IN THIS ISSUE:

Happy New Year! 1

Korean Festival 2

Meet the Chamorros 4

Book Review 7

In the News 8

Quickies 9

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu! (Japanese); Gung Hay Fat Choy! (Cantonese); Chuc Mung Nam Moi! (Vietnamese); Sawadee Pimai! (Thai); Saehae Pok Mani Padushipshio! (Korean); Selamat Hari Raya! (Malay); Manigong Bagong Taon! (Tagalog); Bulahang Bag-Ong Tuig! (Ilocano); Hauoli Makihiki Hou! (Hawaiian). However you say it, Happy New Year!

February 1, 2003 will mark the beginning of the Lunar Year of the Sheep (or Ram). The year is generally regarded as 4701 on the Chinese calendar, though some claim it is 4700 because of a difference of eight days in the starting count of the Chinese calendar.

The Lunar New Year is also celebrated by the Vietnamese as Tet Nguyen Dan, and by some Koreans as Ku Jung. While the Japanese also recognize 2003 as the Year of the Sheep, they began their year on January 1, like the Western calendar.

People born in the Year of the Sheep are said to be charming, artistic, and gentle. They are strongly family-oriented and love fine things. Sheep are thought to be harbingers of peace, and the Chinese calendar predicts that in 2003, the world will be much more peaceful than in 2002. (Not true so far, unfortunately.)

Predict your Chinese fortune at: http://www.chinesefortunecalendar.com/2003.htm

Hoisin Braised Lamb (China)

The Chinese won't be serving lamb dishes for Chinese New Year's – it would be bad luck for the lambs. But I've published so many recipes for traditional Chinese New Year's dishes over the years that I thought it might be nice to do something different.

Lamb is less popular than pork or beef in China, but it is used in Northern Chinese cuisine.

Serves 4

1 pound boneless lamb, cut in 1" cubes

water

1 tablespoon peanut oil

4 scallions, sliced

2 teaspoons grated ginger

2 cups chicken broth

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

4 whole star anise

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Blanch the lamb in boiling water 5 minutes; drain. Heat oil in a large pot (or wok that has a cover). Add scallions and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant. Add lamb and stir-fry until browned.

Add remaining ingredients except sesame oil. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until lamb is tender, about 1 hour. Stir in sesame oil just before serving.

Serve with rice or Chinese buns.

Chao Tom (Shrimp on Sugar Cane) – (Vietnam)

This past weekend, we went to a Vietnamese New Year's celebration in the park. This was one of the snacks the vendors sold. It's not especially a New Year's dish, but it sure is tasty! It's supposed to be representational of the imperial city of Hue. After eating the shrimp, chew the fibrous cane to suck out all the delicious sweet juice.

You can buy fresh sugar cane in Asian and Caribbean produce markets. Split large stalks of sugar cane in half or quarters lengthwise into finger-widths, peel off the tough outside, and cut into approximate 4" lengths. Some Asian markets also sell vacuum-packed sugar cane that is already peeled and cut to size. Sugar cane is also sold canned in syrup (Chaokoh, from Thailand, is one brand), but it's a lot sweeter and softer than the fresh kind.

Makes 12

1 pound shrimp, shelled

2 tablespoons chopped pork fat

1 tablespoon chopped shallots

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons mild paprika

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 egg white

vegetable oil for greasing hands

12 pieces sugar cane, cut in 4" lengths

Combine all ingredients except vegetable oil and sugar cane in a food processor and process briefly to a thick paste (if it's too liquidy, add a little more cornstarch).

Grease your hands with a little vegetable oil. For each stick, place about 2 tablespoons of shrimp paste in your hand and mold around a stick of sugar cane, leaving about 3/4" uncovered at each end as a "handle." Cover the exposed ends of the sugar cane with bits of aluminum foil.

Grill over a charcoal fire, or cook under a preheated broiler, turning to cook evenly, about 5 minutes, until shrimp mixture is cooked through and browned in spots.

Serve plain, with Nuoc Cham as a dipping sauce, or with a side salad of lettuce leaves, fresh herbs (such as cilantro and Vietnamese mint), and bean sprouts.

Nuoc Cham Dipping Sauce (Vietnam)

This is the classic Vietnamese dipping sauce.

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar (or more, if you'd like the

sauce sweeter)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 fresh red chile, sliced or minced, or 1/2

teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients, stirring to dissolve sugar.

