Scooterworks Thai New Year Party

Here are some pics from the Songkran party at Scooterworks. Find more here: http://www.nickgwyer.com/sw/
Thanks to Nick and Karen for their happy snapping.

Five Circles Festival continues 18th April

Chinatown Arts Space present the second performance from their Five Circles Festival. (The first was the Dragon Tongue Squad, Kevin Quan and Suki Mok show). At the Royal Opera House once again:

Classic Film, Contemporary Score (UK/China)
Friday 18 April 2008, 8pm
Linbury Studio Theatre at the Royal Opera House
£12 Adults, £8 Students & ROH Access List, £5 Standing

World premiere by four British Chinese composer/musicians Chi2, Jiang Li and Kimho Ip of an exciting new score for the award-winning Chinese silent movie Song of the Fishermen (1934).

Royal Opera House Box Office: 020 7304 4000
Online booking: www.roh.org.uk

Playlist Tuesday 25th March 2008

• Introduction - Welcome To Thailand - Thai Pop Spectacular 1960s-1980s
  
• Crazy 4 Hip Hop - Dragon Tongue Squad
  
• Yellow Bird - Rita & Sakura
  
• How Sentimental Can I Be - The Mellows & Lillian Leach
  
• Bye Bye Seventeen - Poon Sow Keng
  
• Lullabye of the Bells - The Deltaires
  
• Ding Dong Song - Siao Fong Fong (pictured in her role as Jet Li's Mum in Fong Sai Yuk - one of my favourite movies)
  
• Lung Dee Kee Mao (Uncle Dee is a Drunk) - P.Promdan
  
• You Better Stop - Lavern Baker
  
• What's the Use of Getting Sober - Louis Jordan
  
• Bye Bye Boogie - Amos Milburn
  
• Dusty Old Dust - Woody Guthrie
  
• Zaijian - Siao Fong Fong
  
• Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye - Pat Kelly
  
• Farewell My Darling - Eugene Paul
  
• Bye Bye Blackbird - Etta James
  

That was the last Lucky Cat of the current series. I will return to the airwaves.....in 6 months or so, to be updated on this and other Lucky Cat events join the mailing list by emailing me luckycatzoe at gmail.com

Lucky Cat Thai New Year Party @ Scooterworks

Malaysia's Elvis - Les Lee

Recent purchase. Will be played on tomorrow night's show. Nice cravat Les.

Manhua! CHINA COMICS NOW

Manhua or Chinese comics can be found on display at the London College of Communication, Elephant & Castle. See the China Now web site for more details.
The image to the left is by Chinese comic veteran Nie Chongrui.
Alex Fitch is fetauring the exhibition on his Resonance FM radio show Strip! on Thursday 13th March. Tune in on 104.4FM in London or at www.resonancefm.com anywhere.
Hey, don't forget to listen to my show, Lucky Cat, too - 10pm Tuesdays on Resonance FM.

Playlist Tuesday 4th March 2008

• Honey How you Like Your Eggs - Marseille Figs (from the latest CD The Dirty Canon available to buy now see http://www.marseillefigs.org for details)
  
• Spring in Fairyland - Unknown Chinese singer from LP of the same name
  
• Dirty Little Monkey - Marseille Figs
  
• Girly, Girly - Sophia George
  
• Police Officer - Smiley Culture
  
• Push Up U Lighter - Top Cat
  
• This Town Needs a Sheriff - Shut Up & Dance
  
• Honemade Aishite - Rita & Sakura
  
• Harbour Lights - Billy Ward & His Dominoes feat. Clyde McPhatter & Jackie Wilson
  
• Don't Fall Asleep at the Wheel - Marseille Figs
  
• Get Out My Life Woman - Lee Dorsey
  
• Monkey Spanner - Dave & Ansel Collins
  

Tonight's Dim Sum Lunch Box featured steamed rice buns filled with black sesame syrup coated with crumbled cashew nuts and coconut. Yum. These little dim sum delicacies were from Dragon Castle restaurant in Elephant & Castle, London SE17.

Playlist Tuesday 26th February 2008

• Good Ways - Sizzla
  
• Japanese title - Mizuhara Hiroshi from Seishun uta nenkan '61 BEST (1960's J-Pop)
  
• I Yi Yi Yi - Carmen Miranda
  
• Pirate Jenny - Nina Simone
  
• Fire Bun - Louie Culture
  
• Pickin' Off Peanuts - Seven Foot Dilly and his Dill Pickles
  
• Japanese title - Nagai Frank from Seishun uta nenkan '62 BEST
  
• Three of These Things - Susan from Funk Soul Sisters LP
  
• Japanese title - Ai George Seishun uta nenkan '65 BEST
  
• Shotgun Wedding - Roy C
  
• Passion Flower - The Peanuts (Japanese girl duo, pictured)
  
• Old Black Magic - Louis Prima & Keeley Smith
  
• You Can Have Him - Nina Simone
  
• Kitty, Stop Meowing - Beijing Angelic Choir (played whilst eating dim sum lunch box - Chinese peanut satay and Chinese chicken livers, recipes to follow....)
  
  

East Asian Artists Wanted

LONDON CHINATOWN - PUBLIC ART COMMISSION OPPORTUNITIES

As part of the Chinatown Arts Festival 2008: Five Circles, London based arts organisation Chinatown Arts Space (CAS), and Chinatown’s principal landowner, Shaftesbury PLC, are working in creative partnership to commission two major new pieces of exciting public art for London's Chinatown.

