China: Family Reunion Delight
Sumiao Chen is the Founder and Co-owner of Sumiao Hunan Kitchen in Kendal Square Cambridge MA. In this role, she has successfully led the development and implementation of its strategic vision as well as management of operation in the last three years.
Sumiao was born and raised in Changsha, Hunan, China. She comes from a family of artisans; her father was a famous local painter and calligrapher and her mother was a singer and has owned a local art gallery; Originally trained in medicine and pharmaceuticals, holds both degrees of medical doctor and master of science in FDA Policy and Regulatory Affairs, and hailed from the pharmaceutical industry for 28 years in Cambridge MA,
Sumiao’s love of food led her to pursue her passion for restaurant business from an early age. Over the last 15 years, she has invested in multi restaurants in the Boston Metro Area. In 2014, she completed the certificate program at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Boston. In 2017, she opened Sumiao Hunan Kitchen, serving high end Hunan cuisine. In 2022, she was selected by Massachusetts Restaurant Association (MRA) as the Restaurateur of The Year.
Sumiao is the co-founder and former Chairman and President of the Board of Massachusetts Asian Restaurant Association (MARA) from 2018 to 2021, and a Board Director of Massachusetts Restaurant Association (MRA) since 2019.
Family Reunion Delight
This is also known as Chinese New Year Stewed Assorted Delicacies, an authentic and traditional Hunan dish to celebrate Chinese New Year Eve at family reunion dinner.
The Family Reunion Delight is a must-have dish for my New Year’s Eve dinner. The ingredients in the casserole or pot are very rich! Pork skin, cabbage, fried fish, shrimp, winter bamboo shoots, quail eggs, bacon slices. . . . There are also soybean sprouts, also known as Ruyi dishes. Different people have slightly different side dishes, some with meatballs, fish balls, and vermicelli. . . . There are also egg dumplings, because they are shaped like gold ingots, so they are a must! The whole family gathered around the steaming casserole, eating lively! This is the taste of Chinese New Year!
Taste: savory, non-spicy
Ingredients:
Handmade meatball （flour，Gluten），meat egg roll （anise powder), pork slice, fried dry pork skin, bamboo shoots, cuttlefish, sea cucumber, ginger, scallion, egg, pork triple, dried mushroom, corn starch, salt, ground white pepper
Special Notes
— Not Spice
— Egg Allergy — Gluten Allergy (no Gluten free option)
Cambodia: A delicious and rich tradition
Sokhary Chau is the Mayor of Lowell. A “hands-on” working mayor, Chau made history when he was elected among his peer Councilors to be the first Cambodian American Mayor in the United States in January 2022. Mayor Chau recently shared his Cambodian Lunar New Year memories. His family is Cambodian but like many Southeast Asians he has ancestry that’s mixed with Chinese.
“Many Cambodians celebrate Lunar New Year in January and Cambodian New Year in April. Lunar New Year is very important for myself and my family and many Cambodians. There are some dishes that Cambodians must have when we celebrate. Abundance in food is very important. It doesn’t matter if you are a farmer or a business person in the big city. Abundance of food is a sign of prosperity, that your family is healthy and doing well. You want to welcome the new angels to come and bless your family and businesses for the rest of the year.
If there is one dish that’s delicious and represents the pride of Cambodian culture, it’s Nom Banh Chok. In English you’d call it Khmer noodles. It takes a long time to make the noodles themselves and also the soup that goes with it. It’s a cultural food that goes back even to the Khmer Empire days when it was first created. It’s authentic to this very day. There are two variations of this soup. Samlor Curry is a beef curry soup. This is a dish popular for the urban population. Samlor Khmer is more popular for the countryside population. It features fish because meat is limited. It’s “The People’s Food,” with any vegetables that are readily available. All of these dishes are very labor intensive and made with love. The whole family makes these dishes and everybody feels special eating them.
As a young child, I remember watching my nephews and nieces eating Nom Banh Chok like it was pasta. If you’re in the mood or have a craving you can eat these dishes any time of day. Personally, I like Samlor Khmer more because we grew up on a farm. It’s a comfort food made of vegetables you can grow and fish you can catch.
In our culture, we welcome the new angels into the new year by making sure our houses are clean on New Year’s Eve and we prepare offerings of food. We want to show abundance and prosperity, that we’ve worked hard, and hope to be blessed with good health and good luck.”
