Sunday, October 2, 2011

Nothing exciting . . .

has happened recently. No trips, no adventures, just life, living and enjoying the expected. I love to eat Won Tun, NO ! not the HK (Hong Kong) style with bamboo shoots or shrimps, but plain with just pork and some seasoning. That's me, the simpler the better. Few places make this Cantonese style anymore so we just have to make them ourselves

P1080069

It is also hard to find the brand of Won Tun wrappers that I prefer, which are large squares and thin. The package above was a compromise as it was the only kind I could find on short notice from the Asian mall

I am an old hand at making these bite-size delicacies. When I was much younger I used to have a part time job downtown on Friday nights and Saturdays and I used to stop by this chinese restaurant for dinner and the waiters usually sat at a large round table at the rear of the restaurant, often making Won Tun between customers to keep busy. I would often watch them as I ate my dinner and over the years I have become quite proficient in their production.

P1080067

soon I have neatly stacked rows of Won Ton in my container. Enough for three meals which we devoured last week. Just have to add some boiled broccoli, and some soup base to float them in.

P1080068

We have found it is best to boil/cook the Won Tun separately in its own boiling water to eliminate the starch build-up, then scoop them out into a bowl, and add the soup and vegetables. Soon you are eating

Hmmm delicious . . .

P1080071

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

This week was also time for house repairs. We had a problem with the siding on one side of our house which needed to be replaced. We also thought we should replace the rotted out wood framed windows at the same time, and also have an exhaust fan installed in the downstairs washroom

I rushed home and found my old window frames in the contractor's trailer

P1080072

The first day was to remove the siding and rebuild the rotten areas. The second day was to install my new double paned sliding windows.

P1080077

and by the time Friday rolled around, the siding was nearly installed

P1080087

The original siding was heavy duty cedar which is hard to get, but it was replaced with siding made of compressed concrete which will never rot. It comes pre-primed and soon will be painted to match the rest of the trim .

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the way to work Friday morning I took a different route which led me nearly downtown. At this time of year I leave home around sunrise and I noticed this scene as I travelled northbound down Cambie Street . I just can't resist a colourful sunrise so I pulled over and unpacked my camera

P1080082

here is a closer view . . .

P1080079

I then set my Lumix ZS3 to full zoom and came up with this closer view

P1080080

As I headed Eastbound on West 2nd Avenue towards Knight Road I noticed the new refurbished BC Place Stadium, which was scheduled for its grand opening later this evening.

P1080084

The new retractable roof is nearly finished. There are still problems with having the joints sealed and the contractor has run "out of time"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I just couldn't resist this graffiti. The hardest 3 words in a male's vocabulary

P1080083

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOTE: I am having problems posting comments on "some blogs" so don't think I am ignoring any one. I am having problems posting on:

Confessions of an Ageing Motorcyclist: Geoff
Two Wheelers Revisited: Sonja

There are more but I can't remember right now. It may have something to do with the new blogger templates. I have already reset Internet Explorer 8 back to default settings, and I am open to further suggestions, thank you

10 comments:

  1. We have fibre cement sidings too Bob. Our place was built in the late 60's or thereabouts which is about the time when asbestos stopped being used in NZ as a reinforcing medium. Consequently, I make sure that the paint stays in good condition, just to be sure!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bob, there is a Chinese restaurant here in my little town that makes a simple won ton soup. The broth is nearly clear and with a few simple vegetables and a bit of pork. It looks so simple you might think there would be no flavor but it's delicious. Mmmm...

    ReplyDelete
  3. I thought that there would be a video showing how to fold them. All we generally have around here are the little squares available at the local mega-mart. So when I make them, there is little room for filling and you get mostly dough. The ones in your picture look pretty good!

    Richard

    ReplyDelete
  4. Remember Wok with Yan? With your jokes you need an apron that says Wet Coast Wokin and show us more of your wonderful dishes. I worked in a Chinese restaurant for 4 years and have made my fair share of won ton, but they were never folded as neat as yours.
    Congrats on the home renovations, your heating bill should drop this year with new windows and siding installed.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dear Bobskoot:

    If I lived across the street from you, I'd be conning you into making those Won Tun's five nights a week. They are among my favorite Asian dishes.

    My deepest sympathies for having to do major siding repairs on the house. What a pain in the ass! But you have picked the best time to tackle it, before the bad weather sets in. Isn't it amazing to watch how a competent contractor replaces windoes? Two were replaced in a living room here, without distrubing the stucco on the outside.

    I have never heard of concrete siding before... It should last forever.

    Fondest regards,
    Jack/reep

    ReplyDelete
  6. Good job on those Won Ton's Bobskoot, nicely done.

    I agree, we need a how to video.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sometimes nothing exciting happens. And we may think it is boring at the time. But it sure is missed when things are happening so fast that we can't seem to breath. I am happy things are calm for you, and love that the windows and siding were replaced in a timely and efficient manner.

    Great sunrise photos. I, too, am a sucker for them.

    And the wontons looks delicious!

    PS. My word verification is aptly "eating". Too funny.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Won ton is one of my faves! I agree with the others a little video would be good, I would love to see how they are folded.

    We have to do stucco repair and put in new windows, i think its going to be springtime next year, too busy riding motorcycles and scooters.

    ReplyDelete
  9. For you... the hat! lol!
    http://ladyridesalot.blogspot.com/2011/10/and-they-call-me-maxine.html

    ReplyDelete
  10. Geoff: I have never heard about cement siding, until now. Hopefully it won't rot anymore

    Doug: sometimes the simplist broth can taste delicious, better than powdered mix. The won tun seems to taste better the next day

    RichardM: In the photo there are two packages, one is the little squares, and the one on the left are the larger squares. I like the bigger ones

    Troubador: We did eat at Wok with Yan several times. What a small world knowing you worked at a chinese restaurant. I worked at a restaurant one weekend washing dishes . I am not a cook but more of a baker . . .

    Jack: The siding should have been replaced last year but I was too busy riding. The window had rotted and I heard some noises in the wall so it had to be repaired fast. I managed to find a reliable contractor to do it before our rainy season. It is so nice to be able to look out my new window and not feel the draft

    Trobairitz:

    I think we need a Troubador video first. He has 4 years of experience in a Chinese Restaurant.

    Steel Cupcake: It feels good to do nothing once in a while. Most often vacations are so busy you have to take another vacation to recover. I love Won Tun and we have many Won Tun noodle houses up here, but you can't go out all the time.

    I'm glad the siding is done, we only have two more large windows to replace, perhaps next year.

    Dar: As long as you don't have any leaks, you can defer your repairs. Unfortunately our siding has been rotting for a few years now and I was dreading the thought of having to spend more money. First the car, then the stove, then the siding . . . repairs never stop, better to go for a ride

    Lady R: I love your hat, I have a similar one with wider brims all around. I have to wear a hat too

    ReplyDelete