Crystal Cake help



T

The Bubbo

Guest
In Chinatown in Chicago there is a bakery I always stop at. They have all
these wonderful pastries and stuffed buns and things for cheap. One of the
things they sell is called Crystal Cake, I love it and I can not find anything
about it.

First of all, it's not cakey at all.

It's a tube, maybe 2.5 inches in diameter, it strikes me that it's made very
long and then cut into 4 inch lengths. It's white, chewy, maybe made with
glutinous rice flour(??), it's dotted throughout with sweet red beans. It's
not made with any sort of wheat flour that I can tell. I'm really trying to
come up with a way to describe the texture...

Anyway, I want to find out more about them, maybe try to make them at home if
possible. The ladies behind the counter at the bakery either don't speak
english or don't want to talk to the crazy girl with the pink hair so I can
never get any answers from them. It's been so long since I've been to chicago,
I miss these things.


--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
 
The Bubbo wrote:
> In Chinatown in Chicago there is a bakery I always stop at. They have all
> these wonderful pastries and stuffed buns and things for cheap. One of the
> things they sell is called Crystal Cake, I love it and I can not find anything
> about it.
>
> First of all, it's not cakey at all.
>
> It's a tube, maybe 2.5 inches in diameter, it strikes me that it's made very
> long and then cut into 4 inch lengths. It's white, chewy, maybe made with
> glutinous rice flour(??), it's dotted throughout with sweet red beans. It's
> not made with any sort of wheat flour that I can tell. I'm really trying to
> come up with a way to describe the texture...
>
> Anyway, I want to find out more about them, maybe try to make them at home if
> possible. The ladies behind the counter at the bakery either don't speak
> english or don't want to talk to the crazy girl with the pink hair so I can
> never get any answers from them. It's been so long since I've been to chicago,
> I miss these things.
>
>

is it this:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/02/02/FDGV9B0QLA1.DTL
?

--

saerah

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams
 
(The Bubbo)WROTE:
In Chinatown in Chicago there is a bakery I always stop at. They have
all these wonderful pastries and stuffed buns and things for cheap. One
of the things they sell is called Crystal Cake, I love it and I can not
find anything about it.
First of all, it's not cakey at all.
It's a tube, maybe 2.5 inches in diameter, it strikes me that it's made
very long and then cut into 4 inch lengths. It's white, chewy, maybe
made with glutinous rice flour(??), it's dotted throughout with sweet
red beans. It's not made with any sort of wheat flour that I can tell.
I'm really trying to come up with a way to describe the texture...
Anyway, I want to find out more about them, maybe try to make them at
home if possible. The ladies behind the counter at the bakery either
don't speak english or don't want to talk to the crazy girl with the
pink hair so I can never get any answers from them. It's been so long
since I've been to chicago, I miss these
things.---------------------------------------------
REPONSE: We have a lot of bakeries owned by people from China Korea etc.
around here -surburban detroit- and they pull the same treatment as you
mentioned so don't feel bad.
As one friend told an owner to his face as he walked out leaving items
on counter you sure know what our money means though don't you.
 
sarah bennett wrote:
> The Bubbo wrote:
>> In Chinatown in Chicago there is a bakery I always stop at. They have all
>> these wonderful pastries and stuffed buns and things for cheap. One of the
>> things they sell is called Crystal Cake, I love it and I can not find
anything
>> about it.
>>
>> First of all, it's not cakey at all.
>>
>> It's a tube, maybe 2.5 inches in diameter, it strikes me that it's made
very
>> long and then cut into 4 inch lengths. It's white, chewy, maybe made with
>> glutinous rice flour(??), it's dotted throughout with sweet red beans. It's
>> not made with any sort of wheat flour that I can tell. I'm really trying to
>> come up with a way to describe the texture...
>>
>> Anyway, I want to find out more about them, maybe try to make them at home
if
>> possible. The ladies behind the counter at the bakery either don't speak
>> english or don't want to talk to the crazy girl with the pink hair so I can
>> never get any answers from them. It's been so long since I've been to
chicago,
>> I miss these things.
>>
>>
>
> is it this:
>
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/02/02/FDGV9B0QLA1.DTL
> ?
>

The description sounds right but the pictures don't match, it's very white
except for the dots of red bean. Maybe it's a variation on that?

