As you have noticed by now this is an occasional blog - apologies for the long gap between occasions I actually write it!
The sad news of the earthquake in Sichuan led me to re-read one of the finest food writers around - Fuschia Dunlop. Duunlop lived in Sichuan province and even studied at the main cookery school in Chengdu. Dunlop's two fine cook books on the food of Sichuan and Hunan provinces are a must for anyone with an interest in food but you should also read her wonderful evocative memoir "Sharks Fin and Sichuan Pepper - a Sweet Sour Memoir of Eating in China" (just search for her on Amazon or Google).
The book is not for the vegetarians among us given that she learns to eat like a native and take as much joy in eating civet cats as post pub rabbit heads (their equivalent of the doner kebab). The sadly departed chef David Gumbleton used to say that if you kill an animal for food you only pay that animal true respect if you eat every tiny bit of it. To simply take out the fillet and the back legs and leave the rest for the pigs is to miss the point entirely. Dave once (only half jokingly) admonished me for not using the ears of the rabbits my neighbour had shot for me!
What was interesting for me was that such sentiments would never even occur to the Chinese - they simply love eating everything and relish the grisly bits, the crunchy bits (like the cartilage between the joints of the chicken feet), and the slippery bits (such as fish maw and goose intestines). While we talk about animals and differentiate between pigs and pork, cows and beef, the Chinese simply talk about moving things - if it moves you can eat it!
So buy the book to learn about China and to pick up some tips. If you only cook one thing try the Dan Dan noodles recipe which is simply outstanding and utterly unrecognisable to anyone that has only eaten from their local chinese takeaway. Seek out preserved vegetables, changking vinegar and most of all Sichuan Pepper. Asia Market should supply what you need or try the chinese shop on rathmines road (opposite the Rathmines Inn).
