Since the new millennium, we have experienced the natural disasters of our mother nature such as, Katrina (2005), Tsunami (2005), China Earthquake (2008), and many Tornadoes happening even in places which we don’t normally get.
So what’s the reason behind this? What do they have in common? It’s because we are getting closer to the End of Time (Doomsday), there will be many more natural disasters to come and etc. To some 2012 will bring the End of Time, and others it will be a start of a new beginning. Up until today, we had been living in an age of Pieces, each of these ages last up to 2000+ years, but the age of Pieces will end on 2012 as we will enter the Age of Aquarius.
According to the Mayan calendar and their accurate system of keeping time and astrological events, their calendar stops working on December 21, 2012. Their amazing calendar left behind the movements of the planets and stars without using any instruments. It started with the Earth from August 11, 3114 BC, to December 21, 2012. This amazing 5000 year calendar was giving to the Mayan from their god, Quezecoatal.
If you are thinking, why should you trust the Mayan? Most of all the prophecies theories and myths had failed to its words. Yes there are many prophecies about “end of the world”, “apocalypse” “Armageddon” and etc…. for examples below…
1. The Shakers believed the world would end in 1792 : FAILED
2. The Jehovah’s Witnesses have se the end dates from 1914-1994 : FAILED
3. The Philippines, believed the world would end on Dec. 31, 1999. : FAILED
So why should be believe the Mayan? According to scientists and experts, the ancient Maya “calendar priests” charted a 26,000-year astronomical cycle, called precession of the equinoxes, with their own NAKED EYES. According to their calendar 2012 end date coincides with the “galactic alignment” of the winter solstice sun and the axis that modern astronomers draw to bisect the Galaxy (the milky way), called the Galactic Equator. This means on December 21, 2012 anyone looking at the sun will also be looking toward the core of the Milky Way.
Many of the studies and observation about the year 2012 has been proved to be coinciding with the Book of Revelations. Now, we now are to believe that the world will end on the year 2012, but how?
Here are some possibilities:
Mother Nature – It’s already happening, earthquakes, tornadoes, volcanic reaction, hurricanes, floods, tsunami all happened in 2000-2008. As we are getting closer to 2012, I’m sure there will be plenty more of these and in places where it doesn’t usually happen.
Astrological Phenomenon – Yup, this one should be the #1 possibility that our world will come to an end. According to the Book of Revelation, the Mayan Calendar and NASA, our earth will be hit by a comet/asteroid. In 2004, NASA discovered the 10th planet, which they called Planet “X” (a comet planet). This is a massive comet planet that will bypass earth every 3600 years, coming through the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars.
We have heard many stories either from myths, prophecies, and the bible about “A day of 24 hours, when the earth stood still” (longest day ever). Well, what do you know? This could all make sense since and could have been caused by the passing of the Comet Planet. Its gravitational pull could have reversed the spins on the Earth on its axis, creating a 24 hour day. Also, if we take the Mayan calendar year of 2012 AD and subtract 3600 years (orbit of comet planet) we get 1588 BC, around the time of Joshua and the “day earth stood still”.
All in all, 1 thing we know FOR SURE, is that in the year 2012, there will be MANY astrological phenomenon.
NOSTRDAMUS – “In the year 1999 and seven months, The Great King of Terror shall come from the sky”. Now there will be many people who are wondering about this now. Could he predict something that could happen 2x? Meaning 9.11 was 1 and the other one could be the comet coming in 2012? Also, his other prediction, “a cataclysmic event will occur in the year 2012 around Nov-Dec. And it is interesting to note that NASA also has a solar event or solar storm that will occur around December 2012, go to their website: http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/10…tormwarning.htm
Conclusion:
Keep in mind, not only the Mayan calendar ends on December 21, 2012 but the Bible Code, I-Ching, Nostrodamus, Hebrew writings and more all say the same thing about 2012 and the astrological phenomenon. If you believe in this, this means, you will only have 4 years left to live lol…. So what will it be? Keep observing our world as of today, with current Warfare and Natural Disasters, no wonder we are getting close to Doomsday!
Whether the world is going to end or not on that day, we will surely experience many changes. Could this be a start of a new era and a new beginning? Only the Dinosaurs have the real answer to this!!!
Besh wishes for the new year!
SHANGHAI – President Barack Obama is walking a tightrope on his first trip to China, seeking to enlist help in tackling urgent global problems while weighing when and how — or if — he should raise traditional human rights concerns.
