guess who's going to HK in a few months time ; )

Any restaurants & DaiPaiTong recommendations from the HK expats here? (Bee,
Theresa, LeRoy, Chef...). Anyone heard from Chef lately?

DC.

"DC."  wrote in message 
news:nridnc8luMiWtsXfRVnyvw@pipex.net...

> guess who's going to HK in a few months time ; )
>
> Any restaurants & DaiPaiTong recommendations from the HK expats here? 
> (Bee,
> Theresa, LeRoy, Chef...). Anyone heard from Chef lately?
>
> DC.


Hey DC - It's been a long, busy time!! When are you going to HK?  Sooo 
jealous!

From my visit last year, I'd recommend a trip to 'Dai Pai Dong' on Canton 
Road - this is a new invention - a cafe that takes up the old mantle of 
street food, since that was to all intents and purposes outlawed... 
interesting, good value and you can smile at recollections of the tea-coffee 
mix with milk. I like the congees.

There's also the Luk Yu teahouse in Central (Stanley Street) which I think 
is a gem - good dimsum, early in the morning served from trolleys if you're 
early enough and lots of good teas - we had a couple of unusual flower teas.

There's a Indonesian/ Malay/ Singapore/ European dark, damp, cold, 
restaurant on Ashley Road in Kowloon. Can't remember the name - good for Hoi 
Nam chicken rice, satays by the dozen, fried noodles - ery good value. The 
waiter there stood gobsmacked after telling me and my cousins that we'd 
ordered twice as much as we should eat....... we proved him very wrong!

I have always liked Spring Deer restaurant on Mody Road, Tsim sha tsui for 
Peking food - I think there are noodle shows there at times too.

If you want more recs, email me!!

Hope all well

Pat

Hey DC,

You're coming over in the summer? - not the best time weatherwise ;-(  I
guess this would like a pilgrimage for you - just remember to pace yourself
steadily - the choices are quite staggering and when you first arrive, you
just want to eat at every place you pass by. The groups been really quiet of
late, where's everyone?  Be a shame to see it decline.

happy cooking (& eating)

Chef!


"DC."  wrote in message
news:nridnc8luMiWtsXfRVnyvw@pipex.net...

> guess who's going to HK in a few months time ; )
>
> Any restaurants & DaiPaiTong recommendations from the HK expats here?
(Bee,
> Theresa, LeRoy, Chef...). Anyone heard from Chef lately?
>
> DC.
>
>
>
>
>

"Chef!"  wrote in message
news:d41o76$dhn1@imsp212.netvigator.com...

> Hey DC,
>
> You're coming over in the summer? - not the best time weatherwise ;-(  I
> guess this would like a pilgrimage for you - just remember to pace
yourself
> steadily - the choices are quite staggering and when you first arrive, you
> just want to eat at every place you pass by. The groups been really quiet
of
> late, where's everyone?  Be a shame to see it decline.
>
> happy cooking (& eating)
>
> Chef!
>
>
> "DC."  wrote in message
> news:nridnc8luMiWtsXfRVnyvw@pipex.net...
> > guess who's going to HK in a few months time ; )
> >
> > Any restaurants & DaiPaiTong recommendations from the HK expats here?
> (Bee,
> > Theresa, LeRoy, Chef...). Anyone heard from Chef lately?
> >
> > DC.



Well I'm still here Chef  so keep posting.  I only ever go as far as the
south of France or the Costa Brava with my caravan, so I shall be delighted
to hear what DC gets up to in HK.   Have a good time DC.

Regards.

Dave.

"Chef!"  wrote in message
news:d41o76$dhn1@imsp212.netvigator.com...

> Hey DC,
>
> You're coming over in the summer? - not the best time weatherwise ;-(  I
> guess this would like a pilgrimage for you - just remember to pace
yourself
> steadily - the choices are quite staggering and when you first arrive, you
> just want to eat at every place you pass by. The groups been really quiet
of
> late, where's everyone?  Be a shame to see it decline.
>
> happy cooking (& eating)
>
> Chef!


