12.29.2009

2009吳魯芹散文獎 愛亞 - 金蘿銀蘿


蘿蔔季節以蘿蔔燒的菜常稱「銀蘿」,「銀蘿牛腩」、「銀蘿炆肉」、「白汁銀蘿」都是。但金蘿在台灣的地位可沒有什麼菜可堪比高下,金蘿,蘿蔔乾是也。吾家不放味精,只吃蘿蔔,不管金蘿銀蘿,吃它個黑地昏天。

 暑逝秋涼,傳統小菜場裡青蔬也應換了角色扮演,這個季節原本該來的「植物性食材」因為莫拉克等幾個颱風給吹打得亂了套,許多蔬果都沒能及時上市,許多蔬果上市卻又失去了時鮮準頭,譬如秋蘿蔔。

 台灣秋蘿蔔名喚「牛杙仔」,用台語發音是「古起仔」,跟牛有什麼關係呢?原來舊時牧童放牛將小木條釘入土地再把牛繩綁繫在小木條上,牛被拴住行動範圍只在繩的半徑圓周裡,牧童就可以有暫時的休息時間、遊戲時間。這根長木條就是「牛杙仔」,形貌像拴牛木條的長蘿蔔是一年中最早收成的蘿蔔,在舊時量少、營養、好吃、價較貴,所以稱「十月人蔘」。

 秋蘿蔔冬蘿蔔春蘿蔔,都好吃好吃好吃,可夏蘿蔔不行,夏蘿蔔味苦。今年颱風天蔬菜不足,政府進口救急的「植物性食材」一大部分就是與「牛杙仔」同一體系的長蘿蔔,這種滋味絕美的進口蘿蔔怎麼燒怎麼好吃,在盛夏台灣少產蘿蔔時以二十元一條的廉價煮進了每個家庭的廚鍋。

 蘿蔔季節以蘿蔔燒的菜常稱「銀蘿」,「銀蘿牛腩」、「銀蘿炆肉」、「白汁銀蘿」都是。但金蘿在台灣的地位可沒有什麼菜可堪比高下,金蘿,蘿蔔乾是也。

 等再過一陣子小菜場裡蘿蔔會沒有「秤斤賣」這回事了,你問蘿蔔怎麼賣?會出現這款答覆:「一個十塊,兩個二十,三個二十五,四個也二十五,五個三十。」???簡直聽不懂,個頭不大,但是好吃的不得了的蘿蔔呢。

 天冷了地寒了,十字花科的蔬菜紛紛趁著低溫展開愈冷愈甜脆的架勢,也是十字花科的蘿蔔大批的甜脆的收成,收成愈多價愈賤,蘿蔔田壟裡行走的農人和小菜場裡把蘿蔔堆地成山的農婦都擰眉皺臉,賣便宜也少人探問一聲,菜市裡菜販都在賣蘿蔔呢。

 ●

 我唸高中時有這麼一回;父親見一男子在路邊賣又白又胖的圓蘿蔔,走過去扁擔兩頭的兩筐蘿蔔在,走回來扁擔兩頭的兩筐蘿蔔還在,似乎一個不少,那老實男就一直佇在那裡也不懂叫賣,父親面向著他他也只會面向著父親,一句話也說不出來,父親著他將一擔蘿蔔挑到家後院,男子喜孜孜收下錢走了。母親問總是買到貴價東西的父親:「不會買貴了吧?」,父親只隨意晃兩下手,剩下發傻的母親面對著堆在水泥地上的白蘿蔔山。

 我們燉了蘿蔔湯,拌了蘿蔔絲,炒了蘿蔔片,也不過用了幾個蘿蔔,後來父親指派我洗蘿蔔,我直洗到十指皺白,頭暈眼暈。父親領軍,全家一起把圓蘿蔔縱切厚片,又在厚片上切三刀連刀,讓厚蘿蔔片像一隻長了四指的手,把白潤潤的手,或說潔淨淨的白手套吧,掛在後院牽起的鐵絲上,一大串一大串又一大串又一大串的白就在後院裡神氣地招展了,我回家路過後院,看到那樣一院子白手招我回家,臉上不打笑招呼都不行。