Obama arrived in Shanghai late at night, in a driving rain, hustling through a phalanx of umbrella-holding dignitaries to reach his limousine. On Monday, the president is holding talks with local politicians and, in one of the marquee events of his weeklong Asian trip, conducting an American-style town hall discussion with Chinese university students.
Thirty years after the start of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the ties are growing — but remain mixed on virtually every front.
The two nations are partnering more than ever on battling global warming, but they still differ deeply over hard targets for reductions in the greenhouse-gas emissions that cause it. China has supported sterner sanctions to halt North Korea’s nuclear weapons program, but it still balks at getting more aggressive about reining in Iran’s uranium enrichment.
Giant trade deficit with U.S.
China is a huge and lucrative market for American goods and services, and yet it has a giant trade deficit with the U.S. that, like a raft of other economic issues, is a bone of contention between the two governments. The two militaries have increased their contacts, but clashes still happen and the U.S. remains worried about a dramatic buildup in what is already the largest standing army in the world.
Amid all that, Obama has adopted a pragmatic approach that stresses the positive, sometimes earning him criticism for being too soft on Beijing, particularly in the area of human rights abuses and what the U.S. regards as an undervalued Chinese currency that disadvantages U.S. products.
Obama recognizes that a rising China, as the world’s third-largest economy on the way to becoming the second and the largest foreign holder of U.S. debt, has shifted the dynamic more toward one of equals. For instance, Chinese questions about how Washington spending policies will affect the already soaring U.S. deficit and the safety of Chinese investments now must be answered by Washington.
Second, Obama wants not to anger Beijing, but to encourage it to pair its growing economic and political clout with greater leadership in solving some of the most urgent global problems, including a sagging economy, warming planet and the spread of dangerous weapons.
Obama has talked warmly toward China, particularly in the days leading up to his visit.
“The United States does not seek to contain China,” Obama said in a speech from Tokyo on Saturday. “On the contrary, the rise of a strong, prosperous China can be a source of strength for the community of nations.”
Human rights concerns
One test of the line Obama is walking on China will be human rights, including religious freedom in the officially atheist nation. Aides said in advance that Obama would raise several human rights issues privately with Chinese leaders, including President Hu Jintao.
But it was unlikely he would repeat those messages too stridently in public, out of concern for angering his hosts. Even before arriving in China, for example, he declined to get specific about human rights concerns with China in his Tokyo speech and eschewed the traditional presidential meeting with the Dalai Lama while he was in Washington in June.
Obama said he would see the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader later, a decision welcomed by Chinese officials who pressure foreign governments not to meet with the Dalai Lama and spurn Tibetans’ desires for autonomy from Chinese rule.
The White House hoped Monday’s town hall meeting with Chinese university students would allow Obama to telegraph U.S. values — through its successes and failures — to the widest Chinese audience possible.
But those hopes will have their limits in communist-ruled, tightly controlled China. The particulars of the town hall, including whether it could even be called one, were the subject of delicate negotiations between the White House and the Chinese up to the last minute. It remained unclear, for instance, whether — and how broadly — it would be broadcast on television and how much of a hand the central government had in choosing those allowed to question the U.S. president.
Will visit noted landmarks
Obama deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes said Obama would call at random on several of those in the audience, to be made up of hundreds of students hand-picked by the department heads of Shanghai-area universities, and would also answer questions solicited in advance by the White House from “various sources on the Internet.”
Even if the event is only aired on China’s main English-language TV channel, which has very few viewers, the White House will stream the conversation live on http://www.whitehouse.gov, an unblocked site in China.
From Shanghai, Obama was to be off to the capital of Beijing for the pomp and substance of a two-day state visit hosted for Obama by Hu.
Obama’s China visit features the only sightseeing of his high-intensity Asian journey. He will visit the Forbidden City, home of former emperors in Beijing, and the centuries-old Great Wall outside of the city. Visiting a country’s noted landmarks is considered a sign of respect in the world of diplomacy. But Obama aides also have learned that finding some tourist time serves to both calm and energize their boss amid the always grueling schedule of a foreign trip.
November 15th,2009
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This is a cute picture.
September 30th,2009
Asian News |
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I
n Vietnam, Têt-Trung-Thu (tet-troong-thoo) or the Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the most popular family holidays. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month.
Vietnamese families plan their activities around their children on this special day. In a Vietnamese folklore, parents were working so hard to prepare for the harvest that they left the children playing by themselves. To make up for lost time, parents would use the Mid-Autumn festival as an opportunity to show their love and appreciation for their children.