Hi Chef,

How's life in HK?, any recommendations for places to eat? I've exchanged a
few emails with Pat Leroy & she's given me a few places to go but knowing
me, i'll be the piggy that wants to eat, eat & eat. Hahahaa.. So any
suggestions would be appreciated.

Yes it's very quiet here... i'll try & post a few recipes here soon to keep
things interesting. I know this sounds like a stupid question but are those
HK tailors who make suits in a few days any good? i might need a new one
made but i definitely need my jacket altered... having lost a bit of weight
over the last year (how's that possible... i don't know?!!). Also any good
places in Shengzhen for food? Hope to hear from you soon.

DC.

"Dave Dew"  wrote in message
news:5ne9e.31895$Uc7.28225@newsfe2-win.ntli.net...
<snip>

> Well I'm still here Chef  so keep posting.  I only ever go as far as the
> south of France or the Costa Brava with my caravan, so I shall be
delighted
> to hear what DC gets up to in HK.   Have a good time DC.
>
> Regards.
>
> Dave.


Hi Dave,

Long time no hear from you. Well i'm going to be eating & doing some
sightseeing... it's been a very long time since i've been to HK & as Chef
says, it's more like a pilgrimage. I'll try my best to take photos & keep a
diary or notes about what i get up to.

Where abouts in Costa Brava you go to Dave? Salou? we were in Barcelona only
a few weeks ago for a few days of eating tapas & drinking cava & spent a day
at a cava vineyard seeing how they made their bubbly. It was very
interesting. The tapas in Catalunya & the Basque country are quite similar
to Chinese dimsum. There was even one that was exactly identical to Chinese
toasted prawn with sesame seeds. I reckon they got that idea from the
Chinese restaurants. But most of all, the locals called it 'sushi' as that's
what they associate it with when trying to explain it to tourists. I guess
they don't have any dimsum restaurants in Spain or else they'll be calling
it Spanish dimsum ; )

DC.

"DC."  wrote in message
news:lfSdnaVc9Yr1EPjfRVnyuw@pipex.net...

> "Dave Dew"  wrote in message
> news:5ne9e.31895$Uc7.28225@newsfe2-win.ntli.net...
> <snip>
> > Well I'm still here Chef  so keep posting.  I only ever go as far as the
> > south of France or the Costa Brava with my caravan, so I shall be
> delighted
> > to hear what DC gets up to in HK.   Have a good time DC.
> >
> > Regards.
> >
> > Dave.
>
> Hi Dave,
>
> Long time no hear from you. Well i'm going to be eating & doing some
> sightseeing... it's been a very long time since i've been to HK & as Chef
> says, it's more like a pilgrimage. I'll try my best to take photos & keep
a
> diary or notes about what i get up to.
>
> Where abouts in Costa Brava you go to Dave?



Hi DC,

We stayed at a campsite at San Pere Pescador near Figueres. We had a go at
the tapas and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Especially the squid and baby octopus
dishes.  We were a bit scared as we speak no Spanish.  However we got by
with a phrase book and in September we shall probably return and now we have
more confidence.


Regards.

Dave.

"DC."  wrote in message
news:nridnc8luMiWtsXfRVnyvw@pipex.net...

> guess who's going to HK in a few months time ; )
>
> Any restaurants & DaiPaiTong recommendations from the HK expats here?
> (Bee,
> Theresa, LeRoy, Chef...). Anyone heard from Chef lately?
>
> DC.
>
>
>
>
>


Hi DC,

Sorry about the late reply. Lucky you, going to HK. Last time, I mainly
stayed in Central District in HK Island and spent a day at Cheung Chau. Like
LeRoy said, Luk Yu at Stanley Street is a good one - old traditional
teahouse. Yung Kee nearby is a good Cantonese restaurant. We had dim sum at
a very basic restaurant in Cheung Chau, near the ferry pier, I forgot the
name of the restaurant - three Chinese characters (if you need it, I will
ask the friend who took me there). The dim sum there was very good and tasty
and cheap.

Last time, I found the following website useful:-
http://www.discoverhongkong.com/login.html
I even obtained some brochures from them. The up-to-date maps at the back of 
the travel guides are very useful.

