Taste of Malaysia

Photos and details to come...

Seoul Food

Christine's: Seoul Food

That's right, it's time to explore a little "seoul food"! Although Korea has much in common with China and Japan in terms of dining style Korea has developed many uniquely Korean dishes. Some have become very well known such as the popular kimchi & bibim bap.

Sooo, what to expect on June 24th? Well, boiled rice & kimchi are a couple staple foods, and a traditional meal typically includes a soup dish too. Aside from the staples a meal would also consist of many side dishes (or Banchan): grilled meats, various vegetables and seafoods all carefully seasoned with a variety of unique spices. Yum!!
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BEVERAGES
Sara- Mocktail: alcohol-free concoction served during food prep.
Christine- Sommelier: manager of wine service during dinner
Shellee- Bev. served with dinner/dessert ie. sparkling water, tea...
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Resources:
www.koreainfogate.com/taste/food/recipemain.asp
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_cuisine
english.tour2korea.com/05food/main.asp?kosm=m5_1
iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/STUDENTS/Hwang/home.htm

Dim Sum

Erika's: Dim Sum

How did the tradition of Dim Sum start anyway? Well, many years ago travellers on the ancient silk road needed a place to take a nap, so teahouses were established along the roadside. Rural farmers, exhausted after working hard in the fields, would also go to teahouses for a relaxing afternoon of tea. At first, it was considered inappropriate to combine tea with food, because people believed it would lead to excessive weight gain. People later discovered that tea can aid in digestion, so teahouse owners began adding various little dumpling snacks, and from there the tradition of dim sum evolved!

Why the phrase "Dim Sum"? Well, dim sum is a Cantonese phrase translating literally to "touch the heart" but meaning "morsel/snack". Sounds good to me, I can hardly wait to "touch some hearts" and enjoy many steamy "morsels" with lots of piping-hot tea!

THE MENU
Meat Dish: Erika- Crispy Pork "Foot Ball" Dumplings
Veggie Dish: Camille- Roasted Garlic Gai-lain
Starch Dish: Christine- Chive Pancakes
Seafood Side: Sara- Sui-Mai Prawn, Pork & Shitake Dumplings
Mystery Dish: Guest- Pork Pot Stickers
Dessert: Michelle- Coconut Tapioca & Black Sticky Rice with Fruit

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BEVERAGES
MICHELLE- Mocktail: alcohol-free concoction served during food prep.
CHRISTINE- Sommelier: manager of wine service during dinner
ERIKA- Bev. served with dinner/dessert ie. sparkling water, tea...
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Resources:
www.asianonlinerecipes.com/dim_sum/dim_sum.php
chinesefood.about.com/library/bldimsum.htm
www.foodrecipeonline.com/chinese-cuisine/dim-sum-recipes/dim-sum-menu.php