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
Vintage Sewing, Needlework & Crafts
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 29, 2006
8 Chinese New Year Food Symbols for Happiness, Prosperity and
by Liow Kah Joon
"Lucky" Chinese New Year symbols are an important part of celebrating the Spring Festival. Afterall, it is the start of spring -- a perfect time to have your New Year wishes come true! And what better way to usher in happiness, prosperity and health than to enjoy "auspicious food" with family and friends?
Here are the Top 8 auspicious food symbols for Chinese New Year.
These delicious dishes are served during the reunion dinner on Chinese New Year's eve with family members.
For a comphrensive list and description of more Chinese New Year dishes and delicacies, visit:
http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-new-year-symbols.html.
And if you'll like to do some cooking yourself, here are some Chinese New Year recipes:
http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-new-year-recipes.html
Top 8 Auspicious Food Symbols for Chinese New Year
1. Hot Pot
A steaming hot pot (or chinese fondue) with meat, seafood and vegetables) is a must. Huo3 in hot pot huo3 guo3 火锅 is the same word as Huo3 in hong2 huo3 红火 "prosperous and booming".
2. Fish
Another must-have dish if you want to experience abundance in the new year. Fish yu2 鱼 is the most popular dish served during Chinese New Year. In Chinese fish has the same sound as "surplus" and "abundance" 余. A whole fish is served on Chinese New Year's eve for the reunion dinner. Usually the fish is steamed. It is a good omen to leave the bones and head and tail intact. This symbolizes surplus/abundance and a good beginning and end in the new year. Best served whole.
3. Shrimp
Shrimp xia1 虾 in Mandarin and ha in Cantonese sounds like someone laughing. Eat shrimp for happiness and well-being.
4. Boiled dumplings
A Chinese New Year tradition is eating boiled dumplings. These are shaped like gold ingots. Dumplings jiao3 zi 饺子 sounds like jiao1 zi3 交子which means the hour of transition into the New Year. Hence, in northern China, dumplings filled with meat are eaten on Chinese New Year's eve to usher in good luck and wealth in the New Year. Sometimes a coin is placed in one of the dumplings. Whoever bites on it will have plenty of wealth in the new year. When dumplings and yellow noodles are cooked together they mean "golden threads through gold ingots". In the eastern cities of China, like Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou, egg dumplings are eaten as they look like gold ingots.
5. Oyster
Hao2 sounds like hao3 shi4 好事 which means "good things". In southern China, it is served with thin rice noodles.
6. Green vegetables
For close family ties, serve some greens. Qing1 cai4 青菜 sounds like qing1 亲 as in qin1 re 亲热 mea ning "close/intimate"
7. Sticky rice cake
Nian2 gao1 年糕. Nian2 means year and cake gao1 sounds the same as high gao1 高. So eating this steamed cake made of rice flour and topped with red dates has the meaning of attaining greater prosperity and rank in the new year.
8. Noodles
Known as chang2 shou4 mian4 长寿面 meaning "longevity noodles".
"Lucky" Chinese New Year symbols are an important part of celebrating the Spring Festival. Afterall, it is the start of spring -- a perfect time to have your New Year wishes come true! And what better way to usher in happiness, prosperity and health than to enjoy "auspicious food" with family and friends?
Here are the Top 8 auspicious food symbols for Chinese New Year.
These delicious dishes are served during the reunion dinner on Chinese New Year's eve with family members.
For a comphrensive list and description of more Chinese New Year dishes and delicacies, visit:
http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-new-year-symbols.html.
And if you'll like to do some cooking yourself, here are some Chinese New Year recipes:
http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-new-year-recipes.html
Top 8 Auspicious Food Symbols for Chinese New Year
1. Hot Pot
A steaming hot pot (or chinese fondue) with meat, seafood and vegetables) is a must. Huo3 in hot pot huo3 guo3 火锅 is the same word as Huo3 in hong2 huo3 红火 "prosperous and booming".
2. Fish
Another must-have dish if you want to experience abundance in the new year. Fish yu2 鱼 is the most popular dish served during Chinese New Year. In Chinese fish has the same sound as "surplus" and "abundance" 余. A whole fish is served on Chinese New Year's eve for the reunion dinner. Usually the fish is steamed. It is a good omen to leave the bones and head and tail intact. This symbolizes surplus/abundance and a good beginning and end in the new year. Best served whole.