 過了兩天太陽把手套曬成微黃色,它們縮小了但水分仍多,我們把手套幾個一捧抓取下摁在盆子裡搓鹽像是給髒孩子搓澡,搓完再掛回鐵絲,又過了幾天手套變成淺淡的土黃,手掌手指都又皺又縮曲地成了另一個樣子,最後就是一小糰一小糰蜷成一垞的淺咖啡色蘿蔔乾,一傢伙一傢伙老灰灰地懸在空中,有點醜又有點可憐。把醜可憐收在玻璃罐瓦甕陶盆裡,一層蘿蔔乾一層辣辣粉,用力塞得緊緊,壓得實實,蓋上罐蓋。

 父親說再過陣子就能吃了,我才不管,先是嚐嚐,不過就是蘿蔔乾麼,怎麼好吃到讓人想大聲唱歌,於是便常去抓兩片當零嘴,也用作業紙反捲起帶到學校,上課時聽到咯蔔咯蔔,便知有同學在吃吾家蘿蔔乾。

 那是多到怎樣吃也吃不完的蘿蔔乾,一扁擔兩籮筐呢,可能水分多又有辣椒粉,它和台式口味全然不同,我們拿蘿蔔乾炒蛋、剁碎了炒肉末、蘿蔔乾自已乾燒蘿蔔乾,甚至煮出滋味不錯的湯。一頓吃兩頓吃,放著放著吃著吃著,啊,啊,啊──陶盆空了玻罐空了瓦甕竟然也空了,蘿蔔乾都沒有了?蘿蔔乾都沒有了!

 有人開始著惱:「怎麼都沒給人家留。」

 不過是蘿蔔乾。

 ●

 後來吃各種蘿蔔乾味道都打了折,就是感覺不對,就是感覺不對,真是弄不清究竟是怎麼一回事。

 不過新鮮蘿蔔還是讓人吃了瞇眼讚讚的。

 吾家有一味吃法雖簡單卻獨特:

 蘿蔔若是皮太老便先刨皮,把白蘿蔔、胡蘿蔔用刨刀從頭刨到尾,由外刨到最裡的蘿蔔心,一個白蘿蔔配一個胡蘿蔔,刨好後好像得了一盤有橙色有白色的麵條。

 加醋加醬油加麻油涼拌、加麻醬加醬油加辣椒粉涼拌、加哇莎必加醬油加橄欖油涼拌、加橄欖油加客家桔醬加孜然涼拌……拌不完拌不完拌不完。

 怎麼辦?怎麼樣都讓人一口接一口地沒個樣子地吃個不停。

 要不就炒,就刨白蘿蔔炒刨胡蘿蔔,加鹽不加醬油美麗,加醬油不加鹽美味。

 吾家不放味精,只吃蘿蔔,不管金蘿銀蘿,吃它個黑地昏天。

11.03.2009

twit & FB

Dear all,

It has been a very busy year and regularly blogging became a luxury for me.
I've just realized I've many unpublished drafts in the system which i'll trying to work them out progressively when I've more time. And for readers also twit and Facebook. I'll be very please to see you over there where I share more of everything we all like:

http://twitter.com/OVNI
http://www.facebook.com/shumaic

9.04.2009

Green Beans Drew 綠豆露 - Summer's best taiwanese desert



Ingredients:
- Green beans 300g.
- Water 1200g.
- Agar 8g.
- Gelatin 6g.
- Rock sugar 200g.

How to:
1. Rinse green beans and emerge in clean water for 20 mn. then pour out the water.
2. Add 1200g. water and bring to boil in a pot for 20 mn. to soften the beans into soup.
3. Add rock sugar 180g. bring to boil then turn off the fire.
4. Add and mix agar 8g. and gelatin 6g. in the green beans soup, add rock sugar 20g. bring to boil 5 more mn. turn off the fire.
5. Cool down the soup and pour into bowls. Ready to serve after 1-2 hours refrigeration.
6. For better flavor. The drew can be served with shaved ice and a spoon of sugar water.

9.03.2009



My dream come true with this future Sixth Sense device !!
But I would prefer to have a small screen projects in my flippable eye glasses instead of project info on object.
Make it work!

9.01.2009

Love's Philosophy


Percy Bysshe Shelley
(1792 - 1822)

Love's Philosophy

The fountains mingle with the river,
And the rivers with the ocean;
The winds of heaven mix forever
With a sweet emotion;
Nothing in the world is single;
All things by a law divine
In another's being mingle--
Why not I with thine?

See, the mountains kiss high heaven,
And the waves clasp one another;
No sister flower could be forgiven
If it disdained its brother;
And the sunlight clasps the earth,
And the moonbeams kiss the sea;--
What are all these kissings worth,
If thou kiss not me?

