This is probably a new question here — if you were telling stories about your time in China to your third-grade niece/cousin/neighbor, what would you tell? Every night when I put my 8-year-old daughter to bed, I spend about 10-15 minutes making up a story for her. One day I decided to make up a story about when she goes away to the Peace Corps in the year 2025. Quickly it became clear that this idea could sustain 10 minute stories for months, and she’s eating it up. I was a health volunteer in Peace Corps Togo (West Africa) in the mid-90s, but she decided that she wanted to be a PCV in China — near the pandas, of course. I’m tickled to find this website and see that the past week or two of stories I’ve completely made up haven’t been too far off-base. I have her living in the teacher apartments at a teacher’s college in a town in a poorer western province, training future English teachers who’ve studied English for a long time but don’t really know how to speak it. She’s got two best friends — Diana, a science teacher from Britain who’s been there for a year, and Ming-Tai, a brand new Chinese math teacher their age.

As these stories go, I don’t care about getting details exactly right — they’re make-believe stories for an 8-year-old, and she knows I’m no expert on China. But I’d like to get the flavor right and continue to have fun with them. Anyone here want to help me out here with story ideas?

Denver, CO: 7/11/11 at the Tattered Cover
Brooklyn, NY: 7/15/11 at Book Court
Concord, NH: 7/28 /11 at Gibsons
San Francisco, CA: 8/4/11 at Books Inc.

Good luck Mike! Here’s to your book being the next River Town. 

“Beyond Cabbage was conceived as a method of familiarizing members of the American community with local foods. The following guidebook is the result of investigations of local markets, discussions with members of the Beijing lay and scientific communities and referrals to numerous books on Chinese foods and cooking. This guidebook is not intended to serve as a cookbook, although it does contain some cooking suggestions. From the information contained in the book, it should be easier to adapt them for use in your favorite recipes.

I have been asked on numerous occasions whether it is possible to eat a nutritionally balanced diet while living in Beijing. As you review the nutritional contents of the various foods in this guidebook. I think you will see that there are nutritionally rich foods available. Whether or not you will be eating a nutritionally balanced diet will largely depend on how often you eat out, whether you regularly eat raw fruits and vegetables and how you prepare and plan your meals. I hope you will find this guidebook useful and that it will help you maintain the health of you and your family members.”

By Beth Brathaver, Registered Dietitian (Spring 1985)

Download full 59 page guide.

Mash doufu well. Stir remaining ingredients and refrigerate for 24 hours. Serve on toast with sprouts and tomatoes, if available.

*1 Jin=500g or ~1.1lb

In a bowl, mash doufu and mix in other ingredients. Form balls by squeezing the mixture out of your fist between your thumb and index finger. Scrape the ball off your hand with a spoon and gently plop in hot oil. Deep fry the doufu balls until golden brown.

VARIATION: If you want to use these in spaghetti or another dish, bake the balls for about 15-20 minutes in a hot oven and they’ll firm up to the texture of meatballs.

*1 Jin=500g or ~1.1lb

½ jin* doufu(white)
2 Tbs oil
la jiao paste to taste
4 sliced garlic cloves
1 green onion, cut into 1” pieces
2 Tbs starch in 2 Tbs cool water
salt to taste

Wash doufu and cut into one inch cubes. Heat oil to smoking in a wok. Add doufu and cook until brown. Add la jiao paste, onion, and garlic. Add water and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the water drops below the level of the doufu. Add the starch solution, stirring well. When sauce has thickened add salt to taste.

*1 Jin=500g or ~1.1lb

1 jin* doufu (white)
2 liang** ground pork
5 Tbs oil
3 Tbs chopped ginger
¼ cup broad bean paste
1 Tbs black pepper
la jiao to taste
salt to taste
2 Tbs soy
2 Tbs starch in 2 T cold water
4 stalks green onion, chopped
hua jiao to taste

Wash doufu and cut into cubes. Put into a wok and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and cool for 2-3 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Add oil to a wok and heat to boiling. Add meat and cook until brown. When meat is cooled, add ginger, green onions, broad bean paste, pepper and la jiao. Let cook for a few minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Add about 2 cups of water and let the mixture continue to cook on high heat. When in has reduced by half, add the doufu and stir to separate each piece, Add salt to taste, When it is seasoned the way you like, add 1 cup eater and let simmer for 15 minutes. The sauce level should be about 1 cm below the top of the doufu by the end of the simmering time. Combine soy sauce to the starch and water solution then add to sauce to thicken. When serving, sprinkle the top with hua jiao and cleaned green onion tops.

*1 Jin=500g or ~1.1lb
**2 liang=100g

Also, don’t forget to regularly check the job boards at Idealist.org where our very own China RPCV, Amy Potthast, is the Director of Service and Graduate Programs.