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- Hot orange soup from China is unlike orange juice or soda pop.
-
- HOT ORANGE SOUP WITH WAFERS
-
- 5 c water
- 3/4 c rock sugar
- 4 c fresh orange juice
- 1 T preserved ginger, in syrup
- 3 T cornstarch paste
- 6 thin slices of orange
- 6 thin slices of lime
- 6 maraschino cherries
- 6 mint leaves
- 12 coconut (or vanilla) cream wafers
-
- Preparation: Squeeze orange juice, strain. Break up rock sugar. Mince
- preserved ginger.
-
- Cooking: Combine water and rock sugar; bring to boil. When rock sugar is
- dissolved, add orange juice and cornstarch paste; stir. Cornstarch paste
- should give soup a light body. Pour into individual warmed bowls; add
- preserved ginger to each serving. Float orange and lime slice and a cherry;
- garnish with mint leaf. Serve with wafers.
-
- Serves 6
-
- KEY WORDS: soup, boil
- ----
- This violent sounding dish is more an appetizer or side dish than a salad.
-
- SMASHED RADISHES IN SOY DRESSING
-
- 2 dz. fresh red radishes
- 2 t salt
- 1 t white vinegar
- 1 t sugar
- 3 t thin soy sause
- 3 T peanut oil
- 1 t sesame oil
- 1/4 t fresh ginger juice
- Chinese parsley for garnish
-
- Remove heads and tails from radishes; wash. Using bottom of heavy drinking
- glass, about 2" across base, hit radishes on side to crack them - not mash
- them - so dressing can get into flesh. Avoid rendering a crushing blow no
- matter how you feel that day. Sprinkle radishes all over with salt, put
- them in a bowl, and set aside for about 15 minutes at room temperature.
-
- Prepare dressing: Combine vinegar, sugar, thin soy sauce, peanut oil,
- sesame oil and fresh ginger juice. Double amount of vinegar for a sharper
- taste, if desired. Drain liquid from radishes (salt will have drawn off
- quite a bit of water); pour dressing over them; cover and refrigerate for 30
- minutes. If you make this dish ahead of time, pour on dressing 30 minutes
- before serving. Immediately before serving, transfer radishes to serving
- dish; garnish with Chinese parsley and serve.
-
- Serves 4
-
- KEY WORDS: make ahead, salad
- ----
- A noodle dish for the winter months.
-
- SOUP NOODLES WITH CHICKEN
-
- 2 nests shrimp-flavored noodles
- 4 qt. salted water
- 1/2 c lily flowers, soaked
- 1 green onion, slivered
- 1 c Napa cabbage, shredded
- 1 c steamed chicken breast, cooled & shredded
- 3 c chicken broth
- 2 T white rice vinegar
- 1 t sugar
- 1/2 t salt
- 1 T peanut oil
-
- Preparation: Cut hard tips off soaked lily flowers; cut in half. Wash
- noodles, then boil until tender - about 2 minutes. Drain, place in bowls.
-
- Heating Broth: Heat broth in sauce pan with salt & sugar. Add vinegar just
- before adding broth to bowls.
-
- Stir-fry: Add oil to hot wok. When it begins to smoke, add onions, & stir-
- fry until fragrant. Add vegetables; stir-fry for 1 minute. Put onto
- noodles; top with chicken; add soup, and serve.
-
- Serves 4
-
- KEY WORDS: soup, stir-fry, boil
- ----
- White bean cheese is a variety of fermented beancurd, called bai dou-fu yu;
- when properly aged, it resembles a cross between Camembert and blue cheese,
- though more pungent and salty.
-
- WATERCRESS SALAD WITH BEAN CHEESE DRESSING
-
- 1 1/2 lb fresh watercress (or spinach)
- DRESSING:
- 1/2 c salad oil
- 1/2 t sesame paste
- 1 sq. bean cheese, unseasoned
- 1/2 t chili flakes
- 1 pinch sugar
- 1 t lemon juice
- 2 T cold water
-
- Wash watercress (or spinach) in colander. Pour boiling water over
- watercress. Immediately plunge vegetable into cold water to stop cooking
- process; drain and reserve. You can refrigerate or use at room temperature.
-
- Cream sesame paste, bean cheese and salad oil. Add chili flakes, sugar,
- lemon juice and cold water; mix well. Shortly before serving, toss dressing
- with watercress. Serve on individual salad plates.
