on travel, on diet

10-31-2010 Sun. cool, cloudy.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | croissant
LUNCH --- soba noodle soup with spinach and mushroom
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( on the plane) tea
DINNER --- ( in the hotel ) coffee | soybean snack

• out of town, out of one's own kitchen again
  

Going home

10-30-2010 Sat. warm, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at a Japanese restaurant in a mall in S.Y. sub. of Beijing) udon noodles | sashimi
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( on the plane ) tea
DINNER --- ( on the plane ) chicken with rice

• looking forward to seeing one's own kitchen
  

more restaruant food in Beijing

10-29-2010 Fri. warm, sunny.

BREAKFAST --- coffee | scone
LUNCH --- ( at X. N. G. restaurant in Beijing) pan-roasted shrimp | Sautéed greens | steamed Zhu-ke fish | tofu with crab meat | soup dumplings
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- ( at Morel's Belgian restaurant in Beijing ) pot of mussels in white wine sauce | Belgian beer

• more restaurant food, sigh... this trip in China I have not met anyone who does home cooking
  

Peking duck

10-28-2010 Thu. cool, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( on the plane) fried noodles with pork and vegetables
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- ( at shawn and Betsy's ) wine | Peking duck | stir-fried mong bean noodles with chives | cucumber salad with garlic and vinegar dressing

• had a good time to drink wine, roll Peking duck with thin pancakes and chat with friends in their Beijing house. Food was prepared by a maid with ordered-in Peking duck
  

the inconvenient truth of restaurant food

10-27-2010 Wed. chilly, cloudy


BREAKFAST --- coffee | jian bin
LUNCH --- clam soup with Tong-hao leaves
DINNER --- ( at Y.Q. restaurant ) sautéed greens | chayote salad with sesame oil dressing | pan-roasted cod | eggplant with ground meat stuffing in red sauce | tofu rolls | stew of wheat gluten and wood-ear

• food in Chinese restaurants in China is no-doubt much better than those in the U.S., but is restaurant cooking after all. The materials are never as fresh as they could be in home cooking, and the choice of materials are never as wide as they could be in home cooking, particular in Shanghai where the produce comes in early morning to the market everyday.
  

no need of a refrigerator

10-26-2010 Tue. chilly, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee | Jian bin | yogurt
LUNCH --- Chinese noodle soup: calms, greens. Leek and tofu-skin rolls | chicken stew with chestnuts in soy and rice wine
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- soup of greens and thin-sliced tenderloin pork | stir-fried bok choy | stew of eggplants in Cumin and chili-paste sauce | Sautéed three kinds of mushrooms | stir-fried skape with tenderloin pork | rice

• a nice time of going to the market every morning to get fresh produce and cooking fresh food for the day
  

a fantastic bowl of soup

10-25-2010 Mon. cool, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee | jian bin | yogurt
LUNCH --- clear soup bowl: clams, tong-hao leaves, two kinds of mushrooms, silky-gourd, cilantro, tofu-skin rolls and sautéed leek | steamed buns
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- lake Ji fish soup with silky tofu | sautéed lotus root with leek | laced-leaf tong-hao salad in rice vinegar dressing | stir-fried green peppers with tofu-skin rolls | scrambled eggs with tomato | rice

• the clear soup bowl made for lunch is perfumed with tender tong-hao leaves, sweetened by the juice from fresh yangzi bay marble clams. silky-gourd adds soothing texture and sauteed leek gives broth a depth of flavor. only the freshest materials can yield such a fantastic bowl of clear soup
  

last banquet in Shanghai

10-24-2010 Sun. cool, cloudy.

WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | wonton soup
LUNCH --- ( at H.H. restaurant banquet hall) Chinese banquet food. stand-out: stew of An-jie cured bamboo shoots with cured pork
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- ( at Aunt's ) rice soup | vegetable buns

• sick of the lazy-Susan big round table setting, feeling numb from too much banquet food
  

All about tuna

10-23-2010 Sat. cool, pouring rain


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at Tanya Japanese restaurant ) tuna sashimi | roe with grated radish | chilled tofu with bonito flake | rice bowl with tuna tartar | rice bowl with tuna sashimi | shabu-shabu with daikon, napa cabbage, black cod, mushroom and sliced tuna | udon noodle in Shabu-shabu broth
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- ( at H.S. restaurant ) Chinese banquet food, stand-out: Canton-style BBQ pork. spectacular scene: a kid eating a goose foot bigger than her hand

tuna sashimi and roe

coming out from the Shabu-shabu pot

lunch table at Tanya

• Tanya in Shanghai, a Japanese restaurant specialized in fatty tuna. food is good, simply but carefully prepared.
  

home cooking in Shanghai

10-22-2010 Fri. cool, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee | Jian bin |yogurt
LUNCH --- Chinese noodle soup with greens and tiny clams
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- porridge of silky tofu and crab meat | sauteed mushrooms and Roma beans | pan-fried lotus root slices with cumin | sauteed pumpkin | sauteed bok choy | rice

