Thursday, June 20, 2013

Huí Guō Ròu, Zebra Cake and Eggcellent Article


Twice Cooked Pork


Huí Guō Ròu means “meat returned to pot”, in other words, twice cooked. The dish comes from Sichuan but don’t ask me how the name is pronounced.  What I can tell you is that this is extremely delicious, and very simple to prepare.

This dish brings back memories. The first time I saw this on the menu, I asked the waitress how it is prepared. My waitress and my friend/dinner companion answered at the same time “its cooked twice”. I ordered the dishing without bothering to ask any further questions. The recipe is available here


And here’s the most creative latte art I have ever seen. Imagine having to deliver this to a table.



Today's Favourite Photo
Zebra Butter Cake




Today’s Favourite Blog
Insightful and eggcellent article on eggs.

Egg Yolks Help Brain Development
Egg yolks are one of the richest dietary sources of the B-complex vitamin choline, which is associated with better neurological function and reduced inflammation. A diet rich in choline is also associated with happiness. Choline breaks down into bethane, which is used during the methylation cycle, which in turn helps produce "happiness" hormones (and neurotransmitters) like serotonin, dopamine and norephinephrine.

So, have a cake and be happy! Even better, have a generous helping of vanilla sauce.

Eggs Are 'Perfect' Protein
Eggs are the "gold standard" when it comes to protein quality because all of the protein found in an egg can be absorbed and used by the body. "Calorie for calorie, you need less protein from eggs than you do from other sources to achieve the same muscle-building benefits," Jeff Volek, Ph.D., R.D., told Men's Health.

Chicken Age Matters
A study in Poultry Science found that young chickens, age 28 weeks, and old chickens, 97 weeks, were more likely to produce eggs with low solids contents than were middle-aged chickens. "It may be more beneficial for egg producers and processors to use young and old birds for table egg production and birds of intermediate age for liquid egg production," wrote the researchers.

I hope you can figure what the difference is between table egg and liquid egg, and find out the age of the chicken that laid your eggs.

What Egg Yolk Color Really Means
The deep yellow or pale hue of your egg yolk doesn't measure healthfulness directly, according to the American Egg Association. Instead, it's indicative of a chicken's feed. Chickens that are fed grains and grasses full of carotenoids (like lutein and zeaxanthin) have more vibrantly yellow yolks, but that doesn't necessarily translate to a more nutritious yolk. It could measure chicken health, however.

Cloudy Vs. Clear Egg Whites
The age of the egg affects whether the egg white is cloudy or clear. Older eggs have clear whites, while fresh eggs can have a milky, opaque look.

Brown Vs. White Eggs? No Difference
Shell color relates to the breed of chicken -- it has nothing to do with the healthfulness of the egg or the health of the chicken who laid it.

Eggs Are Good To Eat For More Than 3 Months
Eggs are typically packed within a week of laying, though USDA regulations allow them to be up to 30 days from the coop. The sell-by date has to be within a month of the pack date, making the total shelf-life of eggs about two months. But, according to the USDA, eggs may still be good from three to five weeks after the sell-by date passes.

7 comments:

  1. my eyes literally popped open when i saw the latte art!

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  2. Your Sichuan dish looks so tempting... It looks like pork moreover... Sticky and soy saucy :-) You know that I'm a recent Sichuan cuisine fan (thanks to Fuchsia Dunlop's book) and until now I have loved every single recipe, so I'm sure I would love this one too.
    I have actually seen the cats coffees this week on a blog about Japan! They are crazy aren't they? (I mean people who made it, not cats).
    I am a huuuge egg fan. We both eat lots of eggs with my husband and have excellent blood tests. (i never buy less than 12 eggs package). May I add something to your list? The country with the biggest egg consumption is Japan (about 365 eggs a year per person) and it's the country where people are among the healthiest in the developed world and bad cholesterol problems are ridiculously rare.
    Oh, and the other day I have heard French doctors talking about organic food: apparently it's very important to eat organic or at least free-range eggs. They are much much healthier (the difference is not as big apparently in vegetables).

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    Replies
    1. I love Sichuan food also, unfortunately Sichuanese restaurants are less common. This dish as as good as Kung Pao:)
      Japanese eat an egg a day? Thats a lot. Its good to know. There is mixed message from researchers, some say it will increase cholesterol, others say it makes no difference or will reduce. So we can't believe professionals!

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    2. I have recently found only the positive research results: they used to think it increases cholesterol, but apparently not. I thought that they stopped the evil egg mania. Cholesterol level sometimes has nothing to do with eating habits.

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  3. Ive seen that art before as well as his other creations, such a great idea. It would be hard to drink though as it looks so cool

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  4. Wow on the latte art and the pork looks luscious. I just so happen to have a piece of pork belly at home and was searching for a recipe. I found it! Great fact on eggs!

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