- Percy Bysshe Shelley


more poems from Shelley here

6.29.2009

Un Homme Aux Soleils - The story behind


This water pencil drawing was made after a long thought from my trip to Auvers-Sur-Oise for homage Vincent Van Gogh's 100 years' deathin 1990.
Like I once wrote in a prose (UNITAS a literary monthly June-2004):

寂寞應該是自己選擇的吧。
還記得梵谷在給弟弟迪歐的信中寫到奧維的好:
“離巴黎不遠,但是又夠遠到是真的鄉下。“

Loneliness must be a free will.
Remembered Van Gogh mentioned in a letter to his brother Théo:
"Ici on est loin assez de Paris pour que ce soit la vraie campagne, ..."
("Here one is far enough from Paris for it to be real country, ...")

Wherever and whenever the loneliness could haunt one's heart, and feel helpless despite any possible cure.
Auvers-Sur-Oise is in my eyes, one of the most beautiful and peaceful places on earth. Van Gogh has had spent not more than 3 months at this little commune, surrounded by many friends and good weather. Which anyone among us would pleased and contented by it. But the loneliness was like an incurable cancer, and finally chewed his heart off.

That one could be loved and cared by many, but still blinded by it's self-despair.

6.25.2009

We're not ready to see you go




After Farrah Fawcett left us this morning. The unbearable warm and humid day in downtown New York just started.
A friend dropped by and brought me a Chien-Ming Wang's signed ball which quickly lighted up my day.
Work, work, work and listening to the Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-Flat major, Op. 73, Emperor over and over and prepare head out to send a package to thanks the top hairdresser who cut my hair in Cannes.

With no hesitation. I picked the Beaver street post office side of the Wall street to avoid the bad attitude from the close peck slip one.
I was at desk filling up all the papers for the international package mailing. Suddenly people starting to yell and sigh in the back office about Michael Jackson's death. People in the queue calling around and asking their friends and families to check the news. Me & the mail lady were disturbed by the bad news and made couple mistakes on filling the papers. No one believed what we just heard. I checked the news on iPhone. And sadly see articles about his death from 2 rapidly adding to 5 then 8 articles and more.

After all these years. I still know how to moonwalk. I can still sing Billie Jane and I'm still dreaming to dance on the light square sidewalk with white socks. More than 20 years back. Me and a good old friend used to be the one of the weekly attraction of Taipei's Kiss disco by dance like Michael. And I'm sure we all wanted to see him finally recover and perform on the stage again. We're really not ready to see you go.

Moonwalker. We're orphans now.

6.16.2009

Apprivoise-moi !


... Si tu veux un ami, apprivoise-moi !

— Que faut-il faire ? dit le petit prince.

— Il faut être très patient, répondit le renard. Tu t’assoiras d’abord un peu loin de moi, comme ça, dans l’herbe. Je te regarderai du coin de l’œil et tu ne diras rien. Le langage est source de malentendus. Mais, chaque jour, tu pourras t’asseoir un peu plus près… »

Le lendemain revint le petit prince.

« Il eût mieux valu revenir à la même heure, dit le renard. Si tu viens, par exemple, à quatre heures de l’après-midi, dès trois heures je commencerai d’être heureux. Plus l’heure avancera, plus je me sentirai heureux. À quatre heures, déjà, je m’agiterai et m’inquiéterai ; je découvrira le prix du bonheur ! Mais si tu viens n’importe quand, je ne saurai jamais à quelle heure m’habiller le cœur…

- Dit le renard.

Le Petit Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry - 1943

You can read the english version here But the translation is far from beauty.

6.10.2009

Chris Garneau China tour !!



Chris is a very talented song writer, singer we signed specially to Asia market. And he's extremely cute and humble. He and two cellists are heading to China for 5 shows. Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shenzhen. From June 26th to 30th.
Check his MySpace here: http://www.myspace.com/chrisgarneau
Or Sina.com for China tour info:
Sina.com
Also on douban.com


6月26日周五20:00北京 国图音乐厅

6月27日周六20:00杭州 浙江音乐厅

6月28日周日20:00上海 同乐坊芷江梦工场

6月29日周一20:00南京 江南剧院

6月30日周二20:00深圳 一渡堂

6.08.2009

How to survive Cannes Film Festival


Below is the Cannes Film Festival survival guide from an early 90's t-shirt.

