1 lb pork spareribs, cut into small chunks
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
5 cups water
1 head Napa cabbage, cut into thin strips
4 dried mushrooms, soaked in water, then cut into strips
1 Tbsp rice wine (or any white wine)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
Get out a heavy soup pot and put over medium-high heat. Add the spareribs, smashed garlic, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil, then turn heat to low and cover pot. Simmer very gently for 1 hour.
Remove pot from stove and let cool slightly, then remove bones and any extra fat if you wish from the mixture.
Put pot back on low heat and add the cabbage, mushrooms, wine, salt, and pepper and bring mixture to a gentle simmer and let cook for 15 minutes or until the cabbage is tender.
Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired and serve hot.
Will serve 2 to 4.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Simple Chinese Brown Sauce Recipe
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 cup water
1 Tbsp grated ginger root
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp molasses
Put all ingredients in a glass jar with a good seal (like a canning jar), make sure lid is on tight, and shake jar vigorously until frothy and well blended.
Store in refrigerator until needed for a recipe. It will keep for several months.
Makes about 1-1/4 cups of sauce, but may easily be doubled or tripled.
1 cup water
1 Tbsp grated ginger root
1 garlic clove, minced
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp molasses
Put all ingredients in a glass jar with a good seal (like a canning jar), make sure lid is on tight, and shake jar vigorously until frothy and well blended.
Store in refrigerator until needed for a recipe. It will keep for several months.
Makes about 1-1/4 cups of sauce, but may easily be doubled or tripled.
Tips For Understanding The Four Styles Of Chinese Cuisine
When you visit a Chinese restaurant for the first time, you may be confused, and even overwhelmed, by the wide variety of items on the menu. Not only are there a vast array of ingredients, but the flavors are all over the board. To put it simply, all Chinese food is not alike!
Of course, when you look at a map of China, you can see why this cuisine may vary so much. China is very large with an incredible landscape filled with every kind of topography you can imagine, from snow-capped mountains, to deserts, to fresh water, to salt water, and everything in between.
Because of the differences in climate and landscape across China, the cuisine naturally changes. There are countless regional differences, but for this discussion we will focus on the four styles, or schools, of Chinese cuisine. Each style, or category if you like, of cooking will have sub-categories that you may recognize. But, to keep things simpler, we'll stick with the four main categories. Let's take a look.
Yue - This cooking style is probably better known to most people as Cantonese cuisine. The cooking style comes from the Guangdong province in the south China region. Fresh ingredients which are skillfully cooked is the trademark of this style. Stir-frying is often the cooking method of choice as it maintains the integrity of the delicate seafood and vegetables. Over-cooking and over-seasoning would be considered bad manners by any Yue style cook.
Lu - Across the Shandong province in the north China region, you will find a hearty blend of ingredients including noodles, garlic, seafood, and soy sauce. A variety of soups, whether clear or creamy, often form an important part of the meal and have historical methods which are stringently followed in this school of Chinese cuisine. Fresh, tender ingredients highlight the Lu dishes.
Chuan - This familiar category of cuisine is well known by many as szechuan. Most people who have ordered from a Chinese menu have seen this style of cooking. Originating in the Sichuan province in the south-west region of China, this food is very spicy and richly seasoned. You'll find lots of chili peppers and garlic in these familiar dishes, along with the every popular szechuan peppercorns. The dishes are not only spicy, but they are often saucy and flavored with sesame paste or oil, ginger, and plenty of peanuts. The ingredients are cooked in a variety of ways, but always to maintain the integrity and texture of the food and the multiple flavor profiles present.
Su - This region of China, the Jiangsu, is greatly influenced by its major feature - the Yangtze River. For that reason, you would expect to see plenty of freshwater fish, shellfish, and duck on the menu, and you wouldn't be disappointed. Delicately prepared, the natural sweetness of the ingredients is maintained. Along with the foods harvested from the river, you will find dishes featuring rice, bamboo shoots, tea leaves, wild mushrooms, and plenty of local fruit. Color, texture, and shapes all play a part in preparing pleasing meals in the Su tradition.
Within each of these four categories of Chinese cuisine, you will find many other styles of cooking, each very specific to its own region. But, for the casual observer or eater of Chinese cuisine, knowing just these basic four will help you understand a menu better, or even dig into a recipe a home with more skill and enjoyment. Have fun getting to know this complicated, and delicious, cuisine!
Of course, when you look at a map of China, you can see why this cuisine may vary so much. China is very large with an incredible landscape filled with every kind of topography you can imagine, from snow-capped mountains, to deserts, to fresh water, to salt water, and everything in between.
Because of the differences in climate and landscape across China, the cuisine naturally changes. There are countless regional differences, but for this discussion we will focus on the four styles, or schools, of Chinese cuisine. Each style, or category if you like, of cooking will have sub-categories that you may recognize. But, to keep things simpler, we'll stick with the four main categories. Let's take a look.
Yue - This cooking style is probably better known to most people as Cantonese cuisine. The cooking style comes from the Guangdong province in the south China region. Fresh ingredients which are skillfully cooked is the trademark of this style. Stir-frying is often the cooking method of choice as it maintains the integrity of the delicate seafood and vegetables. Over-cooking and over-seasoning would be considered bad manners by any Yue style cook.
