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Per the trusted Wikipedia source, Hakarl is fermented shark.  The reason it is fermented is because the shark itself is poisonous when fresh due to a high content of uric acid and trimethylamine oxide (aka urine).

Yum.

The reason I know this is we returned from Iceland about 3 hours ago and some people in Iceland consider Hakarl a food.

As background for the uninitiated, Hákarl is traditionally prepared by gutting and beheading a Greenland or basking shark and placing it in a shallow hole dug in gravelly-sand, with the now-cleaned cavity resting on a slight hill. The shark is then covered with sand and gravel, and stones are then placed on top of the sand in order to press the shark. The fluids from the shark are in this way pressed out of the body. The shark ferments for 6-12 weeks depending on the season in this fashion.

Following this curing period, the shark is then cut into strips and hung to dry for several months. During this drying period a brown crust will develop, which is removed prior to cutting the shark into small pieces and serving. The modern method is just to press the shark’s meat in a large drained plastic container.

First-timers are sometimes advised to pinch their nose while taking the first bite as the smell is much stronger than the taste. It is often eaten with a shot of the local spirit, a type of akvavit. Eating hákarl is often associated with hardiness and strength.

Those new to it will usually gag involuntarily on the first attempt to eat it due to the high ammonia content.

We had not read this last part before our trip, but a picture (or series of pictures) is worth a thousand words.

We posted our 2008 Christmas Card today.  For those of you receiving an old-fashioned paper version, they are stamped and going belatedly to the post office today.

Wishing you a prosperous 2009 – good luck to your 401(k).

A little diddy from our Grand Canyon rafting adventure.  Lyrics by Linda S.

We are the paddle boaters and we carry our own oars,
We like this kind of camping since there aren’t that many chores.

Marble Canyon is amazing just look at all that rock,
But no matter how you phrase it the cold water’s still a shock!

When Bill fell in the water we didn’t know what to do,
But Ben kept his composure and that’s why he’s on the crew.

We all like Dragon boating

(a) Though our reasons are not clear, For some of us it’s boating and for others of us beer!
(b) Though some of us are obsessed, So while they practice stroking the rest of us can rest!

We all like river rafting ’cause it’s a water sport,
And every day is better when it starts out with a snort.

Rafting was an adventure though I guess it all depends,
On the quality of the outfitter and if you make new friends.

We are the paddle boaters and we like our Captain Ben,
We hope that he’ll come with us if we make this trip again!

We posted our Christmas card today, mainly for the benefit of friends too far away to get regular mail.

One post between Christmas cards, and that one about fake orgasms. We will do better in 2008. Please check back.

Happy Holidays!

Have you ever seen the movie When Harry met Sally? You know that scene where Harry and Sally are in a deli and Sally is telling Harry about fake orgasm, then she fakes one herself to show him? That scene takes place at Katz’s Deli in New York.

The first thing on the menu at Katz’s is the pastrami sandwich. And when you eat there, you should get the pastrami sandwich. Unfortunately no one told Sally to have the pastrami. If she had been eating the pastrami, she would not have had to fake her orgasm- and you won’t either.

At Katz’s the corn beef is good, the French fries are good and the pickles- locally made and aged to different degrees are terrific. But the pastrami is what you should eat. You can order pastrami for $22.80 per lb from Katz’s website: www.katzdeli.com though I can’t imagine it could be as good as when they slice it for you while you wait. In fact, if you order at the counter, the give you some of the edge pieces to eat while they make your sandwich – the pastrami is so good that some people can’t even wait until they sit down to start eating it.

The sandwiches are expensive – $14. They are also big, you really only need to eat half but you will want to eat the whole thing.

Katz’s delis is located at 205 Houston St. It is five small blocks from our apartment.

Photo by Greg Bakes

We posted our Christmas card today, mainly for the benefit of friends too far away to get regular mail.

Happy Holidays!

One thing I love about summer in Chicago are our vegetable markets. Farmers from Michigan drive up early on Saturday’s and set up their produce.