BTW, I made use of the Easter long weekend to try out a couple of new
recipes - Loa shui duck and mooncakes. Loa shui duck was based on Chef's
recipe, it turned out very nice - Thanks very much Chef!  Mooncake recipes
were obtained through googling, unfortunately my mooncakes with lotus seed
paste and salted duck eggs collapsed during baking, they were all flat.
Apart from that, the mooncakes tasted very nicely. Even the colour was
right. I guess there is room for improvement in making the skin - I am
always lack of skill in making dough.

Theresa

"Dave Dew"  wrote in message
news:xiu9e.40873$pA6.23695@newsfe1-win.ntli.net...
<snip>

> We stayed at a campsite at San Pere Pescador near Figueres. We had a go at
> the tapas and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Especially the squid and baby
octopus
> dishes.  We were a bit scared as we speak no Spanish.  However we got by
> with a phrase book and in September we shall probably return and now we
have
> more confidence.
>
> Regards.
>
> Dave.


Hi Dave, we never go without our guide & phrase book even if our Spanish is
getting better after many visits. Never been up to Figueres/Dali country
before but would love to next time. There's just so much to do & see maybe
one day.

I'm well impressed that you & the Mrs actually like Octopus & Squid. Ask for
baby squids next time & even cuttlefish chunks... i think they're called
'choco' or something like that in Andalucia but in Catalunya it'll be
something else. Have you see the Spanish version of a fish n chip shop? it's
called fritos pescaderia or something like that, they fry everything in
batter, all sorts of fish & seafood. I had a 'mixed' bag once, kind of pot
luck fish/seafood fry up, it was fun trying to figure out what you're eating
& they all taste good too.

DC.

"PE"  wrote in message
news:5iw9e.28528$il.4195@newsfe5-win.ntli.net...
<snip>

> Sorry about the late reply. Lucky you, going to HK. Last time, I mainly
> stayed in Central District in HK Island and spent a day at Cheung Chau.
Like
> LeRoy said, Luk Yu at Stanley Street is a good one - old traditional
> teahouse. Yung Kee nearby is a good Cantonese restaurant. We had dim sum
at
> a very basic restaurant in Cheung Chau, near the ferry pier, I forgot the
> name of the restaurant - three Chinese characters (if you need it, I will
> ask the friend who took me there). The dim sum there was very good and
tasty
> and cheap.


Thanks for those tips, i shall try & find them... i'm getting hungry just
thinking about it.


> Last time, I found the following website useful:-
> http://www.discoverhongkong.com/login.html
> I even obtained some brochures from them. The up-to-date maps at the back
of
> the travel guides are very useful.


I'll go check it out soon, thanks.


> BTW, I made use of the Easter long weekend to try out a couple of new
> recipes - Loa shui duck and mooncakes. Loa shui duck was based on Chef's
> recipe, it turned out very nice - Thanks very much Chef!  Mooncake recipes
> were obtained through googling, unfortunately my mooncakes with lotus seed
> paste and salted duck eggs collapsed during baking, they were all flat.
> Apart from that, the mooncakes tasted very nicely. Even the colour was
> right. I guess there is room for improvement in making the skin - I am
> always lack of skill in making dough.


heheheee... you don't want to be lacking in the 'dough'/money making skill
Theresa, and let the side down... what will dear ancestors think... !

I think you're brave in attempting to make mooncakes... even though i like
eating them once a year, i would never dare making them myself just in case
they flop.. & end up with a great big dollop! maybe you should get hubby
Paul the baker to give you a hand ; ) that'll test his skill at baking
Hwahahaaaa.... what Chinese cake?? Yao Mo Kao Chor ahhh/are you sure???

DC.

I can recommend a really good tailor I have used for over 5 years and a 
friend for alot longer!
Maxwell  Clothiers  7fl, 38 Hankow Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
5/7 minutes walk from the Star Ferry
Tel 852-2366-6658, Doris is the tailor
You will need to make an appointment but I think her tailoring is first 
class - to date 3 suits, 4 jackets, must be 50 shirts!
Just a tip always go for 2 trousers per suit!  Finished in 3days faster if 
necessary with a single fitting...

