The Cook Book

Yup. I suppose you could freeze or otherwise store it. This stuff is amazing and I am usually not a huge fan of salsa.

What was really difficult was finding the spices needed for seasoning the meat properly. Chili powder (the milder brown Ancho pepper stuff, not the fiery hot red Sichuan-type chilis) was extremely difficult to find, and heartbreakingly expensive when you did come across it. And there's obviously a lot of cumin running around out there- as per all the Xinjiang dishes and Zi Ran Yang Rou and so forth- but finding places in Eastern China that would actually sell some to me was quite a different story.

Yes so right Raoul,  I forgot the cumin for the refried beans and that is readily available. The oregano is also very necessary.  I left out the cheese as the merchants here are totally mercenary when it comes to anything a westerner may buy.  20 dollars a pound for pizza cheese.  which is the cheapest of all cheeses in the states.  never more than 2 or three dollars a pound.  The darker chili powder is hard to find but you can get pretty close to the flavor with a red pepper powder, on key is add the water from the red beans to the con carne.  Don't throw out the water from cooking the beans this helps to give it the flavor and the darker color. 

Here in the northeast of China barbeque is very popular so cumin is everywhere as are the venders from Xing Jiang who make the best barbeque.

Quite a scrummy little dessert.


1 tin sweetened condensed milk (if my little town has that it must be widespread!)
1 cup plain yoghurt (one of those little bags is about right)
1/4 cup lemon juice (or other fruit juice)

Mix together and it should start to thicken quickly. Put in little cups and refridgerate (or freeze) for a few hours.

It's quite sweet so it's best served with tinned or fresh fruit. From the fridge it works like a very thick custard, from the freezer it's like icecream.

Hmm, nice thought. Probably go as a cheesecake filler, too.

Yup! Mix with cream cheese, and that's wot you got!

Sounds yummy 

Ok, no cream to be found. But found this recipe for a non-dairy chocolate mousse. It actually sounds nice. Now, only trouble is, I can't figure out what the drat "silky tofu" is called in Chinese. Anyone know?

Oooooh please share!
I want tofu mousse 

Amaretto-Spiked Vegan Chocolate Mousse Recipe1/2 cup organic chocolate soy milk (for this recipe I like to use Vitasoy Rich Chocolate Soy Milk)
9 or 10 ounce bag of semisweet vegan chocolate chips (I've had good success with Tropical Source or Sunspire Brand all-natural brands, NOT carob chips)
12 ounces silken tofu
1/4 cup Amaretto or almond-flavored liquor
1/4 teaspoon natural pure almond extract (I use the Flavorganics Almond Extract for this recipe)
Pour the chocolate milk into a small pot and bring to a simmer. Remove the milk from heat and let cool a bit while you melt down the chocolate chips. You can melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or if you are like me, and don't own a double-boiler, you can cobble one together using a tiny saucepan set under a larger mixing bowl. Fill the tiny saucepan with an inch or two of water and bring barely to a simmer - place the big mixing bowl with the chocolate chips on top of the tiny saucepan and let the heat come up and gently warm the chips while you stir occasionally until completely melted. Remove from heat.
Add the soy milk and silken tofu to the melted chocolate chips. Process with a hand or regular blender until completely smooth. Stir in the Amaretto and almond extract. Taste and adjust for flavor, adding a bit more extract if needed.
Chill in the big bowl (or in individual bowls) for at least 1 1/2 hours, the longer the better. The pudding will set up nicely as it cools.

Silken tofu is just the really soft kind.
NOt the hard kind or the japanese kind. It's common as muck here. It's about the same consistency as creme caramel.

Yup! Mix with cream cheese, and that's wot you got!

But unfortunately I don't have access to cream cheese or even butter to make the base.

Margarine will not substitute.

Never mind, this puddingy mixture reminds me of when my grandmother used to make it. 

And thanks ETR for the recipe! I won't have the ingredients, but it's nice to dream 

Sounds yummy 

Ok, no cream to be found. But found this recipe for a non-dairy chocolate mousse. It actually sounds nice. Now, only trouble is, I can't figure out what the drat "silky tofu" is called in Chinese. Anyone know?

Soft/silken tofu(嫩豆腐 or 滑豆腐, nèn dòufǔ or huá dòufǔ, in Chinese, lit. "soft tofu" or "smooth tofu"; 絹漉し豆腐

Actually, can't get things like vitasoy, so I use this powder instant tofu desert, then just fix the flavour.

Well Schnerby, I am more than happy to one day make my way to wherever it is in China you are and make it, if you promise I can play with that dog of yours for at least half an hour

 
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Well Schnerby, I am more than happy to one day make my way to wherever it is in China you are and make it, if you promise I can play with that dog of yours for at least half an hour

Done.