How to Cook Bok Choy

By Sarah Sandori

Long familiar to Chinese cooks, and to those who love Chinese food, bok choy is showing up in a wide variety of other types of dishes. You might find it spelled as "bak choi" or even "paak choi". Packing a nutritional wallop, it is also readily available the year around and is easy to prepare and cook. Here are some tips for eating it raw, zapping in the microwave as a side dish, and using it in a delicious stir fry.

Bok choy is a leafy vegetable belonging to the cabbage family. Long familiar to Chinese cooks, and to those who love Chinese food, it is showing up in a wide variety of other types of dishes. In fact, in any recipe in which you would normally use cabbage, you can probably use bok choy.

Nowadays bok choy can be found in most local supermarkets the year around. You might find it spelled as "bak choi" or even "paak choi," but "bok choy" seems to have become the preferred form in North America. Less commonly, it will go under a different name altogether; Chinese mustard cabbage, for example.

Just as with other green leafy vegetables, you should look for plants that are free of brown spots and that have firm stalks. The stalks themselves will be white in color; the leaves a darkish green. Bok choy is wonderfully nutritious. It is low in calories--about a dozen in the usual serving. It is also bursting with vitamins A and C. In fact, you could get nearly all of your recommended daily allowance of the latter in one serving of bok choy, and about a third of your RDA of the former.

Bok choy is an easy plant to prepare. Just give it a good rinsing first and you can munch it raw for a healthy afternoon snack, or chop it up and add it to a salad.

Need a quick side dish to a main meal? French-cut the stems into pieces and place them, with the leaves, in a casserole dish. Add a little water, cover the dish, and zap in the microwave for 2 minutes. Remove just the leaves from the dish and zap the stems for 3 more minutes. Season both the leaves and the stems with butter, salt and pepper and serve it all together.

The most common way to cook bok choy is to stir fry it, in a wok or a regular frying pan. Tear or cut the leaves and stems and place in the pan, add three tablespoons of water, and begin heating (use a medium setting) as you stir. Add some cooking oil into which you have strained some fresh garlic. Remove the leaves at the two-minute mark and continue stir frying the stalks for three additional minutes. After cooking, but before serving, drizzle a little soy sauce or sesame oil over the bok choy.

You can also include bok choy in a more robust stir fry, one that contains shrimp or chicken perhaps, along with bean sprouts, snow peas and other Chinese-restaurant type ingredients.

My main suggestion for bok choy? Experiment! Really, it's hard to go wrong with this versatile vegetable in the kitchen.

Sarah Sandori is the food and entertaining columnist for the Solid Gold Info Writers Consortium. Have you ever wanted to be able to exactly duplicate a favorite dish from a favorite restaurant? Check out Sarah's article where she reveals her secret source for the most mouth-watering restaurant recipes in America: http://www.solid-gold.info/most-wanted-recipes.html
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Sandori

Lobster Recipes

By Steve Valentino

Lobsters are a seafood delicacy and are considered quite easy to cook. While they can be boiled or grilled, they are also delicious when just broiled or steamed. For cooking them, you need to get hold of a large stockpot and some good recipes to turn out exotic lobster dishes!

First you must ensure that you get a good quality lobster, preferably live. Then cook within prescribed time limits according to the weight of the lobster. For example, if boiling a lobster, it is recommended to boil it for 10 minutes for the first pound weight and 3 minutes each for subsequent pounds. So a 2-pound lobster needs to be boiled for 13 minutes. Cooking a lobster longer than the recommended times can make the meat too tough to eat. But when properly cooked, lobster meat is a creamy white and shells are bright red. There are many ways to prepare and garnish this seafood and one can get easily confused as to which recipe to pick up first. It is better to start with an easy recipe first and slowly go on to try a little complicated lobster dishes.

There is a lot of variety that can be churned out using lobsters, like lobster bisque, sauce, bakes, rolls, salads and stews. They can be made in American, Italian or Chinese flavors, depending on your taste. Some of the well known recipes of lobsters include chopped vegetable and lobster salad, grilled lobster with barbecue mayonnaise, lobster club sandwich, lobster pizza, lobster and white bean salad, lobster tails with Thai curry, hot and sour soup with lobster dumplings, lobster with coconut, corn and lemongrass. Whatever recipe you select, you can surely get succulent and delicious dish of lobsters.

