Cook Chinese...

5 Things… (meme)

2008-01-11T01:06:00.000+01:00

I was tagged for this meme by Margot from Coffee and Vanilla

Here are the questions and my answers….
What were you cooking/baking 10 years ago?
On my own? Nothing. But I was helping my grandfather to bake cakes for Christmas, Easter & other occasions. That’s how my adventure with cooking/baking begins in a first place.

What were you cooking/baking one year ago?
What was on the top of my list? Iced buns (I think it’s called a Swiss Iced Finger). It looks like this:

I was also baking/cooking traditional polish Poppy Seed Cake & yeast-cake, Monkey bread and great casserole with broccoli, cauliflower, carrots & sunflower seeds under béchamel. There were more, but those above were my best.

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. Cini Minis;
2. Bacon Prunes;
3. Chicken, rise and pineapple salad;
4. cashew with raisins
5. And most of crunchy snacks

Five recipes you know by heart:
1. Grilled porkneck or spare ribs
2. Bacon Prunes
3. Poppy seed cake
4. Summer apple pie
5. Polish white borscht

Five culinary luxuries you would indulge in if you were a millionaire:
1. large kitchen with traditional bread stove
2. more expensive ingredients, like sea food
3. sushi at least once a week
4. really expensive (best quality) kitchen appliances like food-processor
5. my very own wine-cellar (full of course)

Five foods you would love to cook/bake:
1. crème brûlée
2. Obelix’s style, whole wild boar
3. few medieval (and older) traditional dishes
4. to brew my own beer
5. Mazurek Kajmakowy - basically it's a shortcake with fudge on top and looks like this
or this:

or however you want :} Generaly its traditional Easter cake, but ornamentation depends mostly on your ability and imagination.

Five foods you cannot/will not eat:
1. milk – I have allergy
2. raw meat
3. anything cooked/baked with eyes
4. tomato soup
5. sweet meat (like made with raisins)

Five favorite culinary toys:
1. meat rolling-pin (yup, that’s right – newest polish invention. It looks like normal rolling-pin, but has spikes like meat hammer/tenderizer). Look: It may spin, or you can tide up this screw to use it like a normal meat tenderizer. 2. silicon baking mold
3. whisk
4. silicon brush
5. special pannikin with flour sieve on the bottom, like this one here:

Five dishes on your "last meal" menu:
1. Sushi
2. Grilled porkneck or spare ribs

3. Some sea food

4.Botle of Porto

5. Polish doughnuts (I fry them myself with self made rose petals preserve). Should look like this:

Five happy food memories:

1. baking with my grandfather.

2. Many moments, when I baked/cooked for my friends

3. cooking for 120 people on boy scout camp in a middle of tank range (challenging, but also very happy moment)

4. visiting with my friends the Capio D’oro - best restaurant on Mazury (polish Land of Thousand Lakes)

5. dinner on kayak in a middle of a lake or on the river bank.

I would love to find out about some other bloggers as well so I’m tagging for this meme:

Clotilde of Chocolate and Zucchini
Scott of RealEpicurean
Sean of Hedonia
Simon of Plate of the Day

Spicy Szechuan Green Beans

2008-01-02T14:15:00.000+01:00

Ingredients:
1 dish of green bean, tip trimmed
¼ pound ground beef
Minced garlic, ginger, shallot (2-3 table spoon total)
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
Chinese dried shrimp (soaked)

Seasoning:

Cooking oil
Xiao-shing wine
Dark soy sauce
Ground black pepper
Sugar
Sesame oil

Preparation:

Deep fry green beans on high heat until slightly golden colour, drain and set aside.

Add oil to wok and heat wok over high heat. Sauté garlic, ginger, shallot, jalapeno pepper and Chinese dried shrimp.

Add ground beef and sauté until brown.

Add green beans.

Add Xiao-shing wine, dark soy sauce, sugar, and ground black pepper, stir fry until mixed.

Add sesame oil to taste.

Hot & Sour Soup

2007-10-22T22:54:00.000+02:00

Ingredients:
1 can chicken broth
Approx 1/4 cup cooked shredded meat
Approx 1/4 cup sliced bean curd
Approx 1/4 cup sliced rehydrated wood ears
Approx 1/8 cup sliced bamboo shoots
Seasonings:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dark soy
1 tbsp Chinese Black Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Fish Sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp Corn Starch
1/4 tsp ground roasted schezuan peppercorns
Approx 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
A few drops of sesame oil
1/2 beaten egg
2 tbsp minced green onions

Preparation:

Combine the seasonings in a bowl and mix well. Rest of ingredients combine in a sauce pan and bring to a boil over high heat. When soup comes to a boil, add the seasonings, and keep over high heat for 2-5 minutes. Slowly add the beaten egg and then remove from heat. Place in bowls and garnish with minced green onions.

Cantonese Chop Suey

2007-08-17T14:19:00.000+02:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup of rice
1 lb boneless chicken breasts
1 lb stir fry mixed vegetables
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup stir-fry sauce
1 teaspoon honey
2 cups chow mein noodles
1/4 cup cashew nuts
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
Oil

Preparation:
Cook rice. In mean time cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Pour oil into wok; heat over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle with seasoned salt. Stir-fry 4 to 6 minutes or until brown. Add vegetables and water to wok. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender. Drain liquid. Stir in stir-fry sauce and honey; heat through. Divide rice and noodles among bowls. Top with chicken mixture.
Serve sprinkled with cashews.

Vegetables Chop Suey

2007-07-11T23:04:00.000+02:00

6-8 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups water
3 to 5 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 1/2 ounces dried shiitake mushrooms
2 ounces dried black fungus
1 bean curd sheet
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped celery
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup cauliflower
2 ounces Chinese seaweed
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
10 ounces gluten, cut into 1/4 x 1-inch sticks
1 pound cabbage, cut into 2-inch squares
4 cubes jarred preserved bean curd
10 ounces fried tofu cubes
3 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 1/2 ounces blanched or dry roasted peanuts
6 cups Chinese fried noodles

Preparation:
Combine water, soy sauce and sesame oil in medium bowl.

Soak mushrooms, fungus and bean curd sheet in warm water in large bowl until rehydrated. Soak seaweed in separate bowl. Drain. Remove mushroom stems; cut mushrooms in half or quarters. Coarsely chop fungus. Cut bean curd sheet into 1-inch pieces.

Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in wok or large skillet over high heat. Add gluten; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until browned. Remove from wok.

Heat remaining vegetable oil in wok over high heat. Add rest of vegetables except for onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Add fried gluten, fried tofu, green onions, peanuts and soy sauce mixture. Reduce heat to medium-high; cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Serve over chinese fried noodles. Garnish with cashew and parsley.

Hint:
You can add other vegies, substitute some of those above or use only some of them. It depends only on your taste, just like it is with any other dish :}

Shrimp Chop Suey

2007-06-17T18:29:00.000+02:00

6 - 8 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup cornstarch
6 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 pounds uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined
8 cups white fresh cabbage
3 ribs celery hearts, diced
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
6 cups chicken broth (divided)
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons sesame oil
1 medium green bell pepper, cored, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 to 3/4 pound sliced roasted almonds (optional)

Preparation:
Preheat wok over high heat. Wok is ready when drop of oil sizzles in the pan. Put corn oil in wok.
Immediately add salt, then shrimp and stir-fry 30 seconds.

Add all vegetables, stirring constantly 30 seconds. Add 5 1/2 cups of the broth; cook 3 minutes.

Mix cornstarch with warm water.

To remaining 1/2 cup broth add sugar and sesame oil. Add this mixture to pan and cook until shrimp and vegetables are just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not overcook.

Gradually stir in cornstarch mixture. Sauce should have consistency of thick gravy.

If needed to thicken, you can add additional cornstarch or water. Decorate with almonds and serve immediately with white rice.

Green Dumplings

2007-06-02T17:30:00.000+02:00

8 servings

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds bok choy or Shanghai bok choy
1/2 cake firm tofu
2 egg whites
4 scallions, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
2 dozen wonton wrappers

Preparation:
Steam or microwave bok choy until wilted. Let cool, then drain and chop finely. Press out any excess liquid.

In a food processor, puree tofu with the egg whites. Add to bok choy. Add scallions.

Combine remaining ingredients, except for wonton wrappers.

Add to bok choy mixture, mixing well. Place about two teaspoons of filling in the centre of each wonton wrapper. Draw dough up and pinch together at three points to form a triangle, leaving middle of filling exposed.

Arrange on a heatproof plate or steamer tray and steam over boiling water until cooked through, about 4 minutes.

Best when served with chinese green tea.

Crab Rangoon

2007-05-05T13:44:00.000+02:00

10 servings

Ingredients:
1 quart oil for frying
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons green onion, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can crab meat, drained
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 (14 ounce) package small won ton wrappers

Preparation:
Heat oil for frying in deep-fryer or large, heavy saucepan to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and onion, and saute for 2 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine crab, cream cheese, soy sauce and sauteed onion & garlic. Drop mixture by 3/4 teaspoon into the center of a won ton wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half to make a triangle. Seal the wrapper around the mixture by wetting your finger with cold water and pressing the ends together.

In batches, fry the dumplings in the prepared oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels

Chinese Crab Omelette

2007-03-14T12:14:00.000+01:00

12 servings

Ingredients:
24 large eggs, beaten
12 oz. lump crabmeat, flaked
12 oz. cooked medium shrimp, peeled
1/4 cup chopped chives
2 Tablespoons Tamari soy sauce
1 Tablespoon garlic chili sauce
1 cup green onions, chopped
1 cup fresh mung bean sprouts
6 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation:

In large bowl, blend eggs, crabmeat and shrimp.

Stir in chives, soy sauce, chili sauce, green onions, and bean sprouts.

In each of two 12-inch oven-proof skillets, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Add half of egg mixture, about 5 cups, to each pan.

Cook eggs, tilting pan to let uncooked eggs reach pan bottom, about 8-10 minutes, until omelet is firm throughout with no visible liquid egg remaining. Finish omelet under broiler until golden brown.

Cut each pan into 6 wedges and serve.

Paocai (Pickled Vegetables)

2007-02-27T16:50:00.000+01:00

Some time ago I was working with korean girl. She was making best pickles I tasted so far. It was korean kimchi - very spicy with a lot of garlic. It's not only tasty, but also very healthy. Because of the basic ingredients in kimchi, garlic, scallions and vegetables, kimchi helps to eliminate cholesterol and promotes intestinal health. Chinese paocai is very similar to my beloved kimchi, so here it is:

Ingredients:
2 Chinese (or Italian) cabbages
5-10 spring onions
2-5 carrots
1 tbsp salt (non-iodized sea salt is the best)
1 tsp Sichuan pepper
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 star anise
2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
6 medium sized dried chilis

Preparation:
Tear a cabbage into small pices. Chop the rest of vegatables. Mix everything together, add salt & than rest of ingredients. Put it all in a jar, pour water (just to cover the vegatables).

