Yike Bike, Bowling, Manna.

A friend sent me a video link to a new invention, a Yike Bike. This bike was developed by a New Zealander and is absolutely great. I want one! Actually, these days I wouldn’t have any real use for one but if you are working, I think it would be fabulous to have. The link is at http://www.yikebike.com/site/gallery/video/yikebike-discovery-channel – do check it out I am sure you will be as delighted by the bike as I was.

Today we have one of our Travel Leagues, it is the last one of this season. As it is taking place at our local alley, we are trying out a new restaurant for lunch called The Rude Native. I don’t know much about it other than its a chain of some kind. Several of us very much enjoyed the My Thai, but one or two of the group wouldn’t join in so, to keep the group together, we are trying the new place. Knowing me, and food, you won’t be surprised that I don’t understand people who won’t try Thai or any other kind of different food. I personally believe in trying everything once – in a restaurant there are of course many things to try some of which you may or may not like. Anything I find I don’t like I have made a rule all my life to try again every couple of years and usually end up enjoying the food eventually.

I read the World Wide Recipes ezine every day and there is a section called The Last Morsel with, to me, an interesting excerpt from a book by Christa Weil called Fierce Food. The Intrepid Diner’s Guide to the Unusual, Exotic and Downright Bizarre, talking about manna. Most of us are familiar with the biblical version of manna from heaven. But this excerpt tells us what manna really is, bug excrement, basically. I admit, this I would be reluctant to try unless I was really starving which, I guess, the Israelites were at the time. If you are interested you can read Joe Barkson’s ezine at http://www.wwrecipes.com/ Its near the end.

For supper last night we had shrimp gumbo which is one of our favourites. Matt did the grocery shopping in the morning and brought home some nice fresh okra. Funnily enough, I had already got a packet of shrimp out ready to peel for supper. Great minds think alike. I had my asparagus for lunch yesterday, guess I will have to make some for an hors d’oeuvres tonight.

I found this different recipe for asparagus on Allrecipes.com.

Chinese Noodle Pancakes with Asparagus

Rated:

Submitted By: Jen

Photo By: Em

Servings: 4

"Chinese wheat noodles are double cooked, first in water until al dente and then mounded in a frying pan until crisp and brown. Then its smothered with a delicious sauce made from rice wine, soy sauce and wilted spinach. Next comes asparagus simmered in garlic and ginger."

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh Chinese wheat noodles

1/2 pound fresh asparagus

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger root

1 cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon fermented black beans

8 ounces spinach with stems, rinsed

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a large pot of water boil noodles until al dente. Drain well. Rinse with cool water until the noodles are cool.

2. Break off the tough ends of the asparagus, and cut the rest of the spears into 2-inch lengths. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger, saute for 1 minute, make sure not to brown the garlic. Add the asparagus and 1/2 cup water. Simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Put the cornstarch into a small mixing bowl, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup water and the rice wine or sherry. Stir well. Add this mixture, the soy sauce, and the fermented black beans, if you're using them, to the simmering vegetables. Let the sauce boil for a few seconds, add the spinach and stir until it wilts. Remove the skillet from the heat

4. Heat the remaining oil in a skillet over high heat. Divide the noodles into four mounds, and place the mounds of noodles in the hot frying pan. Flatten the mounds in the frying pan so that more surface area will brown, reduce the heat to medium-high, and fry the cakes for at least 5 minutes, until they develop a golden-brown crust on the bottom. Turn the cakes over, and fry them for 3 minutes

5. While the noodle cakes cook, reheat the vegetables and the sauce slightly. Add the sesame oil, salt and pepper to the vegetable mixture. Place the noodle cakes on plates, spoon the sauce and vegetables over and around the cakes, and serve.

Have a great day.