hzrt8w

I don't think I ever had Lan Chi brand Chili Paste with Garlic. Since you brought it up, I should look for it and sample it to give you my eval.

I have a wild guess that the Korean Tobanjon is the same (or very similar) as Chinese Chili Bean Sauce ("Dou Ban Jiang" in Mandarin). IMO Chili Bean Sauce it too salty to be used as a condiment. It is great for cooking.

Actually that's pretty close. I am not sure if this brand has an English name. They probably have but I can't recall what it is. The Chinese brand name is "lau gan ma" [Mandarin], which means "old honorable mother". I like this brand too at first, until I could taste it that they put a lot of MSG in it.

Wow... you remember, trillium! I feel flattered! No my better half has not changed. She still eats white meat only and, let's just say "influences" me to do the same. I still cook mostly with chicken breasts. But every now and then I just quietly throw in a couple of chopped legs or a small thigh (with bones, skin and all) in the skillet. I need to make some of the dishes with dark meat all by myself at lunch (and destroy all evidence afterwards). So, let's keep it between us... I bought the bone chopper to cut whole chickens. Sometimes we buy it from Cantonese BBQ stores, and sometimes I bake my own. In those cases, she consumes all the breast meat and I have the wings and thighs/legs.

I know from past experiences that I could not make certainly dishes very well. Examples are: - Salt and Pepper Shrimp - Stir-fry Seafood (e.g. Surf Clams) with Yellow Chive - Sauteed Shrimp and Scallops And the list can be long. The problem has more to do with a more intense heat source than wok versus skillet I think. And of course a wok will further enhance the concentration of extreme heat at the very tip (bottom) and moving ingredients in and out of the "hot spot". Though I have used my skillets for the past 20 years and obtained self-satisfactory results, I think I can take my skills to the next level with the installment of a wok and soon a more intense heat source. At this point, I am leaning towards using animal fat and the oven-bake method. I hope to get an even tan on the wok from it. I plan to buy some pork fat to prepare the lard. Or does anybody think the commerically available lard in cans is sufficient to do the job?

I love hot sauces of all kinds, but mainly the Asian types of hot sauce. I am not used to American types of hot sauce, such as Tobasco and the likes, because they are too sour for me. This is unusual for a Cantonese, as we typically avoid eating hot food. This habit only started in my college days. Perhaps that's the result of working in a few Sichuan/Beijing (the so-called "Imperial" style) restaurants. Hot sauces are a little bit like wines, in that there are different types that would go well with different types of food. Some are good with wonton noodle soup, some are good as condiments for stir-fries, some are good with cheung fun, and some are good for cooking only. A recent trip to the 99 Ranch Market, I walked down the isle that showed all kinds of Chinese hot sauces. I thought I was in heaven! Here are some of the hot sauces that are interesting: Ning Chi. This is a Taiwanese made. Chili with black bean sauce on the left. Chili with garlic on the right. These are "hot oil" (La You), mostly hot oil with a bit of garlic and chili. These are hot sauce "paste". Typically used as condiments in Vietnamese food (e.g. Pho and Vietnamese BBQ). Similar hot sauce "paste". Popular with Southeast Asian food. Many Chinese hot sauces. Typically these are quite salty and not suitable to be used as condiment. They can be used for cooking. This hot sauce is typically added to "Cheung Fun" (steamed rice noodles). Similar ones but other varieties: sweet chili garlic sauce, sweet chili sauce. They are hot and sweet. Sichuan hot sauce... in cans! Good for cooking for sure. I wonder if they are good as condiments. The famous Guilin style hot sauce. In Guilin, most use this to accompany their rice noodle dishes. Out of many hot sauces that I have tried, I have come to this conclusion: my personal most favorite brand is: Yank Sing Chili Pepper Sauce and Yank Sing XO Sauce. Yes they are made by the San Francisco famous Yank Sing dim sum restaurant inside the Rincon Center in downtown San Francisco. But I have known them over 20 years ago when Yank Sing was a small neighborhood restaurant selling wonton noodles and stir-fried entrees at the corner of Broadway and Powell. Their hot sauce has not changed much over the years. Before they distributed their hot sauce via the Asian markets, I used to buy half a dozen of them dropping by their restaurant every time I visited San Francisco! I would kill to know how they make their hot sauce. It is full of flavor. Very balanced and not exceptionally hot. (Perhaps that's from MSG? ) The only thing is: they are a bit expensive. Much higher compared to the counterpart. But, I have not seen even a close second. And in case you are wondering: yes, I have bought some of these hot sauces. I am going to post some of my evaluations on different brands and different types of hot sauces.

