Fresh Out of the Oven: The Food of FOtB

[photo fox]

It seems like food is going to be an ongoing and important topic in the episodes, so I thought it might be fun to have a thread about it.

I was watching a documentary on PBS the other night about Italian Americans, and they were talking about assimilation. There was an elderly gentleman who reminisced about his mother sending him to school (in the 20s/30s, I think) with sandwiches made from Italian bread, and how much he hated it because everyone else had sliced "sandwich" bread. I can't remember whether he said he started throwing his lunch away or eating with the janitor, but it struck me because it followed so closely to the pilot episode of FOtB, and also reminded me of the shared experiences in the Small Talk thread here.

One of those "the more things change..." moments.

[PRgal]

Like I said, I never took 100% Chinese style food to school.  It was always more western or fusion of some kind.  And my parents are immigrants from Hong Kong.  Then again, my parents aren't really all that traditional.  In fact, many people who came as 20somethings around the time my parents did (early-mid 1970s) - especially well-educated white collar workers - don't care THAT much.  Beyond basics like Chinese style roast chicken, steamed foods, stir fries and simple dumplings, I don't think I know how to make anything else.  My grandmother didn't even teach me how to cook ("a lady shouldn't be in the kitchen" - she thought that I'd ruin my hands).  These days, the meals I make at home are mostly western or fusion-y and my favourite comfort foods are grilled cheese, REAL mac and cheese (not the cr@p from a box.  I wasn't even allowed to eat that stuff as a kid) and rice (or these days, quinoa, spelt or polenta) with Bologese sauce (still haven't made my grandmother's recipe...yes, the same grandmother who said that I shouldn't be in the kitchen).

[solotrek]

I was reminded of this video. I think it's kind of funny as a kid growing up, we kind of wanted to be American. But now we try hard to embrace our heritage. The ABCs or maybe really young immigrants in the video were the ones who kept saying "this isn't real Chinese food" or "this is disgusting, no one would could compare this to real Chinese food", and the older people basically loved it.

[Zalyn]

I'm so glad to have this food topic! To start - "stinky tofu" (gotta christen the thread, right?)  One suggestion - maybe "Fresh from the Wok" instead? 

I was reminded of this video. I think it's kind of funny as a kid growing up, we kind of wanted to be American. But now we try hard to embrace our heritage. The ABCs or maybe really young immigrants in the video were the ones who kept saying "this isn't real Chinese food" or "this is disgusting, no one would could compare this to real Chinese food", and the older people basically loved it.

That's an interesting video for that difference between generations.  Some in the comments suggested that the older people were losing their sense of taste and so were okay with the food.  I wonder if some of the difference was due to socioeconomic change - I'm guessing the older generation might not have had as much (my  mom tells me that the Koreans who immigrated to the U.S. "weren't very high class") and so are less picky about food in general.  I am not ashamed to admit that I do occasionally eat Chinese takeout and enjoy it, but what makes me most sad is that most non-Asian Americans judge Chinese people and food by that standard, often times served in the buffets (ugh).  The chance of getting food poisoning from a good stir fry is infinitesimal compared to Western deli and salad bar stuff, but I see a lot of people blame Asian food for their woes.
 
Being of Korean descent, I got in trouble with peers when I brought stuff like this for lunch ("myul-chi", stir fried dried anchovies).  "Ewwww! Those still have the heads!  Do you eat the eyeballs and brains???" -- I'd get stuff like that all the time.  I stopped caring what they thought, but it did mean it was a bit hard to make friends.  My mom also tells me I went through a phase as a kindergartner when I insisted that I hated spinach because my peers did... then I got better and remembered that spinach, esp. cooked Korean style (blanched and tossed with soy sauce, sugar and sesame oil) was delicious. 

 

To this day, I have a hard time actually being excited about sandwiches (unless they are gourmet or banh mi) because I associate them with conformity.  How ironic that "conformity" is usually applied to Asians! 

 

At home, I cook a variety of foods - Chinese stir fries, curries (Thai and Indian), Korean foods, Moroccan tagine, Ethiopian spiced meats, roasted chickens, steaks, pastas, etc. - but I do find that I need the umami and spice power that's much more prevalent in Asian continent cooking (to include India). 