• home cooking helps to recover from heavy banquet food.
  

on the road

10-21-2010 Thu. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee | rice soup
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( at the train station ) bread | grapes | dried fruit
DINNER --- ( take-out from N.J. neighborhood restaurant) steamed buns with pork in northern Chinese style sauce | sauteed pumpkin | razor clams in ginger sauce | stir-fried beef and onion | rice

• it is hard to keep good appetite when traveling and having banquet food all the time
  

at the Yangzi

10-20-2010 Wed. cool, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee | rice soup
LUNCH --- ( at A.Q. hotel restaurant banquet hall ) Chinese banquet food, stand-put: steamed Yangzi river fish ( wild-caught)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- coffee
DINNER --- ( at A.Q. hotel restaurant ) rice soup | vegetable pickles | Kong-Pao chicken | pan-fried dumplings

• marathon of banquet continues. went to see sunset along the Yangzi river
  

Remains of the day

10-19-2010 Tue. warm, hazy.


BREAKFAST --- ( at T.C. dumpling house) wonton soup
LUNCH --- ( at T.C. banquet hall ) Chinese banquet food (An-Hui style), stand-out: five-spice deep-fried fresh sliced lotus root | stew of mountain-yam meat balls
AFTERNOON TEA-TIME --- ( in the train station waiting room) dried fruit | water
DINNER --- ( at A.Q. hotel restaurant ) rice | celtuce salad | stir-fried threaded pork and cured tofu

Long-Mian hill village

old kitchen courtyard

remains of the day

• the walls on both sides of the "six-feet Lane" were fake-looking replicas of that long-gone, only originals of the family compound remain today were the old kitchen court and stone washing basins. the bamboo woods and tea farms in Long-Mian hills stayed put.
  

an array of little lunch spots in Shanghai

10-18-2010 Mon. warm, hazy


BREAKFAST --- coffee | yogurt | fruit
LUNCH --- ( at J.G Lu neighborhood lunch corner ) soup dumplings ( Shanghai xiao-long bao) | Nanjing duck-blood tofu soup | dumplings with three kinds of fillings: chive, cabbage, seafood (Northern Chinese jiao-zi)| mung bean wide noodle salad with sesame sauce ( Manchurian la-pi ) | hot pot of veggies and meat (Si-chuan ma-la tang)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- scrambled eggs with green peppers | sauteed Roma beans | sauteed purple leaf spinach

lanes

lunch collection

• an array of hole-in-the wall lunch places in the old neighborhood, fresh made to order food at very low price but high quality, a collection of food from different Chinese regional cooking
  

Yang-cheng lake crabs

10-17-2010 Sun. warm, hazy


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | yogurt | Jian bin ( northern Chinese crepes made-to-order at a stand)
LUNCH --- mong bean wide noodle with peanut butter sauce and cucumber | sauteed purple-leaf spinach | stir-fried fresh soy beans with smoked tofu | celtuce | steamed Yang-cheng Lake crabs
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- stir-fried king mushroom, fresh soy bean, smoked tofu and green chili | silky tofu and crab meat porridge | "silky" green squash sauteed with shiitake | pan-fried taro roots with scallions

• these fresh water crabs are famous for the sweet meat and strong flavored eggs. the price tag keeps going up these days, now stands at about 20 bucks each.
  

food in the old neighborhood of Shanghai

10-16-2010. warm, hazy


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- ( at G.Y. neighborhood breakfast corner) pan-fried dumplings | mustard green filling wonton soup | yogurt
LUNCH --- ( cooking at G.Y. Lu house ) wine poached Yangzi-Bay marble clams | sauteed "sea seeds" tiny clams with ginger and scallions | mong bean tofu salad with ginger and rice vinegar dressing | Tong-Hao and egg porridge | stir-fried Roma beans
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- scrambled eggs with green peppers | stir-fried onions with potatoes | clove sprouts in wine sauce | rice

at the breakfast corner

good food made simple

• the market and breakfast corner in the old neighborhood are amazingly good. the raw materials are so fresh and high quality and huge selection on everything from tenderest greens to juiciest clams
  

Fresh water fish, shrimp, and eel

10-15-2010 Fri. warm, sunny.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- ( at Yu Qing Restaurant in Shanghai ) steamed Gui fish filet stuffed with shrimp and steamed with egg | celtuce | deep fried crispy Kaozi fish | giant shrimp | roasted duck | threaded fresh water eel | sauteed greens

• not "seafood", they are fresh water food. Y.Q. restaurant is located in the old neighborhood, a rare quite and leafy street
  

Chicken or pasta ?

