Friday, 24 January 2014

CHINESE TREASURE SOUP . . . inspired by a letter from Mom

Jan 24th 1983
           
It’s a while since I wrote to you so I have free time as I was embroidering cushions and got tired of that and besides my eyes are sore. 











I have finished 2 cushion tops already and I am on a third. 
Aline traced them from my old cushion top with heads of a deer and baby deer head.
            I may get her to do one more so I could have two pairs.






            I am going in tonight with Karen to take more lessons on Ukrainian cross stitch and tomorrow I have to go see the doctor, I don’t like this one.
            Last week Mervin Presniak’s burned down, today they are moving to Lornie’s place, yesterday the women were cleaning the house.

           
David’s birthday was yesterday so on Sat. I bought him a special card for Grandson.
          













  Dad got more pills for his head but says they don’t help him.  Dad been complaining if not one thing then another.
            I been knitting mitts but not always, it’s only when I am out of work.  I be at all summer the way I am going and besides which were small, now they need men’s size.
            I am all better, before I had to go to bed for a while after each meal, now don’t rest in afternoon but I still stay in bed in the morning.

                                     I sent the pictures Stasia wanted on Sat.
            I haven’t written to Nestor for a while, will get around soon.

                                            Diana going to Vancouver on Jun 28.

           



At 4 o’clock Dad watches Steven Yan cooking Chinese dishes.  But I haven’t been doing any.
           











 The priest has visited us Jan 21st, he goes then from house to house, he sprinkles the holy water so we should be all right now, ha, ha.
            There is church this coming Sunday but Dad says we may not go as we were to church two times this month.
            I am sending in for transfers for tea-towels.  May do some for Christmas presents.
            I haven’t sent the kerchiefs to Ukraine.  I am still debating whether to send the two of them or send one and it’s a problem to send one, Dad says to get her the velvet which she wants. 
            May your days be all bright and lot of happiness.

********

It made me smile when I read about Dad watching Steven Yan cooking on TV. 
I don’t think there’s anyone in our family who doesn’t love Chinese food.


Donald and Karen often go on Sundays to the Chinese smorgasbord in Russell. 
We’ve also enjoyed dinners with them in Birtle’s Chinese restaurant. 

In Neepawa, we had good Chinese food with Helen and her sister, Lily.

So here’s another good Chinese recipe for you to try.


EIGHT-TREASURE SOUP (I’ve eliminated one of the ingredients so this recipe is really for Seven-Treasure Soup J)

-      Based on Kenneth Lo’s recipe in The Encyclopedia of Regional Chinese Cooking

5 cups chicken stock
8 ounces chicken breast
4 ounces lean raw pork
2 ounces lettuce
4 ounces spinach
350 g medium tofu
2 tomatoes
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ cup pickled (preserved) bamboo shoots
¼ tsp chilli garlic sauce (or more to taste)
1/8 tsp pepper
 Salt
1 egg
1 green onion

·        Finely slice the chicken breast and set aside.
·        Finely slice the pork and add to the chicken.
·        Finely slice the lettuce and set aside on a different plate.
·        Finely slice the spinach and add to the lettuce.
·        Cut the tofu into small cubes and set aside.
·        Chop the tomatoes into small cubes.
·        Measure out the bamboo shoots and set aside.
·        Finely chop the green onion and set aside for garnish.
·        Bring the stock to the boil with the pepper.
·        Add chicken and pork and cook for 2 minutes.
·        Add the lettuce, spinach, tofu, tomatoes, soy sauce, and bamboo shoots.  Cook for 1 minute.
·        Add salt to taste.
·        Beat the egg.  Stir into the soup.
·        Serve immediately garnished with the green onions. 

*******
P.S.  The baby leaning on Aline’s deer-embroidered cushions – that was George and Aline’s son, Nick.


P.P.S.  A blue cross-stitched quilt is only one of several Mom made as gifts.  In particular, I remember one done mostly in red.



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