I love Chinese New year time. I remember visiting Lila Lawrence with my mother when I was a child. She had Oriental furniture inlaid with mother of pearl and wore chopsticks in her hair. When we went to China Town in Los Angeles I would get those little prize balls that would unwind spilling little rings, and other treasures.
A few years ago when the catastrophic earthquake hit China I decided to draw a Pantograph with Pandas – “Panda-Bamboo” was what I called it. when I made the quilt I “Top-liqued” pandas right into the stitching line.
Living in the orient we enjoyed the fireworks and celebrations.
“ISAN PORK” FROM SISTER AWE
2 lbs. thinly slice pork, cut bite sized ( OR saute ground pork)
Simmer the pork in lightly salted water until tender. Drain and place in bowl. Sprinkle with juice of 1 – 1 ½ fresh limes. (I used 1 ½ good sized ripe limes)
Stir in 3 Tb. Fish sauce. Add 1 tsp Rot Dii (This is a Thai seasoning containing MSG. I used ½ tsp. MSG with about 1/8 teaspoon white pepper and 1 tsp garlic juice.) Stir well. Taste the liquid to see if you like the blend.
Add ¼ c. chopped cilantro, 3 Tb. Green onions, ½ c. thinly sliced red shallots, Crushed red pepper to taste – I used about ½ tsp. and it wasn’t hot at all.
To serve, sprinkle with cilantro and “Rice Dust,” – browned glutinous rice, crushed****( Place 2 Tb. Uncooked glutinous rice in dry frying pan. Brown the rice, stirring constantly. Allow to cool and crush well, or put it in a blender like I did. I should not become like flour – just like rough corn meal so it remains a little crunchy. This adds an important flavor.)Serve with sticky rice, chopped cucumber, diced, garlic and green mango slices. Wrap them up in green leaf lettuce and dash with Thai Sweet Chili sauce.
Happy Chinese New Year!