Appropriately, the Mid-Autumn Festival is also called the Children’s Festival. In the United States, this tradition continues in many Vietnamese-American communities. Trung-Thu activities are often centered around children and education. Parents buy lanterns for their children so that they can participate in a candlelit lantern procession at dawn. Lanterns represent brightness while the procession symbolizes success in school. Vietnamese markets sell a variety of lanterns, but the most popular children’s lantern is the star lantern. Other children’s activities include arts and crafts in which children make face masks and lanterns. Children also perform traditional Vietnamese dances for adults and participate in contests for prizes and scholarships. Unicorn dancers are also very popular in Trung-Thu festivities.
Like the Chinese, Vietnamese parents tell their children fairy tales and serve mooncakes and other special treats under the silvery moon. A favorite folklore is about a carp that wanted to become a dragon. The carp worked and worked and eventually transformed itself into a dragon. This is the story behind the mythical symbol, Cá hóa Rông. Parents use this story to encourage their children to work hard so that they can become whatever they want to be.
There’s also a story about how the Moon Lady ascended to the moon. A man named Chu Coi found a lucky tree that had special healing powers. Because this tree was sacred, people were forbidden to urinate at the foot of this tree. Unfortunately, Chu Coi’s wife, Chi Hang forgot the rule and urinated on the tree. On day, while she was sitting on the tree’s branch, the tree started to grow and grow. Eventually, it reached the moon, Since then, Chi Hang lived on the moon for the rest of her life as a punishment for desecrating the sacred tree.
Giai đoạn 1:
Đây là giai đoạn ko kém phần quan trọng để làm bánh thành công , và cũng có thể nói đây cũng là bí quyết để làm thành công bánh trung thu.
1 kg đường cát
1 kg nước lã
4 muỗng cà phê nước cốt chanh
2 muỗng cà phê nước tro tàu.
Cho nước tro tàu và 2 muỗng cà phê nước lã vào cái chén quậy cho đều.
Cho đường và nước vào soong quậy tan, bắt lên bếp nấu lửa to chừng 25 phút, rồi cho nước cốt chanh vào rồi nấu tiếp 15 phút nữa mới cho chén hổn hợp nước tro tàu & nước vào. Để cho nước đường sôi đều lên và để nước đường rút laị chỉ còn 1kg4 là được ( ko tính lượng của cái soong ). Nhắc xuống để nguội , rồi đổ vào 1 cái hủ bằng thủy tinh sạch để ở chổ thoáng mát cất từ 1 tuần đến 1-2 năm ( ko cần để tủ lạnh ) mới đem ra xài. Đây là bí quyết để làm bánh trung thu thành công.
Trong khi nấu nước đường, ko nên quậy.
Với lượng nước đường này làm được 30 cái bánh 250gr.
Giai đoạn 2:
* Vỏ bánh : cho 12 bánh cỡ 250 grs / bánh
550grs bột mì (All purpose Flour)
1 muỗng cà phê nước tro tàu
440 grs nước đường
80 grs dầu ăn
1 tsp cà phê mật ong
2 tsp cà phê rượu thơm (Hennessy)
Rửa tay thật sạch.
Bỏ nước đường vào thau, cho nước tro tàu, rượu thơm, mật ong vào quậy đều. Cho bột vào , dùng tay nhồi cho kỹ mịn (or standmixer)
Để bột ở trạng thái vừa nhảo, để bột nghỉ 45 phút , khi nào bột ở trạng thái ko dính nữa là được.
Bột sau khi ủ, đem cân chia 90 g mỗi phần rồi dùng dầu veggie (or Canola) thoa vào tay rồi vo tròn lại.
Chú ý : Bột ko nên nghỉ lâu quá để tránh tình trạng bị dai, khô , nứt
* Nhân :
Tùy sở thích của mọi người mà làm , có thể làm trước 1-2 ngày
Thịt gà ướp dầu mè dầu hào đường tiêu nướng để nguội
4 cái lạp xưởng luộc xong đem chiên sơ rồi cắt hột lựu
100 gr Mứt bí
100 gr mứt khoai lang
30 gr Trần bì (vỏ quít)
30 gr mứt tắc
30 gr mứt gừng
50 gr Mè rang
100 gr Hạt hướng dương
50 gr Hạt điều
50 gr Pencan
50 gr Almond
Chà bông cắt nhuyễn (Trà không có xá xíu nên chơi chà bông … hihihi)
Xong trộn tất cả lại cho 100gr bột bánh dẽo vô thau nhân
Nước đường nấu theo phân lượng : 500gr đường + 450gr nước. Nếu không thích ngọt thì xài corn syrup thế cho nước đường, để nguội rồi rưới vô từ từ trộn nhân tới khi nhân dẻo là được .