Lowell will hold its first Lunar New Year Festival at the JFK City Hall Plaza on Sunday 1/22, 3pm-6pm which will feature Dragon Dance, Tai Chi demonstration, fireworks and family games. Mayor Chau welcomes everyone to come join in the festivities
Recipe : Nom Banh Chok
INGREDIENTS
· 200 g lemongrass stalks peeled chopped and outer layers discarded
· 1 tbsp galangal peeled and chopped finely
· 1 tsp fresh turmeric peeled and chopped finely
· 1 tbsp finger-root also called Chinese keys/lesser galangal, peeled and chopped finely
· 2 kaffir lime leaves citrus hystrix/krouch soeuch, chopped finely
· 1 tsp kaffir lime zest
· 5 garlic cloves peeled and chopped finely
· 2 shallots peeled and chopped finely
· 400 g fish fillets freshwater fish such as snakehead, or any white fish, such as cod, whiting, hake, tilapia etc
· 1 tsp prahok optional, mashed and strained
· 1 tbsp palm sugar
· 2-3 tbsp fish sauce or to taste
· 1 tsp salt or to taste
· 600 ml coconut milk or coconut cream or a combination of both
· 500 g fresh rice noodles or dried rice vermicelli, cooked to instructions on pack
· 200 g bean sprouts blanched and drained
· 1 large cucumber grated or julienned
· 2 water lily stems sliced into ½ cm-wide rounds
· 4 medium-sized wing beans sliced into ½ cm-widths
· 1 small banana blossom shredded, soaked in water and drained just before using
GARNISH
· 2 limes edible flowers such as purple water hyacinth (pictured), yellow sesbania bispinosa or white sesbania grandiflora, and chi (mixed fresh herbs), such as coriander, basil, mint, and laksa leaves.
CONDIMENTS
· chilli flakes chilli sauce and fish sauce
INSTRUCTIONS
1. In a well-supported granite mortar, first make the yellow kroeung (spice paste) by pounding the lemongrass with the pestle until you can no longer see the rings of the lemongrass and it’s all mashed up.
2. Gradually add each of the galangal, turmeric, finger-root, kaffir lime leaves and zest and pound until they’re incorporated into the mashed lemongrass.
3. Add the garlic and pound, then add the shallots and pound, until the paste is smooth, but still has some fibres from the lemongrass. Transfer the kroeung to a well-sealed container to refrigerate.
4. In a medium-sized pot or pan, poach the fish fillets with the prahok (mash and strain, ensuring there are no bones) or 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, palm sugar, and enough water to cover the fish, until the fish is cooked.
5. If the fish is soft enough, mash it in the pot with 4 tablespoons of kroeung and the juices. Alternatively, remove the fish fillets (leave the juices), transfer them to the mortar, and pound the fish with the kroeung until well combined.
6.Transfer the pounded fish-kroeung mixture to a medium-sized soup pot if you poached the fish in a pan, then add the coconut milk/cream, another tablespoon of fish sauce, and taste, adding more fish sauce or salt or palm sugar if needed, so that it’s balanced. Bring to a gentle boil then turn the heat down to low to simmer for 5-10 minutes, adding a little water if desired.
7. If you don’t have access to fresh rice noodles, prepare the dried rice vermicelli according to the instructions on the pack, drain and set aside to cool.
8.Bring the fish gravy to a gentle boil then turn the heat down to low to simmer for 5-10 minutes, adding a little water if desired if it reduces too much. When it’s ready, turn the heat off as it should be served warm to room temperature, but not hot.
9. If you don’t have access to fresh rice noodles, prepare the dried rice vermicelli according to the instructions on the pack, drain and set aside to cool.
10. Prep the vegetables, herbs and flowers while the rice noodles are cooling, then distribute them amongst the bowls, first placing the shredded banana blossom in the bottom of the bowl and then the rice noodles on top of these to diminish browning.
11.Ladle the fragrant fish gravy over the rice noodles, distributing evenly amongst the bowls, then arrange the bean sprouts, cucumber, water lily stems, and wing beans on top of the noodles.
12. Garnish each bowl with lime quarters, some edible flowers and chi (fresh herbs), and provide additional flowers and herbs in a basket at the centre of the table, along with condiments such as chilli flakes, chilli sauce and fish sauce. 13. Serve with a spoon and chopsticks and advise your guests if eating nom banh chok for the first time to use the chopsticks to combine the noodles, vegetables and garnish, and then taste before adding more garnish and condiments.
Philippine: Blending the familiar with the exotic
Lilia Clemente is chairman/ founder of Clemente Capital Inc. She writes, “Philippine cuisine is the familiar blended with the exotic and to understand it better requires some knowledge of the country’s history and its cultural influences. Just as Filipino people are part Malay, Chinese and Spanish, so is the cuisine of these seven-thousand islands with a population of 110 million people. Since food is one of the liveliest areas of popular culture, it has of course been friendly to foreign influences and change.”
