Archive for September, 2010

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Weekend fun: Homemade croutons

September 6th, 2010 by Johanna | Leave comments | Filed in China, Food I can cook in China

We had a lot of lettuce leftover from the hamburgers, so naturally, we used it for a salad. (Is there anything else you can make with lettuce?) I used to make this kind of salad a lot at home because it was easy, cheap and delicious, so I don’t know why I never tried to make it here. It was still easy and delicious, and kind of cheap.

Anyway, the point is, I had to make the croutons for this salad. Everything (such as the balsamic vinegar and parmesan) can be found at Carrefour, but not croutons. And I love croutons — a lot. I’ll pour an entire bag on a salad. Actually, I pour half the bag and reserve the rest for munching. Luckily, I had most of a baguette on hand, so my clever mind instantly decided that it can’t be that hard to make croutons. They’re just over-toasted bread cubes, no?

So I cut my baguette into cubes, tossed them in a bowl with garlic powder and dried sage powder (which I think belonged to one of my old roommates, but I’ve been using ever since I moved in — free stuff!) and a little bit of grated parmesan, then drizzled a little bit of olive oil on them to coat them. I spread them out on my tiny baking sheet and toasted them until they came out like croutons. Tasty! Now I want to experiment with all different kinds of breads and herb spices. Of course, they only make about two different kinds of breads in China, wheat and white. Maybe I can use mantou (steamed rice bread) to make croutons with Chinese characteristics?

Anyway, the salad:

OK, so you can't really tell what's chicken and what's crouton...

Main ingredients: lettuce, chicken, parmesan, croutons.

Special flavorings: balsamic vinegar, olive oil.

Total cost: about 25 RMB ($3.69). A liter of the cheapest evoo is something like 70 kuai ($10.32), and most of what I see in the supermarket comes from Spain. Balsamic vinegar and parmesan are even more outrageously expensive.

On language

September 3rd, 2010 by Johanna | Leave comments | Filed in China, Reflections

You’ve probably seen the article on how language might influence the way we approach the world in this past weekend’s New York Times Magazine. Basically, it said our mother tongue forces us to pay attention to certain details based on the way it is used. For example, as anyone who has ever learned a European language knows, many languages assign genders to objects, forcing speakers to think about an object’s “gender,” even if it doesn’t actually have one. It also even mentioned how Chinese doesn’t have verb tenses (though I sort of disagree with the author on that), so speakers are not forced to think about time.

The article seemed intuitive — how can language not affect the way we think? — but also points out that very little scientific research has been done on exactly how it does. In other words, no one really knows how our native language has shaped what we think or what it might mean for the greater world society. But it does reinforce my long held belief (and I use “belief” because I have done zero academic research on this and am basing it purely on my observations and limited knowledge of English and Chinese) that learning Chinese can really help to understand Chinese culture and way of thinking.

My main example is this: One of the biggest differences between English and Chinese I’ve noticed is the Chinese dependence on what in English is called passive construction. I only notice this because in writing lessons, teachers drill into my head to “use active voice!” — in English, it is more engaging, less vague and less wordy than passive voice. The “less vague” argument is the most important reason, as it makes the actor — which happens to be the subject in an active-voice sentence — clear. By using the passive voice, the speaker or writer can obscure who or what is responsible for the action, placing emphasis instead on what is going on (the topic). In other words, active voice requires speakers and listeners to think about who is doing the action, which in passive construction takes a backseat and can even be ignored altogether.

Chinese is a very topic-based language. In everyday speak, sentences are often passively constructed. I wonder if this has anything to do with the many times I have had to take out something like “It is said that … ” or something “has been” something’d (found/discovered/confirmed/etc.). It is rare that the “who” is identified. Unlike in English, it is more important — at least, according to the language — to know what is being said/found/etc. than who said/found it.

To make a long story short, it would be interesting to see if this emphasis on topic and less on actor might affect the way the Chinese think. Might this explain why they seem so (for lack of better word) passive? Reluctant to take/assign responsibility? Why concrete, reliable information seems so hard to obtain?

Last night’s dinner: Monster hamburgers

September 3rd, 2010 by Johanna | Leave comments | Filed in China, Food I can cook in China

Manly.

My boyfriend got it into his head that he wanted to be like Rocky and eat Rocky hamburgers, which are big manly burgers that clog your arteries just by being thought of. Basically, we made hamburger patties (fried in a pan, not grilled, because we don’t have a grill), then piled on all sorts of things. We had the requisite lettuce and sliced tomatoes, plus onions, bacon, fried eggs, blue cheese, and bad guacamole. Also, I think that everyone should season their hamburger patties with cinnamon and nutmeg. It really adds a subtle twist.

Main ingredients: ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes were readily available. But I had to go to the Western food market for decent (though still not great) hamburger buns, and while I was there, I thought I’d pick up better cheese.

Special flavorings: bacon, eggs and the jar of guacamole also are all easy to find. And now that I have them, we spiced our hamburger patties with nutmeg and cinnamon, which is highly recommended if you want to add an interesting, subtle kick to your hamburgers.

Total cost: 50 — 55 RMB ($8.10) for four hamburgers. Not too bad, considering one of them alone at a restaurant would cost at least 80 kuai ($11.80).

Last night’s dinner: Gazpacho salad

September 2nd, 2010 by Johanna | Leave comments | Filed in China, Food I can cook in China

I was in a soup mood, but this gazpacho was a salad. Although, I’ve never had gazpacho as a soup or salad, so what do I care? I thought the recipe looked really interesting, to eat and to make. And then it turned out to be really easy to make and the best salad I’ve ever made. It was the perfect balance between healthy (fresh vegetables!) and unhealthy (eggs and lots of ham!). My boyfriend — who’s now back from Shanghai :) — gobbled it up, although I think he was just really hungry after an 11-hour train ride.

A jumble of goodness!

Main ingredients: Tomatoes, green pepper, proscuitto, eggs. All found at Carrefour.

Special flavorings: The recipe called for Sherry vinegar, which I wasn’t even going to bother to look for. Instead, I substituted rice wine vinegar, which I, like a good Chinese cook, already had.

Total cost: Not more than 30 RMB ($4.41) for two big servings. The proscuitto made up for the bulk of the cost, at 21 RMB ($3.09), for more than the recipe called for.

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