Every year there seem to be new additions, small farms selling beef or dairies selling cheeses. There’s even a truck that pulls up and sells bulk spices.

Herbs are terrific, plentiful, and so much better than the small plastic boxed ones from the grocery. Except for the basil, which is very good but sells out quickly in the early weeks. In the five or so weeks they have been open this summer, this week was the first time I was able to get basil. I just don’t get up early enough. This week the basil I bought was so gorgeous I put it in a vase in the kitchen. When it started to wilt, I just could bring myself to bag it, and put the whole vase in the refrigerator. I know odors in the refrigerator are not good, but when I open the door, the basil smells great. I don’t think I’ll mind if the fruit I eat this week tastes a little basil-ish. I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the basil – it was a true impulse purchase.

I love to stand by the herb stand and just look and smell the fresh herbs.

I also bought cherries this week. They were very delicious and I ate them all, just out of the bag.

And flowers. I like to buy flowers for our bathrooms and our living room. This week I bought lavender for my bathroom. I know its not a flower, but it smelled good. And this was also the first week for gladiolas. Dean loves glads and he will request them every single week as long as they are available. This week our choice was red and yellow and they are coming into bloom right now, in my living room.

Ma Po Dou Fu – Pock Marked Mother Chen’s Bean Curd

As our Chinese friends know, and many agree, this is the ultimate dish in Shanghai and Beijing. I never liked tofu until I came to China. Now I adore it. This is also the first Chinese dish I crave. In Shanghai, sometimes this dish is called Ma La Duo Fu.

In China, I had several recipes for this dish, none were any good. Now, thanks to Fuchsia Dunlop I can make it. She is a Sichuan (Szechwan) goddess. Her book Land of Plenty is entertaining and good. It would be 100% worth every penny just for this recipe.

Fuchsia recommends a sprinkling of ground beef, but we use ground pork as we are certain that’s what we liked in Shanghai. We also like to serve this American style, on rice.

1 block bean curd (trust me – you need soft, not silken tofu, not extra firm either)
4 baby leeks (I use green onions- this recipe really wants Chinese onions, which look like green onions and are much stronger- but they are generally not available in Chicago)
½ C peanut oil
6 oz ground beef (we use ground pork)
2 ½ TBSP Sichuan chili bean paste (I bought this in China, but it is available in my Chinese market here, another name according to Fuchsia is dou ban jiang).
1 TBSP fermented black beans
2 TBSP ground Sichuan chilies (in Shanghai, ground Sichuan pepper is readily available, I bought lots of the kind made by McCormicks)
1 cup stock (I use whatever kind we have)
1 tsp white sugar
2 tsp light soy sauce
4 TBSP cornstarch mixed with 6 TBSP cornstarch
½ tsp ground roasted Sichuan pepper

I roast the peppercorns then grind them up some. I think in China they use them whole. I also add dry Sichuan peppers cut and their seeds to the skillet then roast them too. I have not seen these peppers in the US, I think they are important in China, but Fuchsia knows they are hard to get so she does not list them.

Cut the bean curd into 1-inch cubes and leave to steep in very hot or gently simmering water that you have lightly salted. Slice the leeks at a steep angle into thin “horse ear” slices 1 √Ç¬Ω inches long.

Season the wok, then add the peanut oil and heat over a high flame until smoking. Add the minced beef and stir fry until it is crispy and a little brown, but not yet dry.

Turn the heat down to medium, add the chili bean paste and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, until the oil is a rich red color. Add the fermented black beans and ground chilies and stir-fry for an additional 20-30 seconds until they are both fragrant add the chilies have added their color to the oil.

Pour in the stock, stir well and add the drained bean curd. Mix it gently by pushing the back of your ladle or wok scoop gently from the edges to the center of the wok – do not stir or the bean curd may break up. Season with sugar, a couple of tsp of soy sauce and salt to taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the bean curd has absorbed the flavors of the sauce.

