Some Techniques in Cooking Chinese Food

Posted in Cooking techniques on 05/14/2012 08:21 pm by Alejandro Matthews

Everyone loves Chinese food. If you want to experience Chinese culture, a good way to do this – while filling your belly with yumminess! – is by eating or cooking Chinese cuisine.

Chinese food is not hard to cook or prepare. Even you can learn how to do it. Aside from being easy to cook, Chinese food is particularly tasty and very filling. While you may be able to buy ready-to-eat food from places such as Food Insurance, it is more satisfying to eat food that you have personally cooked and prepared.

If you are interested in learning Chinese cooking, here are some good tips you can follow:

  • Vary the ingredients in your dish, so that it will have a variety of textures and flavors. Also, remember to use fresh ingredients.
  • A wok is a good cooking equipment to have. Most Chinese dishes are cooked with this type of pan.
  • Stir frying is the most common cooking method in Chinese cuisine, so be sure to master it.
  • When stir frying vegetables, make sure to put in the types of vegetables that take a longer time to cook first, before the others that take a relatively shorter period. For example, carrots, broccoli, and cabbage have longer cooking times when compared to Chinese cabbage or bok choy, so they need to be stir fried first.
  • Pour oil down the sides of the wok instead of just pouring it directly into the middle. This will help level out the oil on the wok, allowing you to have a more even cooking surface.
  • To test whether or not the oil is hot enough for deep frying is to stick one end of a chopstick in. If it the oil sizzles around the end of the stick, it is ready.

 

 

 

Enjoying Rice At Every Meal

Posted in Rice on 03/21/2012 09:22 pm by Lila Bailey
The typical North America breakfast usually consists of eggs and toast and a hot cup of coffee. Most Americans would consider this to be “normal” food. But many people are completely unaware of the power and wonder of rice. In other parts of the world, namely Asia and South America, rice is a staple in the diet and cannot be replaced with anything else. The rice cooker is just as common in these areas as the toaster and frying pan are in the States. The amount of carbs and energy in rice grains is vital to most peoples health. Here are some ways to integrate this vital food into your diet. 
 
rice
 
Breakfast
 
Most Americans have no clue that the rest of the world eats rice even in the morning. In China, rice is cooked with large vats of water and turned into a creamy porridge. This dish is called congee and most Chinese people wake up in the morning and eat it. Some people add fresh veggies or herbs on top of it while others boil it with meat. But the most popular way to cook this dish is with no flavoring at all since the vast majority of Chinese people have grown accustomed to the flavor of plain rice. North Americans can integrate this dish into their diets by purchasing a rice cooker and making congee themselves. Its easy to make and delicious to eat.
 
Lunch and Dinner
 
Rice is a perfect accompaniment to any meat or vegetable dish. Potatoes are a terrific carb but they can be heavy and are often served with huge heaps of butter. People should instead substitute their potatoes with plain white rice. It is just as good at absorbing heavy flavors and it has far fewer calories than mashed potatoes. Anyone eating rice with their dish will be delighted by the light and fresh flavor that rice affords. 
 
Its easy to Cook
 
One of the best things about rice is that you can make it as easy or complicated as you want. It won’t cost you a lot of money to buy the best rice cooker either because affordable ones are available online and at local department stores. You can also go to specialty shops or Asian markets where you might find a treasure for a great deal. You can also choose to simply cook it on the stove if you want a more traditional approach. But using a modern maker basically takes all of the guesswork out of the process. It’s as easy as adding the right amount of rice and water, and you can be enjoying a wonderful side dish for your next meal.
 

Prepare Mouth-Watering Tomato Sauce with Ginger in a Pressure Cooker

Posted in Asian recipes on 02/16/2012 06:59 pm by Erin Cobb

Every summer I’m one of those gardeners inundated with lots of tomatoes in August. It’s a delight to eat them right out of the garden and to make pesto and tomato sauce. But eventually our taste buds cry out for a different flavor. Perhaps Chinese take out tonight. Well that’s a waste when you spent how much money and how much time to have perfect garden tomatoes? So I’ve learned to jazz up my typical recipes with some exotic spices. Okay only in our family would ginger be considered an exotic spice. But a little ginger and soy and your spaghetti sauce will take on a whole new flavor. I also use a pressure cooker to make my spaghetti sauce. It’s no fun standing over a hot stove in the hot August heat.

pressure cooker
PRESSURE COOKERS MAKE SPAGHETTI SAUCE QUICKLY AND EASILY!