No question or comment from the audience? I hope they are still awake! This looks more like a hzrt8w and jo-mel dog and pony show... One note here: the word 川 sometimes means Sichuan. Sichuan = "Four Rivers" in Chinese and the word 川 Chuan is widely used as an abbreviated name for Sichuan. The famous dish: 川椒鸡 (Chicken stir-fried and laid on top of a bed of deep-fried spniach) Sample picture (click through Google image search): 川椒鸡 (Chicken stir-fried and laid on top of a bed of deep-fried spniach) The word Chuan here is not a verb, but a noun (referring to Sichuan).

What's wrong with those numbers? They are American Idol voting numbers. You would have voted for Chris Daughtry or Paris Bennett if you had called. Okay, slight detour from our path... but hope this is useful: My new "bone chopper" cleaver sitting on my chopping block. I reserve it for chopping chicken (mostly) and other meats/bones only and will not use it for day to day chopping. What's a "bone chopper"? The knife is heavier than regular cleavers. It gathers momentum from your swinging motion. With a sharp edge, the pressure is extremely high. Major benefit: it cuts chicken bones (leg bones, wings, ribs) into halves without causing broken bones - which is a major nuisance eating chicken Chinese style, as we don't use knifes at the dinner table - nothing but a pair of chopsticks (and a porcelain spoon). The cut surface should be straight and smooth. You also should have a soft (relatively) chopping block to hold the chicken while chopping. The block can absorb most of the momentum from the cleaver and not damage its sharp edge. A little bit like a shock absorber. I love this bone chopper. I tried it out last night chopping a soya sauce chicken (also bought in San Francisco) and it worked out great! When I buy Cantonese BBQ items, if I don't eat them right away it's best to store them whole in the refrigerator (BBQ pork, chicken, duck, etc.).

Really? That number should work! Your statement is double-negative. [English teacher Dejah Dai Ga Jeah hat on] No, no... No, no!

I could have brought my MIL along to pick the wok. Unfortunately she's the "inward" type. She would only mumble a lot to herself and then walk away...

I learned a lot myself by finding answers to questions.

That would be extremely yeet hey, super Yang. Instant soar float. Guaranteed! ← Instant soar float. BAD Ah Leung! ← Oops! How did that happen? My mind thought of one thing and the fingers typed another. Instant sore throat.

That would be extremely yeet hey, super Yang. Instant sore throat. Guaranteed!

Yes. That's what they told me. The straight wooden handle can be twisted off. However, the wooden "helper handle" cannot be taken off. They said just wrap it with wet towels and then wrap the towels with aluminum foils. Bake for 20 minutes a time. Re-smear the oil on the wok (and cool the wet towel with cold water, re-wrap it). Bake again. Repeat the baking process 3 times.

5- 川 Examples: 竹笙川鸡片 (Chicken slices with bamboo pith) Sample picture (click through Google image search): (Sample 1) 火腿川鸡片 (Chicken slices with Yunan ham) Sample picture (click through Google image search): (Sample 2) 蜜川鸡 (Honey Glazed Deep-Fried Chicken Legs) This is a Yunan specialty dish. Sorry, couldn't find a picture for this.