The Malays were among the first inhabitants of the Archipelago. Chinese traders may have sailed their junks across the Yellow Sea as early as 300 AD. Certainly by 1000, trading was taking place on a regular basis with the coastal colonies the Chinese were establishing. By 1400, they moved inland and were part of the culture. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippines for the Western world and a period of Spanish influence began over 300 years which had a monumental effect on the Philippines. With the departure of the Spanish in 1898, the Philippines in the 20th century came under the influence of the United States which brought a new language, new education and other influences and new ideas to the cuisine of the islands. The signature ingredients of its southeastern Asian neighbors are present too in the form of chilies, lemon grass and curries.
As Lilia prepares for Lunar New Year, she recollects many cherished memories of new year eves back home and in America. She remembers how Filipinos welcome the new year with enthusiasm and a fresh perspective with a positive outlook. “Families, relatives and friends gather for a lavish midnight feast called ‘media noche’ (Spanish for a festive midnight feast) that symbolizes hope and prosperity for the year ahead. For sure, ‘pancit’ , the tagalog word for long noodles are cooked for a long life as well as ‘malagkit’ or glutinous sticky rice as a symbol that good fortune as well as the new year’s resolutions will ‘stick’ throughout the new year. We go all the way with making noise on New Year’s eve. Filipino ‘paputok’ (or firecrackers) comes in many shapes. Pots and pans are banged to scare the evil away while cars and all transportation vehicles vroom and tap their horns. We also spend the last day of the year vigorously cleaning everything of dust.”
She describes Adobo as the closest thing the country has to a national dish. “Imagine a rich, dark, well marinated stew of chicken and pork with flavors that hint of the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and peppercorns. Imagine a steaming mound of sauteed noodles with bits of fresh vegetables thinly sliced, savory sausage and tiny shrimps laced together.
This is Philippine cooking at its finest! “
There are many variations of Adobo. Lilia offers this favorite recipe from the late Reynaldo Alejandro, famous Chef and author in New York City
1/2 pound pork, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/2 pound chicken, cut in cubes
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 whole bulb garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup finely minced onions
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
2 cups water
Combine the pork, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, onions, pepper, bay leaves and water and bring to a boil. Simmer until the pork is medium cooked. Add the chicken and simmer for 20 minutes. Serve hot. Serves 4 To our question, what is Filipino food? Lilia answers, “All of the above”. The people of the Philippines, with a history of colonization, are empowered by pride and resilience and a nurtured gift of adoption
Indian Festive Home Cooking
Sunjay Kaul is a social and cultural activist and Civil Engineer. Residing in Boston. He is passionate about preserving and promoting the culture and heritage of India with special focus on children born and raised in the USA.
Sanjay is President of the Kashmiri Overseas Association. He is also the Vice President of the World Hindu Council of America. He hails from Kashmir, India and is currently Chairman of Overseas Affairs, Panun Kashmir.
He describes that the Indian civilization is among the oldest in the world. When many cultures in the world were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley India). Over thousands of years of its existence, Indians have made significant contributions to human development on this planet. To name a few, India invented the Number system. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta. The world’s first University was established in Takshila in 700BC. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is now known as the Pythagorean Theorem. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. The art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 5000 years ago. To top it off, India/Indians never invaded any country in her thousands years of history. Christopher Columbus who discovered the Americas had actually set sail to discover trade routes to India.
For Sanjay & his wife Bela, cooking is a hobby through which they enjoy serving people, family and friends. Born and brought up in Jammu & Kashmir State of India, the Kauls have deep interest in all things Kashmiri, be it culture, language, cuisine or spirituality. Kashmir is a place known for its natural beauty and considered as a paradise. It is known for its fine cuisine, and especially for Kehwa, the legendary tea of Kashmir served in brass cups, called “Khasu” which is served before any meal with appetizers.
The absence of onions and garlic in preparation of the curries dates back to the Vedic period. The essence of Kashmiri cuisine is the Vu use of Aniseed (fennel/Saunf powder), dry Ginger (Sundh powder), Asafetida (Hing) and a special condiment of various spices put together in form of a bar called “Var” to add flavor and to garnish the dish. Fennel powder has digestive qualities; Ginger powder helps with respiratory problems, fights influenza and helps address migraines; Chili powder fixes flu and cold; and Asafetida provides relief against colic and helps overcome nervousness disorders. The most important flavor in the Kashmiri canon is saffron which is known to be sweet, colorful and has better aroma.
The use of dried fruits, nuts and vegetables in its cuisine is also unique to Kashmir. A traditional Kashmiri meal combines all courses into one course, finishing with a bowl of sweet yogurt as dessert.
