Two questions regarding Chinese cooking.

Jonathan DeVowe said:

First question, what ingredients are commonly used in Chinese cooking that are non-perishable and
good to have on hand?

Garlic, ginger, oil, rice, soy sauce.

Put the rice in an airtight plastic container, it will be good for a very long time. Oil, while
perishable (it tastes like ass after a while), lasts a while in a cool, dark place. Garlic and
ginger are perishable but last months. Soy sauce can last up to a year refrigerated and still keep
its taste.

Anyway, with these four items and some fresh meat and vegetables you can make a wide variety of
Chinese dishes. You may need a few other items but these will get you most of the way there.

--
John Gaughan
johngaughan.netjohngaughan.netOpen ↗
[email hidden]

Jonathan DeVowe said:

I am interested in cooking my own Chinese food and I have two questions. First question, what
ingredients are commonly used in Chinese cooking that are non-perishable and good to have on
hand? Second question, is there a place online that sells quality (something that will last) woks
for someone who is not at a professional level of cooking at a decent price? Also, if you can
suggest another group where these questions can be better answered, I would appreciate it. Thanks
in advance for your responses.
- Jonathan DeVowe

Heh. You need to get the _1000 Recipe Chinese Cookbook_. Then, there are dried [censored] mushrooms,
tamrind paste, dried lotus blossom, dried shrimp, salt radish (oops, sorry, I digress into Thai),
noodles, and a big mound of frozen roasted pork. I saw a Wok at Super 88 for $20. I bet with that
size wok you need some sort of high BTU propane burner, like a Camp Chef. I have to admire those wok
chefs: if some little piece of food does not look right, just flip it out and into the fire; that's
what I do, regardless of the mess. I still scratch my head over that smokey fried rice, what a fine
touch. I remember one place, in the great state of New York, where he tried to convince me that the
sour taste was a kin to the 'long march' type of food; I ate some of it. I had this taste again at a
Den-not-easy-to-conceal, like they can't rinse off the soap, yuk! Pretty sure that your wok will be
limited by BTU burner.

Good luck.

Jonathan DeVowe said:

I am interested in cooking my own Chinese food and I have two questions. First question,
what ingredients are commonly used in Chinese cooking that are non-perishable and good to
have on hand?

Soy Sauce Oyster Sauce (Amoy brand) Rice Wine Rice Vinegar. Hot chile/Garlic Paste Hoisin Sauce
Black Bean paste/sauce

Peanut oil

Dried Bean Thread Rice Stick noodles (several widths) Jasmine Rice Dried [censored] Mushrooms Dried
shrimp Cloud Ear Fungus a.k.a "Dried Vegetable"

Chicken soup base (Minors or Tones pastes - NOT BOULLION) Five-spice powder White pepper Cornstarch

The above will allow you to make hundreds of dishes with the addition of just one vegetable
and/or meat.

Quoted message said:

Second question, is there a place online that sells quality (something that will last) woks for
someone who is not at a professional level of cooking at a decent price?

Acemart.com has several cood quality and inexpensive woks.

Quoted message said:

Also, if you can suggest another group where these questions can be better answered, I would
appreciate it. Thanks in advance for your responses.

alt.food.asian. Response crossposted.

-sw

Quoted message said:

John Gaughan sniffled:

Jonathan DeVowe said:

First question, what ingredients are commonly used in Chinese cooking that are non-perishable and
good to have on hand?

Garlic, ginger, oil, rice, soy sauce.

Put the rice in an airtight plastic container, it will be good for a very long time. Oil, while
perishable (it tastes like ass after a while)

Of that we can presume you're an authority...