Your paocai should be ready after 2 - 3 days. You can preserve it in the fridge even for several weeks. For some more, you can continue to use the same liquid, just dump in new vegetables.

Carmelized Walnuts

2007-02-05T01:47:00.000+01:00

Glazed walnuts are used as garnish or additon to many chinese dishes. But it may also serve as a great snack or elevenses. One way or another - here is recipe to prepare it:

Ingredients:
1 cup walnut halves
4 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp sugar

Preparation:
Toast walnut halves over medium heat in vegetable oil and sugar until caramelized.

The edges might get a little brown- but that's normal.

Variations:
Instead of sugar you may also use honey. Just mind to not sear it.
You can use brown sugar if you like.
Oil can be replaced with butter.
A little pinch of cinnamon is tasty addition to your elevenses.

Orange Walnut Chicken

2007-01-31T13:53:00.000+01:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 garlic, clove minced
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon butter
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons honey
1-2 tablespoon orange zest
2-3 tablespoons grated fresh lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
hot cooked rice

Preparation:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine orange juice concentrate, 2 T. oil, soy sauce, and garlic. Add chicken; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Remove chicken; reserve marinade. In a skillet, cook chicken in remaining oil until juices run clear. Meanwhile, in a saucepan saute walnuts in butter until lightly browned; remove and set aside. Set aside 1/4 of green onions for garnish. Add remaining onions to saucepan; saute until tender. Add reserved marinade and the next 8 ingredients. Bring to a rolling boil; boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered for 5-10 minutes or until sauce reaches desired consistency.

Serve chicken over rice; top with sauce and reserved walnuts and onions.

Baked Chicken Wings

2007-01-30T23:29:00.000+01:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken wing drumettes
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sherry
1 Clove garlic -- minced
1 tablespoon ground ginger

Preparation:
Combine sugar, soy sauce, oil, honey, sherry, garlic and ginger in a large zipper lock bag. Add chicken to bag, seal and shake bag to coat wings. Let wings marinate for 3-4 hours (best when marinated overnight).

Arrange wings in a baking dish. Bake at 350F / 190C for 30 minutes, basting as needed with marinade.

5-Spice Shrimp

2007-01-23T22:20:00.000+01:00

28 Cooks will publish food bloggers mug shots on 31st january. Until that time we are going back to recipies.
Let's the cooking begin ^_-

12 servings

Ingredients:
STEAMED RICE:
3 cups basmati rice
41/2 cups water
as needed salt

CANDIED WALNUTS:
41/2 qts. water
12 ozs. walnut halves
21/4 cups sugar
3 cups vegetable oil

MARINATED SHRIMP:
3 lbs. uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
as needed salt and white pepper
6 each egg whites, lightly beaten
6 tsps. sesame oil
3/4 cup cornstarch

SAUCE AND VEGETABLES:
3 each green bell peppers
3 each red bell peppers
3 each carrots
3 each yellow onions
11/2 each pineapples
6 each green onions
11/2 cups ketchup
11/2 cups water
11/2 cups sugar
11/2 cups white vinegar
6 Tbsps. soy sauce

Preparation:
RICE: rinse the rice three times, pouring out excess water. Add water and cook according to package directions; fluff with fork and keep warm.

WALNUTS: bring water to boil and add walnuts. Boil for 5 minutes. Add sugar and simmer until almost all liquid has evaporated. Drain walnuts of excess liquid and fry for 3 to 4 minutes in vegetable oil at 350F. Drain and dry on paper towels; set aside.

SHRIMP: combine shrimp with salt and white pepper, egg whites, sesame oil and cornstarch. Marinate up to 1 hour. Drain and separate shrimp. Dredge in additional cornstarch and fry in vegetable oil at 350F about 2 minutes. Do not brown. Dry on paper towels; set aside.

SAUCE AND VEGETABLES: cut carrots in slices; cut all other vegetables and pineapple into 1/2-in. squares; set aside. Mix together water, ketchup, sugar, white vinegar and soy sauce; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; keep warm.

FINAL TOUCH: Saute vegetables and pineapple in a little oil until caramelized. Add fried shrimp, walnuts and sauce. Toss until shrimp is wellcoated with sauce. Arrange shrimp, walnuts and vegetables on rice; garnish with green onion brushes or angle-chopped green onions.

Behind the Apron

2007-01-17T13:30:00.000+01:00

This blog contains mostly cooking tips & recipies - not too much of my own writing. There are two reasons for that. First: it's my first blog, created to learn something about blogging, web sites & html. Not really to help me to become a writher. Second thing is, that my english is still far away from proficiency. This blog helps me also with that.

Why I'm telling you about it? To justify this post. It's not really about food, it's not another recipe.

This time it's about the face behind the apron. That's a title of round-up event being held by 28 Cooks food blog. I always loved mug shot treats on forums I read. Taking a pick at the other side of computer screen makes me feel like Alice in Wonderland ^_-

Food gains a soul, when you know who cooked it, or even who told you about this, or that recipe... :}

So here I am - pic taken during last spring yachting:

Mayonnaise Walnut Shrimp

2007-01-16T00:52:00.000+01:00

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lb of large or medium shrimp, and peeled
1/2 cup walnuts
5 cups water
1 cup sugar
2 cups oil
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup egg whites
2 tbs honey
3 tbs mayonnaise
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 tbs condensed milk
1/2 cup oil

Preparation:
Clean walnuts, then boil in 5 cups of waterboil with sugar till dissolved. Heat 2 cups oil until almost boil then deep fry walnuts until brown, no longer golden. Put walnuts to cookie sheet, let cool.

Mix cornstarch and egg whites together to form a thick, sticky feel and mix well with Shrimp. Set aside. Mix honey, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and condensed milk in a bowl until smooth.

Heat oil until boiling, then deep fry the Shrimp until golden brown. Drain, then put in the honey mayonnaise mixture. Mix it all together, sprinkle with walnuts, and arrange on platter.

Spicy Scallop Dumplings

2007-01-05T23:17:00.000+01:00

Makes 24 to 26 dumplings

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. fresh scallops, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion
1 1/2 tablespoons Seasoning Blend for Satay Chicken
1 tablespoon Cooking Soy Sauce
24 to 26 round dumpling wrappers (gyoza)
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 cup water, divided
Soy and Chili Dipping Sauce

Preparation:
Combine scallops, onion, Seasoning Blend and Cooking Soy Sauce in a large bowl; mix well.

Dip one edge of wrapper into water. Spoon about 1 1/2 teaspoons of scallop mixture into center of wrapper. Work with 1 wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers to keep them from drying). Fold the wrapper over to form a half circle, pressing the dry edge on to the wet edge. Pinch the edges together to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

Place dumplings on baking sheet. Cover loosely with a towel to keep them from drying.

Mix 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 cup water in large, nonstick skillet. Arrange half of the dumplings in a winding circle in the skillet, leaving just a little space between each one. Cover , than cook over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until dumplings turn light brown and puff up.

Repeat procedure with remaining oil, water and dumplings. Serve warm with Soy and Chili Dipping Sauce.

Squid with Broccoli

2006-12-11T14:06:00.000+01:00

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1kg (2lb) squid
2 onions
2 sticks celery
1kg (2lb) fresh broccoli
4 shallows
cup of oil
2 teaspoons green ginger
1 tablespoon corn flour
cup of water
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 chicken stock cubes
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
~1 teaspoon sesame oil
~1 teaspoon sugar
~1 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Hold squid firmly with one hand. With the other hand, hold head and pull gently. Head and inside of body of squid will come away in one compact piece. Remove bone which will be found at open end of squid; it looks like a long thing piece of plastic. Clean squid under cold running water, then rub off outer skin.

Cut squid lengthwise down centre. Spread squid out flat with the inside facing upwards. With sharp knife make shallow cuts across squid in diamond shape; this helps tenderize squid and make it curl attractively when cooking.

Cut onions into quarters; slice celery diagonally; cut broccoli, including stalks, diagonally. Slice shallots diagonally. Heat oil in pan or wok, add squid, cook until it curls, remove from pan, drain on absorbent paper. Add onions, celery, broccoli and ginger to pan, fry 3 minutes.

Blend corn flour with a little of the water until smooth, add remaining water, dry sherry, crumbled stock cubes, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and salt; mix well. Add to pan, stir until sauce boils, Return squid to pan, cook until heated through. Put on to serving dish, top with shallots.

Thanksgiving Green Bean With Almonds

2006-11-22T22:44:00.000+01:00

There are many versions of recipes for a Chinese dressed turkey as well as Peking duck and other fowl. This one will be great as Thanksgiving side dish.

4 servings

Ingredients:
1 pkg frozen green beans
1/3 cup of slivered almonds
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp pre chopped garlic
1/2 tsp ground ginger

Preparation:
Microwave the green beans on high for about 8 minutes or until completely defrosted.

Toast the almond slivers by cooking them on high in a non stick pan without any oil. Toss them consistently until they are slightly brown. You can do this either by moving the pan around slightly so that the almonds seem to "jump", or you can use a spatula to flip them.

Once the almonds are toasted, take them off the burner and add 2 tbsp sesame oil and the chopped garlic. Return to heat and cook for about 2 minutes.

Stir in the green beans and the ground ginger and cook on high for about 10 minutes.

Serve as a side dish.

Chinese Roast Turkey

2006-11-22T22:27:00.000+01:00

It's that time of the year again for all Americans - the Thanksgiving day! So for all my american friends, here it is: Chinese Roast Turkey

Ingredients:
1 10 - 12 pound turkey
6 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons five-spice powder
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 10-12 pound whole turkey
12 scallions, cut up
several sprigs cilantro

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine first 5 ingredients and rub over turkey to coat. Pour remaining sauce into cavity. Add scallions and cilantro. Place turkey in a roasting pan. Roast 20 minutes per pound, until a meat thermometer registers 180 degrees.
Let stand 15 minutes before carving.

Green Garlic Sauce

2006-11-19T20:46:00.000+01:00

Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of peanut oil
2 tablespoons of minced fresh green garlic
3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
a little fresh ginger grated if you wish
1/2 cup chicken stock or canned broth

Preparation:
Heat wok or deep pan over high heat until it is hot. Add oil and wait until it is smoking, add ginger and garlic and leave for a minute or so. Then add the oyster sauce and stock simmering for another few minutes.

Pour over your favorite fried rice, white rice or meat, especially chicken.

If fresh green garlic is not available use 1 tablespoon of finely chopped garlic instead.

