Rice Crisis

Our trusty rice cooker went kaput last night.

We've had it for 3 years now, since our return from Australia. It wasn't fancy but did the job. It wasn't elegent either I might add; it sometimes dribbled and made a sticky mess on my kitchen top. Other times, the rice would stick horribly to the bottom of the pan but it was still easier than cooking rice in the microwave or in a saucepan.

We are lost without it. A Chinese household cannot function without a rice cooker. Even Jase said "Well, we can only eat noodles for so long..."! We are going to the Chinese supermarket over the next few days to get a replacement to sort out this crisis.

Speaking of Chinese cookery, I have just been watching a cookery programme on Sky where they were making "Chinese pork chops" with a stir fry of vegetables. He added apple to the stir fry "to keep it authentic".

Eh??

Since when does a Chinese stir fry of vegetables contain apple? I can understand that apple and pork is a typical Western combo but surely "authentic" was the wrong word to use when making a Chinese style dish? Not that there was anything remotely authentic about this "Chinese style" dish.

Much like those buffet "all you can eat" allegedly Chinese restaurants that are springing up everywhere nowadays. They serve poor quality pseudo-Chinese food in the worst possible way (it's like saying Pizza Hut food is Italian food). Don't eat at those places!!!

Sorry, I'll get off my soap box now...