Hakka Chinese are a unique group of individuals from China, decendants from the Han culture said to be affiliated with royalty.  Through the ages, the Hakka people have preserved their culture as well as embraced and dapted to the infusion of other ethnic groups.  Over the generations the Hakka people have migrated all over the world from south East Asia, East Africa, Europe, South America, US and Canada but the cultural characteristics remain in tact especially the cuisine.

The Chilli Chicken Boneless is a widely popular dish among the Hakka restaurants in the GTA (Fredricks, Lucky’s, Lin Garden) and now you can make it at home. For those of you who have never tried this dish expect it to be especially spicy and not for the faint hearted stomachs.

Made from chunks of boneless chicken mixed with the chillies, onions, and powders gives the Chili Chicken a spicy Indian flare to the traditional Chinese food which create the distinct Hakka taste that we all come to love.

Ingredients:
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 c vegetable oil
finely chopped ginger, about 2 tbsp or more
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
6 – 8 chicken thighs, skinned and boned
Salt and White Pepper
corn starch for coating chicken
5 green chilies, chopped coarsely
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 c water
1 tsp sugar
1/4 c soy sauce
2 tsp corn starchPreparation:

Directions:
1. Cut up chicken into bite-sized chunks, season with salt and pepper and coat in a dusting of corn starch.
2. Fry onions in oil in a wok, until browned and caramelized.
3. Add ginger and garlic and fry up, add the cumin and coriander, stir for another 30 seconds or so. Push up on the sides of the wok.
4. Add chicken pieces and fry until browned. Then gather the onion mixture into the chicken.
5. Add green chilies and green onion. Stir for about 30 seconds.
6. In a bowl, blend water, sugar, cornstarch and soy sauce. Toss into the centre of the wok. Remove from heat and stir until it thickens into a sauce. Mix in the chicken into the sauce.
7. Serve with steamed rice and steamed or stir-fried vegetables.
By the way, log onto the great wok cooking suggestions. Other chicken recipes include Soy Sauce Chicken and Lemongrass Chicken. The perfect finish to a meal of Green Chili Chicken would be Grilled Fruit and Milk Jelly.

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Lin Garden

Some great advice from the “Put Pork on your Fork” webpage on why you should ad more pork to your diet.  This is the best informative site you will find on how to buy,  cook, prepare, freeze and serve pork.

Here are some quick facts for you guys.

Pork is done at 71!

Pork need not be overcooked. In the past, it was recommended that pork be cooked to “well-done” to be safe, because of the risk of trichinosis. This, unfortunately, often resulted in dry, tough meat, and some people still associate pork with this negative experience. Fortunately, with improved food safety knowledge and better production methods in Canada, trichinosis is no longer a risk in Canadian pork. We now know pork can be cooked safely to “medium” (160°F/71°C), which produces a juicy and tender product. When cooked to “medium”, pork may still have just a hint of pink in the middle, for instance inside a cooked roast or very thick chop. The exception is ground pork and sausage, which like all ground meats, should be cooked thoroughly.

Pork, Part of a Healthy Diet

Following a healthy and well-balanced diet is one of the most important things you can do to achieve and maintain overall health. Luckily, many cuts of pork are lean and can be part of your healthy diet, even if you are trying to eat “heart smart”, manage diabetes, lose weight or just generally eat well.

Research has shown the benefits of eating adequate amounts of lean protein in your diet include stabilizing blood sugar, increasing satiety (the feeling of fullness after eating), and maintaining lean muscle mass even if losing body weight. The fat in pork is tran-fat free and mostly mono-and poly-unsaturated, so trimmed pork is suitable for even cholesterol-lowering or “heart-healthy” diets.

Lean pork, when trimmed of visible fat, is nutrient-dense, satisfying, and good for you.

Freezing Pork

With a little care, pork freezes well and will be just as tasty and juicy as fresh pork when cooked. When freezing pork, use sealable freezer bags, and remove as much air as possible from freezer bags before sealing to prevent “freezer burn”. Freezer burn is caused by loss of moisture on the surface of food. Meat that has freezer burn will have a dry discolored surface and when cooked, it will be tough and taste bland.