10-14-2010 Thu. chilly, cloudy

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH -- ( at airport) hash brown
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- ( on the plane ) Chicken or pasta

• enduring bad food when on travel
  

all food consumed

10-13-2010 Wed. mild, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH -- apple
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- tea
DINNER --- scrambled eggs with tomato | sauteed snow peas | steamed cured fish with tofu | stir-fried threaded potato | endive salad

• finally the refrigerator is empty
  

Diced everything

10-12-2010 Tue. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta with home-made tomato sauce ( leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- stir-fried diced tofu, chayote , zucchini and king mushroom | pan-fried baby potatoes | salad

• tried to use up the food in the refrigerator before traveling.
  

fresh milk, fresh ice cream

10-11-2010 Mon. very warm, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | baguette | brie and blue cheese | pear | yogurt drink
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- ( at Main's Ice Cream factory building) ice cream from fresh milk
BEFORE-DINNER DRINK --- (in the garden) fresh salsa with corn chips | baguette and truffle pate | oven-roasted sweet potato with olive oil | beer
DINNER --- sauteed cauliflower in chocolate mole | bread | scrambled eggs with cilantro | salad of Belgium endive and arugula | wine

ice cream from the creamery

• the long weekend winding down with a hike in the woods, a cup of fresh-made ice cream from a farm creamery, and a garden beer party with neighbors
  

a drink or two in the garden

10-10-2010 Sun. warm, sunny.

WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | baguette | brie | blue cheese | pear | Italian plums | yogurt drink
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- (in the garden) guacamole and black corn chips | cocktail shrimp | Japanese chicken ball on bamboo skewer | baguette | truffle duck liver pate | beer
DINNER --- miso soup with vegetables and tofu

• a beautiful day to hold a garden reception after a successful concert.
  

winding down after concert

10-9-2010 Sat. warm, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | scallion pancake | yogurt drink | pear | apple
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea | crackers
AFTER-CONCERT DINNER --- (at Vapiano) ravioli con carne | pizza salsiccia | Italian red wine | espresso | panna cotta

the new paint on the door

• concert went well, and Vapiano is a good place to wind down, the place is not as frantic as at earlier time.
  

a dinner with a basil theme

10-08-2010 Fri. warm, sunny.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- pasta with sofrito sauce and snap peas (leftovers)
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- (at Susann's ) cocktail drink | hummus with smoked salmon || sauteed shrimp with roasted squash and yam | mozzarella salad | pasta with pesto sauce | fish cake with green sauce | wine || basil ice cream and Basler cookie

basil in every entry

• Susann made a five-course dinner inspired by fresh basil.
  

Japanese sweet potato, roasted Italian way

10-07-2010 Thu. cool, sunny.

BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed green beans
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- patate al forno ( oven roasted Japanese sweet potatoes with olive oil )| sauteed snap peas | pasta with sofrito | wine

• Japanese sweet potato, white with purple red skin, nutty, sweet, creamy and firm.
  

Fortune cookie & Ma-po tofu

10-06-2010 Wed. cool, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- ( at C.B.) stir-fried chicken and mushroom | sauteed eggplant | rice | fortune cookie
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- sauteed green beans in red pepper sauce | steamed then fried Brussels sprouts | ma-po tofu | rice | wine

• Chinese food can be fast food at a buffet, or slow food at home cooking
  

Matsuzaka noodle soup

10-05-2010 Tue. chilly, cloudy.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with bitter melon ( leftovers )
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- Matsuzaka noodle soup with shrimp, zucchini, needle mushroom and sausage | fennel salad | wine

• soup noodles warm you up quickly in a chilly day.
  

simple Monday

10-04-2010 Mon. cool, rain.


BREAKFAST --- black tea
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed snap peas
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER --- stir-fried bitter melon | sauteed fresh corn with red pepper sauce | BBQ chicken drumlets | rice | wine

• a nice meal, surprisingly simple in ingredients

upside down

10-03-2010 Sun. cool, cloudy to rain.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | baguette | brie | blue cheese | green grapes | yogurt drink | scallion pancake
LUNCH --- black corn chips with guacamole | stew of ptoato, scallops, pepperoni in red pepper sauce | white wine
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- green tea
DINNER --- tomato and corn soup

an art exhibition yesterday evening

• heavy breakfast and lunch for the guests. dinner is a simple vegetable soup.
  

Season's sepcial: crabs and fig pizza

10-02-2010 Sat. cool, sunny.


WEEKEND BREAKFAST --- coffee | coconut cream bread | apple | pear
AFTERNOON TEA-TIME --- soup dumplings | steamed crabs
DINNER --- ( at Vapiano ) carpaccio | fig and prosciutto pizza | Italian red wine

steamed crab with ginger and rice vinegar dipping sauce

Carpaccio and fig pizza at Vapiano

• a mini family gathering. the fall season special: crabs and fig pizza
  

Realy homey

10-01-2010 Fri. warm, sunny.


BREAKFAST --- coffee
LUNCH --- rice with sauteed chive flowers and smoked tofu
AFTERNOON-TEATIME --- apple
DINNER ---snap peas sauteed with garlic | stir-fried chicken with red pepper and jalapeno | rice | fennel salad | wine

• first day of the month, last day of the week, take it easy, a casual dinner.