liuzhou

Are you sure? It is in most convenience foods, snacks etc - usually listed as flavor enhancer. Also naturally in cheese, tomato, mushrooms and a host of other foods.

You don't need a toaster to make toast!

Finally, managed to get out and buy some crackers to go with the chicken liver pâté I made on New Year's morning. With pickled gherkins. which cut through the richness of the pâté nicely.

Here is the mushroom soy sauce I mentioned in the previous post. Well, it's one version. This one is by Lee Kum Kee, not the best manufacturer by a long shot. Flavoured with 草菇 (cǎo gū - literally 'grass mushrooms') known in English as 'straw mushrooms'. Their version uses straw mushrooms. Basically this is just another dark soy sauce flavoured with the 'shrooms. A tiny amount in this variety - it's the last listed ingredient. Ingredients: in order of amount Water, salt, defatted soy, wheat, wheat flour, caramel, MSG, white sugar, potassium sorbate, straw mushroom. Industrial food. Better versions use greater amounts of mushroom, normally shiitake. My hunt shall continue.

Just noticed this. Yes,the chicken and chicken stock is probably what's throwing the flavour off. Try pork (although beef is more traditional).

Having disgraced myself a few days ago by serving a mere five 小笼包 - xiaolongbao on a plate, I made amends this morning and did all the customary eight.

Finally stir-fried the ribs with their marinade and added a splash of soy sauce. Finished with green onions and served with Shanghai greens and rice.

Having simmered my pork ribs for 45 minutes and letting them cool I marinated them in garlic, ginger, Shaoxing wine and 豆瓣酱 - dòu bàn jiàng - broad bean and chilli paste. Normally, I'd do this overnight or longer, but I need to eat today! They might get three or four hours instead.

Made some chicken liver pâté to be consumed with the crackers I forgot to buy this morning. Damn. Either I go out in the cold, or just spoon the stuff straight into my face. Recommendations?

My kind of supermarket

13. There are two kinds of soy sauce. If only. This oft-repeated 'fact' appears on many websites, including on many which should know better, as well as on YouTube videos, but I guess by now you know what I think of them. In fact, world-wide there are hundreds of different types - certainly a bit more than two. I will limit myself to what I know. I intimately know my kitchen and I know China moderately well. So this is only about what I have or can find here. I have six different kinds in my kitchen right now. The generic term for soy sauce in Chinese is 酱油/醬油* - jiàng yóu. This covers all varieties. A less common alternative is 豉油 - chǐ yóu. Light Soy Sauce Most used is what is known in western countries as 'light soy sauce', in China as 生抽 - shēng chōu. Often labelled 'Superior Soy Sauce' in English, this is the go to sauce for much of Chinese cooking, used in many dishes and in marinades or as a dressing or dip. If a recipe does not specify what type of sauce, use this one. It is strongly flavoured and saline in taste, although low sodium versions are also available. Most soy sauce today also contains wheat, so is not usually gluten-free, although gluten-free versions can be found in larger supermarkets. The best should only contain water, soy beans, wheat and salt. Check the ingredients list. If there is no English, then here are the four ingredients in Chinese in the same order: 水, 黄豆, 小麦, 盐/水, 黃豆, 小麥, 鹽. Dark Soy Sauce This is also common. Known as 老抽 - lǎo chōu, this is a thicker, sweeter sauce mainly used to add colour rather than taste. It is also less salty. Cheaper versions often add caramel or molasses - avoid! Light and dark sauces are used together in certain dishes. Organic Soy Sauce The above sauces are also available in 'organic'versions. However, in China there is no legal definition of 'organic', so who knows? Black Bean Soy Sauce The first two sauces I mentioned are, 99% of the time, made from yellow soy beans, but also available is sauce made from black soy beans. To my palate, this variation has a deeper, more subtle flavour. It has become my preferred choice. White Soy Sauce White soy sauce is rarer than the others. It is only available in a light form as it contains no wheat. Otherwise, it tastes the same as the regular type, but is sometimes preferred for presentation in dressings, dips etc. Seasoned Soy Sauce Another light soy sauce, but this time seasoned with sugar, yeast extract and MSG, so sweeter and with more of a umami kick. Mostly used with Cantonese steamed fish. There are many more types which I''ll add as I come across them. Mushroom soy sauce springs to mind. to be continued * Where Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese differ, I give both. Simplified is used in mainland China, where as traditional is used by Hong Kong, Taiwan and much of the Chinese diaspora - so there is a good chance of seeing either in Asian markets.

First meal of the year! Scrambled egg with toast.

Yes, a fairly standard world-wide technique, I think.

Well, I made it through the year from hell! it's still early on New Years' Day, but I'm cooking my favourite pork ribs proper Chinese style, a process that takes all day. Will have for dinner tonight. The ribs were chopped into bite-sized pieces by the market vendor. Step one is to cover the ribs with cold water and bring to the boil. As soon as the water boils, drain it off through a colander. Drain the ribs and wash the pan. This cleans the ribs and gets rid of any scum, adhering impurities etc. I then re-cover with cold water, bring back to the boil and simmer for 45 minutes. Scum Note that no seaoning is added yet. After 45 minutes, drain and let cool. to be continued

小笼包 - xiaolongbao. Normally served in groups of 8 but although there was no room on that plate, I did eat the other three, too. With the simplest of all dips. Straight black bean soy sauce.

The Most Popular Ready-To-Eat Meal Goes To...

Fried fresh noodles with pork, shiitake, carrots, cabbage, garlic, ginger, chilli, green onions. soy sauce, Shaoxing wine. Oh yes!

The curious history of government-funded British Restaurants in World War 2

Really? I think most people know that. I always make batter with beer. Have been doing so for decades. It's no secret!

Two popular dishes round here are a) 啤酒鸭 or beer duck. This is spicy duck on the bone, braised in guess what - local beer. I love it. There are various recipes on the interwebs, but I suggest the Guilin version. The other is 啤酒鱼, beer fish eaten by most visitors to China's most horrible tourist trap, Yangshuo near Guilin. It is carp from the local river braised with bones in a spicy tomato-ey sauce. My dear friend's grandma cooked me a better version in her village about 7 miles from the backpackers ghetto!

Yeah, but we are talking about cooking WITH beer, an ancient and worthy tradition. I have no idea what your point is.

I often come across interesting articles on food history. They don't usually merit a full topic to themselves, but it would be nice to share any that I've enjoyed. And find any others have enjoyed. So here we are. Foie gras, truffles, birds drowned in brandy: a menu fit for Queen Victoria A royal lunch served at Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire forms part of an exhibition on its kitchen

Beef and Guinness is a classic combination. For good reason.

Don't get me started!

It's not the first 'fast food joint' to be found at Pompeii, but is the only 'complete' one and by far the best preserved. There are others.