Kaixin Chinese Home Cooking by Xiaosui

[Kaixin]

On Sunday, we went to a classic music concert at a friend’s house. Vic holds an afternoon concert every month where he chooses a selection of music and plays it to his small group of friends. This was the first time we have been to one of these concerts. It was so interesting.

The friends all bought some food to share, they talked about different things and their life to each other, they are very nice people.

I told to my husband, I don’t know about music, but I like good music. This place let me feel like family come together, like a family reunion.

Vic used his home CD to let us listen to the beautiful music. The concert programme was based on P&O. We all thought that meant Peninsular & Orient, the famous shipping line. The progamme took us on a journey around the world. I forgot where I am, I just from the music relax and dream, wonderful. One person said at the end that one of the pieces was set in Hungary, so that P&O could not be about a shipping line. Vic smiled and asked everyone to read the programme of music more carefully. We all smiled, it meant Piano and Orchestra.

I really enjoyed the concert, I understood why the friends like to come together to listen to the music. They can enjoy the music and then they can have afternoon tea and enjoy the life together.

P&O Programme by Vic Sparks

England by Moscheles, Ignaz
Scotland by Moscheles, Iganz
Ireland by Moscheles, Iganz
Interval
Hungary by Liszt, Franz
Egypt by Liszt, Franz
Africa by Saint-Saens, Camille
Greece by Beethoven, Ludwig Van

A true journey of the mind with excellent friends.

[Kaixin]

Ingredients: 1 piece of med sized Tofu, 2 tomatoes

Seasoning: 1 spring onion, 1tablespoon of oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar.

Preparation:Chop the Tofu into small pieces (3cm square), chop the tomato into small pieces, chop the onion into small pieces.

Cooking: Heat Wok, put in oil, put in Tofu , stir-fry for 5 minutes, take out and put in a dish. Put tomato into wok , stir-fry tomato lightly, put a little water in, wait for tomato to become a sauce, put sugar in, mix, put the Tofu back in , stir fry for 2 minutes, put salt in. Ready to serve. Hao Chi

[Kaixin]

Ingredients: 0.5 (half) kg of beef mince, 1 egg, 16 pieces of any large vegetable leaf,
such as: sweet potato leaf, spinach, cabbage.

Seasonings:Three teaspoons of oil, a little salt, 1 teaspoon of potato starch (corn
starch if you can’t get potato starch), 1 piece of ginger

Preparation:Chop the ginger into small pieces. In a mixing bow, fold the egg into the
beef mince, put salt in, put potato starch in, put ginger in and then mix them well. Take two leaves and place a dessertspoon of the mixture into one of the leaves. Put the other leaf on top and press together gently. The pocket is then ready to be placed into the wok.

Cooking:heat the wok, put oil in, put leaf pocket in and fry both sides for around
4 minutes each side. Good, now can serve. Hao Chi.

[Kaixin]

Kaixin has added a new section - Xiaosui - jiang gu shi (storyteller)


When I was young, my father told me about my grandmother’s big feet story. It was very interesting and amusing.

My grandmother was born at the end of the Qing dynasty. In that time women must bind their feet. This was called “san cun jin lian” (three inch gold lotus). ‘San cun’ is three (san) cun (a measure equivalent to an inch). ‘Jin’ means gold, which is expensive and difficult to find. ‘Lian’ means lotus, the woman walks just like a beautiful opened lotus flower swaying in the breeze. The lotus flower grows out from the mud; this signifies that a woman is pure and virtuous.

My grandmother ‘s family was so rich. Her father was a high government officer in the Qing dynasty. So in his family all the women must have their feet bound. However, my grandmother was born with big feet. When it came time to bind them, at the age of 6, it was too painful and she would take the bindings off at night. Her mother was angry at first but my grandmother persisted and eventually won. Her feet were allowed to grow naturally. This posed a big problem for her mother and father. The true test of beauty was the size of the woman’s feet. Big feet were considered ‘nan kan’, ugly. No male of high rank would consider a woman with large feet; he would lose too much face.

My two great grandfathers were both high government officials working in the adjoining provinces of Jiang Su and Ze Jiang. They were good friends and wanted to join their families through marriage. As high families it would have been assumed that the women’s feet would be bound. It was inconceivable that they would not be. The subject of feet obviously never came up while the marriage of my grandmother to my grandfather was arranged.

A bride wore a red veil on her wedding day. At the appointed time, she did not show her face, she lifted her dress a little to show her feet. This was considered the height of eroticism.

My grandfather walked into the bridal chamber and up to his wife who was sitting on the ornate bridal bed. She lifted her skirt and he ran from the chamber in fright.

After a lot of heated discussion, the two families decided that the marriage had indeed taken place and there was no way out without too much loss of face. The bridegroom was told to go back into the bridal chamber and do his duty.

With what must have been a heavy heart he went back into the bridal chamber and approached my grandmother again. My grandmother was an intelligent and astute woman. She was also extremely beautiful. She lifted the red veil. All thought of small feet were forgotten and a long and rich marriage began, with eight children.

My father was one of those children.

[Jeekinz]

Thanks for sharing your recipes.

[shortchef]

And thanks for sharing that wonderful story.

[MexicoKaren]

That was an enchanting story - thanks so much for sharing it with us!

[Kaixin]

Ingredients: 1 Large Si Gua, ½ kg of prawns.

Seasoning: 2 pieces of ginger, 1 tablespoon of oil, a little salt (to taste).

Preparation: peel off the Si Gua skin and slice down the centre to halve. Then slice each of the halves down the centre. Chop the strips into 2cm lengths (approx). Clean and wash the prawns.

Cooking: heat the wok, put oil in, put ginger in, stir-fry until the ginger gives off aroma, put the prawns in, stir-fry for around five minutes. Put the salt in to taste. Remove the prawns and put on a plate. Put more oil intp the wok, put Si Gua in, stir-fry for around 4 minutes, put salt in to taste. Put the prawns back into the wok, stir-fry 2 minutes. Take out and put in the serving dish. Well done. Now can eat. Hao chi.

[Dave Hutchins]

Xiaosui=Kaixin Thank you very much for a wonderful posting. It has been a long time since a thoughtful and exceptional posting has been posted. It has been a pleasure reading your post,s may peace and joy follow you