Ma Nishtana

And so it begins.  Why is this night different from all other nights?  It is different because on this night we celebrate freedom.  Our ancestors experienced slavery but we are free.  Life may not be perfect but for one week every year it seems reasonable to look back into the past and acknowledge that in fact we have some real pluses.
Two thoughts from me on this.  The first is that human trafficking is a very real thing for women from impoverished countries.  Some are imprisoned as sex slaves, some are sold into it, but slavery is not over for everyone on the planet.  That is a very bad thing.
The other is that given the totalitarian nature of our current government that we should not take our own freedoms for granted.  The rise of racism, misogyny, homophobia, xenophobia, and the open lack of tolerance for differences is just bad for us.  It gives us nothing and it takes away a lot. So speak out, support democracy, say something when you see something.  The time for silence is over.  And Happy Passover to all!

Butter Steamed Broccoli

This is definitely one for those of us who are eating ketogenically.  The original recipe call for toasted breadcrumbs, which I have omitted.  I did not add crumbled Chicharrón either, but that can be done and maintain it's ketogenic appeal.  The thing that I was incredulous of was that the steaming liquid of butter and water would get absorbed, but it does and it is delicious.
This is both very easy and very quick to make, so a perfect week night side dish.




*   1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper or     red pepper flakes             

Salt

1 large head or 2 medium heads broccoli (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, for shaving              

1.  Cut broccoli tops into 3-inch-long spears of approximately equal size.  Cut off thick stems of broccoli and save for another purpose, such as soup, or peel them and make them into sticks and use them.
2. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter, add broccoli  and season with pepper and salt. Add 1 cup water, turn heat to high and cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Cook rapidly until firm-tender but still bright green, about 4 minutes. The broccoli should absorb all the butter and water. (If there is any buttery liquid left, spoon over broccoli just before serving.)
3. Transfer broccoli to a serving platter or a large wide shallow bowl. Sprinkle shaved Parmesan into rough shards and scatter over the top if desired.

Jianbing, It's What's For Breakfast

 Jianbing are incredibly delicious.  They are traditionally made on the street and cost less than a dollar.  They are fun to watch being made as well, so it is an all around great food.

Here's how it goes.  First a wrapper is made.  A crepe maker is used, but the wrapper has the consistency of a scallion pancake.  I have made these at home using a purchased frozen scallion pancake, and rolled it out so that it is thin.  It is less eggy than a crepe and more durable (see how it is eaten, by holding in your hand.  The texture is chewier than a flour tortilla, and it is then toasted a bit so that it is also crispy.  An egg is cracked and scrambled and seasoned on the griddle once the wrapper is cooked, and then the wrapper is placed over the egg, and then flipped, so it is now egg side up.  Add something for heat that you spread about (I used a Ja Jan Sauce when I got home to try to replicate, which is a spicy bean paste), griddle some lettuce and herbs to add, and then roll it up.

I can't understand why they have not been imported, because they are spectacular! 

Doulun Lu, Hong Kuo, Shanghai

 There are great statues of well known and well respected Chinese writers on this street, Doulun Lu, which is dedicated to them.  Pictured at right is Ding Ling and on the left is Lu Xun and colleagues (plus my nephew and sister-in-law).

It is quite fitting that on this charming street should have a used bookstore.

Marinated Mushrooms

You really have to be on a low carb diet for this recipe to make any sense for you to make, but it is a really good oil based marinade that harkens back to the mid-20th century.

1 pound mushrooms
2 c. mild flavored oil
1 c. white vinegar
1 T. salt
2 T. Worcestershire sauce
6 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/2 c. chopped chives, sliced scallions, of small diced red onion
1 tsp. Lemon juice
Bay leave

Put mushrooms in a jar, whole if they are smaller and halved or quartered if they are larger.  Mix the other ingredients together and pour over.  Let stand at least 24 hours, then try them.  If fully flavored, discard the marinade and serve.  If not, keep testing them.

