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Recipe: chinese salt and pepper pork

You know what I like about Chinese New Year besides all of the Chinese food? It’s later in winter than the regular winter holidays, which means there is usually better snow. You see, I like winter. But you already knew that.

he likes winter too… i think i’ll keep him

My parents are in Florida right now because (Southern) Virginia is “too cold” for them. I chuckle to myself when they tell me these things. Winter is probably the most maligned of all seasons. I sometimes think people dislike winter because they don’t appreciate it. Or maybe it’s because they have to travel in bad weather? I could totally relate to that. Or maybe they are living in a Bad Winter Zone? I consider Bad Winter Zones to be places that don’t get proper snow. Just the other day, Jeremy and I were discussing the seasons and I declared, “I LOVE winter! I love skiing and getting out into the backcountry, baking and cooking, snuggling with Kaweah, grilling in the snow, crystal clear night skies.”

i shooted it

I paused and added, “And autumn – autumn is great with the changing leaves and the cooler temperatures, the hikes and rides. Oh and spring! Spring mountaineering, spring skiing, wearing a light jacket, longer days…” Of course there is summer. It seems everyone loves summer. I do too, but it’s not my favorite season. Mountain summer is brief, but jam-packed: wildflowers, backpacks, rides, trail runs, afternoon thunderstorms, evening dinners on the deck with friends, dog walks as the sun sets, farmers markets, hummingbirds, alpine lakes, cool mountain air dancing through the house at night. I guess my point (Jen, is there a point?) is that I love it all. I just LOVE being here and being alive. There is something precious about every season, every day. I’m loathe to squander it.

winter love

But back to Chinese New Year. The food – there is so much food that I need to prepare in the next couple of days! Plus, we have to clean the house because once Chinese New Year is here, you are not supposed to clean the house for two weeks (sweeps out the luck). Oh, and don’t buy salt for the rest of the month of February. Bad luck. That’s what Grandma tells me. I made the trek down to Denver to meet up with my pal Kathya at the big Asian market to get groceries for the Lunar New Year. This year I’m keeping the menu “simple” since it’s just me and Jeremy. We’ll have soy bean sprouts, bean thread noodle soup (chocked full of lucky goodies), nian gao (rice cakes), potstickers, and lucky ten ingredient vegetables. How are you going to celebrate the Lunar New Year?

Jaden’s post on Chinese New Year reminded me about avoiding squid. Instead of cuttlefish balls in the bean thread noodle soup, I buy fish balls this one time of year. That’s because the superstition equates squid with getting fired. Eating nian gao (rice cakes), for instance, means a promotion or raise because nian (sticky) gao (cake) is a homonym for nian (year) gao (higher). So you can just imagine what a minefield planning dinner can be if you don’t have a Wise Chinese Grandma advising you on your menu selection. Since I had posted the recipe for salt and pepper squid, I thought it was only fair for me to give you an alternative that won’t get you fired.

this time it’s salt and pepper pork

When I’ve seen salt and pepper pork on the menu, it’s actually salt and pepper pork chops. These aren’t the pork chops that you find in your typical (white person) grocery store. These are cut rather thin and because 1) I have had disappointing results when I ask the butchers at Whole Foods to cut meat the “Asian” way and 2) it’s easier to eat without the bone, I didn’t bother with pork chops. I got a pork tenderloin instead (I prefer the dark meat) and sliced it myself. Control freak. Me.

mix up the flour, cornstarch, and sichuan pepper salt

slice semi-frozen pork tenderloin

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Long-time readers and basically anyone who has been around me for more than five minutes know how I have bemoaned the utter lack of decent Chinese food in Boulder, Colorado. That is part of the reason you find so many Chinese recipes on this blog – because I can’t get the real stuff where I live unless I make it myself. But hold on there, pilgrim! Ma Ma has come to the rescue.

