By Helen Fan
“Thicken”, or “Thickening” is a very common technique used in both Chinese restaurants and household kitchens. It is very easy to prepare, but if not used properly, can really mess up the presentation. Below is a brief description of “Thickening”. You can learn more about other Chinese cooking techniques in the Techniques section of our website.
Technique: Thicken
Thicken, or thickening, refers to the use of cornstarch as a part of the process of preparing a Chinese dish. Cornstarch is a very commonly used condiment in Chinese cooking. When used properly, it can really make your presentation stand out. Below are two important pointers:
Follow the recipe as given. Too much cornstarch can make the dish too pasty. Too little would make it too thin. After cooking a particular dish the first time, you can use the original recipe as a guide to increase or decrease the amount of cornstarch to add to your dish to your liking the next time (even though we are confident that you’ll love the recipes we have on our website :).
Watch the timing and stir appropriately. Do not add cornstarch (and water) until the dish is cooked. You must also stir gently and quickly once it is added to the dish, as it tends lump up if not stirred immediately.
Pretty simple, right? Now, you can check out our recipes section and find a recipe to practice it on (wink).
Helen Fan grew up in a family that has owned various Asian restaurants all over North America, from Vancouver (Canada), Houston (Texas), Decatur (Illinois), to Chicago (Illinois). She, and the rest of the Fan family are now sharing their decades of knowledge on the art of Chinese cuisine at http://www.chinesehomecooking.com/
You can learn more about other Chinese cooking techniques at http://www.chinesehomecooking.com/techniques/techniques.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helen_Fan
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Showing posts with label Chinese Cooking Techniques. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chinese Cooking Techniques. Show all posts
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Saturday, July 8, 2006
A Beginners Guide to Chinese Cookery
By Liz Canham
Introduction
When I first ate Chinese food in the UK in the 1970's, it was really quite unappealing. Everything came in a gloopy sauce and seemed to taste the same, due to the overuse of monosodium glutamate, supposedly a flavour enhancer but in reality, nothing of the kind. Then in the 1980's a new breed of Chinese restaurant arrived (at least it took that long to reach the provinces) which provided lighter, tastier Chinese cooking demonstrating regional differences. There was one drawback, however, which was that this new type of restaurant was much more expensive than the original cheap tasteless ones. Consequently, I thought how nice it would be to cook Chinese food at home but I had no idea where to start until BBC TV came to my rescue in the shape of Ken Hom, the USA-born chef of Cantonese parents.
Ken presented Chinese cuisine in such an easily-understandable way, demonstrating techniques and suggesting alternative ingredients should the originals not be available in your local supermarket. The book which accompanied the series, Ken HomÂ’s Chinese Cookery became my bible and I still have my copy, pages stained with oil drips and smears of sauce.
To help you on your way to cooking Chinese food at home, IÂ’m going to briefly describe the basic equipment, ingredients and techniques which you need to know so that you can produce some simple and tasty dishes. I hope you enjoy the article and that it inspires you to get cooking!
Equipment
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 its 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.
Ingredients
Before you rush out and buy up the whole Chinese section at the supermarket, bear in mind that some ingredients donÂ’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, cornflour and rice wine or sherry. For more information, see my article Chinese Cooking - Ingredients and Equipment.
Techniques
Stir-Frying
The most well known Chinese cooking technique is stir-frying. This is where your wok comes into its own as itÂ’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 cornflour is included, donÂ’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 chili, 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.
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 itÂ’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.
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.
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 donÂ’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 isnÂ’t getting wet.
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.
Liz Canham
As well as a love of Asian cooking and travel as you can see in her Asian Food and Cookery http://www.lizebiz.com/asian-food
and TravellersÂ’ Tales http://www.travellers-tales.lizebiz.com websites, Liz seeks to help newcomers to the world of internet marketing with tools, tips and training from her Liz-e-Biz.com website http://www.lizebiz.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liz_Canham
Introduction
When I first ate Chinese food in the UK in the 1970's, it was really quite unappealing. Everything came in a gloopy sauce and seemed to taste the same, due to the overuse of monosodium glutamate, supposedly a flavour enhancer but in reality, nothing of the kind. Then in the 1980's a new breed of Chinese restaurant arrived (at least it took that long to reach the provinces) which provided lighter, tastier Chinese cooking demonstrating regional differences. There was one drawback, however, which was that this new type of restaurant was much more expensive than the original cheap tasteless ones. Consequently, I thought how nice it would be to cook Chinese food at home but I had no idea where to start until BBC TV came to my rescue in the shape of Ken Hom, the USA-born chef of Cantonese parents.