Stir-fried Potatoes

2006-11-14T18:34:00.000+01:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
300 grams (0.66 lb) potatoes
5 grams (1/6 oz) bamboo shoots
25 grams (5/6 oz) minced lean pork
5 grams (1/6 oz) mushrooms
5 grams (1/6 oz) red chili
5 grams (1 tsp) soy bean paste
500 grams (1 cup) cooking oil (only 1/10 to be consumed)
1 gram (1/6 tsp) salt
1 gram (1/4 tsp) MSG
10 grams (1 1/2 tsp) soy sauce
3 grams (3/5 tsp) sugar
1/2 gram (1/60 oz) finely cut scallions
1/2 gram (1/60 oz) chopped ginger
1/2 gram (1/60 oz) chopped garlic
100 grams (1/5 cup) water

Preparation:
Remove the skin of the potatoes and cut into diamond-shaped chunks about 2 cm (0.8 inch) long. Finely cut the bamboo shoot, mushrooms and red chili.

Heat the oil in a wok until 110-135ºC (230-275ºF) and then put in the potato chunks. Deep-fry them until they are golden yellow. Take out and drain off the oil.

Put 25 g (1 2/3 tbsp) of oil in the wok, add minced pork, mushroom, bamboo shoots and red chili and stir-fry. Add water, potato chunks, soy bean paste, salt, MSG, soy sauce, cooking wine, sugar, scallions, ginger, and garlic. Cook until the potatoes are well down. Use a strong fire to reduce the soup. Put on a plate and serve.

Chinese Turkey Pie

2006-11-12T17:43:00.000+01:00

8 - 12 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
2 (15 oz.) cans corn
2 (15 oz.) cans peas and pearl onions
Mashed potatoes
Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder

Preparation:
Brown ground turkey, drain. Drain vegetables. Make 8 to 12 servings of potatoes. In 2 to 3 quart casserole dish mix ground turkey and vegetables, season with salt, pepper and garlic. Sprinkle liberally with Worcestershire sauce. Top with mashed potatoes. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until golden brown (like Pooh) approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. You can also use 16 oz. package frozen mixed vegetables instead of canned.

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Gao Li Dou Sha (Red Bean Doughnut)

2006-11-06T21:54:00.000+01:00

Ingredients:
Egg white 5 pcs
Red bean paste 150 g
Plain flour 40 g
Corn flour 40 g
White sugar

Preparation:
Divide red bean paste into small balls (size as lotus seed)
Mix plain flour and corn flour, sift
Whisk egg white until it becomes gruel condition
Add 1/5 of the mix flour, keep stirring
Repeat to add mix flour, stir to form porridge
Dip the red bean paste ball into egg porridge one by one
Heat wok with oil in medium heat, deep fry the red bean paste ball
Drain out oil and dish up when the red bean paste ball turn golden
Sprinkle white sugar on the surface of doughnut and serve.

Chinese Doughnuts

2006-10-15T13:59:00.000+02:00

Ingredients:
Brown sugar 170 gms.
Hot water 3/4 cup
Rice flour,seived 330 gms.
Baking powder 60 gms.
Dry sherry 1 tbsp.
Coconut, grated 60 gms.
Peanut, roasted & crushed 60 gms.
Castor sugar 3 tbsps.
Sesame seeds, roasted 60 gms.
Oil for frying

Preparation:
Take hot water and dissolve the sugar in it and then add the sherry.
Allow to cool.
Add baking powder to the flour and make a stiff dough of this(do not knead).
Roll the dough to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.
Cut this roll into 1/2 " slices and then flatten to 2" in diameter.
Mix the coconut, peanuts and castor sugar together and place a tablespoon of this filling in the middle of each slice.
Now bring the edge of each slice together and then roll it to form a ball.
Put sesame seeds on a plate and roll each ball in it.
Deep fry in the oil till golden brown.
Serve at room temperature.

Steamed Moon Salmon

2006-10-09T20:46:00.000+02:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 dash sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon julienned fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Chinese black bean and garlic sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chicken broth
4 (4 ounce) fillets salmon
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
Begin heating water in the bottom of steamer pot.

Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Stir in black bean sauce and red pepper flakes. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in chicken broth; set aside.

Rinse salmon, and pat dry. Season each side lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a small shallow pan. Spoon black bean mixture over salmon. Place in steamer pot over boiling water.

Steam for 10 to 12 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily with a fork.

Serve with steamed rice and stir-fried vegetables

Honey Walnut Shrimp

2006-09-16T15:21:00.000+02:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup water
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup walnuts
4 egg whites
2/3 cup mochiko (glutinous rice flour)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon canned sweetened condensed milk
1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Preperation:
Stir together the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the walnuts. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain and place walnuts on a cookie sheet to dry.

Whip egg whites in a medium bowl until foamy. Stir in the mochiko until it has a pasty consistency. Heat the oil in a heavy deep skillet over medium-high heat. Dip shrimp into the mochiko batter, and then fry in the hot oil until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

In a medium serving bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, honey and sweetened condensed milk. Add shrimp and toss to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle the candied walnuts on top and serve.

Sichuan Twice-cooked Pork

2006-09-01T15:13:00.000+02:00

Ingredients:
400g pork shoulder with the skin
100g garlic bolt
25g broad beans
10g sweet fermented flour sauce

Preperation:
Rinse the pork, stew till the meat is tender and the skin is soft, cool and slice.
Cut the garlic bolt into sections.
Stir-fry pork slices in 6-fold hot oil till slightly curled.
Drop in finely chopped broad beans, stir-fry till brown.
Add sweet fermented flour sauce, stir-fry till the flavor comes out; season,drop in garlic bolt sections, stir-fry.

5-Spice Barbecued Pork

2006-08-26T01:48:00.000+02:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
1.5kg (3lb) lean pork chops
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet sherry
1 1/2 tablespoon corn flour
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped gingers
1/4 cup water- 1/4 cup water
1 chicken stock cube
oil for frying
salt, pepper

Preparation:
Trim chops, discard the fat and bones. Mix together remaining ingredients in bowl, except chicken stock cube, water and extra soy sauce; add chops, mix well. set aside two hours. Stir occasionally

Pour oil into wok or pan: oil should be 2.5cm (1 in.) in depth in wok. When hot, add marinated pork chops, fry quickly on both sides until golden blown and cooked through.

Remove pork chops from pan, cut into serving-size pieces, keep warm.

Combine in pan, water, crumbled stock cube and extra soy sauce, bring to boil. pour over pork. serve with Chinese mixed pickles scattered over. The pickles can be bought in cans or jars from Chinese stores, or you can make your own.

5-Spice Game Hens (Siu Yeahgai)

2006-08-22T20:53:00.000+02:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
4 Cornish game hens
1 tb Five spice powder
2 tb Salt
1 tb Plum sauce
2 tb Bean sauce
2 tb Hoisin sauce
1 tb Sherry
1/4 c Dark soy sauce
1/4 c Maple syrup

Preparation:

Wash and clean game hens. Pat dry and rub cavities with the five spice powder. Mix hoisin sauce, bean sauce, sherry and plum sauce. Rub remaining sauce mixture plus salt. Let stand over- night. Mix soy sauce and syrup. Preheat oven at 350°F. Rub skin of game hens with soy sauce and syrup mixture. Roast back side up for 20-25 minutes. Turn breast side up and roast for another 20-25 minutes until skins turn golden brown.

5-Spice Peanuts

2006-08-21T13:14:00.000+02:00

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
2 cups unsalted peanuts, without skins
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder

Preparation:
Line a baking sheet with foil or wax paper, or spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small heavy saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup over medium heat to dissolve the sugar.

Stir in the five-spice powder. Bring to a boil. Let boil for several minutes without stirring. When it reaches the "soft ball" stage remove from the heat. Stir in the peanuts.

Spread the mixture out on the sheet. Let stand until it has hardened. Break into pieces. Store in a sealed cannister.

Of course you can modify this recipe by experimenting with different combinations of spices. Have fun :)

5-Spice Tofu

2006-08-20T12:28:00.000+02:00

4 Servings

Ingredients:
8 each Ckes tofu, firm
12 tbsp Tamari
3 cup Water
1 tsp Five-spice powder
8 each Whole stars of star anise
4 tsp Molasses

Prepration:
Cut each cake of tofu in half horizontally. Combine marinade ingredients in a pot wide enough to accept the four tofu pieces in a single layer. Bring marinade to a boil & add tofu. Simmer, uncovered, on very low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat & marinate for 3 hours, turning 2 or 3 times. Keeps refrigerated & wrapped for a week.

5-Spice Chicken

2006-08-17T21:00:00.000+02:00

It's time for another chinese food classic

4 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup rice wine
1 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tsp. chinese 5 spicy seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 chicken (2 1/2 to 3 lb.), cut up

Preparation:
Mix all of the ingredients together and marinate the chicken for 2 hours. Grill the chicken for 25-30 minutes over a medium hot grill. Baste every few minutes and arrange chicken on grill to prevent scorching.

Serve with steamed rice. Easy as that :)

Food Blogs & Sites

2006-08-17T19:23:00.000+02:00

Austrian Cooking - traditional authentic Austrian food. Recipes, descriptions and photos of authentic traditional Austrian dishes such as Wiener Schnitzel, Goulash or Apple Strudel.

Chinese Food Info

Chocolate & Zucchini

Coffee & Vanilla - simple Euro - Caribbean recipes by Margot

Columbus Foodie

CookingLinkCentral is dedicated to providing a comprehensive, organized link guide for those who love to cook. Features a full directory of popular Cooking Searches, a comprehensive Product Guide, and the best the web has to offer!

Epicurean.com

Food Porn Watch

Hedonia

How To Start A Coffee Shop & Espresso Cafe

Italian Food Info

Kulinariusz

Mexican Food Info

Plate Of The Day Food Blog

RealEpicurean.com

Spices For All

Starting A Catering Business

Scallion Pancakes (to serve with Beijing Duck)

2006-08-13T13:43:00.000+02:00

4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 c Unbleached all-purpose flour
2/3 c -water
2/3 c Milk
3 Eggs
pn -salt
2 tb Unsalted butter; melted
2 Scallions; (green onions), w
-white bulb and 3" green
-thinly sliced lengthwise,
-then cut diagonally into
-1/4 -inchces

Combine the flour, water, and milk in a food processor. Process for 15 seconds.

With the motor running, add the eggs, salt, and butter through the feed tube. Process until well blended. Transfer the batter to a bowl, and refrigerate, loosely covered, for 1 hour.

Fold the scallions into the butter.

Heat a nonstick crepe pan until quite hot. Add 3 tablespoons of butter, and tilt the pan so that the butter spreads evenly. Cook until the underside is lightly browned, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Flip the crepe over and cook another 15 seconds. Repeat with the remaining butter.