[solotrek]

That's an interesting video for that difference between generations.  Some in the comments suggested that the older people were losing their sense of taste and so were okay with the food.  I wonder if some of the difference was due to socioeconomic change - I'm guessing the older generation might not have had as much (my  mom tells me that the Koreans who immigrated to the U.S. "weren't very high class") and so are less picky about food in general.  I am not ashamed to admit that I do occasionally eat Chinese takeout and enjoy it, but what makes me most sad is that most non-Asian Americans judge Chinese people and food by that standard, often times served in the buffets (ugh).  The chance of getting food poisoning from a good stir fry is infinitesimal compared to Western deli and salad bar stuff, but I see a lot of people blame Asian food for their woes.

 

I kind of think it's funny because the kids kept talking about how good the food is in China, and how it just tastes worse in the US. I've had some pretty heinously bad version of Chinese food in China. Not to mention I wasn't sure if what I ordered was necessarily what I got in China. Or if the oil they were using to cook the food was actually cooking oil. So if bad Panda Express food is how they want to set the standard as opposed to the weird urine tasting chow mein I got in Kunming, go ahead.

 

Though blaming Asian food for their woes is kind of frustrating. Especially the MSG thing and how it's been disproven repeatedly yet still gives Chinese food a bad name.

 

To this day, I have a hard time actually being excited about sandwiches (unless they are gourmet or banh mi) because I associate them with conformity.  How ironic that "conformity" is usually applied to Asians!

 

I love making sandwiches with mantou (Chinese buns), stinky tofu spread, chili oil, a fried egg, lettuce, and tomato. It's kind of unhealthy but tastes great. Well, it tastes great to me. The rest of my family thinks it's an awful fusion of East-West and my husband can't deal with stinky tofu.

 

Being of Korean descent, I got in trouble with peers when I brought stuff like this for lunch ("myul-chi", stir fried dried anchovies).

 

Have you tried that Myulchi Bokkeum recipe? It looks delicious and I kind of want to try it.

[PRgal]

The vibe I got from the old people in the video was that they were trying to be polite rather than stating their mind.  They're saying one thing but thinking something else. 

[Zalyn]

I love making sandwiches with mantou (Chinese buns), stinky tofu spread, chili oil, a fried egg, lettuce, and tomato. It's kind of unhealthy but tastes great. Well, it tastes great to me. The rest of my family thinks it's an awful fusion of East-West and my husband can't deal with stinky tofu.

 

Have you tried that Myulchi Bokkeum recipe? It looks delicious and I kind of want to try it.

That sounds strange enough that I want to try it!  I'm not quite wise in the ways of stinky tofu yet so would have to research labels.  I haven't tried that particular recipe yet (was just looking for a good picture), but my partner has requested it (aka "Fishies!"), so I may give it a shot. My grandma made such good myulchi bokkeum...

 

The vibe I got from the old people in the video was that they were trying to be polite rather than stating their mind.  They're saying one thing but thinking something else. 

That's a good possibility too!

[arc]

I've had some pretty heinously bad version of Chinese food in China.

No lie, the worst xiao long bao (soup dumplings) I've ever had were in a neighborhood restaurant in Shanghai. No soup, and they didn't even bring out vinegar to serve it with. Just a tremendous lack of care.

 

Does Eddie Huang in real life have a weak stomach?  I've never eaten at his restaurant, but in this era I don't see subtle (or "bland") food being a hit, and it doesn't seem like that would go with his personality.

[Zalyn]

No lie, the worst xiao long bao (soup dumplings) I've ever had were in a neighborhood restaurant in Shanghai. No soup, and they didn't even bring out vinegar to serve it with. Just a tremendous lack of care.

 

Does Eddie Huang in real life have a weak stomach?  I've never eaten at his restaurant, but in this era I don't see subtle (or "bland") food being a hit, and it doesn't seem like that would go with his personality.

Oh man, I've developed a love of xiao long bao and make it a mission to get some in NYC whenever I'm there.  That would be so disappointing.  :(

 

Have you heard his food is bland?  From what I've seen of Bao Haus (haven't made it yet), it looks pretty tasty. I don't think it's fiery hot Szechuan though.  In the book, he did puke after trying to stomach mac and cheese, which was something that was cut from the show, sadly.  I could have envisioned a great scene there where he

first thought it was intestines (complete with fuzzy mirage image), and was hopeful, then discovered it was smelly cheese sauce and slimy noodles and puked after trying a mouthful.