So for the tomatoes you’ll need about a pound and a half of crushed tomatoes with their juice. If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, then use a large can of crushed tomatoes. Then you’ll need:
3 shallots
1 TBL minced garlic
1 TBL minced ginger
1 TBL soy sauce
2 C vegetable broth
olive oil

Put enough olive oil in your pressure cooker to coat the bottom. Then saute your shallots and garlic for one minute. Add all of the other tomato sauce ingredients. Bring to high pressure and then cook for 20 minutes. Enjoy the wonderful aroma of the soy mingling with the garlic and shallots.

Pour over your favorite pasta and enjoy.

 

 

Asian Coleslaw

Posted in Asian recipes on 02/15/2012 05:08 am by Damian Maynard

While Asian coleslaw is definitely influenced by traditional Asian flavors, you don’t have to serve it with just Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai cuisines. In fact, this coleslaw is pretty darn good with just about any type of meat, seafood, poultry, game, or sandwiches. I especially like the sweet, tangy flavor of this slaw with salty cured ham. Take a big batch with you on your next picnic, camping trip, or potluck dinner. Everyone will rave about your delicious recipe!

I like to use a half-and-half mixture of green and purple cabbage for this recipe, but if you prefer, you can use all of one, or use a different ratio of both. The great thing about using both the green and purple cabbage is the vibrant colors you get in the dish, especially when you consider the colors of the bell peppers. This is a very attractive dish, and it’s also very healthy, with several different vegetables represented. As you might already know, most doctors recommend eating brightly-colored fruits and veggies.

Asian coleslaw recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded green cabbage

2 cups shredded purple cabbage

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 yellow bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 green onions and tops, sliced thin

1/3 cup chopped cashews

1/4 cup rice vinegar

4 tablespoons cooking oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon teriyaki sauce

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions: In a large mixing bowl, combine green cabbage, purple cabbage, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, red bell pepper, green onions and onion tops, and chopped cashews.

In a blender or food processor, place the vinegar, cooking oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, teriyaki sauce, grated ginger, and garlic. Grind or pulse to liquefy slaw dressing. Pour over slaw mixture and toss thoroughly, making sure all ingredients are coated in the slaw dressing. Cover and chill in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy the coleslaw.

 

 

Asian Inspired Barbecue Dishes

Posted in Cooking techniques on 02/05/2012 06:50 pm by Kara Drake

Barbecue is a great way of cooking that is heavily associated with American tradition. But the great thing about this way of preparing food is that it can accommodate other styles as well. If you’re looking to up the ante with your next barbecue meal, you might want to incorporate a few more Asian inspired influences. Some people might be worried that this type of approach could be veering away from traditional grilling, but you’ll really find it enhances things overall. After all, a true barbecue experience includes variety and a certain degree of surprise. If you want to make sure your next meal doesn’t become too predictable, you can incorporate Asian influences quite easily for wonderful results.

It’s important to remember that you never have to use one singular style with barbecue. If you’re feeling slightly uncomfortable with taking a more Asian approach, there’s no rule that says you have to follow this style completely. Something as simple as Hawaiian fried rice can be a wonderful way to blend two cultures together. You don’t necessarily have to make your main dishes Asian-themed either since they can serve as wonderful sides in the form of noodles or a light soup. Best of all, there is no shortage of information about new recipes that you can find on the Internet without even having to purchase a cookbook.

gas grill

One of the best and easiest ways to get an Asian taste into your barbecue meal plan is with teriyaki sauce. Instead of using a more traditional barbecue sauce, teriyaki versions can be quite tasty as well. They also happen to work wonderfully with things like chicken and seafood. Instead of slathering your meat with a sauce that can potentially overpower it, a light teriyaki sauce presents a tasty alternative. If you’ve ever had chicken or steak teriyaki, you can imagine how great it would taste coming off your charcoal grill.