KOREAN FESTIVAL

In 2003, the Korean-American community is celebrating the centennial of Korean immigration to the USA. In January 1903, the first 86 Korean immigrants stepped off a ship in Honolulu, Hawaii, in search of a better life. Most originally came to work the sugar plantations. Today, there are more than two million Koreans living throughout the United States. More than 75 events are taking place to celebrate the centennial, including a documentary film on public TV and a week of festivities in Honolulu, with a parade, free performances, and the second annual Korean festival in Kapiolani Park.

We missed the parade, but managed to catch an hour-long performance of ballet-like classical court dance by a troupe of graceful young women from Korea, and spent a fun afternoon at the festival (35,000 attendees, and we ran into several friends, as well as two of our daughter's classmates!). Over a dozen food booths served familiar Korean dishes like kalbi (barbecued beef short ribs) and meat jun (thinly sliced beef fried in an egg batter), as well as a new one to me: haemul pajun (scallion pancakes with seafood).

Haemul Pajun (Scallion Pancakes with Seafood) – (Korea)

Chon, jeon, or jun is the generic term for pan-fried Korean dishes. These include pajun (flour-based pancakes) of all sizes, as well as pan-fried dishes ranging from meat patties to fish fillets cooked in an egg batter. Typically, they are served as appetizers and side dishes, although some are substantial enough to be offered as entrees, and others, like these scallion pancakes with seafood, are snack foods. They are usually served with a soy-and-vinegar dipping sauce.

Note: For plain pajun, you can leave out the seafood.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup ice water

1 egg

salt & pepper

4 tablespoons oil

1 bunch scallions, cut in 4" lengths

1/2 carrot, cut julienne

1/2 red bell pepper, cut julienne

1/2 pound chopped raw seafood (shrimp,

scallops, clams, squid, oysters, or a

combination)

Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil for dipping sauce. Set aside.

Whisk flour, water, egg, and salt & pepper together. (Some Koreans season this with a teaspoon or two of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar as well.)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small skillet or crêpe pan. Add one-quarter of the scallions and quickly spread them over the bottom of the skillet. Sprinkle evenly with one-quarter of the carrot, red bell pepper, and seafood. Pour one quarter of the pancake batter over the seafood, tilting the pan to cover quickly. Cook the pancake until it is lightly browned on the bottom, then turn over (it may help to slide the pancake onto a plate, then invert into the skillet) and cook the other side until lightly browned.

Remove and repeat with remaining ingredients to make 4 pancakes. Cut in wedges and serve hot with dipping sauce.

Fish Jun (Korea)

This is one of the dishes demonstrated at the Korean festival by cooking authority Chang Sun-Young, who wrote a bestselling cookbook in Korea, has a weekly cooking show on Korean TV, and as a weekly cooking column in a leading Korean newspaper.

While the American way of batter-frying foods is to dip them in egg, then flour or breading, the Korean method is to flour the foods first, then dip them in beaten eggs, to form a sort of omelet around the cooked foods.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 cup water

1 pound white fish fillets

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 eggs

1 tablespoon finely chopped green bell pepper

1/2 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper

2 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons oil

Combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar for dipping sauce. Set aside.

Dissolve salt in water. Add fish and soak 5 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with black pepper.

Beat eggs in a shallow dish. Mix green and red chopped pepper into the eggs. Place flour on a plate or piece of waxed paper.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Dip fish into the flour, then dip in the egg to coat. Place in the skillet and cook until the egg is set on the bottom and beginning to brown in spots. Spoon on any remaining egg and peppers, turn, and cook the other side. The fish is done by the time the egg is cooked.

Serve hot with dipping sauce.

Kalbi (Korea)

I've printed this recipe before, in the July-August 1998 issue of GourMAsia.

Korean markets (and supermarkets in Hawaii) sell cross-cuts of beef short ribs for kalbi; if you cannot find meat cut this way, ask the butcher to saw 3- to 5-rib sections crosswise through the bone about 1/3" thick. The traditional accompaniments for kalbi are white rice and kimchi.

Serves 6

(Marinate overnight.)

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons white vinegar

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons minced ginger

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon pepper

3 to 4 pounds beef short ribs, sliced crosswise

through the bones

18 scallions, trimmed

Combine all ingredients except beef and scallions in a large plastic zipperlock bag. Add meat and scallions. Marinate, refrigerated, overnight, turning bag occasionally.

When ready to cook, discard marinade. Grill ribs on an oiled barbecue grill or grill pan until well-browned, about 15 minutes, turning once or twice. Grill scallions, turning occasionally, 4 minutes or just until browned.