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
Step off, beyotches, I'm the roflpimp!
 
ms. tonya wrote:
> (The Bubbo)WROTE:
> In Chinatown in Chicago there is a bakery I always stop at. They have
> all these wonderful pastries and stuffed buns and things for cheap. One
> of the things they sell is called Crystal Cake, I love it and I can not
> find anything about it.
> First of all, it's not cakey at all.
> It's a tube, maybe 2.5 inches in diameter, it strikes me that it's made
> very long and then cut into 4 inch lengths. It's white, chewy, maybe
> made with glutinous rice flour(??), it's dotted throughout with sweet
> red beans. It's not made with any sort of wheat flour that I can tell.
> I'm really trying to come up with a way to describe the texture...
> Anyway, I want to find out more about them, maybe try to make them at
> home if possible. The ladies behind the counter at the bakery either
> don't speak english or don't want to talk to the crazy girl with the
> pink hair so I can never get any answers from them. It's been so long
> since I've been to chicago, I miss these
> things.---------------------------------------------
> REPONSE: We have a lot of bakeries owned by people from China Korea etc.
> around here -surburban detroit- and they pull the same treatment as you
> mentioned so don't feel bad.
> As one friend told an owner to his face as he walked out leaving items
> on counter you sure know what our money means though don't you.
>
>

I have found that if you ask politely, in most stores they can usually
find someone with some English skills if you need some help (at least at
the "ethnic" markets I shop at). I am also in the Detroit area. Hell, I
don't care if they learn English, just keep importing the good stuff :)

--

saerah

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams
 
sarah bennett wrote:
> ms. tonya wrote:
>> (The Bubbo)WROTE:
>> In Chinatown in Chicago there is a bakery I always stop at. They have
>> all these wonderful pastries and stuffed buns and things for cheap. One
>> of the things they sell is called Crystal Cake, I love it and I can not
>> find anything about it.
>> First of all, it's not cakey at all.
>> It's a tube, maybe 2.5 inches in diameter, it strikes me that it's made
>> very long and then cut into 4 inch lengths. It's white, chewy, maybe
>> made with glutinous rice flour(??), it's dotted throughout with sweet
>> red beans. It's not made with any sort of wheat flour that I can tell.
>> I'm really trying to come up with a way to describe the texture...
>> Anyway, I want to find out more about them, maybe try to make them at
>> home if possible. The ladies behind the counter at the bakery either
>> don't speak english or don't want to talk to the crazy girl with the
>> pink hair so I can never get any answers from them. It's been so long
>> since I've been to chicago, I miss these
>> things.---------------------------------------------
>> REPONSE: We have a lot of bakeries owned by people from China Korea etc.
>> around here -surburban detroit- and they pull the same treatment as you
>> mentioned so don't feel bad.
>> As one friend told an owner to his face as he walked out leaving items
>> on counter you sure know what our money means though don't you.
>>
>>
>
> I have found that if you ask politely, in most stores they can usually
> find someone with some English skills if you need some help (at least at
> the "ethnic" markets I shop at). I am also in the Detroit area. Hell, I
> don't care if they learn English, just keep importing the good stuff :)
>

the ladies at this bakery are super nice, it's just always so busy and they
don't really speak english but they laugh at how excited I get with the
crystal cake and pork buns and sesame rolls...

My favorite, though, are the people who work dim sum at the chinese place by
my office. I was in there today for lunch and they tease me for not eating
chicken feet (I tried them once, I'll try most things once) but liking the
tripe. The last few times they've even run to the back to get special things
for me to try. They're so much fun.

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
Step off, beyotches, I'm the roflpimp!
 
