Any one have Any Experience With Hakka Cuisine by Linda Lau Anusasananan ?

[wewwew]

Good, so so anything?

[wewwew]

I made the pork belly with preserved mustard greens. It was rich enough without any sauce, just a big bowl of warm freshly steamed rice. Really fine, lush and zesty. Don't miss Recommended

[Cynsa]

p.43 Pork Belly with Preserved Mustard Greens
6 oz. preserved mustard greens
1 piece boneless pork belly with skin
about 1-1/2 inches thick
1-1/2 to 2 pounds
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup shaoxing Chinese rice wine
or dry sherry
1-1/2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder

wewwew, what did you do?

[wewwew]

Soaked then rinsed the mustard greens in warm water. Drained and set aside.
Blanched pork, changed the water and simmered for 30 or so minutes retaining about a cup of the liquid. I cut the pork belly in 5 pieces long pieces and tossed with the dark soy. The head note to the recipe said that deep frying the pork was one way to go, and being house bound that is what I did.
Chopped the greens and stir fried them in the garlic oil then added the rest of the seasonings and cooked a bit more.
I made a mold in a steamer bowl. I it lined with the pork put the greens in the center and added 1/2 of the poaching liquid on top, covered the mold, and steamed for 2 hours.
The next time I will use less garlic, as it seemed to come on too strong.

[Cynsa]

http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honol...

[qianning]

"Hakka Cuisine".....so, is this "Hakka" in the broad sense, or in the Chinese-Indian food sense, or the "Hakka" of southern China (mostly Canton, Fujian, Taiwan, afaik) sense?

[chefj]

The Book is the food of Southern Chinese Hakka http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakka_Ch... .
What are the other "Hakka"s you are speaking of?

[qianning]

Sometimes the style of Chinese food as served in the sub-Continent Is called "Hakka food".

[huiray]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Chinese_cuisine

There's also this in the Wiki article:
"Many overseas Indian restaurants in the West and the Middle East also cater to the overseas Indians' nostalgic taste for Indian Chinese food.[7] The cuisine is also branching out into the mainstream in major cities of North America such as New York City, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Toronto, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Vancouver. Chinese food in Nairobi, Kenya, also tends to be of this style. In many of these places, the restaurants are labelled as Hakka Chinese, when in fact the cuisine itself has very little resemblance to authentic Hakka cuisine. "

Some other links/restaurant websites:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/478446
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/825473
http://www.dalchini.co.uk/
http://www.blogto.com/toronto/the_best_hakka_restaurants_in_toronto/
http://www.alingshakka.com/
etc etc...
:-)

[chefj]

That reminds me. I think I got into a bit of a back and forth on this subject with someone from Canada a while back.

[buttertart]

"Veteran food writer Linda Lau Anusasananan opens the world of Hakka cooking to Western audiences in this fascinating chronicle that traces the rustic cuisine to its roots in a history of multiple migrations. Beginning in her grandmother's kitchen in California, Anusasananan travels to her family's home in China, and from there fans out to embrace Hakka cooking across the globe--including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, Peru, and beyond. More than thirty home cooks and chefs share their experiences of the Hakka diaspora as they contribute over 140 recipes for everyday Chinese comfort food as well as more elaborate festive specialties.
This book likens Hakka cooking to a nomadic type of "soul food," or a hearty cooking tradition that responds to a shared history of hardship and oppression. Earthy, honest, and robust, it reflects the diversity of the estimated 75 million Hakka living in China and greater Asia, and in scattered communities around the world--yet still retains a core flavor and technique. Anusasananan's deep personal connection to the tradition, together with her extensive experience testing and developing recipes, make this book both an intimate journey of discovery and an exciting introduction to a vibrant cuisine."
Amazon blurb.

[qianning]

Got it thanks....crazy good sounding stuff.

[klyeoh]

Some Hakka dishes we get in Singapore:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/829680

The founder of modern Singapore, Lee Kuan Yew, is of Hakka descent. So's the founder of Kuala Lumpur, Yap Ah Loy.

[qianning]

Those all looks sooooo good....I think Mei Cai Kou Rou, done properly, is my favorite dish of all time....and stuffed tofu isn't far behind.

[huiray]

When I was very young I didn't care much for Mui Choy Kow Yook but warmed up to it over time. The version with yam, however, I never did like much, mainly because I always found the yam either too mealy or too gooey for my taste. Still don't like yam (Wu Tou) in general that much although I like Wu Tou Kok for dim sum.

[huiray]

I wonder if the book has recipes for variations of steamed pork patties with "mix-ins"... :-)

[buttertart]

Check it out.

[huiray]

I ordered the book.

[qianning]

do let us know what you think once it arrives....

[huiray]

Yes, I'm curious about it. My mother was Hakka and I ate a fair bit of home-style Hakka or Hakka-Peranakan-influenced dishes when I was growing up (besides lots of other stuff, of course), as well as Hakka food in restaurants. I make stuff like Yong Tau Foo off-and-on, other sort-of Hakka-influenced or Hakka-Cantonese hybrid dishes etc and it would be interesting to see what's in this book.

[Cynsa]

p. 148 - Steamed Pork Hash
p. 132 - Steamed Pork and Vegetable Balls
p. 123 - Stir-Fried Tofu and Pork Hash
p. 94 - Pork Drumsticks - crisp faux chicken legs with pork hash shaped around baby back pork ribs and deep-fried

[huiray]

Thanks! I take it "pork hash" is seasoned minced pork "cut-up/pounded" with or without stuff.

I think I'll make some steamed minced pork with salted dried fish soon...even before I get that book...a dish from my childhood... :-)

[Cynsa]

with extra hom yu, please. I like it, too.

[buttertart]

That pork-topped tofu is on the list too. It's a UCB Press book, not scholarly but serious, I LOVE it.

[Cynsa]

http://www.ucpress.edu/book.php?isbn=...

[wewwew]

I saw the book in a store and gave it a peak. Has anyone cooked from the book?

[Cynsa]

At Linda's book signing today, she cooked Stir-Fried Chinese Lettuce, Garlic, and Black Beans, p. 57. This was both tender and delicious with Romaine lettuce and can be easily made at home.
12 oz. celtuce tops (A-choy or woh sun) or romaine lettuce (8 cups)
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
8 cloves garlic, sliced in 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tablespoon fermented black beans, rinsed and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon soy sauce or to taste
Trim and discard stems of celtuce. Cut leaves crosswise in 3-inch lengths.
For romaine lettuce, trim to 4-inch pieces. Rinse and drain well.
Set 14-inch wok on high heat, add oil and swirl in wok. Add garlic and cook until it just begins to brown - do not burn the garlic. It takes only 15 seconds. Stir in the minced ginger and the chopped black beans. Add the greens and the water. Stir to wilt the greens for 1 minutes. Add soy sauce. Serve immediately.

[buttertart]

Buying immediately. No Hakka restaurants here, as far as I know.