A few years ago I was approached by my good friend Paul Yee, an award-winning author of books for children, to collaborate on a book. He was writing a collection of Chinese fairy tales, each focused on a different type of food. He asked if I would write recipes to highlight the food in each story. This was an opportunity that I could not refuse. The concept brought together reading and cooking for children and families. It introduced some Chinese culture and cuisine to its readers and the potential to bring parents into the kitchen with their children to create and enjoy the foods from these fairy tales.
There are a number of things to consider when choosing Chinese recipes for a book aimed at children. I wanted to represent authentic Chinese food, yet I needed to consider factors such as the availability of Chinese ingredients, safety and ease of preparation, and the appeal to children’s taste buds. I drew much inspiration from my childhood experiences and what my mother would cook for our family. I also wanted some recipes related to the preparation of other recipes, to reflect how one would cook at home. For instance, I chose a recipe for poached chicken so that a family could use the chicken stock to make won ton soup or could add the leftover chicken meat to noodles with peanut sauce.
Various supermarkets were checked for their stock of Chinese ingredients. This gave me the boundaries for the range of ingredients in the recipes, as not all communities have easy access to Asian markets or foods. Some recipes like Almond Jelly were selected because they did not rely on specific Chinese ingredients, to accommodate those living in more remote areas or those who were not as familiar with Chinese cuisine. Sometimes I suggested alternative ingredients to accommodate availability and personal preference.
Safety concerns played a big role in choosing recipes for the fairy tales. It is difficult to cook Chinese foods without using a knife or a very hot stove. Some recipes easily addressed safety concerns because they needed a minimal amount of cutting or heat. In all the recipes adult supervision was stressed as essential when children are in the kitchen doing any kind of food preparation. The use of ingredients like canned fruit, when appropriate, eliminates the necessity of having young children use knives.
Chinese cuisine requires a significant amount of ingredient preparation before the actual cooking begins. Some of these tasks are well suited to younger children to do whereas others can be assigned to family members with more kitchen experience. Ease of preparation influenced both the choice of recipes and the ingredients. Since cutting and slicing raw meats are generally more challenging for young cooks, the use of ground meats allows more autonomy in the kitchen for these budding chefs — and is a more economical protein choice for families. Tofu is also a budget-friendly ingredient that is easy to prepare and gives a vegetarian option.
As a Home Economics teacher, I had the luxury over the years to develop recipes that I used with my students. Adjusting the seasonings, yields, and preparation times to meet students’ tastes, the limited school budget, and time constraints, were all part of teaching about foods. A few of those classroom recipes were used in Chinese Fairy Tale Feasts while others were tested with younger children.
Working on this book gave me the chance to develop some of my family’s heritage recipes that I remember fondly from my mother’s kitchen. My sister and I will always be impressed with the multiple dishes for a single meal that my mom could produce from her kitchen without today’s kitchen conveniences. She did this without any recipes written down, relying only on her culinary instinct. As with many families, food played an essential link between our ancestors and ourselves. Having those familial recipes written down allows those culinary treasures to be shared with future generations. I am extremely fortunate to have some of my culinary memories now linked with Chinese fairy tales, thus creating a literary and culinary feast for all to enjoy.
Almond Jelly with Fresh Fruit
One of the few traditional Chinese desserts is almond jelly – also known as almond float. It is a refreshing light dessert and provides a serving of milk and fruit. It is popular in Asia and on dim sum menus. My cousins in Hawaii introduced me to this recipe. I have modified it to make it healthier, yet still retain the yummy taste, using ingredients that are easily found in supermarkets.
Ingredients
- •1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- •175 ml (¾ cup) water, divided
- •75 ml (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
- •300 ml (1¼ cups) whole milk
- •10 ml (2 teaspoons) almond extract
- •About 500 ml (2 cups) fresh fruit such as berries, peaches, pears*
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) orange juice
Equipment:
- •Measuring cups & spoons
- •Liquid measuring cups
- •Wooden spoon
- •Small pot
- •Rubber spatula
- •20 cm (8-inch) square glass or ceramic pan
- •Plastic wrap
- •Cutting board & knife for fresh fruit
- •Can opener for canned fruit
* Please note that fresh pineapple, kiwi fruit, papayas, mangoes, figs, guava and ginger root contain enzymes that will ruin the jelly. If you wish to use these fruits with the almond jelly, first heat them to 85ºC (185ºF) to destroy the enzyme. Another option is to use canned fruit salad or mandarin orange slices.
