Text 12358, 140 rader
Skriven 2011-06-18 07:23:03 av Dave Drum (1:18/200.0)
  Kommentar till text 12340 av RUTH HANSCHKA (1:123/140)
Ärende: OPALS
=============
-=> RUTH HANSCHKA wrote to DAVE DRUM <=-

 RH> Big and gaudy can be a good thing in jewelry.  It's a good description
 RH> of about 2/3 of my favorite rings.  Opals can be a pain to work with if
 RH> you don't know what you're doing; I know some guys who actually facet
 RH> some of them.  Don't try that at home either.

Opals are *MUCH* too soft and crumbly to be successful faceting material.
Faceting the crystal on a composite would work. But, the "natural" opal is too
cloudy to do internal light reflections necessary to getting the full effect of
faceting. 

 -> I much prefer a nice "Cornflower Blue" sapphire.  Bv)=  But, not the
 RH> gin.

 RH> If you have a spare one floating around I'm more than willing to take
 RH> it off your hands.(LOL)  Star sapphires, pink ones, yellow ones, and
 RH> those pretty deep red ones....  My budget generally runs to yard sale
 RH> rhinestones.

The deep red ones are known as "Pigeon's Blood" star rubies (first cousin to
sapphire) 
 
Stars are ....... OK. Linde has made a ton of money with them. But, I much
prefer the clear stones. I'd take a clear, faceted amethyst or aquamarine over
a star sapphire any day. Even a Gilson Emerald.
 
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

      Title: Golden Pigeon w/Winter Melon
 Categories: Oriental, Poultry, Fruits, Sauces
      Yield: 12 servings

    600 g  Winter melon
     12 sl Chinese ham; 0.5 cm thick
      2    Young pigeons (500 g ea or
           - a 1-kg chicken)
      4    Ginger root slices
      4    Shallots (white parts)
           Cooking oil

MMMMM--------------------------MARINADE-------------------------------
    1/2 c  Light soy sauce
    1/8 c  Dark soy sauce

MMMMM---------------------STEWING SEASONING--------------------------
      1 ts Oyster sauce
  1 1/2 ts Salt
    1/4 ts Sugar
      4 c  Stock

MMMMM---------------------------SAUCE--------------------------------
      1 c  Stock
  1 1/2 tb Cornstarch (mixed well with
           - 2 tbs water)

MMMMM---------------------GARNISH (OPTIONAL--------------------------
     10    Sprigs of flowering chives

  I used Cornish Game Hens, but you could also use a cut up
  chicken.If you can't get winter melon, watermelon will work.
  Winter melon is white, very mild tasting and a tad denser
  than watermelon. I think you could get away using something
  like Honeydew too.  Have fun!

  Chef: Yip Kwai-sing

  Thirty-year-old Hong Kong-born Mr.  Yip has spent half his
  life in Cantonese restaurant kitchens. He is best known for
  his fai choy chicken speciality and shark's fin dishes. As
  the leader of a South Villa Restaurant team in one of the
  Display Classes, he won also a Culinary Award Bronze Medal.

  Establishment: South Villa Restaurant, 58-60 Cameron Road,
  Tsimshatsui Kowloon.

  Chinese Cuisine Practical Class Platinum Award - Poultry

  "Happy Bird Crosses The Golden Bridge" presents an attractive
  image featuring the pigeon, a symbol of happiness to the
  Chinese. The inclusion of winter melon, a summertime seasonal
  vegetable, as the imagined "golden bridge" is a culinary play
  on words: the dish combines two traditional dishes providing
  a bridge between their contrasting textures and flavours. The
  garnish - flowering chives - is more than an aesthetic detail,
  symbolizing the greenery growing along the water's edge.

  To prepare:

  1. Mix the marinade and coat pigeons with it for 2 to 3
  minutes.

  2.  Remove skin of winter melon and cut 12 slices about 5
  cms wide, 3 cms long and 2 cms thick. Make a slit sideways
  on the longest side of each piece and insert one ham slice.

  To cook:

  1. Deep-fry pigeons over a medium flame until golden.

  2. Heat the wok or pot, add 1 tbs oil. When it is very
  hot, stir-fry ginger and shallots for 1 minute. Then add
  above stewing seasoning ingredients and pigeons, cover and
  braise over a slow flame for 20 to 25 minutes.

  Remove pigeons.

  3. Reserve 1 cup of the pigeon braising stock, to make
  sauce later.

  4. Double the remaining braising stock's liquid volume by
  adding water, then immerse winter melon slices.  Cook for 5
  minutes, then turn off heat. Cover wok, leave winter melon
  slices for a further 5 minutes (thus ensuring they do not
  lose their shape through excess direct cooking).

  5. Mix sauce ingredients with reserved cup of pigeon
  braising stock and heat.

  To present:

  1. Cut pigeons into pieces and arrange across serving dish.

  2. Place 6 overlapping winter melon slices on each side
  of pigeons.

  3. Pour sauce over, and garnish with flowering chives.

  Makes 12 servings.

  From "Champion Recipes of the 1986 Hong Kong Food Festival".
  Hong Kong Tourist Association, 1986.

  Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; November 3 1992.

MMMMM
 
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