Stack the crepes as they are done between pieces of waxed paper. (If made in advance, reheat by removing all the waxed paper, wrapping the stacked crepes in aluminum foil, and placing them in a preheated 350 F. oven until just warm, about 10 minutes). 10 to 12 crepes

Well, it looks like a lot of work but Beijing Duck is definitely worth it

Beijing Roast Duck

2006-08-13T12:53:00.000+02:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
1 4-1/2 to 5 lb duck
1 ts Salt
8 Green onions or scallions
2 (1/4 in.) sliced gingeroot
3 tb Honey
2 tb Cornstarch
1 sm Can plum sauce

Pancakes:
2 c flour,
1 c boiling water,
2 T dark sesame oil

Preparation:
A day in advance, clean duck inside & out, dry thoroughly. Season inside with salt. Tie together stem ends of 2 green onions, place inside duck cavity with gingeroot. Bring edges of tail opening together, stitch with a length of fine wire. Attach another wire to neck as a handle. Mix 1 qt. water with honey in large wok or small turkey roasting pan, bring to boil. When boiling, stir in cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water. Continue to stir to consistency of a thin stream. Lower heat. Holding duck by neck wire, dip into honey mixture 3-4 times to coat on all sides. Remove duck, suspend over container in cool place. Set an electric fan towards duck to help dry the skin. Let duck drip-dry overnight.

Next day: preheat oven to 450 F. Place duck breast side up on flat rack in roasting pan. Roast 30 minute. Reduce heat to 300 F, turn duck over. Roast 30 more minutes. Turn duck breast side up again, roast for final 30 minutes.

Thinly slice stems of remaining 6 onions into 2-in. diagonal strips. Divide sliced onion between 4 butter plates, place 1 tsp. plum sauce on each plate. Prepare duck for serving by cutting off drumsticks & wings & placing on platter in position whole duck should be. Carefully slice off all skin pieces of about 1 and 2 inches, lay them aside. Slice same size pieces of meat from bone. Place all carved meat on platter, cover with skin pieces on outside to make presentation look like a whole duck.

Each diner rolls a bit of meat, a bit of skin, and a scallion/onion length into a pancake that has been spread with about a teaspoon of plum sauce and eats the mess with fingers.

Preparation of pancakes:
Add water to flour in a bowl and work with a wooden spoon into a dough. Knead 10 min. and let rest for 10 min.

Form into a long roll about 2" in diameter. Cut into 1/2" pieces and flatten to 1/4". Brush a little oil over a piece of dough and lay another piece over it. Roll out with rolling pin, slowly and from the center out, until the piece is 4" or more in diameter. Proceed until all dough is rolled out.

Heat ungreased griddle over low flame and add dough circle. When it bubbles slightly, turn it over and heat the other side. While it is still warm, pull apart the two halves and fold at the center with the greased side inside. Repeat with remaining dough circles.

Steam for 10 min. before using as above.

History of Beijing Roast Duck

2006-08-11T19:42:00.000+02:00

Beijing Roast Duck has the reputation of being the most delicious food Beijing has to offer. Eating Beijing Roast Duck is regarded as one of the two things you are absolutely supposed to do while in Beijing. The other one is climbing the Great Wall.

The history of the roast duck can be traced back to as early as the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368) when it was listed among the imperial dishes in the Complete Recipes for Dishes and Beverages, written in 1330 by Hu Sihui, an inspector of the imperial kitchen. It was then made by heating the duck-stuffed with a mince of sheep's tripe, parsley, scallion, and salt-on a charcoal fire.

The two famous restaurants that serve Beijing Roast Duck are Bianyifang Roast Duck Restaurant and Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant, both of which have a history of over one hundred years. They represent two different schools of roasting duck.

According to the local history, the earliest roast duck restaurant in Beijing was the old Pianyifang Restaurant, which opened during the Jiajing reign (1522-1566). It makes use of a close oven and straw as the fuel, which won't make flames go directly onto the duck. Before being put into the oven, a duck is filled with specially-made soup to make it possible to roast the duck outside and boil it inside at the same time.

The first restaurant to bear the name Quanjude opened in 1864 during the reign of the Qing Emperor Tongzhi. Due to its high standards, the restaurant's fame spread rapidly and for many years the supply of roast ducks could hardly satisfy the demand. For this reason, the restaurant was rebuilt and expanded in 1948. In 1954 a branch (known as Hongbinlou) was opened in West Chang’ an Boulevard and another in Wangfujing Street in 1959. Quanjude uses an oven without a door. After a kind of dressing being spread all over a duck, it will be hooked up in the oven over the flame coming directly from the burning of the fruit-tree wood and it will be done in forty minutes.

The ducks are raised for the sole purpose of making the food. Force-fed, they are kept in cages which restrain them from moving about, so as to fatten them up and make the meat comparably tender. Beijing Roast Duck is processed in several steps: first the ducks are rubbed with spices, salt and sugar, and then kept hung in the air for some time. Then the ducks are roasted in an oven, or hung over the fire till they become brown with rich grease perspiring outside and have a nice odor.

The duck is served in slices. First, the chef will show you the whole duck. Then, he will slice it into between 100 and 120 slices in four or five minutes, each slice with an equal portion of both skin and meat. Usually the duck is served together with special pancakes, hollowed sesame bun, green onions and sweet sauce. Dinners can wrap duck slices, onion, and sauce in a pancake or a sesame bun with their bare hands. Sometimes people would like to put in mashed garlic and cucumber or carrot strips as well. Some young women like to dip slices into white sugar directly. Other parts of the duck will be served as either cold dishes with its livers, wings, stomach, webs and eggs, or hot dishes with its heart, tongue and kidneys. The bones can even be decocted together with Chinese watermelon and cabbage.

The simple eating procedure is as follows: Pick up a pancake in one hand and, using a section of raw scallion as a brush, paint a few splashes of bean sauce on the pancake. Next, place the scallion in the center of the pancake, and with your chopsticks add a few pieces of duck, finally rolling it up for convenience's sale. Here then is one of the most unforgettable mouthfuls in all of Chinese cooking.

Recipe coming soon

Chinese Garlic Chicken

2006-08-09T22:20:00.000+02:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb.)
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon dry white wine or sherry
4 green onions
1 teaspoon minced gingerroot
3 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (about 6 medium cloves)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Hot cooked rice

Sauce:
1 teaspoon crushed chili paste (sambal oelek) or more to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon water
2 Tablespoons dry white wine or sherry
2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Preparation:
Place chicken breasts in freezer for 1 to 2 hours or until very firm but not frozen solid. Slice crosswise into thin shreds. In small bowl, lightly beat egg white, then mix in 1 TBS cornstach and 1 TBS wine, stirring until cornstarch is dissolved. Add chicken and mix well to coat all pieces. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice green onions on the diagonal into very thin slices. Mince gingerroot and garlic. Combine Sauce ingredients, mixing well. Heat wok or frying pan, add oil, and stir-fry chicken until no longer pink. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon. Add onions, ginger and garlic to wok and stirfry about 30 seconds, until ginger and garlic are fragrant but not brown. Return chicken to wok, restir sauce ingredients and add to wok. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is well combined, hot and bubbly and thickens slightly. Turn off heat and splash with about 1 tsp of dark sesame oil.

Serve over rice.

Sesame Green Beans

2006-08-04T10:02:00.000+02:00

Preparation: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbsps. sesame seeds
2 Tbsps. soy sauce
2 tsps. Oriental sesame oil
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Preparation:
Place green beans in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover saucepan and steam 8-10 minutes or until almost tender. Heat a heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add sesame seeds. Shake skillet constantly until sesame seeds are golden. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in soy sauce, oil and nutmeg. Add green beans and toss.

Chinese Alcohol - Classification

2006-08-01T19:55:00.000+02:00

Alcohol always accompanies delicious dishes either when people first meet or when old friends have a reunion. China produces liquor, beer, wine, yellow wine, and fruit wine.

Liquor
Chinese liquor, which is one of the six world-famous varieties of spirits (the other five being brandy, whisky, rum, vodka, and gin), has a more complicated production method and can be made from various staples - broomcorn, corn, rice, and wheat. Opinions regarding the origin of this liquor are divided but in the main there are four possibilities varying from the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 - 220), Tang Dynasty (618 - 907), Song Dynasty (960 - 1297) to the Yuan Dynasty (1271 - 1368), but most people tend to agree that it actually dates from the Song Dynasty. Based on this long tradition, today's distillers create a spirit that is crystal clear, aromatic, and tasty. The most famous brand is Maotai and this holds the title of the 'National Liquor'. It is said that an empty bottle that was once filled with Maotai will emanate its fragrance after a few of days. There are other excellent brands also such as Wuliangye and Luzhou Tequ. These were both award winners at the Panama International Exposition. To facilitate its slow maturing process, the spirit is stored for 4 - 5 years, over which time the full fragrance and flavor develops, thus ensuring that it is a most enjoyable beverage to offer honored guests.
Yellow Wine
As one of the world's ancient wines, Yellow wine, is unique and traditional in China. With a history going back some 5,000 years, it is renowned for its yellow color and luster. Made from rice and sticky rice, the alcohol content is usually 10 - 15 per cent. After the fermentation process, the wine has a balmy fragrance and is sweet tasting with no sharpness. The wine has a wide appeal and is often used for culinary purposes as well as a beverage. The most popular brands of yellow wine are made in Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province and in Shandong, while Hongqu yellow wine made in Fujian.

Fruit Wine
Fruit wine is mainly made from grapes, pears, oranges, litchis, sugarcane, hawthorn berries, and waxberries and all are quite palatable. Fruit wines possibly have the longest history and there is even a legend that apes brewed wines based on the natural fermentation of fruits; while the man-made wines appeared later. Wine was probably brought into China from the western region in the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220) and was popular in the Tang Dynasty. Now the fruit wine production is quite widely produced, with grape wine being the most prominent.

Integrated Alcoholic Beverages
These drinks are created from wine and spirits to which has been added the zest or fragrances from fruits, herbs or flowers. More exotic or medicinal concoctions can contain other plant or even animal derivatives. These blends include wines and medicinal beverages with a very wide range of aromas, flavors and benefits in which the various levels of alcohol and sugar content help to produce styles that are so unique to China. The craft of medical practitioners from ancient times has been well documented and there are many books detailing the art and methods of producing these health products. Alternative medicine is a vital part of tonic day-to-day Chinese life and medicines such as tiger-bone liquor, wolfberry wine, safflower wine, ginseng-antler wine, etc. are still produced and contribute to the extensive repertoire of treatments available.

Beer
Unlike spirits and many wines, beer has much lower alcohol content and is most commonly made from barley and hops. Although beer was not produced in China until the early 20th century, the historical records show that as far back as 3,200 years ago a light, sweet wine named 'li' was made using malted barley. It took time for beer to become widely accepted by the Chinese people but in modern China there is a thriving brewing industry and today there are many brands of quality beers which have become well-known and appreciated by beer drinkers both at home and abroad.

Jiuling (Drinking Games)

2006-07-31T16:09:00.000+02:00

At the very beginning, alcohol was mainly a beverage in the ceremonial rites. The drinking games, Jiuling called in Chinese, were just aids for drinking. Certainly there were other aids for drinking, such as archery, chess playing and arrow pitching. Aimed to restrict overdrinking to keep drinkers be gentlemen and preserve courtesy of the time, there were even special designated officials to manage these aids for drinking. Later, drinking games which added entertainment to rites, gradually became artifice to persuade, wager and force overdrinking. Jiuling is a unique part of Chinese culture.

