Monthly Archive for January, 2010

How to make Chinese five spice tea eggs

Published on January 31, 2010 in Sabrina's Kitchen. 3 Comments

Five spice tea eggs are very common in China.   If you go to the country side, you will likely find them at the corners of the streets on the vendor stands.  It is the type of snack that everybody likes.

And making them is easy as well.  Here are the steps:

1. 10 eggs, cover them in water, bring to boil.  Continue to boil for 8 minutes with medium heat.

2. Get rid of the water.  Wait the eggs to be cool.  Crack the egg shells (so that it will have cool cracking patterns on the egg after it is done.)  Note: don’t peel the egg shells.

3. Cover the eggs in water.  Adding 1.5 teaspoons salt, 2 teaspoons sugar, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce,  2 cloves,  1 star anise,  1 teaspoon five spice powder, one pinch of tea leaves.  Bring to boil.  Then simmer it for 30 minutes.

4. Peel the eggshells and enjoy.

Note: The longer you leave them soaking in the sauce after the simmering, the stronger the flavour.  You can leave them in the sauce in the refrigerator.

It is yummy and both my boys love it!

Five spice tea eggs

Five spice tea eggs

Shit my husband says

Published on January 28, 2010 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments

“I understand you well enough, well enough to know you are completely insane.  Beyond that, nobody could understand you except that maybe other women who are also completely insane.”

民以食为天 — Min Yi Shi Wei Tian

Published on January 22, 2010 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment

There is an old Chinese saying: “Min Yi Shi Wei Tian” which says Cuisine is the most important thing in people’s lives.  I used to think otherwise.  Because I didn’t need to worry about filling my stomach.  There was always food ready when I needed it.  And I don’t usually care about the quality of my food, as long as it is not too bad.   I spent my time studying, reading, shopping, all kinds of stuff other than cooking food.  So why is cooking food important?  I never needed to cook.  Sometimes I even felt it was a chore to eat.  I had to stop whatever I was doing just because the food was ready!  Science is so advanced these days,  why won’t someone invent this kind of tablet that you just need to take one each meal and you are done!

I was too immature.  Taking all the work people do for me for granted.  After moving to Canada, real life began.  I am on my own.  No one is cooking for me, parents are far away on the other side of the earth.  Going to the restaurants is too expensive and time consuming – I have a pile of homework and reading to do.  I started cooking.  Fixing meals for myself was easy.  I cooked once and I didn’t have to worry for the next two days.   One good thing about living alone is that there is only one mouth in the family you need to feed.

Things are very different now when the family is expanded.  As the woman in the house, I take care of my loved ones.  This sense of responsibility is accelerating after the mother nature is booming.  I spend  a certain amount of time each day thinking what to make for meals.  And whether my boys will be happy with it.  Every day I am thinking the old saying is so true.  If we were still barbarians, Ron would be spending his whole day out hunting and I would be collecting the nuts and fruits around the cave.  Live to eat or eat to live, no matter what, if you want to live, you need to eat.  If you want to live well, eat well!

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