Eating Sichuanese Gan Bian Dry-Roasted Green Beans with Shrimp at Golden Star Chinese Restaurant in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget

Eating Sichuanese Gan Bian Dry-Roasted Green Beans with Monterey County Shrimp from the Golden Star Restaurant in Salinas, California by Ruth Paget 

Like many Americans I grew up eating stir-fried Chinese-American food that is inspired by the cuisine of Hong Kong and the southern Guandong Province of China. (Specifically, this is the type of food I ate as a child at the Ho-Ho Inn in Detroit, Michigan where my sister worked.) 

When I moved to Chicago, Illinois to attend the University of Chicago, I was able to expand my cultural horizons by trying the food of two inland regions of China – Hunan (where Chairman Mao Zedong was born) and Szechuan (written as Sichuan in the Pinyin transliteration system adopted by the People’s Republic of China). 

The House of Hunan on Michigan Avenue in Chicago is rather fancy with black lacquer tables and chairs and red silk seat cushions. I asked to dine there when my mother came to visit me in college. The food was mildly spicy and paired well with Burgundy wine according to the waiters. 

The Szechuan House located along the Chicago River between Michigan Avenue and State Street was close to where I lived in the Marina Towers that look like two tall corncobs. The Szechuan House had a great buffet on Sundays with lots of seafood. I tried to eat there once a month when I worked at EY. The food was very spicy I noted, but I thought they just added extra pepper to their stir-fry dishes. 

However, when I read Fuchsia Dunlop’s 2003 cookbook Land of Plenty: Authentic Sichuan Recipes Personally Gathered in the Chinese Province of Sichuan, I realized that the cooking techniques used in Sichuan are somewhat different from those used in Hong Kong. 

Dunlop is the first Westerner to have attended and graduated from the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine in Chengdu, China. As an introduction to her recipes, one of the cooking methods she describes is gan bian where food is cut into small sizes and fried in very little oil until the food is slightly dried out, fragrant, and even a little blistered. 

One of the most famous recipes for the gan bian cooking method is made with green beans and pork. Golden Star Restaurant in Salinas, California modifies this recipe to use local shrimp in place of pork. The shrimp was probably marinated for several minutes in soy sauce to not sear and stick to the wok when dry-roasted. 

At Golden Star, once the green beans are dry-roasted, the chef added a seasoning trio of minced fresh garlic, peeled and minced ginger, and crushed red Sichuan peppers to the green beans and tossed them. 

In Golden Star's version, the green beans were set aside and shrimp added with very little oil to dry-roast. The high wok heat quickly cooks the shrimp. Shaoshing wine or sherry is added for flavoring before the green beans are added back to the work. 

The shrimp and green beans are tossed till steam rises with sesame oil added just before serving. 

I loved this meal. There were many fresh green beans, which may be due to the fact that southern Monterey County is warm and has a longer growing season for green beans. Green beans are a rich source of Vitamin C and fiber, making gan bian shrimp at Golden Star Restaurant in Salinas, California a great deal in addition to being delicious. 

When this item is in season, I highly recommend it as a reasonably priced, healthy, and delicious meal. 

Text and photo by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Scholarship Fundraiser Hoedown at Hidden Valley. Music Seminars on April 19, 2026 in Carmel Valley, California reposted by Ruth Paget

Hoedown Party for Scholarship Fundraising at Hidden Valley Music Seminars in Carmel Valley, California on April 19, 2026

The 3rd Annual Hoedown Party for Scholarship Fundraising is being organized by the Carmel Valley Women’s Club and Foundation.

Tickets are $75 each and include a BBQ dinner, music, dance, and a silent auction.

Ticket information and more details about the event follow:

https://www.kazu.org/community-calendar/event/the-carmel-valley-womens-club-foundations-3rd-annual-hoedown-party-29-01-2026-18-03-47

The Women’s Club website also has information:

https://cvwomensclub.org/content.aspx?page_id=22&club_id=97406&module_id=660240

Reposted by Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

46th Annual Quilt Show on May 1 - 3, 2026 in Pacific Grove, California by Ruth Paget

46th Annual Quilt Show on May 1 – 3, 2026 in Pacific Grove, California Orientation by Ruth Paget 

Quilts by the Bay, the 46th Annual Quilt Show organized by the Monterey Peninsula Quilters Guild will be held on May 1 – 3, 2026 at Chautauqua Hall in Pacific Grove, California. 

For information about submitting a quilt and/or eventual ticket information, check out the Guild’s website below, which also has information about the organization’s meetings and seminars: 

https://www.mpqg.org/quiltshow

For general information on quilting, especially in the United States, the Kids Britannica website below gives a good introduction. I like the discussion of patterns used in different regions of the US, which is sometimes inspired by religious beliefs. 

https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/quilt/276621

At its most basic level, many quilts begin as a square of fabric that is sewn together with other squares to form the top part of a quilt. For a discussion of squares and quilt frames, tied quilts, and crazy quilts, see the fabric chapter in Old-Time Country Wisdom & Lore: 1000s of Traditional Skills for Simple Living by Jerry Mack Johnson (Published by Harvard University Press). 