Another exciting way to explore the world of Asian cuisine is to vegetables on your grill. Elements like back Choi or Chinese lettuce can go great alongside more traditional things like asparagus or green peppers. You might also want to try tofu which presents exciting possibilities as a side dish or something that works great with shish kebabs. Seafood is another area where Asian recipes can definitely benefit from light cooking on top of a barbecue. And since most modern gas grills can adjust to varying temperatures these days, you don’t have to worry about being able to handle more delicate elements. This thrilling addition to your barbecue menu can be just the thing to take you to the next level of outdoor cooking.

 

Southern Food and Asian Recipes

Posted in Asian recipes on 12/21/2011 06:43 pm by Dustin Hensley

Today, fusion cuisine is very popular, and sometimes unlikely combinations like southern food and Asian recipes can create delicious dishes. Admittedly, the history of southern food doesn’t include much Asian influence, but with fusion cuisine, that doesn’t matter! I’m an old-time southerner, so I cook a lot of southern food. My husband and I also like Asian cuisine, so even though it might seem like a strange marriage, I often fuse the two cuisines. I think once you understand where I’m coming from, you really won’t find this concept so strange, after all.

We do a lot of meat smoking, as most southerners do. When we cook meat on our smoker, it’s usually a large piece of meat, and more often than not, it’s some type of pork. It might be a Boston butt, a pork loin, baby back ribs, spareribs, or a fresh ham. Unless we have family members or guests over for dinner, we always have a pretty significant amount of leftover smoked pork. Of course, sometimes we shred the leftover meat to make pulled pork, but sometimes I like to take the leftover meat in another direction.

Pork is a popular meat in most Asian cuisines, so it’s easy to make the jump from typical southern-smoked pork to Asian dishes. An easy Asian recipe I sometimes make with the cooked pork is a stir-fry. I cut the meat into cubes and marinate it in teriyaki sauce – the thin kind. Then I heat a little oil in a non-stick skillet and sauté onions, peppers, and garlic. When the vegetables are almost tender-crisp, I add the pork and cook the ingredients just long enough to warm up the meat. Sometimes I top the mixture with a little of the thick type of teriyaki sauce. This stir-fry is great served over rice.

Another way to combine southern food and Asian cooking is to make pineapple pork. This can be done in the microwave. I place pork cubes, chunks of pineapple, and diced bell pepper in the microwave and cook it until all the ingredients are hot, then I add some sweet and sour sauce. Yum!

 

Japanese Vs. Chinese Green Tea

Posted in Chinese cuisine on 12/21/2011 07:43 am by Titus Nolan

In this article I have summarized some of the key differences between Chinese and Japanese green tea.  It’s impossible to say which is “best” as it depends on individual preferences and tastes.  Both teas are produced from the same plant Camellia sinensis, but the production processes and plucking styles vary considerably between the two countries.  Tealounge.com.au has more details.

Green teas are the least oxidised of all the tea classes.  Unlike other teas such as black, oolong, and white teas, that are left to wither and oxidise after plucking, green tea is quickly dried or steamed to halt this oxidation process.  It is at this point that the Chinese and Japanese styles diverge.  While Chinese tea leaves are either basket dried, wok roasted, sun dried or pan fried, Japanese teas are steamed.

Chinese teas are then hand rolled, twisted or curled into distinctive shapes according to the type of tea being produced.  Japanese tea production is more mechanised and most of its green teas are blended varieties.  In addition some famous Japanese teas are blended with other raw materials such as the Genmaicha style which is a mix of Sencha leaves with toasted rice. 

When it comes to grading the quality of tea, Japanese and Chinese approaches vary considerably.  While in China teas are graded according to time of harvest and production style, Japanese teas are graded according to the tea house that has produced the tea and the type of tea used. 

All green teas are appreciated for their freshness and grassy quality.  The delicate leaf is best steeped below boiling point to avoid astringency.  With high quality teas, multiple infusions are possible, which each one drawing out a unique flavor profile and aroma.  When purchasing green teas from either China or Japan it’s important to ask about the harvest time (Spring teas are highly prized) as this will indicate freshness.