The regional cuisines of Chinese cooking (Part 1 of 4)Written by Helen Fan
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Peking, which lies to northern corner of region, has been capital of China since 15th century. It is land of fried bean curd (tofu) and water chestnuts. With it being capital, and city of emperor's residence, it is only area in region where availability and variety of food is abundant. The Imperial chefs were compensated handsomely, and along with large, wealthy market in capital, infusion of gourmet chefs from all over China brought about a great concentration of culinary expertise in Peking . This tradition is what characterizes Peking cuisine today, which is lighter and more elegant than that of outlying regions. The greatest delicacy of region is, of course, elaborate, world-renowned dish Peking duck. In Peking, ducks are specially bred for this dish and force fed to just right degree of plumpness and tenderness in preparation for this dish. In part 2 of this 4 part series, we will cover Szechuan: western cuisine.
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
| | Wok this Way! (Part 1 of 5)Written by Helen Fan
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is to achieve food tenderness through quick cooking to retain natural taste, flavor, and color of ingredients, wok's ingenious unique design makes it a perfect fit in Chinese cooking. Its bottom concentrates heat to achieve 2 objectives: 1) to direct heat at food, while sealing in 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 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 sloping side of wok to stay warm without cooking further, while other food is cooked at bottom. It is also ideal for deep frying as it requires less oil than any other kitchen cookware to do 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
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