---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =--- ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =--- Sheldon
```````````` "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

PENMART01 said:

Quoted message said:

Oil, while perishable (it tastes like ass after a while)

Of that we can presume you're an authority...

I eat ass, don't you? Haven't you ever had pork butt?

--
John Gaughan
johngaughan.netjohngaughan.netOpen ↗
[email hidden]

John Gaughan said:

I eat ass, don't you? Haven't you ever had pork butt?

Yeah but that's actually shoulder 🙂

--
Reg email: RegForte (at) (that free MS email service) (dot) com

John Gaughan said:

PENMART01 said:

Quoted message said:

Oil, while perishable (it tastes like ass after a while)

Of that we can presume you're an authority...

Somebody had to post it, however jeuvenile.

Quoted message said:

I eat ass, don't you? Haven't you ever had pork butt?

Pork butt comes from the shoulder. A butt half of a ham, OTOH, would be closer to the ass.

-sw

Steve Wertz said:

Pork butt comes from the shoulder. A butt half of a ham, OTOH, would be closer to the ass.

I guess I shouldn't have taken "pork butt" quite so literally.

So please tell me, what other pecularities are there about hams? Seriously, I am not as familiar
with pigs as I am with cows.

--
John Gaughan
johngaughan.netjohngaughan.netOpen ↗
[email hidden]

John Gaughan said:

PENMART01 said:

Quoted message said:

Oil, while perishable (it tastes like ass after a while)

Of that we can presume you're an authority...

I eat ass, don't you? Haven't you ever had pork butt?

--
John Gaughan johngaughan.netjohngaughan.netOpen ↗ [email hidden]

Pork butt is the FRONT shoulder of the hog.

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Jonathan DeVowe said:

I am interested in cooking my own Chinese food and I have two questions. First question,
what ingredients are commonly used in Chinese cooking that are non-perishable and good to
have on hand?

Soy sauce, garlic, ginger, cornstatch. Good sharp knife.

What kind of "Chinese food" are you talking about? What have you had that you want to reproduce? Take-
out stir-fry? Dim sum? Banquet dishes?

Quoted message said:

Second question, is there a place online that sells quality (something that will last) woks for
someone who is not at a professional level of cooking at a decent price?

Even a cheap carbon steel wok will last nearly forever. Anything that'll take high heat, be the
correct shape (which provides 'zones' of heat), and big enough to toss things around.

Frogleg said:

Jonathan DeVowe said:

I am interested in cooking my own Chinese food and I have two questions. First question, what
ingredients are commonly used in Chinese cooking that are non-perishable and good to have on
hand?

Soy sauce, garlic, ginger, cornstatch. Good sharp knife.

Second time garlic and ginger is mentioned. These are not non-perishable. I find perserved black
beans are okay after 2 years, and are cheap. I also have several soy sauces, including double dark,
a few vinegars, some shaosing wine. Good peanut oil, Lion and Globe is *okay*, dark sesame oil, some
tsintsing peppers (I use Penzey's). I also vote for a proper (and cheap in chinatown) brush for
cleaning the wok without denuding it of its special coating. Have a look at Bruce Cost's Asian
ingredients. He recently did a pretty second edition.

Quoted message said:

Even a cheap carbon steel wok will last nearly forever. Anything that'll take high heat, be the
correct shape (which provides 'zones' of heat), and big enough to toss things around.

I've seen thinner and thicker ones. I much prefer the heavier ones. Woks aren't pricey. I got a
couple Atlas woks at knock off prices at a Korean groc (for gifts). Also, some cheap woks have some
lumpiness where the handle attaches. I'd rather feel than just buy online. Do you have a friend near
a chinatown? And handles. Unless you intend to use it over a campfire or over very very high burners
(outside) get one with one long handle, not the two little loops of metal. The question you didn't
ask is heat source. You need a **hot** burner. Best of luck and check out the alt.food.asian group
for some Chinese food groupies. blacksalt

On Sun, 18 Jan 2004 18:38:56 -0800, kalanamak <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Frogleg said:

Jonathan DeVowe said:

I am interested in cooking my own Chinese food and I have two questions. First question, what
ingredients are commonly used in Chinese cooking that are non-perishable and good to have on
hand?

Soy sauce, garlic, ginger, cornstatch. Good sharp knife.

Second time garlic and ginger is mentioned. These are not non-perishable. I find perserved black
beans are okay after 2 years, and are cheap. I also have several soy sauces,...

<snip>

Point taken. I think of ginger and garlic as so basic and relatively easy to keep on hand as being
enduring. :-) It's hard to advise someone who apparently wants to take up "Chinese cooking" and has
