Best Bao Buns!

I like to sit in the quiet zone and not have people talking loudly or talking on their phones. Today, I had a group of people laughing quite loudly while sitting in the Quiet Zone. They quieted down after the conductor informed them where they were sitting. To my surprise, one of the people said they hadn’t noticed the sign. Really!!?? Also,  I can’t tell you how often people with second class tickets sit in first class. I have noticed an announcement is made on the longer distance trains informing people they will be charged the difference between a second class and a first class ticket and also will be fined.

Today will be another long day. I’m heading first to Einsiedeln and then back to Wollishofen to take another cooking class with Sherly. Today we will be making Taiwanese bao buns. 

I have a couple train changes to get to Einsiedeln. I start in Interlaken West and stay on the same train until I get to the Zürich main train station. At least I don’t have to change in Bern. From Zürich I travel to  Wädenswil and change there for a train to Einsiedeln.

Everything is easy as I have the SBB travel app that gives me the train classification and number,  times, platform information, how crowded first and second class are, and walking times. 

Much construction happening at the Bern main train station. Can’t wait to see the improvements next year. 

"Einsiedeln Abbey ( Latin: Abbatia territorialis Sanctissimae Virginis Mariae Einsiedlensis ), with its abbey and and cathedral church of the Assumption of Mary and and St. Mauritius, is an exempt Benedictine abbey in the municipality of Einsiedeln in the canton of  Schwyz . Due to its importance as the country's largest pilgrimage site and its striking architecture, it is the most famous Baroque building in Switzerland; the abbey is also an important stop on the Way of St. James . The Black Madonna of Einsiedeln in the Chapel of Grace attracts around 800,000 pilgrims and and tourists every year. The community of Benedictine monks has around 40 members. The monastery is not part of a diocese , but has the status of a territorial abbey."

"Since its founding in 1130, the Benedictine monastery of Fahr near Zurich has belonged to the Einsiedeln Abbey. Thus, the abbot of Einsiedeln is the abbot of Fahr Abbey. Together, they form the world's only surviving double monastery of the Benedictine Order."

There will be a pilgrimage this weekend. They are setting up candle holders. I can't imagine how majestic this will be when all the candles are lit.

"The monastery of Einsiedeln was built as a Baroque edifice with four inner courtyards in the 18th century. Before that time Romanesque and Gothic buildings defined the monastery, which was founded by the Benedictine monk Meinrad in the year 835.

"The monastery complex includes not only the living space for the monks but also a diocese school, ten workshops, a wine cellar for the monastery's own wine and stables for the monastery's own breed of horses.

 "By means of concerts, guided tours, and public masses, the Benedictine monks allow everyone to take part in their lives and discover what is probably Switzerland's most impressive monastery complex."

The Mercy Chapel (Gnadenkapelle), made of black marble, is located in the monastery's church, under a dome with frescoes. The famous Black Madonna dating to the 15th century is found in that chapel."

"The Black Madonna of Einsiedeln is a late Gothic image from the mid-15th century. It replaced the original Romanesque image, which may have been destroyed in the monastery fire of 1465. At the beginning of the 17th century, the statue was given a Spanish robe in the shape of a bell. It is still changed regularly today, with the color of the robe corresponding to the respective liturgical color of the church year. The black skin color comes from the soot of the candles and lamps that burned in front of the statue for centuries. When the statue was restored in 1803 in Vorarlberg after it fled from the French revolutionary troops, the artist uncovered the original color but painted the figure black before its return to Einsiedeln."

"On September 14, 948, Christ, accompanied by saints and angels, is said to have consecrated the chapel in honor of his mother on the site of Meinrad's cell. This legend formed the core of the pilgrimage that began. Most pilgrims visited Einsiedeln for the Feast of the Consecration of the Angels . If September 14 fell on a Sunday, a two-week Great Consecration of the Angels what is celebrated. In 1466, approximately 150,000 Pilgrim badges were sold."

"Even today, the Consecration of the Angels is an important festival in Einsiedeln and is a public holiday in the Einsiedeln district. It places the Chapel of Grace at the center of special celebrations. The Consecration of the Angels is considered one of the most beautiful religious festivals in Switzerland. The next Grand Consecration of the Angels take place on September 13 and 14, 2025."

We are back at Sherly's Kitchen tonight to learn how to make Taiwanese bao buns from the night market.

Tonight‘s class, Taiwanese Bao Buns from the Night Market, was fabulous!  We made Taiwanese bao buns from scratch with five spice pork and delicious fillings. Michael and I can‘t wait to have friends over to try this recipe. 

It was wonderful to have two dads share this class with their daughters. Paula and her dad always wanted to take an Asian cooking class together. Her dad gave her this class as a birthday gift. What a fun idea for a unique gift. They live in the city of Constance which is an hour and a half drive from Wollishofen. 

Make the dough first and separate it into 10 pieces.

Let your little balls rise for about 30 minutes. Pinch it around toward the center. Be gentle with the dough and don’t handle it too much.  Turn the dough over and roll it out lengthwise first. We rolled it out to about 25 centimeters with our rolling pin. You want about two and a half rolling pins wide.

Brush half with oil and fold over.

Place in your bamboo steamer to rise about 30 minutes. Steam for 15 minutes. Half way through, rotate your baskets. Remember to place the opening side toward the middle.

We split up in little teams to do the prep work.

These two teams chopped up the ingredient for the Asian style Coleslaw.

Michael and I were on the five spice  pork belly team. Pork belly is the most expensive part of the pig. Michael sliced the pork belly in thin strips and I quickly fried it in oil and a little sugar for caramelization. You don’t want to cook the meat. You only want to brown one side to give it a little color. It will finish cooking in the sauce.

Another team made the radish pickle with small radishes and the spicy chili Mayo.

We tried a little of the coleslaw as an appetizer. Sherly added some corn for color, too. The crackers went well with it.

The buns lift apart so easily but you don’t want to open it too far as the bun with split.

You layer the parts.

On the bottom of the bun, you spread the chili mayo.

Next comes the pork belly.

The coleslaw goes on top of the pork belly to give it a crunch,

On top of that is the pickled radish.

Finally comes chopped peanuts and coriander. 

If you don’t like the spicy coriander (cilantro) use chopped green onions

Michael and I will be cooking this dish again and again! As our friend Bennett says, "This is a keeper!"

We will also definitely make the buns again and use different fillings. Shred some leftover chicken with some sauce or how about pulled pork or brisket you slow cooked on your Traeger.

YUMMY!!!!