Instructions Not Included (2013)

My youngest son has continued to drive the bus on what we watch as a family these days.  He picked this one out not realizing that it is a (mostly) Spanish language film, which is a challenge for him because he then has to read the whole movie.  I am a fan, and we all agreed that this was a good one.  Which is interesting, because there is not a truly likable character in the whole film.  Everyone either is completely unlikable or has a mixture of each trait (which is maybe closer to what we are like as people, to be sure).
The story goes that an Acapulco playboy has a ten month old baby dropped in his lap by her mother.  He has not intention of taking care of her, but on the journey to the United States he falls in love with her, so that when he can't find the mother, he gets a job that will allow them to live comfortably.  He cares very much for her, and over time he is mostly a good parent to her as well.  The mostly part is that he is more of a friend than a parent who manages the rules.  then the mother comes back into their lives and their happy equilibrium is permanently disrupted. Lots to think about, and enjoyable.

Lu Xun Park, Hong Kuo, Shanghai

 I loved this park, which is in my favorite Shanghai neighborhood, Hong Kuo.  On the one hand it is in honor of a noted modern Chinese author, and on the other it pays homage to the great writers of the West.  They are really engaging statues that invite you to go up and talk with them, or sit on the bench and chat.  They are both serious and whimsical at the same time.

This is the tribute to Lu Xun.  He is considered to be one China's greatest modern writer for most of the 20th century. Many of the other authors of fictional works of social criticism popular during the 1920s and 1930s have been at least partially discredited or criticized during the various political movements in China since 1949, but Lu Xun's reputation has remained consistently distinguished, perhaps because he died young. Mao Zedong called him "commander of China's cultural revolution."
H wrote int he 1920's, a much romanticized time in Shanghai.  He did not feel optimistic that radical social change would occur in China, and he did not project idealized revolutionary heroes or situations in his fiction. Yet he also did not offer  descriptions of the sufferings of the Chinese people. Instead, through vivid analogies and exaggerated characters, he presented his personal vision of Chinese society. The intensity and darkness of this vision makes reading a Lu Xun story a moving and disturbing experience.

Mussels in White Wine and Cream

When eating ketogenic, do not spare the cream.  Weirdly, mussels are not the most lo carb of shellfish, but they are lo carb enough.  This was the treat that we brought home from our recent trip to Costco.

• 2 pounds fresh mussels
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp yellow onion
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• pinch of red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

-In a deep stock pot, heat garlic, onion and olive oil over medium heat until fragrant.
-Add mussels, cream, wine, chicken stock, lemon, salt, thyme and red pepper flakes.  Stir a few times, cover and and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat until mussels open.
-When mussels open, turn off heat and transfer mussels and some of their broth into a serving bowl.  Top with fresh parsley.

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Ok, you would right to say that this is just a repackaging of every other Star Trek movie.  In fact, it even returns to the original Star Trek ship, no less.  However, if you grew up loving the series, then I don't think you will be disappointed with this installment.  As is almost always the case, there is a new alien life form introduced, and in this one it is Jaylah, a very appealing character.  She not only saves Captain Kirk's crew, she is right on par with Scotty when it comes to mechanical chops.
Krall is the bad guy, for a long time it looks like he is going to have his way with them, and you know how that is going to turn out.  It is all in the telling, or really, the watching, but bear in mind that Simon Pegg is not only Scotty, he is also the script writer.  We have just a few Oscar nominees left to watch, and this one amazingly did not win in the category it was nominated in, Best Makeup and Hairstyles.  So while I have seen two out of three of those nominees, I have yet to see the winner.

The Lion Dance

 This was in the lobby of the hotel, which might lead you to think that it was for tourists, but other than ourselves and one other couple, the majority of the audience were hotel employees.
The lion dance is a traditional Chinese dance that is performed on big occasions, such as the Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) for good luck, as it is believed that the lion is an auspicious animal. 
Performed in a lion costume, accompanied by the music of beating drums, clashing cymbals, and resounding gongs, lion dances imitate a lion's various movements or demonstrate martial arts agility, depending on the style.

The lion was only an animal which existed in myth for the average Chinese. Before the Han Dynasty (202 BC–220 AD), only a few lions had reached the Central Plains from the western area of ancient China (now Xinjiang), due to the Silk Roadtrade.  At that time, people mimicked the appearance and actions of the newly arrived lions in a performance, which developed into the lion dance in the Three Kingdoms Period (220–280) and then became popular with the rise of Buddhism in the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420–589). In the tang (618–907), the lion dance was one of the court dances.  We saw a Southern China version of the dance, which focuses on the gyrations of the two lions who fight, and ultimately one of them grabs the dangling lettuce.  Not sure why that is such a catch, except that in modern China it is also associated with a red envelope of money.