Well, kinda. Rambutans are tree fruits which are close cousins to the lychee and the longan. Like a lychee, they are ovoid (egg) shaped, about 2 inches long, and have a hard, inedible seed at the center. But instead of the smooth skins of those two other fruits, rambutans have thin, fleshy spines growing out of them. These spines not sharp like a durian, but pliable like a dragonfruit. The spines are more like thick hairs. In fact, the name “rambutan” comes from the Malay word for hair, rambut.
Dong gua tang (Chinese Winter Melon Soup) is a light yet satisfying soup for cold Winter nights.
Did you know that we can grow winter melon squash here in Malaysia?
I saw it growing at a friend’s house here in Kuching. She told me that actually, winter melon grows quite wild here. Her vine had started at one end of her fence, given her about 6 fruit and then looked like it was about to die. But then new green shoots continued to come out and now half her fence has dying brown leaves while the other half has new leaves with another 5-6 fruit hanging from vine. Astounding!
If you’re feeling kinda heavy after all that Christmas holiday eating, here is another great recipe I found in my Fine Cooking magazine. The best thing about it is, it’s got a lot of veggies in it. This recipe is a nice and quick dish, easy enough to make for a weekday meal.
Hoisin Pork with Napa Cabbage
By the way, why is this called a Napa cabbage? This cabbage has almost nothing to do with that valley in Northern California most famous for its wines. What’s up with that?
It may not be pretty, but the taste is simply amazing.
Stir-Fried Tomatoes with Oyster Sauce
By now, you know that I have a love affair with tomatoes. I love growing all kinds of tomato varieties and using the fruit in manydifferentapplications. Strangely, I’ve never thought to use them exclusively in a stir-fry. I have recently used them with other vegetables but even then, when I think of Chinese stir fries, I hardly think to use tomatoes.
But recently, I was at a friend’s house and her daughter Phoebe made this stir-fry using only tomatoes. We all loved it, especially my picky eater daughter, Esther. Phoebe told me that she used to make this dish during her college days away from home, so it had to be easy. When she told me what went in it, I was amazed!
