TOMATOES, TOMAHTOES
WHAT’S the difference between Chow Mein and Chop Suey? Gotcha there, didn’t I? So, in my world:
According to TheSpruceEats, Chow Mein, (in Mandarin “ch’ao mien” which means “stir-fried noodles”) is the more authentic of the two, having originated in Northern China. If it doesn’t contain something stir-fried along with boiled noodles, it’s not Chow Mein — https://www.thespruceeats.com/chop-su.... “Chow mein is an established recipe where noodles are first boiled and then added at the end to a stir-fry of vegetables and [thin soy] sauce, keeping the noodles somewhat soft.”
According to the same source, Chop Suey “was invented in America by Chinese Americans. A story that has stood the test of time is that this dish was created by a legendary Chinese chef at a California mining camp. On a day he was short on ingredients and staff, he threw together a dish for his customers using whatever he had in the kitchen. He named it ‘tsa sui’ in Mandarin, which means ‘miscellaneous broken pieces.’ The name became Americanized to ‘chop suey’. There is no existence of a dish called ‘tsa sui’ in China.” Whatever ingredients are on hand are chopped up and stir-fried with a thicker sauce. There don’t have to be noodles in Chop Suey; instead, the stir-fried mixture is typically served over rice.
Nonetheless the two typically present and taste quite differently. As with so many things in life, the devil is in the detail. The same can be said about acting and living one’s life in the present. At their best, both seem “authentic;” however, they present and are experienced quite differently irrespective of the amount of work. And then there’s actors like me who have lived a succession of act-ivities, aware that they are often acting a lot in the process of living life. Having been a physician, educator, NASA researcher, Naval Commander, author and environmentalist/naturalist, I find myself drawing constantly from these various professions in my acting. As a doctor I was constantly delivering “bedside manner.” As an educator, I was acting in front of an audience every day. As a NASA researcher, I frequently imagined myself on the starship/shuttle Enterprise. As a Naval Commander, I was a “leader of men.” As an author, I took on the roles of countless characters in order to make my books read more realistically. As an environmentalist and naturalist, I was forever being challenged to be at my most human. “The world is a stage” the Great Bard once shared, and we are forever creating our own movies, calling them memories.
Still the difference between acting and simply living couldn’t be more. One of the challenges of being an actor is to keep being aware of the difference, so that one doesn’t morph into the other. Tomatoes, Tomahtoes. Chow Mein, Chop Suey. Go figure, then mark your calendars for November/December 2022 when the six weekly episodes of the K. Simmons Production of FINDING KATE are scheduled to air. See you on the silverscreen! Follow me Behind-the-Scenes at https://janik.yolasite.com/actor.php.
#DanielSJanik #RaymondGaynor #actor #movie #memories #film #doctor #physician #educator #NASA #research #Navy #commander #author #environmentalist #naturalist #Shakespeare #FindingKate #KSimmonsProduction #ChopSuey #ChowMein #differences #BehindTheScenes
According to TheSpruceEats, Chow Mein, (in Mandarin “ch’ao mien” which means “stir-fried noodles”) is the more authentic of the two, having originated in Northern China. If it doesn’t contain something stir-fried along with boiled noodles, it’s not Chow Mein — https://www.thespruceeats.com/chop-su.... “Chow mein is an established recipe where noodles are first boiled and then added at the end to a stir-fry of vegetables and [thin soy] sauce, keeping the noodles somewhat soft.”
According to the same source, Chop Suey “was invented in America by Chinese Americans. A story that has stood the test of time is that this dish was created by a legendary Chinese chef at a California mining camp. On a day he was short on ingredients and staff, he threw together a dish for his customers using whatever he had in the kitchen. He named it ‘tsa sui’ in Mandarin, which means ‘miscellaneous broken pieces.’ The name became Americanized to ‘chop suey’. There is no existence of a dish called ‘tsa sui’ in China.” Whatever ingredients are on hand are chopped up and stir-fried with a thicker sauce. There don’t have to be noodles in Chop Suey; instead, the stir-fried mixture is typically served over rice.
Nonetheless the two typically present and taste quite differently. As with so many things in life, the devil is in the detail. The same can be said about acting and living one’s life in the present. At their best, both seem “authentic;” however, they present and are experienced quite differently irrespective of the amount of work. And then there’s actors like me who have lived a succession of act-ivities, aware that they are often acting a lot in the process of living life. Having been a physician, educator, NASA researcher, Naval Commander, author and environmentalist/naturalist, I find myself drawing constantly from these various professions in my acting. As a doctor I was constantly delivering “bedside manner.” As an educator, I was acting in front of an audience every day. As a NASA researcher, I frequently imagined myself on the starship/shuttle Enterprise. As a Naval Commander, I was a “leader of men.” As an author, I took on the roles of countless characters in order to make my books read more realistically. As an environmentalist and naturalist, I was forever being challenged to be at my most human. “The world is a stage” the Great Bard once shared, and we are forever creating our own movies, calling them memories.
Still the difference between acting and simply living couldn’t be more. One of the challenges of being an actor is to keep being aware of the difference, so that one doesn’t morph into the other. Tomatoes, Tomahtoes. Chow Mein, Chop Suey. Go figure, then mark your calendars for November/December 2022 when the six weekly episodes of the K. Simmons Production of FINDING KATE are scheduled to air. See you on the silverscreen! Follow me Behind-the-Scenes at https://janik.yolasite.com/actor.php.
#DanielSJanik #RaymondGaynor #actor #movie #memories #film #doctor #physician #educator #NASA #research #Navy #commander #author #environmentalist #naturalist #Shakespeare #FindingKate #KSimmonsProduction #ChopSuey #ChowMein #differences #BehindTheScenes
No comments have been added yet.