From the last episode: hzrt8w was standing inside "The Wok Shop" in San Francisco in a rainy Saturday afternoon. Through the process of elimination, he had only one choice to make to purchase his first wok: 14-inch or 16-inch? The 14-inch is lighter, while the 16-inch can accommodate more ingredients. 14-inch or 16-inch? His heart was torn. And he had to think on his feet. Or else this 90-mile drive would be a waste. Which one? ==================================================== I stood there for a minute, contemplating. It did occur to me that I could buy both. However, they are sufficiently similar. Buying both may be a bit of a waste. How do I decide? Well... think about it this way: I can always cook fewer ingredients on a larger wok, but not the other way around. I would rather have a large enough wok to fry a fonder than not having enough room. 16-inch wok: US$24.95. 14-inch wok: US$16.95. The price difference is... Wait a minute, how far did you drive to get out here? 90 miles? How much is a gallon of gas? $3.00? And how much did you pay for the parking meter to come to this shop? ... No more thought on the price difference. And I am sure this won't be the only wok I would buy in my life. I proceeded to ask storekeeper#2 to bag the 16-inch carbon steel wok for me. While I was at it, I also picked up a few wok accessories. I even picked up a bone-chopping cleaver! Here are what I bought: The 16-inch carbon steel wok sitting on my stove over a wok-ring. I bought a wok-lid, in case I need to cook with the lid on. However, I don't plan to use my wok for steaming. I have a steamer for that. I am afraid using a wok for steaming repeatedly may degrade the seasoning (the oil sheen) on the wok. I also picked up a bamboo wok brush to wash the wok with. This is very handy. I also bought a 10-inch colander. It would be used for scooping up meat from a frying wok. This size would work well with my wok. Having bought a few items from The Wok Shop, they gave me a complimentary set of long chopsticks (for picking up items during frying) and a wooden spoon for scooping rice. How nice! Now having selected my wok, the next step is to season it. This will be my weekend project. I need to re-read some of the old posts from Ben Sook on wok seasoning, and re-read the section on wok seasoning from "The Breath of a Wok". Storekeeper#2 handed me a pamphlet that provides instructions on how to season a wok. She suggested me to use the oven to bake the wok to season instead of burning it over fire (with oil smeared on the wok using either method, of course). Baking at 400F in the oven will season the wok more evenly than burning. Seems to make sense. Hmmmm? Another decision to make: How to season my wok? Bake? Or burn? Okay, American Idol fans: what's your vote? For: I should bake, dial: 1 866 436 5701 For: I should burn, dial: 1 866 436 5702 (To be continued)

I don't know if this would make any difference. Like I said, storekeeper#1 looked like a manager, or perhaps even the owner of the place from the way she talked to other workers in the store. I was really in shock that an owner/manager class would treat prospects the way she did.

