We have SO much leftover rice, it’s not even funny. I think we can feed nearly 10 people with all the rice, and they can all have second and third helpings. So of course, when you have leftover rice, what do you do with it? Make fried rice! We made two huge batches of fried rice, and pretty soon I was sick of it. So I decided to vary my methods of getting rid of the rice. =)
Recognize any of these? If not, here you go:
B = Lo Han Choi (Luo Han Zhai or Buddha’s Delight)
C = Rice Congee
For me, congee is a comfort food of mine. I have memories of eating this with pizza (strange combo, yes, but hey, I grew up Chinese-American). Hubby however, is not a fan of congee. It reminds him of the days he was sick as a boy. And yes, it’s good for when you’re sick too. And the preserved duck eggs (or what my parents call the “thousand-year-old egg”) may look gross, but they are SO GOOD. When I was little, I used to think they were “negatives” of real eggs (negatives in the sense of photo negatives, since they looked dark and regular eggs are white).
I also made a feeble attempt at nasi goreng. Hubby and I were at the grocery store and saw seasoning packets (yes, we cheated) and I argued for the Chinese brand (which was cheaper in price), but he argued for the Indonesian brand, thinking it would taste more authentic. It turned out ok (sorry, forgot what brand it was), but I would have liked it more spicy. But still good. Added egg, green onion, garlic, and leftover shredded roasted chicken. With chopped tomatoes and sliced cucumber on the side. (I wanted to add shrimp, but it was nearly $8/lb…. OUCH!)
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It all looks amazing. You are so talented! My mom made fried rice at least once a week, but I never got the knack of it.
By Donna on 11/09/06 2:48 pm | Permalink
Looks great, except I am not sure if I could bring myself to eat the old duck eggs.
By Courtney on 11/09/06 6:50 pm | Permalink
OMG I LOVE CONGEEEEEEEE!! :) it’s so yummy yummy good. when i make mine..i don’t make it soupy enough. but that’s kind of how i like it. and my mom makes hers a perfect consistency….she’s got the gift. :) just the right ratio of soup and rice. mmmm…..i’m not too keen on the thousand year old eggs. that’s the problem w/ some of us cantonese/toisan peeps. we don’t like those dark eggs. hahaha…too scary :)
By Jen da Purse Ho on 11/09/06 7:16 pm | Permalink
I’m wondering if the nasi goreng Indonesian and Chinese brand will taste different because of different cooking and seasoning style. Over here, it’s normally a choice between Maggi and the Indonesian brands. I haven’t tried them though so I can’t comment. :)
By lauray on 11/09/06 7:57 pm | Permalink
asians representtttt! i’m actually korean, and it’s kinda funny to see how many dishes we have in common. we call congee “jook” and fried rice “bokkeum bap.” yours looks really gooood. have you ever tried making kimchi fried rice? my mouth is watering…
i must admit however, that i’ve never eaten duck eggs.
By Sue on 11/09/06 10:01 pm | Permalink
OMG - I love congee or “chook” (very similar to Korean!) It is really yummy comfort food especially with the preserved eggs and salted eggs and in this wintery weather. There’s also a really good spinach and preserved agg and salted egg dish which you might like. I just need to find the recipe!
Funny how my hubby is just like yours - he will only eat congee if he was ill (very ill!)
By ling on 11/10/06 3:08 pm | Permalink
Everything looks so good, you’ve intrigued me with those duck eggs!
By Rain on 11/12/06 1:45 am | Permalink
Those eggs look very….ummm.. different :)
I loved this post, it’s so interesting to read about food from different cultures, and to find out how your “everyday” food is something exotic for me..
Is rice congee like rice pudding? is it sweet?
By Ayelet on 11/14/06 3:19 am | Permalink
Yum yum yum!! I’m coming over to your house for dinner. However, I might be a bit skeptical of the eggs though…
By Gracie on 11/15/06 1:47 pm | Permalink
Thanks, Ruth, yes, we are really proud of my brother. He earned a B.S. in computer science and a MBA by attending night school while holding down a full-time job!
By Judy on 11/16/06 4:39 pm | Permalink
hey Ruth your yarn from this summer reading club came back. I must have your addy wrong. e-mail me.
By Donna on 11/17/06 7:18 am | Permalink
Love the duck egg, it’s known as “century egg” here. Try it with sliced ginger preserved in vinegar.
Century egg is comparable to fermented doufu or durian; those who like it simply adore it but those who don’t will find it stinks. lol.
By JL on 11/19/06 12:23 pm | Permalink
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