This book also provides 8 different geometric patterns that can be used for quilt making as well as a drawing of the common stitch used to sew and connect quilt squares. Quilting has traditionally been used to “recycle” fabric from worn out clothes, but new fabric is often used in projects that are classed as art. 

The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. has gathered many documentaries about quilting in the US. Use the search feature to look up quilting oral histories for your state or just enjoy browsing through the youtube videos at the website below. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_7JvsKwCWfk

Finally, the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England has put together An Introduction to Quilting and Patchwork that draw on its collections from Europe, India, and the Far East. The site discusses the use of patchwork through the ages, even including as padding under suits of armor for warmth and added protection from weapons. 

For an informed yet chatty discussion of the history of quilting, check out the Victoria & Albert Museum website below: 

https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/an-introduction-to-quilting-and-patchwork?srsltid=AfmBOorvRTRemG4nAMnMShqO05eplrKQHrsu3kcRsijchS32fx0Vv8YM

Gong through the information above on this site will enhance your appreciation of the quilts on display at the 46th Annual Quilt Show on May 1 – 3, 2026 at Chautauqua Hall in Pacific Grove, California. 

Note: I first learned about slave quilts that are believed to hide landmarks along the Underground Railroad in their design at the colonial Frances Land House in Virginia Beach, Virginia at a temporary exhibit when I lived there.  The following video from the LA County Library in California also deals with this he topic of slave quilts:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XLo05HGd43c&t=315s&pp=2AG7ApACAQ%3D%3D

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Making Japanese Yakisoba Stir-fried Vegetables, Chicken, and Noodles One-Pot Meal Online Exhibit by Ruth Paget

Making Japanese Yakisoba Stir-Fried Vegetable, Chicken, and Noodle One-Pot Meal Online Exhibit 

by RuthPaget 

I am a big fan of the Japanese yakisoba stir-fry one-pot meal with vegetables, pre-cooked chicken, and wheat noodles that comes as a kit at Costco in Sand City, California. 

In the photo below, you can see the exact seasonings by placing your thumb and forefinger on the image and spreading them apart to enlarge the print size. 

The instructions are listed on the label for tender-crisp vegetables and warm meat and noodles: After heat oil to sizzling, you cook the vegetables for 2 minutes. Then, you add the meat and cook it for 2 minutes. The noodles take 1 minute. All together, the instructions call for 5 minutes of cooking time. 

I have modified those instructions, because I like tender and sizzling hot stir-fries to 5 minutes for the vegetables, 5 minutes for the chicken, and 5 minutes for the noodles. I spend 15 minutes of constant cooking, which I still consider a reasonable amount of time cooking. I also add 4 tablespoons oil instead of the 2 called for in the original recipe. 

The yakisoba kit pictured below is arranged to cook the dish in three steps. 

I use a wok with a cover to cook the dish. I place the cover over the dish at the end of cooking to keep the contents warm while my family assembles at the dining room table. 

I use the pictured tongs to toss and turn the yakisoba ingredients. Japanese cooks use extra long chopsticks to do this, but I like the better control I have with tongs. To open the tongs, pull on the plastic end outwards. To close the tongs, push the end back into the tool. 

The yakisoba kit is set up to let you lift out the contents as needed. The vegetables that into the wok with sizzling oil include broccoli, carrots, yellow bell peppers, red bell peppers, celery, and red onion. The video shows how to gently toss the vegetables with oil before adding the pre-cooked chicken. The hot oil draws out water from the vegetables along with their flavor. 

The photo and video below show steam rising from the sizzling hot vegetables. (I was cooking, photographing, and filming at the same time for the embedded shots.) When you add the pre-cooked chicken to the vegetables, you will get a burst of steam as pictured below. The quick video shows the oil sizzling by the top and bottom of the tongs. The sizzling oil is flavored with vegetable juices. 

The photo after the quick video shows what the vegetables and chicken should look like before adding the noodles. The noodles first go on top of the vegetables and meat. You turn the noodles so that these items are mixed into the noodles. (See video.) 

The final product is mostly vegetable and meat with the noodles soaking up the vegetable and chicken flavored oil. At this point, you can stir in the soy seasoning mix, if you would like. My family uses 1 packet for the three of us, which we stir in at the table. 

The yakisoba is a one-pot meal that disappears with minimal clean-up.

The three of us ate two portions each. If you add in the olive oil and water we drank, the cost of the meal was about $7 each. That is a pretty terrific price for a Sunday lunch this is also multicultural. 

If you want to try Japanese food without a large financial investment, the yakisoba one-pot meal kit at Costco in Sand City, California might be a good option for you. 

