I recently made a business trip to Hong Kong, but the trip turned out to be so much more than just business.
Our host, Joseph Yu, is something of a "renaissance man," a lifelong student of everything Chinese and, lucky for us, its food!
The memory of dim sum makes me so nostalgic...for this is an experience that goes beyond the delicious food. "Dim sum" literally means "the essence of small things," but there are other translations like "to touch your heart."
Sampling many small delicacies is a slow process, so you can enjoy conversation along with the presentation, which is often exquisite.
Joseph would quietly observe our pleasure as we dug in, with, "You seem to eat very well." (What an understatement!)
You'll find everything from steamed pork spareribs and char siu bao (steamed buns with roast pork) to har gao, those wonderful shrimp dumplings with the translucent skins (my favorite).
There are steamed shrimp and pork dumplings, deep-fried egg rolls and taro-root dumplings, lettuce wraps with chicken filling, egg-custard tarts and spicy won tons.
Most of the dishes are steamed, though some are deep fried or stir fried. Noodle dishes are often served, and there is no thought for calories!
Luckily, dim sum restaurants abound in Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. Though dim sum is often served from a small cart, in China, our host would order from a set menu the dishes he thought we'd enjoy most.
We even had dim sum for breakfast, and it was a wonderful way to start the day - tasting a variety of small dishes while drinking excellent tea. Somehow our typical Sunday brunch - consisting of eggs, sausage, bacon and various other dishes - just doesn't reach the same level of culinary art that you'll find at a dim sum restaurant.
The Chinese New Year is just around the corner, so get in the holiday mood with these delicious treats. And don't forget the green tea!
Famous Egg Tarts (makes 14)
Pastry Dough:
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening, chilled
1/4 cup butter, chilled
One egg
2 tablespoons ice water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
2/3 cup water
Four eggs
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dough preparation
Place flour in a food processor (you can also do by hand). Cut shortening and butter into 1/2-inch chunks and distribute over flour. Process with on-off bursts until fat particles are the size of peas.
Add egg, ice water and vanilla.
Process until mixture just begins to form a ball. Do not process completely.
Remove dough, shape into one patty, 1 inch thick, and cover with plastic wrap.
Chill at least one hour.
Filling preparation
In small pan, heat water and sugar until sugar dissolves; let cool.
Beat eggs slightly in a bowl. Whisk in sugar-water syrup, evaporated milk and vanilla, blending until smooth.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. On a lightly floured board, roll out pastry to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 14 4-inch circles. You can re-roll scraps and use again.
Fit circles into 2 1/2-inch tart pans. Lightly press dough into bottoms and sides, trim edges.
Pour filling into pastry lined pans to within 1/4 inch of top.
Place filled pans on a baking sheet, and bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
Place pans on rack, and cool for 10 minutes. Remove tarts from pan, and serve warm or room temp.
Kathryn Hack is a former Madison Valley resident. To reach her, e-mail mptimes@nwlink.com.[[In-content Ad]]
