Text 33890, 106 rader
Skriven 2010-01-24 09:09:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av NANCY BACKUS
Ärende: hospitals, bah 706
==========================
 NB> Is the bloat going down?

Yesterday, the small compression stockings were almost
falling off (the nurse joked that I might have to go to XS).
Today, I may have to go back to mediums.

They keep reweighing me, but there are two scales. One
weighed me at 174; the other weighed me at 167.5 an
hour later.

 ML> I think it was as salty as airline food, either that
 ML> the ability to taste is starting up again. 
 NB> One can certainly hope the latter... ;)
 
Both, as it turns out. I have my doubts about the food
services here. So to test their smarts on carbs and fluid,
I ordered an orange and orange juice (which is in its own
category, not under beverages) for breakfast. I got both.
Bear in mind that they're not sending up diet ginger ale as
it's a beverage, and I'm on fluid restriction. My card also
says "NO Milk for Breakfast." I ordered chocolate ice cream
for dinner just to see what happens: i.e., whether they
send it up, not what happens when I eat it, which I know.

I don't know whether I've written about the vegetarian pea
soup, which they served me my first full day - it was on
the menu, so I ordered it, thinking that they cared. It
turned out to be one of the saltiest things I've ever tried.

==

 ML> irritating registration lady, who wanted to know my ethnic
 ML> background, and I said, essentially, if you can't tell,
 ML> I won't tell.
 NB> Slightly in her defense, she probably didn't have much latitude in
 NB> what questions she had to ask, or how.  And probably had had drummed
 NB> into her that she was NOT to assume... But I can see where it could be
 NB> irritating to go through...

The conversation went sort of like this:

"Your ethnic background?"
"I prefer not to say."
"Your ethnic background?"
"I prefer not to say, though it's perfectly obvious."
"Your ethnic background?"
"I am not required to say."
"You are not required to say."

It's just another bureaucracy, one that just happens to offer a
service that I seem to need.

Classic Shrimp With Lobster Sauce
Cat: Chinese, American
Yield: 4 servings

1 lg egg white
2 ts cornstarch
1 1/2 ts salt
1 Tb Asian sesame oil
3/4 ts freshly ground white pepper
1 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 Tb cornstarch
1 1/2 Tb minced fresh ginger
2 ts finely chopped garlic
1 1/2 Tb coarsely chopped Chinese fermented black beans
1 1/2 Tb rice wine or dry sherry
1 Tb light (thin) soy sauce
2 ts dark soy sauce
2 ts sugar
1/2 c low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 Tb peanut oil
1/2 lb fatty ground pork
1 lg egg, beaten
2 Tb finely chopped scallions

Combine the egg white, the 2 ts cornstarch, 1 ts of
the salt, 1 ts of the sesame oil and 1/2 ts of the
white pepper in a bowl. Rinse and dry the shrimp, add
them to the bowl and mix. Refrigerate for 20 min.

Bring 2 c water to the boil. Remove from heat, add the
shrimp mixture and stir vigorously to separate. When the
shrimp turn white, about 2 min, drain them in a colander;
discard the liquid.

Dissolve the remaining cornstarch in 2 Tb cold water and
set aside. Combine the ginger, garlic and black beans in a
dish. In another dish, combine the wine, soy sauces, sugar,
broth, and the remaining salt, sesame oil, and white pepper.

Heat a wok over high heat. When it is hot, add the oil,
and when it starts to smoke, toss in the ginger mixture and
stir-fry for 30 sec. Add the pork and stir-fry, breaking it
up, until it loses its pinkness, about 2 min. Add the wine
mixture and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch, then
fold in the shrimp, cooking everything for about 1 min.
Slowly pour in the beaten egg in a thin stream. When it
starts to set, transfer the food to a warm serving dish.

Garnish with scallions and serve.

Adapted from Ken Hom, Easy Family Recipes From a
Chinese-American Childhood, NY Times, 11/12/97
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