Date-Filled Wontons

Use the peelings of only organically grown oranges.

Makes 48 wontons.

4 (8-ounce) packages chopped, pitted dates
2 cups finely chopped walnuts
½ cup grated orange peel
½ cup orange juice, as needed
1 pound (3½-inch square) wontons, purchased of made
3 cups peanut or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

Combine the chopped dates, walnuts, and orange peels and roll into a large ball. If necessary, add a little orange juice to help make the mixture cohesive. Taking about 1 tablespoon of the mixture, roll it between your palms into a 1 x 1/3-inch cylinder. Place it in the center of a wonton and fold a wonton corner over it, tucking it beneath the date filling. Roll up, jellyroll fashion. Twist ends to secure. Add the oil to a wok or deep fryer and heat to 375˚. Deep-fry 9 to 10 wontons at a time, turning occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent towels. Continue until all the wontons and fillings are used. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. Make the day before, place in plastic bags or airtight containers, and refrigerate. Pop a few into the microwave to reheat for the two of you, and enjoy.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. This post is a member of the Chinese Valentine's Day menu series.

Spicy Szechwan Eggplant

Recipe three from Karen Hulene Bartell's Chinese Valentine's Day menu for two:

Serves 2.

½ pound Oriental eggplants (available at Oriental markets), or 1 small domestic eggplant
2 green onions
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon black beans sauce
¼ teaspoon sliced chili pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon Ten-Spice Powder
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon cornstarch

Slice unpeeled eggplant into 2 x ½-inch strips. Trim and finely slice the green onions. Reserve half for garnish. Combine half the onions with the garlic, ginger, black beans, and pepper; set aside. Blend the broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and ten-spice powder in a small bowl; set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok. Stir-fry the eggplant over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the eggplant is soft. Remove eggplant with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and onion/garlic mixture to the wok. Stir-fry for 30 seconds. Fold in the eggplant and broth mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid has evaporated. Whisk the water with the cornstarch. Stir into the eggplant and heat until sauce thickens. Remove to a serving platter. Garnish with the remaining green onions.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. This post is a member of the Chinese Valentine's Day menu series.

Swallow’s Nest

Part three of Karen Hulene Bartell's Chinese Valentine's Day menu for two:

These “nests” can be prepared up to three days in advance if wrapped in plastic and refrigerated, or, if frozen, they can be made up to three weeks in advance. Valentine’s Day is a time for enjoying the fruits of your labor, not for laboring!

Makes 2 nests.

3 ounces Chinese egg noodles (about 2 cups cooked noodles)
Sesame oil for deep-frying

Prepare the noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain thoroughly on absorbent towels overnight, covered. Brush the inside of a medium strainer with oil. Spread half the noodles over it evenly. Brush the outside of a smaller strainer with oil. Press the second strainer against the noodles, sandwiching the noodles between the 2 strainers. Very carefully lower all into a wok half-filled with hot sesame oil. Deep-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the first nest is golden brown. Remove from the oil and very carefully release the nest from the 2 strainers. Drain on absorbent towels. Repeat with the second nest.

This post is a member of the Chinese Valentine's Day menu series.

Piquant Lime Chicken in Swallow’s Nest

Part two of Karen Hulene Bartell's Chinese Valentine's Day menu for two:

Serves 2.

2 chicken breasts, boned and skinned
3½ tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 tablespoons water
2 egg yolks, beaten
¼ cup sesame oil
2 green onions, sliced diagonally
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons raw or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

Pound the chicken breasts with a mallet to flatten and tenderize. Combine 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch, salt, water, and egg yolks in a shallow bowl. Heat the oil in a wok. Dip chicken into the cornstarch mixture, then stir-fry over high heat for 6 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown. Remove, drain on absorbent towels, and arrange each chicken breast in a Swallow’s Nest (see next post). Garnish with the green onions. Combine 1½ tablespoons cornstarch and the remaining ingredients in the wok. Stirring constantly over low heat, cook the sauce for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it thickens. Spoon the sauce over the chicken breasts.

Chinese cut-out image courtesy of Karen Hulene Bartell. This post is a member of the Chinese Valentine's Day menu series.

Oysters with Leeks

Recipe one from Karen Hulene Bartell's Chinese Valentine's Day menu for two:

Serves 2.

½ pound shucked, fresh oysters
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 leeks, rinsed thoroughly and chopped into ½-inch slices
¼ cup sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients except the cilantro in a hot wok. Stir-fry all for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the oysters are cooked and the leeks are tender. Garnish with the cilantro.

Picture courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. This post is a member of the Chinese Valentine's Day menu series.

Chinese Valentine's Day dinner for two

This week one of Hippocrene's most prolific authors, Karen Hulene Bartell, has a special treat: a full dinner menu in honor of Chinese Valentine's Day. If you can't attend the 2008 Olympics and cheer for your team, you can at least celebrate being with the one you love with this romantic Taiwanese menu.

Says Karen:

Chinese Valentine’s Day occurs on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, usually in August. It’s a celebration for yearning lovers, dating back to a legend about the Jade Emperor’s seventh daughter, who was a seamstress. She fell in love with and married a cowherd who lived across the Milky Way, but when she neglected her sewing and weaving duties, the emperor ordered her home, allowing her to visit her husband only once a year. According to the myth, on the seventh day of the seventh month, crows fly in such a tight flight formation through the Milky Way that the seamstress can walk across their wings to meet her husband. Like the American version of Valentine’s Day, lovers give each other small gifts and flowers, with cockcrow or gi guang (literally “king’s crown”) and gomphrena being the traditional flowers.

Valentine’s Day Dinner for Two

Oysters with Leeks
Piquant Lime Chicken in Swallow’s Nest
Spicy Szechwan Eggplant
Date-Filled Wontons
Fresh Longans and Cherries

Prepare a love feast just for the two of you. Dim the lights. Create the mood as you set the table with your best china and linen. But don’t use silverware. Use chopsticks — and feed each other. Decorate with fresh flowers and lacy paper lanterns. Prepare exotic recipes that traditionally have given rise to romantic ideas.

Hippocrene Cooks will be featuring each of these recipes from Best of Taiwanese Cuisine as an individual post over the next few days, so stay tuned all week!

Chinese cut-out image courtesy of Karen Hulene Bartell.