Siomai and Sotanghon Meatball Soup

Every month, myself and a few of my friends and cousins hold a book club.  This past book was Shanghai Girls by Lisa See.  I like all Lisa books which actually surprised me that the author is Caucasian.  Her writing style gets you to have the same emotions as the characters as if she has first hand knowledge.  Her research on the topics are very in-depth and all her books are based on the Chinese culture.  So I figured I'll make some siomai.  Most siomai recipes has shrimp but one of my cousins and The Daughter is allergic so I had to omit that part and use ground pork.  You could use any meat if you like but I was in the process of cleaning out my fridge and pantry.  I'm still at it but hopefully I'll get stuff made soon. 

Siomai

Ingredients

1 Lb of Ground Meat (any kind)

1 Egg

2 Carrots Shredded

4 Green Onions 

1-2 Tbs of Chicken or Beef Bouillon

1/2-1 Cup of Panko Bread Crumbs

1 Package of Wonton Wrappers (Needs to be either cut or purchase in small squares)

*I approach this as a meatball

Directions

1. 
   
   Prep the steam with water and heat at a medium heat. 
2. 
   
   I took the ground meat and placed it in a bowl and than shredded the carrots directly into the bowl.
3. 
   
   Take the green onions and slice them thin and add to the bowl.
4. 
   
   Add the bouillon, egg, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs. 
5. 
   
   Mix until it is well incorporated.  *you might have to add more if the mixture is too wet.
6. 
   
   Form 1 inch meatballs
7. 
   
   Place the meat balls in the center of the wonton wrappers and fold the wrapping up to cover the sides of the meatball. 
8. 
   
   Place in a steamer tray.
9. 
   
   When the water is boiling, reduce it to a medium low heat and place the tray over the boiling water.  This should cook from 10-15 minutes.  It is quite quick.
10. 
    
    Serve Warm

Unfortunately, I had more meatballs than wonton wrappers so I also made a soup out of Sotanghon and the remaining meatballs. 

 

Sotanghon and Meatballs

Ingredients

* the amount depends on how much you want to make

Water (I used about 4 or 5 cups)

Beef or Chicken Bouillon (You could buy chicken stock but I didn't have any at home)

1 Package of Sotanghon noodles or glass noodles

Directions

1. 
   
   Boil the homemade or bought beef/chicken stock.
2. 
   
   Once it is boiling, add the meatballs.
3. 
   
   Once it floats, they are cooked.  Add the sotanghon noodles.
4. 
   
   Cook until it is flexible and and serve. 

*You could add any vegetables if you like but The Daughter just likes it like this, noodles and meat. 

 

Below is my review of the book: 

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I generally love Lisa See books. I love the struggle the characters go through and especially the details the author provides. I found the characters quite frustrating. They seemed so self-focused. I wish the author went into the other characters more. Especially on their point of view. I was quite disappointed with the ending. It felt like a sequel may happen. Overall, I enjoyed the book.

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