Add the leeks or scallions and gently stir in. When they are just cooked, add the cornstarch mixture in two or three stages, mixing well until the sauce has thickened enough to cling glossily to the meat and bean curd. Don’t add more than you need. Finally, pour everything into a deep bowl, scatter with the ground Sichuan pepper and serve.

Note regarding Sichuan Peppercorns – when we were living in China, we read the FDA prohibited importation of these due to a “Citrus Canker” experienced by orange trees. Recently, according to the Chicago Tribune, this ban has been lifted.

Linda’s Mushroom Lasagna

From The Cucina Bella Cookbook by Mark Donaway & Susan Shafer.

This recipe is simple but time consuming. I generally prepare the ingredients the day before when we plan to serve this at a dinner party. I think you probably need to allow at least four hours to make this.

The recipe comes from a Chicago restaurant called Cucina Bella. Once at least five years ago, we went to dinner there and ate at a kitchen table with some friends. We were not familiar with this restaurant, but our friends were discriminant diners and really recommended it. The mushroom lasagna was so good I bought the cookbook to get the recipe. Luckily, I talked to the chef before buying the book and he told me the secret ingredient for mushroom lasagna Рmushroom soy sauce. The recipe in the book only includes mushroom soy sauce in mushroom cream sauce, not in the lasagna recipe, but I add it anyway Рit is a secret ingredient. You can buy mushroom soy sauce in Asian markets and it is actually a secret ingredient anytime you cook with mushrooms…

If you can’t get the mushroom soy sauce, and you should seek it out – trust me. At least add some regular soy sauce. It won’t be as good but it will be better than nothing.

Ingredients:

3 ½ lb portabella mushrooms (stems removed & chopped fine, caps slices ¼ inch think)
1 white onion (diced thin)
1 oz olive oil
1 oz lemon juice
3 oz flour
2 lb spinach

1 ½ lb grater provolone
1 lb Ricotta
½ lb grated Parmesan
20 oz lasagna noodles (uncooked) – I always use cooked noodles
3 oz unsalted butter
2 ½ quarts of heavy whipping cream (trust me Р2 quarts is PLENTY!)

2 TBSP mushroom soy sauce

In a large pan, heat olive oil and slowly cook onions. Add mushroom caps and cook on low for 45 minutes. This is important. Cook the onions 10 – 15 minutes, then really cook the mushroom stems at least 45. Remove mixture to food processor, grind and set aside.

Using the same pan, cook the mushrooms caps until tender (4-5 minutes). Set aside.

Using a heavy pot, reduce lemon juice by 1/2. Add butter and flour to make a light mix. Add heavy cream, reduce heat and still occasionally until the juice has dissolved. Add ground mixture and the mushroom soy sauce and cook for 45 minutes on low heat. Salt and pepper to taste.

This sauce will be so delicious by the time you finish, that you will consider not even making lasagna, just eating it yourself with a spoon. If you have any left over, it will be delicious on noodles.

To assemble the lasagna: In a lasagna pan layer the raw lasagna noodles. Place spinach, cheeses, mushroom caps and sauce in layers. Continue this process, remembering to save some cheeses for the top. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes at 450. Remove foil and brown cheese on the top for 10 minutes. Let sit at least 10 minutes so you don’t burn yourself.

Slice and serve hot. Serves 8 – 10. Also makes great leftovers.

Linda’s Spring rolls

From Cuisine Magazine, Issue #13, Jan/Feb 1999

Cuisine recommends either of two types of wraps – spring roll wrappers or rice paper. I have a DRAMATIC preference for the rice paper wraps. The look and taste better. You are going to go to a lot of trouble to make these, make them good.

Makes about 14 rolls

Ingredients
Soy Sauce
Brown sugar
Rice vinegar
Sesame oil
Cornstarch
Garlic
Ginger
8 oz pork loin
14 small shrimp
1 sweet potato
1 bunch cellophane noodles
cider vinegar
rice roll sheets – get twice as many as you need for breaks and mistakes
1 ½ C shiitake mushrooms
Napa cabbage
1 leek
cilantro

Combine marinade ingredients
For the marinade combine:
¼ C soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
1 T rice vinegar
2 T sesame oil
1 ½ T cornstarch
1 T garlic minced
1 T ginger minced

Add:
8 oz pork loin cut in 2 X ¼ strips

Let stand 15 minutes. Stir fry pork with marinade over medium heat until no longer pink. Let cool.

