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Winter Food Memories
墨書 Inktalez
In winter, amidst the bitter cold and dryness, when everything seems to wither away, the sun shines brightly. During this season, the greatest concern is not that your cozy bed will mysteriously steal away your morning light, but rather that you should be cautious when passing by a cake shop: keep your wallet safe from being robbed.
The warm glow of the lights makes one feel drowsy; there’s no scent of wine, but instead, the lingering aroma of bread fills the air. Savory meat floss and cheese sandwiches, egg and ham sandwiches, sweet Oreo milkshake buns, chocolate Swiss rolls, and various flavors of chewy daifuku and caramel egg pudding—amidst this "star-studded lineup," one cake quietly hides in the corner yet stands out spectacularly, impossible to ignore.
Ding ding ding! Today’s star is the Fresh Strawberry Cream Cake. No one in the world can resist the sweet and tangy allure of bright red strawberries, paired with elegant, silky cream and soft cake layers. A spoonful scooped up and popped into your mouth brings a sweet and gentle taste to your tongue, reminiscent of a lover's kiss—an experience worth savoring.
A bowl of hot Snow Vegetable and Egg Noodles is enough to warm your insides during the harsh winter months. The broth is fresh and flavorful, with fried eggs creating a milky soup base. Sprinkled with chopped scallions, even simple noodles can taste delightful. In my memory, Snow Vegetable and Egg Noodles must be made with flat, thin noodles that provide a gentle texture; the essence of this dish lies in its rich snow vegetable broth. The preparation is quite homely: first fry the eggs in oil until cooked, then add water; when it reaches a gentle boil, toss in some snow vegetables. If you have bamboo shoots on hand, they add an extra freshness and a delightful crunch.
I love beef meatballs and often toss three or four into the pot when adding snow vegetables. The beef meatballs are firm and plump, tender and bouncy when bitten into; even boiled plain they are delicious and nutritious. Snow Vegetable and Egg Noodles are my mother’s specialty; although she sometimes adds some green spinach that disrupts its aesthetic appeal, I still love her version because she always makes me an extra fragrant fried egg.
For those who don’t understand Spicy Stir-Fried Pork, how can they truly appreciate food? Spicy Stir-Fried Pork is a simple home-cooked dish; I prefer to call it "Little Stir-Fried Meat," as it feels more intimate. Even those who aren’t fond of spicy food cannot resist its appetizing allure. The rich aroma assaults your senses before you even taste it. The tender slices of meat are simply irresistible. There’s a restaurant that specializes in freshly stir-fried Spicy Stir-Fried Pork, with branches all over the country; it has become their signature dish.
I actually don’t know how to make this dish myself, but I love to eat it; it often graces our family table as a cherished memory for my taste buds. Online tutorials provide detailed guidance: prepare two green chili peppers, a piece of pork shoulder, and a piece of pork belly. Slice the pork shoulder and marinate it simply with salt, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce while massaging it to ensure even flavoring. First fry the chili peppers until cooked; once they show slight tiger skin patterns on their surface, remove them for later use. Next, add the pork belly to render out its fat for added fragrance before adding in the marinated pork shoulder. Stir-fry until it’s colored nicely before tossing in the green peppers for a quick toss before serving hot.
With this plate of Little Stir-Fried Meat, eating three bowls of rice wouldn’t be excessive at all. Winter is harsh; we need warmth for both our hearts and our stomachs.
When listing winter delicacies, hot pot must surely be among them.
There is nothing quite like hot pot, with its spicy and boiling attributes, to counter the cold and ruthless nature of a long winter. In fact, hot pot isn't entirely about the heat; it is definitely characterized by its boiling nature. Whether it's a clear broth or a spicy red broth, the key is to "cook" the ingredients thoroughly. The variety of hot pot ingredients is abundant, suitable for both meat lovers and vegetarians. As a carnivore, I prefer fatty lamb rolls over fatty beef rolls. Shrimp paste is one of the most popular items among hot pot ingredients, but I am not among the many who enjoy it.
There are many ways to prepare shrimp paste, and one interesting method is to stuff it into gluten. I enjoy making this for my friends. Compared to dining out at a hot pot restaurant, cooking with a small electric pot at home feels much more liberating. The usual approach starts with selecting a favorite broth; I like either beef tallow red broth or tomato broth. Authentic red broth is fragrant, while tomato broth is refreshing and helps cut through greasiness. As for ingredients, I can't do without my beef meatballs and fatty lamb rolls, along with soaked gluten, cheese rice cakes, and thin potato slices. Adding some leafy greens is the finishing touch.
At my friend's house, they also cook hot pot in winter, but their approach is healthier; they make their own pork rib broth. A bit of Kawasaki sauce added to the broth serves as a secret seasoning.
First, they add several aromatics to eliminate any fishy smell—ginger slices, scallions, star anise, and cinnamon—throwing them all into the pot. This step is crucial as it greatly influences the flavor of the broth. Next, they add pork ribs and oil tofu—ingredients that take longer to cook—to slowly simmer into a sweet and savory soup. This type of broth is likely better suited for lighter ingredients, so they prepare a plate of crunchy wood ear mushrooms, tender bamboo shoots, and pork scallion dumplings that are warm and juicy when bitten into, served with delicate vermicelli as a staple.
What starts as a simple sweet pork rib broth transforms into a vibrant mix of flavors with each additional ingredient added in. Familiar faces gather around the table to enjoy the pork rib hot pot together, as if collectively writing the word "winter" into a warm grid of characters. Warmth radiates—not scalding but comforting—that's the impression my friend's pork rib hot pot leaves me with.
I crave it now.
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