I’m going to a food-and-movie party tomorrow (yes, I know I should have given this more thought beforehand) and I’m working on what to bring. The food is themed to the movies: for Big Trouble in Little China, we need to bring some kind of Chinese food appetizer, and for Army of Darkness, we need some kind of horror dessert.
I’m going to rip off this cake for the dessert. I’m pretty sure my reasonable culinary skills can replicate that acceptably well. I’d like to make something really spiffy for the Chinese food appetizer selection, but I’m coming up blank for something that can transport well. My crab rangoon is to die for, but by the time I fry it and drive it twenty miles it’s going to be soggy. I’m about to resort to picking up some frozen potstickers, but I’m looking for a better option.
Oh, and I live near Austin, TX. We have a LOT of good Asian supermarkets, so if you’re worried that I might not be able to get some ingredients, don’t worry too much. I’m a lot more worried about making something that American palates will like.
Glutinous rice balls with red bean paste in the center are a good choice, although I don’t know how easy they are to make. (I prefer eating stuff to making it.) You also can’t go wrong with chicken feet.
Spring rolls
Fried wontons (a little bit smaller/lighter than the “pot stickers”)
Roast pork buns
Sesame balls with bean or lotus paste centers
Pickled jellyfish
OK, that last one may be a bit too “authentic” for your crowd.
Ground pork meat balls, enhanced with minced green onions, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sugar and rice wine. Roll the formed meatballs (make them about the size of an egg) in raw rice. Steam them in a steamer until the both the meat and the rice are cooked through.
Serve them with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, green onions, and a few drops of sesame oil.
Do y’all not READ the original posts before you provide suggestions? <lol>
(Hint hint: read the part about why the OP is not making Crab Rangoon)
Of course, Crab Rangoon isn’t Chinese cuisine, so that’s a good reason right there not to make them, but that’s beside the point.
I’d suggest something like Water Chestnuts wrapped in bacon. Not sure how “authentic” they are, but they use tasty ingredients and they won’t go “mushy” like the fried stuff.
Szechuan Dan Dan noodles or Chinese Cold Sesame Noodles are a great potluck dish because they are savory, spicy, and can be served cold from a big bowl. The szechuan peppercorn is also a unique flavor and mouthfeel that a lot of people have never tasted, so it is unique.
Very simple to make and delicious…perfect party food.
{If you can’t get the fresh szechuan peppercorn at the asian food store, there are also various jarred preperations available that contain the peppercorns.)
Spicy coated deep fried peanuts. They sell these at my local chinese bakery, they call them “thousand flavor peanuts” and they’re fantastic. I’d recommend adding a half teaspoon of chipotle seasoning to give it a better kick and texture. The ones I buy look like a fully-coated version of these and have flavors which start spicy, transition to sweet, and then savory as you chew the peanut. They have great texture and the flavors are intriguing. They’re a great appetizer, assuming no one is on a diet. Really, peanuts have plenty of fat in them already, and deep frying them? Well, that’s just nuts. Good though.
Salt and pepper prawns. Scroll down for recipe - I’m sure the other recipes on that site are good too, but I can speak for the salt and pepper prawns. They’re pretty damn good.
Careful - some people like myself and many visitors i’ve taken around China find Sichuan peppercorn revolting. it has a very pungent taste, numbs your mouth and can cause
involuntary salivation. i’ve seen people at banquets involuntarily spit food out in reaction.
