Hi All, This is probably a new question here — if you were telling stories about your time in China to your third-grade niece/cousin/neighbor, what would you tell? Every night when I put my 8-year-old daughter to bed, I spend about 10-15 minutes making up a story for her. One day I decided to make [...]

PC China 11, Mike Levy has published a book, Kosher Chinese, all about his Peace Corps experience in Guiyang, Guizhou. Check out this great article they did on him in Gothamist.  He’s going to be touring his book throughout the summer, so try to catch him in: Denver, CO: 7/11/11 at the Tattered Cover Brooklyn, NY: [...]

Download full 59 page guide. “Beyond Cabbage was conceived as a method of familiarizing members of the American community with local foods. The following guidebook is the result of investigations of local markets, discussions with members of the Beijing lay and scientific communities and referrals to numerous books on Chinese foods and cooking. This guidebook [...]

1 jin* doufu (white) 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ cup chopped nuts or seeds ¼ cup onions, finely chopped 1-2 Tbs of your favorite herbs 2-4 Tbs mayonnaise salt/pepper Mash doufu well. Stir remaining ingredients and refrigerate for 24 hours. Serve on toast with sprouts and tomatoes, if available. *1 Jin=500g or ~1.1lb

½ jin* doufu (white) minced leafy veggies (optional) 2 green onions 1” ginger, smashed ½ cup flour 1/3 cup starch 1 Tbs soy sauce hua jiao to taste la jiao paste to taste salt to taste In a bowl, mash doufu and mix in other ingredients. Form balls by squeezing the mixture out of your [...]

Tofu braised in red sauce, also known as: Hong Shao Doufu 红烧豆腐 ½ jin* doufu(white) 2 Tbs oil la jiao paste to taste 4 sliced garlic cloves 1 green onion, cut into 1” pieces 2 Tbs starch in 2 Tbs cool water salt to taste Wash doufu and cut into one inch cubes. Heat oil [...]

Also known as: Mapo Doufu 麻婆豆腐 1 jin* doufu (white) 2 liang** ground pork 5 Tbs oil 3 Tbs chopped ginger ¼ cup broad bean paste 1 Tbs black pepper la jiao to taste salt to taste 2 Tbs soy 2 Tbs starch in 2 T cold water 4 stalks green onion, chopped hua jiao [...]

Blatant self-promotion aside, if you’re travelling to Chongqing this website: http://www.thechonx.com is a must visit.  Even though I put it together back in 2007 it’s still the most comprehensive English guide to Chongqing available on the interwebs.  While you’re there have some Dapanji and Shancheng for me!

For smart phone users the app created by Pleco is a wonderful for learning Chinese.  Download it from their site, it’s free!  http://www.pleco.com/

This Yahoo! Group: RPCVnetwork appears to be a particularly good resource for RPCVs who are looking for work. Subscribe to their updates to receive regular job postings at home and abroad. It picks up where the Peace Corps Hotline leaves off. Also, don’t forget to regularly check the job boards at Idealist.org where our very [...]

This post is for those who were raised on canned corn and green beans. Or those whose Western food education has led them to believe that all vegetables must be served raw or steamed till bland and flavorless. In China, vegetables usually take center stage in the various dishes you’ll find there and John over [...]

2 Tbs oil 2 cloves minced garlic 1 medium chopped onion 1-2 jin* frozen, crumbled tofu (white) 2 Tbs soy sauce 2 cup tomato sauce ½ tsp cumin 1 Tbs chili powder Saute onions and garlic in oil. Add tofu and soy sauce. After tofu begins to brown, stir in remaining ingredients. Serve hot over [...]