[Ms Blue Jay]

I thought I had a weak stomach, but it turns out that I became lactose intolerant (I can't digest eggs either) in adulthood.  It was the Asian people in my life who made me realize that.  People always have these vague excuses for "feeling sick" after food or "feeling too full"; they have a "weak stomach" or "stomach issues"; but what I think they don't realize is these are all undiagnosed food intolerances or allergies, that should really be investigated.  I'm so happy I know now what I can or can't eat... unfortunately, I can't eat a lot.

 

I'm actually really happy there haven't been any puke scenes on FOTB.  Save that for other shows.  I have no hope that this great trend will continue though.

Edited March 4, 2015 by Ms Blue Jay

[PRgal]

I thought I had a weak stomach, but it turns out that I became lactose intolerant (I can't digest eggs either) in adulthood.  It was the Asian people in my life who made me realize that.  People always have these vague excuses for "feeling sick" after food or "feeling too full"; they have a "weak stomach" or "stomach issues"; but what I think they don't realize is these are all undiagnosed food intolerances or allergies, that should really be investigated.  I'm so happy I know now what I can or can't eat... unfortunately, I can't eat a lot.

 

I'm actually really happy there haven't been any puke scenes on FOTB.  Save that for other shows.  I have no hope that this great trend will continue though.

 

Sometimes it's hard to diagnose.  I thought I had celiac, but bloodwork indicated otherwise.  Doctors now think it's a yeast thing or maybe even certain grains/starchy foods (since I can't really handle potatoes or rice if there's too much of it).  I can most definitely do cheese, yogurt and regular milk if it's not too much - probably more than most Asians.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Of course it's hard to diagnose.  It's impossible to diagnose. That's my entire point. I've had dozens and dozens of tests with doctors that amounted to nothing.

 

That's why I said investigate it.  And I meant, personally investigate it.  I kept a food diary for several months where I wrote down every single thing I ate and monitored my symptoms after.  That's how I figured out I can't digest eggs properly.  I feel very strongly on doing your own work on this, because doctors have given me a lot of B.S. diagnoses when they couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Edited March 5, 2015 by Ms Blue Jay

[arc]

Have you heard his food is bland? From what I've seen of Bao Haus (haven't made it yet), it looks pretty tasty.

I'd assume it is tasty, but it just stuck out to me, the show mentioning a food issue for a guy who grew up to be a chef.

[biakbiak]

I'd assume it is tasty, but it just stuck out to me, the show mentioning a food issue for a guy who grew up to be a chef.

 

I have eaten at baohaus, it's okay though overrated. It's well-seasoned but it's not intended to be spicy, so who knows if he got over his weak stomach.

[Zalyn]

I'd assume it is tasty, but it just stuck out to me, the show mentioning a food issue for a guy who grew up to be a chef.

Everyone has something they can't/won't stomach; Julia Child hated cilantro (a common thing), for example.  As a child, I couldn't handle ginger in chunks or black peppercorns, and I would gag on oatmeal.  The mac and cheese story in the book was great to me because it made strange (as anthropologists say) what is seen as "normal" in America - for an outsider who had never had dairy (and is probably intolerant) and who isn't used to the slimy texture and chemically enhanced flavorings of box mac 'n cheese, it's entirely reasonable for it to be too much without hurting his food cred.  Some might even argue that it's not really "food," but a "food product."  ;)

 

I would be willing to try balut and just about everything else short of hakarl (rotten shark) and casu marzu (maggot cheese), but a lot of Midwestern Americana grosses me out from its cloying blandness and slimy texture. 

 

Sorry, Ms Blue Jay, didn't mean to be gross since I hate puke scenes too; mostly I wanted a scene where Eddie can't handle the "normal" food there. It would have been satisfying to see someone actually say it about the boring-icky potluck food the Stepfords made all the time.  :)

Edited March 5, 2015 by Zalyn

[PRgal]

Everyone has something they can't/won't stomach; Julia Child hated cilantro (a common thing), for example.  As a child, I couldn't handle ginger in chunks or black peppercorns, and I would gag on oatmeal.  The mac and cheese story in the book was great to me because it made strange (as anthropologists say) what is seen as "normal" in America - for an outsider who had never had dairy (and is probably intolerant) and who isn't used to the slimy texture and chemically enhanced flavorings of box mac 'n cheese, it's entirely reasonable for it to be too much without hurting his food cred.  Some might even argue that it's not really "food," but a "food product."  ;)

 

I would be willing to try balut and just about everything else short of hakarl (rotten shark) and casu marzu (maggot cheese), but a lot of Midwestern Americana grosses me out from its cloying blandness and slimy texture. 