Blanch and drain:
2 c sweet potato, grated
Blanch shredded sweet potato in boiling water for 2 minutes. Rinse with cold water and drain. Spread on paper towel lined plate to continue drying.

Blanch and halve lengthwise:
14 small shrimp
Peel shrimp. Plunge into boiling water for 1 ½ minutes, until cooked. Drain and let cool. Halve shrimp lengthwise and remove any veins. Set aside.

Soak and drain
1 bunch cellophane noodles
Soak dried noodles in boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain well and cut into short pieces with scissors.

Mushrooms
Remove stems from mushrooms and slice caps into strips.

Cabbage
Shred leafy parts of cabbage into thin strips with a knife.

Leeks
Halve leeks lengthwise and cut into 2″ pieces then julienne pieces.

Cilantro
Pick out 14 nice cilantro leaves from the bundle. Pinch the leaves off the stem.

Keep rice papers in package until you are ready so they don’t curl.
Soak rice papers one at a time in 2 C hot water and ¼ C cider vinegar

Place softened sheet on a damp towel. Put a second sheet in liquid. Arrange fillings, except shrimp and cilantro, on the bottom edge of the softened sheet.

Pull the sheet over the filling. Tuck edges under the filling as you go up. Roll the sheet halfway up then arrange 2 shrimp halves and 1 cilantro leaf top-side down on rice sheet.

Fold sides of the rice paper in to enclose the filling. This will allow the shrimp and cilantro to show through.

Finish rolling. Place finished rolls seam-side down on a tray that has been lined with damp paper towels. Cover with damp paper towels.

I use two sauces:
One with half soy sauce and half rice vinegar. I shake in some red pepper flakes.

A second with SiRaCha a red Chinese sauce with a chicken on the bottle and a green top. Put some rice vinegar in a bowl, squirt in the sauce to taste and mix.

The actual recipe calls for the following Thai peanut sauce:

Combine and bring to a boil
½ C hoisin sauce
½ C creamy peanut butter
½ C low-sodium chicken broth
3 T light soy sauce
3 T honey
2 T garlic, minced
2 T ginger, minced
2 T sesame oil
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T sugar
1 T chili sauce with garlic

Last time Dean was in China, I talked to one of my friends there. She was preparing to move from Shanghai, and asked me what things I would buy or do if I was leaving Shanghai again.

Here are some of the official answers I would offer:

FRAME EVERYTHING
It is impossible, and downright embarrassing to admit how much it costs to frame things in the US. If I told you how much it cost to frame my 5 RMB watercolors in Chicago, you would be shocked and appalled. Frame everything. I think if framing more than 5 things, one could probably fly to China, have the framing done, and fly home for less than the local cost.

BUY JEWELRY FOR WORK
You know I love to buy and wear jewelry. But I dress differently for work than I did when living in Shanghai. In Shanghai, much more casual – jeans or linen pants or a skirt and lots of white tops. I still wear that outfit, but wish I had bought more necklaces and bracelets for brown and black. Also, my mom shopped for longer necklaces, I generally focused on chokers as they were what I wore in Shanghai, not always the most practical for wearing over a sweater to the office. I would also buy more amazing and interesting earrings. In Shanghai I always wore bracelets, but they are not always so practical at the office – it is hard to type with a big bracelet on. Also, junk jewelry is expensive here, and cheap in China. I don’t think it is possible to buy too much jewelry. I also love the jewelry I bought in Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand. I will continue buying interesting things wherever we go.

FURNITURE
Buy it. Chinese furniture is in. I can’t say it enough. Chinese furniture is in. But even more so, mine fits perfectly into my home. I wish I had bought a bar, but otherwise am thrilled with what I bought.

