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Hong Kong is a gourmet’s paradise, filled with restaurants featuring all kinds of Chinese cuisine, as well as restaurants featuring food from all parts of the globe. The following two dishes are simple to prepare, and might be considered a form of Hong Kong "fast food" available from street vendors. Hong Kong is once more part of China, and you can incorporate any Chinese cooking to present a Hong Kong meal.

One activity you might want to do with children is have them grow bean sprouts, as they are commonly used in Chinese cooking. You will need a quart jar and a piece of screen to cover the mouth of the jar. Measure beans into the jar and rinse several times. Cover with water and soak overnight. The next day, drain the water and rinse the beans until the water runs clear. Drain well, and gently shake beans to distribute evenly on the side of the jar. Store the jar in a dark warm place, like a kitchen cabinet. Rinse seeds and drain 2 times a day (3 in hot weather), making sure to drain well to prevent souring. Place the jar in the light the last day or so to have the sprouts develop a green color. For mung beans, use 2 to 3 tablespoons of beans and soak 12 to 16 hours the first day. Sprouts will usually have grown in 3 to 4 days. For soybeans, use 1/4 cup beans and soak 8 to 10 hours the first day. The sprouts will have grown in 3 to 5 days.

Omelet with bean sprouts Serves 2 3 eggs 1 tablespoon milk dash soy sauce 2 cups bean sprouts (mung bean or soy bean) 3 scallions/green onions, finely chopped 1 tablespoon oil salt and pepper to taste In a bowl, beat eggs and then mix in milk, soy sauce, salt and pepper, scallions and bean sprouts. Heat the oil in an omelet or frying pan, pour in the egg mixture and cook quickly, turning once. Recipe from The New Internationalist Food Book by Troth Wells, Second Story Press, 1995, p. 38.

Noodle Soup Serves 4 2 carrots, chopped into matchstick size 1 quart stock or water 1 cup shredded cabbage 1-1/2 cups bean sprouts 3/4 cup bamboo shoots, finely sliced 2 scallions/green onions, finely chopped 2 tomatoes, sliced 3 tablespoons soy sauce 1/2 cup bean thread noodles* salt and pepper oil Heat some oil in a saucepan or wok and briskly fry the carrots, cabbage, bamboo shoots and tomatoes with a little salt for five minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in the water or stock and stir well, then add the noodles. Bring the soup to a boil, and then let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add bean sprouts and chopped scallions. Then spoon in soy sauce, add salt and pepper to taste and simmer gently for another ten minutes. (*Bean thread noodles are thin clear noodles made from mung bean or soy bean starch. They are sometimes called Chinese vermicelli or shining noodles, and are available in Asian groceries or sometimes in larger supermarkets.) Recipe from The World in Your Kitchen by Troth Wells, Second Story Press, 1993, p. 44.