Recipes
Taiwan Lutheran Church
Taiwan’s political and economic history has greatly influenced its cuisine. Located about 100 miles off the east coast of China, the country has been involved in trade with mainland China and Japan for centuries. The migration of 1 million Chinese to the island after the 1949 communist takeover of China has resulted in a cuisine that reflects all of mainland China’s regional cooking. Traditional Taiwanese cuisine is dominated by seafood, and is also known for its soups. Taiwanese seasoning is milder and sweeter than most Chinese cooking, relying less on ginger and pepper. Because the people of Taiwan consider themselves ethnically Chinese or a part of a wider Chinese culture, it would be quite appropriate to serve a variety of Chinese dishes for a congregational meal. Taiwan’s role in the global economy has meant that many "western" companies have located there, and many Taiwanese have studied in Europe, Canada, Japan and the U.S. A visitor to a large city in Taiwan will find such things as pizza, tacos, sushi, hamburgers and fried chicken.
Sweet Soybean Milk
Soy beans play an important role in Asian cooking. The beans themselves are used, as well as flour made from dried beans, tofu made from soybean curd and soy sauce made from fermented beans. As an interesting comparison, you might have a can of soy-based infant formula for children to taste alongside this homemade preparation.
(Note: This will take a couple of days given the soaking time for the beans, so plan ahead. You also will need an electric blender and a cheesecloth bag or large piece of cheesecloth.)
1 pound soybeans
2 cups sugar
Step 1: Put the beans in a large pot and add water. The water should be three times the amount of soybeans by volume in the pot. (If the soybeans come up to 2 inches above the bottom of the pot, the water should be an additional 6 inches above that.) Soak the beans for 12 hours.
Step 2: Drain the beans and discard the soaking water. Add 7 cups of fresh water to the beans. Blend this bean and water mixture in an electric blender in several batches until all the beans are finely ground.
Step 3: Place the beans and an additional 8 cups of water in a large cheesecloth bag. Squeeze out the liquid into a large saucepan and discard the bean sediment left in the bag.
Step 4: Heat the soybean liquid over medium heat. When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. This will help remove the strong taste of the beans. Add 2 cups sugar to the milk and serve warm. |
Oyster Soup with Vermicelli
Makes 4 servings
Soup Ingredients:
1 pound of oysters, shucked (you can substitute canned oysters if fresh are not available)
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
a few fresh basil leaves
1/4 pound vermicelli, cooked (rice or wheat)
Sauce A Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon cooking wine or sherry
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Sauce B Ingredients:
2 tablespoons cooking wine or sherry
4 cups stock or water
1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
Step 1: Wash the oysters by rubbing gently in several changes of salt water. Blanch in boiling water. Remove and drain . Marinate in sauce A and set aside.
Step 2: Heat water in a large enough pot to cook the vermicelli. While this water is coming to a boil, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a preheated wok. Stir-fry garlic for three minutes, then add soy sauce and sauce B. Boil until thick. Stir in oysters and fresh basil and remove from heat. Don’t forget to drain your vermicelli!
Step 3: Place the warm and drained vermicelli noodles in a bowl. Pour the oyster soup over the noodles. |