When freezing pork steaks, chops and patties, place a layer of waxed paper in-between each one to make it easy to separate them when defrosting.

If freezing leftover cooked pork or dishes made with pork, cool the dish (uncovered) at room temperature, then cover tightly and place in freezer within an hour after cooking.

Use frozen pork within the recommended time for best flavour and texture:

Pork Storing Guide

N/R – not recommended
* If vacuum packaged, check manufacturer’s date.

Pork Defrosting Guide

• Meat defrosted in a microwave oven should be cooked immediately. Follow microwave oven manufacturer’s directions.
• If you’re not using a microwave to defrost your meat, defrost it in your refrigerator.

Broiling/Pan-frying “Fast Fry”(thin, boneless) Pork Chops

Thin, boneless pork chops are usually very lean and can easily be overcooked. Broiling or pan-frying is a quick way to cook them without drying them out.

(1) Pat pork chops dry with paper towel and season as desired.
(2) Turn oven to “HIGH” broiler setting or place pan over medium high heat. Lightly spray or oil frying pan.
(3) Place pork on broiler pan 5 to 6 inches (13-15 cm) from heat or place pork in frying pan
(4) Broil or panfry until the pork is golden brown on one side (about 3 – 4 minutes); turn and broil or panfry the other side until golden brown (another 3 – 4 minutes).
Thin, boneless pork chops are also great for cutting into strips for stir-fry or noodle dishes or into small cubes for soups.

Grilling Pork Chops

Thicker pork chops, either boneless or bone-in, are fantastic on the BBQ with a rub.

(1) Pat pork chops dry with paper towel & rub with seasonings.
(2) Clean grill with BBQ brush and Preheat BBQ on HIGH.
(3) Place chops on grill & sear on each side (about 1 min/side)
(4) Reduce heat to MEDIUM. Brush chops with BBQ sauce, if desired, and close lid. Continue cooking for approximately 3 – 4 minutes per side (cooking time depends on thickness of chops).
(5) Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness without overcooking: cook to an internal temperature of 155°F – 160°F (68°C – 71°C).
(6) Thicker pork chops, either boneless or bone-in, are fantastic on the BBQ with a rub.

Click here to visit the Put Pork on your Fork website

Easy steps to cooking your Christmas turkey!  Here are the basics you’ll need to know to get your dinner started with easy to follow steps.

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2.  Remove turkey from its wrapping and remove neck and giblets from inside the cavity. Set aside to make gravy later (see Related eHows).

3.  Rinse turkey inside and out with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels.

4.  Put oven rack on lowest level of oven.

5.  Place turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack in a roasting pan.

6.  Rub the outside of the turkey with olive oil.

7.  Salt and pepper the turkey’s body and cavity.

8.  Roast turkey about 3 hours, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 175 to 180 degrees F.

Thanks to our friends from EHow for the recipe!

This video is pretty pretty funny but it actually works.  Just like the guy in the video I’ve been opening a banana the wrong way all my life.  We’ve been doing it backwards ever since!

Check out the Youtube video here.

Every year on November 11th we acknowledge the sacrifice and courage of those who have given their lives and served this country.  Besides wearing our poppies to say thanks we can remember to participate in the Remembrance day service by giving a minute of silence on the eleventh day on the eleventh hour.   The War Cake is to symbolize the type of foods eaten in times during the war when luxury foods weren’t too accessible.

War Cakes may vary depending on the personal recipes, but traditionally they are very heavy, dark, and made with less eggs, less milk, and less sugar.

Ingredients:

Combine and boil for 5 minutes only:

1 lb (about 2 cups) raisin
1 cup water
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup lard
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp each cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt

Let cool to lukewarm, then sift together and add:

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda

You can adjust the flavour of the cake by adding vanilla or brandy.

Directions:

Pour into a well-greased pan, about 8″ square.

Bake at 325°F for about one hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake doesn’t come out sticky.

Toronto Remembrance Events: