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Oriental Chili Sauce: Used to add heat as well as genuine flavor.
Tremendously hot, add small amounts at first, then more as you build up a chili
tolerance. Will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.
Mirin: Slightly syrupy rice wine made from glutinous rice, a koji mold and a distilled 90 proof liquor called shochu. It is indispensable in Japanese cooking, adding sweetness and providing an attractive glaze. choose one with no preservatives. Oyster-Flavored Sauce: A smooth-tasting thick brown sauce made from oyster extracts, it adds a certain richness with no hint of fishiness. It is used sparingly to enhance the flavor of sauces, soups and stir-fried dishes. Look for brands from Hong Kong. Refrigerate after opening. Sake: A Japanese wine brewed from steamed rice, koji mold and high-quality spring water. The alcohol content ranges from 12 to 15 percent. Amino acids in sake tenderize meats, dispel fishy odors and are a balancing agent for other salty seasonings such as soy sauce. Store in a cool place. Refrigerate after opening. Sesame Oil: Aromatic amber-colored oil pressed from sesame seeds. Rarely used as a cooking oil, it will burn when subjected to high temperature and the delicate flavor will be destroyed. Add sparingly to marinades and sauces or drizzle a few drops over a finished stir-fry dish. Do not substitute oil from untoasted sesame seeds found in health food stores. Southeast Asian Fish Sauce: Known as nampla in Thailand and petis in Indonesia, this thin, amber, salty fermented fish sauce is used extensively as a seasoning. It adds wonderful depth and flavor to dishes and enhances the natural taste of foods without adding fishy taste or odor. Soy Sauce: A brown, salty liquid seasoning fermented from soybeans, wheat, a koji mold and water. The enzymes in soy sauce accentuate the natural flavor of foods. Light or thin soy sauce is saltier than a medium-dark variety. Japanese brands are less salty than their Chinese counterparts. Do not use domestic supermarket brands, which are chemically fermented; better to omit soy sauce entirely. .
Oriental Cooking Tips
Don't crowd the pan when deep-frying. Foods cook best when fried in small
batches rather than large ones. Crowding lowers the temperature of the oil and
causes more fat absorption. Chinese cooks typically use white pepper, but if you don't have it on hand, use black pepper instead. Use a deep fat thermometer for perfect results; crispy coating surrounding perfectly cooked chicken or fruit. To judge the temperature of hot oil without a thermometer, place a 1-inch cube of bread in hot oil. It will take about 1 minute to brown if the oil is 375ºF. In food processor pulse cubed pork until finely chopped; add shrimp, sliced green onions, corn starch, garlic, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil; pulse until well mixed and finely chopped. Look for wonton wrappers in the refrigerated produce section of the supermarket. Green onions are called scallions some parts of the country. Look for chili oil in the Asian cooking section of the supermarket. For easier slicing, freeze meat 30 to 45 minutes. Look for black bean sauce in the Asian section of your supermarket. Look for dark sesame oil, the type that gives rich flavor in cooking, in the Asian section of the supermarket where you typically find soy sauce. Drain tofu on several thickness of paper towels for 5 minutes before cubing, Snow peas cook very quickly and are a classic Chinese vegetable. You might substitute green beans for the snow peas; stir fry 1 to 2 minutes longer or until tender crisp. Oyster sauce, rice vinegar and rice wine vinegar are typical Chinese cooking ingredients usually found together in the Asian section of the supermarket. *********To Make it Simple *************** Q. Can a stir-fry be prepared without a wok? A. Yes. A large skillet is a good substitute for a wok. It is usually necessary to increase the amount of oil somewhat to compensate for the fact that the ingredients are scattered over the larger surface of the skillet rather than concentrated in the smaller "bowl" of a wok. Q. Are there special techniques for using a wok? A. Yes, and the techniques are very easy. Heat the wok for about 1 minute before adding the oil. When adding the oil, pour it around the sides, swirling to coat the surface. Q. Why does the food stick to the surface of the pan? A. Perhaps the oil was not heated to