It is very important to present the prepared lobster dish properly since the lobster is not the Adonis of the ocean. So its appearance should be made attractive and appealing enough to relish the dish and get the praise it deserves. To prepare lobster, you can get hold of a good lobster recipe book or search on the Internet to find numerous savoring recipes of lobsters!

Lobster provides detailed information on Lobster, Lobster Tails, Lobster Recipes, Maine Lobster and more. Lobster is affiliated with Salmon Fishing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Valentino

Chinese Hot-and-Sour Soup

An authentic recipe both delicious and healthy. Combined here are healing and health-enhancing mushrooms and lily buds in an enticing broth.

5 oz boneless pork loin, cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips (2/3 cup)
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
4 small Chinese dried black mushrooms* (available in Asian markets)
12 small dried tree ear mushrooms*
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
12 dried lily buds* (sometimes called golden needles)
1/2 cup canned sliced bamboo shoots*, cut lengthwise into 1/8-inch-wide strips (from an 8-oz can)
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce*
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 to 4 oz firm tofu (about a quarter of a block), rinsed and drained, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick strips
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil*
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens
2 tablespoons fresh whole cilantro leaves

Toss pork with dark soy sauce in a bowl until pork is well coated.

Soak black and tree ear mushrooms in 3 cups boiling-hot water in another bowl (water should cover mushrooms), turning over black mushrooms occasionally, until softened, about 30 minutes. (Tree ears will expand significantly.)

Cut out and discard stems from black mushrooms, then squeeze excess liquid from caps into bowl and thinly slice caps. Remove tree ears from bowl, reserving liquid, and trim off any hard nubs. If large, cut tree ears into bite-size pieces.

Stir together 1/4 cup mushroom-soaking liquid (discard remainder) with cornstarch in a small bowl and set aside.

Meanwhile, soak lily buds in about 1 cup warm water until softened, about 20 minutes, then drain. Trim off tough tips of lily buds. Cut lily buds in half crosswise, then tear each half lengthwise into 2 or 3 shreds.

Cover bamboo shoots with cold water by 2 inches in a small saucepan, then bring just to a boil (to remove bitterness) and drain in a sieve.

Stir together vinegars, light soy sauce, sugar, and salt in another small bowl.

Heat a wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Pour peanut oil down side of wok, then swirl oil, tilting wok to coat sides. Add pork and stir-fry until meat just changes color, about 1 minute, then add black mushrooms, tree ears, lily buds and bamboo shoots and stir-fry 1 minute.

Add broth and bring to a boil, then add tofu.

Return to a boil and add vinegar mixture.

Stir cornstarch mixture, then add to broth and return to a boil, stirring. (Liquid will thicken.)

Reduce heat to moderate and simmer 1 minute.

Beat eggs with a fork and add a few drops of sesame oil. Add eggs to soup in a thin stream, stirring slowly in one direction with a spoon.

Stir in white pepper, then drizzle in remaining sesame oil and divide among 6 to 8 bowls. Sprinkle with scallions and cilantro before serving.

*Available at Asian food markets

Makes 6 to 8 first-course servings.

Wok this Way! (Part 1 of 5)

By Helen Fan

Introduction

Woks have been synonymous with Chinese cooking since the emergence of Chinese cuisine. They have been used for some 3000 years in China for a variety of cooking methods, including stir frying, boiling, and steaming. A wok is a large, thin-walled, round-bottomed, metal cooking pan, and shaped like a shallow bowl with handles. The addition of a wooden rack and cover transforms the wok into a steamer. Although woks come in sizes ranging from 10 to 32 inches in diameter, a wok that's 11 to 14 inches should suffice for use in a household kitchen.

