Blanca Valencia
I accidentally bumped into these Asianera bone china tea cups in a Xintandi shop in Shanghai and I could not resist buying them. They are a fusion of Chinese and Western tea cups. The tea cups are tiny like the Chinese ones. They make our weekend oolong tea sessions feel even more luxurious. Asianera is a Chinese company with a factory in Beijing. When you see products like that this you realize the amazing skill of Chinese artisans.
An unmissable food place in China is Muslim Street in Xi’an. Although locals deem it too touristy, I have to say it is fascinating to see so many food vendors cooking their dishes from scratch as if you were walking inside a cookbook of Chinese Muslim Food, which by the way I have not been able to find.
Xi’an has a vibrant Muslim community that has been in the city since 651 AD. There are still approximately 50,000 Muslims in the city.
They dress distinctly Muslim but also very Chinese and by that I mean they have all those extra adornments on their clothes that Chinese women are so fond (sparkles, rhinestones). In case you have not noticed Chinese women don’t wear jewelry but their clothes are decorated with jewelry-like decorations.
Since Muslim street is a major tourist attraction I would recommend that you go during the week and avoid the weekends when there are masses of people.
For a real Chinese Muslim fusion food, try the mutton and pita soup (Yangrou Paomo) in one of the basic restaurants.
The Chinese touch is the cloud ear mushrooms and the bean thread noodles. It very Muttony and very Middle Eastern. Definitely an acquired taste for most.
Persimmon fritters are delicious although when I test the recipe I will fry them in extra virgin olive oil. We have a persimmon tree in our house in the country in Spain and I always run out of ideas on what to do with them. After our bellies are bursting with fresh persimmons we freeze them and weeks later put them in our Champion Juicer to make a sorbet that is exquisite. These fritters are fairly simple they only contain persimmon, flour and sugar.
We also bought dried persimmons that were juicy on the inside and dry on the outside.
If you live in China you know how popular skewered meats are, so of course this street is kebab-tastic. The spice mix is not very different to the Middle Eastern one or to one we would use in Spain.
When we visitied it was pomegranate season therefore here were so many pomegranate juice sellers. I love the pink color of the juice. My father was very keen on getting a pomegranate juicer. Around the terracotta warriors there are thousands of pomegranate trees and what is different is that all the pomegranates are individually wrapped in plastic. This I was told by our guide is to develop the sugar quicker and to protect them from birds.
For a respite from the crowds make your way to the Grand Mosque. The Muslim calligraphy is beautiful and the mixture of architecture styles (Muslim and Han) is very unique.
People who seem to cook out of thin air always surprise us, but the undisclosed reason for their success is a well-stocked pantry.
Here in China food shopping can be stressful, especially at the beginning when you don’t know where to shop and what is available. Metro, Carrefour, Ikea and local markets are all great options. Japanese store Jiu Guang has an amazing meat section, where meats are cut to suit all tastes, whether it’s thinly sliced, cubed or ground.
Apart from my weekly shopping for vegetables, fruits and meats these are ingredients I always have at hand.
This granita is really a “cupboards bare” dessert. You can also make it with different fruits.
Espresso Granita
Place the espresso and sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Taste, and if it seems too bitter, add a little more sugar. Cool to room temperature.
Pour mixture into shallow nonstick metal baking pan. Freeze until icy around the edges (about 25 minutes). Using a fork, stir the ice crystals into middle of pan.
Freeze, stirring edges into center every 30 minutes, for about 2 hours. Put granita into small bowls and top with whipped cream and grated chocolate.
My latest articles for Focus on Dalian are here! For this issue the International Kitchen section focused on Spain and the fabulous romesco sauce. The Thriving in a Chinese Kitchen section focused on where and what to shop in a city like Dalian. I shared my tips with readers on my favorites food shops in the city and what the contents of my pantry and fridge look like. I had a great time with Dan Jones, the Editor-in-Chief of Focus on Dalian, styling and taking the photos at the Shangri-la Hotel. Some people were surprised that one of the places I shopped in was Ikea but I have always been a fan of some of their products since they are reasonably priced and fun. Here in Dalian where there are not many dark beers, theirs hits the spot. Read the article for more tips and ideas on what to buy.
Here is a link to issuu.com
When we relocate to China, many of us face having to say bye to four-hob stoves and fancy kitchen equipment and are faced with small kitchens, little countertop space and one-hob burners.
There is no need to panic. The Chinese kitchen is, on close inspection ingenious and versatile. For thousands of years they have managed to prepare feasts with relatively little equipment.
The secret is to create a variety of dishes using different cooking methods: One cold dish, a stew that you can prepare in advance or some steamed dishes that you can stack, a sweet no bake treat, and maybe a last minute stir-fry.
To get started, buy a wok. You can use a wok for stir-frying, stewing, deep-frying, boiling, steaming. It is a truly diverse kitchen tool. They are inexpensive and easy to take care of.
Next, get a good set of bamboo steamer baskets that allow you to cook several things at the same time in a healthy way.
The next items is a good Chinese cleaver and chopping board. Once you start using a cleaver, you will wonder what are those crazy Western knife sets for.
Another indispensable piece of equipment is an electric slow-cooker or a pressure-cooker. This tool will allow you to create an extra “hob” and to make amazing stews out of cheaper cuts of meat, cook pasta, beans and grains
Finally, get some no-bake desserts or sorbet recipes under your belt, for this you will need a square baking tin made out of metal or plastic.
Get yourself ready and you will be hosting dinner parties with ease.
Chocolate Broken Biscuit Cake
Melt the butter and chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat and add the espresso powder, salt and condensed milk, stirring well. Add in the biscuits and stir until they’re evenly distributed in the chocolate. Pour the mixture into the lined loaf tin, pressing it down evenly and firmly with a spatula. Place in the fridge for about 4 hours or until set. Cut into thin slices or small cubes to serve.