Opposite is the Guangdong Barbeque Roast Meat Restaurant with all the roast 
meats hanging in the windowgreat for a small snack after the fitting - 
FANTASTIC chau siu really moist and the roast duck is always good, as is 
their hong siu dao fu ( bean curd) and beef chow mein - this is a

As for other food

Red Pepper Restaurant  -  I LOVE THIS RESTAURANT
 7 Lan Fong Rd , Causeway Bay 2577 3811
Szechuan at its best - great favourite with expatriates based in HK. We 
always have the pork and pickled vegetable soup ( the hot and sour is also 
fantastic) dry fried string beans, the kumquat beef, sizzling prawns for the 
show of the almost red hot iron plate arriving at the table and the chilli 
prawns being  poured out onto it the sizzling and steam is watched behind 
raised napkins, the hot garlic aubergine is divine, and is the homestyle 
bean curd.  We always finish with a beef chow mein ( nau yuk chow mein) as 
their noodles are EXTRA crispy! With bo lay cha ( or pu'err tea)
and Tsingtao beer - nothing beats this
If you go try to fix in your mind the aroma as you open the door to go in - 
the smell of chilli will clear the sinuses and if you ever revisit it will 
never have changed.

If I ever won the lottery big time I would open a Szechuan restaurant in 
London and recruit all the staff from the Red Pepper- most have been there 
for .... well I have been going for 25 years at least - bring them here to 
run it with the same menu and same authenticity - I am salivating just 
sitting here thinking about it as I type

For Dim Sum go early 11.30 to City Hall near the Star Ferry - dim sum served 
from trolleys -  huge place - huge noise great dim sum

Beijing Dumpling at 118 Jaffee street in Wanchai, there is great Beijing 
restaurant, not sure if the restaurant has a English name over the 
entrance - formica tops and tiled floor nothing fancy - but the best pan 
fried dumplings - there are 4 or 5 choices in HK in my humble opinion, their 
hong siu dao fu is excellent as are are their beef hofan noodles- ask the 
taxi driver to take you to Joe Banana - a decent if cattle market pub - 
directly opposite is Delaney's head in that direction and pass Delaney's on 
your right down Jaffee Road  - good tip for drinking in HK buy your beer in 
local Chinese restaurants as it is dirty cheap and they don't seem to have 
realised compared to the pubs down the road - many an evening spent in these 
places eating and drinking ALOT of beer - drink the Tsingtao and not San 
Miguel as it is known to give a bad head ache after a serious session.

On Cheung Chau there is a quaintly named restaurant over looking the beach 
called the Cheung Chau Country Club just down from the old Marine Police 
station - don't worry it isn't - decent food - airconditioned  - having said 
that where ever you eat it will be good. Restaurants in HK that serve crap 
food soon close!

"DC."  wrote in message 
news:FsidnZJEWNxPF_jfRVnyiw@pipex.net...

> "Chef!"  wrote in message
> news:d41o76$dhn1@imsp212.netvigator.com...
>> Hey DC,
>>
>> You're coming over in the summer? - not the best time weatherwise ;-(  I
>> guess this would like a pilgrimage for you - just remember to pace
> yourself
>> steadily - the choices are quite staggering and when you first arrive, 
>> you
>> just want to eat at every place you pass by. The groups been really quiet
> of
>> late, where's everyone?  Be a shame to see it decline.
>>
>> happy cooking (& eating)
>>
>> Chef!
>
> Hi Chef,
>
> How's life in HK?, any recommendations for places to eat? I've exchanged a
> few emails with Pat Leroy & she's given me a few places to go but knowing
> me, i'll be the piggy that wants to eat, eat & eat. Hahahaa.. So any
> suggestions would be appreciated.
>
> Yes it's very quiet here... i'll try & post a few recipes here soon to 
> keep
> things interesting. I know this sounds like a stupid question but are 
> those
> HK tailors who make suits in a few days any good? i might need a new one
> made but i definitely need my jacket altered... having lost a bit of 
> weight
> over the last year (how's that possible... i don't know?!!). Also any good
> places in Shengzhen for food? Hope to hear from you soon.
>
> DC.
>
> 

"William LACK"  wrote in message
news:d481dp$9v4$1@nwrdmz01.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...