Ken presented Chinese cuisine in such an easily-understandable way, demonstrating techniques and suggesting alternative ingredients should the originals not be available in your local supermarket. The book which accompanied the series, Ken HomÂ’s Chinese Cookery became my bible and I still have my copy, pages stained with oil drips and smears of sauce.
To help you on your way to cooking Chinese food at home, IÂ’m going to briefly describe the basic equipment, ingredients and techniques which you need to know so that you can produce some simple and tasty dishes. I hope you enjoy the article and that it inspires you to get cooking!
Equipment
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 its 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.
Ingredients
Before you rush out and buy up the whole Chinese section at the supermarket, bear in mind that some ingredients donÂ’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, cornflour and rice wine or sherry. For more information, see my article Chinese Cooking - Ingredients and Equipment.
Techniques
Stir-Frying
The most well known Chinese cooking technique is stir-frying. This is where your wok comes into its own as itÂ’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 cornflour is included, donÂ’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 chili, 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.
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 itÂ’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.
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.
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 donÂ’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 isnÂ’t getting wet.
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.
Liz Canham
As well as a love of Asian cooking and travel as you can see in her Asian Food and Cookery http://www.lizebiz.com/asian-food
and TravellersÂ’ Tales http://www.travellers-tales.lizebiz.com websites, Liz seeks to help newcomers to the world of internet marketing with tools, tips and training from her Liz-e-Biz.com website http://www.lizebiz.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Liz_Canham
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Chinese Cooking: More Special Ingredients
By Jacklyn Chen
I have briefly introduced two most classic and expensive Chinese cooking ingredients (shark fins and bird's nest) in my previous article. Here I'll continue to introduce some other special ingredients that are more regularly used in our daily cooking. They are far more affordable. Not like shark fins and bird's nest, people can only dream about in China unless you have plenty of money and don't know where to spend.
I have briefly introduced two most classic and expensive Chinese cooking ingredients (shark fins and bird's nest) in my previous article. Here I'll continue to introduce some other special ingredients that are more regularly used in our daily cooking. They are far more affordable. Not like shark fins and bird's nest, people can only dream about in China unless you have plenty of money and don't know where to spend.
Jellyfish
Jellyfish is preserved in salt and alum. Large, thin and translucent ones are especially good served as appetizer. It is produced in the South Seas and along seaboards of China, Korea and Japan. The South Seas product is considered to be of the best quality.
Method of Preparation: Soak jellyfish over night, change water and soak for one more day. Roll the jellyfish up and shred. Dip in boiling water for a few seconds and quickly rinse in cold water and drain. Season with vinegar, salt and sugar.
Serve Note: There are many other ways to cook jellyfish.
Preserved Eggs
Duck eggs thickly coated with a mixture of salt, lime and rice husks are preserved in a cool, dark place for about three months. The interior becomes brownish black in color due to fermentation. Remove lime crust and shell, rinse clean, cut lengthwise into six pieces and serve with shredded ginger, vinegar and soy sauce as an appetizer.
Dried Bêche-De-Mer
The best bêche-de-mer or sea cucumber when dried is black in color, as that produced in Hokkaido, Japan. It may be sautéed, stewed or braised.
To soften: Wash, cover with water and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Slit the middle lengthwise and clean inside. Rinse, cover with water and bring to boil again. remove from heat, place on lid, and let stand for three days.
Dried Shrimp
Dried shrimps after soaking in warm water for about 10 minutes may be used in soups and sautéed dishes, or served cold as an appetizer.
Dried Scallops
Dried scallops have a delicate flavor and after softening in hot water, may be used in soups or other dishes as with dried shrimps.
Preserved Szechwan (SiChuan, in mandarin) Vegetable
This vegetable is the bulb of mustard green preserved in chili, salt and spices, produced in Szechwan, China, and has a unique flavor. It may be used in soups, sautéed dishes or simply sliced and served as an appetizer. People from north of China normally eat it along with rice congee as breakfast.
Cloud Ears
There are black and white varieties of cloud ears and the white variety being much more expensive, is used only in special dishes. Most of the Japanese product is either black or dark brown in color. Softened in warm water, it may be used in soups and sautéed or braised dishes.
Bean Thread - Chinese Vermicelli
Chinese vermicelli made from bean starch is translucent in appearance and does not melt under long cooking. It may be used in soups or braised dishes after softening in warm water.
Chinese vermicelli made from bean starch is translucent in appearance and does not melt under long cooking. It may be used in soups or braised dishes after softening in warm water.
Variegated Mushrooms
The top of this mushroom is variegated with cracks resembling that of a turtle shell. This flavorful mushroom is used in many of the delicate dishes, and may also be served deep fried.
Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com. She is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites. She will be pursuing singing career in China and hoping for success.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacklyn_Chen
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacklyn_Chen
Chinese Cooking: Sauces & Spices
By Jacklyn Chen
Sauces and spices are the key in any cooking. No dishes would taste good without them. The only exception is that some sea animals can be simply steamed or boiled before serve. Well, that is because they are salty already in their body. Imagine eating steamed river shrimp? I wouldn't bother!
Sauces and spices are the key in any cooking. No dishes would taste good without them. The only exception is that some sea animals can be simply steamed or boiled before serve. Well, that is because they are salty already in their body. Imagine eating steamed river shrimp? I wouldn't bother!
I'd like to introduce some of the most popular sauces and spices that we use everyday. You may already know some of them, but I bet you haven't heard of others.
Sauces
Bean Curd Sauce (Dou Fu Ru):
Fermented bean curd, rich in proteins. May be kept for fairly long time. Comes in two types - red and white. Red is typically used to cook Braised Pork. White tastes spicy and is normally used as a side dish along with noodles, buns, or congee. Some like to serve with soy sauce and vinegar for meat dumplings, hot pot dishes, and others. Favored by north and west of China.
Oyster Sauce:
Oil from oyster. Heavily salted. Use sparingly for sautéed dishes. Popular in Hong Kong, Cantoon (Guang Dong, to be exact), and some areas in south of China while not used at all in north and west of China except for hotels and some restaurants.
Shrimp Sauce:
Oil from salted baby shrimp dried and fermented. Use sparingly for sautéed dishes. Used heavily for dishes from south of China.
Sesame Sauce (Zhi Ma Jiang):
Ground sesame seed with strong flavor. Used for cold dishes.
Ground sesame seed with strong flavor. Used for cold dishes.
Hot Pepper & Bean Sauce:
Hot sauce made from combination of hot spices and beans. Red or brown in color. Use sparingly in sauteed dishes or cold dishes. In north, people often mix this sauce to stir fried minced meat and serve with noodles (make it Noodles with Meat Sauce).
Hot sauce made from combination of hot spices and beans. Red or brown in color. Use sparingly in sauteed dishes or cold dishes. In north, people often mix this sauce to stir fried minced meat and serve with noodles (make it Noodles with Meat Sauce).
Hot Pepper Oil:
Made from sesame oil and red pepper. Serve with meat dumplings, buns, etc.
Made from sesame oil and red pepper. Serve with meat dumplings, buns, etc.
Sesame Oil:
Flavor is too strong for use in frying and sautéing. Use only for enhancing flavor of cooked and cold dishes, noodles, hot pot sauce, soups, etc.
Flavor is too strong for use in frying and sautéing. Use only for enhancing flavor of cooked and cold dishes, noodles, hot pot sauce, soups, etc.
JiangXi Vinegar:
A special vinegar produced in JiangXi province. Light amber in color with a distinctive fragrance. Use for meat dumplings and cold dishes.
A special vinegar produced in JiangXi province. Light amber in color with a distinctive fragrance. Use for meat dumplings and cold dishes.
Spices
Star Fennel:
Shaped like eight cornered star, brown in color. Use for cooking with chicken, meat, offal and fish.
Shaped like eight cornered star, brown in color. Use for cooking with chicken, meat, offal and fish.
Anise Pepper:
Dried brown round spice. Added sparingly in chicken and meat can remove the unpleasant smell (fishy smell). Can also be used for making pickles or even some deserts.
Dried brown round spice. Added sparingly in chicken and meat can remove the unpleasant smell (fishy smell). Can also be used for making pickles or even some deserts.
Five Flavored Powder:
A mixture of anise pepper, star fennel, clove, cinnamon, and dried tangerine peel. Sparingly used in cooking fish and meat.
A mixture of anise pepper, star fennel, clove, cinnamon, and dried tangerine peel. Sparingly used in cooking fish and meat.
Pepper Salt:
Mixture of anise pepper powder with salt. Serve with fried chicken, meat, and fish.
Mixture of anise pepper powder with salt. Serve with fried chicken, meat, and fish.
(c)Copyrighted: Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com. She is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacklyn_Chen
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Chinese Cooking Utensils
By Jacklyn Chen
There are quite a few traditional utensils that have been used in cooking for thousands of years in China. Some of them are still seen in most of families, some can only be seen in rural areas, or may be disappearing in the modern world. But to cook authentic Chinese food that always tastes like grandma's, some of the utensils simply cannot be replaced by what you see in American stores.
Chinese Wok
Deep pan with round bottom used in several ways. Comes in iron, stainless and stainless with layer of copper on the bottom. Iron heats most evenly, but should be seasoned before using or food will stick.
To season: Fill pan with water. Add soap and soda and bring to boil. Pour off water, wipe dry. Place pan over strong heat. Add oil and rotate till pan is coated. Pour off excess oil. Place pan over weak fire and wipe with dry cloth.