With the increasing popularity of Chinese cuisine, there are now many “Westernized” versions of the wok. There is the addition of a metal ring, which is set on top of a gas or electric stove to hold the wok to prevent tipping. Some have a small flat bottom instead of the traditional round bottom, for the same reason. The new versions will get the job done, but thetraditionalal" large round-bottomed woks are still, by far, the preferred wok of choice.

Since the essence of Chinese cuisine is to achieve food tenderness through quick cooking to retain the natural taste, flavor, and color of the ingredients, the wok's ingenious unique design makes it a perfect fit in Chinese cooking.

Its bottom concentrates heat to achieve 2 objectives: 1) to direct the heat at the food, while sealing in the flavors and allowing food to be cooked evenly, and 2) to allow cooking food quickly with very little oil. The stir fry cooking technique shifts food around the wok quickly, coating it with oil during cooking, as opposed to using a flat frying pan where a lot more oil is required. Consequently, cooking with a wok is essential for a healthy diet. It also has curved sides to keep in food that is being tossed and flipped during stir frying. Food, when cooked, may be moved up the sloping side of the wok to stay warm without cooking further, while other food is cooked at the bottom. It is also ideal for deep frying as it requires less oil than any other kitchen cookware to do the job.

Next, in Part 2 of Wok this way!, we'll go over selecting a wok.

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/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Helen_Fan

Chinese Food - Anhui Cuisine

By Ada Cao

Auhui province is located in east China. Anhui cuisine, one of the eight major cuisines in China, features the local culinary arts of Huizhou, a city close to Huangshan Mountain, which is not only the most beautiful mountain in china, but also provides abundant products for dish cooking. The major ingredients in Anhui cuisine, such as stone frog, mushroom, bayberry, tea leaves, bamboo shoot, dates, pangolin, etc., are from mountain area.

One distinctive characteristic of Anhui cuisine is the elaborate choices of cooking materials. The chef uses fresh and high quality material to prepare dishes. Anhui dishes preserve most of the original taste and nutrition of the materials. Some of the Anhui dishes actually are also medicine cuisine, which it good to health. For example, Chukka has tender flesh and a sweet taste. It can be boiled in clear soup or braised in soy sauce. The dishes help relieve internal fever and build up vital energy. Huangshan bamboo shoots are tender and delicious; it can be made into very delicious food. Shitake is also very tasty, and it helps prevent cancer.

Anhui Cuisine chef were trained to master the art of the strict control of the temperature and the cooking process, which is the key to good taste and color of dishes.

Anhui Cuisine chefs are good at braising and stewing. They are experts especially in cooking delicacies from mountains and sea. Generally the food here is slightly spicy and salty. Some master dishes are usually stewed in brown sauce with stress on heavy oil and sauce. Chinese Ham is often added to improve the taste and sugar candy added to gain freshness.

My favorite Anhui dish is the Taros with Honey Juice, and it is really easy to make. Here is the recipe:

Materials:
1,000g red taros
200g honey
125g crystal sugar

1. Choose some orange-colored taros which have "sweated", wash, peel, chop into pieces which have two pointed ends.

2. Put a bamboo steamer in a casserole, add water and crystal sugar, when the sugar melts, put in the taros and honey and simmer for one hour.

3. When the juice has boiled down, transfer the taros to a plate and pour on the juice.

Ada Cao is the editor of http://www.orientalshoppingmall.com/, the portal for the best Asian and oriental goods such as Asian Food grocery, oriental rugs, oriental furnishing, and many other Asian style home decor items. She also writes articles for http://www.jewelrywise.com/, a website that helps consumers to save money on jewelry.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ada_Cao

Chinese New Year - A Great Idea For A Dinner Party

By Indra Books

What a great theme for a party with not a lot of expense. DonÂ’t be deterred by the fact that Chinese New Year is not always on a weekend. I know it is hard to believe but people actually socialize Sunday through Thursday nights too. A party doesnÂ’t have to be on a weekend. Just keep it light and inviting.

What do you need? Friends, Food & Drink, Chinese Dishes, Chopsticks, Lanterns or Luminaries and Party Favors.

