Food Encounters in Asia

It's been awhile since my last post!  I have been traveling a bunch and am now suffering from major jetlag, as I have started to compose this post at 4:41am.  I just returned from a trip to China and Taiwan.  Some amazing sights and sounds on that other side of the world.  The food, as with my other Asia trips, was an amazing experience.

A few food findings on my voyage through China and Taiwan:

1) Asian portions are much smaller than American portions.  In Hong Kong, we went to a restaurant called Dan Ryan (named and served after my beloved Chicago).  On the menu, there was a citing that said, "Warning! We serve American portions here!"  Hilarious!  Lo and behold, when that hamburger came out, it was rightfully portioned for the typical American.  It looked like a pound and a half of meat.  However, even with the restaurant's conscious decision of serving American sizes, the fries and slaw were only half of typical portions seen at American burger joints.  Conclusion?  If you are a picky American eater, that is mainly stick to the familiar like meat and potatoes ("new" is not in your gastronomical vocabulary), and want to lose some weight, try taking a trip to China.  Few familiar choices will be just what you need to melt off a few pounds!  And, for those who eat for adventure or love Chinese food, welcome to yummy galore!

2) Not a whole lot of meat.  Meat is somewhat sparse, except in all the amazing dumplings I consumed, which in that case was complemented by the pan-fried or steamed dough, oh, I am drooling right now.  Perhaps meat is still a delicacy given all the mouths to feed in China and Taiwan, leaving hunger to be curbed by noodles, dough and rice.  I find that particularly in Shanghai, rice must be asked for and is even sometimes forgotten by servers even though we ordered it.  One huge added benefit to eating in Asia is that people actually order vegetables (not lettuce), like a whole plate of stir-fried vegetables.  However, I have been to Asia with vegetarians and it is not easy to find them food.  Although vegetables are available and more abundant than in the US, most dishes of substance contain meat or fish/seafood (tofu is not seen as a meat substitute, and was never intended to in Chinese cooking!).

3) Self-control is absolutely necessary in Taiwan bakeries.  We were hungry when we first arrived, and started to walk through one of the suburbs in Taiwan foraging for food.  We came across a bakery called How Sweet.  We nearly bought every item in that place.  Certainly, I cannot vouch for the oil and dairy that they use in their baked goods there (I am a bit skeptical on their ingredients, actually), but boy, baked doughy, buttery bread with pork shreds on top took the cake home for me.  I am still a solid believer in healthy eating, but boy, God has given some people talent in making bakery deliciousness that melts in your mouth.  Not for the everyday, or even weekly consumption, but every once in awhile, especially if Taiwan is on your itinerary, save your calories for those Taiwan bakeries!

Don't have access to my travel photos on this computer, when I do get access, I will post a few pictures.

Okra-licious

Okra has come to be a favorite vegetable of mine.  Growing up, we never ate okra (for one it was usually over $2 a pound, a threshold my mom rarely crossed, and two, it was not a common Chinese vegetable), but just a few years ago, she started to buy it, and I had it for the first time on one of my trips home to visit. 

No turning back for this omnivore.  Okra is highly nutritious.   The vegetable is very popular among West Asians, Northern Indians and the eastern Mediterranean.  Okra is a really good source of fiber, vitamin B6, and folic acid (Ladies, you need folic acid!).  Really good for your intestinal tract. 

The taste might take a little getting used to.  If the okra isn’t chopped up, it has a bit of a gooey/sticky substance that holds the seeds in.  I have come to really like that part of the vegetable, but others may not prefer it as much.  When you buy okra, look for fresh green pods.   You don’t want too many dark markings on it.  You also want to look for smaller pods (3 inches or smaller), otherwise the okra becomes tough and stringy. 

Okra is versatile and can be cooked in a number of ways.  I tried this recipe when I held a dinner party awhile back.  I ended up making the dish a bit more complex than what I have posted below, but the base of it is here.  I think people like the way I cooked the okra, since it was somewhat clear from the remains of the dish that some people were “fishing” for the okra. haha

I would use a glass dish to bake in because the okra goo ended up burning on my metallic one.  I am saving you from the trouble.


Roasted Okra and More

Vegetables:
3 medium sized potatoes
3/4 pound of okra
½ bag of frozen edamame (or fresh)
1/3 bag of frozen corn (or fresh)
2 scallions

Roast potatoes and okra:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
Halve potatoes lengthwise and toss with scallion pieces, rosemary sprigs, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread potato mixture in a large roasting pan and roast, stirring once, 20 minutes. Stir potatoes and add okra to pan, tossing to coat. Continue to roast until okra and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes more.

Cook the frozen stuff, edamame beans and corn, while potatoes roast:
Cook beans in 1 quart (unsalted) boiling water in a 3- to 4-quart pot 4 minutes or follow instruction of bag, remove from heat and drain.
Return water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt, then cook corn until tender, about 4 minutes. Drain corn in a sieve and immediately transfer to bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain corn again.

Combine all vegetables in your backing sheet, season with oregano, extra olive oil if needed, salt and pepper for taste.

Source: http://www.neurophys.wisc.edu/ravi/okra/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okra