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By chance I saw a program on Discovery Home Channel last night: Kylie Kwong: Simply Magic. Episode: Shanghai Heart Has anybody else seen it? What do you think of it? I think it is pretty interesting. In this episode, Kylie visited Shanghai and tried some street/home cooking food. When she got back to her studio, she presented the recipe to reproduce what she tried in China (or something similar). There were 3 featured recipes in "Shanghai Heart": Hot and Sour Cucumbers Soy Sauce Duck Deep-Fried Silken Tofu with Sichuan Pepper and Salt (Recipe details can be found here) I can't agree with eating Soy Sauce Duck like Peking duck - with pan cakes, green onions, cucumber and hoisin sauce. It tastes very different. The skin from soy sauce duck is very soft, chewy and fatty. Not the kind of skin I like to eat. But I learned a couple of things from her show. Check out the link above (at the top) for airtime of she shows. Coincidentally, I found Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel last night. He went to Beijing and Chungdu. Quite funny.

Where were you when I needed to shop for a new wok?

Is "Kung Pao" the name of a sauce? I think it's the name of a style.

No. It is not particularly hot.

Jason: This is a can of "Sa Cha Sauce". It is basically minced dry shrimp, brill fish and seasoning. In the English label, it may be translated as Barbecue Sauce. I have tried many brands of Sa Cha Sauce. The best one in my judgement can only be "Bullhead" brand (as shown in the picture). The other ones are not even close. Beware that many imitators use this silver can packaging too. Be sure you compare the trademark graphics.

That looks fabulous, Kathy! The crunchiness of the broccoli would be a good contrast to the diced chicken. Good for taming down the heat too.

#79, String Beans Stir-Fried with Sa Cha Sauce (沙茶醬抄四季豆)

Pictorial Recipe String Beans Stir-Fried with Sa Cha Sauce (沙茶醬抄四季豆) Recently the question of "Sa Cha Sauce" came up. I would like to introduce you to one simple vegetable dish: Stir-frying string beans with "Sa Cha Sauce". Many readers like the Sichuan style dry-fried string beans. This is a different way of cooking string beans. I like it just as much. Picture of the finished dish: Serving Suggestion: 2-3 Preparations: Main ingredients (upper right, clockwise): - 1 to 1 1/2 lb of string beans - 1 medium size onion - garlic, use 4-5 cloves - 1 chili pepper (e.g. jalapeno pepper) - 4-5 tsp of "Sa Cha Sauce" Note: You may add meats of your choice (e.g. beef, chicken) to this dish as desired. This is a can of the featured "Sa Cha Sauce". It is basically minced dry shrimp, brill fish and seasoning. In the English label, it may be translated as Barbecue Sauce. I have tried many brands of Sa Cha Sauce. The best one in my judgement can only be "Bullhead" brand (as shown in the picture). The other ones are not even close. Beware that many imitators use this silver can packaging too. Be sure you compare the trademark graphics. This sauce is good for making satay dishes, stir-fries, and as a condiment for Cantonese hot pots. Peel and wedge the medium-size onion. Peel and mince 4-5 cloves of garlic. Trim ends and slice the chili pepper. Prepare 4-5 tsp (or more) of Sa Cha Sauce. Trim and discard both ends of the string beans. Wash and drain well. Cooking Instructions: Use a wok/pan. Set stove at high. Add 2-3 tblsp of cooking oil. Wait until oil is hot. Add minced garlic, 1/4 tsp of salt (or to taste), sliced chili pepper and 4-5 tsp of Sa Cha Sauce. Stir well. Cook for about 30 seconds. Add the wedged onions. Sautee for another minute or so. Add the string beans. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth and 1/4 cup of water. Cook with lid on for about 10-15 minutes over medium heat setting. Stir occassionally. The string beans will absorb some water during cooking. Transfer to serving dish when ready. Picture of the finished dish.

What is the ume powder used for?

The two sauces sound very close in Cantonese but Sa Cha Sauce is not exactly Satay sauce. To me, I cook up Satay sauce by MIXING Sa Cha Sauce with peanut butter and ground peanut and a bit of madras curry powder, some ground fresh chilies or chili sauce, plus sauteed minced shallots and garlic of course.

Also, in Hong Kong it is customary to bring soup (e.g. chicken soup) and jook for hospital in-patients (more so than rice in clay pot).

Best wishes for your Mom for a quick recovery, mudbug! Does this look like something you can use? Minced Beef Over Rice in Clay Pot (窩蛋免冶牛肉煲仔飯) The "sauce" that you described seemed to be dark soy sauce diluted with water and with sugar added.

It may surprise you... it actually contains... Beef! Very fine shreds of beef from processing. Plus lots of salt. (That "paste" is quite salty if eaten as is. But using it to cook brings good flavor.)

Another possibility: This technique is used often in Cantonese style fresh steamed seafood: put the black bean/garlic/ginger paste on top of the seafood either from the beginning or 5 minutes before serving. Before serving, simply drain away all the liquid (mostly steam condensation anyway). Then heat up a few table-spoonful of cooking oil til fuming. Pour on top of the black bean paste. Then dash in a few drops of light soy sauce. The light soy sauce and "cooked" oil mix in with the black bean sauce very well. Also, sprinkle a few finely chopped green onions on top.

