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| The Origin of the Rice Pattern Chinese Dishes |
At the first lesson the teacher said she would be demonstrating how to make 3 dishes each week, that there was no class participation, and I can’t remember now if we even tasted those meals. We must have.
The only other person I knew who could make Chinese food was my brother-in-law, Keith McBride.
He was a butcher who was hired by Canada Packers to sell meat to small restaurants in British Columbia.
He was a good salesman. He would promise his clients that he would personally pick the best sides of beef for them.
He was often selling in the small rural restaurants where Chinese food was being prepared, and soon Keith could make Chinese food to perfection.
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This is an underglaze blue & white pattern
which has been made in China for at least one hundred years.
Probably the most common pattern
ever made in China and
exported to the West in their millions,
at least over the last 50 years or so.
I imagine that almost everyone has owned or
eaten off or been exposed to this pattern.
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On seeing this class offered, I decided that if the only thing I could learn, was how to make fried rice, then the hours spent there would be well worth my time.
I learned more than how to make 1 dish.
Soon I could make fried rice, chicken chow mein, lemon chicken, pineapple chicken, egg foo young, spring rolls, Shanghai noodles, chop suey, egg drop soup, won ton soup, hot and sour soup, and sweet and sour pork.
Every week, I would practise making the three dishes I had learned in class, in all learning 30 new dishes.
Ten of them became staple meals that I made for my family for years.
Here is the take-away from the teacherSomeone said to her, “Oh, your relatives must love to come over to your house for Chinese food.”
She said, “Oh, I never make this for them. Too much work. When they come over, I just put in a turkey.”
Yes, there is a lot of chopping, a lot of preparation before the food hits the pan.
I bought a wok.
Eventually I bought a set of Chinese rice pattern dishes to serve the food on – a set for 12.
I went out of control buying every possible container in that pattern, spoons, plates, bowls, platters, chopstick holders, candle sticks. Oh sometimes I just can’t stop myself.
Those dishes are on loan to Mary right now.
I love thinking of them being used every day, even for cereal.
Arta
I have been the beneficiary of those classes. Your cake decorating class was also fabulous. I remember, in particular, icing elephants on top of cakes/cupcakes. I hate to think how much crisco shortening has gone through my body!
ReplyDeleteI have long forgotten the Wilton cake decorating classes. Yes, I took classes, studied books, and bought every Wilston specialty tip possible.
ReplyDeleteI am sure one of the classes was at the Coop. I think that is where I learned to do the elephants. Oh, they were so cute.
And I had forgotten the only decorating icing is the Crisco one. That is why those flowers and leaves, and elephants kept such good form.
To practise, I would take the afternoon while my kids were napping and make icing. Then I would practise using the tips around the outer edge of a plate. When I was through I would scrape it off, put it back in the tube and then try another round. That is why I got so good with those elephants. Practise. Practise. Practise. Now I can't even remember how to make them. I am sure there is some You Tuber out there with a good demo. I will go look for that, just for old times' sake.
Now when I see icing, I just scrape it off and leave it on the side of my plate. Icing is for decorative purposes only, unless it is made with cream cheese, or butter or a boiled icing ....
In the boxes of objects that are still dear to me are the pedestals on which tiered cakes sit. I decorated Moiya's wedding care for her. Having a 3 or 4 tiered wedding cake isn't high on a bride's list of "wants" these days. I can go right to the box and pull out those pedestals though.
I am wondering where the pictures in this post came from since I am using the dishes right now in Lethbridge. We are loving them. A few have broken, but I have not been too sad because I tell myself I can go to china town and replace them. I hope that is true -- is this a classic pattern that is always available.?
ReplyDeleteI am glad you are using them. Breakage is normal. I found the pictures on the web, but they are exactly like the ones you are using. The only difference is that you have way more dishes than I could ever find in one picture out on the web. I read up about the "classic pattern", about its myths and its realities. I put a small link to it in one of the pictures. I love funny parts of the set -- the big soup spoon, the fact that there are 2 soup bowl styles (deep to hold the heat and wide to cool it off).
ReplyDeleteDid you know I bought another pattern first -- so beautiful with gold and a lot of hand painting. Then I read in the Herald that this set was also full of lead. So back to the store it went and I came home with this pattern, which is probably a dish used by most Chinese restaurants.
I was wondering why I could only lend the dishes instead of giving them to you. When I was doing my writing I figured that out. The dishes contain the memories of the food I made and served. It is the memories I can't give away. Not the dishes.