For Further Reading:

The Centennial Committee of Korean Immigration to the United States has a nice website, with lots of pictures and stories, at:

http://www.koreancentennial.org/

MEET THE CHAMORROS

Situated in the Western Pacific, 3,800 miles west of Hawaii and 1,500 miles south of Japan, Guam is the southernmost island in the Marianas and the largest of more than 2,000 islands scattered between Hawaii and the Philippines.

Guam's indigenous people were the ancient Chamorros, probably of Indonesian-Malaysian descent, who settled there as early as 2,000 B.C. These ancient people were advanced in fishing and horticulture, and had a strong matriarchal society. The latter likely accounts for why many elements of ancient Chamorro culture endure to this day. After Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan arrived in 1521, the Spanish crown claimed the island. By the mid-17th century, Conquistadors and disease had killed off most of the indigenous population, reducing it from an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people to less than 5,000, mostly women and children. Many of these women intermarried with Filipino and Mexican troops, giving rise to modern-day Chamorros. Guam's present population is about 155,000.

Today, Guam is a U.S. territory and its citizens are U.S. citizens (although they cannot vote in national elections). Its economy depends largely on U.S. federal and military spending, and on tourism.*

Chamorros comprise about 47% of the island's population, Filipinos about 25%, and the remainder is made up of Americans, Chinese, Japanese, Koreans, Micronesians, and other nationalities. The Chamorros have a unique cultural identity, including language, customs, and cuisine. The majority of modern Chamorros belong to the Roman Catholic faith, and many events revolve around the Church but reflect ancient tribal traditions.

Central to Chamorro culture is the fiesta. Every village has a patron saint whose annual feast day is celebrated with a mass followed by a great fiesta of food, song, and dance. In addition, families hold fandango parties the evening before a wedding, christening parties for babies, funerals, and novenas to commemorate the anniversary of the death of a loved one. These celebrations include lengthy religious services (which sometimes go on for days), and always end with a fiesta filled with food, drink, and good will. Following local custom, before opening a buffet table to guests, the host typically calls for a moment of silence so that a short prayer may be invoked.

Coconut is a vital ingredient in Chamorran cuisine. Kelaguen, a unique salad that contains fresh grated coconut, is Guam's signature dish. It is usually made with chicken, although it can also be prepared with fish, beef, venison, shrimp, crabmeat, or octopus.

"Red rice" cooked in the red liquid made by soaking achiote (annatto) seeds in water is another signature of the Chamorro table. Native to South America, annatto seeds are also used in Latin American, Caribbean, and Filipino cooking, and in the United States to color margarine, cheese, and smoked fish.

Corn, introduced by Jesuits who settled in Guam in the 17th century, is another typical Chamorro ingredient, and corn or cornmeal shows up in soups, tortillas, and even desserts.

And any Chamorro party will feature a barbecue of beef and/or chicken marinated in finadeni, a simple but tasty mixture of lemon juice, soy sauce, scallions, and chopped fresh chiles or red pepper flakes.

One Chamorro delicacy that no longer is available is Fruit Bat Soup (yes – made from cooked bats, fur and all). The bats are now an endangered species, with stiff penalties for – ahem – poaching.

Another unique specialty is Coconut Crabs, which are said to have a distinct flavor from the coconuts the crustaceans eat.

A typical Chamorran feast will feature a buffet table laden with dozens of hot and cold dishes including breadfruit, tapioca, red rice, rolls, eggplant with coconut milk, escabeche (fried fish and simmered vegetables in a vinegary sauce), croquettes, potato salad with eggs and olives, barbecued meat and chicken, lechon (roast pig) with roast sweet potatoes, taro leaves in coconut milk, and several types of kelaguen. Filipino-influenced pancit (stir-fried noodles), lumpia (spring rolls) and adobo (pork and/or chicken stewed in vinegar); Hispanic-influenced empanadas, tortillas, and paella; and Japanese-influenced sushi are often part of the buffet, too. A recent addition to the menu is sashimi wrapped in a corn tortilla!

Then there’s dessert: lantijas (a custard-topped cake redolent of cinnamon) and red velvet cake are always present; homemade coconut candies are another favorite. The typical liquid accompaniments are soft drinks, tuba (a local coconut-based alcoholic beverage), and plenty of beer.

* Note: On December 8, 2002, Guam was struck by the worst typhoon in its history, with sustained winds of 150 mph, gusting to 185 mph. Damage was extensive. The island was without power, running water, or telephone service; thousands were left homeless. President Bush has declared Guam a disaster area, and recovery efforts are under way.