Eating raw meat is considered barbaric in our culture. But some people believes in eating raw snake gallbladder: actually need to slaughter a live snake and take his gallbladder out and eat it right away. (Recent studies pointed out these lead to parasites in the body.)

#78, Fried Noodles with Garlic and Beef Sauce (牛肉醬抄麺)

Pictorial Recipe Fried Noodles with Garlic and Beef Sauce (牛肉醬抄麺) I bought a can of "beef paste" made from the famous Taiwanese food manufacturer "Hsin Tung Yang". The sauce/paste is quite tasty, albeit a little bit salty. I don't really know what dishes one can use it to make. I came up with my recipe of mixing this in to make Fried Noodles with Minced Beef and Garlic. The result was very good. Try it if you can find this canned "Beef Paste". The label in English read: Hsin Tung Yang Beef Paste (Chili Pepper Flavored). Product of U.S.A. Picture of the finished dish: Serving Suggestion: 3-4 Preparations: Main ingredients (lower left, clockwise): - about 3/4 to 1 lb of noodles - 1 can of the featured "Hsin Tung Yang Beef Paste" - 4-5 stalks of green onions - 7-8 cloves of garlic - 1 to 1 1/2 lb of ground beef - (Not shown) 1/2 a medium size onion Note: I like to use broad noodles for this dish. You may use any of your favorite noodles, or even spaghetti, fettucini or other kinds of pasta. This is a close-up shot of the main feature: Hsin Tung Yang Beef Paste (Chili Pepper Flavored). Another close-up shot. Peel and dice 1/2 onion. Peel and mince 7-8 cloves of garlic. Trim ends and finely chop 4-5 stalks of green onions. To marinate the ground beef: use a mixing bowl. Add the ground beef. Then add: - 2 tsp of sesame oil - 2 tsp of ShaoHsing cooking wine - 1-2 tsp of corn starch - 2 tsp of light soy sauce - 1 tsp of dark soy sauce - 1 tsp of ground white pepper Mix well. Set aside for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Cooking Instructions: First cook the noodles. Use a medium pot and boil 1/2 pot of water. Add the noodles. Add a little bit of cooking oil and salt to the boiling water. This would make the noodles easier to separate and not stick together. Cook the noodles until Al Dente. It takes about 10 minutes or so, depending on the noodle type. Drain the noodles onto a colander. Run some cold water over them. Drain well and separate them the best you can. Next: Brown the ground beef. Place a pan/wok over high heat. Add 3 tblsp of cooking oil. Add the marinated ground beef. Stir well. Remove when the beef is browned. Start with a clean pan/wok. Place over high heat. Add 3 tblsp of cooking oil. Wait until oil starts fuming. Add chopped onions and minced garlic. Sautee for a minute or so. Add 1/2 tsp of salt (or to taste) Add a full can of the featured "Beef Paste". Add 4 tsp of Sa Cha Sauce. Stir well. Mix the sauces and cook for another minute or 2. Add the well-drained noodles. Stir well. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the noodles heat up. Finally, return the browned ground beef and add the finely chopped green onions. Mix well and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Ready. Transfer the noodles to serving plates. Picture of the finished dish.

I usually invert a flat dish to place on top of the steaming dish to keep off the water condensation. It seems to work okay. Easier.

"Tripe" means stomach, right? I think those are goose intestines.

All items in the pictures seem to be raw ingredients. Am I correct? Do you point out the dish and they will cook the dish for you fresh? Or is it WYSIWYG? (What You See is What You Get) "Wee-see-wig" for us computer nerds.

There is an interesting earlier post on General Tso' Chicken: General Tso's Relatives, I never knew he had such a family!!!

Typically: Marinate the chicken. Cook the chicken over high heat to slightly undercooked (pink color has barely disappeared). Remove. Option 1: Sautee the vegetables with oil and garlic/ginger/scallion and salt. Pour in chicken broth, bring to a boil, add soy sauce or oyster sauce, followed by corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce. Return the chicken and mix well with the vegetables before serving. This is typically done with bamboo shoots, all kinds of mushrooms, string beans, egg plants, melons, etc.. Option 2: Satuee the vegetables with oil and garlic/ginger/scallion and salt until cooked. Remove. Lay on the serving plate. Make the brown sauce separately (chicken broth, soy sauce or oyster sauce, followed by corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce). Return the chicken to the sauce to heat up a bit, then pour sauce+chicken on top of the vegetables. Or lay the chicken on top of the vegetables, then pour the brown sauce on top. This is typically done with vegetables that have green leaves, such as bok choy, chinese broccoli, lettuce, choy sum, Chinese mustard green, etc..

If you fold beaten eggs into nearly boiling water, you will solidify the egg immediately before it would mix in with the water. That would become egg drop soup. My guess is maybe mix the beaten eggs with water first, then microwave it instead of steaming it?

Excerpt from the article: *cough* *cough*. Cantonese cooking does not sweeten food. American (or perhaps Canadian too) Cantonese cooking sweeten the food to suit local tastes. Lovely! All breaded and deep-fried, immersed with sweetened-hot sauces.

Those look absolutely gorgeous! Lucky him! In the US, meat products are banned by custom. (I think it is still the case, though I haven't travelled for a while.) For us we can't buy and bring back beef/pork jerkies. When I visited Singapore, I also saw those lovely charcoal-grilled beef/pork jerkies similar to what's in your picture. They tasted really sweet and juicy.