The Bubbo wrote:
> sarah bennett wrote:
>
>>ms. tonya wrote:
>>
>>>(The Bubbo)WROTE:
>>>In Chinatown in Chicago there is a bakery I always stop at. They have
>>>all these wonderful pastries and stuffed buns and things for cheap. One
>>>of the things they sell is called Crystal Cake, I love it and I can not
>>>find anything about it.
>>>First of all, it's not cakey at all.
>>>It's a tube, maybe 2.5 inches in diameter, it strikes me that it's made
>>>very long and then cut into 4 inch lengths. It's white, chewy, maybe
>>>made with glutinous rice flour(??), it's dotted throughout with sweet
>>>red beans. It's not made with any sort of wheat flour that I can tell.
>>>I'm really trying to come up with a way to describe the texture...
>>>Anyway, I want to find out more about them, maybe try to make them at
>>>home if possible. The ladies behind the counter at the bakery either
>>>don't speak english or don't want to talk to the crazy girl with the
>>>pink hair so I can never get any answers from them. It's been so long
>>>since I've been to chicago, I miss these
>>>things.---------------------------------------------
>>>REPONSE: We have a lot of bakeries owned by people from China Korea etc.
>>>around here -surburban detroit- and they pull the same treatment as you
>>>mentioned so don't feel bad.
>>>As one friend told an owner to his face as he walked out leaving items
>>>on counter you sure know what our money means though don't you.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>I have found that if you ask politely, in most stores they can usually
>>find someone with some English skills if you need some help (at least at
>>the "ethnic" markets I shop at). I am also in the Detroit area. Hell, I
>>don't care if they learn English, just keep importing the good stuff :)
>>
>
>
> the ladies at this bakery are super nice, it's just always so busy and they
> don't really speak english but they laugh at how excited I get with the
> crystal cake and pork buns and sesame rolls...
>
> My favorite, though, are the people who work dim sum at the chinese place by
> my office. I was in there today for lunch and they tease me for not eating
> chicken feet (I tried them once, I'll try most things once) but liking the
> tripe. The last few times they've even run to the back to get special things
> for me to try. They're so much fun.
>


I think the women who run the register at the sushi place/market up the
street are amused by the assortment of things I pick up. Or maybe just
that I, the whitest girl in the world, makes her own sushi, I'm not sure
:) The sushi there is SO fantastic. It's alot cheaper to make it
yourself, though.

--

saerah

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams
 
sarah bennett wrote:
>
>
> I think the women who run the register at the sushi place/market up the
> street are amused by the assortment of things I pick up. Or maybe just
> that I, the whitest girl in the world, makes her own sushi, I'm not sure
> :) The sushi there is SO fantastic. It's alot cheaper to make it
> yourself, though.
>

Making your own sushi is way more fun. I'm doing a sushi party/instructional
next month, so I'll be leading an expedition to the store and the fish market
and then to my place to make it.

The girls at the register can't believe just how much I love red bean ice
cream. I get the ice cream bars, the ice cream in the pint and the mochi.
Can't get enough.

--
..:Heather:.
www.velvet-c.com
Step off, beyotches, I'm the roflpimp!
 
The Bubbo wrote:
> sarah bennett wrote:
>
>>
>>I think the women who run the register at the sushi place/market up the
>>street are amused by the assortment of things I pick up. Or maybe just
>>that I, the whitest girl in the world, makes her own sushi, I'm not sure
>>:) The sushi there is SO fantastic. It's alot cheaper to make it
>>yourself, though.
>>
>
>
> Making your own sushi is way more fun. I'm doing a sushi party/instructional
> next month, so I'll be leading an expedition to the store and the fish market
> and then to my place to make it.
>
> The girls at the register can't believe just how much I love red bean ice
> cream. I get the ice cream bars, the ice cream in the pint and the mochi.
> Can't get enough.
>

mochi is great. I bought some to make for ellie last year , and she
thought it was so funny how it puffed up!

--

saerah

"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a
disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice."
-Baruch Spinoza

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly
what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There
is another theory which states that this has already happened."
-Douglas Adams
 
"ms. tonya" wrote:
>
> (The Bubbo)WROTE:
> The ladies behind the counter at the bakery either don't
> speak english or don't want to talk to the crazy girl with the
> pink hair so I can never get any answers from them. It's been so
> long since I've been to chicago, I miss these
> things.---------------------------------------------
> REPONSE: We have a lot of bakeries owned by people from China
> Korea etc. around here -surburban detroit- and they pull the
> same treatment as you mentioned so don't feel bad.

When my family lived in Germany (with lots of other Americans),
a friend of my parents swore that the Germans were just
pretending not to understand his attempts to speak German.
So he'd do the same (perceived) thing to them when they tried
to speak English to him. He'd make them repeat what they
were saying several times before he'd "understand" what they
were trying to say.
 
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