Now Jiuling has many forms, depending on the drinker's social status, literacy status and interests, which can be classified into three categories - general game, contest game and literal game.

General game includes those games every body can play, such as joke telling, riddling and Chuanhua (passing flowers one by one). This category usually appears on banquet for ladies.

Contest game consists of archery, arrow pitching, chess playing, dicing, finger guessing and animal betting. Among these, the latter two are common.

In finger guessing, two players stretch out their right hands, with several fingers sticking out while the others closing to their palm and at the same time, each of them, usually roars a number from nil to ten. If fingers sticking out adds up and the sum equals to a player's number, then he wins and the loser will have to drink. There are many differences in different regions.

Animal betting is a very interesting game every Chinese can play. In the game, one uses his Chopstick to tap the other player's chopstick and at the same time speaks out one of four terms. The other does the same. There are four terms: stick, tiger, cock and insect. The regulations are simple: Stick beats tiger; tiger eats cock; cock pecks insect; insect bores stick.

Literal game is mainly popular in bookworms since they receive good education and have refined knowledge and know the essence of Chinese traditional culture. Intellectuals sometimes play the other two category drinking games too, however they consider those games vulgar. Beaux-esprit and cultured ladies prefer the elegant game, literal game.

Usually literal game is unique and artful literal contest, which requires superior wisdom, broad knowledge sphere and fast response. In order to animate atmosphere, players will do their best to produce original, novel, unpredicted and extremely fine literal pieces improvitori, with quotations from scriptures, history, poems, proverbs, and fairy tales embedded. Many Jiulings of this category, very artistic, are pleasingly worthy of literary appreciation. Bai Juyi, one of Chinese greatest poets, even thought elegant Jiuling was much more interesting than music accompaniment.

Alcohol in Chinese Culture

2006-07-31T16:00:00.000+02:00

Alcohol and its use in China

Sacrifice ceremony - first and still remaining use of alcohol to show respect to ancestors and gods.
Warrior foy - Chinese usually will toast for their warriors' victory before their departure.
Triumph celebration - military tradition held after victory.
Banquet - alcohol appears on the state banquet, business banquet and family feast.
Cold resisting - Chinese people have used it to resist cold for thousands years.

Alcohol and arts

Alcohol had great impact on Chinese artists than any other ones, since many of them produced their peak-of-perfection masterpieces drunken, right after drinking. Being drunk and into the state of free production was and is the important tip Chinese artists resort to free their artistic creativity. Many famous poets, such as Li Bai and Du Fu, had excellent performance and left us surprisingly marvelous poems after drinking the mysterious liquid. Not only poem but also painting and calligraphy were raised to higher level by the aid of alcohol. Wang Xizhi, Chinese famous calligrapher respectfully called Calligraphy Saint, retried dozens of times to overwhelm his most outstanding work, Lantingxu (Orchid Pavilion Prologue) which was finished when he was drunken, and he failed. The original one was the best.

Alcohol and health

Chinese people do believe that moderate drinking of alcohol is good to health and excessive drinking will jeopardize physical constitution. As a result, few Chinese, although there are some, will cling to bottles. However, many Chinese do sip a little alcoholic beverage at intervals to keep them fresh and healthy. Some even soak traditional Chinese medicine into liquor to achieve better effect, which was proved to be successful.

Alcohol and sociality

In China, alcohol has internal connection with sociality. Drinking provides more chances for one to make more friends as the old saying says, "Frequent drinking makes friends surrounding". Moreover, alcohol also serves effectively to deepen and strengthen friendship. Since it shows one's friendliness alcohol is always used to relieve misunderstanding and hatred which no matter how strong is.

Alcohol and business

Banquet, is the place where businessmen hunt business chance and slightest rip and change can be discovered and their rivals' business information may be on your hand and help you take the rein, thus greet your success. Certainly, banquet will form, strengthen and consolidate business partnership and alcohol, of course, plays a very important role.

Alcohol and entertainment

Most people have alcohol just for entertainment. It is used to add to the fun during festive times to highlight the happy and exciting moment due to its inciting effect. Surrounding tables and playing drinking games, with glass clinking, people will soar up both physically and mentally. Unfortunately, there are always some drunk after too much consumption.

Alcohol and military

In the vicissitudes of dynasties, wars followed all the way. Alcohol was the only entertainment of the military in the time of cold weapons. It was used as stimulants and rewards for the army men. The stimulating agent can make cowards brave and stir up the exhausted and heighten the morale of the army. Therefore it was the most important and effective material resorted to raise morale before and in the campaign and reward the triumphant military after. According to history records, in the Warring States period, Qin Mugong of the Qing kingdom, poured the insufficient liquor into the Yellow River and drunk with his soldiers. There were many stories like this, and generals who did this always won their wars. In historical novels, alcohol and battles frequently cohabited. Such as in The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Guan Yu, the Chinese Ares, chopped Hua Xiong's head off while his wine was still warm; Zhang Fei, pretending drunk, captured his enemy's fortress easily. In the novel, almost every chapter associates with alcohol.

Chinese Alcohol Overview

2006-07-31T15:29:00.000+02:00

Many Chinese alcoholic drinks are quite distinctive from those of other countries and foreign visitors coming across them for the first time may a little wary of them. However, once they have tasted a sample or two, they may well acquire a taste for the various drinks available and find they really enjoy them!

An important component of Chinese cuisine and culture, the use of alcohol can be traced back to the dawn of the nation's history. Over the centuries many different kinds of alcoholic drinks have been developed and brewing methods as well as distillation has become more sophisticated. At the same time the way of consuming these desirable products has become a vital part of custom and culture.

Alcoholic beverages have inspired many writers resulting in thousands of poems and other works relative to 'the magic elixir'. People drink it when they are joyous and for fun and although we are aware that an over indulgence can harm the constitution, nevertheless drinking in moderation is considered beneficial. No banquet would be complete without it, while a toast can seal a business enterprise, send troops into battle with a prayer for victory as well as endorse a wish for the health and happiness of family and friends. One of the classic examples of the ceremonial use of alcohol is described in the famous story "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". The three heroes in the epic tale, become blood brothers by drinking bowls of wine into which they have mixed drops of their own blood from cuts in their fingers! This act may seem extreme but was a symbol of faithfulness in those days.

Chinese Alcohol - Introduction

2006-07-31T15:15:00.000+02:00

Alcohol is part of Chinese folklore. In ancient China, since alcohol was regarded as sacred liquid only when people made sacrificial offerings to the Heaven and the Earth or ancestors was it used. After the Zhou dynasty, alcohol was deemed as one of the Nine Rites and every dynasty put much emphasis on alcohol administration to set up special ministries to manage alcohol producing and banqueting. Later, along with the development of zymotechnics and brewery, alcohol became ordinary drink. Thus, many customs concerning alcohol formed and evolved which had and have various relationships with our daily life.

In modern China, alcohol remains its important role in folklore despite many social vicissitudes. It still appears in almost all social activities, and the most common circumstances are birthday party for seniors, wedding feast and sacrifice ceremony in which liquor must be the main drink to show happiness or respect.

Chinese Alcohol

2006-07-31T15:08:00.000+02:00

Chinese Alcohol - Introduction

Chinese Alcohol Overview

Chinese Alcohol - Classification

Alcohol in Chinese Culture

Jiuling (Drinking Games)

How To Pair Wine with Chinese Food

Beef With Rice Noodles

2006-07-24T22:54:00.000+02:00

3 servings

Ingredients:
16 ounces fresh rice noodles
8 ounces beef, very thinly sliced (1/16 inch thick) across the grain
Vegetable or peanut oil for stir-frying, as needed
1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger
1/2 tablespoon thinly sliced green onions (spring onions, scallions)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon fermented black beans (soaked in water for 20 minutes and drained)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water

Marinade:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice wine (or dry sherry)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
5 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil

Preparation:
Rinse the rice noodles in boiling water and drain.
Marinate the beef for 1 hour in the marinade ingredients.
Heat the wok and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger. Stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the beef.
Stir-fry the beef for 20 seconds, or until the color changes. Add the green onion, garlic, and the fermented black beans.
Add the noodles, heat and then add the salt, sugar, black pepper, sesame oil and the cornstarch slurry. Stir for another minute and serve hot.
you can also add dried chiles or chili paste if desired.

Enjoy this easy stir-fry

How To Pair Wine with Chinese Food

2006-07-22T13:03:00.000+02:00

When it comes to alcoholic beverages, beer is often touted as the drink of choice to serve with Chinese food. In fact, the Chinese have been avid wine drinkers for centuries. But unlike the French and Italian grape wines, traditional, grain-based Chinese wines haven't caught on in the west. Part of the problem - aside from the sheer difficulty of finding a liquor store or restaurant that carries Chinese wine - may be its high alcohol content. For example, Shaohsing, a traditional sherry-like wine made by fermenting sweetened rice or millet, can pack a whopping 18 percent alcohol. And then there's the notorious Mao Tai: a fiery, 55 proof concoction served to foreign dignitaries at diplomatic banquets.

Recently, the Chinese have been experimenting with grape and other fruit wines. Lychee wine, plum wine, and a honey grape wine made from white wine and honey are all on the market. Unfortunately, like rice wine, the selection of Chinese fruit wine in liquor stores and restaurants is not likely to increase anytime soon (although I recently enjoyed a grape wine from Northern China). But the difficulty in obtaining Chinese spirits doesn't mean you must forego wine with your meal altogether. There are several French, German, and Californian wines that are well suited to Chinese cuisine.

When choosing a wine, consider where the various dishes you are sampling originated. China is a huge country, with regional differences in climate and resources, and each region has developed its own culinary style.

For highly spiced Szechuan dishes, try a Gewurztraminer. Gewurztraminer literally means "spice grapes" and the California variant in particular has a "spicy-peach" flavour with a hint of ginger. Other possibilities include a French Puilly Fousse or a Sauvignon Blanc.

Known as China's "haute cuisine," Cantonese dishes are much more subtly seasoned. For the best result try a sweet fruity wine, such as a German Riesling. Meanwhile, a red Bordeaux is particularly appropriate for Shanghai cuisine. Dishes such as Lion's Head - large pork meatballs, topped with cabbage to suggest a lion's mane - are quite rich, and the tannin in the wine cuts the grease. A Merlot works well with Peking cuisine, which often features heavier meats like duck and beef. So does a burgundy such as Pinot Noir.

Of course, there's nothing to say that you can't enjoy a cold brew with your Chinese food. Beer is especially suited to spicier dishes, and, unlike wine, Chinese beer - especially Tsing Tao - is readily obtainable. Or you can stick with your own personal favorite. And cocktail aficionados may want to try some of the alcoholic concoctions listed below. Kan Pei! ("Bottoms up").