no idea of common ingredients. One might suggest rice and several different noodles (ah hah!
*Almost* non-perishable if you keep the bugs out), but how could someone plan to start cooking
Chinese food and be unaware of this?

I notice the OP hasn't been back. Apropos the "looking for recipes" thread, the original msg has
something of the flavor of trolling.

"Steve Wertz" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jonathan DeVowe said:

I am interested in cooking my own Chinese food and I have two questions. First question, what
ingredients are commonly used in Chinese cooking that are non-perishable and good to have on
hand?

Soy Sauce Oyster Sauce (Amoy brand) Rice Wine Rice Vinegar. Hot chile/Garlic Paste Hoisin Sauce
Black Bean paste/sauce

Peanut oil

Dried Bean Thread Rice Stick noodles (several widths) Jasmine Rice Dried [censored] Mushrooms Dried
shrimp Cloud Ear Fungus a.k.a "Dried Vegetable"

Chicken soup base (Minors or Tones pastes - NOT BOULLION) Five-spice powder White pepper
Cornstarch

The above will allow you to make hundreds of dishes with the addition of just one vegetable
and/or meat.

Quoted message said:

Second question, is there a place online that sells quality (something that will last) woks for
someone who is not at a professional level of cooking at a decent price?

Acemart.com has several cood quality and inexpensive woks.

Quoted message said:

Also, if you can suggest another group where these questions can be better answered, I would
appreciate it. Thanks in advance for your responses.

alt.food.asian. Response crossposted.

-sw

Don't forget sesame oil. I buy it by the (52 oz.) can. It keeps without refrigeration. I pour a cup
out and keep it beside my other oils for cooking. I don't like to use it without cutting it with a
little olive, canola or other oil. Just a little can make a dish 'very' Asian tasting. Dee

Dee Randall said:

Don't forget sesame oil. I buy it by the (52 oz.) can. It keeps without refrigeration. I pour a
cup out and keep it beside my other oils for cooking. I don't like to use it without cutting it
with a little olive, canola or other oil. Just a little can make a dish 'very' Asian tasting.

Cutting it also helps reduce smoke when cooking with high heat. I usually use olive or peanut oil
with a touch of sesame.

--
Dan

Dan Logcher said:

Dee Randall wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Don't forget sesame oil. I buy it by the (52 oz.) can. It keeps without refrigeration. I pour a
cup out and keep it beside my other oils for cooking. I don't like to use it without cutting it
with a little olive, canola or other oil. Just a little can make a dish 'very' Asian tasting.

Cutting it also helps reduce smoke when cooking with high heat. I usually use olive or peanut oil
with a touch of sesame.

I don't use it often (which is why I forgot to list it), but when I do, I use it right at the end.

-sw

Dan Logcher <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Dee Randall said:

Don't forget sesame oil. I don't like to use it without cutting it with a little olive, canola
or other oil.

Cutting it also helps reduce smoke when cooking with high heat.

Actually it should be used in a marinade, or added after removing from heat, but not as an oil to
cook with. It's a flavoring more than a cooking oil.

Tippi said:

Dan Logcher <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Dee Randall said:

Don't forget sesame oil. I don't like to use it without cutting it with a little olive, canola or
other oil.

Cutting it also helps reduce smoke when cooking with high heat.

Actually it should be used in a marinade, or added after removing from heat, but not as an oil to
cook with. It's a flavoring more than a cooking oil.

I do use sesame oil for marinades, but I also add a few drops to the wok during cooking to give it
flavor. I'll try just adding it at the end and see how it tastes.

--
Dan

"Tippi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Actually it should be used in a marinade, or added after removing from heat, but not as an oil to
cook with. It's a flavoring more than a cooking oil.

What sort of marinades, if I may ask. I keep my bottle in the refridgerator since I use it
so seldom.

Arey

"Duncan" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Tippi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Actually it should be used in a marinade, or added after removing from heat, but not as an oil
to cook with. It's a flavoring more than a cooking oil.

What sort of marinades, if I may ask. I keep my bottle in the

refridgerator

Quoted message said:

since I use it so seldom.

I'm just jumping into this thread, and don't have Chinese experience, but I used sesame oil (with
corriander root, chili and garlic) to marinate chicken breast which after 30 minutes was grilled and
served with a sweet chili sauce made from vinegar, sugar, salt, chili and garlic. This is a thai
dish though.