3. Shrimp
Shrimp xia1 虾 in Mandarin and ha in Cantonese sounds like someone laughing. Eat shrimp for happiness and well-being.
4. Boiled dumplings
A Chinese New Year tradition is eating boiled dumplings. These are shaped like gold ingots. Dumplings jiao3 zi 饺子 sounds like jiao1 zi3 交子which means the hour of transition into the New Year. Hence, in northern China, dumplings filled with meat are eaten on Chinese New Year's eve to usher in good luck and wealth in the New Year. Sometimes a coin is placed in one of the dumplings. Whoever bites on it will have plenty of wealth in the new year. When dumplings and yellow noodles are cooked together they mean "golden threads through gold ingots". In the eastern cities of China, like Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou, egg dumplings are eaten as they look like gold ingots.
5. Oyster
Hao2 sounds like hao3 shi4 好事 which means "good things". In southern China, it is served with thin rice noodles.
6. Green vegetables
For close family ties, serve some greens. Qing1 cai4 青菜 sounds like qing1 亲 as in qin1 re 亲热 mea ning "close/intimate"
7. Sticky rice cake
Nian2 gao1 年糕. Nian2 means year and cake gao1 sounds the same as high gao1 高. So eating this steamed cake made of rice flour and topped with red dates has the meaning of attaining greater prosperity and rank in the new year.
8. Noodles
Known as chang2 shou4 mian4 长寿面 meaning "longevity noodles".
A wish for good fortune -- Good Luck, Prosperity, Longevity, Happiness and Abundance -- is central to the Chinese way of life.
Even more so during Chinese New Year!
For a guide to auspicious Chinese symbols and the culture of
http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com. It's guaranteed to expand your world, enhance your lifestyle and enable you to speak better Chinese!
Even more so during Chinese New Year!
For a guide to auspicious Chinese symbols and the culture of
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Soyabean Curd Recipe - TooFu Fa
by Edwin Lim
Every morning, I would get out of my bed and gear myself up with jogging equipment to a nearby preserved hill for a morning jog with my girlfriend. After jogging around the hill and coming down from it (which take me aout 45 minutes) at this time there'll be a truck (mobile hawker) selling soyabean curd - TooFu Fa - along the driveway up the hill. I love the texture of smoothness of TooFu Fa with the sweetness of palm sugar syrup. It's delicious and light, great for breakfast or supper. This got me thinking, how about making my own TooFu Fa? That'll be nice. So I beg my heart out to get the below recipe from a friend who owns a Chinese restaurant.
Ingredients to prepare:
3 cups soyabeans, soak for at least 6 hours
a bunch pandan leaves
3 tbsp tapioca/corn flour
1 tbsp gymsum powder (calcium sulphate)
Syrup:
300 g palm sugar
a bunch pandan leaves
instruction to make TooFu Fa:
Separate soaked soyabean into 3 batches, add equal amount of water and grind till fine. Squeeze out all liquid with a piece of muslin cloth into a measuring jar, mix in more water to the paste if necessary to make total 2 liters milk. To make soyabean milk the exact amount of water added is not so important. Put the milk in a large pot filling just about 1/3, add some pandan leaves. Remove foam when necessary and bring to boil for just a few minutes. It tends to foam and overflow, so make sure the fire is low and you're there watching the cooking process! The milk is not ready. (proceed to making syrup, serve hot with syrup or leave in fridge to cool).
To make soyabean curd. Put starch and gypsum powder into a measuring jar and mix with a cup of water, pour in 1-1/2 liters of hot soyabean milk and let stand for 10 minutes to set. Set the remaining milk aside.
To make syrup, simply melt palm sugar with a little water. a bunch of pandan leaves, and filter into a bowl. To serve, simply scoop bean curd into a bowl, add a little syrup (you could add a little soyabean milk in it too). Best eaten hot.
About the author: Edwin Lim is a freelance copywriter and writer who lives in Malaysia. He writes on tips and articles at http://webblogerz.com. Go read.
