Chinese cooking is often simple, even for beginners, providing you hold to a few firm rules. The first thing to remember is that prepa¬ration and cooking are separate procedures; all the preliminaries, which in some instances are lengthy and exacting, must be completed before actual cooking begins.
The second rule is that while the cooking is simple, it cannot wait while some ingredient is made ready for the pot. Chinese foods must often be cooked quickly and at very high temperatures. Since cooking times are so short, it is unwise to take your eye off the pot very long, for you must reduce the heat at the first sign of smoking, and you must be careful not to overcook. Each minute can be crucial in the preservation of the crispness that is characteristic of good Chinese cooking, so it is essential to stick to the cooking time stated in the recipe.
If these two rules of advance preparation and precisely timed hot cooking are observed, you are well on your way to culinary triumphs, Chinese style. Although some of the ingredients may seem unfamiliar, you will soon be glad to make their acquaintance; if certain ones are unavailable, any number of Western foods can occasionally be used in their place without significant loss. You do not have to adhere too faithfully to all the Chinese customs, for while Chinese cooking has an ancient tradition behind it, part of that tradition is exemplified by experimenting. The adaptation of recipes, ingredients and utensils to local demands is the Chinese way.
For Westerners, some of the delight of Chinese cooking is the insight it offers into a style of living different from ours. Over the millennia, the Chinese have developed a cuisine that in basic foodstuffs, preparation and techniques offers refreshing variations to those that are standard elsewhere. For example the Chinese use oil in their cooking, usually vegetable oil, to a far greater extent than most Westerners do. With this oil, one can get the high temperatures needed to seal in the flavour and original colour of the foods and also to preserve the all important crispness and vitamins of vegetables. Sizzling hot oil is the marrying agent, as it brings out the best qualities of each food to produce a new appearance and happy combination of flavours after the cooking is completed. Cooking oil is all the more important since the Chinese seldom if ever use butter. They do not use many other dairy products either. In the past, cow s milk and its derivatives—butter, cream and cheese—were not a part of their diet at all, but today ice cream has become a favourite snack in many parts of the country. There have been other breakthroughs as well as cream, for instance, is used in the rich sweet called Peking dust.
In spite of the great variety of dishes we find on any Chinese menu such as fish, vegetable mixtures, meat, fowl and soups—you may have noticed that there are few sweet ones. This is because the Chinese do not go in much for confections and pastries, though children sometimes suck rock sugar. They prefer dishes with stimulating tastes; what English people call savouries, such as dumplings and spring rolls.
Author Resource:
Ian been loves all types of food, and is especially partial to Chinese food. Come and visit his newest website over at http://www.digitalkitchenscalesinfo.com which helps everyone find the best Digital Kitchen Scales and information about the best prices
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