Archive for the ‘About Chinese Food’ Category

Chinese Cooking

Chinese culture food can be roughly divided into the Northern and Southern styles of cooking. In general, Northern Chinese cooking dishes are oily without being cloying, and the flavors of vinegar and garlic tend to be more pronounced. Pasta plays an important role in Northern Chinese cooking; noodles, ravioli-like dumplings, steamed stuffed buns, fried meat dumplings, and steamed bread are favored flour-based treats. the cooking of Peking, Tientsin, and Shantung are perhaps the best known area styles of Northern Chinese cuisine.

Chinese Food: History, Popularity, Healthy

Chinese food now holds a popular place among the entire population of the world. You can find a Chinese restaurant in every major city and in many smaller areas of the world as well. Why is Chinese food so popular? Is Chinese food healthy? What is the history of Chinese food?

Fried Rice – a Basic Recipe for Fried Rice

This is a basic recipe for fried rice that you can add to as desired. If adding other ingredients, increase the number of eggs to 3.
Need a bit of help? Here are step by step photo instructions showing how to make basic fried rice.

Asparagus Salad – a Chinese Salad Recipe

Asparagus salad serves 4 to 6. Scroll to the bottom of the recipe directions for a nutritional breakdown.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups water
  • One (1) pound asparagus, cut diagonally
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped fine

Preparation:

Bring 4 cups water to boil in saucepan. Drop in the pound of asparagus. Boil 1 minute. Drain. Rinse with cold water.

Chinese Black Sea Bass

In this recipe marinated Black Sea Bass is served with a flavorful sauce with lemon juice, ginger, garlic and toasted sesame seeds. This is a good recipe for cooks who are new to Chinese cooking or just want a recipe for baked fish (instead of steaming or pan-frying, two more traditional Chinese cooking methods).
This healthy, nutritious main dish serves 2.
Prep Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 whole black sea bass (about 1 pound each), cleaned
Marinade:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup chopped scallions (green onions)
Preparation:
1. On each side of the fish, make three diagonal cuts 2 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch deep.
2. Stir the marinade ingredients in a small bowl, and spoon it over the fish, making sure it seeps into the cuts. Let the fish stand in the marinade, uncovered, at room temperature, for 1 hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a small skillet, and saute the sesame seeds until golden, 1 minute. Stir in the ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, cornstarch and water; stir until smooth. Stir this into the butter mixture, and heat to a simmer, stirring. Cook until slightly thickened, 1 minute. Set aside and keep warm.
5. Arrange the fish in a baking pan, and bake until it flakes easily, about 15 minutes.
6. Stir any accumulated pan juices and the chopped scallions into the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the fish or serve alongside.
2 portions

Top Chinese Food Stories

Chinese food products made news for all the wrong reasons in 2007 and 2008. However, throughout the years, Chinese cuisine has grabbed a few more upbeat headlines. Here are some of my favorite fun Chinese food stories.
1. Wok Sledding
Photographer Jan Pitman, Getty Images EntertainmentThought a wok was only for cooking? It turns out a round-bottomed Chinese wok is perfect for speeding down icy slopes. The brainchild of German talk show host Stefan Raab, wok sledding (also called wok racing) takes place on a standard Olympic bobsled track. Competitors can compete in one-man and four-man events.