HORSE & DOLPHIN YARD : MURAL COMMISSION
WHO: East Asian* artists born or resident in the UK are invited to submit proposals
VALUE: £6,000
WHAT: Create a vibrant contemporary artwork suitable for external display for 2 years.

WARDOUR STREET : SCULPTURE COMMISSION
WHO: All East Asian* artists worldwide are invited to submit proposals
VALUE: £20,000
WHAT: Create a permanent eye-catching three-dimensional artwork in any medium that is
suitable to withstand the elements.

NOTE THE DEADLINE HAS NOW BEEN EXTENDED:
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: 28th MARCH 2008


Full entry details of the requirements for submission of proposals, and the specifics of each site, can be downloaded from www.chinatownartsspace.com. For more information, please contact Parker Harris on T. +44 (0)1372 462190 or E. cas@parkerharris.co.uk

*East Asia includes: Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, North Korea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and their diasporas

Dragon Tongue Squad

The DTS came on last week's Lucky Cat radio show and 'mashed it up' with their freestyling! I was very impressed with their skills and later I found out that J-Fever is the freestyle champion of China. Thanks to DJ Geko for providing an excellent selection of beats for Dragon Tongue Squad. I went to see the performance at the Royal Opera House which was pretty good but I think having them on the show freestyling was a better experience, I hope you all enjoyed listening. If you missed the show I will be putting it online in an archive soon. To be notified of when this happens or to join the Lucky Cat mailing list please email me luckycatzoe@gmail.com.

Photos of Catch the Rat party

Fifi has put up some photos of the Chinese New Year party at Scooterworks, view them all here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/scooterworks/sets/72157603923829315/

I think I was dancing in the pic shown so looks like there is no DJ!

The next party will be for Thai New Year (Songkran) on 12th April. Email me at luckycatzoe AT gmail.com to join the Lucky Cat mailing list for updates.

Dragon Tongue Squad on Lucky Cat tomorrow!

I am delighted to announce that I will be joined by China's premier Hip Hop crew Dragon Tongue Squad live in the studio tomorrow night! Join me for Lucky Cat Tuesday 19th February at 10pm on Reosnance FM - 104.4FM in London or online anywhere at www.resonancefm.com

The DTS are playing this Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd February at Linbury Studios, The Royal Opera House along with Kevin Quan (DJ Phat) and Suki Mok. Tickets: 020 7304 4000

Playlist Tuesday 12th February 2008

• Are You Tired of Me Already? - Thongmark Leacha (from Molam vol 2, pictured)
  
• Glad to Be Unhappy - Billie Holiday
  
• Teaching the Daughter - Thongmark Leacha
  
• All Out To Get You - The Beat
  
• Cry about the Radio - Mary Weiss
  
• Ladies, Let's Dance! - Pairin Pongpiboon
  
• Yuge, Songs of the Fishermen - Guqin Music of Liang Mingyue
  
• Asking For Her Hand in Marriage - Group Singsiri
  
• Stick By Me - John Holt
  

Molam: Thai Country Groove From Isan Vol. 2 is available to buy on CD from: www.sublimefrequencies.com

Playlist Tuesday 5th February 2008

• The Dum Dum - Tajai
  
• Audio clip of DJ Phat (scratching) & Suki Mok (Spanish guitar)
  
• Flowers and Juveniles - 12 Girl Band Shanghai
  
• Talk of the Town - Rita and Sakura
  
• Youlan, Lonely Orchid - Guqin Music of Liang Mingyue
  
• Love's a Dangerous Game - Mary Weiss
  
• Do I Make Myself Clear - Etta James & Sugarpie De Santo
  

David Tse, Suki Mok and Kevin Quan on tonight's show

On tonight's Lucky Cat radio show on Resonance FM I will be joined live in the studio by David Tse of China Town Arts Space, Spanish guitarist Suki Mok and DJ/scratch artist Kevin Quan (aka DJ Phat).
Suki Mok and Keving Quan will be performing with the Beijing rappers Dragon Tongue Squad at the Royal Opera House later this month as part of the Five Circles Arts Festival.

Show starts at 10pm tonight (Tuesday) and is repeated at 2pm on Friday on 104.4FM in London or online at www.resonancefm.com

www.chinatownartsspace.com

Lap Cheong Fried Rice

Serves 4-6 people

Pack of Wing Wing Brand Chinese Sausages (Lap Cheong)
4 Eggs - scramble and set aside
1 Large onion - chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
2" knob of ginger - chopped finely
Handful of dried shrimp - soak in boiled water 30 mins
3 teaspoons preserved/pickled vegetables
2 dessert spoons pickled turnip
Mustard Greens - chopped
Fennel chopped
8-10 baby sweetcorn, chopped roughly
Pre cooked rice
Cider Vingar
Soya Sauce
Black Pepper

The great thing about fried rice is you can add anything you want and it's a good dish for leftovers. I used fennel as I thought it would go well with the lap cheong, I have had it with chorizo before and the aniseed flavour compliments the pork sausage. I used Cider vinegar for a change as I am always using rice wine and I thought the apple vinegar taste would also compliment the pork. I was very pleased with the results.

The most important thing is to have all your ingredients ready before hand. First fry the chopped lap cheong (chop on the diagonal) in a small amount of oil. Remove and place on paper. Add a little more oil to the wok and hea, then add the onions. Followed by garlic, preserved veg, pickled turnip, fennel, mustard greens, baby sweetcorn, rice and lap cheong. Keep stirring so it all gets really mixed in. Flavour with cider vinegar, soya sauce and black peppper.

