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Originally posted by konata88:

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Originally posted by flesheatingvirus:
One of my coworkers is from close to Shanghai. The spring rolls she makes by hand and brings to pot lucks are ERMAGERD good.

Thank for calling them spring rolls. I still don't know why most places call them eggrolls. To me, that's a cookie. If you like Shanghainese cuisine, I think you'll like Taiwan/Mandarin style food. Taiwan style dimsum is a favorite of mine but usually only cantonese style dimsum is readily available here (which is also good).

Unfortunately, the variety of choices in NM are a bit lacking in this area.

Understand. And honestly, not sure why this is the case. There is tremendous diversity of chinese food. Perhaps related to historically Hong Kong being more accessible than other regions? HK and its cuisine / culture has a head start over other regions? Anyway, if you have a chance to visit Taiwan, perhaps try the local cuisine and not places like Din Tai Fung (it's where typically tourists are taken; it okay but there is much better food elsewhere. It's famous like McD is famous but not very good, just okay; specifically everything but their xiao lung bao is disappointing - I've tried their whole menu at most of their key locations including the original).

If a Cantonese friend is ever “excited” to share food, because they got the “spices from a visiting relative, which they can never get in the U.S.,” be very, very cautious...

We have a Chinese restaurant here in Winter Park that cooks Szechuan style dishes. The various dishes are spicy, going from mild to OMG HOT!! Name: Chuan Fu.

My favorite is Beef stewed with peppers, followed by Five flavor Eggplant. I tried a spicy fish stew that turned out to be more spicy than I could enjoy, despite the fact it had great underlying flavors.

If you are in the WP area and want a change from Americanized Cantonese style Chinese food, I highly recommend Chuan Fu… just be sure to check on the spice level when ordering.

A side note - Szechuan (also spelled Sichuan) peppercorns have not only an unique taste, they have a content that results in mild numbing of the tongue and mouth. They were banned from import for a time, suspected of harboring citrus canker. Later, those heat treated were allowed.

The shift from mandatory heat treatment after 2005 to more relaxed import rules in 2007 does suggest that the perceived risk from Sichuan peppercorns might have been overestimated, or that better scientific understanding and improved agricultural safeguards made the risk manageable. Initially, the ban was an abundance-of-caution response to citrus canker’s threat to American crops, especially since Sichuan peppercorns are from the citrus family and could theoretically harbor the disease.

After further review, officials determined that the risk of citrus canker transmission via dried peppercorns was extremely low or insignificant, especially when proper agricultural controls were in place. Thus, regulations were relaxed and untreated peppercorns became legal again, reflecting a change in risk assessment rather than new evidence of harm—there was never any documented case of citrus canker being introduced via Sichuan pepper imports.

In summary, regulatory caution and evolving science led to the original ban and its eventual loosening; in retrospect, the issue may have been less critical than authorities once feared. (Perplexity research)

Sichuan peppers have a very unique taste, when infused in the oil typical of Sichuan cooking. But god forbid don't eat them!

But when you are in Chongqing or Chengdu with locals having hot pot, they want to order goose intestines, pigs blood, tripe, and all manner of guts. Can I just have some sliced beef please? Maybe some shrimp?

Anybody have a good recipe for (not sure of the name exactly) wu xiang pai gu / 5 spice pork (belly). Basically, I think braised pork belly nuggets w/ a sweet, 5 spice seasoning. It's similar to japanese kakuni but better (more complex seasoning).

Mao's favorite dish? That's what Chinese people call it.

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Mao's favorite dish

Hmmm, I'm not sure it's the same dish but sounds similar. Did not know about that. But I don't think this is hongshao (as in hongshao nyoro mein (hongshao beef noodle soup). But maybe it is the same thing - i just know it as something like 5 spice pork (in restaurants). In particular, I don't remember shaoxing wine as an ingredient (not something I care for). Also, don't remember chili peppers but wouldn't be averse to it. But again, maybe the same thing.

Soy sauce is an ingredient, not a condiment.

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Originally posted by RichardC:
Soy sauce is an ingredient, not a condiment.

I've been raging on about that for years.

I got my kids to stop...at least when we're eating together.

Reminds me of the scene in the movie "Joy Luck Club" were the daughter's SO tries to help by pouring soy sauce on the fish dish and the whole table jumps up to try to stop him

Specifically for chinese food?

What about korean or japanese food? like for sashimi or nigiri? or pajeon? nekomanma?

Or even chinese food - dim sum where chili sauce and soy sauce are at the table?

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Originally posted by RichardC:
Soy sauce is an ingredient, not a condiment.

Yup, and then you get into light and dark soy sauce and using true soy sauce from an Asian market and not off your grocery store shelf unless they happen to carry it like mine does.