Author Archives: christine

Snacktime: Chickenettes and Seaweed Fish

Posted on March 25, 2011 by christine

The rabbit year was supposed to usher in calm and fuzzy good feelings, but so far it hasn’t.  It feels more than a bit silly to blog about food right now, especially as so many in Japan struggle to get … Continue reading →

Posted in EAT, LIFE | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Eighties Food Magazines: Chinese Cuisine (Zhongguo Pengren 中国烹饪), Food Science (Shipin keji 食品科技)

Posted on November 4, 2010 by christine

Are those angry emoticons on shrimp-paste-bellies?  Yes, yes they are. Today there’s a Chinese edition of Food & Wine, now owned by Great Wall Wine, but where would you get your food porn in Reform Era China?  Recently I scavenged … Continue reading →

Posted in LIFE | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

Fat is Flavor: Recipe for Stir-fried Yunnan Ham, Pine Mushrooms, and Something Green (云腿松耳炒青菜)

Posted on June 21, 2010 by christine

This post was written to mourn the last chunk of Yunnan ham (yuntui 云腿) that I brought back from, well, Yunnan, in southwestern China.  I love food souvenirs, and a friend had specifically requested Yunnan ham.  During a week-long trip, … Continue reading →

Posted in COOK | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Beijing Pastry Culture: Daoxiangcun 稻香村

Posted on May 24, 2010 by christine

I really miss afternoon snacks.  There used to be something really acceptable about eating a cookie and having a juice in the middle of the afternoon, and really humane about acknowledging that hunger strikes every three hours.  Or two hours.  … Continue reading →

Posted in EAT, LIFE | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Rice Cooker, Local Market, Magic!: Recipe for a Peking Duck L’Orange

Posted on May 19, 2010 by christine

This is a recipe for every person who has ever longed to make laowai food in their own kitchen without the aid of a proper oven.  I have an immense amount of affection for my roommate: her impeccable taste in … Continue reading →

Posted in COOK | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

A Break From Grease, an Ode to Liangcai: Shanxi Knife-Cut Noodles (Mianxiang bafang 面香八方)

Posted on May 12, 2010 by christine

Occasionally we get tired of the Tsinghua cafeteria and escape to a Shanxi 山西 noodle restaurant outside of the east gate of Tsinghua for a quick lunch.  Mianxiang Bafang is bustling at lunch, and the menu spans a wide variety … Continue reading →

Posted in EAT | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Our Happy Place: Maison Boulud a Pekin (布鲁宫法餐厅)

Posted on March 3, 2010 by christine

Maison Boulud a Pekin is a happy place in Beijing.  Located in the former Legation Quarter at Qianmen, the renovated interior is gorgeous, chock full of delectably tatty antique rugs, hand painted canvas murals, and enviable moderne bulb-shaped white ceramic … Continue reading →

Posted in EAT | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

New Things for the New Year: Dongjiao Market (东郊市场)

Posted on February 17, 2010 by christine

If you haven’t been to the Dongjiao Market, and you are a kitchenware junkie, then you must go now: for the sheer quantity and variety of items available, as well as the lower than low prices.  There’s a hotel/restaurant equipment … Continue reading →

Posted in PREP | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Recipe for a Sweet New Year, or Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Rosewater（tangyuan 汤圆)

Posted on February 16, 2010 by christine

In Xi’an there’s a local specialty that I have thought about constantly since I left: it’s a small cake made from a dried persimmon (shizibing 柿子饼), stuffed with nuts, and then shallow fried, so that the flesh was chewy and … Continue reading →

Posted in COOK | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Happy Chinese New Year, five dumplings to share (jiaozi 饺子)

Posted on February 15, 2010 by christine

It’s a northern custom to make and eat dumplings on the first day of the New Year (chuyi 初一), and we were determined to do it right, with several kinds of fillings.  We went out to Sanyuanli Market (三元里市场) to … Continue reading →

Posted in PREP | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments