All posts filed under: Food Corner

Chocolate & Strawberry Cake

Published by Sula H.

Admitted, China is not one of the top competitors when it comes to baking. The average Chinese family doesn’t even have an oven to begin with. But the Chinese people (at least the experts among them) can surely create some very yummy looking cakes. (Whether they taste as good as they look – that’s for every individual to decide for themselves!) Anyhow, the average Chinese birthday cake isn’t even meant to end up in people’s mouths or stomachs as they (especially the students) prefer to smash them into people’s faces or wherever else (not sure where they got that from). But not my birthday cake. My birthday was enjoyed thoroughly and civilly by whoever made it to our little luncheon today!

Food Corner: Steamed Filled Buns

Published by Sula H.

They are a typical breakfast item in these parts of the world: Baozi – steamed buns stuffed with various fillings, varying from pork, vegetables, egg, tofu and mushrooms. People like to eat them in combination with one of the soups or porridges, and freshly made can make a hearty breakfast!

Food Corner: Fried Oyster Mushrooms

Published by Sula H.

They aren’t my favorite food, so I’ve never actually thought of mentioning them on my blog – mushrooms. But as a matter of fact, mushrooms are quite a popular side dish locally. For the dish you see in the picture today, oyster mushrooms were mixed with other mushrooms and vegetables, and fried in oil (as is typical for any dish in China). A yummy addition to any meal – if you like mushrooms that is!

Food Corner: Grits Porridge

Published by Sula H.

Let’s talk about breakfast for once. A very typical breakfast meal in China contains among other things some kind of porridge. There are many different kinds of porridge, most of which taste very bland since they contain nothing more than water and some kind of grain. This particular one is made with with grits, and it tastes just like a little more than boiled water.

Food Corner: Potatoes & Meat

Published by Sula H.

Potatoes are very common in China. Except that the way they are prepared in China is quite different from what I knew about cooking potatoes when I grew up. While (at least in Germany) potatoes usually are boiled in water and salt, like most everything here they’re fried in the wok (without ever boiling them beforehand). This specific potato dish comes diced and mixed with meat, onion and spices. And it’s quite delicious, too!

Food Corner: Gingerbread House

Published by Sula H.

Look at what we created today! My first ever real gingerbread house! And while it’s far from perfect, I still consider it quite a success for numerous reasons … Reason #1: The only time I’ve made a gingerbread house before, turned into such a disaster that we never finished it, and never dared touching a project like that afterward. Reason #2: I consider myself quite unexperienced when it comes to making a gingerbread house, or even working with and decorating things with icing. Reason #3: It’s not easy to get a gingerbread house kit here in China at all, and the same applies to the other ingredients such as icing sugar, or even suitable candy (we had to be a little creative). Reason #4: I don’t have the right tools to put together and decorate the house, so we had to be quite creative with what we had, and thanks to my two friends who helped me, we were able to figure out how to make things work. Reason #5: None of my friends who …

Food Corner: Vanilla Crescents (Vanillekipferl)

Published by Sula H.

I’ve got another recipe for you this week. This time it’s about my all-time favorite Christmas cookies – vanilla crescents, also known as Vanillekipferl.   You will need … 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour / 200 g all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (what fits on the tip of a knife) 1/2 cup granulated sugar / 100 g sugar 1-2 teaspoons vanilla powder / 1 pouch vanilla powder 1 egg (medium) 1/2 cup softened butter (unsalted) / 125 g softened butter or margarine 2/3 cup ground almonds / 100 g ground almonds 1/2 cup icing sugar (for dusting) 1-2 teaspoons vanilla powder / 1 pouch vanilla powder (for dusting) Time: 60 min. Difficulty: medium Preparations: Preheat oven to 350 F (160-180 °C depending on your oven). Lightly grease baking sheets, or line with parchment paper.   Directions: Sift flour into a bowl and mix with baking powder. Add all other ingredients and mix until the dough is smooth. Roll some of the dough into a strip, about as thick as a pencil. Cut off pieces …

Food Corner: Vanilla Cookies

Published by Sula H.

Usually, I only present you with short descriptions for the food corner. Today, however, I have something special in store for you: A very easy cookie recipe. You will need: 2 cups flour (all-purpose) / 250 g wheat flower 1/3 cup granulated sugar / 75 g sugar 1-2 teaspoons vanilla powder / 2 pouches vanilla powder (16 g) 1 pinch salt 1 egg (medium) 1/2 cup softened butter (unsalted) / 125 g softened butter or margarine Time: about 40 min. Difficulty: Easy Preparations: Preheat oven to 350 F (180-200 °C depending on your oven). Lightly grease baking sheets, or line with parchment paper. Dough: Sift flour into a bowl. Add all other ingredients. Stir until the dough is smooth. Take some of the dough, roll out to about 1/4-1/3 inch thick (about 1/2 cm; depending on the crunchiness you prefer). Cut out cookies with shapes/cookie cutters, and place cookies on your baking sheet. Bake for about 9 min. If desired, decorate the cookies with melted chocolate. Yield varies on how thick/thin you roll the dough …

Food Corner: Chocolate Cake

Published by Sula H.

Yes, you can find them in China. Those rare occasions of having real good chocolate cake. This one was actually made by my Chinese friend (note: Chinese people don’t normally bake; ever), but my friend is a full-blown exception. This cake had a very soft and moist consistence, with a rich layer of chocolate all around. It might look a little homemade, but it definitely was worth the treat!