STEAM BOAT IN SUMMER

This is a steam boat that I would have liked to travel on. It would have taken months to reach my destination but it would have been worth the experience of a slow and relaxing journey. I can't buy tickets for steam boats like these anymore, not even in themeparks. So the nearest thing to this steam boat is...

...THIS STEAMBOAT. It sure does not look quite the same, the only similarity is both produces STEAM. In Asia, steamboat refers to food cooked in soup in a pot that sits on a covered gas burner. Modern times now dictates that electric pots are safer but many restaurents still use the old fashion pots attached to gas cylinders beside or under the tables. We put all kinds of food into the soup that comes in two flavours - traditional plain broth or the spicy tom yam.

This plate offers squid cut into long strips, snails, bamboo clams and dried oysters.

Here is fish and meat paste made into balls, and Chinese mushrooms. There is also white pomfret (diamond-shaped fish) and prawns. The side dishes include honey chicken wings. We eat everything with chopsticks including the chicken wings. I know Colonel Sanders from Kentucky Fried Chicken says chicken is "finger-linkin' good" but why get our fingers dirty. It is a skill eating chicken wings with chopsticks but we start our chopsticks training with noodles very early - at around 2 years old .

Steam boat starts with selecting what we like and popping them into the soup. Close the lid of the pot, chat with our friends as we start on the side dishes of chicken wings, fried rice and curry chicken.

When the steam rises, the soup is bubbling hot and it's done. We scoop the meat into our little bowls and eat the meat with the many sauces provided. We start with the meat first followed by vegetables and lastly put in some noodles and crack an egg or two in. The soup with all the flavours of the meat and vegetables makes a yummy broth thicken with eggs and noodles.

The traditional clear broth steam boat.

It is a really perfect dish for winter. My friends studying abroad have steamboat very often as it is so easy to make. Boil some chicken bones and season with salt and pepper for the broth. Cut slices of all sorts of meat (chicken, beef, pork) or seafood. "Bung" it all in (that's what they tell me) and it's done. Anything goes!