A SIMPLE PLATE OF FRIED RICE

As usually happens on a day off I am thinking about food. Which must mean, quite naturally, neurosis. On the one hand I wish to reward myself for putting up with repulsive people during work -- per one of them, the British are responsible for all the fake currency in the world as part of their clever centuries long plot to destabilize and eventually take over other countries, and the Dutch invented the slave trade for a similar reason -- on the second hand I want something new and interesting, and on the third hand I want to listen in on other diners, because I eat alone and that is what you do when there is no one to talk with over delicious stuff and tea.
There are also fourth and fifth hands.
I shan't mention them.

Tomato porkchops, followed by a stroll with my pipe?
Or steamed dumplings and fried chili oil?
Grilled meats?


CHINATOWN LUNCH

I like listening in on conversations in Cantonese, but I shy away from getting involved in them, as my ability in the language is not particularly good at all.
Frequently I phrase things wrong, and I'm not super confident. My reading skills are mostly food and Tang dynasty poetry, so altogether rather limited.


孟子見梁惠王。王曰：「叟不遠千里而來，亦將有以利吾國乎？」
[Meng Tze saw King Hui of Liang. The king said "elder person, not far a thousand miles, also will have benefit my kingdom?"]

"Yo, old dude, you came a long way, what can you tell me that I can use?"


The text above shows that written Chinese from the classic period tends toward brevity of expression, and necessitates an interpretive approach. It can be thought over at leisure, and understood even if there is a cultural gap. It is not the same as spoken Cantonese of the modern era, where grammatical, aspect, and mood-shifting particles densely lard much that is said, and demand complete thinking ability on your feet.

My head is mostly English and Dutch.
It isn't the same.


I can do my banking and eating entirely in Cantonese. But telling you why the movie Totoro enchants me, or what is special about certain pipe tobaccos, requires English.
Existenzangst and weltschmerz often take Dutch.
And you knew that.


Cooking, however, needs Cantonese fluency.

Preparing black truffle fried rice (黑松露蛋白炒飯) demands a deft hand, a good eye, and sound judgment. Fry or sauté everything beforehand, rinse-scrubbing the wok in between items. Finally throw in rice, whisk around, add egg, chicken meats, and drizzle in the black pine dew preparation.
Serve immediately.

Necessary verbs: 切粒 cut into chunks 醃 marinate 煮 cook 炒香 stirfry till fragrant 大火下冷飯炒開 over high heat stirfry the rice till it's hot enough 加入蛋不斷炒 add beaten egg without pausing the frying 落雞肉粒 dump in the chicken chunks 最後加入黑松露醬 lastly, add black truffle sauce.

Some people marinate the chicken in dark soy, and only use egg whites, for a colour contrast. Scallion and ginger are optional.




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