DON’T BOTHER WITH
Tea pots – they are trending in the US now and inexpensive. Also those tea cups with strainers, while you can get them for a dollar or two in China, with just a little fight, you can easily buy them here for less than $5 each.

GET CURTAINS
Curtains are expensive here. Period. They look great in your house. If you can get a neutral color you like, do it.

LAMPS
We bought some lamps here, and they are costly, and the selection is nothing like the lamp mall in Shanghai. If you are American, I think it would be better and cheaper to buy the lamps and have them rewired.

SHOES
Just buy them in another country. The US has great shoes. Trust me, I have shopped everywhere in China. Only Hong Kong has any possibility to compete. And in Hong Kong, there are no good shoes for $100. In Chicago, $100 – $200 can absolutely buy you a great pair of shoes. In Hong Kong, they have to be amazing designer $300-$500.

T-SHIRT and JEANS
Also, like shoes, just come to Chicago. We have tons and great selections.

HANDBAGS
Buy evening bags – as many as possible. Buy them to wear with black, blue and gray + colors. There are not $200-$500 bags in China.

COSMETICS
Don’t bother in China, here they are easy and affordable in the US.

SICHUAN PEPPER
Not allowed in the US? No problem to buy in Chinatown. The only thing you need from Shanghai is cooking wine.

GIFTS
Buy gifts for everyone in China plus some extra to cover people you forget or for future events. They are amazingly appreciated here. Jewelry, US$3 to $5 pearl bracelets, earrings, silk bags etc.

SHANGHAI TANG
It is in New York now, but only a small store. There is a web site, but it has minimal stuff. I love Shanghai Tang – if you do, you need to shop in Hong Kong and Shanghai. As a tip, there is a nice little shop at the Beijing airport.

CLOTHES?
This is a hard one. Generally I don’t seem to be wearing that many, but I really did wear the jackets, skirts and linen pants in the summer and fall. I didn’t get much made for winter. Linen pants and jackets – yes. Interesting Chinese jackets – sometimes. Linen and cotton shirts – no since I have Brooks Brothers here, and they are not too expensive now that I have a job. Fun spring jackets and other overruns – yes.

Dean and I have an apartment in Beijing now. It is a three bedroom, with one of the bedrooms used as a den.

Some advantages of this apartment compared to the one we had in Shanghai include:

Dishwasher – in the US, it is hard to imagine a home without a dishwasher, but in China, hardly anyone has one.

Separate washer and dryer – in China, most people have one machine that does both or just a washer. Most people here prefer to hang their clothes out to dry. Ironing is also very common as many people wear cotton clothes, especially in Shanghai. It is always easier to iron clothes that have not been dried in a dryer. My Scottish friend reports that dryers are one of the most energy sucking machines possible and suggests maybe dryers are an American thing.

20th Floor View – here in Beijing, we live in apartment number 20C. We lived on the third floor in Shanghai.

Pantry – I have never had as nice a pantry as the one I have here – great big with excellent storage including drawers and shelves.

Beijing as a City

Also see my Beijing visit page.

We are regularly asked for a comparison between Beijing and Shanghai.

Beijing is historic in a different way than Shanghai. I think Shanghai is a great place to visit for the history of western influence in China. It is a fascinating city of interesting architecture, and a city of neighborhoods, like Chicago.

Beijing has important historic and government sites for China. You visit Beijing to go to the Great Wall, one of my favorite sites in the world. You can also visit the Ming and Qing dynasty temples and palaces in Beijing. Beijing is the capital, with Tiananmen Square at its center.

Food is also very different in Beijing and Shanghai – I’ll write more about this later as food is always one of my favorite topics. Simply said, people grow and eat different foods in the North of China than the South – just because weather is different.

Shanghai is an easier city for walking, though Beijing may be a good walking city too, I just may not know any good routes.

Would I like Beijing as much as Shanghai if I lived here? I don’t know. Shanghai is vibrant, so is Beijing, but in a different way. Beijing is a center of Chinese culture, Shanghai of international culture – they feel different when you visit.