the proper temperature before adding the food. Q. How do you know when the oil is hot enough to add the food? A. Heat the oil in the wok or skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, then insert the tip of a dry wooden spoon or wooden chop stick in the oil. If bubbles appear, the oil is hot enough to begin stir-frying. Q. Can stir-fry recipes be doubled to serve more than four people? A. No. Very large amounts of food in the wok or skillet would lower the temperature of the oil too much to stir-fry properly. However, since stir-fries cook so quickly, the ingredients could be prepared twice and a second batch cooked right after the first. Q. Cutting meat and chicken into little pieces for stir-frying seems difficult. Are there easy tips for cutting meat properly? A. It is easier to cut meat that has been partially frozen before slicing. Be sure to thaw completely before cooking. Q. How should meat be cut for best results in stir-frying? A. For maximum tenderness, cut meat and chicken across the "grain"- that is across the lengthwise lines that are easy to see in meat. Q. How large should meat and chicken be cut for stir-frying? A. Traditionally meat and chicken are sliced into pieces that measure about 2 inches by 1 inch and 1/16th inch thick. If the meat is somewhat too thick, pound sharply with meat hammer, the dull side of a French knife or the flat side of a French knife or cleaver. When the recipe calls for slivers or meat or vegetables, cut into pieces about the size of wooden matchsticks. Q. Why is the meat, chicken or seafood coated with corn starch before stir-frying? A. A thin coating of corn starch seals in the juices to retain moistness. It also helps the sauce cling to the food, which contributes all or part of the seasoning and reduces the chance that the meat juices would make the oil pop or splatter. Q. How is the sauce incorporated into a stir-fry? A. After cooking the meat and vegetables, push the food up onto the sides of the wok. Stir the sauce mixture thoroughly to recombine the corn starch that falls to the bottom. Pour it into the middle of the wok or center of the skillet. Cook, stirring until the sauce begins to thicken before incorporating the vegetables and meat. Q. Can a stir-fry dish be cooked ahead and kept warm in a low oven until serving time? A. Stir-fried dishes are best served immediately after cooking. A stir-fry can be cooked in less than 10 minutes if the meat and vegetables are cut up, the ingredients for the sauce pre-measured into a bowl and the equipment set out in advance. Q. Where can the ingredients for Chinese cooking be purchased? A. Look for Chinese cooking ingredients such as dark oriental sesame oil, oyster sauce, black bean sauce, water chestnuts and baby corn, in the section of the supermarket where soy sauce is found. Look for tofu, egg roll wrappers and wonton skins in the refrigerated produce section, along with packages of fresh stir-fry vegetables. Meats that are precut for stir-fry might be found in the meat case, too. Q. Stir-fries require cutting lots of vegetables. Is there a time saving way to prepare the vegetables? A. Purchase pre-cut vegetables for stir-fry from the supermarket salad bar or in packages in the fresh produce section. Alternatively, pick up a 12 to 16-ounce package of Chinese style stir-fry vegetables from the freezer section; thaw slightly before stir-frying and reduce the cook time slightly. Q. What kind of rice is typically served with stir-fry dishes? A. Jasmine rice is the traditional rice served in China. It has a faint lemon fragrance and flavor. Q. What is rice vinegar? A. Rice vinegar is made from fermented rice and is milder than most American vinegar The white or pale yellow rice vinegar is used in cooking, while red and black rice vinegars are often used as table condiments. Q. What is rice wine? A. Rice wine is a sweet, pale yellow wine made from fermenting freshly steamed glutinous rice. The best-known Japanese rice wines are Sake and Mirin. Chinese rice wines include Chia Fan, Hsiang Hsueh, Shan Niang and Yen Hung. Dry sherry is an excellent substitute for rice wine. http://www.worldfamousrecipes.com/ http://www.recipesrecipe.com/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chicken-recipes-mailing-list/ http://www.quotesquotes.com/ http://quotations.home.worldnet.att.net/ http://www.quotesfromfamouspeople.com/ http://www.quotescentral.com/
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