For Further Reading:

You can see photos of many of the foods served at a typical Chamorran buffet at http://www.pacificworlds.com/guam/stories/story5.htm

For more information about Guam, its history and culture, and tourism, check out http://www.guam-online.com

Kelaguen Monuk (Chicken & Grated Coconut) – (Guam)

One of the most popular Chamorro dishes, this is often served as a main dish. It also makes a great appetizer.

Serves 4-6

1 chicken, roasted or barbequed without spices

1 bunch scallions, chopped

1 medium fresh coconut, grated

juice of 1 or 2 lemons

salt

3 tablespoons crushed red pepper flakes

Remove skin and bones from chicken. Chop meat into fine pieces. Add scallions and coconut, mixing well. Sprinkle liberally with lemon juice and salt. Add red pepper flakes. Continue to season to taste, using salt, additional lemon juice and red pepper flakes, so that no one flavor dominates the others.

Serve with warm tortillas. (Note: one source says that pita bread is closer to the texture of the tortillas served in Guam.)

Red Rice (Guam)

Another signature Chamorro dish. The cooked rice is actually more a bright orange in color. Achiote/annatto seeds are available in small packets in Latin American and Filipino markets.

Serves 4

4 ounces achiote (annatto) seeds

2 cup water

2 slices bacon (optional – if not using bacon,

add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the rice)

1/2 onion, chopped

2 tablespoons oil

2 cups medium grain rice

Soak achiote seeds in water until liquid is a rich, dark red. Strain through a mesh strainer, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract liquid; discard seeds. Fry bacon until cooked but still soft; drain and chop. Sauté onion in oil until golden.

Combine rice, bacon, and onion in a saucepan; add the achiote liquid. Cook, uncovered, over high heat for a few minutes until most of the liquid on top of the rice evaporates (you should see pinholes on the surface of the rice). Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Atoli 'n Maiz (Guam)

This simple but tasty chicken-and-corn chowder often shows up at Chamorro parties.

Serves 6

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2" cubes

4 cups chicken broth (do not use bouillon cubes)

1 12-ounce package frozen corn, or 1-1/2 cups

canned corn

2 cups cooked shredded chicken

1 12- to 14-ounce can coconut milk

Cook potatoes in chicken broth until tender but not mushy. Add corn and chicken and bring to boil. Remove from heat and add coconut milk. Serve immediately.

Escabeche (Guam)

This "pickled" fish and vegetable dish in a vinegar dressing is popular, with variations, throughout Guam, Micronesia, the Philippines, Spain, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It is related to ceviche – raw fish salad – and originated as a way to preserve fish in the days before refrigeration. It can be made with either whole fish or fillets. Some people like to add sliced pimiento-stuffed olives to the finished dish.

Serves 4

1/4 cup flour

salt & pepper

1 pound fish fillets

1/2 cup oil
1 green bell pepper, sliced julienne

1 red bell pepper, sliced julienne

1/2 pound other vegetables of choice (such as

eggplant, cabbage, ong choy, green beans,

etc.), cut in serving-size pieces
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, sliced thinly
2-1/2 cups water
6 tablespoons vinegar

Season flour with salt & pepper. Flour fish lightly, then fry fish in 1/4 cup oil until golden on both sides and cooked through. Remove. Add vegetables (except onion) to the pan and cook to desired doneness.

In a non-reactive dish (such as a Pyrex baking pan), place a layer of the cooked vegetables, then a layer of the fish. Repeat until vegetables and fish are all used.

Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a saucepan. Add ginger, garlic, and onions and sauté until onions are softened. Add vinegar and water; bring to boil and cook about 5 minutes. Pour over vegetables and fish. Let stand about 30 minutes so the dressing can permeate the vegetables and fish.

Serve hot, chilled, or at room temperature. (This may be prepared ahead and kept refrigerated for several days.)

Eggplant with Coconut Milk (Guam)

Many cultures have dips made from mashed eggplant. This, made with coconut milk, is the Chamorro version. Oriental eggplants are the thin, long, bright purple ones found in Asian markets; they have far fewer seeds than regular eggplants.

Serves 4-6

6 Oriental eggplants
1 sweet onion, sliced
lemon juice to taste
salt to taste
about 1 cup coconut milk
fresh chiles, chopped, to taste

Grill eggplants over medium heat or under broiler until skin is charred and flesh is soft. Cool and peel; place flesh in a bowl and mash.