Cho 2 muỗng cà fê rượu ngon (Hennessy) trộn lên xong đem sên nhân, sên 1 đổi thì để thiệt nguội qua ngày sau mơi đóng bánh .
Trứng lấy lòng đỏ ngâm rượu với miếng gừng khoãng ngón tay cái, đem đập dập rồi cho chút nước, vắt bỏ cái, khoãng 20 phút, xong cho vô cái dĩa trét dầu & chút đường rồi đậy lại đem hấp 10 phút .
Nhận bánh bằng dầu, không dùng bột sẽ làm cho vỏ bánh moist không bị khô .
Tính 1 phần bột thì 2 phần nhân vo tròn . Nếu đóng bánh khuôn vuông thì nhận cục nhân vô khuôn, ép thiệt chặt cho có hình vuông .
Lấy bột vỏ đè bẹp ở dạng hình tròn cán mỏng để viên nhân đã vo tròn vô chính giữa, dùng tay xoay tròn, vừa xoay vừa kéo bột lên bao quanh phần nhân.
Thoa dầu vào khuôn rồi nhận bánh, dùng tay đè, ấn đều lên mặt.
Nhận bánh khuôn vuông thì xếp bột lên 4 thành bánh, rứt fần dư phủ lên trên mặt bánh, nhận chặt xuống khuôn .
Khi lấy bánh ra xếp lên vĩ nướng đã thoa dầu sẵn, lấy kim đâm mặt bánh để khi nướng bánh không bị nứt
Hâm nóng sẳn lò nướng trước 10 phút @ 375F
Đem nướng ở tầng dưới ở 350-375F (tuỳ theo độ nóng của lò, set khoãng 10 phút rồi coi bánh vàng tới độ nào mà chỉnh nhiệt độ lò cho thích hợp, coi chừng cháy đáy bánh)
Nướng khoãng 10 phút lấy bánh ra để nguội khoãng 5 phút rồi lấy bình xịt nước tắm từng cái bánh, xịt thiệt nhiều nước cho bánh mềm .
Chờ bánh khô ráo nươ’c thì cho vào lò nướng ở tầng giữa 10 phút .
Bánh vừa vàng tới thì lấy bánh ra chờ nguội 1 chút thì làm áo bánh
*** Hổn hợp phết mặt bánh : 1 trứng gà + 1 lòng đỏ hột vịt đánh cho thật tơi, chế chút nước màu vào để cho trứng có màu hơi nâu, xong lượt qua cái rây khít .
*Dùng cọ phết trứng chầm chậm trên mặt, tránh phất qua phất lại, trứng sẽ sủi bọt, sẽ ko đẹp. Và ko nên phết dày trứng quá, nướng khó chín, phết mỏng quá, bánh sẽ ko có màu đẹp.
Đem nướng 10 phút nữa, lấy ra phết thêm lớp dầu rồi nướng 10 phút .
Kéo vĩ bánh ra ngoài 1 chút, mở oven hờ hờ rồi để vậy cho tới khi bánh nguội thì mới đem bánh ra ngoài hẵn . Wrap từng cái bánh lại để 2 ngày thì bánh tươm dầu ra vỏ mềm ăn mới được ngon .
September 27th,2009
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Mooncakes are Chinese pastries traditionally eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival. The festival is for lunar worship and moon watching; moon cakes are regarded as an indispensable delicacy on this occasion. Mooncakes are offered between friends or on family gatherings while celebrating the festival, one of the three most important Chinese festivals.
Typical mooncakes are round or rectangular pastries, measuring about 10 cm in diameter and 4-5 cm thick. A thick filling usually made from lotus seed paste is surrounded by a relatively thin (2-3 mm) crust and may contain yolks from salted duck eggs. Mooncakes are rich, heavy, and dense compared with most Western cakes and pastries. They are usually eaten in small wedges accompanied by Chinese tea.
Most mooncakes consist of a thin tender skin enveloping a sweet, dense filling. The mooncake may contain one or more whole salted egg yolks in its center to symbolize the full moon. Very rarely, mooncakes are also served steamed or fried.
