Wednesday 8 August 2012

#CookForFamily: 三菜一汤

Disclaimer: This post was one two days late due to a series of unforeseen busyness and an over dosage of laziness but as the saying goes: "Better late than never." For more info about the blogger's initiative, #CookForFamily, click here

I spent most of my childhood days in the kitchen, watching a slightly younger version of her holding a metal spatula on one hand and sautéing a black metal wok as heavy as my Lenovo ideapad Y470. She's also the reason why I could speak in my native where most individual in my generation can't apprehend the language. She's my maternal grandmother, one of the few more important person in my life.

When I received an email from Daniel, the first thing that occur to my mind was to cook for the older version of my grandmother as my appreciation of her presence and all those wonderful dinners which I always enjoyed.

On the 7th August 2012, I decided to wake up 6am in the morning, gro sweet talked my way to the best stalls for ingredients at the local wet market and above all hassle, picked up that very same spatula and wok she has been using for the past few decades of her life and decided to replica some of her classic dishes.

We always talked about 三菜一汤 (Means three dishes and one soup in English.) but I never seem to understand the true meaning until a series of life issues came striking me like a hammer to the anvil before I start to appreciate the meaning behind the Chinese quote and reminisce those days when I still steamed my own rice and do my own dishes.
We Cantonese take pride in our 老火湯. Left simmered with a huge slab of pork and almost a quarter pound of chicken not forgetting the main ingredient, old cucumber for an afternoon and you will be assured nothing but Omphness with every spoonful!

Fish is a main staple in my diet and nothing beats a good fried fish left sitting in a pool of reduced soy sauce, especially when the fishmonger you frequent the most assured you this was catch of the day! I'm not particular sure why they call this 豆腐魚 or beancurd fish but I do know nothing was left on the bones of this fish. Not boosting about my cooking skills but it's just awesome!
Home cooked food has the tendency to be balanced and healthy. Chopped me a little garlic, douse in a dash of soy sauce and chicken stock then stir in a bundle of Chinese cabbage/小白菜 (xiao bai cai) was all I need to present my second dish :)
We love all things sweet and nothing beats strips of sweeten char siew and then downing the meat cut with a mouthful of rice. We both agreed this was definitely the main focus of the meal even though this was bought!

It was a night well spent with each other, even doing the dishes seemed pleasurable especially when you know the person you dined with enjoyed your cooking...
In my house, dinners are often associated with watching your favourite drama series :)  

兩人吃的三菜, 喝的一汤. 好溫心而且很好吃! 哈哈哈!  

4 comments:

  1. home cook meals are the best!! =`)

    ReplyDelete
  2. nice! was wondering where our broodmother went..wah see already also hungry^^

    ReplyDelete

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