How to execute? (Remember our basic entertaining rule – always plan and have a list):

Guests: Make your guest list. We recommend that you keep the gathering small. 10 close friends who arenÂ’t intimidated by a Wenesdayd night social event work well. However, when you have a small gathering, it is important that every person attend so it doesnÂ’t look like you have no-shows. Make sure you get RSVP's. If your friends are reliable email users, use http://www.evite.com/ and select the Chinese New Year themed invitation. If not, send out paper invitations 3 weeks in advance and follow up with a phone call.

Food: Find a local dim sum restaurant. Do not attempt this cooking yourself. If there isnÂ’t one, use your local Chinese restaurant and order appetizers. Call ahead and ask them to fax you a menu or drop by and get one. While you are chatting, find out how far in advance they need the order and inquire about pickup vs delivery. Allow extra time if you are having it delivered.

Small Group (10-12 people): Choose 4-5 items and make sure you order enough pieces for each guest. Large Group: Choose 6-8 items and order ½ the number of pieces as you have guests.

Order one or two sweet pastries using the same rule for number of pieces.

Beverage: If you are concerned about it being a “school night” even though we told you to get over that, serve Chinese tea. If not, serve Chinese beer or select one Asian-influenced mixed drink. This is not the occasion to stock the full bar.

Supplies and Decorations: Take a trip to Chinatown and pick up chopsticks, dishes, cups, lanterns or luminaries and little party gifts for your guests. DonÂ’t want to go to Chinatown? Shop from the comfort of your computer (or call us of course). Pearl River Mart in NYC has everything you will need and you can shop via internet if you aren't in NYC. HOWEVER, make a list first. It is easy to get carried away and buy things you donÂ’t need.

Lanterns range in price from $3 each up to $20. Make sure you have a place to hang them without starting a construction project. An alternative is a string of lights that have paper lantern globes on them. Luminaries are also great. Whatever you decide, you want candle or mood lighting for your party. Be creative but use Asian influences.

Chopsticks: Again, donÂ’t get carried away. If you are not a regular chopstick user then donÂ’t buy $5/pair sticks. You can get them in packs of 10 for $2.50 and they come in all different colors and shapes.>br?
Tableware: If you are picking up the dim sum or appetizers right before the party, then you can serve them on platters/dishes or if the restaurant provided nice containers serve from the containers with chopsticks although we donÂ’t recommend this method. If you are purchasing earlier in the day, you might want to invest in one or two tiered bamboo steamers. They run about $7 each. Otherwise, get some nice Chinese/Asian serving plates (square or oval).

Then you need dishes for your guests. This is very basic. Plates, tea cups if serving tea and dishes for sauces. Pearl River Mart has several different designs that come in melamine (approx $4/person for a whole set), which looks nice, doesnÂ’t break and is dishwasher safe. It is less expensive than buying china or ceramic. However, if you eat a lot of Chinese food in a structured setting (take out on Sat night does not count) then you might want to invest in the real thing.

Favors for your Guests: This is Chinese New Year and not a regular dinner party, so party favors are appropriate. Again, check out your local Asian stores for inexpensive trinkets. Again, it is CNY so ticky tacky gifts are OK. This is fun, not a gift to the visiting Ambassador from China. Put them in Asian style mini-gift bags or take away containers. Pearl River Mart has a whole section of CNY paraphernalia. I found a ton of Asian-themed items for $1 each at Target a few months ago. You just never know where your party favors will be. Keep your eyes open.

The budget (112-195 if starting from scratch):
Decorations: $10-30
Tableware: $30-50
Beverage: $2-20
Food: $50-75
Gifts: $20

If you donÂ’t want to spend that much on a party, here are some ways to cut the budget:

Find a paper store that sells square small plates in paper. Select a pattern that is plain red or black or select some other style. Use Asian style. Use Christmas lights instead of buying luminaries. Maked luminaries. Make gifts. Noni paper gifts. Non-alcoholic beverages are always cheaper than alcohol.

And now it is time to celebrate!(This article is not intended to be a how to for an actual Chinese New Year celebration. It is just a fun party idea for those who are bored with the traditional sit down dinner or cocktail party.)

