BRIGHT LIGHTS, HOT SAUCE, AND EXCELLENT COMPANY

There are times when I am a bad tempered old coot. Fortunately, meeting an old friend by complete luck while heading over to Chinatown for a bite to eat corrected that. Completely. As a result, I feel ten to twenty years younger and completely equitable.
Good natured, even. Do not laugh or I will slap you.

I asked him to join me. Had a good time. Lit up afterwards.
Was very glad we met on the bus. A bright spot.

As you may have guessed, at a chachanteng garlic sauce chicken over rice (蒜蓉雞飯 'suen yung gai faan') is basically strips or chunks of battered fried chicken sauced with garlic and stock, glopped next to white rice. Good, but not great. It's chow.

You don't go there for high cuisine.

One of these days I'll head over to a fish restaurant, or do a steamed fish at home myself.
An added ingredient that works well as a flavouring component, in addition to sliced ginger, pickled vegetables, paper thin cross-slivered chilies, and herbs, is coarse-chopped bacon. You will need less soy sauce drizzled over, and just a splash of sherry or rice wine. It's sort of a Jiangxi (江西 'gong sai') approach, suitable for freshwater fish such as that landlocked province on the other side of the mountains has in abundance.

Lightly oil the plate before putting the fish upon it for steaming. One could add thick match-stick cut carrot for sweetness. Cross-hatch the fish if it is thick to ensure even cooking. Steamed meats or fish release juices which are lovely for moistening your rice.


It's only forty degrees Fahrenheit out there. This is unreasonable weather. I cannot wait till spring is finally here. Until then, I shall spend a lot of time under the covers grumbling.



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