Playlist Tuesday 29th January 2008

• Pussy Cat Bite Me - Prince Buster
  
• Rats - The Tiger
  
• Turtle's Song To The Wolf - The Mice and the Bad Angel
  
• Frightened Billows - Cantonese Mental Music LP
  
• Hey There - Sammy Davis Jnr, Rat Pack Live
  
• I Can't Give You Anything But Love - Dean Martin, Rat Pack Live
  
• Too Marvellous For Words - Frank Sinatra, Rat Pack Live
  
• Pennie From Heaven - Frank Sinatra, Rat Pack Live
  
• A Foggy Day in London Town - Frank Sinatra, Rat Pack Live
  
• I Love Cha Cha - Siao Fong Fong
  
• African Jazz Cha Cha - Ginger Folorunso Johnson
  
• Cha Cha Cha De Las Secretarias - Monchito and his Mambos Royals
  
• Cha Cha Merengue - Ed Daniels & The Seasiders
  

Playlist Tuesday 22nd January 2008

• Laziest Gal in Town - Nina Simone
  
• Jauh Jauh - Jimmy Boyle (from Malaysia in Modern Mood LP)
  
• I've Got a Feelin' - Big Maybelle
  
• Jackie Chan - The Toasters
  
• Kick Ass (No Trouble) - Jackie Chan (from the Rush Hour soundtrack)
  
• Endless Love - Jackie Chan and Kin Hee Sun (from The Myth soundtrack)
  
• Fist of Fury - Prince Jammy
  
• Karate Boogaloo - Jerry-o
  
• Flowers on the Mountain - Wong Chin
  
• A Wa Do Dem - Eek a Mouse
  
• Mulan - Jackie Chan (theme from the Disney movie)
  
• Valley of Green - Jackie Opel
  

This week's dim sum lunchbox containes a favourite cake of Jackie Chan's:
Smashed Oreo cookie cake. Go here for the recipe:
www.jackiechankids.com/files/Smash_Cake_Page.htm

Lucky Cat Night @ Scooterworks

I am throwing a party to celebrate the Year of the Rat. I will be cooking some dim sum lunch box recipes and playing my usual mix of East Asian & Western music. Expect Etta James, Anita Mui, Thai Molam, Toots and the Maytals, Betty Chung, Lee Dorsey and Rita Chao (pictured). Scooterworks is a lovely cafe/bar on Lower Marsh, SE1, just 3 mins walk from Waterloo station.

She likes smarties and she can kick your arse

Here's the trailer for the new Prachya Pinkaew (Thai director of Ong Bak, Tom Yum Goong/Warrior King) movie Chocolate

Dragon Tongue Squad - Beijing Hip Hop comes to London

I am very excited about this event: Chinatown Arts Space presents an evening of East/West musical collaboration with a live performance from Beijing Hip Hop crew Dragon Tongue Squad and UK scratch master DJ Phat (Kevin Quan) and Spanish guitarist Suki Mok. There will also be a dance performance from Blazian.

When?
Thursday 21 & Friday 22 February 2008, 8pm
Where?
Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House
How much?
£12 Adults, £8 Students & ROH Access List, £5 Standing

links:
www.chinatownartsspace.com
www.roh.org.uk

I hope to have Dragon Tongue Squad come on my Resonance FM show, watch this space. . .

Bitter Melon Recipe

An acquired taste, the bitter melon aka bitter gourd, draws out the sweetness of other flavours creating a harmonious balance.
I recently had a very nice Surinamese bitter melon dish in Amsterdam, unable to find the exact recipe but it was similar to this recipe for Steamed, stuffed bitter melon with black bean sauce.

For all things bitter melon see the National Bitter Melon Council's web site:
www.bittermelon.org

Stephen Chow's CJ7

Chow's alien comedy CJ7 will be released here in the UK on 21st March. You can watch the trailer here:
www.sonypictures.net/movies/cj7/
Looks entertaining. Wonder if the alien will be a big merhcandise money spinner? It is quite cute...

Playlist Tuesday 8th January 2008

• You Do Something to Me - Marlene Dietrich
  
• Quand L'amour Meurt - Marlene Dietrich
  
• The Great Pretender - Miss Yao Lee
  
• Medley - Irma Thomas (from A Woman's Viewpoint LP)
  
• W.O.M.A.N - Etta James
  
• Perfidia - Phyllis Dillon
  
• Lady Lan Hua Hua - Wong Chin
  
• Una Saratio Tokyo - Wong Ling
  
• Mystery Train - Elvis
  
• Don't Be Cruel - Laurel Aitken
  
• Mal Hombre - Lydia Mendoza (RIP 21/12/2007)
  

Dad's Tamarind Chicken

You will need either a whole chicken cut up or chicken pieces. Six
pieces to serve four people.

chicken
4 oz tamarind pulp
8 cups boiling water
six cloves garlic
finely chopped
6 shallots finely chopped
6 oz palm sugar- or any dark brown sugar will do..
1 cup dark soya sauce
good handful toasted coriander seeds ( roast in dry skillet )
salt and freshly ground black pepper

you can add a little chilli too if you like it hot

Put tamarind pulp in a bowl- pour on boiling water. Mash it
thoroughly and after five mins strain into a larger bowl
Throw in garlic , shallots , sugar and soy sauce.

