This is the second time I have tried to post this, but blogger ate my previous attempt. So lets try again. We are in the middle of a heat wave here in Sunny Southern California. When I left work, I work downtown fairly close to the beach, and it was 94 degrees I knew it was going to be a cooker inland where I live. I was right, 105 degrees. Right then and there I decided there would be no oven cooking tonight. Stove top steamer was the way to go. I broke out this book, Natural Meals in Minutes to a recipe I have been dreaming of making.
Chinese Steamed Buns, page 36. I was really getting into this. First I made the filling, the one listed on the same page is the one I used, but you could use any type you like. The filling was chocked full of my kind of Asian flavors, green onion, garlic, fresh ginger, cabbage, and five spice powder to name a few. By the way, the filling is absolutely spot on! The bun part called for a fine whole wheat flour so I chose whole wheat pastry flour. Once I got my bamboo steamer out and the water heating I began my journey to the far East. Now the filling is done and is fantastic so I have high expectations for the bun recipe. As I began the process, the doubts began to appear and they only continued to get worse as I went along. My flour seemed a bit grainy compared to my idea of fine flour, but being the MoFo trooper that I want to be I continued on. 
Off to the steamer they go. While they were steaming away I began my quick loosly based Asian Coleslaw. Shredded cabbage, grated carrots, red bell pepper, tomato, and some quickly roasted sunflower seeds all lightly topped with an Asian style dressing. I really loved this!
This is where my doubt and disappointment begins. The buns come out of the steamer and I decided to cut one in half and take a picture so all can see, but the bun was just that, bun. The filling was this tiny line across the bottom about 1/16 of an inch from the very bottom. I was so bummed. Too much dough and not enough filling. To try and save my dinner I cut off three-fourths of the bun and came up with these.
Well time to plate and go enjoy my trip to the far East.
In the end, I still needed to scrap out what filling I could and mix it with my coleslaw for dinner. All and all the flavors were dynamite, but when you waste all that time and ingredients to not have you meal turn out like you planned sucks!
Well time to plate and go enjoy my trip to the far East.
In the end, I still needed to scrap out what filling I could and mix it with my coleslaw for dinner. All and all the flavors were dynamite, but when you waste all that time and ingredients to not have you meal turn out like you planned sucks!
PS. you can go on amazon website to the book and search inside. It lets you read the page for these buns. Maybe someone out there will have better luck.
12 comments:
what's up with blogger being a brat to everyone lately? looks like "they" waited for vegan mofo to start for problems to truly appear. ;p
Blogger has been driving me nuts too the past week or so!
Your buns look lovely. he he he
Blogger = gotta love it, gotta HATE it ;0)
Great food, as always!! Glad you like that book!!
Geez, it is hot there. It finally cooled down here in Texas. Now it is in the '80s.
These bummer buns! (I know, I am a child)
Wow, I really, really can't imagine how life is like in California. I would insist to have a proper autumn. Here it's already cold, rainy and dark and I sort of like it.
(I won't like it in January, Februar, March, and April anymore though.)
Oooh I want to go to California, after lliving in South Florida for so long and now being back in MA, I am not looking forward to the winter time.
Nice buns by the way ;)
Ugh, computers-- can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em!
If it's any consolation they look great sliced up like that!
Can't wait to see that cousin pepper! :)
TOo bad those buns didn't turn out as well as you would have liked. But you defintitely get mofo points for trying!! YOur asian cole slaw looks like a great consolation prize :-)
Aw, that sucks! Maybe next time you can make the filling without all the fuss of the buns?
Good save, Sheree! Sounds like a very tasty dinner. 105 - yikes!
I wouldn't have been able to tell that they didn't come out ok by looking at the pics. buns aren't easy!
it's only been sunny in bits and pieces here in seattle. lots of rain. today was rainless enough that I could go outside and pull some weeds. when I say weeds, I mean little 5 inch tall trees on the lawn.
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