Chinese Banquet 11 March 2023
Sixty Residents packed the Village Hall on 11th March for a unique evening organised by the Residents’ Association (RA). The Hall was decked out with Chinese lanterns and the tables laid with chopsticks for a one off Chinese banquet cooked by Crazies Hill resident Beccy Robinson.
Beccy had lived in Sichuan in south west China for several years and as a keen amateur cook learnt to prepare many of their local dishes. Having volunteered her services, the RA asked her to put together a menu in order that we could run a Chinese banquet as our Spring village social event. Beccy did not disappoint and came up with a stunning four course menu with several dishes in each course.
Beccy explains the dishes to a packed audience
Due to the complexity of the menu and the fact that it was being cooked fresh in the Village Hall, the sixty guest were divided into two sittings at 7:00pm and 8:30pm. Those who were not eating were kept well supplied with wine and beer, including Chinese Tsingtao by Paul, who ran the bar for the first half of the evening, allowing neighbours to chat and catch up.
Paul kept the glasses topped up
Beccy explained each of the dishes to the diners and how the food would be placed in the middle of the table and everyone would help themselves, as this is the traditional way for a family meal in china. Dishes ranged from Smacked cucumber, through Grandma’s mapo tofu, Red-braised slow cooked belly pork to rice dough balls filled with ice cream for dessert.
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As it was a Chinese banquet then chopsticks were the preferred implements of choice for eating. Everyone, both young and old, had a go. Eating the peanuts though, did lead to some struggling to feed themselves.
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Finally once everyone else had had their fill of the delicious food, Beccy and her partner Mark, along with fellow helpers managed to sit down and enjoy the fruits of her own labour.
Beccy (second right) and partner Mark with friends, eventually have time to enjoy the meal
Chairman of the RA, Dave Smith, thanked everyone who had helped to make the evening a success, both those on the RA committee who had set up and decorated the hall and also all of Beccy’s friends who had helped her in the kitchen. Of course the main thanks went to Beccy herself who was presented with a bottle of champagne as a thank you.
The residents stayed on enjoying themselves until late into the evening and when they did wander of home, all of them declared the event had been a total success.
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