> I can recommend a really good tailor I have used for over 5 years and a
> friend for alot longer!


Thanks... i'll go have a look. What kind of prices are we talking about
here? per suit lets say.


> Red Pepper Restaurant  -  I LOVE THIS RESTAURANT
>  7 Lan Fong Rd , Causeway Bay 2577 3811
<snip>
> If you go try to fix in your mind the aroma as you open the door to go
in -
> the smell of chilli will clear the sinuses and if you ever revisit it will
> never have changed.


Now that sounds like a *Real* Sichuan restaurant. I've never found any
decent Sichuan rests. outside SE Asia.


> If I ever won the lottery big time I would open a Szechuan restaurant in
> London and recruit all the staff from the Red Pepper- most have been there

<snip>

I've often asked my restaurant friends here in London & they're half hearted
about it saying 'people' meaning English customers would probably still
prefer to have 'normal' Cantonese food & might find Sichuan a little too
spicy. Well it's their lost... i'm sure someone from the Mainland will open
a Sichuan rest. in London soon & all the expat Chinese will fill the place
up.



> For Dim Sum go early 11.30 to City Hall near the Star Ferry - dim sum
served
> from trolleys -  huge place - huge noise great dim sum


Yes i think i know this place, sounds familiar enough.


> Beijing Dumpling at 118 Jaffee street in Wanchai, there is great Beijing
> restaurant, not sure if the restaurant has a English name over the
> entrance - formica tops and tiled floor nothing fancy - but the best pan
> fried dumplings - there are 4 or 5 choices in HK in my humble opinion,

their

Ohh.. this sounds good too.


> On Cheung Chau there is a quaintly named restaurant over looking the beach


Looks like i'll be in Cheung Chau too as it seems there's quite a few places
to eat there.

Thanks William.

DC.

$2500-$3000 per suit from memory - depends on the fabric and how much detail 
you want, shirts from $250 with the 1 = HK$14.5+ such good value - they 
will keep your measurements on file and I just fax them and order 6 more 
every 6/8months
http://www.maxwellsclothiers.com/


Go for sleeve cuff buttons that can undo - a special pocket for your 
mobile - take it along and they will make a pocket that fits it like a 
glove - remember to ask for a buttonable flap so that it can't fall out - I 
do the same for the inside chest pockets - no pickpocket can undo them 
without you noticing!

Re the Red Pepper - it is a real institution the orange table cloth, red 
plastic chilli chopstick rests and the scent of the chilli - don't be put 
off by the fact it will be half full of gwailo's,  there are other fine 
Szechuan restaurants, noteably one in Alexandra House in Central, but the 
Red Pepper is like an old family friend that never disappoints - I might 
just wangle a trip to HK soon to get my fix - oh yes you can order small or 
medium portions go for the small - still decent sized but mean you can get 
more taste sensations - or medium if you are like me greedy!

Last meal I had there 5 of us and 8 dishes plus lots of rice and 5 large 
bottles of beer HK $1600 ( 110) worth every penny

If I could learn how to make the kumquat beef I would die happy!

"William LACK"  wrote in message
news:d48co6$kmf$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...

> $2500-$3000 per suit from memory - depends on the fabric and how much
> detail you want, shirts from $250 with the 1 = HK$14.5+ such good value -
> they will keep your measurements on file and I just fax them and order 6
> more every 6/8months
> http://www.maxwellsclothiers.com/
>
>
> Go for sleeve cuff buttons that can undo - a special pocket for your
> mobile - take it along and they will make a pocket that fits it like a
> glove - remember to ask for a buttonable flap so that it can't fall out -
> I do the same for the inside chest pockets - no pickpocket can undo them
> without you noticing!
>
> Re the Red Pepper - it is a real institution the orange table cloth, red
> plastic chilli chopstick rests and the scent of the chilli - don't be put
> off by the fact it will be half full of gwailo's,  there are other fine
> Szechuan restaurants, noteably one in Alexandra House in Central, but the
> Red Pepper is like an old family friend that never disappoints - I might
> just wangle a trip to HK soon to get my fix - oh yes you can order small
> or medium portions go for the small - still decent sized but mean you can
> get more taste sensations - or medium if you are like me greedy!
>
> Last meal I had there 5 of us and 8 dishes plus lots of rice and 5 large
> bottles of beer HK $1600 ( 110) worth every penny
>
> If I could learn how to make the kumquat beef I would die happy!
>
>
>