-
- Serves 6
-
- KEY WORDS: salad
- ----
- If fresh spinach is unavailable in your area, experiment with thawed, frozen
- spinach.
-
- FRESH SPINACH IN BEAN CHEESE SAUCE
-
- 2 bunches fresh spinach
- 2 T peanut oil
- 1 small dried chili pepper
- 1 t minced ginger root
- 1/3 c stock
- 1 t thin soy sauce
- 1/2 t sugar
- 2 cubes fermented bean curd with chili
- (bean cheese)
- cornstarch paste
-
- Preparation: Slice off root end and half stem of spinach; wash completely
- and drain leaves. Wash chili pepper. Incidentally, double amount of dried
- chili if using plain fermented bean curd. Mash fermented bean curd with
- thin soy; mix with stock and sugar.
-
- Stir-frying: Heat wok to very hot; add oil. When oil just begins to smoke,
- add 1/2 spinach, and toss until it begins to wilt. Push wilted spinach up
- side of wok; add remaining spinach, and toss until it wilts. Push all
- spinach out of bottom of wok; add chili and ginger; stir for about 10
- seconds. Add liquid ingredients; stir; when liquids boils, thicken to
- medium consistency with dribbles of cornstarch paste. Recombine with
- spinach. Stir to coat spinach. Serve. Spinach should remain bright green
- until you pour in liquid.
-
- Serves 4
-
- KEY WORDS: vegetarian, stir-fry
- ----
- This dish is a traditional birthday snack in China.
-
- "LONG LIFE" NOODLES WITH EGG
-
- 1 lb "Long Life" egg noodles
- 8 qts. salted water
- 1/2 lb spinach
- 4 eggs
- 1 c chicken broth
- 1 T dark soy sauce
- 1 t sesame oil
- 1/4 t salt
- 1 t cornstarch paste
- 2 green onions, minced
- 1/4 c boiled ham, slivered
-
- Preparation: Wash & trim spinach. Wash, then boil noodles; drain; divide
- among soup bowls. In same water, blanch spinach; drain; press dry; chop
- coarsely; put on noodles.
-
- Heat broth in sauce pan. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, salt & cornstarch paste
- to thicken slightly.
-
- Poaching Eggs: Put 4 cups of water in wok; bring to boil. Break eggs in
- ladle one at a time; poach for 2 minutes. Place egg on spinach.
-
- Finishing: Pour hot soup over egg. Garnish with minced onion & ham.
- Serve.
-
- Serves 4
-
- KEY WORDS: snack, poach, boil
- ----
- We decided on romaine lettuce for this dish because it is crisp textured,
- and readily available.
-
- ROMAINE LETTUCE WITH OYSTER SAUCE
-
- 1 head romain lettuce
- 1/4 t salt
- 2 T peanut oil
- 1 T premium oyster sauce
-
- Preparation: Wash & remove core from lettuce. Combine oil & oyster sauce
- in small sauce pan; bring to simmer; keep hot until ready to serve.
-
- Blanching: Heat about 2 gallons water in large pot. We use bottom of
- aluminum steamer. Add salt. When water reaches rolling boil, blanch
- lettuce for about 20 seconds - until leaves are bright green.
-
- Remove leaves, shake off excess water. Stack leaves & cut cross-wise into 4
- parts. Use cleaver to place leaves on serving platter. Pour hot oyster
- sauce on leaves. Serve.
-
- Serves 4
-
- KEY WORDS: salad, boil
- ----
- Fresh pork lends itself well to steaming, either cubed, sliced or minced,
- and combined or topped with "flavoring" ingredients.
-
- STEAMED PORK WITH PRESERVED TIANJIN VEGETABLE
-
- 1 lb pork butt, chopped fine
- 4 water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
- 1 green onion, minced
- 2 T preserved Tianjin vegetable
- MARINADE:
- 1 1/2 t dark soy sauce
- 1/2 t sugar
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t sesame oil
- 1 t cornstarch
-
- Preparation: Mix marinade. In bowl, mix chopped pork, water chestnuts, 1/2
- preserved vegetable, & marinade; mix together with your fingers - it's
- faster. Spread mixture on round 12" plate. Sprinkle with remaining
- preserved vegetable. Refrigerate if working in advance.
-
- Steaming: Bring pork mixture to room temperature before steaming. Bring
- water in steamer to rapid boil. Steam for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with
- chopped onions just before serving.
-
- Serves 4
-
- KEY WORDS: main dish, make ahead, steam
- ----