Archive for October, 2008

Recipe for Chicken and Oyster Gumbo

By admin, 21 October, 2008, No Comment

Here is the recipe for 12 servings of this meal:

List of ingredients:

12 cups of water.
One (4 lb) chicken.
1/3 cup of shortening.
1/2 cup of all-purpose flour.
1 large onion, chopped.
Salt, black and red pepper.
1/2 cup of chopped green onion tops.
1/3 cup of parsley, chopped.
36 oysters.
1 tablespoon of file powder.
Cooked rice.

Directions:

Pour the water into a large pot.

Cut chicken into serving size pieces, and brown in hot shortening.

Once browned, put in the pot with the water, then add the flour to the shortening and brown very slowly.

Add the chopped onion and cook until slightly brown and clear, then add to the chicken and seasonings.

Cook very slowly until the chicken is tender, stirring frequently.

Add green onion tops and parsley.

Cook for 10 minutes, then add the oysters and cook until they curl.

Remove from heat, add the file powder, and stir.

Serve immediately with cooked rice.

Source: Oyster Recipes.

Eating Patterns – following your baby’s needs

By admin, 8 October, 2008, No Comment

My experience of increasing gaps between feeds, the amount taken and the effect on sleep patterns for a formula fed baby of 5 weeks.

I try to never let my babydrain a bottle – if he does finish one off, the next feed I make an extra ounce… he usually then takes half an ounce or so more than the last feed and stops.  I then continue to make this amount each feed until he drains the bottle again and then I add another ounce.

This is how I have progressed with him eating more.

I was worried last week that he might be eating too much,

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Dim Sum – Traditional Chinese Snackfood

By admin, 2 October, 2008, No Comment

Dim sum has it’s origin in the Chinese social tea tradition of Yum Cha. Yum cha, which translates literally to mean “tea drinking”, takes place in the mornings and early afternoons in various regions throughout China, although Canton, a province in Southern China, is more widely associated with Dim sum and Yum Cha.

During Yum Cha people socialize over tea and partake of a variety of snack foods. This variety of snack foods is what is referred to as Dim sum. Dim sum refers to the collective dishes partaken of during the tea-drinking tradition of Yum Cha.

In today’s hectic world people don’t always have time for traditional social gatherings like Yum Cha. Recognizing the need to keep up with changing times and the demand for instant foods, some food manufacturers in China and other regions have developed packaged dim sum products. These products can usually be found in grocery stores in many areas of the world. They can be prepared at home in a microwave on a stovetop and enjoyed at any time desired.

Here is an example of a dim sum recipe, pork dim sum:

Ingredients:

14 oz of ground pork.
2 scallions, chopped.
1 3/4 oz of canned bamboo shoots, chopped.
1 tablespoon of light soy sauce.
1 tablespoon of dry sherry.
2 teaspoons of sesame oil.
2 teaspoons of superfine sugar.
1 medium egg white, lightly beaten.
4 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch.
24 wonton wrappers.

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together the ground pork, chopped scallions, bamboo shoots, light soy sauce, dry sherry, sesame oil, superfine sugar, and beaten egg until well combined.

Stir in the cornstarch, mixing thoroughly.

Spread out the wonton wrappers on a counter.

Place a spoonful of the mixture in the center of each wonton wrapper and lightly brush the edges of the wrappers with water.

Bring the sides of the wrappers together in the center of the filling, pinching firmly together.

Line a steamer with a clean damp dish cloth and arrange the wontons inside.

Cover and steam for 6 minutes or until cooked through, then serve.

Source: Dim Sum Recipes.