Preparation
In a small bowl, soften the gelatin in 60 ml (1/4 cup) of cold water. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 125 ml (1/2 cup) water with the sugar and milk until the sugar is dissolved; be careful not to scorch the milk. Stir with a wooden spoon.
When the sugar is dissolved, add the softened gelatin by scraping it all out with a rubber spatula. Use gentle heat and mixing to fully dissolve the gelatin. DO NOT boil this gelatin mixture as it will reduce its thickening ability. Remove from heat, and cool by stirring the hot mixture till lukewarm. Add the almond extract and mix well.
Pour into the pan and refrigerate until firm, at least three hours. Meanwhile, wash fresh fruit in cold water and remove any blemishes, peels or skins. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Pour the orange juice over the fruit and stir to coat (this prevents browning) or use canned fruit. Refrigerate until ready to use.
When the almond jelly is firm, cut it into 1.5 cm (3/4-inch) cubes. Serve the cubes in individual bowls with a generous scoop of fresh fruit or canned fruits with some of their syrup.
Green Onion Pancakes
Green onion or scallion pancakes are popular in China and show how Chinese ingenuity can take a few simple ingredients and transform them into a tasty snack which can also be eaten with meals. I first had green onion pancakes as dim sum. I loved them so much that I now make them at home for a snack or as an appetizer before dinner. I like to fry these in a cast iron skillet to get a lovely golden and crisp pancake. As green onion pancakes are served throughout China, there are regional differences from thin and flat to thick ones. There are even some leavened with yeast, but this recipe relies only on steam for a slight puff, and oiling of the dough before the rolling process to produce flaky layers.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- •500 ml (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- •176 ml (¾ cup) hot tap water, or as needed
For the filling:
- •2-3 green onions (scallions), chopped
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) vegetable oil
- •10 ml (2 teaspoons) pure sesame oil
- •2 ml (½ teaspoon) salt
- •2 ml (½ teaspoon) ground white pepper
Equipment
- •Measuring cups & spoons
- •Liquid measuring cup
- •Medium bowl
- •Fork
- •Cutting board
- •Chef knife
- •3 small bowls or custard cups
- •Pastry brush
- •Rolling pin
- •Cast iron skillet or heavy skillet
- •Cooking spatula or egg lifter
- •Kitchen shears
Preparation
In a medium bowl, make a well in the flour and add the hot water all at once. Mix with a fork (more hot water may need to be added) until a soft dough is formed. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead into a smooth ball. Place the bowl upside down over the ball of dough and let rest for 20 – 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, wash the green onions and cut off the root ends. Chop the green onions and set aside. In a small dish combine the vegetable oil and sesame oil. In another dish, combine the salt and white pepper.
After resting the dough, roll the dough into a log and divide it into 4 equal pieces. Work with one piece at a time and keep remaining pieces of dough under the bowl to prevent dough from drying out. Roll out 1/4 portion of the dough with a rolling pin into a thin rectangle that is the size of 2 hands. Using a pastry brush, brush the sesame oil mixture onto the dough’s surface leaving a strip along the long side with no oil.
Sprinkle 1/4 of the salt pepper mixture evenly over the oiled surface followed by 1/4 of the chopped green onions. Tightly roll the dough towards the edge with no oil. Pinch to seal the edge of the roll. Then roll a log of dough to form a uniform cylinder while gently stretching the log to make it slightly longer. Coil the log like a cinnamon bun and pinch the end of the coil in place. Using a rolling pin, flatten the coil until it is about 1/2 cm (1/4 inch) thick and in a pancake shape. Repeat for the remaining pieces of dough and filling.
Using a cast iron frying pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until the oil is hot enough to bubble around the end of a chopstick or wooden spoon. Add one pancake and fry until golden at medium heat (about 3 minutes). Flip the pancake and cook the other side until nicely golden and dough is translucent. Repeat until all the pancakes are cooked. Use kitchen shears or a chef’s knife to cut each pancake into quarters. Serve warm. If you wish, serve with a dipping sauce made with equal parts of soy sauce and rice vinegar.