Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

September 2007, hosted by Lara

Lily is haunted by memories-of who she once was, and of a person, long gone, who defined her existence. She has nothing but time now, as she recounts the tale of Snow Flower, and asks the gods for forgiveness. In nineteenth-century China, when wives and daughters were foot-bound and lived in almost total seclusion, the women in one remote Hunan county developed their own secret code for communication: nu shu ("women's writing"). Some girls were paired with laotongs, "old sames," in emotional matches that lasted throughout their lives. They painted letters on fans, embroidered messages on handkerchiefs, and composed stories, thereby reaching out of their isolation to share their hopes, dreams, and accomplishments. With the arrival of a silk fan on which Snow Flower has composed for Lily a poem of introduction in nu shu, their friendship is sealed and they become "old sames" at the tender age of seven. As the years pass, through famine and rebellion, they reflect upon their arranged marriages, loneliness, and the joys and tragedies of motherhood. The two find solace, developing a bond that keeps their spirits alive. But when a misunderstanding arises, their lifelong friendship suddenly threatens to tear apart. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a brilliantly realistic journey back to an era of Chinese history that is as deeply moving as it is sorrowful. With the period detail and deep resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha, this lyrical and emotionally charged novel delves into one of the most mysterious of human relationships: female friendship.

Other book choices for the month:
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Known World by Edward P. Jones
History of Love by Nicole Krauss

Menu
I had fun browsing the aisles of Charlottesville's Asian Market and Oriental Food Store for this month's meeting!
Here's the menu that I remember...

• rice crackers
• winter melon soup
• variety of steamed dumplings with sauces (sweet & sour, ginger soy)
• cold sesame noodles (OK, so this isn't what we had, but I can't find the noodle recipe I used, so I'm including this other Chinese favorite)
• lychee jelly snacks (a fond memory from my college roomate, whose family is Taiwanese)

Winter Melon Soup
1 cup winter melon, boiled until tender (I substituted cucumber)
2 cups chicken broth
handful Chinese dried black mushrooms
2 - 3 slices ginger
1/4 cup cooked ham, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 green onion, green part only, washed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces

1. Wash the winter melon, remove the green skin, seeds, and the pulp. Cut into 2-inch pieces. 2. Reconstitute the Chinese dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 - 30 minutes until softened. Squeeze out any excess water. 3. Add the chicken broth, mushrooms, ginger and cooked ham. Add seasonings as desired. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Add green onion for garnish. Serve hot.

Ginger Soy Sauce
1/2 C soy sauce
1/4 C water
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Combine all ingredients in saucepan and heat through.

Sweet & Sour Sauce
1 C water
3 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 C granulated sugar
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 C ketchup
dash hot sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 green bell pepper, or 1/2 red and 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into chunks

In a small bowl, mix 4 teaspoons of the water with the cornstarch. Set aside.
Bring the remainder of the water, the sugar, vinegar, ketchup, hot sauce and soy sauce to a boil, stirring a few times. Give the cornstarch and water mixture a quick re-stir and add to the sauce, stirring constantly. Add the bell pepper chunks. Heat through.

Cold Sesame Noodles
16 oz Chinese flour stick noodles
2-3 chicken breasts, boiled and diced (or cut into thin strips)
3-4 eggs (2 whole eggs and 2 whites only)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 large carrots, julienned
1-2 large cucumbers, julienned/shredded
2 cups snow peas
3-4 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup boiling water
soy sauce
seasame oil
red wine vinegar

Boil the noodles until done, drain and set aside. Beat the eggs until just frothy. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, when oil is hot pour eggs into pan and let cook on medium heat until it is solid enough to flip. Flip the egg sheet and cook the other side for another 30 seconds or so. Remove the egg sheet and cut into thin strips (length like those of the julienned vegetables). Heat water to a boil and stir in a little at a time into the peanut butter until the peanut butter is a thick sauce. It may look all icky at first but keep stirring and it will become a darker paste. Keep adding until it's a lighter colored slightly soupy mixture. Add about 3 tbsp of soy sauce, 1-2 tbsp seasame oil and about 1-2 tbsp vinegar. Stir. Add more of whatever to taste. Serve cold noodles and top with vegetables, chicken and egg. Pour sauce over top and mix the noodles up to spread the sauce. Add a little chili oil to the peanut sauce for some kick.