 

Sorry, Ms Blue Jay, didn't mean to be gross since I hate puke scenes too; mostly I wanted a scene where Eddie can't handle the "normal" food there. It would have been satisfying to see someone actually say it about the boring-icky potluck food the Stepfords made all the time.  :)

 

But didn't Eddie want "normal American" food like the other kids?  It's very common for children of immigrants - especially those from more traditional food households (i.e. not mine).

[Zalyn]

But didn't Eddie want "normal American" food like the other kids?  It's very common for children of immigrants - especially those from more traditional food households (i.e. not mine).

He wanted it at lunch in school, yes, but it was for social acceptance, not because it actually tasted good.  And I'm pretty sure he wanted to like the gross mac 'n cheese in the book, but the body wasn't willing.  :) 

[PRgal]

He wanted it at lunch in school, yes, but it was for social acceptance, not because it actually tasted good.  And I'm pretty sure he wanted to like the gross mac 'n cheese in the book, but the body wasn't willing.  :) 

 

I guess i'm very different from Eddie then.  Love pizza, grilled cheese and mac and cheese (but only REAL stuff with REAL cheese, not boxed powder). It didn't really occur to me that Asians were mostly lactose intolerant until I was much older.

Edited March 6, 2015 by PRgal

[fishcakes]

Does Eddie Huang in real life have a weak stomach?  I've never eaten at his restaurant, but in this era I don't see subtle (or "bland") food being a hit, and it doesn't seem like that would go with his personality.

 

I don't think so. I'm reading the book right now and he talks about how as a kid one of his favorite dishes was a spicy pig intestine casserole made with green onions, garlic, a lot of chili oil and pig's blood. He didn't seem to have any digestive problems because of it, but one time he splashed some of the hot chili oil (both spicy hot and temperature hot) in his eye and while he was screaming in pain, his uncle pointed and laughed. As an aside, I'm not very far along in the book, but so far the adults are all pretty much dicks. I'm going to finish reading it, but I have to keep it separate in my head from the show or I wouldn't be able to watch, knowing how sanitized his parents are written for TV.

[Zalyn]

Ah, I just watched E07 so I see where the "weak stomach" things comes from.  An easy explanation is that anyone would have trouble after eating as much Sriracha as Eddie did.  Another more complex one might have to do with Chinese medicine; when I went to an herbalist/acupuncturist, he took my pulse and diagnosed the relative health/strength of various body systems, like respiratory and digestive (there are three common pulse points that correspond to these systems, I believe).  I always was told that I had a weak respiratory system; this was reflected in my allergies and constant sinus infections. 

 

My reading of the "weak stomach" thing is more akin to that - that it's diagnosed by a Chinese healer, so extra care is taken in food combinations and other things.  But with proper nutrition and health practices (like herb treatments), a weak system can be made stronger. I don't know how much this reflected Eddie's real life, but it could plausibly have made him very aware of food and appreciative of nuanced combinations - often times "weakness" can also be considered a sensitivity, easily overwhelmed, but potentially more discerning in the right circumstances.

[NYCFree]

Just ate at Baohaus today and really enjoyed it. It's really, really small with maybe fewer than ten places to sit. There are about four chairs on a narrow table facing a wall and one high table with about four more stools around it. Both my husband and myself got a bowl that sampled four different items. I thought two were absolutely delicious: a pork belly based one and a mixed pork stew. The fried chicken was a little bland to me--my husband thought it subtle. The last dish was a very spicy chicken dish. It was actually too spicy for me to eat, which isn't hard as I'm a heat-spice wimp. However, it was almost too spicy for my husband who frequently adds hot sauce to food. There were very accommodating in allowing us to modify our orders to just have extra cabbage instead of rice.

The decor is mostly graffiti/sticker based, or articles about Eddie Huang. A TV was playing episodes of his show on Vice, but the music was so loud you couldn't hear the audio.