Never go out without dark glasses
(Even if nobody would know you)
Never be without your cellular phone
(Even if it doesn't work)
Never take off your official badge
(Even at night, one never knows...)
Never look lost
(Even if you can't find your hotel)
Never go out without visiting cards
(Even false if you are not a producer)
Always look busy
(Even if you've nothing to do for hours)
Always smile at the photographers
(Even those from minor papers
Always have lots of files under your arm
(Even if they only contain advertising brochures)
Always go to the "'in" places
(Even if you can't stand the noise and the smoke)
Always know at least one producer
(Even if he doesn't know you)
GOOD LUCK AND HAVE A FGOOD TIME

3.23.2009

Bad suprise from neighbor






Broken object list:
- 1 english coffee set,
- 1 large japanese bowl,
- 2 japanese animal face mugs,
- 2 designer crushed cups from sweden,
- 1 giant designer crushed cup from Paris,
- 2 large white milk mug,
- 1 light blue Maisons du monde milk mug from Paris,
- 1 of a pair Perrier Jouët champagne glass,
- 2 priceless masterpiece hand made filter tea set (our wedding gift) from Taiwan,
- 1 custom-made glass shelf.

Early February. Backed from vacation and found our kitchen in a mess.

The next door neighbor was away and left apartment to remodeling workers to renew their kitchen. And since the New Yorker's walls are not made with concrete. Our stylish custom made glass shelf with our world wide collection of mugs are in pieces.

I right the way took pictures for the report and my man emailed right the way to our Property management company asked about the damage. My man bumped into the young single mom neighbor, and all she can react was those soap opera's exaggerated fake "Oh! I'm sorry to hear that! ..."

2 months later. All we got from the management company was "The owner. The father of that single mom said that we reported too late." Very funny !

Anyway. We're still trying to figure out how much cost our masterpiece hand made tea sets.

3.20.2009

民權國小 六年八班 Class Reunion


記憶裡的小學生活,
是坐在一旁看全年級花很多錢跳貓捉老鼠的舞蹈,
是一, 二年級穿旗袍的劉老師,
是穿著燙得比挺的綠制服的幼女童軍,
是三, 四年級隔壁坐了導師的可憐兒子,
是後面坐了南海血書, 一家逃命來台灣的小兒子,
是翻著民歌本一首接一首的唱,
是每天到快鐘響才肯去上學的狂奔,
是頑皮過動到被罰的半蹲,
是每天上樓練合唱團的寒冷早晨,
是跟敦化合唱團爭得你死我活的比賽,
是擦窗戶昏倒, 老師開始對我吃完便當的檢查,
是每天看好幾對同學演著瓊瑤式的八點檔,
是和穿着夾腳拖鞋跳高的夏天,
是隔壁同學漂亮又好吃的便當,
是合作社賣的王子麵, 蘋果麵包和果汁牛奶,
是我週六穿流行招搖的五分燈籠褲,
是每天期待看到的長腿田徑隊學長,
是快畢業時, 每天早修上講台唱民歌的我,

PS. 看到樓上的六年十班在媒體上招喚失散的小學同學。 向來對懷舊的同學會完全沒興趣的我, 竟也開始覺得有一點怪異的好玩。
是因為不是自己班級的沒壓力? 還是後知後覺的發現這班上, 也有不少曾與我同過班的同學? 或著是遺憾, 因為分班而跟曾經感情好的同學疏遠成陌生?

3.17.2009

Staring Legless Photographer


A legless photographer. A couple announced while we're having a drink in a bar.
When I first hear it. As I love photograph and I photograph everything, everyday I can.
My reaction was what a cool angle he can photograph. Like Roman Polanski's p.o.v. once he said, or as low as Japanese movies that p.o.v. often from the tatami ground.

Then this couple keeps elaborate how he can move and lift on a table with a blink of time. With my filmography background. My mind starts to fill with a picture about a legless man on the top of the bar. My eye brows frown.
They talk about him with a bizarre enthusiasm like he is the next coolest thing they have found or a new black for the coming spring. My eye brows frown more. Which I'm not sure if they know how they sound.
The man said. He's a good looking guy with many girlfriends...
Many girlfriends? Then my mind starts to have a Monty Python collage adding on girls around the bar top.
I asked. You said he's legless. So he has the lower part of ...? "I've never ask him ... maybe ..." The man replied in trying to fetch an appropriate answer in his head. While this couple is flipping on their blackberry maybe to find if there is any picture of the legless man online. I can't help to stop my memory flashes back to all the legless handicaps I've ever seem. "All" ? That sounds a lots. Yes. I'm not exaggerating.