Indra A Books, author of this and many other lifestyle articles, is the owner and founder of ON THE GO 4 U, Personal Shoppers & Concierge Service in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The companyÂ’s creed is to provide its clients with the ultimate life management experience. In addition to its shopping and concierge services, ON THE GO 4 U also publishes a monthly e-zine and conducts workshops on wardrobe, entertaining and decorating. For more information about the author and ON THE Go 4 U, please visit http://www.onthego4u.net/
© 2004 Indra A Books, ON THE GO 4 U.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Indra_Books

Chinese Cooking Technique: Thicken

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

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

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".

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!

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.

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 minutes

Nutritional 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

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.

Chinese Cooking: More Special Ingredients

By Jacklyn Chen

I have briefly introduced two most classic and expensive Chinese cooking ingredients (shark fins and bird's nest) in my previous article. Here I'll continue to introduce some other special ingredients that are more regularly used in our daily cooking. They are far more affordable. Not like shark fins and bird's nest, people can only dream about in China unless you have plenty of money and don't know where to spend.

Jellyfish
Jellyfish is preserved in salt and alum. Large, thin and translucent ones are especially good served as appetizer. It is produced in the South Seas and along seaboards of China, Korea and Japan. The South Seas product is considered to be of the best quality.
Method of Preparation: Soak jellyfish over night, change water and soak for one more day. Roll the jellyfish up and shred. Dip in boiling water for a few seconds and quickly rinse in cold water and drain. Season with vinegar, salt and sugar.

Serve Note: There are many other ways to cook jellyfish.

Preserved Eggs
Duck eggs thickly coated with a mixture of salt, lime and rice husks are preserved in a cool, dark place for about three months. The interior becomes brownish black in color due to fermentation. Remove lime crust and shell, rinse clean, cut lengthwise into six pieces and serve with shredded ginger, vinegar and soy sauce as an appetizer.

Dried Bêche-De-Mer
The best bêche-de-mer or sea cucumber when dried is black in color, as that produced in Hokkaido, Japan. It may be sautéed, stewed or braised.
To soften: Wash, cover with water and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Slit the middle lengthwise and clean inside. Rinse, cover with water and bring to boil again. remove from heat, place on lid, and let stand for three days.

Dried Shrimp
Dried shrimps after soaking in warm water for about 10 minutes may be used in soups and sautéed dishes, or served cold as an appetizer.

Dried Scallops
Dried scallops have a delicate flavor and after softening in hot water, may be used in soups or other dishes as with dried shrimps.

Preserved Szechwan (SiChuan, in mandarin) Vegetable
This vegetable is the bulb of mustard green preserved in chili, salt and spices, produced in Szechwan, China, and has a unique flavor. It may be used in soups, sautéed dishes or simply sliced and served as an appetizer. People from north of China normally eat it along with rice congee as breakfast.

Cloud Ears
There are black and white varieties of cloud ears and the white variety being much more expensive, is used only in special dishes. Most of the Japanese product is either black or dark brown in color. Softened in warm water, it may be used in soups and sautéed or braised dishes.

Bean Thread - Chinese Vermicelli
Chinese vermicelli made from bean starch is translucent in appearance and does not melt under long cooking. It may be used in soups or braised dishes after softening in warm water.

Variegated Mushrooms
The top of this mushroom is variegated with cracks resembling that of a turtle shell. This flavorful mushroom is used in many of the delicate dishes, and may also be served deep fried.

Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com. She is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites. She will be pursuing singing career in China and hoping for success.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacklyn_Chen

Chinese Cooking: Sauces & Spices

By Jacklyn Chen

Sauces and spices are the key in any cooking. No dishes would taste good without them. The only exception is that some sea animals can be simply steamed or boiled before serve. Well, that is because they are salty already in their body. Imagine eating steamed river shrimp? I wouldn't bother!

I'd like to introduce some of the most popular sauces and spices that we use everyday. You may already know some of them, but I bet you haven't heard of others.

