Blue Violet flavoured Mantou Style Buns inspired by Alice in Wonderland

Trippin' out

Spinnin' around

I'm underground, I fell down

Yeah, I fell down

I'm freakin' out

 So where am I now?

Upside down

And I can't stop it now,

It can't stop me now

Ohhh

I, I'll get by

I, I'll survive

When the world's crashin' down

When I fall and hit the ground

I will turn myself around

Don't you try to stop it!

I, I won't cry

 I found myself in wonderland

Get back on my feet again

Is this real? 

Is it pretend?

I'll take a stand until the end

This won't mean a lot to many of you and I don't expect you to understand but almost 4 years ago my world came crashing down and I found myself in wonderland - a place where everything is possible! 

My latest creation is inspired by Alice in Wonderland, Absolom the Blue Caterpillar, the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and both the Red & White Queens.  I've made Blue Violet flavoured Mantou style buns.

The potion for these buns has lots of wishful thinking, some violet essence and a little bit of pork fat but none of the other stuff - lol!  Mmmm, although, jasmine tea does look a bit like wee!

Lard is the secret ingredient chefs use to make the perfect pastry and cakes!

I need a pig here - I love a warm pig belly for my aching feet!

Little Blue Caterpillars

Blue Violet flavoured Mantou Style Buns
Dough
450g plain flour
14g dried yeast
115g sugar
225ml warm water
1 egg white
1/2 tsp vinegar
3 Tbsp pork fat (lard)
2 drops violet essence
2 drops blue food colouring

Sift the flour onto a pastry board or kitchen bench.  Make a well in the centre and add the water and the remaining ingredients with exception of the blue food colouring .  Knead into an elastic, smooth dough.  Divide into two portions and colour one portion blue.  Place kneaded dough into two separate greased bowls and cover with plastic wrap.  

Place the bowls either in a warm spot or a warm water bath for one to one and a half hours or until the dough doubles in size.  Knead both portions of dough into a square or rectangles of similar size. 

Place the blue dough over the plain coloured dough.  Roll up into a sausage shape and cut into 1 inch discs.  Place each disc onto a small piece of parchment paper and put into a bamboo steamer.  Allow to rise for 15 minutes then steam for 12 minutes. Serve hot with some jasmine tea. 

Just Perfect for a Mad Hatter's Tea Party!

Eat Me!

My Little Red Queen!

Recipe adapted from Foundation Dim Sum. 

Wing Woo Grocery Store, Wellington Street Central, Hong Kong

Wing Woo grocery store was located in Wellington Street, Central and was one of the oldest stores in Hong Kong.  Apparently, Mr Kwan the store owner started working here at the age of 14, when Wing Woo was run by his uncle and his uncle's friend.  Later, Mr Kwan became the owner and managed the store with his wife for 60 years.  Sadly, just before I left Hong Kong this quaint little store closed it's doors forever to give way to a new redevelopment.  I loved visiting this little store.

This is my recollection of the store in photo's.

Hong Kong's version of the little corner shop!

The shop was so old it requires support to prevent it from collapsing

Different varieties of Rice

Chinese Century Eggs

A treasure trove of magnificent delights!

One of many song birds

Pink Long-Johns - too cute! 

I loved shopping at Wing Woo!

Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork

After reading Fuschia Dunlop's "Shark's Fin & Sichuan Pepper - A sweet-sour memoir of eating in China" whilst still living in Hong Kong, I enjoyed it so much that I went to my local wet market, bought a 2lb slab of pork belly, the required ingredients and hurried home to make Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork.

Upon arriving home, I went through the recipe again but decided that I'd experiment with the spices based on my knowledge of the local wet markets.  In addition to the star anise, red chillies and cassia bark used in Fuschia's recipe, I added 2 bay leaves, 2 pieces of sand ginger, 1 small piece of tangerine peel, 1 slice of dried licorice root, 1 clove and 3 white peppercorns. I also used brown slab sugar instead of white sugar with only a teaspoon of white sugar at the final stage of cooking and a drizzle of dark soy sauce for colour.  The end result was absolutely amazing! If you haven't read Fuschia's book I highly recommend it. To buy a copy of Fuschia's book click here.

Back in Australia, I find the pork belly is much thinner and fattier than the cuts I used to buy in Hong Kong.  Also, it's quite expensive.  I experimented by using a pork forequarter roast that cost $14 a kilo and it worked perfectly.

If you want to achieve that lovely deep red colour add some red fermented bean curd. This is the same ingredient that gives traditional Cantonese Cha Siu (BBQ Pork) its gorgeous red hue.

Chairman Mao's Red Braised Pork (without the water chestnuts)

Serves 4

500g/1 lb 2 oz belly pork (skin optional)
2 tbsp groundnut oil
2 tbsp white sugar
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
20 g/3/4 oz fresh ginger, skin left on and sliced
1 star anise }
2 dried red chillies
a small piece cassia bark or cinnamon stick
light soy sauce
salt and sugar
a few lengths of spring onion greens

Plunge the belly pork into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes until partially cooked. Remove, and when cool enough to handle, cut into bite-sized chunks. Heat the oil and sugar in a wok over a gentle flame until the sugar melts, then raise the heat and stir until the melted sugar turns a rich caramel brown. Add the pork and the Shaoxing wine. Add enough water to just cover the pork, along with the ginger, star anise, chillies and cassia. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 40–50 minutes. Towards the end of the cooking time, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce and season with soy sauce, salt and a little sugar to taste. Add the spring onion greens just before serving.

From 'Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook' by Fuchsia Dunlop (Ebury Press)

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/hot-stuff-chillis-are-the-ultimate-feelgood-ingredient-969617.html