Add chicken pieces. Rest the marinade either overnight or AT LEAST
FOUR HOURS.

put the chicken and marinade into a large pan on top of the cooker.
Sprinkle over the coriander.
Cover and simmer for 40 minutes- until chicken is tender and the
liquid is reduced.
This is quite a dry dish so if you have too much liquid at this
stage- spoon some off and reserve for later use.
most of the sauce should be absorbed by the chicken pieces.
Season with salt and pepper
Serve with coconut rice and a spicy coconut and pineapple sambal

Playlist Tuesday 11th December 2007

• We Met in A Dream - Poon Sow Keng
  
• It is Passed Like the Dream - Anita Mui
  
• No More Sweet Potato - The Big 3 Trio
  
• Mash Potato Girl - Girl Satchmo and the Swinging Brothers
  
• Mashed Potato - The Crystals
  
• Potato Chips - Slim Gaillard
  
• Mash Potato Party - Link Wray and his Raymen
  
• I Wanna Be a Bond Girl - Leroy Holmes
  
• Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! That Cigarette - Tex Ritter
  
  
• Zither fight scene from Kung Fu Hustle (The still above is from the film Lord of the Lute which is referenced in this scene in Kung Fu Hustle.)
  
• Harry Lime theme - Anton Karas
  

Yuen Qiu (pictured) images and an interesting article about the cinematic influences of Kung Fu Hustle can be found on:
www.hkcinemagic.com

Playlist Tuesday 4th December 2007

• Birth Control - Lloyd Terrell
  
• Beautiful Town - Mar Mar Aye
  
• Racist Friend - The Special AKA
  
• The Entertainer - Tony Clarke
  
• Fearless Hyena - clips from the Jackie Chan film
  
• Infernal Affairs - Tony Leung and Andy Lau
  
• Talk of the Town - Rita and Sakura
  
• Ace in the Hole - The Griffin Brothers feat. Margie Day
  
• Follow - Pat Kelly
  
• Laughing and Clowning - Sam Cooke
  
• How Long - Pat Kelly
  

Playlist Tuesday 27th November 2007

• Burmese Golden Drum - Bo Hein
  
• Police and Thieves - Junior Murvin (from the Rockers soundtrack)
  
• Audio Bongo - Monty Norman (from the Dr No soundtrack)
  
• False Rasta - Jacob Miller
  
• Ca Ba Trinkham Than - Hat Du (from the R.Crumb compilation Hot Women)
  
• Cinemascope - Count Lasher and Charlie Binger
  
• TV Mama - Joe Turner (pictured)
  
• Pata Pata Rocksteady - Milicent Todd
  
• Night Lotus Pool - Night Recordings of Bali (Sublime Frequencies album)
  
• Lotus Blossom - Duke Ellington
  
• Sa Chul Ga - Korean Folk Singers
  
• Knockabout - trailer for the classic Golden Harvest kung fu movie
  
• No Other Like Jah - Sizzla
  

Eric Tsang

The veteran Hong Kong star - actor, producer, writer, director, TV presenter and restauranteur - was born on 14th April 1953. Eric started his career in cinema as a stuntman. His father Tsang Kai wing was a professional footballer and then coach and Eric was following in his footsteps until at 23 he got fed up of being compared to his Dad and wanted to excel at something different. As a footballer he had met Sammo Hung and Lau Kar Leung and become friends with them. Although he didn't know kung fu Lau Kar Leung thought his physical skills could be put to good use as a stuntman. He began working, often as a double for women as he was short.

Eric then decided to turn his hand to screenwriting and in 1977 wrote the script for the Shaw Brothers Kung Fu masterpiece (Wu Tang Clan and Tarantino favourite) The 36th Chamber of Shaolin. Industry friend Karl Maka helped him with this new career move.

"To help script The 36th Chamber of Shaolin I studied harder than I ever did in my life even more than when I was in school. I studied all the books I could find because I really wanted to put all the animal styles in the script - tiger, snake etc. I wrote about the theory of kung fu so I could put that material for Lau Kar Leung. Then the next scipt I wrote was Dirty Tiger, Crazy Frog."*

Eric then got into directing, his first job was as assistant director on the Jackie Chan movie The Fearless Hyena. Instead of joining the film production company Golden Harvest like Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung Eric's friend Karl Maka brokered a deal with Cinema city. Tsui hark was also part of the Cinema City family. Eric directed Aces Go Places for Cinema City which became a popular series of films (he also starred in them). Eric was definitely not the matinee idol type and believes he paved the way for other fat/quirky looking actors.

In 1984 Eric left Cinema city and Sammo approached him and asked him to join Golden Harvest to star in and associate produce Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars.

In 1986 Eric teamed up with old pal Jackie Chan to direct him in Armour of God:

"I talk to Jackie. I told him he was not improving. He had now girls in his films. I told him that, even though I'm not that famous, some girls like me. I also said he had no friends in his movies. I suggested that he should begin to work with singers like Alan Tam and put some girls in his movies."*

In 1992 Eric co-founded the film production company Untied Filmmakers Organisation (UFO). Around this time Eric's career as an actor was changing. In the 1980's he starred in numerous Carry On style, cheesy slapstick comedies. in the 1990s his roles began to be more serious. Notably his role as a mob boss wooing Maggie Cheung in Comrades Almost a Love Story directed by Peter Chan. Eric's character is introduced in very brief shots as longer shots may have got automatic laughs from the Hong Kong audience.

In the 1990s Eric began to get more serious roles in dramas and in 2002 he was given a fantastic role where he really came into his own as an actor - as Triad boss Sam in the finest film of the Hong Kong gangster noir genre Infernal Affairs. Apparently Anthony Wong was supposed to play this role but they wanted someone with real gravitas (and acting awards!) to play the policeman so they gave him this role instead. Good news for Eric and it is hard to imagine anyone else in the role now. Eric's inspiration for Sam came from watching Anthony Quinn in Avenging Angelo:
"In every scene he is eating and that defined his character. I wanted to be a guy that no one could pin down. No one knew when he was happy and when he was sad. He was always different...The most important thing about playing this role is the fact that I am old enough to be the boss of Andy Lau and Tony Leung. I sa these 2 actors grow up in the film business so it was natural for me to be the boss."


