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

Steamed Chicken

I'm trying to be a bit healthy at the moment so the other night I tried steaming a chicken instead of roasting it. The result was delicious. I bought a smallish chicken and placed it breast down in a steamer. I filled the pan below with 5cm of water and threw in some star anise and jasmine tea. 2 hours of simmering later the chicken was ready. It didn't look too appealing but the meat fell off the bone and was moist and flavoursome. I served it with a Ken Hom recipe dip:

• 2 spring onions chopped finely
• 1 2cm lump of ginger chopped finely
• 1 tea spoon salt
• 1 table spoon soya sauce
• 2 tablespoons of heated groundnut oil

Mix all the ingredients then heat the oil in a wok until smouldering then pour over (make sure to use a heat proof bowl).
Serve with the steamed chicken, rice and steamed vegetables.