Sauces

Bean Curd Sauce (Dou Fu Ru):
Fermented bean curd, rich in proteins. May be kept for fairly long time. Comes in two types - red and white. Red is typically used to cook Braised Pork. White tastes spicy and is normally used as a side dish along with noodles, buns, or congee. Some like to serve with soy sauce and vinegar for meat dumplings, hot pot dishes, and others. Favored by north and west of China.

Oyster Sauce:
Oil from oyster. Heavily salted. Use sparingly for sautéed dishes. Popular in Hong Kong, Cantoon (Guang Dong, to be exact), and some areas in south of China while not used at all in north and west of China except for hotels and some restaurants.

Shrimp Sauce:
Oil from salted baby shrimp dried and fermented. Use sparingly for sautéed dishes. Used heavily for dishes from south of China.

Sesame Sauce (Zhi Ma Jiang):
Ground sesame seed with strong flavor. Used for cold dishes.

Hot Pepper & Bean Sauce:
Hot sauce made from combination of hot spices and beans. Red or brown in color. Use sparingly in sauteed dishes or cold dishes. In north, people often mix this sauce to stir fried minced meat and serve with noodles (make it Noodles with Meat Sauce).

Hot Pepper Oil:
Made from sesame oil and red pepper. Serve with meat dumplings, buns, etc.

Sesame Oil:
Flavor is too strong for use in frying and sautéing. Use only for enhancing flavor of cooked and cold dishes, noodles, hot pot sauce, soups, etc.

JiangXi Vinegar:
A special vinegar produced in JiangXi province. Light amber in color with a distinctive fragrance. Use for meat dumplings and cold dishes.

Spices

Star Fennel:
Shaped like eight cornered star, brown in color. Use for cooking with chicken, meat, offal and fish.

Anise Pepper:
Dried brown round spice. Added sparingly in chicken and meat can remove the unpleasant smell (fishy smell). Can also be used for making pickles or even some deserts.

Five Flavored Powder:
A mixture of anise pepper, star fennel, clove, cinnamon, and dried tangerine peel. Sparingly used in cooking fish and meat.

Pepper Salt:
Mixture of anise pepper powder with salt. Serve with fried chicken, meat, and fish.

(c)Copyrighted: Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com. She is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacklyn_Chen

The History of Thai Food

By Andrew Hall

Thai food is famous all over the world. Whether chili-hot or comparatively bland, harmony and contrast are the guiding principles behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. Characteristics of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked. Dishes can be refined and adjusted to suit all tastes.

The 'Tai' people migrated from valley settlements in the mountainous region of Southwest China (now Yunnan province) between the sixth and thirteenth centuries, into what is now known as Thailand, Laos, the Shan States of upper Burma, and northwest Vietnam. Influenced by Chinese cooking techniques, Thai cuisine flourished with the rich biodiversity of the Thai peninsula. As a result, Thai dishes today have some similarities to Szechwan Chinese dishes.

Originally, Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plant and herbs were major ingredients. Subsequent influences introduced the use of sizeable chunks to Thai cooking. With their Buddhist background, Thais shunned the use of large animals in big chunks. Big cuts of meat were shredded and blended with herbs and spices. Traditional Thai cooking methods were stewing and baking, or grilling. Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir-frying and deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese techniques. Chilies were introduced to Thai cooking during the late 1600's by Portuguese missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while serving in South America. Thais were very adapt at adapting foreign cooking methods, and substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted for other dairy products.

Overpowering pure spices were toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs such as lemon grass and galanga. Eventually, fewer and less spices were used in Thai curries, while the use of fresh herbs increased. It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely, but briefly, whereas other curries, with strong spices, burn for longer periods. Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai meal is served all at once, permitting diners to enjoy complementary combinations of different tastes.

A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy, but the curry should be replaced by a non-spiced item. There must be harmony of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal.

http://www.all-free-recipes.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Hall

Review: "Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking" by Nicholas Zhou

This guy REALLY CAN show you how to improve your health and lose weight effortless in less than 20 minutes -- and see results in 2 weeks!