Traditional mooncakes have an imprint on top consisting of the Chinese characters for “longevity” or “harmony” as well as the name of the bakery and the filling in the moon cake. Imprints of the moon, the Chang’e woman on the moon, flowers, vines, or a rabbit (symbol of the moon) may surround the characters for additional decoration.
Mooncakes are considered a delicacy; production is labor-intensive and few people make them at home. Most mooncakes are bought at Asian markets and bakeries. The price of mooncakes usually ranges from $10 to $50 (in US dollars) for a box of four although cheaper and more expensive mooncakes can also be found.
Fillings
Many types of fillings can be found in traditional mooncakes according to the region’s culture:
- Lotus seed paste (蓮蓉, lían róng): Considered by some to be the original and most luxurious mooncake filling, lotus paste filling is found in all types of mooncakes. Due to the high price of lotus paste, white kidney bean paste is sometimes used as a filler.
- Sweet bean paste (豆沙, dòu shā): A number of pastes are common fillings found in Chinese desserts. Although red bean paste, made from azuki beans, is the most common worldwide, there are regional and original preferences for bean paste made from Mung bean as well as black bean known throughout history.
- Jujube paste (棗泥, zǎo ní): A sweet paste made from the ripe fruits of the jujube (date) plant. The paste is dark red in colour, a little fruity/smoky in flavour and slightly sour in taste. Depending on the quality of the paste, jujube paste may be confused with red bean paste, which is sometimes used as a filler.
- Five kernel (五仁, wǔ rén): A filling consisting of 5 types of nuts and seeds, coarsely chopped and held together with maltose syrup. Commonly used nuts and seeds include: walnuts, pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, peanuts, sesame, or almonds. In addition, the mixture will usually contain candied winter melon, jinhua ham, or pieces of rock sugar as additional flavouring.
- Taro Paste (芋泥, yù ní): A sweet paste made from taro, a tuber grown in many part of tropical Asia. The colour of the paste in the mooncake is purple and is most commonly used in
Teochew crusty mooncakes.
- Salt and pepper (椒鹽, jiāoyán): Filling made from roasted black sesame. Commonly found in flaky Suzhou-style mooncakes.
- Durian: Filling commonly found in South East Asia (mainly Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore) made of mashed durian paste.
Traditional mooncake vary widely depending on the region where the mooncake is produced. While most regions produce traditional mooncakes with many types of fillings, they usually only make their mooncake from one type of crust or another. Although vegetarian mooncakes may use vegetable oil, many mooncakes use lard in their recipes for a better taste. There are three types of mooncake crust used in Chinese cuisine:
- Chewy: This crust has a reddish-brown tone and glossy sheen. It is the most common type of crust used on Cantonese-style mooncakes. It is also the most commonly seen type of mooncake in North America and many western countries. Chewy mooncake crusts are made using a combination of thick sugar syrup, lye water, flour, and oil, thus giving this crust its rich taste and a chewy yet tender texture. Chewiness can be increased further by adding maltose syrup to the mixture.
- The dough is also baked into fish or piglet shapes (Cantonese: “Jue Zai Bang”; 豬仔餅; lit. “Piglet Biscuits”) and sold at mooncake bakeries as a chewy snack. They often come individually packaged in small plastic baskets, to symbolize fish being caught or piglets being bound for sale.
- Flaky: Flaky crusts are most indicative of Suzhou-style mooncakes. The dough is made by rolling together alternating layers of oily dough and flour that has been stir-fried in oil. This crust has a very similar texture to the likes of puff pastry.
- Tender: Mooncakes from certain provinces of China and Taiwan are often made to be tender rather than flaky or chewy. The texture of this type of mooncake crust is similar to the likes of the shortcrust pastry used in Western pie crusts or tart shells. Tender crusts are made mainly of a homogenous mix of sugar, oil, flour, and water. This type of crust is also commonly used in other type of Chinese pastries, such as the egg tart.
Taiwan
The most traditional mooncake from Taiwan is filled with yam[citation needed].Taiwanese moon cakes are wide in variety that include low fat, lard free and ice cream versions. Popular modern flavors include green tea, chocolate and many others.
[edit] Indonesia
In Indonesia, there are hundreds of types of moon cakes, from the traditional to the modern mooncakes. The very traditional mooncake has been there ever since the Chinese and Japanese entered Indonesia, they are circular like a moon, white and rather thin. Fillings may include chocolate, cheese, milk, durian, jackfruit and many other exotic fruits, however before 1998 it was only sold in small markets or villages. Now the traditional moon cake is easy to find in supermarkets and mini marts, rather than the modern mooncakes.