There is a recipe for "Spicy beef slices with tangerine peel" or "chen pi
niu rou" in Mandarin, in Fuchsia Dunlop's Sichuan Cookery. The beef slices
are deep-fried and then simmered with the tangerine peel and chilli sauce.
If this dish is similar to your kumquat beef, you can substitute the
tangerine peel with kumquat, probably dried kumquat. Besides, the book has
recipes for most of the other Sichuan dishes you mentioned.

Theresa

but I've tried the recipe in her book and it does not work as well

At the Red Pepper the beef is almost crystaline, it is cut very thin and it 
is very crunchy in some areas and chewy in others -and a very dark burgundy 
colour

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------
William Lack
Managing Director
Altfield Limited
2/22 Chelsea Harbour Design Centre
Lots Road
London
United Kingdom
SW10 0XE
Tel: ( +44 ) 020-7351-5893
Fax:( +44 ) 020-7376-5667
Send me e-mail at: williamlack@altfield.com
Web Site: www.altfield.com
Showroom Hours: 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday
(other times by appointment)


Our new shop is open at
320 Kings Road
London
SW3 5UH
Tel 020-7352-5188
Fax 020-7352-5199



This message and any attachment are confidential.  If you are not the
intended recipient, please telephone or email the sender and delete the 
message and
any attachment from your system.  If you are not the intended recipient you 
must
not copy this message or attachment or disclose the contents to any other
person.

"PE"  wrote in message 
news:XQQ9e.100$vU4.40@newsfe6-win.ntli.net...

>
> "William LACK"  wrote in message
> news:d48co6$kmf$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
>> $2500-$3000 per suit from memory - depends on the fabric and how much
>> detail you want, shirts from $250 with the 1 = HK$14.5+ such good 
>> value -
>> they will keep your measurements on file and I just fax them and order 6
>> more every 6/8months
>> http://www.maxwellsclothiers.com/
>>
>>
>> Go for sleeve cuff buttons that can undo - a special pocket for your
>> mobile - take it along and they will make a pocket that fits it like a
>> glove - remember to ask for a buttonable flap so that it can't fall out -
>> I do the same for the inside chest pockets - no pickpocket can undo them
>> without you noticing!
>>
>> Re the Red Pepper - it is a real institution the orange table cloth, red
>> plastic chilli chopstick rests and the scent of the chilli - don't be put
>> off by the fact it will be half full of gwailo's,  there are other fine
>> Szechuan restaurants, noteably one in Alexandra House in Central, but the
>> Red Pepper is like an old family friend that never disappoints - I might
>> just wangle a trip to HK soon to get my fix - oh yes you can order small
>> or medium portions go for the small - still decent sized but mean you can
>> get more taste sensations - or medium if you are like me greedy!
>>
>> Last meal I had there 5 of us and 8 dishes plus lots of rice and 5 large
>> bottles of beer HK $1600 ( 110) worth every penny
>>
>> If I could learn how to make the kumquat beef I would die happy!
>>
>>
>>
>
> There is a recipe for "Spicy beef slices with tangerine peel" or "chen pi
> niu rou" in Mandarin, in Fuchsia Dunlop's Sichuan Cookery. The beef slices
> are deep-fried and then simmered with the tangerine peel and chilli sauce.
> If this dish is similar to your kumquat beef, you can substitute the
> tangerine peel with kumquat, probably dried kumquat. Besides, the book has
> recipes for most of the other Sichuan dishes you mentioned.
>
> Theresa
>
>
>
>
> 

"William LACK"  wrote in message
news:d48m6l$sb1$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...

