-=> Quoting Dave Drum to Jim Weller <=-

 DD> Sometimes the best way to eat asparagus is to snap it off, pop
 DD> it into your trap and chew.

I've had it raw, while standing in the garden but prefer it lightly
cooked, but still eaten within minutes of picking it. Impossible
here as it does not grow this far north.  Although the shoots come
up early in the spring it needs long hot summers to fern so that the
roots have the strength to make it through the winter. It'll grow up
to zone 2B [central Ontario and the Minnesota-Manitoba border] but
that's it. When looking that up I came across an interesting note
from your USDA: in the 2012 version of the USDA Zone Map, when
compared to the 1990 version, zone boundaries in the 2012 edition of
the map have shifted in many areas. The new map is generally one 5 F
half-zone warmer than the previous map throughout much of the United
States.

Speaking of green things Roslind's Vietnamese friend gifted us with
another pint of glutinous rice balls. This batch had a mashed mung
bean interior and a green outer layer, the mochi green from pandan
extract. This was my first taste of pandan, something I've been
reading about for years. This version came in a slightly sweet plain
white sauce, not coconutty or gingery. 

(Mochi is a Japanese word; I don't know what the Vietnamese call
it.)

MMMMM-----Meal-Master - formatted by MMCONV  2.10

     Title: About Che Troi Nuoc
Categories: Info, Vietnamese, Desserts
  Servings: 4

    Glutinous Rice Balls
    in Ginger Syrup
    Che troi nuoc

Vietnamese Glutinous Rice Balls (Che troi nuoc) are filled with mung
bean paste and bathed in the fragrant and sweet ginger syrup. This
warm dessert is very fulfilling and comforting. We usually sprinkle
sesame seeds or chopped peanuts over it to add a nutty flavor and
increase the deliciousness of che troi nuoc.

Here are some important tips for making this delicious dessert:

1. Choose the glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour, sticky rice
flour) which is made from grinding glutinous rice with water.

2. Soak mung bean for a few hours will shorten the cooking time.

3. Gently and slowly wrap the dough tightly around the filling.
Avoid letting air pockets between the dough and filling, because the
air pockets can make the dumplings break when we cook them.

To make Vietnamese glutinous rice balls, you need glutinous rice
flour, mung bean, shredded coconut (optional), coconut milk and
regular sugar. Apparently, there are two types (at least as far as I
know) of glutinous rice flour. The first type is made from grinding
sticky rice finely with water. Vietnamese or Thai glutinous rice
flour sold in Asian grocery store is this type, and it is the best
for making these dumplings.

The second type is made from grinding just sticky rice, for example,
Japanese mochiko flour belongs to this category. If you make these
dumplings with this flour, the end product is not as soft as using
the first type. Therefore, please check to make sure you purchase
the right flour. The ingredient list of the flour should say
glutinous rice and water only.

The ginger syrup requires fresh ginger and palm sugar. Palm sugar
has a light caramel color, and its sweetness doesn't feel as sharp
as white sugar. Using palm sugar gives the syrup a beautiful golden
color which is a little lighter than the color of honey.

How to Make:

The first step of making che troi nuoc is to make the filling. You
need to cook the mung bean until it is very soft, and then mash or
process finely in a food processor. After that, you mix it with
sugar, coconut milk, and coconut to create the mung bean paste.
Divide the paste and form into small balls.

After you have the filling ready, proceed to making the dough.
First, mix glutinous rice flour with lukewarm water. Knead for a
couple of minutes, then divide and form small dough balls. You need
to gently wrap the dough tightly around the filling and try to avoid

creating air pockets as much as you can. Instructions and
step-by-step photos are in the recipe below. Next, bring a large pot
of water to a boil and drop the balls to the pot. You know they are
cooked when they float to the surface.

Making the ginger syrup is very easy. You just simmer ginger and
palm sugar in a pot of water. You can add one or two knotted pandan
leaves to the syrup for more fragrance but it is totally optional.
When the syrup is ready, add the glutinous dumplings and simmer for
about 5-7 minutes. This step will make the dumplings softer, and the
skin will turn from white to a subtle golden hue.

Some people like to drizzle some coconut sauce when serving but I
don't think it's a must. You can make the coconut sauce by simmering
coconut milk and adding some tapioca starch (or corn starch) slurry
to thicken it to your liking.

Sophie
           
  From: Delightfulplate.Com

MMMMM-------------------------------------------------



Cheers

Jim


... Dumplings are better than flowers, if you are hungry

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