It was raining in Northern Cal last Saturday. And what a day to visit San Francisco to continue my search for the perfect wok! Thanks to Andie and Chris, who pointed me to visit "The Wok Shop". Located on 718 Grant Ave, San Francisco, The Wok Shop is right in the tourist-frequented portion of China Town. They are right next to the famous Eastern Bakery. How could I have missed that last time I dropped by Eastern Bakery??? I stepped in to this small shop, I immediately was impressed with their selections. Woks are placed right at the entrance. I guess that's what a lot of tourists come here to shop for: a good wok. Though this is not Sur La Table or Williams Sonama, the kitchen gadgets that they carry is comparable in variety. Many are practical types, emphasized on function over form. The picture shown are cast-iron woks hung from the ceiling, along with some stainless steel ones. They even show what a seasoned wok would look like. And I found stacks of 14-inch carbon steel woks with 2 ears. I guess they sell a lot of these. And there are woks of many shapes and sizes. One can easily get confused after a while. A stack of 14-inch, carbon steel wok with flat bottom. ..... That's when my excitement and admiration came to a halt. Storekeeper#1 saw me taking pictures of their woks, and did not seem to be pleased. She abruptly pointed out pictures of the woks are all posted on their website. (This is, by the way, not a way to greet a customer... okay, prospective customer... that I am used to.). Okay. I played along and stopped taking pictures. I started to ask a few things about these different woks, hoping to get some advice which would help me decide. Storekeeper#1 was very distant. She gave a few hollow answers. Very disengaged. She kept looking at the front door, as if a VIP customer is going to drop in any moment now. I have never seen this. I was a little embarrassed actually. Storekeeper#1 kept looking out the door, and kept greeting the tourists who walked in the door and saying thank-you to those were going out. And this 40-some year old Chinese who speaks her own language was completely ignored. Oh... I immediately knew what that implied. I didn't fit the profile of their typical customer! So much for citing a celebrity status on eGullet and getting some keen advice. I should have asked eje to come with me to this store. Then perhaps I would get storekeeper#1 to talk to me. Well, I continued to browse on my own. They displayed 2 models of burners right at the entrance. Both were powerful burners, and their sizes were big. At one point I just wanted to measure the 14-inch wok against one of the burners. Storekeeper#1 said coldly: "What are you doing? This is too small a wok for this burner. You would burn the handles!" ..... Geez, where did this guy come from? Does he know anything about cooking? Geez... I just wanted to measure this wok against the burner (because I saw one that I wanted to get in Sacramento which is similar to this). I just wanted to see how that might fit. No need to treat me as if I am an idiot. Idiot or not, I am still a (at least potential) customer. I gotta tell you. With this kind of sales persons in the store, I just don't know how this small shop could be so successful. Sadly that this person seemed to be the manager of the store. If I don't get some product advice, the last thing that I want to get is being ridiculed - even if I don't know beans about Chinese cooking. However, storekeeper#2 saw me showing keen interests towards these woks. She came by and started talking to me, asking me what I was looking for, etc.. Just what a NORMAL sales person would do. She took the time and explained the differences between the different kinds of woks, and even relayed her own experiences. I started to feel better. From that conversation, I pretty much came to the following conclusions: - I don't want a cast-iron wok. It is too heavy for tossing. There is no way one can pick up the wok with one hand - especially with food on top. - Carbon steel wok should be my best bet. With good care, and if I season it properly, it will not rust. - I want a round bottom wok, not a flat bottom one, so that I can concentrate the hottest surface at the very bottom. Flat bottom is good for electric stove, but a round bottom should be more desirable if one has a gas stove. - I want the design that has one long handle so I can toss food around. The design that has 2 ears would not do it for me (can't toss it). Through the process of elimination, I only faced one choice: 14-inch or 16-inch? I wanted the 14-inch, because it is lighter, easier to toss. But I also wanted the 16-inch, where the surface is bigger. I can cook for more guests on occasion. More importantly, I can sear a big fish sometimes. This would be easier with a bigger wok. 14-inch or 16-inch? My heart was torn. And I had to think on my feet. Or else this 90-mile drive would be a waste. Which one? (To be continued)

4- 浸 Jin There are plenty of dishes that can be called 油浸XX, where XX can be the name of the fish being deep-fried. For example: 油浸鲈鱼 (Deep-Fried Flonder(?)) The sample photo: (Click on the photo through Google's search page) Sample 1 Example 2: 清水浸走地鸡 (Chicken Boiled in Water) The sample photo: (Click on the photo through Google's search page) Sample 2

I did some more reading on this dish. On one site, they say that the Sichuan traditional way of making this is: Translation: "Dry-Fry", use very little oil to cook the ingredients (string beans) on a pot/wok using very slow fire over a long time. But nowadays, typically the string beans are first deep-fried before stir-frying with the other ingredients.

Wow... I didn't know Sichuan Dry-Fried String Beans (or Long Beans) is so popular here!

The green (regular) long beans I often see in Chinese grocery stores. But not the red color ones, which I never did.

No, they are exactly the same as regular long beans except in color. [...] ← Erik: it does look like long beans are Dau Gok. That's the name I have learned and used for over 20 years. Perhaps you didn't scroll down far enough on jo-mel's page to see the last picture of that page? It is Dau Gok, and looks the same as your long beans. This is the first time I have heard/seen the red color variety. Next time I will buy some if I see them to freak out my MIL. She would think the long beans are moldy.

This Shanghai kitchen sure looks a lot bigger than a typical Hong Kong kitchen. That is nice. I agree that there seems to be lacking some counter space to do prep works. Unless the counter space is behind the camera.

Costco carries many things... IN BULK! So unless you are on this trip with 10 other people and staying for >10 days, I just don't see the advantage of shopping at Costco. Unless, of course, that would let you see the side of America that... well, buys IN BULK. 1 dozen bags of potato chips, 10 lb of beef, 4 chicken pack at a time... you get the idea. Your regular local grocery markets may be a better venue, and there are plenty in the area. You probably would have a better luck looking for them near where you will be staying instead of looking for them near the SD airport. And grocery stores there are plenty. I am sure you will pass by some on the way from the airport to where you will be staying. Edit: spelling