Family feast: Dumplings, fish, seafood soup, Shandong clams, sea cucumber, shrimp, jellyfish, and more in Zhangqiu!

Ma Shushu, Song Ayi, and Ma Pei

The Ma family welcomed us with a dinner banquet at a local restaurant.

Sometimes, I am suspicious of generosity. I don’t know where this feeling originates but six hours from Běijīng into the home of Mapei’s family in Zhāngqiū, my skepticism melts with every meal. The evening my team and I arrive, Mapei and her father, Ma Shushu, whisk us away to a restaurant and introduce us to her mother, aunt, and uncle. Ma Shushu raises his glass every three minutes throughout the meal, toasting our new friendship. Our feast never allows our plates to stay empty and Shandong’s Tsingtao flows freely.

Chinese breakfast: bread, boiled peanuts, salty duck eggs, deep-fried ribbontail fish, youtiao (deep-fried dough sticks), and dou jiang (soy milk)

Mapei’s family brought us to their home where bananas, nectarines, and melons were offered to us daily. Each night her parents retired elsewhere, giving my team their beds then returning each morning to prepare our breakfast of warm dòu jiāng (豆浆, soy milk), yóutiáo (油条, deep fried dough sticks), xián yādàn (咸鸭蛋, salted duck eggs), and other savory sides.

After breakfast Ma Shushu drops us off at Baimai Springs.

Statue of Song dynasty poet, Li Qingzhao.

Mapei walks us through Zhāngqiū’s park, once the residence of the female Song Dynasty poet Lǐ Qīngzhào (李清照) .

Two of these electric pots cook everything learned in the recipe lessons

At ten o’clock we return home where Ma Shushu and her mother Song Ayi are prepping the vegetables. I asked for two to three family-favorite dishes, but today’s menu will feature eight dishes and a soup! At home, I complain that only one of my two stove top burners is operational but there is no stove in their kitchen. Ma Shushu, my culinary leader and comrade of the day blanches, tosses, fries, and boils all nine dishes on two electric pots, alternating them as Song Ayi washes one for the next dish.

Xiānggū Dùn Jī (香菇炖鸡, Braised Chicken with Champignon)

Typically, Mapei’s family eats two to threej dishes per meal, but her parents wish for us to experience more dishes during our short stay. Ma Shushu remembered my love for the Xiānggū Dùn Jī (香菇炖鸡, Braised Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms) from the night before and taught me how to make it using a whole Tǔ jī (土鸡, cage-free chicken), from the comb to its claws.

From Ma Shushu, I learned that most dishes in China are cooked with all or two of the trio, Cōng Jiāng Suàn (葱姜蒜; scallion, ginger, and garlic).

A feast!

The menu:

1. Jiāng Zhī Dà Xiā (姜汁大虾, Ginger Boiled Prawns)
2. Liáng Bàn Hǎizhétóu (凉拌海蜇头, Jellyfish) – cold dish
3. Là Chǎo Huāgé (辣炒花蛤, Spicy Stir-fried Shandong Clams)
4. Cōng Shāo Hǎishēn (葱烧海参, Braised Sea Cucumbers with Spring Onion)
5. Táng Cù Yú (糖醋鱼, Sweet and Sour Fish)
6. Jiǔ Huā Biǎndòu (韭花扁豆, Hyacinth Bean in Leek Blossom Sauce ) – cold dish
7. Xiānggū Dùn Jī (香菇炖鸡, Braised Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms)
8. Liáng Bàn Tónghāo (凉拌茼蒿, Chrysanthemum) – cold dish
9. Hǎixiān Gēdā Tāng (海鲜疙瘩汤, Seafood Dumpling Soup )

Fostering world peace through talks at a very important place - the dinner table!

Throughout the meal, Ma Shushu asks me questions regarding life in the United States. He assumes life for Americans is improving with President Obama at the helm. He wonders if it is possible for my husband of Chinese heritage to get along smoothly with myself of Filipino and Danish American background. I reply, “Dangran!” Of course! The evening’s conversation vanquishes cultural assumptions to the best of our ability and we are one meal closer to world peace. After our sumptuous meal, complete with multiple Tsingtao beer toasts, we are asked to “Xiushi, xiushi!” Rest, rest! The lunch floors us harder than any Thanksgiving dinner I’ve ever had so we don’t protest.

I wake up at six in the evening and walk into the kitchen. Song Ayi greets me with a silver mixing bowl of pork marinating in soy sauce, ginger, garlic, five spice powder, and salt. At the cutting board are finely chopped  jiǔcài (韭菜, leek) which she adds to the meat and stirs for our shuí jiǎo (水饺, boiled dumpling) filling. She explains how to make the dough we will use for the dumpling skin but pulls out a bowl of kneaded dough she has set aside to mature for three hours. She muscles the dough on a flour dusted board, kneading to strengthen it for wrapping. She gives me a 1-inch dowel so that I have my turn at rolling out dumpling skins; it becomes fun as I develop a rhythm.

The guys in the ShowShanti team wake up from their nap and join for the fun part, pinching together the dumplings. Including Mapei’s family members, we are six circling the the dining table, making dumplings together as a family. I am happy.

We are stuffed for the third time in one day. After fruit and tea in the living room, we all retire to rest for our morning drive into the country where another family feast awaits.

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