I start to explain. My generation in Taiwan had a danger rough childhood. We have been told severely not to talk to stranger, not to open door to stranger, should stand at the very same spot and not to follow stranger if got lost etc. You may say you have all been told so as well. But apparently my mom once grabbed me back from a stranger's hand just quite before I disappearing in a noisy and crowded market.
That's how it could happened that time in Taiwan. Some people steal kids and sell or beat the kids up to handicap or blind them for beggar's organization. The couple gave me a pair of strange faces, perhaps wondering what am I going wild again?
A girl was born in Thailand looked at me in searching for words. Like "Slumdog Millionaire" I said. "That's exactly what I was thinking." The girl happily added. Yes. That but a much less indian color was just like the world in a child's eyes in 70's Taiwan. The stolen boys ended up as beggars and the stolen girls will head to one of those whore houses in the dark alley in the old town.

After all these years. I still clearly remember those helpless crying handicap kids in the market as fresh as yesterday. I remember the kids were all about my age and some even taller than me. They just stood there, lied on the over heated lost shape asphalt and stinky puddles. Many of them seriously handicapped in all sorts. Legless, armless, earless, mute or blind. They're extremely bonny and messy with shredded summer tee and stained over size short tied on their tiny waist, even when the weather turned cold and humid. They cried or sobbed, tears and snot all over their lonely faces and weeping arms, cried all their little hearts out every time they've been let out. They were crying for mom, crying for help and the end crying for money.

I've heard a story about a little kid like this, was beat up to handicap so much that once he bumped to his own mother who can't recognize him. The kid cried and cried, grabbed her leg with all his strength and won't let go of the sad face lady. He cried and cried until the lady finally realized from the boy's eyes that this boy is son of her own. I remember my 1st year elementary teacher told the story to the entire stunned class of fifty something lucky kids.

I'm not sure how true was the story. But those unlucky ones didn't find their way back home. Maybe a few among of them, if I dare difference them, are legless and body shapeless, creeping alone side of the rocky road, under the popular area's building arcade to arcade, selling the famous american Green Arrow chewing gums among our feet and legs. How ironic. And still today. The unfortunates are still there. In any traditional market, on a high end shopping street or the worse place like raining smelly night market. And unfortunate us, we learned to live with. We learned to be senseless, and maybe even heartless without any look or even a stare at them anymore. And for me. I feel extremely lucky every time I see them. That I wasn't ended up in those beggar's hand, among those busy walking by heartless feet. Those unfortunate street creepers, same as my age, grew by time like us. And we. Our feet witnessing them grow, gan age, having grey hair. Which I'm sure. They've never thought about to buy a camera and take picture when they pass people around.

Stare? How can you be so sure they're staring at you? Do you know people are maybe more gentle and compassion than you thought? People look at you maybe simply because you caught their attention. They look down at you is maybe because that's the only angle they can apply. Maybe you remind them to appreciate life. Maybe they admire your courage and your skateboard skill. Or simply think you're a good looking man and they wanted to know you better. And you. Take picture of people looking at you without their permission and call them staring at you because you're handicap and you picture them back in return maybe is as leverage act you commit. Don't you think if you give those looking at you people a bit more time maybe you'll find them really sweet and treat you just as normal as anyone else? Don't you know you're damn luckier than the stolen kids spend whole their lives market begging, selling american chewing gums in Taiwan's night market?

We look up to you. We're not staring at you.

ABC News video on Kevin Connolly
Kevin Connolly's website

2.13.2009

台灣平溪天燈 Taiwan Pingsi Sky Lantern Festival 2009



Happy Chinese New Year!! & Happy Valentines Day!!

(This is a smaller event on January 31st. 2009. Later they have 2 larger events on Feb. 7 and 9. )

2.03.2009

Pouting Rupert Penry-Jones


I was a big fan of Spooks (MI-5) thanks to Rupert Penry-Jones who makes the spy business attractive, and while I'm struggling yes or no I should keep watching the series now lead by the "Robin Hoods" villain Richard Armitage. Here I found something really funny to read about the former Spooks hero.

