I LOVE Cilantro

Here's the latest story from the Wall Street Journal food and drink section. It's about people who hate cilantro. I guess I can understand why people might dislike the flavor -- I didn't like it when I was growing up. But now I can't imagine not having it, especially in dipping sauces or as an accoutrement for various dishes, including West Lake Beef Soup (cilantro is essential!), braised beef shank, lacquered pork belly buns and so much more.

Ingredient -- Chili Bean Sauce

I usually shop at Uwajimaya for my Asian grocery needs. Because it is Japanese-centric, the selection of Chinese brands isn't always as diverse as at a Chinese-centric store such as 99 Ranch and I sometimes have to rely on what's available versus what's preferable. But I choose to shop at Uwajimaya because it's closer to where I live and because I trust its selection of meats and seafood.

My current pick for a chili bean sauce is from Fu Chi. It's not so hot that it burns off your face and it doesn't contain superfluous flavors -- I had a bad experience with the Szechuan brand chili sauce, a family favorite, but the company changed the recipe and started adding sugar, which not only threw off the balance completely but made no sense. So here's the staple chili bean sauce at my house:

I'm also reminded of a piece I wrote in 2003 about how I straddle two cultures even when I'm grocery shopping.

"I shop in two languages. This occurred to me while I dug through the mound of ginger root at Uwajimaya, looking for the knob that would provide the largest slice, which then would allow for long, fine slivers. Were I at Larry's, my usual haunt, there would be no more than a few chunks to choose from and my selection would be based not on size but which piece looked the freshest."

OXO Spatula

It's safe to say that most people have at least one OXO tool in the kitchen. I have many. The most interesting pieces I have are ones that are sold only in Japan. OXO believes in Universal Design and has studied how people use tools from peelers to brooms to garden shovels. What OXO discovered about Japanese cooks (the research applies to many if not most Asians) is that they hold their kitchen tools as if they were holding a pen -- versus the Western overhand grip. So, OXO designed cooking utensils to reflect the different grip and, because Asians tend to be smaller in stature, a more petite overall size. Brilliant!

Chinese Breakfast

Any Chinese meal, no matter how basic, can be a study of contrasts and balance. Breakfast is no exception: It can provide the ultimate comfort and still possess flavors that dance on the palate.

Congee, or rice gruel, is relatively plain if eaten on its own. But it is a utilitarian food for any morning or as a soothing antidote to an upset stomach. There are two general approaches to making congee. The first is to simmer uncooked rice in chicken stock with ginger until the grains split and create a thick consistency. Often, it's made simply with leftover cooked rice with either stock or water.

This morning, I made congee using leftover rice and water. Once the water comes to a slight boil, you turn down the heat to medium-low and let it simmer as you prepare the accompaniments. Breakfast was on the table within 20 minutes.

I had some Chinese sausages and a quarter of a napa cabbage. I sliced the sausages and seared them in the wok. Once some of the fat had been rendered, I added sliced cabbage and let that cook down and release some of its moisture. For seasoning, I added a little more than a tablespoon of soy sauce, a splash of rice vinegar and a teaspoon of chili bean paste. It was a tad salty, so I added a splash of water to balance it. The sweet and charred taste of the sliced sausage was great with the hot-sour-salty flavor of the sauce. It's the kind of dish that the Chinese say "goes down with rice" easily, meaning that it's exceptionally savory and makes you want to eat more rice -- which is considered the center of the plate, so to speak. Any cooked dishes are considered accompaniments to rice. 

I normally like to have preserved duck eggs with congee, but I didn't have any this morning. Other dishes I might have with congee include stir-fried tomato eggs or spicy yu-choy. I settled this morning for some pickled turnips and a sauce of finely minced ginger, chopped green onions and cilantro, soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil. This adds a great dimension to the congee.

Doujiang and You-tiao

This was a fun story from my P-I days:

TAICHUNG, Taiwan -- My uncle's doujiang shop sits on the corner of Taiping and Shuangshih roads. It has no name and no official address beyond its coordinates at a bustling intersection.

If you drive by after 11 in the morning, all you'll see is a concrete platform with no formal storefront. A sliding garage door conceals a corner kitchen, powered by propane. Someone in a hurry or too lazy to walk around the corner along the sidewalk might cut across what is essentially the eatery's floor.

Pass by the shop at breakfast time and there is usually a swarm of people, crowded around a fresh tray of flatbread from the oven or sitting on stackable plastic stools at a half-dozen folding tables, sipping spoonfuls of doujiang between bites of a "doughnut sandwich." People arrive by any form of transportation, from motor scooters to Mercedes sedans. They eat their meal efficiently, without urgency or fanfare, and then go about their day. Read more.