Prestonwood Gourmet Club February 9, 2013 7:00PM A TASTE OF THE ORIENT Perhaps more than any other, Chinese cuisine symbolizes comfort and tradition. There are few people who haven t celebrated at least one special occasion with Asian cooking. And why not? Few other cultures are as food-oriented as the Chinese. More than other exotic cuisines Chinese food seems made for ritual. Of course, our tastes have become fairly more sophisticated than the ubiquitous chop suey and egg rolls. We now enjoy mouthwatering delicacies that reflect regional variations in preparation and cooking methods. Whether your taste runs to the heavily spiced, meat and fish based cuisine of the northern regions, or to the more delicately seasoned Cantonese cuisine found in the Guangdong province, restaurants, books, and cooking shows abound to aid you in your exploration of Asian cuisine. This diversity in regional styles brings to light an interesting fact: it is not the specific ingredients that give Chinese cuisine its distinct character. No doubt factors such as scarcity of arable land have influenced the Chinese diet. But throughout the centuries the Chinese have also shown a willingness to adopt
foreign foods (the peanut, for example). And a truly skilled gourmand can produce a Chinese meal using only native American ingredients. What makes Chinese cuisine truly unique is the balancing of ingredients. A proper Chinese meal always contains an equal division of fan, grains and starches, and t sai, meat and vegetables. The two are never mixed together, allowing each to retain its own unique characteristics. The balance between fan and t sai fits in with the Chinese belief in the importance of balance and harmony in every aspect of life. Perhaps this is the reason we find Chinese cuisine so comforting.
Chinese Menu Appetizer: Entrée: Sides: Chinese Eggplant Fries with Two Sauces Sichuan Beef with Tangerine Peel Baby Bok Choy Steamed Jasmine Rice Dessert: Almond Cookies and Asian Pear Slices Wine/Beer Suggestions: Tsingtao or Tiger Beer; Pinot Noir or a blended red wine with the entrée; Riesling with dessert. All ingredients are available at Tian Tian Supermarket, 400 N. Greenville Ave. in Richardson. 4 Cooks 5 Cooks Appetizer #1 #1 Entree #2 #2 Baby Bok Choy #3 #3 Rice #3 #4 Dessert #4 #5 Planners: Cobers and Haltiners
Chinese Eggplant Fries Prep Time: 20 min. Cook Time: 5 min. Ready in: 25 min Servings: 6 INGREDIENTS: 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 eggs plus, as needed, beaten 1 cup cornmeal 3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus, as needed 1 teas. cayenne pepper, or more 2 eggplants, peeled and sliced into ½ fries Salt and pepper to taste (Use Chinese Eggplants only) DIRECTIONS 1. In a shallow bowl, stir together the flour, cornmeal, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Place the eggs in a separate bowl. 2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. A few at a time, dip the eggplant pieces into the egg, then into the flour mixture, then back into the egg, and back into the flour mixture. Fry the eggplant in the hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels, and serve while warm.
GINGER-SOY DIPPING SAUCE 2 Tablespoons sesame oil 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger ¼ cup light soy sauce 1 green onion, finely diced Sliced fresh ginger PREPARATION: 1. In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well. 2. Garnish with diced onions and fresh ginger slices. 3. Place in a serving dish and serve. (HINT: feel free to add more or less of ingredients until it seems right to you could be doubled) A SECOND SAUCE FOR DIPPING Purchase a Chinese Mustard or other Sweet & Spicy Mustard
Sichuan Beef with Tangerine Peel Makes 4 servings: Peel several large tangerines and cut the peel into very thin strips. Scrape away all the white pith from the inside of the strips and lay out to dry. Marinade: for 1 pound flank steak, sliced thinly on the diagonal 3 Tablespoons dark soy sauce 2 Tablespoons cornstarch 4 Tablespoons water In bowl combine the marinade ingredients. Add the beef and stir to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes. Sauce: 6 Tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 2 Tablespoons soy sauce 2 Tablespoons sugar 1 Tablespoon cornstarch 1 Tablespoon chili garlic sauce Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Additional ingredients to be added when stir frying the beef: 2+ Tablespoons canola cooking oil 4 Small dried red chilies 6 Green onions, cut diagonally into 2-inch lengths Tangerine segments for garnish Place wok or wide frying pan over high heat until hot. Add 1 Tblsp (or more) cooking oil, swirl to coat the sides. Add the chilies and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Remove the chilies from pan and discard. Add the beef and stir-fry until barely pink, about 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Add the remaining oil to the wok, swirl to coat sides. Add the tangerine peel, stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the green onions and stir-fry 1 minute. Add the sauce, stirring until it thickens. Return the beef to the wok; mix it well. Serve over rice, garnished with tangerine segments.
BABY BOK CHOY WITH GARLIC 1 pound baby bok choy select the smallest stalks you can find 1 Tblsp. Olive Oil 3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely ½ tsp. salt Oyster Sauce (optional) Cut the baby bok choy stalks in half lengthwise and rinse in several changes of cold water. Drain and set aside. Heat wok or large skillet until hot. Add oil and chopped garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add salt and bok choy and stir-fry for 1 minute over high heat, then put on cover, turn down the heat to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Place the bok choy on a serving platter and drizzle the oyster sauce over the vegetable. Serves 4 to 6 STEAMED JASMINE RICE 3 cups Jasmine Rice (Mahatma or Golden Phoenix) 3 ½ cups water Put the rice in a large bowl and wash it several times in cold water until the water becomes completely clear. Drain the rice and put it into a heavy pan with the 3-½ cups of water. Bring it to a boil. Then cover the pan; turn down the heat to low and simmer UNDISTURBED for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest another 15 minutes - DO NOT LIFT THE LID. Fluff with fork and serve. Serves 10 to 12
Chinese Almond Cookies Ingredients: 2 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 cup white sugar ½ cup unsalted butter ½ cup butter flavored Crisco 1 Tablespoon almond extract Sliced almonds, toasted Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Cream the butter, sugar and Crisco together; add the egg and almond extract and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Roll into small 1-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Place a few toasted almond slices on the top, and flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Make an egg wash with the yolk of an egg and 1 Tblsp. water. Brush egg wash on the top of each cookie. Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes until lightly browned. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.