Rupert Penry-Jones shines in The 39 Steps

The success of The 39 Steps was mostly down to Rupert Penry-Jones, who re-creates his role from Spooks in rather better tailoring. He isn’t really an actor, in the sense of someone who actually acts. He is more somebody who stands around pouting. He manages to project a bland and fuzzy likeability through a conventionally pretty face. He reminds me of a male version of Audrey Hepburn. This is not a criticism. Well, it is a criticism. But not a bad one. Standing around pouting, looking like Audrey Hepburn, is quite as difficult and admirable as marching up and down being Hamlet. He has a defined and narrow range of emotions and reactions available to him, most delivered with a Botoxed gauche minimalism, and in this he perfectly fits the strange, sensually neutered understatement and studied insouciance that is the default setting of your archetypal Edwardian hero. Those weird boy-men, tongue-tied around women but effusive with horses and dogs, scrupulously fair but comprehensively prejudiced, a bizarre collection of public-school contradictions, repressions and neuroses became the template for derring-do heroes. You can see him in Dirty Harry and Indiana Jones, in Matt Damon and Batman.

- by AA Gill - The Sunday Times - January 4, 2009 Original article

1.18.2009

Daily Photo Project

I accidentally found this video dated 2 years ago. Off course we can't see is there actually an 8 years daily pictures image by image in this web video, but his work sure deserves my sincere admiration, cause I can hardly do anything repeatedly more than 3 days.



Living My Life Faster - 8 years of JK's Daily Photo Project
by JK Keller


More daily photo project:



She takes a photo every day : 200
by madandcrazychild

1.12.2009

Non Chinese cooks Chinese food?!!


Prove me. Convince me if you can.

Chinese food is the most complete and delicious cuisine in the world.
Chinese cuisine owns countless dishes and most vary tastes from all over the great China, which makes impossible to compare with any other cuisine.
I live in France for the half of my life and love French cuisine deeply. And yet. I can't hardly say I can cook french food, but I know what's a good French cuisine. But still. France is as small as a province size of China. No matter how exquisite the French cuisine can be, it just can't compare with the complicity of more than 10 millions people's five thousands years' daily need.

I often meet western people believe all Chinese eat rice, or they thought if I invite them home for a dinner, they will expecting some bowls of rice (Of course. I'm from Taiwan. So I've been also often believe "I was a child labor to make toys." or "I know how to massage." What a insult!). What can I say? Call them the frog in the well? Tell them that their world is as big as their belly button? Or they're simply too white?

20 years live outside of Chinese world. I've never meet any non Chinese cook can actually cook a really typical Chinese food. I've heard about Fuchsia Dunlop an english gourmet writer who speaks Chinese and learned to cook Sichuan food in Chengdu. Beside I sincere respect her effort to introduce the "Chinese" cuisine to the world, I yet had opportunity to taste her Sichuan food and to be convinced. And of course. To be on the justice of the rest of Chinese. Sichuan is just 1 of 22 (if not counting Taiwan) provinces, Sichuan food is just 1 of 8 biggest cuisine lines in Chinese cuisine. So severely speak. A non Chinese native learned to cook Sichuan food can't considering as expert of Chinese food. Plus. If by chance you know any Sichuan native. You note how heavy their taste are in general. Nothing is spicy enough for them anymore, nothing is typical Sichuan food if is not red, oily, tear running spicy and numb. And it's not difficult to understand that their palettes are probably already damaged by the extremely hot Sichuan spices. Which I'm sure non of any other 7 cuisine lines experts or any 21 provinces people will believe Sichuan cuisine can represent Chinese food. It's like a champion of one discipline in martial art doesn't mean who's the champion of the martial art.

My husband is a big mix of north and south European. He has a long family gourmet background, loves Scandinavian eel, Swedish meat balls, he lived many years in France, Poland and Spain, and he cooks the best and unforgettable Goulash. But even after 13 years with me, ate all sort of Chinese dishes and learned to cook Chinese like the big chef's flaming wok work. He's still far from cooking a real Chinese food. And sure I'm unable to cook any French dishes well enough to call it typical in return.

Because we all know the palette of the taste is based on one's childhood memory. The memory creates the taste in our mouth, and create the dish with the memory and the knowledge. So logically. More vary tastes one experienced at young age, more complete one's palette is. Remember the Japanese movie "Tampopo" about a widow learns to cook Ramen? How can a simple bowl of Ramen worth a remarkable cult Cuisine movie ever? It's all about the soup base, the slices of the BBQ pork ... And with her memory of the best Ramen she ever ate, makes the heroin understand the secret hard work behind a bowl of each Ramen.

And Yes. I've met some non Chinese who grow up in China speaks and acts just like a Chinese if no one noticed the blond hair and the blue eyes. Which I'm sure there is some non Chinese grow up in China, can really cook the typical delicious Chinese food, and can convince me easily one day soon. So please post me a note when you know any non Chinese cooks real Chinese food that I'm craving to try.