Autor: Rhonda Parkinson

Pan Fried Noodles

2006-07-16T12:09:00.000+02:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 pound barbecued pork strips
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 pound fresh thin noodles
1 tablespoon thin soy sauce
Peanut oil
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry
2/3 cup chicken broth
sherry

BBQ PORK & VEGETABLE TOPPING:
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch in 2 T cold
1 pound bok choy -- in 2-in sections
- chicken broth

Preparation:
Blanch 1 pound of fresh noodles in boiling water to wash away the starch and to loosen them up (about 2 minutes). Drain them well. Scatter the noodles in a baking pan. Use a pair of chopsticks and your hands to untangle them as much as possible. Put a layer of the noodles 1-inch deep in each of 2 large, heavy skillets. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil and 1/3 cup chicken broth in each. Cook
over a low flame until the broth boils away and the bottom becomes brown and crisp. From time to time, add a little oil and broth to keep the noodles moist and allow the crust to develop slowly. This should take about 10-to-12 minutes. To flip, first shake the pan to make sure the cake is not stuck to the bottom (if it is, dribble some oil around the edge to loosen it). Cover the pan with a wide lid. Flip the skillet over, holding the lid firmly. The cake will drop onto the lid. Slide the cake back into the pan to brown it on the other side. Add more oil around the edge if it seems to be sticking. To serve, slide it out onto a plate and use it as a base for any dish with sauce.

TO MAKE THE PORK AND VEGETABLE SAUCE: Heat the peanut oil in a wok. When it is hot, add the bok choy and stir-fry to coat with oil. Add the pieces of pork and stir-fry to heat through. Add the broth. Stir in the soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, and oyster sauce. When the sauce is hot, thicken it with the dissolved cornstarch and serve on the bed of pan-fried noodles.

This is a basic chow mein. You can add meat or vegetables as you like.

Crab & Shrimp Toast

2006-07-10T20:30:00.000+02:00

6-8 servings
Preparation: ~15 mins.

Ingredients:
8 slices white bread
8 ounces cooked peeled shrimp
8 ounces cooked lump crabmeat
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, fryied
oil, for frying

Preparation:
Remove crusts from the bread.
Using a food processor, blend shrimp & half of: soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and egg until a smooth paste has formed.
Proceed same way with crab meat & rest of other ingredients.
Spread pastes evenly on top of bread.
Sprinkle bread with sesame seeds and press them into spread.
Cut bread from corner to corner twice, to form small triangles.
Heat oil in wok and fry toasts, sesame side up, for 4 to 5 min, until golden.

WARNING: watch them carefully. they may take considerably less than 4 min to become golden. Drain toasts thoroughly.

Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

Crab With Snow Peas

2006-06-24T19:43:00.000+02:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 lbs Fresh crab meat, diced
2 Cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 lbs Fresh snow peas
1 can (8 oz) water chestnuts (or 1 cup Jicama, cut in cubes)
1/4 cup White wine
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Arrowroot
1/4 cup Water
4 cup Rice, freshly cooked

Preparation:
Heat oil.
Add crab and simmer, stirring, 2 minutes.
Add garlic, snow peas and water chestnuts; simmer 5 minutes.
Stir together wine, soy sauce, arrowroot and water until arrowroot is dissolved.
Pour into cooking crab mixture and simmer another 2 minutes.
Serve immediately over hot rice.

Simple Chop Suey

2006-06-10T18:24:00.000+02:00

4 servings

Ingredients:
1 sm Onion, sliced
2 ea Carrots, julienned
8 oz Can bamboo shoots
12 oz Can bean sprouts
1 tb Sunflower oil
1 sm Garlic clove, crushed
3 tb Soy sauce

Preparation:
Drain the bamboo & sprouts. Remove as many of the green pods as possible. Heat the oil in a wok & crush the garlic into it. Add the onion & carrots. Stir fry for a few minutes or until the onion has softened slightly. Stir in the bamboo shoots & cook for a minute. Add the bean sprouts & cok for another minute. Add soy sauce. Serve immediately.

Crab Combination Soup

2006-06-08T12:37:00.000+02:00

6 servings

Ingredients:
1 oz Dried mushrooms
Boiling water (to cover mushrooms)
6 oz Fresh or thawed frozen Crabmeat
4 oz Frozen sea scallops
1/2 c Drained whole or sliced bamboo shoots (1/2 of 8 oz Can)
8 Green onions
1 ts Vegetable oil
1 Egg, slightly beaten
6 c Chicken broth
1/2 ts Grated pared fresh ginger root
3 tb Cornstarch
6 tb Water
1 1/2 tb Rice wine (or dry sherry)
4 ts Soy sauce
2 Egg whites

Preparation:
1. Place mushrooms in bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 30 minutes. Drain. Remove and discard stems. Cut caps into thin slices.

2. Flake crabmeat. Rinse scallops with water, drain and cut into thin slices. Cut bamboo shoots into thing strips. Chop green onions.

3. Heat oil in small omelet or crepe pan. Add eggs and tilt pan so egg completely covers bottom. Cook over medium-high heat until egg is set. Loosen edges and turn omelet over to cook other side. Remove from pan, roll up and cut into thing strips.

4. Pour broth into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over high heat until broth boils. Stir in mushrooms, crabmeat, scallops, bamboo shoots, onions, sliced egg, ginger and pepper. Return soup to boil.

5. Combine cornstarch, 4 tablespoons of the water, the wine and soy sauce. Stir mixture into soup. Return soup to boil.

6. Beat egg whites and remaining 2 tablespoons water. Drizzle egg whites slowly into soup while stirring soup vigorously.

Braised Seafood Trio Over Chinese Noodles

2006-05-29T21:44:00.000+02:00

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Marinade Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
2 tsps. cornstarch
2 Tbsps. dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
8 uncooked medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
4 sea scallops, butterflied
1/4 lb. firm white fish fillets, such as halibut or cod, cut into 4 pieces
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 lb. flat Chinese egg noodles
3 baby bok choy, halved lengthwise through the core
2 Tbsps. vegetable oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced carrots
1/4 cup straw mushrooms, drained

Preparation:
1. Stir the cornstarch, rice wine, and pepper together in a medium bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the scallops, shrimp and fish and stir gently to coat. Let stand 10 minutes.

2. Prepare the sauce: Stir the chicken broth, rice wine, sesame oil, salt and pepper together in a separate bowl until the salt is dissolved. Set aside.

3. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling. Cook the bok choy until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Scoop them out with a large wire skimmer and set them aside.

4. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions in the same pot of water. Drain well. Divide the noodles between four large soup bowls. Arrange the bok choy around the noodles and cover the bowl with aluminum foil to keep warm.

5. Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat the sides. Add the seafood and carrots, stir-fry until the shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauce; and toss until well mixed. Bring to a boil. Divide the seafood, sauce and vegetables evenly between the four bowls.

Tofu Stir-Fry

2006-05-24T16:04:00.000+02:00

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
13 oz. firm tofu, drained and cut into 4/5 inch cubes
4 shallots or green onions, chopped
1/4 Chinese cabbage, shredded
1 red bell pepper\cooked, thinly sliced
1 tomato\cooked, diced
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup Hoisin sauce
1/3 cup plus 3 Tbsps. fresh bean sprouts

Preparation:
Heat oil in a frying pan over a moderate to high heat. Saut garlic; add tofu and cook for about 5 minutes, or until crispy. Add shallots or green onion, cabbage, red bell pepper, and tomato to pan; cook 3-4 minutes over high heat. Stir in soy sauce and Hoisin sauce. Top with fresh bean sprouts and serve with rice.

Pork with Eggplant

2006-05-20T11:44:00.000+02:00

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
1 cup long grain white rice
3/4 lb. eggplant, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1-1/2 lbs. pork tenderloins, trimmed and cut into 1/8 inch strips
1/4 cup carrots\grated, shredded
1/4 cup canned water chestnuts, drained and chopped
1/4 red bell peppers\cooked, seeded and diced
2 Tbsps. rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsps. scallions, minced
2 tsps. soy sauce
1 tsp. fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp. orange rind, grated
1/8 tsp. chili pepper flakes, crushed
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1/4 cup cilantro (optional), chopped

Preparation:
Bring chicken stock and water to a boil in a heavy saucepan over high heat. Stir in rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover pan tightly and simmer 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Stand off heat 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Set aside and keep warm. While rice is cooking, preheat oven to temperature 350°F. Place eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Brush with 1 Tbs. oil. Bake 30 minutes, or until eggplant is tender. Transfer to a platter. Cut eggplant into 2 inch pieces. Cover and set aside.

Heat remaining oil in a wok or heavy nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Sauté pork 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add remaining ingredients, except sesame seeds and cilantro. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until heated throughout. Stir in eggplant and toss. Serve over rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped cilantro.

Chicken Wings

2006-05-15T19:22:00.000+02:00

Ingredients:
3 or 4 pounds chicken wings
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 tbsp. brown sugar
4 tbsp. soy sauce
5 tbsp. honey
1/8 tsp. pepper
3/4 c. hot water

Preparation:
chicken wings cut apart at the joints;
Mix together rest of ingredients;
Pour over chicken wings in 9 x 13 inch cake pan;
Bake at 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours;
Turn frequently;
Serve hot.

Chinese Duck Soup

2006-05-11T03:00:00.000+02:00

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Marinade Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
12 small Chinese dried mushrooms
boiling water
1-3/4 lbs. Chinese barbecued duck
4-1/4 cups chicken stock
1 red bell pepper\cooked, seeded and sliced
1 Tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
1 tsp. oyster sauce
3 Tbsps. dry sherry
4 scallions, trimmed and chopped
5 oz. canned sliced bamboo shoots, drained

Preparation:
Place mushrooms in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes. Drain and chop. Remove meat and skin from duck. Chop and set aside. Discard bones. Bring stock to a boil. Add last 6 ingredients and mushrooms and simmer 10 minutes, uncovered. Stir in duck meat just before serving and simmer until heated through.

What did the Chinese eat to remain So Healthy?

2006-05-08T19:43:00.000+02:00

by Amy Huang

Eat just one cup of entree along with one cup of steamed rice and Chinese Food suddenly become good for you. To get that proportion, you'll need at least two orders of rice for every entree.