As well as eating in films Eric is obviously a bit of a foodie as he has now become a restauranteur. First he opened the restaurant Eric Deli Paradise in the Hartmas Shopping Complex Malaysia - in good company Kenny Rogers has a chicken restaurant there (I suppose he does look a bit like Colonel Saunders). The restaurant serves steam boat and dim sum goodies. Pictures of Eric adorn the walls and his TV show Super Trio Series plays on a TV.

Eric opened his first mainland China restaurant this year in Shanghai. Also a hotpot place, he thinks it will never go out of style and hopes visitng HK stars will patronise the restaurant.

Eric is still busy making movies, starring in the 2007 Wong Jing comedy Beauty and The 7 Beasts and due to hit our screens in Jay Chou's Shaolin Soccer homage Kung Fu Slam Dunk in 2008.

Eric Tsang with your raspy voice, cheeky expression and limitless talents, we salute you.

* Quotes taken from this interview with Eric from 2004:
http://www.hkcinemagic.com

Links:
Eric Deli Paradise

Blog review of Eric's Deli

Playlist Tuesday 20th November 2007

• Twist Barbie - Shonen Knife (pictured)
  
• Shaking Time - Candy and the Kisses
  
• Burning Farm - Shonen Knife
  
• Dating Courtesy - Mary from The Shangri-Las
  
• Flying Jelly Attack - Shonen Knife
  
• I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones
  
• Past, Present, Future - The Shangri-Las
  
• How Long - The Kittens
  
• Walking in the Rain - The Ronettes
  
• Insect Collector - Shonen Knife
  
• Koi O Kesunda - The Napoleon (GS I Love You CD)
  
• Let's Go on the Beach - The Outcast (GS I Love You CD)
  
• Mashed Potato Time - The Crytals
  
• Vent - Moe Moe Yee (Burmese Harp)
  
• Blue Oyster Cult - Shonen Knife
  
• Gift Receiving Etiquette - Mary from the Shangri-Las
  
• Foolish Little Girl - The Cookies
  

Taiwanese Snacks

Anchovies with Peanuts
Fishy salty and delicious, serve on its own or add it to congee.

80g dried anchovies (medium size about 5cm)
100g peanuts (shelled and plain NOT salted)
2 cups oil
2 large chillies, sliced
3 cloves garlic roughly chopped
3 spring onions chopped
1 tablespoon rice wine (Shaohsing)
pinch of pepper

Deep Fry fish in wok and drain. Remove most of the oil. Re heat and add chillies, spring onions, garlic and rice wine stir fry for 2 mins, add fish and peanuts and fry for a further 5 mins. If you like it spicy add chilli sauce or if you like it sweet add sugar. Or if you like it really fishy add fish sauce, yum.

Oyster omelette is apparently the most popular snack served in Taiwanese night markets (according to the China Post). I found a recipe here:
http://hipfood.wordpress.com

Playlist Tuesday 13th November 2007

• Suspicious Heart - Miss Yao Lee
  
• Playing Mahjong - Long Ge
  
• Grandma Plays the Numbers - Wynonie Harris
  
• Through the Bamboo Forest - Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon soundtrack
  
• Steal the Red String Box - Josephine Siao Fong Fong
  
• Scenery of Taiwan - Jin-Long Fang
  
• Brand New Second Hand - Peter Tosh
  
• Tsan Jo - Chung Woong Traditional Korean Music
  
• Lee Cross - Aretha Franklin
  
• Yombul T'yaryong - Chung Woong Traditional Korean Music
  
• Down by the River - Morgan Heritage
  
• Cantonese Opera
  
• Drinking Again - Dinah Washington
  

Okido Children's magazine

Lovely magazine for 2-7 year olds. See: www.okido.co.uk

Shaolin Girl

Just found out about this Japanese movie produced by Stephen Chow, to be released in 2008. It is in the same vain as Shaolin Soccer with a young lacrosse player (Kou Shibasaki) improving her game by learning Shaolin kung fu.

Thai ghosts advert

Cheers for this Simon.

Mackerel Tatsuta Fry Recipe

2 mackerel (filleted)
5 tablespoons sake/rice wine
5 tablespoons soya sauce
2" piece of ginger (peeled and grated)
cornflour
vegetable oil for deep frying
lettuce leaves
lime wedges
2spring onions (finely chopped)

Cut the mackerel into strips about 1.5cm thick. Mix the soya and sake in a bowl and add the grated ginger, put the fish in and make sure all pieces are well coated. Leave to marinate for 1 hour minimum. When ready to eat (perhaps your rice is gently cooking?) heat the veg oil in a wok (need lots for deep frying). Drain the fish pieces and coat them in cornflour (sprinkle some cornflour on a plate near the wok). Put them into the oil when it is ready and fry for 2-3 mins until golden. Remove from oil and drain on kitchen paper. You will probably need to to fry in 2-3 batches as to avoid overcrowding in the wok.
Arrange the mackerel on a plate of lettuce leaves, sprinkle with spring onion and serve with lime wedges. Delicious on its own as a starter/snack or with rice for a meal.

