chestnuts and a subtle flavor similar to a potato. Check out the video above for some pointers on where to find lotus root and how to prepare it.

There are a ton of ways to eat lotus root: boil it in soups, deep-fry and stuff it, stir-fry with other vegetables, eat it raw in salads, or sweeten it with sugar and fruit. Here's a simple and quick recipe for stir-fry lotus root. It's the same recipe I make in the video.

(藕,ǒu) Simple Stir-Fry Lotus Root

2 lb. lotus root (fresh or canned)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili sauce or fermented bean paste

Peel the lotus root and slice into 1/8"-thick slices. Heat up the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the lotus root slices and stir-fry for 7 minutes, or until the lotus root is cooked through but still a little crunchy. Toss in the salt and chili sauce and stir-fry for 30 more seconds. Serve.

grilled veggies with dipping sauce

I went out to the Red Hook Ball Fields in Brooklyn a few weeks ago to see if the outdoor stalls selling Latin American food were as good as everyone says.  Let me tell you, they were.  Besides being ridiculously cheap (we'e talking $2 for a Salvadoran pork popusa), there is a huge selection of tasty foods made to order. Standouts for me were the grilled corn covered in cotija cheese and the ice-cold milky mango smoothies. After making my rounds at all the stalls I went straight into a food coma and took a nap under a tree in the shade. It was a good afternoon.

Outdoor food markets in Southern China are a part of daily life. In the evenings, stalls line the streets selling just about anything edible on a stick. After you’ve selected a handfull, the vendors will grill the skewers over coals while you wait. These grilled vegetables make a great snack. Feel free to try veggies other than the ones listed. When they’re cooked through but still crunchy, dunk them in the dipping sauce and eat.

-Nate

Grilled Veggies with Dipping Sauce

  

Sauce:

2 medium tomatoes

3 tablespoons tomato paste

or substitute ketchup for more flavor

2 egg yokes

3 re-hydrated red chilies, deseeded

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

3 scallions

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Grilled Vegies:

bamboo skewers, soaked overnight in water

1 medium eggplant

2 sweet potatoes

1 medium zucchini

sesame oil

sea salt

 

To make the dipping sauce, drop all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. SauteÅL in a pan over medium high heat for about 6 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Let cool to room temperature. 

Cut vegetables into 6” chunky strips and skewer with bamboo skewers. Brush with sesame oil and grill over hot coals until veggies are cooked through and skin begins to blister. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and serve with a side of dipping sauce. Food markets in Yunnan are a part of daily life. At night, stahls line the streets selling just about anything edible on a stick. After you’ve sellected a handfull, the vendors will grill the skewers over coals while you wait. These grilled vegetables make a delicious snack or appetizer. Feel free to try vegies other than the ones listed. When they’re cooked through but still crunchy, dunk them in the dipping sauce and enjoy. 

is msg bad for you?

I like to think of myself as healthy, I try to eat smart and do a little exercise then and again (I go through spurts), but I've got nothing on my friend Kelly. She does pilates and yoga and eats things like quinoa every meal.

Kelly and I were walking down the street the other day looking for a place to eat dinner when I pointed out a promising-looking/smelling dim sum restaurant. "Oh no," she said. "I don't eat Chinese food ever, what with all the MSG."

I told her a lot of Chinese food is actually healthy and that we could order bok choy and tofu and steamed fish, but she wasn't having it. "There's MSG in there," she said. I asked Kelly if she actually knew what MSG is and she admitted to knowing little about it other than it has a scary name--MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE. Then Kelly asked me how much I know about MSG. "That it tastes good?" I answered. And with that we settled on San Loco, a Mexican hole in the wall three blocks away.

I have since learned just about all the symptoms of MSG Syndrome, or Chinese Restaurant Syndrome as it is nicknamed in the US: headaches, diarrhea, heart palpitations, facial swelling, nausea, and vomiting (among others). I've also learned that studies have repeatedly shown that none of these "symptoms" are caused by normal consumption of MSG and that it is not only found in Chinese food, but in many American processed foods: bags of chips like Doritos, barbeque sauce, parmesan products, canned soups, seasonings, salad dressings, and fast food (KFC, Burger King, etc.).

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a flavor enhancer that stimulates the glutamate receptors on our tongue, giving us a savory flavor much like that of a ripe cheese or cooked meat. People in the food world are starting to refer to this savory taste as the sixth taste, "umami," (Japanase word for "delicious") in addition to the previously identified five tastes of sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.

From what I've been reading, many cooks of various disciplines swear by MSG. I rarely use it in my cooking, but I don't mind if it's added to dishes I eat at Chinese food restaurants. It's approved by the FDA. However, if people still don't want MSG in their diet, they should know that it's not just a Chinese restaurant thing. MSG originally came from Japan and it is mixed in a lot of common foods in American cabinets. I looked at the ingredients in the potato chips I had for lunch have MSG.