If you've been searching for information about how to improve your health and eat healthy and balanced food on a daily basis, then you've probably come across Nicholas Zhou's name at least a few times. And, if you're like me, you've probably wondered what the story is behind his best-selling cookbook on healthy eating on the Internet.

Well, here's the truth: This cookbook is the real deal.
Listen, I'll be the first to admit that I was hesitant when I first decided to buy "Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking." But when I got in on my computer (only 3 minutes later!), I was literally blown away by what I had received.

The first thing I noticed about the cookbook was all the beautiful pictures taken by Nicholas. He spent 2 whole years to prepare and cook all the dishes in his book and take pictures for those dishes that deserve one for clarity or beauty. This really helps a lot since the pictures give you a clear idea how the dishes will look like, what ingredients you need, and even how long they should be cooked.

For example, I have been looking for the right recipe for "Stewed Beef Strips" for years but I could never get it right. In Nicholas Zhou's book, I saw the picture and figured out (he also pointed out in the cooking directions) that the sauce should be poured over the beef on the plate instead of being stirred with the beef in the hot wok. So that's the secret why the Stewed Beef Strips always tastes so good at China Tom's (my favorite Chinese restaurant in Kansas City).
You will also be delighted to see that Nicholas Zhou's cookbook is not packed with thousands of free recipes that you can find anywhere on the Internet, which is the case for most cookbooks you can find out there. Instead, his book only contains low carb, low fat recipes that have been personally cooked and tested by him. He only included recipes that he considered authentic and healthy according to his 4 years of continuous reading, writing, cooking and research. But don't worry! The cookbook still contains over 500+ recipes, which will be far more than enough for you and your family for a lifetime.

And the best part is that you'll get lifetime update for the cookbook. Nicholas promised that he will keep adding new recipes and cooking tips to his book on a daily basis and he will offer free downloads for the updated version whenever it's available.

The cookbook contains the most famous Chinese recipes as well as all the secret recipes that couldn't be found anywhere else. Most recipes are quick-and-easy style and perfect for people who have a fast-pace lifestyle -- which have saved me TONS of time and money already.
But what impresses me most about the cookbook is just how authentic it is. I've a huge collection of over 30 Chinese cookbooks, and they all seem to focus on just ONE thing - Americanized Chinese recipes. For example, they usually ask you to add sugar to a spicy dish, or cheese to an appetizer dish, which is rarely the case for real Chinese cooking.

The "Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking" cookbook is almost like a bible of authentic and healthy Chinese cooking like its name indicates. I give this product my absolute highest recommendation. Click here to find out more.

Chinese Cooking Utensils

By Jacklyn Chen

There are quite a few traditional utensils that have been used in cooking for thousands of years in China. Some of them are still seen in most of families, some can only be seen in rural areas, or may be disappearing in the modern world. But to cook authentic Chinese food that always tastes like grandma's, some of the utensils simply cannot be replaced by what you see in American stores.

Chinese Wok
Deep pan with round bottom used in several ways. Comes in iron, stainless and stainless with layer of copper on the bottom. Iron heats most evenly, but should be seasoned before using or food will stick.
To season: Fill pan with water. Add soap and soda and bring to boil. Pour off water, wipe dry. Place pan over strong heat. Add oil and rotate till pan is coated. Pour off excess oil. Place pan over weak fire and wipe with dry cloth.
To clean: After using pan, wash while still hot. Wipe and place over heat to dry completely.

Knife
Heavy and wide. All purpose - for paring, cutting, slicing, chopping and carving.

Iron Palette Comes in square or round front. Rounded ones are easier to use with Chinese wok. Use for frying, sautéing and basting.

Iron Spoon
Use back side for mixing food with minimum breakage.

Steamer
Used for steaming buns, chicken, meat, fish. Place over Chinese wok filled with boiling water. Buy one size smaller than wok. There are new styles of steamers on the market made of different materials. But Chinese believe that the traditional steamer works the best.

Slotted Spoon
Used for deep frying and boiling to get rid of excess oil or water.

Wire Sieve
With handle. Used for boiling noodles, dumplings, etc.