Add sliced onion, lemon juice and salt. Add coconut milk, balancing the sweetness of the coconut milk with the tartness of the lemon juice. Add chopped chiles to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Kalami (Guam)

A sweet cornmeal and coconut pudding. Masa Harina is Quaker Oats' brand name for the lime-treated cornmeal used to make tortillas (another brand name is Maseca). Find it in the baking aisle of most supermarkets.

Serves 8 or more

1 cup Masa Harina

1 cup cornstarch

1 cup sugar

3 cups coconut milk

4 cups boiling water

Combine Masa Harina, cornstarch, sugar, and coconut milk, stirring until there are no lumps. Add gradually to a saucepan of boiling water over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Pour into a shallow pan. Cool or chill. Cut into pieces and serve when cool.

Finadeni (Guam)

Finadeni is a kind of all-purpose sauce and marinade. You can use it to flavor cooked rice, add to soups or stews, or as a marinade for chicken, beef, or pork.

Makes about 1/2 cup

1/4 cup Japanese soy sauce

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup chopped scallions

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients, mixing or shaking well. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Baked Papayas (Guam)

What to do when those papayas are not quite ripe enough.

Serves 4-8

4 medium papayas, not quite ripened

water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°. Cut papayas in half and scoop out the seeds. Place in a small baking dish, cut side up. Add enough water to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle papayas evenly with sugar and cinnamon. Bake 35 minutes.

Lantijas (Guam)

Guam's answer to British trifle is this dessert, heady with cinnamon.

Serves 6

pound cake or sponge cake
1-2/3 cups cold water
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs, beaten (if you're concerned about

salmonella, you can use 1/2 cup Egg Beaters)
cinnamon

Slice cake into 1" thick pieces and arrange in a single layer on a platter.

Measure 1-1/3 cups water into a saucepan and heat until almost boiling. Add evaporated milk and sugar and bring to a simmer. Mix remaining 1/3 cup water with cornstarch and vanilla; gradually add to milk mixture. Cook for a few minutes until thick. Remove from heat and add butter. Stir in beaten eggs slowly, whisking vigorously.

Pour custard on top of cake. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon until the whole surface is coated.

BOOK REVIEW

One of our Christmas gifts, from a friend in Asia, was a luscious new full-color book, Spa Style Asia, published by Archipelago Press (Singapore, 2002) (ISBN 981-4068-62-4) The publisher also plans titles on spas in Europe and America.

This is not a guide to onsens (Japanese hot springs) or other traditional Asian spas, but rather to modern luxury spas, many of which are in equally luxurious hotels. Many of them meld traditional Asian healing therapies with New Age philosophies and beauty treatments. Read it and drool!

If you are into aromatic baths and wraps, there are some recipes for do-it-yourself versions.

Included also is a chapter on "spa cuisine" with 40 recipes. Like spa cuisine everywhere, the recipes are devised to be a feast for the eyes and palate, while being low in calories and fat. Some call for ingredients I've never heard of before and that are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain in the United States (snow frog jelly? – searching online, closest I've found to a description is that it's made from the reproductive organs of frogs; jhangora, a cereal grain grown only in the Himalayas). Others, although interesting, have weird measurements, either because they've been cut down from institutional quantities, or because of misprints (sushi rice that calls for 2-1/2 cups of rice and 32 cups of water?). On the whole, the recipes are better as a springboard for ideas than blueprints to be followed precisely.

IN THE NEWS

First Spaghetti, Now America…

Did the Chinese discover America before Christopher Columbus? That's what a controversial new book, 1421: The Year China Discovered America by Gavin Menzies (William Morrow), asserts. The author, a former Royal Navy submarine commander, says that while researching the construction of the Great Wall of China, he came across data to support his claim that in 1421, Chinese emperor Zhu Di dispatched a fleet of 600 massive junks to bring back treasure from the uncharted reaches beyond the horizon. Some made it to the New World, according to Menzies, a theory he claims can be supported with carbon-dating and DNA analysis of sunken junks and shoreside marker stones carved in Asian languages, as well as what he says is evidence that there were Chinese people in the pre-Columbian New World.

The book is already topping best-seller lists in the USA and the U.K. It has gotten mixed reviews from historians. I haven't read it yet. What do you think of his theories?

Natto Sales Surge In Japan

Japan is experiencing a boom in sales of natto – fermented soybeans – a food that puts off most Westerners, including me. If you've never tried natto, a pretty accurate description is that it has a fragrance reminiscent of Limburger cheese, crossed with the slimy texture of okra. (My husband loves the stuff; I can't stand it!)