The principal food of all Chinese is rice, for although they have wheat and sell bread kneaded therefrom, yet they do not eat it save as if it were a fruit. Their chief bread is cooked rice, and they even make a wine from it which is comparable with a reasonable grapewine and might even be mistaken for it. They eat seated at tables, but they do not use table-cloths or napkins; for they do not touch with their fingers anything that they are going to eat, but. they pick up everything with two long little sticks, They are so expert in this, that they can take anything, however small, and carry it to their mouth, even if it is round, like plums and other such fruits. (see Chinese Food)

At the beginning of a meal they eat meat without bread, and afterwards instead of bread they eat three or four dishes of cooked rice, which they likewise eat with their chopsticks, even though somewhat hoggishly. At banquets, a table is placed for each guest, and when the banquet is a formal one, each guest gets many tables and to explain this I would like to recount what sort of banquets they offered us, and the way in which they were served. (see Chinese Food)

The more rice you pile on, the more portions you create, and the less fat and sodium each one has. That's more like the healthy Chinese diet you think you're getting down at your local Hard Wok Cafe. For example, one of the nastiest dishes is Kung Pao Chicken. A dinner portion without the rice averaged 1,275 calories, 75 grams of fat (13 of them saturated), and more than 2,600 mg of sodium. That's about a day's worth of fat and sodium crammed into one entree.
But if you add one cup of rice to every cup of Kung Pao and then divide it into two-cup portions (split it with friends, take it to work ... you get the idea), each will have about 653 calories, 23 grams of fat (four of them saturated), and 791 mg of sodium. That's still not great, but it's much better.

The next time you cook Chinese food, don't leave the vegetables behind. Yes, vegetables are grillable! What exactly makes them taste so good? The juices stay concentrated in the middle, while the outside becomes seared with smoky flavor. So why heat up the kitchen when you can do it all outdoors?

About the Author:
Amy Huang has an interest in Chinese Culture related subjects. If you are interesting in finding out more information on Chinese Culture, please visit this successful Chinese Food site: http://chinesefood.smartreviewguide.com

Thai Chinese Style Noodles

2006-05-07T18:39:00.000+02:00

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts or equivalent of beef, cut into flat strips (use minute
or flank steaks)
1/2 stalk fresh broccoli, tops only
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
Onion and garlic, chopped to taste
Chinese cabbage, optional
1/4 c. oyster sauce
1-2 tbsp. fish sauce (very salty)
2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 lb. noodles

Preparation:
Fry broccoli, mushrooms and celery in vegetable oil until tender. Add onion and garlic, then strips of meat. Cook about 5 minutes on each side. Add sauces (fish, oyster, and soy) and about 1 tablespoon of water, cover and simmer while noodles cook. When noodles are done, add to mixture and serve.

Hainan Chicken

2006-04-28T18:10:00.000+02:00

This dish can be served hot or cold or at room temperature.

1 whole chicken (completely thawed, cleaned but leave skin on)
1 sprig of spring onion (green onion)
1 star aniseed spice (whole)
1 segment of ginger 1/2 in. long (optional)
1 tbsp. sesame oil
3 tbsp. light soy sauce

2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 segment of ginger 1/2 in. long (chopped)
2 tbsp. of sambal olek (hot red pepper paste in vinegar - any oriental shop should carry this)

3 c. of rice (any kind that you like, I prefer fragrant long grain rice
4 c. of chicken stock (from making the chicken)
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
1 tbsp. of cooking oil (any kind)
Salt to taste (I use 2 tsp.)
Sesame oil
Light soy sauce

Fill up a large stock pot with enough water to cover the chicken. Bring the water (without the chicken) to a boil. Put the spring onion, the star aniseed and the ginger into the cavity of the chicken. Bathe the chicken with the boiling water before lowering the whole chicken into the boiling water (this will help to wash away some of the fat and tighten the skin). Bring the stock to a hard boil (10 to 15 minutes). Switch off the fire and cover the pot. Leave standing for about 30 to 45 minutes (so that chicken will not be overcooked).

Fish out the chicken. Let cool and cut. Pour the sesame oil and soy sauce over the cut chicken. Garnish with chopped spring onion and cilantro (Chinese Italian flat leaf parsley). Serve with oyster sauce or the sauce given below.

Mix all the ingredients. Note: Serve the chicken and sauce separately.

Heat up a pan with the cooking oil and the garlic. Brown the garlic. add the rice. Stir the rice around until some of the rice turns opaque or until the rice is fragrant (this will produce rice that is not sticky). Add the chicken stock and salt and cook the rice (either in a rice cooker or on low flame) until the rice is done.

To serve, dish rice onto a plate, add a little (1/2 to 1 teaspoon) sesame oil and some (approximately 1 tablespoon) of light soy sauce. Toss before eating.

Add vegetable (s), eg. spinach, watercrest, cabbage, and you will have soup to go with this dish.

A nice light salad or cut up a cucumber or two. Add a little sesame oil and light soy sauce. Let it chill.

Chinese Almond Cookies

2006-04-27T22:43:00.000+02:00

Ingredients:
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
1/3 c. almonds

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sift together flour, sugar, salt and soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles cornmeal. Add egg and almond extract. Mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Place an almond on each cookie and press down slightly to flatten. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.

Steamed Chinese Dumplings

2006-04-27T22:18:00.000+02:00

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup boiling water
1/4 cup cold water
2 TBSP soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 medium carrot, shredded
2 TBSP thinly sliced scallion
2 TBSP cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 lb ground pork
Soy Dipping Sauce (recipe below)

Preparation:
For dough, in a medium mixing bowl, combine flour, 1/2 tsp salt and boiling water, stirring constantly with a fork. Add the cold water, mix with hands til dough forms a ball. The dough will be sticky. Cover and set aside.

For filling, in a medium mixing bowl stir together soy sauce and cornstarch. Stir in carrot, scallion, cilantro and salt. Add ground pork; mix well. Using about 1 TBSP for each, shape filling into 30 balls. Set aside.

Divide dough in half. Return one half to bowl, cover and set aside.

Divide other portion into 15 pieces. On a well floured board, roll each piece into a 3" circle. Place a meatball in center of each. Fold dough up and around filling, twist to seal.

Repeat with remaining dough to make 30 dumplings. In a steamer or dutch oven, bring water to a boil. Place dumplings twisted side up on a greased steamer rack, edges not touching. Place rack over boiling water. Cover and steam dumplings for 18-20 minutes until meat is no longer pink. Serve warm with soy dipping sauce.

Soy dipping sauce:
Combine 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar or white vinegar and 1/4 cup soy sauce. Sprinkle with chopped green onion.

Crockpot Chinese Pepper Steak

2006-04-27T22:06:00.000+02:00

4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1-1 1/2 lbs boneless beef round steak
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbls. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tomato, seeded, peeled & diced
2 red or green bell peppers, cut into strips
3 Tbls. cornstarch
3 Tbls. water
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
4 green onions, finely chopped
Cooked Rice

Preparation:
Trim fat from steak; slice into thin strips. Combine steak, garlic, salt, pepper, soy sauce, hoisin sauce and sugar in slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW about 4 hours. Turn control to HIGH. Add tomato and bell peppers. Dissolve cornstarch with water in a small bowl and stir into steak mixture. Cover and cook on HIGH 15-20 minutes or until thickened. Stir in bean sprouts, sprinkle with onions. Serve with rice.

Cooking Techniques

2006-04-27T21:30:00.000+02:00

Stir Frying

Deep Frying

Shallow Frying

Steaming

Braising

Recipes

2006-04-27T21:10:00.000+02:00

Hot & Sour Soup

Cantonese Chop Suey

Vegetables Chop Suey

Shrimp Chop Suey

Green Dumplings

Crab Rangoon

Chinese Crab Omelette

Paocai (Pickled Vegetables)

Carmelized Walnuts

Orange Walnut Chicken

Baked Chicken Wings

5-Spice Shrimp

Mayonnaise Walnut Shrimp

Spicy Scallop Dumplings

Squid with Broccoli

Thanksgiving Green Bean With Almonds

Chinese Roast Turkey

Green Garlic Sauce

Stir-fried Potatoes

Chinese Turkey Pie

Gao Li Dou Sha (Red Bean Doughnut)

Chinese Doughnuts

Steamed Moon Salmon

Honey Walnut Shrimp

Sichuan Twice-cooked Pork

5-Spice Barbecued Pork

5-Spice Game Hens (Siu Yeahgai)

5-Spice Peanuts

5-Spice Tofu

5-Spice Chicken

Scallion Pancakes (to serve with Beijing Duck)

Beijing Roast Duck

Chinese Garlic Chicken

Sesame Green Beans

Beef With Rice Noodles

Pan Fried Noodles

Crab & Shrimp Toast

Crab With Snow Peas

Simple Chop Suey

Crab Combination Soup

Braised Seafood Trio Over Chinese Noodles

Tofu Stir-Fry

Pork With Eggplant

Chicken Wings

Chinese Duck Soup

Thai Chinese Style Noodles

Hainan Chicken

Crockpot Chinese Pepper Steak

Steamed Chinese Dumplings

Chinese Almond Cookies

Won Ton Soup

Hot and Sour Soup

Egg Rolls

Chinese Chicken Salad 1

Chinese Chicken Salad 2

Cashew Chicken

Won Ton Soup

2006-04-21T14:16:00.000+02:00

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely diced shitake or straw mushrooms (plus 3/4 cup whole, reserved)
4 Tbs diced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1 beaten egg
1 Tbs soy sauce
3/4 lb roasted, shredded pork (reserve 3-6 Tbs)
1 4.5-oz can diced shrimp
1/8 tsp commercially prepared fish sauce *

6 cups water
25-30 won ton wrappers

8 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
1/4 cup bamboo shoots
8-10 snow pea pods, cut in half and strings removed
1/4 lb fresh jumbo shrimp, peeled, de-veined, and halved

1 cup shredded spinach leaves
3 sliced green onions

Preparation:
Combine first 8 ingredients, mixing well. Spoon 1 teaspoon of mixture onto each won ton wrapper, placing somewhat off to one side so wrapper will fold well. With the palm of your hand, make 1 roll-over towards the opposite point, tucking the rolling point under the filling for weight. Moisten one of the side points with a small amount of water. Bring right and left side points together, overlapping and pressing to seal.

Bring water to boil. Add won tons gently, one by one. Cook, uncovered, for 3-4 minutes. Remove won tons with a slotted spoon, transferring to a pan of cold water for a few minutes. Drain.

Heat chicken stock to boiling. Add reserved mushrooms and pork, shrimp, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and snow peas. Simmer for 5 minutes. Ladle soup into bowls; add spinach and green onions. Serve with flat, wide, restaurant-style chow mein noodles.

* This can be found in the Oriental section of most grocery stores, or can be purchased at an Oriental market.

Find more delicious recipes in: 500+ Healthy Chinese Recipes Cookbook

Chinese Chicken Salad 2

2006-04-19T17:50:00.000+02:00

Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage, shredded
2 pkgs. Top Ramen (oriental flavor)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 large or 2 small cans chunk white chicken
1 cup oil
6 Tbls. cider vinegar
4 Tbls. sugar

Preparation:
Mix oil, vinegar, sugar & Top Ramen seasoning packets. Scrunch up noodles into rest of ingredients. Add dressing shortly before serving.

