Magores Eats Chinese Food

Okay.... Here's yet ANOTHER post I typed well in advance of internet access... Wrote this over two weeks ago...
====

The title of this post will pretty make much you say "Duh", if you know that I am IN China.

Before I came to Beijing, a lot of people asked me, "Do you like Chinese food?" Ummm. Yes. Who doesn't?

Of course, the next thing people seemed to say was, "You know... Chinese food is different in China." You know what? They were right.

Let me admit, right now, that I am afraid of restaraunts in China. My very first night here in China (37 days ago, or so), I was taken to a "local" restaraunt.

It was explained to me that it was a Chinese-Muslim place. I got no problem with that. I did have a problem with the food though.

I'm a big fan of pasta. I like grain-based foods. Noodles make me say "Yay". Bread gets a "Whoopie AND STUFF!" from me. But, the "chinese noodles" that night turned my stomach. It wasn't the noodles. It was the broth. Can you say dirty dishwater?

Okay, not a good start to my culinary adventures in China. But, thats okay. I got my shots before I came. And, maybe it was an anomaly.

And, thankfully, things have gotten much better since that that first night.

Part of the deal for me being here is that the school I work at feeds me. Essentially, this means they provide lunch on the days I work.

There is a regualr schedule that I haven't taken the time to figure out yet, but basically it works like this...
--Today-Noodles with a beef gravy thing plus cabbage, and an onion soup type thing after. I look forward to this. Very tasty grub.
--Other days...
----Chinese Noodle Day - I don't like this day. Dirty Dishwater. It turns out that the first night was NOT an anomoly. That's the way it is suppossed to taste. Ummmmmm..... Ugh. But, there is usually another part to the meal that is worthwhile.
----Pork Day - I like pig flesh as food. Pig fat is another story.
----Order Out Day - Our cook doesn't work on weekends, so we usually "order out" on Saturdays. This is the day where I am most likely to have the type of Chinese food that I am used to. Sweet and Sour this, Kung Pao that... I like this day.
----Rice - Rice is a staple part of many meals... Except when noodles and/or bread is involved. Believe it or not, not all Chinese people eat rice every day. In some parts of the country, bread based meals are more common. I like rice. I like these days.
----Bread - Bread is a staple of the days when rice and/or noodles isn't. From what I am told, in some parts of China, bread is far more prevalent than rice. It's not Wonder bread. And to be honest, I'm not a huge fan of whatever this bread is. It's not made of wheat. I think its made from sorghum. (I'm serious.) It's not bad, but I would much rather have rice.

So... That's lunch. That leaves two other meals a day. What do I do for them?

Breakfast...

I LOVE breakfast food. Eggs, bacon, omlets, sausage, pancakes, toast, cold cereal, hot cereal, OJ, you name it... I just don't like them at "breakfast time". I don't do breakfast. Coffee and/or a Coca-cola is breakfast.

I have discovered somthing that I like though. Across the the street from my tenement there is usually a street vendor selling these fried things... Fried bread, with an egg inside/on top of/within the bread, and a chunk of lettuce, with some spicy bean paste. This is good food. Costs 1RMB. Another morning vendor sells a thing with the same fried bread and beef(?) with green peppers. A little more expensive (3RMB), but totally worth it.

Lunch... I mentioned that.

Dinner... This is a crapshoot everyday.
-Some days I make "American food". Denver Omlets, for example. (I told you I like the food, just not at breakfast time).
-I have a "source" for fresh garlic, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc. I just need the garlic press (more on that later), and I will be making a huge batch of spagetti. My roommates don't even understand the concept. All the more reason to make it. My source for veggies is the market across the street. (More on that later.)
-Other days I do Convenience Noodles - This is an area where America got it wrong. "Convenience Noodles" in the US means... Cup O'Noodles? Top Ramen? PShaw! China got this one right. It's sort of hard to explain. Let me just say... If you want noodles for a meal, go Chinese.
-As I mentioned above, I like rice. I ate it as a meal in the US, and I do it here too.
-Street Food - I love the street food. One of the best peices of advice I ever got about China was from a guy who I don't know, that responded to my first post. He said, (and I paraphrase)..."Eat the street food. You can see the flame, you can see the utensils, you can see what is going on in the "kitchen"". This little piece of advice has proably been the best thing I could have ever learned before I got here. The street food is the way to go.

Speaking of street food....

There is a guy. I don't know his name. He sells little shishkabob thingies. 6 'bobs and a beer for 5 RMB. I don't care what the 'bobs are made of (my roommates sniffed carefully the one time I bought some for them), or what the locals pay. All I know is I walk away from him happy. (Actually, the coolest part is that I am a "regular". I know what to order, how much it will cost, and how long I might have to wait. And, unless he is busy, we chat a little.)

[ special note: I'm actually writing this section the day I'm posting this. The 'bob situation has gotten even better than the day I wrote the comments above. I think I mentioned the 'bob guy and the magazine guy in the Sheng Dan post.

This has gotten to be a regular little event in my day. Almost every day around 9pm or so, I wander outside and hang with the 'bob guy and the magazine guy. Sometimes 2 'bobs. Sometimes 4 or 6. Sometimes I go for the beer to wash down the 'bobs. It has become a little "practice session" for me. I get to practice the Chinese I learned that day. They correct me on my pronunciation. The other customers laugh at the laowei's (me) bad pronunciation (ch: shou de bu hao), and help me out too. It's a nice little excuse to get out of the house. Street food! Gotta love it! ]

Yawn....

I just realized that I'm tired.

A discussion of what I do when I'm desparate for something to eat that isn't street food will have to wait until another time..... aka "Chickn McNuggets and KFC. We don't do bird flu!"

So, for now, there you go....

I'm in China, and I eat... Shishkabobs!