To clean: After using pan, wash while still hot. Wipe and place over heat to dry completely.
Knife
Heavy and wide. All purpose - for paring, cutting, slicing, chopping and carving.
Iron Palette Comes in square or round front. Rounded ones are easier to use with Chinese wok. Use for frying, sautéing and basting.
Iron Spoon
Use back side for mixing food with minimum breakage.
Steamer
Used for steaming buns, chicken, meat, fish. Place over Chinese wok filled with boiling water. Buy one size smaller than wok. There are new styles of steamers on the market made of different materials. But Chinese believe that the traditional steamer works the best.
Slotted Spoon
Used for deep frying and boiling to get rid of excess oil or water.
Wire Sieve
With handle. Used for boiling noodles, dumplings, etc.
Steamers for Pastries
Small in size - about 15cm (6") in diameter. Used in same method as large steamer. Serve hot pastries in steamers. Typical foods served are small meat buns (small steamer meat buns, or Xiao Long Bao Zi), steamed meat dumplings (Shao Mai), etc.
Molds for cookies
Made from wood with various carved designs. No longer popular in the modern society since people tend to buy cookies off the shelf. Some may still use the molds for major holidays, or just Chinese New Year.
Bamboo Brush
Used for washing hot wok. Guess only people in some rural areas still use this type of brush. More people use regular washing cloth found in market.
Rolling Pin
Used for preparing noodles, dumpling skins, Chinese pancakes, and more. With the busy daily life nowadays, most of time people choose to buy ready to cook fresh noodles and dumpling skins from the small vendors seen on the street to save us time. Choose ones made from sturdy wood.
Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com. She is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites. She is seeking for success in singing career in China.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacklyn_Chen
Chinese Cooking Techniques
By Shauna Hanus
The variety of Chinese food dishes and Chinese food recipes available today is wider than in any previous decade. One can easily find Chinese food recipes for Chop Suey, which is not an authentic Chinese dish, along side of Hunan Beef. It is interesting to note that what many refer to as Chow Mein noodles is really a simpler crunchy version of the real thing.
In centuries past when the Chinese still used forks and knives is when the foundation for modern day Chinese cooking was formed. This is back when the cutting techniques and delicate flavors came together to form healthy hearty meals.
This is also when the three primary Chinese cooking techniques were formed.
The first Chinese cooking technique is stewing. Stewing can be either red or clear and is the simplest of the three methods. In clear stewing the clear liquid is brought to a boil and then allowed to simmer until the food is just tender. In red stewing a small amount of sugar and soy sauce is added which gives the stewed food a reddish tinge.
The second Chinese cooking technique is steaming. Steaming can be either wet or dry. The Chinese have used steaming as a primary cooking method for over 3000 years. Before ovens were common place steaming was a preferred method which allowed for moist flavorful food that retained most of its nutrients.
Frying is the third of the traditional Chinese cooking techniques. Frying can be either deep frying in oil or sautéing. When deep frying the food is submersed in hot oil and allowed to cook until it floats. In sautéing the meat, vegetables and garnishes are cooked quickly over high heat in a small amount of fat.
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. Sign up for her newsletter and learn more about Gourmayeats Weekly Recipe Club at http://www.gourmayeats.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shauna_Hanus
The variety of Chinese food dishes and Chinese food recipes available today is wider than in any previous decade. One can easily find Chinese food recipes for Chop Suey, which is not an authentic Chinese dish, along side of Hunan Beef. It is interesting to note that what many refer to as Chow Mein noodles is really a simpler crunchy version of the real thing.
In centuries past when the Chinese still used forks and knives is when the foundation for modern day Chinese cooking was formed. This is back when the cutting techniques and delicate flavors came together to form healthy hearty meals.
This is also when the three primary Chinese cooking techniques were formed.
The first Chinese cooking technique is stewing. Stewing can be either red or clear and is the simplest of the three methods. In clear stewing the clear liquid is brought to a boil and then allowed to simmer until the food is just tender. In red stewing a small amount of sugar and soy sauce is added which gives the stewed food a reddish tinge.
The second Chinese cooking technique is steaming. Steaming can be either wet or dry. The Chinese have used steaming as a primary cooking method for over 3000 years. Before ovens were common place steaming was a preferred method which allowed for moist flavorful food that retained most of its nutrients.
Frying is the third of the traditional Chinese cooking techniques. Frying can be either deep frying in oil or sautéing. When deep frying the food is submersed in hot oil and allowed to cook until it floats. In sautéing the meat, vegetables and garnishes are cooked quickly over high heat in a small amount of fat.
Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. Sign up for her newsletter and learn more about Gourmayeats Weekly Recipe Club at http://www.gourmayeats.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shauna_Hanus
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