Playlist Tuesday 6th November 2007

• Band of Gold - Marcia Griffiths
  
• Let Me Hold You - Marcia Griffiths
  
• Here I am Baby - Marcia Griffiths
  
• Mazinga Z theme - from the cult manga series about a giant robot
  
• Half Idiot - Marcia Griffiths and Cutty Ranks
  
• Japanese Song - from Rock a Shacka volume 3
  
• Que Pasa Chica - Rock a Shacka volume 3
  
• My Boy Lollipop - The Dreamlets (Japanese female rocksteady group)
  
• I'm So Lonely - The Dreamlets
  
• Gone Away - The Dreamlets
  
• Bim Bam Boom - The El Dorados
  
• Little Girl of Mine - The Cleftones
  
• My Love - The Dovers
  
• Speedo - The Cadillacs
  
• Down In Cuba - The Real Holidays
  
• Churchbells - The Kingtones (Japanese doo wop group pictured above)
  
• Doraemon theme - classic anime about a blue robot cat from the future
  

Pumpkin Curry

small pumpkin or butternut squash

for the paste:
1 or 2 cloves garlic, chopped up
2" piece ginger, sliced
2 tablespoon tumeric
1 teaspoon coriander seeds ground up or ready ground coriander
1 teaspoon shrimp paste or yellow curry paste (optional)

1 tin coconut milk
a little water
dashes of fish sauce
1 tablespoon honey
juice of half a lime
a little oil (groundnut or veg)

Cut the pumpkin into chunks (take off skin and de-seed). Chunks should be about 2". Make the curry paste by pounding together all paste ingredients in a pestle and mortar. Don't worry about making the paste totally smooth.
Put the oil into a medium hot wok, add the paste and the pumpkin chunks and coat. Pour the coconut milk in and top up with water add a few dashes of fish sauce. Heat up and simmer for 20 mins. Then add th honey and lime - taste to check the balance is right. Serve with rice and tung choi.
If you like you can add a couple of halved crabs to the curry 10mins before it is ready. If doing this definitely add the shrimp paste to the curry paste. Sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander before serving.

Playlist Tuesday 30th October 2007

• Black Magic Woman - Dennis Brown
  
• Hot Rod Hades - Charlie Ryan and the Timberline Riders
  
• Loch Ness Monster - King Horror
  
• Evil Cult intro - from the Jet Li film dir. by Wong Jing
  
• Vampire - Upsetters
  
• Evil Cult girlfight
  
• Vampire - Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra
  
• Werewolf - Gary Warren
  
• Ghost Dance - Prince Buster
  
• Zombie Jamboree - Lord Jellicoe
  
• Pumpkin Belly - Tenor Saw
  
• Bells of Death - Augustus Pablo
  
• Chinese Ghost Story - Leslie Cheung (theme from the movie of same name)
  
• Dracula - King Horror
  
• Uzumaki - trailer for the Japanese horror film
  
• Yaraba Shango - The Tiger
  

Happy Halloween

Phi Ta Kon - 'Thai Halloween'

Sublime Frequencies have a DVD out of the 'Thai Halloween' festival Phi Ta Kon. The festival is held every year in June/July in Isan, Northern Thailand. People dress up as ghosts and spirits and dance all night to mo lam (Thai country music from Isan). Lots of rice whiskey is glugged down.

You can watch a clip on Yout Tube here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0VyM6B_v4o

Order the DVD here:www.sublimefrequencies.com/item.asp?Item_id=29&cd=Phi-Ta-Khon:-Ghosts-of-Isan
Read more about the Phi Ta Kon festival here:
www.utopia-asia.com/ghost.htm

Chin Tsi-Ang dies

China's first lady of onscreen martial arts and Sammo Hung's grandmother has died age 99.


Read the story on monkeypeaches.com.

Taiwanese Beatbox TV show

Check out the crazy on screen graphics and does that guy on the panel have an afro? The beatboxer is pretty good - Stand by Me with singing and beatbox at the end!

East Asian Food at Borough Market

Chicken cooking outside Fusebox (above) for the satay wraps they sell. I didn't rate the wraps, not enough flavour (more chilli, garlic ad fish sauce please). The shop sells noodles, Japanese chewing gum, soya sauce, kaffir lime leaves etc but prices are inflated. Better to try your local Chinese or Vietnamese supermarket or head to Chinatown.
Next door to Fusebox on Stoney Street is sushi restaurant Feng Sushi which I haven't had the chance to check out. Read a review here.




Tuesday's show was all about East Asian food at Borough Market. I was joined in the studio by Alex Fraser from East Teas (see above) who have a stall in the Green Market. Alex kindly brought in some delicious teas for us to taste. From chilled sparkling Jasmine tea to Gyokuro Jade Dew which was full of umami. As you can see from the pictures above East Teas also sell beautiful cermaics - tea pots and tea cups and bowls with strainers. Just to the left outside the picture there are really cool Vietnamese shopping bags for sale.

I visited the Tofu HQ in East London of Clean Bean Tofu who also have a stall in the Green Market. They sell fresh, organic tofu which is very delicious. Plain or marinated - soya, ginger and sesame or five spice. The beans they import are organic from Northern China and they use nigari (a by product of natural sea salt) for the coagulent. Neil from Clean Bean recommended Fuchsia Dunlop's Ma Pao Tofu recipe.

For more info on Borough Market see: www.boroughmarket.org.uk

Playlist Tuesday 23rd October 2007

• Stone Cold Dead in the Market - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Jordan
  
• Mei Hua, Plum Blossom - Li Xiang-Ian (Shanghai Divas' Lounge)
  
• Tiki Tofu - Calypso King and the Soul Investigators
  
• Fallen Petals - Lu Ming (Shanghai Divas' Lounge)
  
• Monkey Brand Oolong Tea - Shonen Knife
  

Chinatown Strike

Two weeks ago the British Immigration Authority raided restaurants in Chinatown, cracking down on illegal workers. They invited the media along and turned up in bullet proof vests and riot gear. Understandably the residents of Chinatown were not best pleased with this and thought the BIA were using the Chiense community as a scapegoat to meet government targets to deport illegal immigrants. The following week Chinatown went on strike for one hour in protest. Read more here:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2007/10/384046.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7039952.stm
It is probable that in fact the entire catering trade in London relies on immigrant workers, not just Chinatown. BIA say other raids will be carried out too but so far no news of any in the media....

