[Sca-cooks] Meat and not potatoes feast

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Druighad at aol.com wrote:
>
> Also the milk buns are sometimes called "moon buns" but the are usually made
> or filled with sweet bean curd, so be careful if you go that route.

Are we talking about the cakes eaten in celebration of the Chinese Full
Moon Festival? The moon cakes I'm familiar with (which my or may not
bear any relation to moon buns) are pretty distinctive, don't look like
buns (more of a decoratively molded, filled pastry) and contain either
lotus seed paste or yellow bean paste (not curd, which is a different
animal) and salted duck egg yolks.

What I have seen, which might come pretty close, is a baked version of
the standard cha siu bao (normally a white, steamed bun filled with
barbecued pork and made with lard, flour, sugar, milk or water, salt,
and either yeast or baking powder, or both). The yellowish baked version
has had some eggs added to the basic dough, but there are baked buns
available unfilled, also, not to mention ones filled with custard,
yellow or black bean paste, among other types. I assume James is
referring to unfilled ones, which aren't too far from brioche, although
not nearly as rich (fewer eggs, lard or shortening instead of butter).

Adamantius
--
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com

"It was so blatant that Roger threw at him.  Clemens gets away with
things that get other people thrown out of games.  As long as they
let him get away with it, it's going  to continue." -- Joe Torre, 9/98