Lu - Across the Shandong province in the north China region, you will find a hearty blend of ingredients including noodles, garlic, seafood, and soy sauce. A variety of soups, whether clear or creamy, often form an important part of the meal and have historical methods which are stringently followed in this school of Chinese cuisine. Fresh, tender ingredients highlight the Lu dishes.
Chuan - This familiar category of cuisine is well known by many as szechuan. Most people who have ordered from a Chinese menu have seen this style of cooking. Originating in the Sichuan province in the south-west region of China, this food is very spicy and richly seasoned. You'll find lots of chili peppers and garlic in these familiar dishes, along with the every popular szechuan peppercorns. The dishes are not only spicy, but they are often saucy and flavored with sesame paste or oil, ginger, and plenty of peanuts. The ingredients are cooked in a variety of ways, but always to maintain the integrity and texture of the food and the multiple flavor profiles present.
Su - This region of China, the Jiangsu, is greatly influenced by its major feature - the Yangtze River. For that reason, you would expect to see plenty of freshwater fish, shellfish, and duck on the menu, and you wouldn't be disappointed. Delicately prepared, the natural sweetness of the ingredients is maintained. Along with the foods harvested from the river, you will find dishes featuring rice, bamboo shoots, tea leaves, wild mushrooms, and plenty of local fruit. Color, texture, and shapes all play a part in preparing pleasing meals in the Su tradition.
Within each of these four categories of Chinese cuisine, you will find many other styles of cooking, each very specific to its own region. But, for the casual observer or eater of Chinese cuisine, knowing just these basic four will help you understand a menu better, or even dig into a recipe a home with more skill and enjoyment. Have fun getting to know this complicated, and delicious, cuisine!
Friday, November 14, 2014
Shrimp Cantonese In Black Bean Sauce Recipe
1-1/2 lbs large shrimp
1 tsp salted black beans
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp soy sauce
1 pkg flat rice noodles
2 Tbsps peanut oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 inch ginger root, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 cup hot water
2 tsps cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp cold water
1 egg, beaten
chopped green onion
Peel and clean the shrimp,then cut in half lengthwise; set aside.
Smash together the salted black beans, garlic, and soy sauce; set aside.
Soak the flat rice noodles in boiling water for 10 minutes; drain well and set aside.
Put the peanut oil in a wok over high heat, add the prepared flat rice noodles and stir fry for about 2 minutes; remove to a bowl and set aside.
Add the shrimp to the wok, stirring for 2 minutes, then add the chopped garlic, ginger, and shallots and continue cooking and stirring until shrimp is pink, about another 2 minutes; push shrimp up the sides of the wok.
Add the salted black bean mixture to the middle of the wok and stir for 1 minute minute, then carefully add hot water, stir until combined, then add the cornstarch mixture and stir again until sauce thickens slightly.
Add the egg to the middle of the wok, stirring until set, then push the shrimp back into the middle of the wok, stir, then add the flat rice noodles and stir until combined and everything is hot. Serve hot in large bowls with chopped green onion on top.
1 tsp salted black beans
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp soy sauce
1 pkg flat rice noodles
2 Tbsps peanut oil
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 inch ginger root, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 cup hot water
2 tsps cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp cold water
1 egg, beaten
chopped green onion
Peel and clean the shrimp,then cut in half lengthwise; set aside.
Smash together the salted black beans, garlic, and soy sauce; set aside.
Soak the flat rice noodles in boiling water for 10 minutes; drain well and set aside.
Put the peanut oil in a wok over high heat, add the prepared flat rice noodles and stir fry for about 2 minutes; remove to a bowl and set aside.
Add the shrimp to the wok, stirring for 2 minutes, then add the chopped garlic, ginger, and shallots and continue cooking and stirring until shrimp is pink, about another 2 minutes; push shrimp up the sides of the wok.
Add the salted black bean mixture to the middle of the wok and stir for 1 minute minute, then carefully add hot water, stir until combined, then add the cornstarch mixture and stir again until sauce thickens slightly.
Add the egg to the middle of the wok, stirring until set, then push the shrimp back into the middle of the wok, stir, then add the flat rice noodles and stir until combined and everything is hot. Serve hot in large bowls with chopped green onion on top.
Sesame Pork Fried Wantons Recipe
25 to 30 wanton skins
peanut oil
3/4 lb fresh ground pork
1/2 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp water
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp rice or white wine
1/4 tsp black pepper
sesame seeds for finish
Put the ground pork, water chestnuts, cornstarch mixture, sesame oil, sea salt, white wine, and black pepper in a bowl and mix until well blended.
Lay the wonton wrappers out individually on a work surface.
Spoon about 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoon of filling slightly off-center in the middle of each wonton wrapper, then fold the wrapper diagonally up and over the filling, meeting the edges together into a triangle shape. Moisten the open edges slightly with water and fold over a little, pinching them closed. Repeat to use up all the filling; this recipe should fill 25 to 30 wontons wrappers.
