Chinese Buddhist dinner, May 19

Dharma Drum Mountain Buddhist Association Chicago Chapter will host a fund-raising dinner on Friday, May 19, at at Szechwan Kingdom Restaurant, 545 Waukegan Road, Northbrook (in Brookside Plaza between Dundee and Lake Cook Roads). Served in the multi-course Chinese banquet style, the vegetarian dinner will feature several dishes not ordinarily encountered, even on the menus for Chinese customers.

Reception will start at 6pm and food will be served at 7pm, followed by entertainments and viewing of a brief program DDMBA teacher Chan Master Sheng-Yen made for television.

Tickets are $80 per person, of which $55 will be tax-deductible. To reserve tickets, e-mail Julia Hsia at <julhsia88@yahoo.com>.

I attended this dinner, which turned out to be remarkably delicious. Unfortunately, since it was a sort of business dinner for me, I wasn't in a position to take either photos or extensive notes on the food of the multicourse menu. However, particularly memorable dishes included vegetarian "ham," not so wonderful itself (seitan, perhaps?) but accompanied by a terrific melange of root vegetables and chestnuts; fried mashed taro with cherries; rolls of fluffy tofu with watercress, breaded and deep fried; a variety of vegetable stir-fries; noodles with vegetables.

I was told that the dishes aren't on the regular menu, but I imagine the restaurant would do similar things by special order for others.

One interesting thing I learned about Buddhist vegetarianism is that they don't eat onions or garlic, which are thought to rile the temper.