Find more delicious recipes in: 500+ Healthy Chinese Recipes Cookbook

Chinese Chicken Salad 1

2006-04-15T15:25:00.000+02:00

Ingredients:
1 head green cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tbs. sesame seeds, toasted
4 green onions, sliced
2 pkgs. ramen noodles, crushed
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (optional)
1 can mandarin oranges, drained (optional)
2 or 3 carrots, sliced

Dressing:
1 cup oil
2 tbs soy sauce
4 tsp red wine vinegar
2 pkgs chicken seasoning (from ramen)
4 tbs sugar

Preparation:
Mix all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix all dressing ingredients in a jar. Refrigerate and shake vehemently until sugar is dissolved. Toss salad with dressing immediately before serving, otherwise the salad will get soggy.

Find more delicious recipes in: 500+ Healthy Chinese Recipes Cookbook

Egg Rolls

2006-04-12T13:10:00.000+02:00

Ingredients
1 lb. Chinese cabbage (Napa)
2 stalks celery
1/2 lb. cooked shrimp
1/2 lb. cooked pork or chicken livers
10 water chestnuts
1/3 cup bamboo shoots
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
Liberal dash pepper
1/2 tsp. light soy sauce
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
1 beaten egg
10 egg roll skins
3 cups oil

Preparation:
Boil cabbage and celery until very tender. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Shred very fine and set aside to drain further. Parboil shrimp and fry or bake pork. Mince both. Shred water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Mix all ingredients but egg together. Beat egg. Wrap filling in egg roll skins and seal with egg.

Cooking:
Heat oil in wok or deep fat fryer to 375 degrees and drop in egg rolls. When skin turns light golden brown, remove from oil and drain. (At this point restaurants refrigerate them and finish the cooking process as needed.) When cool, drop again into hot oil and fry until golden brown. Makes 10.

YOU WILL FIND MORE FANTASTIC AND DELICIOUS RECIPES WITH: Quick Easy Chinese Vegetarian Cooking

Hot and Sour Soup

2006-04-10T15:09:00.000+02:00

Ingredients:
2 1/2 quarts chicken stock
1 block (16 oz.) of tofu, cut into 1 1/2 inch long strips
5 shitake mushrooms, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 cups bamboo shoot strips
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
3 eggs. beaten
1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Preparation:
Combine first seven ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring to thicken. Then drizzle beaten eggs into soup, stirring. Top with sesame oil.

YOU WILL FIND MORE FANTASTIC AND DELICIOUS RECIPES WITH: Quick Easy Chinese Vegetarian Cooking

Cashew Chicken

2006-04-10T02:44:00.000+02:00

Ingredients:
3 Chicken breasts (boned and skinned)
1/2 lb. Chinese pea pods
1/2 lb. Mushrooms
4 Green onions
2 cups Bamboo shoots, drained
1 cup Chicken broth
1/4 cup Soy sauce
2 tb Corn starch
1/2 ts Sugar
1/2 ts Salt
4 tb Salad oil
1 pack Cashew nuts (about 4-oz)

Preparation:
Slice breasts horizontally into very thin slices and cut into inch squares. Place on tray. Prepare vegetables, removing ends and strings from pea pods, slicing mushrooms, green part of onions, and the bamboo shoots. Add to tray.

Mix soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Heat 1 tbls of oil in skillet over moderate heat, add all the nuts, and cook 1 min shaking the pan, toasting the nuts lightly. Remove and reserve. Pour remaining oil in pan, fry chicken quickly, turning often until it looks opaque. Lower heat to low. Add pea pods, mushrooms, and broth.

Cover and cook slowly for 2 mins. Remove cover, add soy sauce mixture, bamboo shoots, and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Simmer uncovered a bit more and add green onions and nuts and serve immediately.

Find more delicious Chinese dishes in 500+ Healthy Chinese Recipes Cookbook

Chinese Cooking Techniques - Part 5

2006-04-06T02:17:00.000+02:00

Braising

As with Western cooking, braising is used for tougher cuts of meat and involves gentle cooking of meat and/or vegetables in flavoured stock. Red-braising is the technique where food is braised in a dark liquid such as soy sauce which gives the food a red/brown colour. This type of braising sauce can be frozen and re-used.

Learn more with Secrets Of Chinese Cooking

Chinese Cooking Techniques - Part 4

2006-04-01T12:40:00.000+02:00

Steaming

Steaming is widely used in Chinese cookery. You can use a bamboo steamer in a wok, a heat-proof plate placed on a rack in a wok or other large pan or you can use a normal European steamer.

If using a bamboo steamer or plate in a wok, bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer. Put your rack into the wok (if the bamboo steamer is big enough and will sit on the sides of the wok without being in the water, you don't need a rack) and balance your plate or steamer of food on it. Put the lid on your steamer or wok and check occasionally to see if the water needs topping up (use water which is already hot).

Whichever method you use, make sure that the food is above the water level and isn't getting wet.

More techniques in: Secrets Of Chinese Cooking

Chinese Cooking Techniques - Part 3

2006-03-30T03:27:00.000+02:00

Shallow Frying

This is the same as the Western technique. Fry food on one side, then the other and drain off any excess oil before adding sauce ingredients. A normal frying pan is fine for this.

If you want to know more, look at the Secrets Of Chinese Cooking

Chinese Cooking Techniques - Part 2

2006-03-27T00:12:00.000+02:00

Deep Frying

You can use your wok for deep frying but be very careful that it is safely balanced on its stand. Under no circumstances leave it unattended. Deep frying in a wok uses less oil than a deep fryer or saucepan but you may find these safer and easier to use.

When deep frying, make sure that the oil is hot enough before adding ingredients or the food will end up very greasy. Test it by dropping in a small piece of prepared food or a cube of bread. If the oil bubbles up around what you dropped in then it's hot enough.

Make sure that food to be deep fried is dried thoroughly on kitchen paper or drained of its marinade before cooking otherwise it will spit.

HERE YOU WILL FIND MORE FANTASTIC AND DELICIOUS RECIPES:
Quick Easy Chinese Vegetarian Cooking

Chinese Cooking Techniques - Part 1

2006-03-24T22:04:00.000+01:00

Stir-Frying

The most well known Chinese cooking technique is stir-frying. This is where your wok comes into its own as it's shape and size (at least 14 inches diameter with deep sides) is ideal for quick cooking. The secret to successful stir-frying is to have all your ingredients ready in advance.

Meat should be cut according to the recipe but normally in thin strips. Vegetables likewise but in any event should be of similar shapes and sizes to ensure even cooking. Long thin vegetables such as spring onions, carrots or asparagus are often cut on the diagonal so that more surface area is exposed for quicker cooking. Measure out sauce ingredients - check the recipe - if they are all added to the dish at the same time, you can put them all in one small bowl. If corn flour is included, don't forget to give it a good stir before adding to the other food.

Once you have everything prepared, heat your wok until it is very hot then add oil and using your chosen stirring implement ensure that the oil is evenly distributed over the surface of the wok. Before you add your ingredients the wok should be so hot that it is almost smoking - this will prevent the food from being greasy. The exception to this is if you are flavouring your oil with garlic, chilli, spring onions, ginger or salt - these will burn if the oil is too hot.

Now add your other ingredients in the order stated in the recipe and toss them over the surface of the wok ensuring that nothing rests in one place for too long and moving the food from the centre of the wok to the sides. I suggest that you wear an apron or other protective clothing for this operation as the food often spits due to the high temperature it is cooked at.

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Chinese Food Ingredients

2006-03-23T18:45:00.000+01:00

Before you rush out and buy up the whole Chinese section at the supermarket, bear in mind that some ingredients don't keep well if left unused. Just select something simple from your chosen cookery book and buy the things that you need for that then you can expand your selection as you progress through different dishes.

Some common store-cupboard ingredients that you will almost certainly need are dark and light soy sauce, some sort of cooking oil and sesame oil, corn flour and rice wine or sherry.

Next time I'll tell you something about chinese cooking techniques.

Until that time you may check Secrets Of Chinese Cooking

Chinese Cuisine - Equipment

2006-03-22T20:42:00.000+01:00

Although there are many implements and pieces of equipment you can buy, to start on the road to cooking your own Chinese food, you really only need a good knife or two and a wok. Woks come in all shapes and sizes, they can be non-stick, flat-bottomed, they can even be electric these days but I still prefer my old carbon steel wok with it's rounded bottom and one wooden handle. This is a Pau wok. These are readily available in Chinese supermarkets and are much less expensive than other varieties.

There is one important task though, before you will be ready to cook with such a wok and that is to season it. You will need to scrub it with a cream cleaner to remove any residues of machine oil and dry it carefully. Put the wok on the hob over a low heat. Rub the inside of the wok with two tablespoons of cooking oil using kitchen towel. Let the wok heat slowly for 10 to 15 minutes then wipe the inside with more kitchen towel. The paper will come away black. Carry on coating, heating and cleaning off until the kitchen towel comes away clean. Your wok is now ready to use. After use, wash only in water without detergent and dry thoroughly over a low heat. You may also apply a little oil if you wish. This should prevent the wok from rusting but if it does develop rust just scrub and season again.

As well as the wok, you will need a wok stand, particularly if you have an electric hob. This keeps the wok stable if you are using it for braising or deep frying.

You will also need something to stir with - any spatula, slice or slotted spoon will do - metal for a metal wok and plastic or wooden for a non-stick wok.

You can find more usefull information here: Secrets Of Chinese Cooking

Chinese Cuisine - Some Theory

2006-03-21T21:02:00.000+01:00

Chinese cuisine is composed of more than 14000 recipes to date... No other cuisine comes close to it!

Chinese food now holds a popular place among the entire population of the world. You can find a Chinese restaurant in every major city and in many smaller areas of the world as well.

The history of Chinese food is an interesting one. Unlike many cultures the Chinese believe that the preparation of food is an art and not simply a craft. The art of cooking Chinese food can include dishes and food preparation techniques which are difficult to develop and may require the expertise of a chef with lots of experience.

Authentic Chinese food is probably the healthiest food in the world. Good Chinese food is prepared and cooked with poly-unsaturated oils. Authentic Chinese food does not require the use of milk-fat ingredients such as cream, butter or cheese. Meat is used, but not in abundance, which makes it easy for those who love authentic Chinese food to avoid high levels of animal fat. Many believe that authentic Chinese food is really the ideal diet.

Going to Chinese restaurant is easier and faster. But making Chinese food on your own is much more fun and satisfying. If you have never prepared a Chinese menu in your kitchen, here is your chance to quickly and easily start it. Below you can find all necessary tips and recipes for 3 delicious dishes...

Even longest trip begins with first step.

2006-03-21T16:50:00.000+01:00

To make long story short - I simply love to cook. All man in my family does. I received my first lessons from my grandfather. He was colonel in army, my father is an engineer and I'm psychologist. And in our spare time we all cook. That is one of my hobbies, not my job and for that reason I try to have as much fun as possible. How do you think, what can be the funniest thing about cooking? For me is to try new recipes, to experiment!

My latest experiment is about Chinese cuisine. I didn't try to cook Chinese dishes ever before. Now when I did, I want to share results of my research on that field with you. So here it is. I hope you will enjoy it as much as I am.

Face behind the apron

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