Mousse au chocolat; or, Why the Good Lord Invented French People

One of my dear former roommates is from France, and has greatly added to my enjoyment of foods over the years. I believe she and I single-handedly fueled the entire market for imported European salamis in Utah at one point. One of the best things she makes is a mousse au chocolat, and so I asked her for the recipe so I could make it for a recent Young Women's activity.

Turns out she adapted the recipe from this one she'd found at marmiton.org, which is a lot of fun and a lot of trouble if you're ever tempted to brush up on your French and/or stuff amazing things into your pie hole.

Meatball Madness

We are a family who enjoys our meatballs. They're a really tasty change of pace, and you can do anything you like with them. Like, for example, giving them as Valentine's Day gifts.

You can thank me for the inspiration later.

Rabbit Stew

I admit, I only bought the rabbit because I could. I saw it in the store and knew it had to be done. But I actually really like it. It's mild, almost undistinguishable from chicken, and very low-fat and lean. I can credit meine lieben deutschen Mutter for introducing me to the fine world of Hasenpfeffer, and it made me a little homesick once I got it all cooked up.

Fake Noodles

You may have noticed a paucity of starchy things on here of late. It's because I have realized I'm slightly gluten intolerant and because the Husband Man is on a paleo-type diet. But don't we eat well anyway? We like to pretend so.

Well, this is just a quick advertisement for one of the best things we've found for anyone else who wants to avoid wheat/carbohydrates or simply find a high-protein alternative to traditional fried noodles - fake noodles. Specifically, a local specialty called Yangzhou dou gan si. (Yangzhou is a nearby town, dou is short for tofu, gan means dried, and si means strips) I've found them for the amazingly cheap price of about 4 or 5 kuai at BHG. Ask around to see where else might have them - maybe little tofu booths in the market or a Chinese market if you're in the states.

The Most Delicious Thing in the World

This is the most delicious thing in the world, you say? Like anyone could even know that, Napoleon. But to a certain palate; that is, an American who's been in China a few months now and doesn't get to eat salty/sour things according to the lifestyle she is accustomed to (Scarlet O'Hara had this problem when she got married and moved to China, I think), something Mexicany is exactly what she needs.

Super Delicious Chicken Wings

We've found it's harder to cook big pieces of chicken (legs, thighs) in a wok unless you're making a soup of it, but small pieces like chicken wings (jichi gen and jichi zhong - the little drumlets and wing middle-sections, respectively) cook through relatively quickly.

If you want a Chinese-style, softer chicken wing (the skin makes them soft and fatty but the flavor is great), make small slices along the meat, going down to the bone - just 3 or 4 small cuts on each side of the wing. Then, stir fry as you like, adding whatever vegetables and sauces you like (they're great in soy sauce). But if you're looking for something in which the skin isn't soft and gooey (admit it - you're a foreigner and it gets old), try this preparation and deep-fry the wings.

Quick & Delicious Tomato and Cauliflower Dish

This is great and easy and a little change from the typical Chinesey stuff. You will need:

1 head cauliflower

2 large tomatoes

Diced garlic

1/2 pound (1/2 jin) rou si (thin-sliced pork)

Salt, chicken bouillon, laoganma hot sauce (substitute this with flavorings of your choice)

Culinary Adventures in China

Subtitle: Stirfry for Fun and Profit

Culinary Adventures in the Chinese House, after a long and unnoticed absence, now rejoins the adventures of our trusty heroine and throws in a hero to make the commentary more interesting. We are living in Nanjing, China for the year and eating things that make us feel brave. Not the live hedgehogs they sell in the market. No one needs to eat the hedgehogs to feel brave.

Romantic Adventures in the Chinese House

When we last spoke with the defendant, she was in Taiwan. "Eating fruit," she alleges. There is then a suspicious gap in her culinary adventures. Are we to assume, then, that no such adventures were occurring?

No, sir. There were adventures occurring. 

Were there culinary adventures?

Of course. There are always culinary adventures.