My anticipation begins when I enter the doors and see all the colorful products stacked all around me. Many scents, smells and aromas surround me, some I'm familiar with, others I'm not. Grabbing a shopping cart my eyes start to dart back and fourth deciding where I want to go first. As I'm looking and listening to all the Chinese languages being spoken and women standing in small groups chattering away, smiling and laughing I get very excited. Usually my first foray into the store is towards the seafood department so I can look at all the unusual fish and crustaceans swimming in their glass enclosed homes until the fish monger scoops one up with a net for a customer to bring home for dinner. Last time I was at the market many boxes of iced blue crabs were playing dead until I decided to poke my finger in to touch one, then all of their small menacing claws started to grab for me. Quickly, I removed my hand from almost getting clawed. On occasion, I will boldly ask the person who is purchasing the fish how they are going to prepare it which means I have to dig in my purse for my small notebook I always carry to write down instructions. Sometimes the woman I'm speaking with starts dragging me all around the store taking fast and showing me items I most certainly will need to purchase for the preparation of her famous fish dish.
My next stop is the produce and fruit section. What fascinates me is the variety of vegetables, herbs and fruit located here. Of course the prices are unheard of in regular grocers. As I walk around picking up each bundle of goodness, I have to also do the sniff test which of course starts my mind whirling as to what I will crate. Currently, my refrigerator is stuffed with "exotic" vegetables that are waiting to be tossed into my wok with other delights for an amazing dinner. Some of these vegetables you might find are; bok choy, napa cabbage, choy sum (Chinese flowering cabbage), Chinese broccoli, black fungus, enoki mushrooms, bean sprouts, daikon (love these), Thai eggplant, cherry eggplant, yard long beans, winged bean, white chestnuts, straw mushrooms, Chinese lettuce, chrysanthemum leaves (mustard and anise flavor) water spinach, betel leaves, lotus root, Vietnamese mint, kuchay, galangol, lemon grass and kiffar lime leaves. As I stroll by the fruits, I grab a thick skinned prickly fruit that looks like a large puffer fish and it's called the horned melon that tastes like a mixture of cucumber and kiwi, but if it's fully ripened it tastes more like banana.
As my trek continues through the store I must stop and examine all the different types of rice that are contained in rather large packages. Also, there are cans and cans of of coconut milk (who knew), bean pastes, several hundred varieties of soy sauce and condiments I've never even heard of. My boldness to nab another shopper and have them explain to me what these interesting items are used for is not uncommon. I have found that most are happy to explain and share a recipe for the product I'm curious about. Next stop is curry paste which I have an addiction to. Reaching for my favorite yellow in the small tub I know my hubby will be happy as he loves a yellow curry with carrots, potatoes, chicken and coconut milk (see recipe below.) One section I also treasure is the noodle section, so many choices to choose from such as; cellophane noodles, bean thread, Shanghai noodles, fresh rice noodles, somen, udon, ramen, soba, shiratake, ho fan noodles,vermicelli, eggs noodles, rice stick noodles, and wheat noodles.
Most of my friends or my husband really don't like going to the Asian grocer with me as I must slowly walk up and down every isle including the frozen section. Another favorite area are the isles with the woks, tea pots, steamers, cleavers, chopsticks inlaid with beautiful designs and dishes. Talk about reasonable prices, they are here.
Onto the frozen section; if you want it you will most likely find it here. Just recently my hubby and I were purchasing some calamari steaks as they only had them in the frozen section. I was walking around with the cart and happened upon a very interesting looking package. Picking it up I was shocked to see what I was holding so I tossed it in the cart. Jerry came over and put his calamari in and off to the checkout we went. When he picked up my surprise package he looked at me with utter shock and of course I couldn't contain my laughter. What in the world are these he asks? Well honey, they are a thick fat brown grub worm with tan stripes I say and I've heard they are quite delicious, hehe. Needless to say, those ugly grubs went right back in the freezer section.
Finally I grab a bottle of Sake and Plum wine before I finish my shopping trip, but first I must hit the isle with the colorful tapioca pearls. They are so pretty and it's amazing there are so many beautiful vibrant colors to choose from. These little pearls are used in drinks such as bubble tea, ice tea, coffee or melon or raspberry smoothie type drinks. They are also knows as sagudana and are used to make snacks too. A interesting recipe for tapioca jelly can be seen below.
Of course most Asian grocers usually have a place to dine or grab a quick snack. One of my favorite choices are hum bows or bow buns, those soft billowy warm dough mounds of goodness stuffed with all sorts of items, but my favorite is barbecued pork.
Hope you enjoy the recipes listed below and have a fun-filled shopping experience at your local Asian grocery store.
Tapioca Jelly
Take 2 Tbl. of tapioca and pour a pint of water over it, soaking for three hours. Place in a pan over low heat and simmer until very clear in color. If too thick, a little boiling water can be added. It can be sweetened with white sugar, flavored with coconut milk or a little wine and eaten alone or with cream.
