What happens with too much fresh chives

Wontons is the answer. Lots and lots of them.

Went to 99 Ranch on Friday and found some incredibly fresh chives on sale. I couldn't resist so I bought some. But what to do with all that chives? I guess I'll have to make wontons! I've never made my own before, though I've had plenty of my mom's. So it's a challenge!

Sunday noon found G and I busy chopping, defrosting and mixing. Mostly chopping though. We added chives, pork, and shrimp. For binding and other flavorings: 2 eggs, rice wine, corn starch, white pepper, sesame oil, vegetable oil, garlic, ginger and soy sauce (生抽, it's less color for more saltiness). We saved the adjustment of salt level for last because neither one of us were experienced in using the particular soy sauce. We had to cook a little bit of the filling to taste whether it's salty enough. If there's one thing that ruins a good wonton, it's over salting the thing.

Then on to the wrapping!

(Paratroopers vs. militias!)

This is the wrapper I will be using the next time as well. All together, I used almost four packages for that much filling.

Remember the Panda brand!

I used a premade soup base I bought also at 99 Ranch. It comes with seaweed, flavor packet and a dehydrated packet of green onions and carrots. I used the first two, but prefer to use fresh green onions and cilantro.

With wontons:

Inside to make sure they are cooked:

They looked and tasted a bit more eggy than they should. Surprising, considering I only used two eggs. Maybe next time I should reduce that to one, or just use egg whites.

Anyway, they tasted really good. And now I have a whole bunch in the freezer. I'm quite proud of our accomplishment.

Dinner: Pork with cole slaw & cream of mushroom soup

Cream of mushroom soup
4 servings

1 lb of mushrooms, thinly sliced with stalks removed
1/4 cup margarine
3-4 green onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/3 c flour
4 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup of light cream
salt and pepper to taste

1. Melt half of the margarine and stir in green onions, garlic, and thyme. Cook until garlic is golden.
2. + mushrooms, a little bit of salt and pepper, cook till the mushroom flavor is brought out.
3. In a separate pot, using the rest of the butter, flour, and broth create a roux.
4. Add to the mushrooms and simmer for ~10 min.
5. Add cream and simmer for 2 minutes.
6. Finish with salt and pepper to taste.

Variations to try: tarragon instead of thyme. white mirepoix (1 stalk of celery, the whites of one leek, 1/2 of an onion) cooked in step 1, + lemon juice in the last step (~1 tsp)

Trouble with me as a cook

I don't think I have a very good imagination when it comes to putting ingredients and spices together for food. I know what dishes I like, but then I quickly forget them. So in addition to my goal of buying whatever is on sale for the week and putting them together in new dishes, I am going to try to log my weekly menus so I can refer to them later by ingredients.

Tonight's dinner: Shandong ramen with bok-choy, shrimp and marinated pork slices in chicken broth.

1. Prepare the pork by slicing and marinating in soy sauce, starch and sugar to taste. May add garlic and ginger if available.
2. Defrost shrimp.
3. Clean the bok-choy. Tear in half the bigger leaves.
4. Get the chicken broth boiling.
5. Cook noodle according to instruction. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
6. Add green onion to saute pan and saute the shrimp till cooked about half way on one side, then flip. After it is opaque through half way, take it out and let the heat to finish cooking it.
7. Saute the pork slices. Cook until 3/4 done. Flip and finish when cooked on the other side. Take out and set aside to finish cooking off-heat.
8. Add a bit of oil to the chicken broth and drop in the bok-choy. Cook for a few minutes and turn off heat.
9. Putting all ingredients together and voila! Deliciousness.

I hate tough to chew meat or shrimp and am trying to figure out ways to cook them so they are still juicy and tender. I think I've succeeded this round. It's always a balance between tenderness and possible e. coli poisoning. =)

I still haven't quite figured out the correct salinity of the soy sauce I have, so it still tastes a little salty when I cook or marinate with it.

Reviews from both: it was pretty good and worthy of serving to guests.