My Favorite Food--EVER!!

Remember the post I was promising that was all about my favorite food? The time has come. Unfortunately for me, I have NONE of this favorite food in my house. And seeing all the pictures of it reminds me of how badly I want it right now. Sigh.

A brief history:

Back in the day (before I was born or even thought of), my parents lived in Taiwan. (I have a brother that was 'MADE IN TAIWAN!) My Dad was a TOP SECRET undercover CIA agent. It sounds cool, huh? You know you wish your Dad was a secret agent. Just admit it.

There's lots of things he won't tell us because 'he'd have to kill us'. He doesn't get tired of using that line. Ever.

Anyway, my Dad also served his LDS mission there in Taiwan. And he learned that his favorite food was Chiao Tzu's. (or you can butcher it and call them Gyoza's, but your pronunciation would be wrong, my friend. WRONG!) He eventually found a recipe for them that topped all others he had tried. It's secret. You can't have it unless you're family. Sorry. But not as sorry as you're going to be when you see what you're missing out on.

From as early as I can remember, Chiao Tzu's have been a staple for special occasions. We could have them for our birthday or if someone special was coming over. Luckily, there were six of us kids so that meant that we could almost certainly get them a few times during the year. Score!! I still remember the time that my sister, Joyce picked beef stroganoff instead of Chiao Tzu's for her birthday. I curse her to this day for that choice. Did ya hear that Joyce?!

One time, when I was about 12, I was telling my Dad and step-mom that I could eat at least 40 Chiao Tzu's. (You see, usually we didn't fix anything else to go with them. That way you can eat until your heart is content. We usually made at least 200. And there was NEVER any left over. EVER.) My step-mom bet me an ice cream cone that I couldn't eat 40 Chiao Tzu's. She was sure she'd win. But guess what? At twelve years old, I ate 40. When I was done eating, I literally fell on the floor and groaned in pure agony. To this day, I don't think I've ever been that full in my life. I thought I was going to die. I could see the light. And you can bet that the LAST thing I felt like was the stupid ice cream cone that I had won. Speaking of... Bette, have you ever paid up on that ice cream cone? I'm ready now.
One time my Dad ate 80. He literally felt like he was going to die.

You see? My family loves food. Even if it nearly kills us. That's true love.

So, I think you know what I'm getting at...

When we visited my Dad in Washington, he made us his Chiao Tzu's. And because it was a Fast Sunday that day, you can bet that the anticipation was even more severe than usual.

I dream about this food. And now that John has been married to me for 8 years and has had the pleasure of taking part of this special food more than a few times, so does he.

The Chiao Tzu Preparation:

My Dad chopping the Chinese cabbage. Notice my Dad's perfect hair. It never moves. His full head of hair is a work of art. He has people stop him on the street to ask him how he does it. I'm not kidding. Zoom in on the pic.

See the green bowl? I have memories dating back to the time I was four years old using that bowl. See the 2 liters of squirt in the background? Having Squirt is ESSENTIAL when eating Chiao Tzu's. It clears the palate and gives you a great bloat. A must.

More strategic chopping:

Laura holding the finished secret recipe product:

Bowing Chiao Tzu's. It's an art. You must 'bow' them appropriately. I used to get yelled at as a child that mine looked like 'diapers' and my dad would give me several lessons. You must crimp to seal and give it a 'seat'. There's always someone who does a really bad job with one Chiao Tzu and that person gets really made fun of after it's been steamed. I'm happy to say it was Laura this year instead of me. Way to go, Laura!

These lungs (pronounced Lone-gs) are made of bamboo and they're the original ones my Dad purchased in Taiwan. They're seasoned. The more seasoned, the better. You can buy yourself some really great lung steamers from Bed, Bath and Beyond HERE. Even my Dad approves of their quality. That's sayin' something.

Chiao Tzu prep. It's almost time!!!

My step-mom also makes a recipe straight from Taiwan of Chinese Pan Fried Noodles. We were spoiled enough that we got these too. They're delish!

Here's Charlotte enjoying them:

The juice. I can drink this stuff. Your Chiao Tzu is NOT complete unless you have some of this. I always use more than anyone else because I'm a pig that way.

The finished product and the heathens grabbing. We always count to make sure it's EVEN and that everyone is served the same amount in each batch. No fair if someone gets more! When you're done, you must announce to everyone how many you consumed. He who consumes the most, WINS!

It's probably not smart to announce how many you ate to people who don't participate in the tradition, however. One time I went to a party where some 'fake' Gyoza's were served and I told everyone that I can eat 40 of them. I was definitely not as popular at that moment as I am with my family. I got a lot of weird stares and looks. RUDE!

This year I ate 30 plus a hearty serving of panfried noodles. The bloat was fantastic!

Clark and Grant came in first place with 40 a piece. Way to go, guys!

Dad, I'm ready for more. Can you come over and make me some?