Bring out the Hot Pots!!

There is one thing that my children ask for as soon as the weather turns cold..... Chinese Hot Pot!!

For those who are unfamiliar with the Chinese Hot Pot, it is basically like a broth fondue. You cook the food in the broth, dip into your sauce and devour.....yummy. Perfect for those chilly days.

So, this weekend, we decided to take out the pot and have our first Hot Pot of the season. My kids were so excited they started rattling off all the ingredients that I had to get for them....get Mr Crabs and Sponge Bob (a.k.a. crab sticks and fried tofu pouches)....fat noodles (a.k.a. Japanese udon)....those pink thingies (a.k.a. fish cakes)....needless to say, I knew what they wanted, so off I went to the local Chinese grocery store.

Every fall and winter, my family gathers for a huge Hot Pot dinner. Cousins, aunts, uncles and the occasional mystery guest gather around the tables and eat until late into the night. We can have anywhere from 2-3 pots going at one time. Some are simply a light broth flavored with sauteed scallions and chicken broth, while others are bubbling over with hot, numbing spices that can make a grown man cry. I hope that this will inspire you to have your own Hot Pot Party.

Hot Pot Dinner




Ingredients:

• Hot Pot with or without divider (or any pot)
• Table top burner (uses butane canisters)
• Individual Hot Pot baskets if you wish or chopsticks
• Chicken broth
• Water
• Oil (1 tbs)
• Chinese Barbecue Sauce*
• Soy sauce
• Vinegar
• Sesame Oil
• Cary's Peanut Sauce (this is a secret sauce that my husband makes - can't divulge just yet)
• Scallions, sliced
• Cilantro, chopped 
• Chili peppers, chopped (if you like it spicy)
• Eggs
• Mushrooms (we like the Enoki mushrooms)
• Tofu, cubed
• Fried tofu pouches*
• Thinly sliced meat* (beef, pork, lamb) 
• Vegetables (spinach, napa)
• Noodles* (udon, vermicelli/bean thread)
• Fish cakes*, sliced
• Fish balls*
• Crab sticks
• Taro slices
• Seafood

*these items can be found in your local Asian Market



Individual Sauce Mixture:

• 1 tbs Chinese Barbecue Sauce
• 1 tbs Cary's Peanut Sauce
• Cilantro
• Scallions
• 1 raw egg ~ caution: use at own risk
• Chili peppers
• Soy sauce
• Vinegar
• Sesame oil

Combine and mix well any or all of the ingredients above to your taste.

Directions:

1. Heat oil in heated pot and add scallions, once fragrant, add chicken broth
2. Add water and heat to boil
3. Pick your item, place into hot broth and cook
4. Once item is fully cooked, dip into your sauce and enjoy! 

Remember, this is just a basic Hot Pot....let your culinary imagination go wild. One of my favorites that I do with my cousins is the Spicy Hot Pot ~ SOOOO delicious. You can buy the spice packets in your local Asian Grocery store, but beware have a glass of water handy and a box of tissues!!

Please let me know what you do for your Hot Pot....I'm always looking for new things to try.

So Inspired.....

Yep! That about sums it up. I attended my daughter's middle school Back to School Night last night and the one word I would use to describe it is -- Inspiring.

Picture taken by Clare Bloomfield

I actually caught myself wishing that I was back in 7th grade. I know, some of you or most of you are probably rolling your eyes or gagging at the thought of going back to school, but I must say that the teachers I met were amazing and I would have loved to have had them when I was younger.

When that first bell rang, my heart jumped and I was briefly back in time at my old school in Upstate New York. Snapping back into reality, I quickly made my way through the maze of hallways, my daughter's class schedule clasped securely in my hand along with a map of the school. As I navigated my way through the sea of people, I saw many friends that I hadn't seen in a while....we hugged, blew kisses and screamed out "hello" as we raced off to the classrooms.

Phew! Room 164....I made it in time. Quickly and stealthily, I scanned the room and made a beeline for the back row (I used to love sitting in the back....pass notes, make faces, fall asleep, stare at a cute boy.....ahhhhh those were the days....thank goodness my daughter doesn't take after me). After chatting with a couple of friends and waving hello to people across the room, I settled down and turned my attention to the teacher. Then I was hooked.