Steamers for Pastries
Small in size - about 15cm (6") in diameter. Used in same method as large steamer. Serve hot pastries in steamers. Typical foods served are small meat buns (small steamer meat buns, or Xiao Long Bao Zi), steamed meat dumplings (Shao Mai), etc.

Molds for cookies
Made from wood with various carved designs. No longer popular in the modern society since people tend to buy cookies off the shelf. Some may still use the molds for major holidays, or just Chinese New Year.

Bamboo Brush
Used for washing hot wok. Guess only people in some rural areas still use this type of brush. More people use regular washing cloth found in market.

Rolling Pin
Used for preparing noodles, dumpling skins, Chinese pancakes, and more. With the busy daily life nowadays, most of time people choose to buy ready to cook fresh noodles and dumpling skins from the small vendors seen on the street to save us time. Choose ones made from sturdy wood.


Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com. She is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites. She is seeking for success in singing career in China.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacklyn_Chen

Chinese Cooking Techniques

By Shauna Hanus

The variety of Chinese food dishes and Chinese food recipes available today is wider than in any previous decade. One can easily find Chinese food recipes for Chop Suey, which is not an authentic Chinese dish, along side of Hunan Beef. It is interesting to note that what many refer to as Chow Mein noodles is really a simpler crunchy version of the real thing.

In centuries past when the Chinese still used forks and knives is when the foundation for modern day Chinese cooking was formed. This is back when the cutting techniques and delicate flavors came together to form healthy hearty meals.
This is also when the three primary Chinese cooking techniques were formed.

The first Chinese cooking technique is stewing. Stewing can be either red or clear and is the simplest of the three methods. In clear stewing the clear liquid is brought to a boil and then allowed to simmer until the food is just tender. In red stewing a small amount of sugar and soy sauce is added which gives the stewed food a reddish tinge.

The second Chinese cooking technique is steaming. Steaming can be either wet or dry. The Chinese have used steaming as a primary cooking method for over 3000 years. Before ovens were common place steaming was a preferred method which allowed for moist flavorful food that retained most of its nutrients.

Frying is the third of the traditional Chinese cooking techniques. Frying can be either deep frying in oil or sautéing. When deep frying the food is submersed in hot oil and allowed to cook until it floats. In sautéing the meat, vegetables and garnishes are cooked quickly over high heat in a small amount of fat.

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. Sign up for her newsletter and learn more about Gourmayeats Weekly Recipe Club at http://www.gourmayeats.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shauna_Hanus

Chicken with Broccoli

Source: "Real & Healthy Chinese Cooking" Nicholas Zhou's cookbook with 500+ low carb and low fat recipes with 170+ colorful pictures. Based on a master chef's 40 years of cooking practice and 4 years of writing and research, it has helped 12,800 people worldwide improve their health.

Chicken with Broccoli
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 whole chicken breasts
1 large head or 2 small heads broccoli
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sherry
2 tsp corn flour
1 cup good chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
grated fresh ginger to taste. (I use about 2 tbsp (keep fresh ginger in the freezer, and when required grate it straight from freezer)
1/2 cup cashew nuts or blanched almonds
Crisp Fried Rice noodles or Orgran Rice Pasta

Directions:
1. Cook noodles or pasta.
2. Skin the chicken, cut into pieces.
3. Wash broccoli and break into small stalks.
4. Combine salt, browning, and sherry in a bowl, mix well.
5. Heat oil in wok, add ginger, stir fry 1 minute.
6. Add chicken, stir fry 1 minute.
7. Add sauce mixture and broccoli, bring to boil, stirring, reduce heat, cover and simmer 3-4 minutes, adding more stock if necessary.
8. Add nuts, serve on noodles or pasta.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items):
277 Calories; 14g Fat (44.1% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 72mg Cholesterol; 587mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Fat.



Source: "Real & Healthy Chinese Cooking" - Nicholas Zhou's cookbook with 500+ low carb and low fat recipes with 170+ colorful pictures. Based on a master chef's 40 years of cooking practice and 4 years of writing and research, it has helped 12,800 people worldwide improve their health.