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Woo Hoo! With a little luck falling our way, the Cleveland Browns will draft 3rd in this year's NFL Draft. Now, hopefully, we can do something good with this draft. Of recent years, we've historically have not done well on our 1st round picks.
Now why would Alpha-Geek be interested in something like this?
It sounds like Mr. Wismar will also have some work to do to help the Immigration lawyer in Raleigh, N.C. in getting better web presence.
Who knew the Internet marketing was more than just paying for ads on Google and Yahoo.
If one was to 'rank' the importance of a chinese dish during for the New Year, I would say it would be Longevity Noodles.
A wish for good fortune -- Good Luck, Prosperity, Longevity, Happiness and Abundance -- is central to the Chinese way of life.
This was also pretty straightforward to make and it was mighty tasty too. One note - the type of noodle you use cooks very quickly, so be sure to keep an eye on it when you do cook with it. I had to ask in the Grand Asia Maket which noodles I was to use.
INGREDIENTS:
* 8 cups water
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 pound dried thin egg noodles or spaghetti
* Sauce:
* 3 cups chicken broth or stock
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 1 teaspoon sesame oil
* 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water
* Other:
* 2 eggs, lightly beaten
* 2 green onions, sliced diagonally into thirds
* 2 - 3 tablespoons cooked ham, sliced 1/4-inch thick
* Oil for cooking
PREPARATION:
Bring the salted water to a boil and parboil the noodles, using chopsticks to separate them. (If substituting spaghetti, cook according to package directions). Rinse the noodles repeatedly in cold water and drain thoroughly.
Divide the noodles equally among four soup bowls.
Bring the broth or stock to a boil over medium heat. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the cornstarch mixture last, stirring to thicken.
Heat wok and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the eggs and stir. Add the broth or stock mixture and bring to a boil but don't allow the eggs to set. Pour the mixture over the noodles and garnish with green onion and ham.
Variations: Instead of using a wok, lightly stream the beaten egg into the heated sauce mixture with a fork. Pour the mixture over the noodles and garnish with the green onion and the sliced ham as in the recipe above.
Another variation I've seen calls for using the wok to poach the eggs. The poached eggs are placed on the noodles and the sauce is poured over.
For a contrast in texture and color, add a green vegetable.
To go along with the vegetables, I also made a traditional chicken dish.
It's traditional to serve a whole chicken, including the head and feet, for Chinese New Year. The white meat symbolizes purity, and serving the entire bird represents unity.
Preparing and cooking this dish wasn't as hard as I thought it may be, but I had real issue carving the bird and dicing it up how you'd typically see it at a Chinese restaurant. If you try to make it yourself, I hope that you had better luck than me. It did come out very juicy though.
White-cut Chicken
Ingredients:
For chicken
1 (3- to 3 1/2-lb) whole chicken (with head and feet if desired), neck (if without head) and giblets reserved for another use if desired
1 bunch scallions, halved crosswise
2 oz Smithfield or other cured ham (1 piece or sliced), trimmed of any spice coating
6 (1/4-inch-thick) round slices peeled fresh ginger
14 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
For dipping sauce
1 bunch scallions (white and pale green parts only), cut into very thin 2-inch strips
3 tablespoons light soy sauce (preferably Pearl River Bridge brand)
3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely grated (with a rasp) peeled fresh ginger
Special equipment: a rasp grater; a well-seasoned 14-inch flat-bottomed wok; a heavy cleaver
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Preparation:
Make chicken:
Rinse chicken inside and out, then bend legs to tuck feet (if still attached) inside cavity. Stuff cavity with scallions, ham, and ginger.
Bring water with salt to a boil in a deep 7- to 8-quart stockpot or pasta pot. Add chicken, breast side down (chicken may not be completely covered with liquid), then reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and let stand, covered, 15 minutes more (chicken will be cooked through).
While chicken stands, fill a large bowl three-fourths full with ice and cold water. Carefully remove chicken from pot with a large slotted spoon and plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Let stand, gently turning over once (be careful not to tear skin), until cool, about 10 minutes total. Carefully transfer to a cutting board and discard scallions, ham, and ginger from cavity. Pat dry. Rub skin with sesame oil.
Make dipping sauce:
Stir together scallions and soy sauce in a small heatproof bowl.
Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water vaporizes instantly. Pour oil around side of wok, then tilt wok to swirl oil, coating sides. When oil just begins to smoke, carefully add ginger (oil will spatter) and stir-fry 30 seconds. Immediately remove from heat and pour over scallion mixture, stirring to combine (scallions will wilt).
To cut and serve chicken on a platter (Chinese restaurant–style), cut off the head and neck (if attached) with a cleaver and put at one end of a large platter. (These parts, along with the back and feet, aren't always eaten.) Cut off the feet. Cut off the drumsticks and thighs, then cut crosswise through the boneinto 1-inch pieces. Place the feet and leg meat at the other end of the platter. Cut off the wings, separating them at the joints, and put on the sides of the platter. Cut through the ribs, separating breast from back, then cut the backbone crosswise into 3 pieces and put them in the center of the platter. (Striking the cleaver with a rubber mallet makes the cuts clean.) Cut the breast crosswise through the bone into 1-inch pieces and arrange on the back. Alternatively, cut chicken according to procedure and mound pieces in a bowl.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons dipping sauce over chicken and sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature, with remaining dipping sauce on the side.
As some people may know, it was Chinese New Year this past weekend, so I decided to cook a traditional Chinese meal (beyond fried rice).
For a vegetable dish, I made Braised Bok Choy and Shittakes:
Copyright, 1999, Ming Tsai, All Rights Reserved2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons sliced garlic
12 heads baby bok choy, halved, washed and de-cored
12 large dried shiitakes, rinsed, rehydrated in hot water, stems removed
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
Salt and black pepper, to tasteIn a hot skillet, heat oil and saute garlic until lightly colored. Add bok choy, shiitakes, season and cook for 3 minutes. Add stock, soy and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Check for flavor.