Passion and enthusiasm were abound as I met each teacher throughout the evening. They discussed the course curriculum and their hopes for the students with such zeal and optimism, it was quite contagious. As I listened to them speak about the various topics they will be covering throughout the year, I secretly thought to myself....what a shame I don't know all those artist that she just mentioned.... or ugh, I can only name a handful of US Presidents and what they did....or I want to be a part of that book discussion ...and the list goes on and on and on.

I had originally begun the evening thinking that I was just going to go through the motions, meet the teachers, check out the school, grab a donut and cookie and leave. It didn't cross my mind that I would come out so inspired.... I want to study the artists and learn what made them The Masters. I want to be able to name all the Presidents of the United States and actually tell you something significant about them. I want to read more....and even go back to some of the classics that I skipped along the way.

I know often times teachers hear the complaints about this and that. Well, I would like to just say a great big THANK YOU to them. Thank you for your passion. Thank you for your inspiration. It is this love of learning and teaching that will propel our children into a bright and fulfilling future.

The next generation is already in the making and if we can have educators like the ones I meet last night, then there is hope yet for our country's future.

Beef & Tomato over Rice

If you are like me, you're crazy busy with the kids and their activities. I've only got three, but I swear they are going in a thousand directions at once. Often times, when I find that I'm in a bind for dinner, I turn to this quick and easy one dish dinner that is both healthy and delicious!

I'm always amazed at how quickly my kids just gobble this up, even my son who claims he won't eat tomatoes.

Tonight, I have to go and attend Back to School night for my two youngest children. So, guess what we are having for dinner tonight? That's right, you guessed it!

Now, as with any well stocked Chinese Kitchen, I almost always have scallions, garlic and tomatoes on hand. (check out my Pantry to see what else I keep on hand)

If I'm lucky.....I might have some flank steak too, but if not, I just swing by the market and pick some up.

Now, I must warn you that I usually cook my Chinese dishes without "measuring" the ingredients. My mother taught me to eyeball everything, so that's how I've been cooking for years. I will, however, include the measurements, but always feel free to tweak it.

Printable recipe
Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs flank steak 
• 3-4 medium tomatoes cut into thick chunks/slice
• 3 scallions - sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic - crushed then sliced
• 1/3 cup soy sauce*
• 1/4 cup cooking wine
• 1-2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tbs cornstarch
• 2-3 tsp sugar
• 1 cup of water
• 3-4 tbs of cooking oil
• Black pepper

* Please keep in mind that the salt content in soy sauce various considerably between brands. You may need to adjust the amount that is used to suit your taste

Directions:

1. Very thinly slice the flank steak into 1 1/2 inch pieces and place in a medium sized bowl
2. Combine soy sauce, wine, sesame oil garlic and pour over beef to marinate. Mix well.
3. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the beef and combine until thoroughly mixed
4. Heat up your oil in a wok so that it is very hot
5. Pour the beef and the marinade into the heated wok and cook until just slightly pink in the centers of the slices and return to the bowl
6. Add some more oil to the wok and continue to heat. Then saute the tomatoes, scallions and sugar until the tomatoes begin to soften
7. In the wok, combine the beef and tomatoes.
8. Add water and cook for another 2-3 minutes. If at this point the sauce is not thick enough you may add some more cornstarch. Season to taste.
9. Spoon over cooked rice....don't forget the sauce!

I hope that your family enjoys this dish.....

My Journey begins

The kids are off to school and here I am poised to begin work on my very first blog entry. Drum roll please..... "Welcome and thanks for visiting The Joy Luck Kitchen!"

.......hmmmmm......nothing! How embarrassing! I thought for sure I would have some brilliant message to convey, some sage advice, some catchy phrase that will keep you coming back for more.

Instead, I'm stuck with a sense of overwhelming doubt...what the heck am I doing? Who's gonna read my blog? What am I blogging about anyway? Well, duh, I know that....but how do I explain it to you? I know that I will discuss Chinese recipes here, but that's not all.... I also want to blog about what's happening in life.... huh....tap - tap -tap.....I've got!

My Blog = What happens in My Kitchen.

This is the hub. This is where everything happens....discussions, decisions, de-eating and de-cooking.....what? I couldn't help myself....I'm still cracking up...oh, I forgot one.....de-laughing!

Ah-ha! I know. How silly of me not to have seen this before.

The Joy Luck Kitchen is a blog that has food for your tummy and food for thought! 

As this is a work in progress, I will continue to make changes in the look and feel of the blog, so I thank you in advance for your patience. If you have any request or thoughts, please let me know.... I love getting feedback.

In the mean time, join me as I begin my journey into The Joy Luck Kitchen.