Fuchsia's Recipe and Making Things Interesting

I've been meaning to share a semi- recent dish that I made last weekend. I decided to make a Chinese dish since it's been a while and also since we're still celebrating the New Year of the Rooster. This cookbook that I checked out caught my eye because the author is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and has a cooking memoir about her experience with Chinese food, specifically the Sichuan province. Her cookbook has a lot to offer, with many interesting and exotic dishes that I had never heard of. Here is her book, if you're interested. I've been meaning to still read/finish it.

I made a dish that is pretty typical yet not so common, since the ingredients and steps have a turn of their own, yet make for a great and delicious meal at the end of it all!

For this recipe, there's ingredients for the main dish, the sauce and the marinade, however, it's all pretty easy and doesn't take too long. I think in all, it took me a little over an hour before we could eat. That day, my Mom and I went to lunch at Clementine's, and then explored Anthropolgie. It had been almost a year since visiting this cool and inspiring store, I needed all the inspiration I could get! Lol See this post about Anthro http://plummtree.blogspot.com/2016/11/anthropologie-and-anthropology.html, and this one for
Clementine's:) http://plummtree.blogspot.com/2016/09/clementines-inspiration-through-time.html

Last night, I made glazed meatloaf. It had a lot of flavor and spices in it, but I didn't take a picture of it since, I guess you already know what it looks like lol

On another note, I've been trying to create a schedule that makes my time more interesting, exciting and maybe even a little more random. Yesterday, I decided to wake up earlier than ever, even though I did sleep in a little, but regardless, I went on a quick and early run, eager and ready to start the day! Yesterday, I also went to a new coffee shop in the area, which I had heard about but never gave it a try. My experience there was pretty good, though, there were times when it was loud, and I didn't like my drink all that much, but it's okay- it was for the (new) experience and that's all that really mattered. This reminds me of a CD I listened to a year in a half ago that talked about how to become an interesting person...unfortunately it skipped so I couldn't listen to it anymore. A few years back, what I though that made for an interesting person was speaking lots of different languages and I wanted to be able t do the same. Of course, this is interesting but not the only way and surely not the only thing that will make for an interesting person.

On Valentine's Day, I was thinking about giving blood since there was a blood drive at school, but then I remembered that I've been out of the country and still need to wait a few more months if I want to donate. In a way, I was semi- relieved since I do not like the idea of a pricking my finger or a needle in my vein, but sometimes the thought is worse than actually doing it. I guess that's like a lot of things in life.

What are some things that you've been cooking lately, and or something you did that was new or out of your comfort zone?:)

This picture was taken about a month ago, at a favorite Chinese restaurant that my Mom and I share. Sweet and sour soup, I believe, and next time I will order my Mom's choice, and maybe even say a few words in Chinese! Till next time!

Favorite Foreign Words

I've been meaning to pick and write about my favorite words in the languages that I have learned. I would call myself someone who likes to and quickly jumps around from various languages, desiring and seeking inspiration along the way. I will go in order from the language that I've been studying the longest to the one that is the most recent.

The language that I've been studying the longest is Chinese (Mandarin). Winter reminds me of studying this language interest of mine, since I started learning in Winter of 2014. The often cold and dreariness of the Winter weather can get me in the mood to study something inspiring such as a language, and Chinese has been that for me. A word in Chinese which I have easily remembered since the start of learning is 东莞周大 which means California State University East Bay. I've always remembered this, and maybe also because it has to do with how personal my school has become for me. I like to say this word, I think it gives me comfort and I'm proud to say it, knowing that it belongs to me. 

After a year of studying Chinese, I dived into Russian. I liked the sound of it and still do. I think it's a beautiful language, one of the top spoken slavic languages. Unlike Chinese, Russian has an alphabet, yet some look like English letters and others sound like them, and still others look and sound nothing like English. This excited me, and I thought the letters of the alphabet looked cool and exotic. It's been a while since I've studied this language thoroughly and diligently but I know there's still an interest hidden somewhere, and will come out every now and then. The word that I really like to say, and like it's meaning is пожалуйста. This word simply means please or you're welcome. This is one of the words in Russian that I have remembered. It is a very useful phrase but also I really like the way it sounds, it's almost as if it rolls off of the tongue, so gently and elegantly. 

About a year ago, my interest for Arabic took off. I soon became interested in this part of the world and this almost scary and daunting looking language. Almost all of the letters connect, and it looks so fluid and flowy. It took some time to get used to writing from write to left, and knowing all of these letters and how to write them. There are a lot of gutteral and airy sounds in this difficult language but it makes the challenge even more present. One of my favorite words in Arabic is صباح الخير, which means good morning. It's such a simple word but this could be the first word you say to somebody and yet it's so important. I like this word becasue of that, and also because of the way it sounds, rolling off the tongue, and with the back of your throat also having a role. 

