Category Archives: PREP

Stories, observations, and places we’ve discovered while eating and cooking in Beijing

Shaanxi(esque) Carrot Salad: Orange on Orange Action

Posted on March 19, 2011 by the ladies

Sometimes, you just get the urge to shred something. Particularly as it (almost) feels like spring, and the markets around Beijing are finally filling back up with a loads of fresh vegetables, a sight for sore eyes after a winter … Continue reading →

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

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 →

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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 →

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Chinese Shake’n'Bake: McCormick Chicken Wing Seasoning (xiangla jichi 香辣鸡翅)

Posted on January 26, 2010 by christine

Although I reluctantly admit to being a snob about convenience foods in the states, in Beijing I love to try random premixed items found at the grocery store, including this little packet of chicken wing seasoning. This fragrant-spicy spice mix, … Continue reading →

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Recipe for Afternoon Tea, or Jujube and Longyan Milk Tea (hongzao guiyan naicha 红枣桂圆奶茶)

Posted on January 21, 2010 by christine

For the chowhound, food souvenirs might be one of the most pleasurable aspects of travel.  I used to pore obsessively over Japanese guidebooks for their painstakingly detailed guidance on the representative specialties of each prefecture and the oldest purveyors still … Continue reading →

Posted in COOK, PREP | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Beijing Street Food: egg crepe (jianbing 煎饼)

Posted on January 4, 2010 by the ladies

Tianjin is the birthplace of jianbing, but here in Beijing there is no shortage of this street food. In researching how to make our own version of this street snack, we are shamelessly eating jianbing as we see fit (which … Continue reading →

Posted in EAT, PREP | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Travels in Tianjin: the birthplace of the egg crepe (jianbing 煎饼)

Posted on December 27, 2009 by christine

Most people do not think of Tianjin as a tourist destination, but I went recently and loved it. First, you get to be harmonized (hexie‘d 和谐) on the express train, and the female attendants wear luxurious red wool pillbox hats … Continue reading →

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Noodling Around: biangbiang noodles (youpo chemian 油泼扯面)

Posted on December 17, 2009 by christine

To a displaced American with southern Chinese-Taiwanese roots, where rice rules supreme, northern Chinese noodle and bread culture (mianshi 面食) is completely bewildering. But the pleasures of biangbiang noodles are many. Jen introduced me to biangbiang noodles, which I loved … Continue reading →

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In Search of Dough: biangbiang noodles (youpo chemian 油泼扯面)

Posted on December 17, 2009 by jen

Biangbiang noodles are a damn tasty treat that I became addicted to at first bite. Despite all the variations, it consists of a relatively simple formula. Chewy noodles, a few blanched vegetables, and an oily spicy/salty sauce. Sure, a bowl … Continue reading →

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Sanyuanli Market (三元里市场)

Posted on December 14, 2009 by jen

San Yuan Li is a wet market in Beijing that caters to foreigners and foreign restaurants that buy in bulk. You can get ricotta cheese, avocados, turkeys, and nutella, as well as sage rosemary and thyme. It’s the best. This … Continue reading →

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