Her Mom’s kitchen (pictured above) had a large ceramic tiled stove with 2 very large woks set down into it. It was heated by fire that the husband stoked from behind as the wife cooked. There was a 2-burner gas hot plate set up but I didn’t see an oven. How do they make birthday cakes or cookies? Chinese Cakes are another blog. They are very different from American Cakes. I didn’t see a microwave either. How do they cook their Healthy Choice dinners or warm up the leftover pizza? Again Maggie’s mother prepared a great variety of food. Some of the dishes were similar to the ones I had had the night before at the Aunts house. Including lots of beer – but at this meal I was much better at snatching my glass up before they could refill it.
I think this is where I am suppose to declare a winner, but I can’t. Both dinners were great!. Especially when I learned to spit the skin of the beans out. I know - a little explanation is needed here. A lot of Chinese food needs a little more preparation before chewing and swallowing. Most American food you bite, chew and swallow. But most Chinese food still have bones or skin that needs to be removed before you chew and swallow. They do this with their teeth and spit out the inedible parts. There were some beans on the table that I put in my mouth, chewed, and swallowed like any good American would do. Skin was a little fuzzy but I didn’t think anything about it until I noticed all the rest of the family had little piles of bean skin next to their plates. They had a good laugh and they really did taste better after being ‘shelled’. I just wasn’t used to doing it in my mouth.
After dinner, we took a train back to Hangzhou that night which ended a great weekend. The best part of the trip wasn’t the historical, touristy things but it was the two meals and being included in the Chinese family experience. Thanks a bunch to all of Maggie’s relatives for a great time.