The most recent language that I've been studying is Hindi, as of early Fall. I enjoy learning this language, it's so different but I find myself immersed in it every time I study it. I want to create goals for myself with this language, since there are so many things to learn and to keep learning and challenging myself is always something good. The word that I really like in Hindi is कोई बात नहीं, which means it's alright or no problem. I feel that I say this word a lot in English anyway and it's a useful word. Soon I will make flashcards for Hindi and will need to start memoriszing more words and phrases. Happy language studies!

Ginger Pork with Peanut Sauce

I want to delve more into Chinese cooking, since I know so little about it. Sure, every one knows about egg rolls, orange chicken with rice and fortune cookies. I too enjoy the American version of Chinese food. I remember one of my teachers saying that the Chinese restaurants with the red lanterns with dragons and Happy Chinese New Year on them, and other cultural embellsionments are not the real Chinese restaurants. The more I realized it the more I noticed how many restaurants resembled this. Of course, I do enjoy the all American Chinese food, but I'm always up to a good challenge, so I've decided to become better with my Chinese cooking!

Looks like an interesting book about Chinese fortune cookies!

This time I made a good and simple recipe that in all only took about an hour to make. I like those kind of recipes, they're pretty fast and easy but it also still feels like you're cooking and not just throwing something into the microwave. I always feel better when I find a good, solid recipe rather than vouching on a quick pasta that goes into the boiling water with little to no effort.

But hopefully I will keep being inspired, and the quick pasta can wait. So without further ado, here is the latest Chinese recipe!

The main ingredients in this dish are ramon noodles, pork, spinach, green onions and some spices. Altogether, making it a dish with a good variety of flavor! The main lesson I learned from cooking this meal, is how to cut green onions. I know that sounds kind of elementary but I hadn't used them before. Use the white parts because they have the flavor! You can point out the green onions from the picture above, they do add a nice touch!

Sweet and Sour Sauce

I wanted to share this recipe here on Plum Tree because number 1, it's super easy and number 2, it's a recipe from China, that can have different variations to it. I've only made it once before, and everyone loved it and I was surprised that it turned out so well. Not that I'm an awful cook or anything, I just didn't know how good it would actually be!

So, I had the itch to make it once again! I was kind of under a time crunch when cooking it though, but sometimes that can be a good thing because then you're really focused on what you're doing. Chopping, stirring, chopping some more and getting too much onion rays in your eyes to even see what you are even doing, Don't you hate that? Any soultions? I've heard chewing gum can distract you, or wearing goggles? I think my lab days are over. Chopping some more, and listening to Lord Huron while seeing the meat sizzle, that's real lovely. And I finished the moment I had to go and say good bye to my creation for a while. For this recipe, you can choose to cook the the sauce with pork, beef or fish. I chose beef strips, it goes really well all together along with rice.

This recipe came from Mary Knoll International Cookbook, mentioned in my last post. I want to challenge myself with other recipes from here as well!

Oops! Don't you hate when that happens? Or maybe it makes the cookbook look more used and vintage. Yep, soy sauce decided to splatter on the page.

And there's the finshed look, with everything combined. I don't think it will be too long until I make this keeper recipe again!

Thoughts on travel and language

Coming home from El Salvador taught me many things. I know only a few Spanish words and luckily survived the two days that I was there, thanks to helpful translators i.e, my sister and her hubby:) But even still, language welcomes you into a culture and makes you become part of it almost immediatley. But I think an interesting thing is that, one can still get by in a foreign country without fully knowing the language of that country, since body language, facial expressions, hand movements all play a role in communicating, though sometimes not as directly as one would desire.

Traveling opens your eyes into another world, perspective, with new eyes like never before. It forces you to become open minded and embrace the present moment, especially since things can be very unpredicatble at times. But isn't that the fun of it? As a foreigner, a vistor, a guest in that country, you are no longer in control of what you know, or what you thought you knew. Nope, you're in for a ride, a ride that will bring you to places you never imagined before. And more often than not, you learn about yourself in the process throughout the adventure.

Going back to language, I want to keep striving with my Chinese studies! I know it's my passsion and interest, but even then it can be difficult and exhausting to keep up at times. Have you ever felt this way? Recently, I've been making flashcards, but not just the ordianry, plain jane ones. No, colorful, pictureqese, nice to look at, and easy and fun to read, as well as create. But I wanted it to have meaning, use, not only for my creative mind. So, what better way than to share it here on plum tree, and maybe it could be of use to others, or even creative inspiration nontheless!