rolling in dough

I've been dreaming about making these Chinese pancakes ever since I spied the recipe. I imagined it to be similar to naan, the crispy, chewy Indian flatbread and the green onions made for what sounded to be a delightful addition.

The ingredients couldn't be simpler - flour, hot water and salt to make the dough. I used my Kitchenaid and its dough hook to mix everything together, followed by a quick knead to make a smooth ball which I covered with plastic wrap and let rest for an hour, as instructed. I checked my email, had a beer and prepared some coleslaw while I waited.

After I cut the dough into pieces and started heating the pan, I tried rolling out the dough and quickly realized that the kitchen counters were too high - I had no leverage. I got up on a step stool, put a little muscle into it and sure enough, I soon had 4 tidy little circles studded with green onion, all ready for frying.

I had a difficult time figuring out what to serve with the pancakes - I wondered, "The recipe is Chinese, do I have to make something Asian to go with them?" and then "But the ingredients are simple, that would go with most anything, right?"

As it turned out, Mike decided for me. He suggested I make what the Atomic Nerds now call "bredapork.*" The recipe is so easy, and the results are so delicious, I figured why not - there's probably nothing pulled pork's not good on.

Yep. Delicious.

*oh, & if you're not reading Labrat & Stingray, you're missing out - they are a great example of what makes the internet so awesome. Check out Labrat's cooking noob adventures for some great recipes and hysterical commentary like her," Good thing you didn’t go to “high”; that must be for disposing of bodies or something," when she was trying to decide on a food processor setting. For an extra special Atomic Nerds experience, spend some time listening to The Vicious Circle and you'll soon hear their voices in your head as you read their posts!