The “modern” mooncakes finally entered Indonesia after 1998.
Indonesian Chinese traditionally celebrate the Mooncake Festival with a dragon dance at full moon, placing a bowl of water in the open sky at the middle of the night, waiting until the moon reflects on the water, then washing their face with the water and eating the mooncakes. They believe it makes their face and charisma as bright as the moon.
[edit] Japan
In Japan, mooncakes are sold year-round, mainly in Japan’s Chinatowns, pronounced in Japanese as “geppei”. Azuki (Red Bean) paste is the most popular filling for these mooncakes, but other sorts of beans as well as chestnut are also used. Unlike some types of Chinese mooncakes, mooncakes in Japan almost never contain an egg yolk in the centre.
[edit] Vietnam
In Vietnam, mooncakes are known as bánh trung thu (literally “Mid-Autumn cake”) and may contain a variety of fillings, such as savory roasted chicken, mung beans, coconut or durian.
Source: Wikipedia
PART A:
2 c. all-purpose flour
4 tbsp. Crisco
8 tbsp. water
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 tsp. salt
PART B:
1 c. all-purpose flour
4 tbsp. Crisco
FILLING (BEAN PASTE) :
2 c. beans, cooked and mashed
3/4 c. sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out Part A; spread Part B over Part A. Roll as cinnamon roll, wrap up from one end and flatten with rolling pin. Roll and stand on end, flatten again with rolling pin. Roll up and slice into 20 pieces.
Flatten into rounds with thumb and fingers, place some filling in center and fold all sides under to seal. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and brush tops with lightly beaten egg yolk. Bake for 20 minutes and remove to cooling rack. Tops may be decorated by using the blunt end of a chop-stick dipped in red food dye. Makes 20 moon-cakes.
September 26th,2009
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Makes 2 dozen
1 can (17-1/2 ounces) lotus seed paste
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
Dough
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2-cup non-fat dried milk powder
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup sugar 1/2 cup solid shortening, melted and cooled
1 egg yolk , lightly beaten
1. Mix lotus seed paste and walnuts together in a bowl; set aside.
2. Sift flour, milk powder, baking powder, and salt together into a bowl. In large bowl of electric mixer, beat eggs on medium speed until light and lemon colored. Add sugar; beat for 10 minutes or until mixture falls in a thick ribbon. Add melted shortening; mix lightly. With a spatula, fold in flour mixture. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board; knead for 1 minute or until smooth and satiny. Divide dough in half; roll each half into a log. Cut each log into 12 equal pieces.
3. To shape each moon cake, roll a piece of dough into a ball. Roll out on a lightly floured board to make a 4-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Place 1 tablespoon of lotus seed paste mixture in center of dough circle. Fold in sides of dough to completely enclose filling; press edges to seal. Lightly flour inside of moon cake press with 2-1/2 inch diameter cups. Place moon cake, seam side up, in mold; flatten dough to conform to shape of mold. Bang one end of mold lightly on work surface to dislodge moon cake. Place cake on ungreased baking sheet. Repeat to shape remaining cakes. Brush tops with egg yolk.
4. Bake in a preheated 375 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a rack and let cool.
September 26th,2009
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On the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar, the moon is round and the Chinese people mark their Moon (or Mid-autumn) Festival. The round shape to a Chinese means family reunion. Therefore the Moon Festival is a holiday for members of a family to get together wherever it is possible.
On that day sons and daughters will bring their family members back to their parents’ house for a reunion. Sometimes people who have already settled overseas will come back to visit their parents on that day.
As every Chinese holiday is accompanied by some sort of special food. On the Moon Festival, people eat moon cakes, a kind of cookie with fillings of sugar, fat, sesame, walnut, the yoke of preserved eggs, ham or other material. In Chinese fairy tales, there live on the moon the fairy Chang E, a wood cutter named Wu Gang and a jade rabbit which is Chang E’s pet. In the old days, people paid respect to the fairy Chang E and her pet the jade rabbit.
The custom of paying homage to the fairy and rabbit is gone, but the moon cakes are showing improvement every year. There are hundreds of varieties of moon cakes on sale a month before the arrival of the Moon Festival this year. Some moon cakes are of very high quality and very delicious. An overseas tourist is advised not to miss it if he or she happens to be in China during the Moon Festival.