Every morning, I would get out of my bed and gear myself up with jogging equipment to a nearby preserved hill for a morning jog with my girlfriend. After jogging around the hill and coming down from it (which take me aout 45 minutes) at this time there'll be a truck (mobile hawker) selling soyabean curd - TooFu Fa - along the driveway up the hill. I love the texture of smoothness of TooFu Fa with the sweetness of palm sugar syrup. It's delicious and light, great for breakfast or supper. This got me thinking, how about making my own TooFu Fa? That'll be nice. So I beg my heart out to get the below recipe from a friend who owns a Chinese restaurant.
Ingredients to prepare:
3 cups soyabeans, soak for at least 6 hours
a bunch pandan leaves
3 tbsp tapioca/corn flour
1 tbsp gymsum powder (calcium sulphate)
Syrup:
300 g palm sugar
a bunch pandan leaves
instruction to make TooFu Fa:
Separate soaked soyabean into 3 batches, add equal amount of water and grind till fine. Squeeze out all liquid with a piece of muslin cloth into a measuring jar, mix in more water to the paste if necessary to make total 2 liters milk. To make soyabean milk the exact amount of water added is not so important. Put the milk in a large pot filling just about 1/3, add some pandan leaves. Remove foam when necessary and bring to boil for just a few minutes. It tends to foam and overflow, so make sure the fire is low and you're there watching the cooking process! The milk is not ready. (proceed to making syrup, serve hot with syrup or leave in fridge to cool).
To make soyabean curd. Put starch and gypsum powder into a measuring jar and mix with a cup of water, pour in 1-1/2 liters of hot soyabean milk and let stand for 10 minutes to set. Set the remaining milk aside.
To make syrup, simply melt palm sugar with a little water. a bunch of pandan leaves, and filter into a bowl. To serve, simply scoop bean curd into a bowl, add a little syrup (you could add a little soyabean milk in it too). Best eaten hot.
About the author: Edwin Lim is a freelance copywriter and writer who lives in Malaysia. He writes on tips and articles at http://webblogerz.com. Go read.
Sauted Eggs with Pork (Mu Xu Rou)
by Jacklyn Chen
Mu Xu Pork is a kind of dish served by rolling it into very thin pancakes (Mu Xu pancakes) after frying eggs, pork and other Chinese vegetables. This is a very tasty Northern dish in China and favored by most families. It tastes the best when served with pancakes along with the special sweet seafood sauce (known as Hoysing (Cantonese) sauce in America, though it really should be called Hai Xian sauce you meant to say it in Chinese); it is also favored by many people as a side dish when eating with rice or congee. It is full of unique fragrance. Adding enough chopped raw scallions when you eat can bring out the best flavor. Of course, depending on your preference, you may replace the pork with other meats like shrimps, chicken, beef, etc., or cook it without any meat to make it a vegetable Mu Xu. But traditionally when we talk about Mu Xu Rou in China, pork is always the king.
Mu Xu Pork is a kind of dish served by rolling it into very thin pancakes (Mu Xu pancakes) after frying eggs, pork and other Chinese vegetables. This is a very tasty Northern dish in China and favored by most families. It tastes the best when served with pancakes along with the special sweet seafood sauce (known as Hoysing (Cantonese) sauce in America, though it really should be called Hai Xian sauce you meant to say it in Chinese); it is also favored by many people as a side dish when eating with rice or congee. It is full of unique fragrance. Adding enough chopped raw scallions when you eat can bring out the best flavor. Of course, depending on your preference, you may replace the pork with other meats like shrimps, chicken, beef, etc., or cook it without any meat to make it a vegetable Mu Xu. But traditionally when we talk about Mu Xu Rou in China, pork is always the king.
Ingredients:
a). For step 1:
120g (4 oz.) pork
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cooking wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 stalk green onion
2 dried mushrooms (soaked)
6 cloud ears
1 slice ginger
1 bamboo shoot
1/3 bunch spinach
b). For step 2:
3 eggs
dash of salt
3 tablespoons oil
c). For step 3:
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon cooking wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
dash of monosodium glutamate
Method:
1. Shred meat, marinate and mix with cornstarch. Shred mushrooms and bamboo shoot. Cut spinach in 4 cm (2") pieces. Slice green onion. Soak cloud ears in water.