Its popularity is surging in its native home, Japan, because of its health-boosting benefits. Offering all the benefits of soybeans, natto is said to help prevent heart disease and high blood pressure; scientists confirm that an enzyme in natto can reduce blood clots. And it is said to be even more effective than yogurt in increasing the amount of health-promoting bifidus bacilli in the digestive tract.

Despite its health benefits, natto's pungent odor and sticky texture have held back consumption – until recently. Two new brands are using new processing methods to create natto with little or no aroma.

Outback Steakhouse Introducing Asian Dishes

The Outback Steakhouse chain is introducing Asian cuisine to its menu at outlets worldwide. New items include fried crab and lobster cake with herbs, dim sum, and seafood with Thai sauce. They will be available at 700 Outback Steakhouse restaurants in the USA beginning in February and by summer for outlets outside the USA, reported The Bangkok Post.

McDonald's Making Fast Food Even Faster

McDonald's restaurants in Japan are making fast-food even faster. Staff armed with wireless electronic notepads will begin taking orders from people standing on-line or at drive-thrus so that by the time the customers arrive at the cashier, their order will be ready. McDonald's Japan's aim is to reduce the length of time between ordering and pick-up to 90 seconds.

Taiwan Fights Fast-Food Fat

Meanwhile, as part of a government-mandated initiative to get people to slim down, more than 180 Westernized fast-food outlets in Taipei, Taiwan—including McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, and Japan's Mos Burger—have begun providing detailed information about the nutritional value of their food.

Taiwanese officials are concerned about the growing popularity of Westernized fast-food at the expense of traditional healthier Asian dishes, and plan to impose the requirement across the country. The government also mounted a 15-month drive to encourage Taipei's 2.5 million residents to lose a combined 100 tons of weight between March 2002 and June 2003.

Innovative Asian Products

Among the new food products introduced in Asia recently, as reported by Mintel's Global New Products Database:

· Sweet potato ice cream from Meiji Milk Products, Japan. The ice cream bars are shaped like sweet potatoes and are yellow inside (like Asian sweet potatoes) with a thin purple layer outside to resemble the sweet potato's skin.

· Also from Japan, a new alcoholic beverage that combines rice wine and yogurt.

· Goose-flavored potato chips from China. Chicken-flavored potato chips are already said to be big sellers in Asia.

· A company in New Zealand is offering Crazy Cream aerosol whipped cream in Bubblegum Burst (blue) and Lime Zinga (green) flavors. Like green ketchup and blue squeeze margarine, they are meant for kids.

QUICKIES

Two different quick ways with chicken:

Mandarin Orange Chicken

Serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves,

pounded to 1/4" thickness
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup orange juice
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 tablespoon chopped scallions

1/4 cup chopped cashews

Dredge chicken in the flour to coat lightly. Heat olive oil and butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, and sauté the chicken breasts until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

Stir hoisin sauce and orange juice into the skillet, scraping up the browned bits. Mix in mandarin oranges, scallions, and cashews. Return chicken to the skillet. Cook until all ingredients are heated through.

Gai Pad Kheo Wan (Thailand)

Serves 4

1/4 cup coconut milk

3 tablespoons Thai green curry paste

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, sliced

thinly

1 can sliced bamboo shoots, drained (optional)

3 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon (or more) fresh Thai birdseye

chiles, thinly sliced

1/2 cup sweet basil leaves

Heat coconut milk in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the curry paste, stirring briskly to dissolve, and cook until it becomes aromatic. Discard any oil film that forms on the surface.

Add chicken and stir-fry just until it begins to change color. Add remaining ingredients except basil, and continue to stir-fry until the chicken is almost cooked through. Add the basil and stir briefly to complete cooking.

Serve with jasmine rice or sticky rice.

HELP WANTED!

I'm still looking for someone to update our website, http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Sauna/5280/index.html

The latest issue online is two years old! If you know some HTML and can upload and index the more recent issues, please contact me. [email protected]

(Sorry… this is purely a volunteer task; GourMAsia is a nonprofit publication and even I don't get paid a cent for my work.)

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COMING UP…

"All Steamed Up" – A bevy of Asian recipes cooked in a steamer.

Have any great recipes or tidbits to share? Ideas you'd like to see written up? Send 'em in!

ALOHA TILL NEXT ISSUE!

Susan