and you can find her on pearl street

Zoe Ma Ma is a newish Chinese restaurant that opened in 2010 on 10th and Pearl Streets in downtown Boulder. I first noticed it on my way to my favorite sushi bar, which is right next door (Sushi Tora). I looked at the menu with anticipation and suspicion. I’ve had my hopes dashed to the ground countless times in Boulder before. I wondered if this would be any different. When my parents were visiting and we walked past Zoe Ma Ma, my mother looked up at the Chinese characters and said, “Oh! Zoe Ma Ma. Looks interesting.” So right, it’s not Zoe as in zo-ee, but Zoe as in zoh. But everyone calls her Ma Ma. When customers enter, they say “Hi, Ma Ma!” and when they leave they wave “Bye, Ma Ma!” or “Thank you, Ma Ma!” Sometimes you’ll even hear it spoken in Chinese. Yes, the Chinese people in Boulder (all three of them… I’m JOKING!) dine here. That’s a good sign.

this is ma ma

It’s a small restaurant with seating for about 25 people inside and another 8-10 at the bar outside when the weather is nice. I know for a fact if you go right at noon, it can be quite busy. I’ve seen the bar lined with diners happily slurping their noodles as the steam dances up into the sunlight. Walk up to the counter to place your order. Depending on the day of the week, you can also choose the special. On Sunday, Monday, Tuesday you can get a big bowl of Sichuan braised beef noodle soup. On Wednesday and Thursday they serve savory pork belly zong zi (think of it as a Chinese tamale made with pearl rice). Friday and Saturday’s special is roast duck and wonton soup.

ma ma serves homemade organic noodles

I was curious. Very curious. The menu items looked more like the homestyle food I grew up eating and loving rather than the deep-fried, day glo sauce-drowned abominations of the typical Chinese restaurants around town. When I introduced myself to Ma Ma, we spoke in Mandarin and shared our paths. That’s what all Chinese people do when they meet. “Where are you from?” And that, for me, means “Where are your parents from?” because when I say I was born in the U.S. they (they = any Chinese person, especially immigrants) immediately ask if my parents came from China or Taiwan.

jason and i sampled the menu for lunch one day

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Recipe: chocolate banana bombes

It’s easy to catch sunset. You start to notice the light softening and getting longer (in terms of wavelength λ – actually what happens is that the shorter wavelengths are getting kicked out by scattering off the atmosphere) and there are all these signs that it’s going to happen so you have time to get ready. Sunrise is another matter. Sunrise happens backwards and you start in the dark. In winter, you start in the dark and cold and lonely because everyone, including the dog, is snoring away under the covers still happily chasing bunnies in dreamland. Tons of people catch sunset, but not as many catch sunrise. Sunrise is glorious and I usually witness it alone, but it’s lovely to share with others too. I like sunrise because it’s the beginning of the day and I love beginnings. It means the long winter night is over, or it means you have a little peace before the mosquitoes of alpine summer begin to stir (and bite!). Sunrise can be quiet, peaceful, pensive. It also feels like opportunity. I’m feeling it!

pink light of sunrise ignites the tips of our lofty high peaks

If you will recall I discovered the joys of single-ingredient ice cream a while back. I finally found a way to use up overripe bananas as well as make a non-dairy ice cream alternative that is healthy and pretty creamy. It got me thinking about chocolate-dipped frozen bananas and how I had a lot of trouble eating those as a kid because the bananas were frozen solid like a rock. I wanted something similar, but easier to consume.

you just need some chocolate chips

i prefer to temper the chocolate

Okay, I just wanted an excuse to use my bombe molds. They’re so cute and whenever you give someone a bombe, a smile spreads across their face. You don’t have to temper the chocolate, but if you do it winds up with a beautiful sheen and snap. Just a note based on my experience – if you temper the chocolate it’s easiest with a minimum of one pound of chocolate even though you’ll only need a fraction of that amount for the actual coating. The heat capacity of a smaller amount is just too low to maintain a steady working temperature for very long.

paint the bombe molds with three coats

chop some peanuts

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