2. Fry eggs - Beat eggs slightly, add salt. Heat oil until hot and quickly scramble eggs. Set aside.
3. Heat oil. Add and fry in order: green onion, ginger, meat, bamboo shoot, mushroom, cloud ears, and spinach. Blend in seasoning. Pour in scrambled eggs, mix quickly and serve hot.
Cooking time: 15 minutesNutritional information:
Each serving provides:
Calories: 301
Protein: 13.2 g
About the author:Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com'>http://www.news-blogs.com">news-blogs.com. She is a full-time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites. For gifts and shopping, visit holidays.news-blogs.com'>http://holidays.news-blogs.comholidays.news-blogs.com
An Autumn Garden for Halloween
by Nikki Phipps
There's no better time to enjoy the spectacular beauty that nature has to offer than during the autumn season. This is an ideal occasion for entertaining friends and family, especially around Halloween. Why not take advantage of all the vibrant colors and stimulating textures that autumn provides by creating a garden themed around this exciting holiday.
Halloween parties provide a great opportunity to bring the bountiful harvest from the garden indoors; or better yet, invite guests out into the garden instead. Bathe the garden or patio with soft lights. Set autumn or Halloween-colored votive candles inside small jars or glasses and place them on terra cotta saucers adorned with colorful leaves. These charming, little lanterns can be used as attractive centerpieces for tables or scattered throughout the garden.
Pumpkins are an absolute must for decorating a Halloween garden. Create a variety of Jack-O'-Lanterns and spread them throughout the surrounding landscape. Light them up with candles. You could also choose to hollow out varieties of pumpkin, gourd, and even squash to use as festive containers for cut-flower arrangements. Fill them with various mums, Chinese lanterns, stems having berries attached, sunflowers, dried peppers, twigs, etc. Wicker harvest baskets also make lovely containers. Gather a few bales of hay or straw, add some corn stalks and pumpkins, and accent with Indian corn and small decorative gourds. For additional interest, you could cover tables with old burlap sacks. Create cozy seating around these tables; or perhaps, self-contained, rock fire pits.
Autumn-themed gardens are generally rich with colors such as crimson, gold, dark green, and burnt orange. These beautiful colors result from a variety of flowers, foliage, berries and seed heads. In keeping with a traditional Halloween theme, there are several ways to accomplish a spook-tacular garden. If you desire, your focus can be centered on orange and black. However, too much dark color can result in making the garden dull and unappealing. Your goal is to achieve an inviting atmosphere. Good choices for adding orange color might include zinnias, marigolds, tiger lilies, Gerber daisies, poppies, and butterfly weed. Near-black beauties could include a variety of tulips and irises. Don't forget to throw in some orange and black-colored pansies as well.
Keep in mind, however, that a Halloween theme does not need to be limited to just these colors. Flowers that are deep maroon can also help set off your Halloween effect. Look for these shades in favorite varieties of cosmos, bachelor buttons, or snapdragons. Complimentary colors such as orange mums and purple asters can add additional interest. Mix in some gray or blue grasses.
Likewise, try implementing some dark maroon roses in the garden; allow them to climb along an old iron trellis. Place stone benches in various areas for seating, allowing different views, and maybe a nearby water basin to wash away troubles. Additionally, you might want to include plants that have creepy names such as devil's tongue, blood lily, spider orchid, bat plant, bleeding heart, bloodroot, etc.
Did you know that at one time having certain plants within your garden made you guilty of being a witch? Many types of herbs, weeds, and flowers were once considered to be used solely by witches for making up magical potions and spells. Some of these included Hellebores, lavender, poppies, dandelions, and even ferns. Foxglove, known also as witches thimbles, and yarrow, referred to as devil's nettle, are also commonly grown plants in many gardens today that have a ghoulish connection with witchcraft.
Just for fun you might consider designing a witch's garden filled with various herbs. These gardens are generally circular in shape as it was once believed a sacred symbol by witches. Plant rows of red beauties around the perimeter of the garden. Red blooms were said to keep out evil doers. Try geraniums, zinnias, nasturtiums, red spider lilies, or firecracker flowers.