Put a wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat and fill with about 2 inches of peanut oil. Carefully drop a few wontons at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel covered rack and sprinkle with sesame seeds while still hot. Repeat for all the wontons.
Serve warm.
peanut oil
3/4 lb fresh ground pork
1/2 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp water
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp rice or white wine
1/4 tsp black pepper
sesame seeds for finish
Put the ground pork, water chestnuts, cornstarch mixture, sesame oil, sea salt, white wine, and black pepper in a bowl and mix until well blended.
Lay the wonton wrappers out individually on a work surface.
Spoon about 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoon of filling slightly off-center in the middle of each wonton wrapper, then fold the wrapper diagonally up and over the filling, meeting the edges together into a triangle shape. Moisten the open edges slightly with water and fold over a little, pinching them closed. Repeat to use up all the filling; this recipe should fill 25 to 30 wontons wrappers.
Put a wok or deep skillet over medium-high heat and fill with about 2 inches of peanut oil. Carefully drop a few wontons at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel covered rack and sprinkle with sesame seeds while still hot. Repeat for all the wontons.
Serve warm.
Enjoy Exploring The Flavors Of Chinese Cuisine
The Flavors Of Chinese Cuisine Simplified
Thousands of years ago, it was discovered by Chinese cooks and philosophers that a variety of ingredients, mixed together artfully, creates a harmonious meal. When multiple foods blend together, our taste buds are happy.
But, along with the main ingredients in a Chinese recipes, you'll notice a few pinches of this and a drizzle of that added to the dish. Don't let the dribs and drabs of these ingredients fool you - their importance is huge!
We're talking about the flavors we must incorporate in Chinese cooking if we want our meal to be a delicious success. Let's look at the basic 5 flavors we all know and what ingredients we might use to achieve that taste:
Salty
Of course you'll find this flavor in table salt, but also in products that are made with salt, such as soy sauce. Experiment with a variety of salts to find a flavor palate you really enjoy. You'll be amazed at the choices you'll find for an ingredient as simple as salt.
Sweet
Refined white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, honey, jams and jellies can be used to produce the sweet flavor in a dish. Raw sugar and sugar cane is a favorite of many cooks who want to produce the purest sweet flavor they can.
Sour
This is the flavor that makes your lips pucker. Sometimes confused with the bitter flavor, sour flavor has more of a mouth-watering effect. Rice vinegar is a good example, but tomato paste and plum sauce are also nice and sour when made properly.
Bitter
When you taste a bitter food, your mouth should have more of a drying sensation. Almond paste, citrus zest, and some herbs will give you this taste. This flavor isn't always understood and often cooks try to avoid it entirely. The next time you zest an orange, give it a taste before you add it to the recipe and see if you can pick out the bitter flavor. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.
Hot
This flavor can be confused with spicy. However, a spicy taste is usually a combination of flavors, not just heat. You'll get plenty of heat with chili peppers, Szechuan peppercorns, dry and prepared mustard, and even fresh ginger root. Again, think of the sensation of heat rising up into your sinuses and you'll get the picture.
Each of these flavors is enjoyable on its own, but the real taste treat comes when you combine them. Remember, the idea behind Chinese cuisine is the harmony of flavors. Some simple combinations that every Chinese cook knows how to make and use are:
Sweet and Sour - combine sugar and vinegar
Sweet and Salty - combine salt and soy sauce
Hot and Sour - combine chili sauce and vinegar
Salty and Hot - combine soy sauce and mustard
Once you learn these basic mixtures, you will be able to start blending even more flavors together to create a greater variety. That's the fun of Chinese cooking – there are not limits to the imagination and experimentation. Enjoy exploring these flavors... and more!
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Quick Curried Bean And Bamboo Udon Recipe
2 Tbsps peanut oil
2 carrots, sliced into thin strips
1 stalk celery, sliced into thin strips
1 can (8 oz) sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1 can (14 oz) bean sprouts, drained
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp Chinese curry paste
1 large lemon, juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 to 1 Tbsp hot chili sauce, to taste
4 to 6 cups hot cooked udon noodles
Put a large skillet or wok over high heat, add oil, and when the oil sizzles add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the bamboo shoots and bean sprouts and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute.
Push the vegetables up to the sides of the wok, then add the soy sauce, curry, lemon, garlic, and chili sauce to the middle of the wok and stir for 30 seconds, then add the udon noodles and push the vegetables into the noodles, stirring to combine.
Immediately remove from heat and serve hot.
2 carrots, sliced into thin strips
1 stalk celery, sliced into thin strips
1 can (8 oz) sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1 can (14 oz) bean sprouts, drained
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp Chinese curry paste
1 large lemon, juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 to 1 Tbsp hot chili sauce, to taste
4 to 6 cups hot cooked udon noodles
Put a large skillet or wok over high heat, add oil, and when the oil sizzles add the carrots and celery and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, then add the bamboo shoots and bean sprouts and cook, stirring, for 1 more minute.
Push the vegetables up to the sides of the wok, then add the soy sauce, curry, lemon, garlic, and chili sauce to the middle of the wok and stir for 30 seconds, then add the udon noodles and push the vegetables into the noodles, stirring to combine.
Immediately remove from heat and serve hot.
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