For history about Yakisoba, fortunenoodle.com provides an extensive discussion on the topic at the link below:

Yakisoba History by fortune noodle.com

Text, photos, and film in this yakisoba making online exhibit by Ruth Paget, author Eating with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Briant Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Briant Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Briant Family through their ancestor George Robert Carpenter. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle)

-daughter of Edward Charles Bardsley and Etta Pearl Carpenter 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter 

-daughter of George Robert Carpenter and Phoebe Throop 

G6 – George Robert Carpenter 

-son of Benjamin Carpenter and Elizabeth Eaker 

G7 – Benjamin Carpenter 

-son of Barnard Carpenter and Phoebe Avery

G8 – Barnard Carpenter 

-son of John Charles Carpenter and Ruth Horton 

G9 – John Charles Carpenter, Jr. 

-son of John Carpenter, Sr. and Sarah Thurston 

G10 – John Carpenter, Sr.

-son of Benjamin Carpenter, Jr. and Renew Weeks 

G11 – Benjamin Carpenter, Jr. 

-son of Joseph Carpenter I and Margaret Sutton 

G12 – Joseph Carpenter I 

-son of William Carpenter and Abigail Briant 

G13 – Abigail Briant 

-daughter of John Briant and Mary Alice Briant 

Born: about May 27, 1604 in Shalbourne, Wiltshire, England 

Died: February 22, 1687 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts – buried in East Providence, Providence, Rhode Island, US

G14 – John Briant  

-son of Mr. Briant (first name unknown) and Mrs. Briant (name unknown at this time) 

Born: about 1580 in Shalbourne, Wiltshire, England 

Died: August 20, 1638 in Shalbourne, Wiltshire, England, UK 

G15 – Mr. Briant (first name unknown at this time) 

Born: Estimated birth between 1515 and 1575 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Sutton Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Sutton Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Sutton family through their ancestor George Robert Carpenter. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget 

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle) 

-daughter of Charles Bardsley and Etta Pearl Carpenter  

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter 

-daughter of George Robert Carpenter and Phoebe Throop 

G6 – George Robert Carpenter -son of Benjamin Carpenter and Elizabeth Eaker 

G7 – Benjamin Carpenter 

-son of Barnard Carpenter and Phoebe Avery 

G8 – Barnard Carpenter 

-son of John Charles Carpenter and Ruth Horton 

G9 – John Charles Carpenter, Jr. 

-son of John Carpenter, Sr. and Sarah Thurston 

G10 – John Carpenter, Sr. 

-son of Benjamin Carpenter and Renew Weeks 

G11 – Benjamin Carpenetr, Sr. 

-son of Joseph Carpenter 1 and Margaret Sutton 

G12 – Margaret Sutton 

-daughter of John Sutton and Julien Adcocke 

Born: November 30, 1637 in Attleborough, Norfolk, England 

Died: May 6, 1676 in Rehoboth, Plymouth Colony, British Colonial America and was buried in Barrington, Bristol, Rhode Island, US 

G13 – John Sutton 

-son of John Sutton and Dionysia Clements 

Born: 1594 in Great Snoring, Norfolk, England 

Died: June 1, 1672 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Plymouth Colony in British Colonial America and was buried in Newman Cemetery, Providence, Rhode Island, British Colonial America 

Occupation: Farmer in Hingham, Suffolk, Plymouth Colony, Bristol, British Colonial America 

G14 – John Sutton -parents unknown at this time Born: About 1535 in England Died: Deceased date unknown 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games

Weeks Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget

Weeks Ancestors of Ruth and Florence Paget by Ruth Paget 

Ruth and Florence Paget are related to the Weeks family through their ancestor George Robert Carpenter. 

G1 refers to Generation 1 and so on. 

Mother Lines 

G1 – Florence Paget

G2 – Ruth Pennington (Married Name: Paget) 

G3 – Beatrice May Sawle (Married Name: Pennington) 

G4 – Daisy May Bardsley (Married Name: Sawle)

-daughter of Edward Charles Bardsley and Etta Pearl Carpenter 

G5 – Etta Pearl Carpenter

-daughter of George Robert Carpenter and Phoebe Ann Throop 

G6 – George Robert Carpenter 

-son of Benjamin Carpenter and Elizabeth Eaker 

G7 – Benjamin Carpenter 

-son of Barnard Carpenter and Phoebe Avery 

G8 – Barnard Carpenter

-son of John Charles Carpenter and Ruth Horton 

G9 – John Charles Carpenter, Jr. 

-son of John Carpenter, Sr. and Sarah Thurston 

G10 – John Carpenter, Sr.

-son of Benjamin Carpenter, Sr. and Renew Weeks

G11 – Renew Weeks 

-daughter of William Weeks and Elizabeth (last name unknown at this time) 

Born: August 12, 1660 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony 

Died: July 29. 1703 in Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts Bay Colony 

G12 – William Weeks 

-son of George Weeks and Jane (Clapp) Humphrey 

Born: about 1628 in Devon, England 

Died: December 13 1677 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony 

G13 – George Weeks 

-parents unknown at this time 

Born: About 1600 in Devon, England 

Died: December 28, 1650 in Dorchester, Suffolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony – buried at Dorchester North Burying Ground in Dorchester, Suffolk County, Massachusetts 

Occupation: Land owner, land surveyor, and colony trustee 

By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France and developer of the Novgorod and Bento War Games