On the other hand, if you're wishing to ward off a witch, try a order filled with vibrant yellows and rich greens. There are many varieties of flowers such as marigolds, sunflowers, green zinnias, etc. and foliage plants such as hostas, ornamental grasses, or evergreens that will achieve this effect easily. Within the witch's garden you may find an array of native plants.
Add further interest and drama by incorporating ornamental plants as well. Enhance your theme with various features such as gargoyles, toadstool ornaments, roomsticks, and small cauldrons. Allow these objects to crawl out from beneath or behind plants to create an air of mystery.
An autumn garden can easily be designed to fit a Halloween theme. With only a dash of imagination and a few Halloween-related props, you can create an autumn garden that will amaze your family, friends, and neighbors. Happy Halloween.
About the author:
This article was written by Nikki Phipps and was sponsored by DareToScare.com .
There's no better time to enjoy the spectacular beauty that nature has to offer than during the autumn season. This is an ideal occasion for entertaining friends and family, especially around Halloween. Why not take advantage of all the vibrant colors and stimulating textures that autumn provides by creating a garden themed around this exciting holiday.
Halloween parties provide a great opportunity to bring the bountiful harvest from the garden indoors; or better yet, invite guests out into the garden instead. Bathe the garden or patio with soft lights. Set autumn or Halloween-colored votive candles inside small jars or glasses and place them on terra cotta saucers adorned with colorful leaves. These charming, little lanterns can be used as attractive centerpieces for tables or scattered throughout the garden.
Pumpkins are an absolute must for decorating a Halloween garden. Create a variety of Jack-O'-Lanterns and spread them throughout the surrounding landscape. Light them up with candles. You could also choose to hollow out varieties of pumpkin, gourd, and even squash to use as festive containers for cut-flower arrangements. Fill them with various mums, Chinese lanterns, stems having berries attached, sunflowers, dried peppers, twigs, etc. Wicker harvest baskets also make lovely containers. Gather a few bales of hay or straw, add some corn stalks and pumpkins, and accent with Indian corn and small decorative gourds. For additional interest, you could cover tables with old burlap sacks. Create cozy seating around these tables; or perhaps, self-contained, rock fire pits.
Autumn-themed gardens are generally rich with colors such as crimson, gold, dark green, and burnt orange. These beautiful colors result from a variety of flowers, foliage, berries and seed heads. In keeping with a traditional Halloween theme, there are several ways to accomplish a spook-tacular garden. If you desire, your focus can be centered on orange and black. However, too much dark color can result in making the garden dull and unappealing. Your goal is to achieve an inviting atmosphere. Good choices for adding orange color might include zinnias, marigolds, tiger lilies, Gerber daisies, poppies, and butterfly weed. Near-black beauties could include a variety of tulips and irises. Don't forget to throw in some orange and black-colored pansies as well.
Keep in mind, however, that a Halloween theme does not need to be limited to just these colors. Flowers that are deep maroon can also help set off your Halloween effect. Look for these shades in favorite varieties of cosmos, bachelor buttons, or snapdragons. Complimentary colors such as orange mums and purple asters can add additional interest. Mix in some gray or blue grasses.
Likewise, try implementing some dark maroon roses in the garden; allow them to climb along an old iron trellis. Place stone benches in various areas for seating, allowing different views, and maybe a nearby water basin to wash away troubles. Additionally, you might want to include plants that have creepy names such as devil's tongue, blood lily, spider orchid, bat plant, bleeding heart, bloodroot, etc.
Did you know that at one time having certain plants within your garden made you guilty of being a witch? Many types of herbs, weeds, and flowers were once considered to be used solely by witches for making up magical potions and spells. Some of these included Hellebores, lavender, poppies, dandelions, and even ferns. Foxglove, known also as witches thimbles, and yarrow, referred to as devil's nettle, are also commonly grown plants in many gardens today that have a ghoulish connection with witchcraft.
Just for fun you might consider designing a witch's garden filled with various herbs. These gardens are generally circular in shape as it was once believed a sacred symbol by witches. Plant rows of red beauties around the perimeter of the garden. Red blooms were said to keep out evil doers. Try geraniums, zinnias, nasturtiums, red spider lilies, or firecracker flowers.