> but I've tried the recipe in her book and it does not work as well
>
> At the Red Pepper the beef is almost crystaline, it is cut very thin and
> it is very crunchy in some areas and chewy in others -and a very dark
> burgundy colour
>
> -- 


I am no expert and I don't remember having tasted these two dishes. If the
taste and look are similar, maybe you can cut the beef slices very thin like
you said. Instead of deep-frying the beef and then simmering with the sauce,
you can deep-fry the beef, cook the sauce separately and then pour the 
cooked sauce onto the beef to serve. This way hopefully the beef will be 
almost crystaline, very crunchy
in some areas and chewy in others. Am I right, DC? Chef?

Theresa

"PE"  wrote in message
news:eFR9e.553$Y46.86@newsfe1-win.ntli.net...

>
> "William LACK"  wrote in message
> news:d48m6l$sb1$1@nwrdmz02.dmz.ncs.ea.ibs-infra.bt.com...
> > but I've tried the recipe in her book and it does not work as well
> >
> > At the Red Pepper the beef is almost crystaline, it is cut very thin and
> > it is very crunchy in some areas and chewy in others -and a very dark
> > burgundy colour
> >
> > -- 
>
> I am no expert and I don't remember having tasted these two dishes. If the
> taste and look are similar, maybe you can cut the beef slices very thin
like
> you said. Instead of deep-frying the beef and then simmering with the
sauce,
> you can deep-fry the beef, cook the sauce separately and then pour the
> cooked sauce onto the beef to serve. This way hopefully the beef will be
> almost crystaline, very crunchy
> in some areas and chewy in others. Am I right, DC? Chef?
>
> Theresa


Yes you are correct Theresa, you have learnt well Grasshopper! heeheeeee...
William, slice them thin & add 1/2 tsp of bicarb of soda, mix & leave to
stand for 5 mins. then rinse it all out with water, squeeze dry then pat dry
with kitchen paper. Then follow or marinate as per recipe. Make sure the oil
is at the right temp. before deep frying. Test one piece first... it needs
to sizzle very quickly & cooks very quickly, don't over cook it or it'll be
hard/tough. The bicarb renders it soft & silky & also helps the meat take
on/absorb the marinade but what you often loose is the taste of the meat.
Most if not all Chinese rests. do this. We don't really do this at home as
we prefer to cook as natural as possible. No MSG, bicarb etc.. but on
occasions when one desires a restaurant 'type' dish... we gotta do what we
gotta do. I've not tried this dish myself but if you can get fresh kumquats
from chinatown, i would keep them wrapped in paper & dry in the fridge &
make sure they are overipe, almost shrivelled like before using them. This
way the kumquats are extra sweet & halfway to being like sun dried tomatoes.
Sichuan, Western & Northern cuisine makes use of plenty dried vegs. in their
cooking, similar to Northern Italian (dried chilli peppers, mushrooms,
tomatoes etc.) as they have short-ish summers but extremely hot & dry which
is suitable for sun drying foods for the winter. In my Chinese medicine
chest... i've got sun dried Chinese olives (hei mei), dried dates, almonds,
amongst other things... so you see, it's not that dissimilar to some of the
way we cook traditional European foods here.

DC.

Salut/Hi William LACK, 

 le/on Thu, 21 Apr 2005 17:00:06 +0000 (UTC), tu disais/you said:-


 Could I ask you please to do something about your signature. Usenet good
practice is to limit it to three lines maximum. I'd not grumble over 4 even,
but 30 lines top posted over the message you're replying to is a touch over
the top!

-- 
All the Best
Ian Hoare
http://www.souvigne.com
mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website

oops sorry I thought I had deleted it!

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------
William Lack

"Ian Hoare"  wrote in message 
news:cvdh619mbqr0hc854bcarur1jgp44fsd4l@4ax.com...

> Salut/Hi William LACK,
>
> le/on Thu, 21 Apr 2005 17:00:06 +0000 (UTC), tu disais/you said:-
>
>
> Could I ask you please to do something about your signature. Usenet good
> practice is to limit it to three lines maximum. I'd not grumble over 4 
> even,
> but 30 lines top posted over the message you're replying to is a touch 
> over
> the top!
>
> -- 
> All the Best
> Ian Hoare
> http://www.souvigne.com
> mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website