Pickle Your Own Vegetables

Cheap, easy and delicious, you can keep the vegetables in an air tight jar in your fridge for a few weeks.

Ingredients:
225g Chinese Leaves
2 Fresh Chinese Chillis (don't use Bird's Eye - too spicy)
225g Carrots (peeled)
300g Turnips (peeled)

Pickling brine:
2 tablespoons Ginger
2 tablespoons Garlic
50ml Rice Wine
50ml Rice Wine Vinegar
1.5 litres Water
75g Sugar
50g Salt

Don't feel constrained by the measurments, you can do it by eye and just keep checking the taste is right.

Prepare all the veg - cut the carrots, turnip and washed Chinese leaves into 1inch chunks. Thinly slice fresh chillis, keep the seeds.
Mix all teh pickling ingredients in a large bowl, put the veg in and cover. Let it sit in the fridge for 3-4 days (longer=saltier and spicier so you decide). Drain the veg and rinse well in cold water before putting into an airtight jar. Keep in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Serve as a side or just snack on them whenever you feel peckish.

Playlist Tuesday 16th October 2007

• Reggae Popcorn - Laurel Aitken
  
• Movie Stars - The Tiger
  
• Rainbow - Jia Peng Fang
  
• Father and Son Vocal with Erhu - Streets of Lhasa CD on the Sublime Frequencies label
  
• Erhu Solo - Streets of Lhasa CD
  
• Butterfly and Sword Intro - soundclip from the movie
  
• Cats Claw - soundclip from Snake in Eagle's Shadow
  
• Baar Baar Dekho - Mohd Rafi
  
• Heart is Cold - Miriam Yeung and Raymond Lam
  

Yellow Earth Theatre

Phillipe Cherbonnier of Yellow Earth Theatre joined me on my show to talk about Typhoon Live - 2 plays curently being performed in a double bill at The Oval House. Marriage by Yi Kang-baek (South Korea) and Dogs by Elangovan (Singapore).

Two plays are about relationships, Marriage is about the beginning of love, a surreal fable. Whereas Dogs is a cruelly funny story about the end of love.

If you missed the interview it is repeated on Friday at 2pm on 104.4Fm or listen at:
www.resonancefm.com
Find out more at:
www.yellowearth.org

Made in Hong Kong Film Season at ICA

A season of films from Hong Kong is showing at the ICA 12th - 16th October. Ringo Lam's 1997 thriller Full Alert, Ann Hui's Ordinary Lives and the more recent 2006 musical Perhaps Love plus others.....

Ringo Lam is pictured right.

Playlist 9th October 2007

• Mai Ow Mai Ow (Marriage No Way!)- Gawow Suenghtong
  
• Classic Moment Live - Anita Mui
  
• Stop the Wedding - Etta James
  
• Shotgun Wedding - Roy C
  
• Some Like It Hot - Marilyn Monroe
  
• Fire Corner - King Stitt (prod. Clancy Eccles)
  
• Sop Na Kap Mon - Sabaithong Powpuri
  
• Hot Pepper - The Griffin Brothers
  
• Title sequence sound clip - Snake in Eagle's Shadow
  
• Meeting Sifu sound clip - Snake in Eagle's Shadow
  
  

'Lust, Caution' Trailer

The new Ang Lee film is showing at the BFI London Film Festival. Watch the trailer here:
http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/lff/node/2315/trailer

Nam Prik Pao Terror Alert

Last week there was a very funny news story about a Thai restaurant sparking a terror alert here in London. Thai Cottage in Soho were making some nam prik pao chilli sauce and the stench of chillies burning caused concern and was thought to be some kind of chemical attack (well, everyone has heard of mustard gas? chilli gas?). Police cordonned off the area but then found that it was not a terror alert at all just a very hot chilli sauce.

I have been looking for a good nam prik pao recipe and food blogger Pim has a great one:
http://chezpim.typepad.com/blogs/2007/10/nam-prik-pao.html

Read the story here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7025782.stm

Playlist Tuesday 2nd October 2007

• Qian Li Zhi Wai - Jay Chou & Fei Yu Qing
  
• Fearless - Jay Chou (theme to the Jet Li movie)
  
• Grandma - Jay Chou
  
• Transport Connection - Sister Nancy
  
• My Guy - Joy White
  
• Only Sixteen - The Heptones
  
• Agility - sound clip from Snake in Eagle's Shadow
  
• Baby - The Heptones
  
• Siboney - Connie Francis
  
• Breaking in a Brand New Heart - Connie Francis
  
• Shaolin Temple - Prince Jammys
  
• Seemingly is that Old Friend Comes - Anita Mui
  
• Love Potion No 9 - Nancy Sit
  

Lucky cat is broadcast every Tuesday at 10pm from Resonance FM in London on 104.4FM or online at: www.resonancefm.com

If you have any requests or suggestions or would like to be added to my mailing list please email me:
luckycatzoe@gmail.com

Hiang Kee Exhibition London

Chinese Malaysian UK based artist Hiang Kee has her first exhibition at the Indar Pasricha Art Gallery in London. Beautiful paintings on silk. See their web site for details:

www.ipcontemporary.com/currentexhibition.html

Jay Chou

周杰倫/周杰伦

Clean cut filial piety fan and all round nice guy Jay Chou.