On the other hand, if you're wishing to ward off a witch, try a order filled with vibrant yellows and rich greens. There are many varieties of flowers such as marigolds, sunflowers, green zinnias, etc. and foliage plants such as hostas, ornamental grasses, or evergreens that will achieve this effect easily. Within the witch's garden you may find an array of native plants.
Add further interest and drama by incorporating ornamental plants as well. Enhance your theme with various features such as gargoyles, toadstool ornaments, roomsticks, and small cauldrons. Allow these objects to crawl out from beneath or behind plants to create an air of mystery.
An autumn garden can easily be designed to fit a Halloween theme. With only a dash of imagination and a few Halloween-related props, you can create an autumn garden that will amaze your family, friends, and neighbors. Happy Halloween.
About the author:
This article was written by Nikki Phipps and was sponsored by DareToScare.com .
Where Orchids Originally Came From
by Orchid Geeks
Where did orchids originate? One may as well ask where man originated, for like man, the ubiquitous orchid is found on nearly every continent in nearly every climate. Also like man, the orchid has a myriad varieties and forms - so many that one botanist has stated, "There is no such thing as a typical orchid."
There are over 30,000 varieties of orchid not including man-made hybrids. Most people think of orchids as tropical plants, but there are mentions of orchids in Chinese writings as early as 500 B.C. In the Western world, the Greek botanist Theophrastus mentioned Orchis in manuscripts around 300 B.C. An Aztec herbal dating from the 1600's mentions vanilla, a type of orchid. From
Egypt to the Americas, from the South Seas to the mountains of Switzerland, there are native varieties of orchids that grow in the woods, the rain forests, the mountains and even the seashore.
The modern day history of orchid cultivation, however, begins in the 1880's when William Cattley of England received a shipment of ornamental plants from the Brazilian jungles. The plants were packed in bulbs of another plant for protection, and out of curiosity, Cattley placed one of those plants into his glass house (what we now call a green house). That plant was the Cattleya labiata orchid - the plant that most people think of as the 'orchid'.
Some of the most enchanting members of the orchid family are far less showy. The delicate lady slipper and brightly colored Calypso fairy slipper are found in the Northern woods from New England through Canada, and the Thai spider (bulbophyllum medusae) with its mane of 'hair' grows in the lowlands of Thailand. To learn more about orchids and other plants please visit www.orchidgeeks.com
About the author:
OrchidGeeks.com is a leading authority in orchid information, http://www.orchidgeeks.com Join a community of fellow orchid enthusiasts today!
Where did orchids originate? One may as well ask where man originated, for like man, the ubiquitous orchid is found on nearly every continent in nearly every climate. Also like man, the orchid has a myriad varieties and forms - so many that one botanist has stated, "There is no such thing as a typical orchid."
There are over 30,000 varieties of orchid not including man-made hybrids. Most people think of orchids as tropical plants, but there are mentions of orchids in Chinese writings as early as 500 B.C. In the Western world, the Greek botanist Theophrastus mentioned Orchis in manuscripts around 300 B.C. An Aztec herbal dating from the 1600's mentions vanilla, a type of orchid. From
Egypt to the Americas, from the South Seas to the mountains of Switzerland, there are native varieties of orchids that grow in the woods, the rain forests, the mountains and even the seashore.
The modern day history of orchid cultivation, however, begins in the 1880's when William Cattley of England received a shipment of ornamental plants from the Brazilian jungles. The plants were packed in bulbs of another plant for protection, and out of curiosity, Cattley placed one of those plants into his glass house (what we now call a green house). That plant was the Cattleya labiata orchid - the plant that most people think of as the 'orchid'.
Some of the most enchanting members of the orchid family are far less showy. The delicate lady slipper and brightly colored Calypso fairy slipper are found in the Northern woods from New England through Canada, and the Thai spider (bulbophyllum medusae) with its mane of 'hair' grows in the lowlands of Thailand. To learn more about orchids and other plants please visit www.orchidgeeks.com
About the author:
OrchidGeeks.com is a leading authority in orchid information, http://www.orchidgeeks.com Join a community of fellow orchid enthusiasts today!
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