The Kaul family offers the following recipes that have the uniqueness of Kashmiri cuisine stamped on them.
#1 Kehwa (Kashmiri Green Tea)
Serving Size: 4 people
Ingredients:
1. Whole green tea leaves (1 tsp)
2. Ground Cinnamon (pinch)
3. Green Cardamom (crushed/2)
4. Almonds (crushed/4)
5. Sugar (to taste)
6. Saffron (pinch)
7. Water (5 cups)
Preparation Method:
Ø Put water in a saucepan or kettle on medium heat.
Ø Add ground cinnamon, crushed green cardamoms and saffron. Let it come to a boil.
Ø Add tea as water starts boiling. Also, add crushed almonds. Let it boil for 40 seconds then shut the stove off.
Ø Pour the boiling tea through a sieve into cups and then serve hot.
#2 “Nadur Monj”(Lotus Root Fritters)
Serving Size: 4-5 people
Ingredients:
1. Lotus Roots (2 lbs)
2. Cooking oil (1 cup for frying)
3. Rice flour ((1 cup)
4. Paprika (1 tsp)
5. Cumin seeds ( a pinch)
6. Salt (to taste)
7. Water for batter ( 1 cup)
Preparation and Method:
Chop off the lotus root heads (ends) if any. Clean the lotus root holes for any dirt under running water. Also, thoroughly wash the outside. Cut the lotus root vertically into 1/2-inch-thick 3-inch long pieces.
:Ø Put rice flour, salt, cumin seeds and paprika in a bowl.
Ø Mix all together Add water and mix to form a thick batter.
Ø Add lotus root to the batter and mix.
Ø Heat 1 cup of frying oil in a frying pan. Add battered lotus root to the hot oil in small portions.
Ø Turn the battered lotus roots to evenly fry on both sides till it becomes crispy.
Ø Serve hot or cold with Kehwa.
#3 Dum Aloo (Kashmiri pronunciation: “Dama Oluv”) Serving Size: 4-5 people
Ingredients:
1. Medium size potatoes (red skin/10)
2. Cooking oil (1/2 cup)
3. Fennel powder ( 1/2 to I tsp)
4. Ginger powder (1 tsp)
5. Asafetida Hing (1 pinch)
6. Red Chili powder or Paprika (1 tsp)
7. Turmeric (1/2 tsp)
8. Cumin seeds crushed (1 tsp)
9. Cloves crushed (3-4)
10 Black Cardamom crushed (2)
11 Green Cardamom crushed (2)
12 Cinnamon ( 1 stick or 1/2 tsp powder)
13 Bay Leaves (2-3)
14. Yogurt (1/2 cup)
15 Salt to taste
16 Var (if available) or Garam Masala (1tsp)
17 Water
Method:
Ø Either place potatoes in a polythene bag and microwave for 9 minutes, let it cool and then peel off the skin or cover potatoes with water in a pan and boil till its skin can be peeled off.
Ø Prick through the peeled potatoes on all sides with a toothpick and set them aside.
Ø Heat cooking oil in a frying pan at medium heat. Once the oil is hot, deep fry the potatoes, turning them frequently with a perforated ladle till these are uniformly fried to a golden yellow color. Keep the potatoes aside.
Ø Take a cooking pan, take about 3 to 4 tsp of oil (from the one used in frying) and heat it. Add Cloves, Cumin seeds and Asafetida to the oil. Stir with a ladle.
Ø Sauté’ with red chili powder or paprika, turmeric and Bay leaves
Ø Now add well beaten yogurt with a couple of tablespoons of water and
Fennel and Ginger powders. Continue stirring till the curd and spices blend together with oil.
Ø Add already fried potatoes to the mix. Make sure the spiced sauce covers these all over. Add 2 to 3 cups of water to immerse the potatoes completely.
Ø Add salt to taste.
Ø Now, cover the pan with a lid and cook on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes till the spiced gravy and oil soaks to the very core of the Potatoes and these turn brown and the gravy thickens and oil starts to separate.
Ø Add/sprinkle Var or Garam Masala, Black & Green Cardamom, and Cinnamon. Turn gently to let the spices get mixed.
Ø Dum Aloo is ready to be served with plain white rice. Usually one or two pieces are served with a little bit of thick gravy to each person.
Sanjay and Bela say Kashmiri cuisine aspires towards cooking a balance of protein, carbohydrate, fiber, calcium and minerals. The food is generally cooked fresh, is light, juicy, tasty and nourishing thus giving the necessary energy to the body in a balanced way. Kashmiri people inherited the knowledge of medicinal values and aromatic qualities of various spices and condiments from Ayurveda.