Links:
www.jay-chou.net
According to the forum here (who quote the source Shanghai Morning Post) Jay Chou will duet with David Beckham at a publicity event for the Beijing Olympics this week! History tells us: footballers + singing = turgid. Evidence: John Barnes rapping, Waddle and Hoddle. I rest my case.

www.jaychoustudio.com

www.jay2u.com

Click here to watch Jay Chou as Super Mario in this Flash animation.

Wong Kar Wai's short for Philips Ambilight TV

Here is the short film There's Only One Sun WKW has written and directed for Philips to show off the Ambilight TV. A symphony of colour, a femme fatale and Connie Francis singing Siboney. Classic WKW stuff.

Mooncakes Recipe

Ingredients:
Crust:
4 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 cup dried milk powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1&1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1&1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling:
1 12 Oz jar apricot preserves
1 cup chopped pitted dates
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
3/4 cup raisins
Glaze:
1 large egg lightly beaten
2 tablespoons water

To make the crust, sift together the flour, milk powder, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, and beat vigorously until the mixture 'ribbons' off the beaters, about five minutes. Add the melted butter, vanilla extract, and the sifted dry ingredients to the egg mixture, folding after each addition. Mix to a rough dough, turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead briefly to a smooth dough. Form the dough into a long, snakelilfe roll and cut into 20 pieces.
Mix together the ingredients for the filling and stir to combine evenly. Divide the filling in half. Cover one half with plastic wrap. With your hands, roll the other half into a long snake and cut it into 10 pieces. Uncover the first half and repeat.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Using your fingers press each dough piece into a 3" circle, making the edges thinner and the centre thicker. Spoon a portion of the filling into the centre, gather up the edges to enclose and pinch them to seal. Roll the cake into a ball and flatten it to a 3" round. Press into a mooncake mold or carve a criss cross design on top.
Arrange the cakes about and inch apart on the lightly buttered baking trays. brush them with the glaze. Bake for 30mins until golden brown. Cool on a rack and serve.

This recipe was taken from the book Moonbeams, Dumplings and Dragon Boats published by The Children's Museum in Boston.

Playlist Tuesday 25th September 2007

Bear Cat - Rufus Thomas (show theme)
Pussy, Pussy, Pussy - Light Crust Doughboys
Autumn Evening - Bai Kwong (Shanghai Lounge Divas LP)
What A Little Moonlight Can Do - Billie Holiday
Pinghu Qiuyue: Autumn Moon Over Still Lake - UK Chinese Ensemble
There's A Silver Moon On The Golden Gate - The Girls of The Golden West
Love Song Under the Moon - Miss Yao Lee
Moon of Manakoora - Dorothy Lamour
Howling at the Moon - Hank Williams
Moonlight Lover - Joya Landis


Read about giant mooncakes here: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/24/content_6782901.htm

Lucky Cat back on the Airwaves

I am pleased to announce that the Lucky Cat radio programme returns to the airwaves this week. The new show time is 10 - 11pm on Tuesdays, with a repeat on Fridays 2 - 3pm. The show will be broadcast from Resonance FM's brand spanking new studios here in London. As before you can tune in on the radio in London (104.4FM) or online if not: www.resonancefm.com

If you have any requests or suggestions for the new series please do email me:
luckycatzoe@gmail.com

RIP Papa Noodle

Creator of the first instant noodles Momofuku Ando has passed away age 96. Born in Taiwan whilst it was under Japanese rule he then moved to Japan. In the World War II when food was scarce he came up with the idea of dried, flavoured instant noodles. The first instant falvour was chicken ramen, launched in 1958. The Cup Noodle was created in 1971 (Pot Noodle is the preferred brand in the UK) and his most recent product was for astronauts - Space Ram.
There is even a museum in Japan dedicated to Momofuku's life in the noodle world:
http://www.nissin-noodles.com/index_new.html
And so farewell Cup Noodle King......

Lust, Caution

Ang Lee's new film Lust Caution stars Lucky Cat favourite Tony Leung Chiu Wai and is set in Shanghai in the 1940s. Here is the Chinese poster. It has been given a 17 rating in the US and should open this Autumn (or Fall depending on which side of the Atlantic you're on). The Chinese poster certainly has echoes of In The Mood For Love - gorgeous cheongsam, check, brooding Tony, check, period setting, check.
Looking forward to this one.


Read more about the upcoming film at monkeypeaches.com

Recent Vinyl Purchase

Lovely picture cover EP from the Bollywood movie Chinatown set in Calcutta's Chinatown. Mohammed Rafi is the vocalist, joined by Asha Bhosle on one track. Looks like an interesting film, the record is pretty good; Baar Baar Dekho has an old Rn'B/ Rock n Roll feel to it. You can watch it on You Tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75SRg70XrVY

Oriental City - Settlement Announced

Good news, the shopping mall in North London will continue to serve up lo pak ko alongside ramen noodles and roti canai until June 2008.

Laurence Martin – Development director of Development Securities said, “Following five months of discussions with tenants involving the GLA and Brent, we’re pleased to have reached an agreement to move forward and redevelopment an exciting new OC.....We recognise that it is not possible to temporarily relocate tenants during redevelopment and because of this there is a period of uncertainty for the tenants. Therefore, we have agreed a clear timetable for close down of the package of measures including rent free from now until closure to provide assistance to tenants.”

For more info see:http://www.dimsum.co.uk/viewpoints/oriental-city-agreement-reached.html