Yellow Curry
1 lb. chicken breast, cut into pieces
3 potatoes, cut into large chunks
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and cut into chunks
2 or 3 Tbl. yellow curry paste
2 Tbl. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. red chili flakes (less if you don't like it too hot)
1 bay leaf
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 tsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbl. of galangal or ginger, grated
2 cups chicken stock (good quality)
1 Tbl. tomato paste
1 (14 oz.) can coconut milk
2 kiffar lime leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (garnish)
Place a wok or large deep sided pan over medium high heat. Add 2 Tbl. veg oil and add garlic, onions, red pepper flakes and ginger, stir fry for about 1 minute. Add the chicken, carrots and potatoes, stir frying for about 1 minute. Add tomato paste and curry paste and stir for a few seconds, add chicken stock stirring to combine. Add coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, lime leaves and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cover and reduce to simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with steamed white rice.
Soup with Shrimp and Bok Choy
3 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 Tbl. fresh ginger, minced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
4 cups chicken stock (good quality I like Kitchen Basics)
1 Tbl. soy sauce
4 cups baby bok choy, coarsely chopped
3 scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal including green part
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lb. cleaned shrimp (medium to large)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. sambal oelek (chili paste with garlic)
In a large Dutch oven add a drizzle of vegetable oil and 3 tsp. sesame oil. Saute mushrooms, garlic and ginger for about 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and soy sauce bringing to a boil. Stir in bok choy, and shrimp; cover pan and reduce to simmer for about 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in lime juice, chili paste, scallions and cilantro cooking for a minute. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve.
Asian Noodle Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing
4 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded *
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb. soba noodles
1 red bell pepper, seeded and julienne sliced
1/2 carrot, peeled and shredded
5 scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal including green part
1/2 cup salted peanuts, rough chop
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (extra for garnish)
1 Tbl. toasted sesame seeds
Dressing
6 Tbl. soy sauce
4 Tbl. seasoned rice vinegar
3 Tbl. toasted sesame oil
4 Tbl. creamy peanut butter
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 Tbl. fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
*Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to hot pan drizzled with a small amount of vegetable oil and brown on each side, turn heat down and cook until done about 20 minutes. Remove to cool. In a large pot of boiling salted water add noodles, stirring so they don' t stick and cook for a few minutes. Drain well and refresh in cold water, drain well again. In a large bowl; add cooked pasta and drizzle with a small amount of sesame oil, stir. For dressing; add ingredients to blender and whirl until smooth, if dressing is too thick add a small amount of hot water and whirl again to combine. Add dressing to pasta and stir to combine. Shred chicken breasts and add to bowl tossing to combine, add red peppers, carrots, peanuts, scallions, cilantro and sesame seeds. Pile salad on serving platter and sprinkle with additional chopped cilantro.
Easy Spicy Prawns
4 Tbl. peanut oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 large red Thai chile, finely chopped
1 lb. large prawns, cleaned
3 Tbl. dry sherry
1 large lime, juiced
salt
1 tsp. red chili flakes
2 scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal including green part
Heat wok and add oil. Add garlic and chiles, stir for about 1 minute. Add prawns, sherry and lime juice stir frying until prawns are pink. Season with salt and chili flakes. Remove to serving bowl and sprinkle with sliced scallions.
Easy Fried Rice (my hubby loves fried rice)
2 Tbl. peanut oil
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups cooked white rice (you can also use brown, jasmine, etc.)
3 ruby red tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 Tbl. soy sauce
3 scallions, thinly sliced on diagonal including green part (save a little for garnish)
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cooked and chopped; chicken, ham, shrimp, pork, beef or combo of any you enjoy
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Heat wok or pan over high heat add oils. Add red bell pepper and meat, cooking for about 1 minute. Add cooked rice and stir well cooking for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add scallions and peas, season with soy sauce and black pepper, stir fry for about 1 minute. Push all ingredients to the side of pan and add eggs stirring to cook, as they are cooked stir fry other ingredients back into eggs to combine, toss in cilantro. Taste and adjust seasonings. Remove to serving platter and garnish with extra sliced scallions.
Delicious Mango Pudding
2 Tbl. unflavored gelatin
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup hot water
3 cups pureed fresh mango's
1 cup evaporated milk
fresh mango's sliced for garnish
8 ice cubes
Add gelatin and sugar to hot water and mix until combined and smooth. In a large bowl, mix mango puree, evaporated milk and ice cubes. Pour gelatin mixture into mango mixture and stir until cubes have melted. Pour mixture into individual ramekins and chill for about 3 hours or until set. To serve; place a ramekin on dessert plate and garnish with freshly whipped cream and a mango slice.
Bon Appetit or Chiah Hok
"If God is for us, who can be against us?" - Romans 8:31
"Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" - Romans 11:33
"Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and merciful." - Joel 2:13
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