Part 2. Making the dough and baking.

Feed the Starter. The morning before I plan to make bread, I pull my starter out of the fridge and feed it a couple spoons of flour and about the same amount of water, and leave it on the counter for about 8 hours to come to life, then before I go to bed I give it another snack to digest during the night. Make sure the starter is active and bubbly before starting the bread, or you might just make a brick. I use weights for my measurements, so you’ll need an electronic scale with a gram scale. Here’s my mix:

• Water: 600g about 78 degrees
• Starter: 360g
• Flour: 1020g
• Salt: 26g

I highly recommend starting your bread early in the morning as it can become a full days project for a good loaf, well, four. I’ve had many baking session while the family was asleep, simply because the bread was being stubborn in rising to its potential because I started too late in the day.

Get Ready. Dress comfortable.

Autolyse. Mix the ingredients, minus the salt, for about a minute until the ingredients combine, then give it a rest for another 30 minutes. (This is a great time to make a vanilla latte and some oatmeal with pecans, raisins and cinnamon.) This process is called autolyse where the ingredients sort of combine, the water is absorbed, and the gluten begins to develop. (The other process is called breakfast for obvious reasons.) If you’re gluten intolerant, just leave out the starter and the flour … drink and enjoy.

Mix the Dough. After you’ve finished breakfast, add the salt (kosher salts bring extra luck), and mix the dough on a low setting for 3-4 minutes. You’ll notice the gluten development and the dough is looking smooth with good elasticity.

Rest. Take out the dough hook if you’re using a mechanical mixer, or set down the wooden spoon if you’re using a digital mixer. I cover the bowl with a disposable shower cap, they work great and are quite attractive. At this point all you have to do is let the natural fermentation do its thing while you go about your day. I usually let it sit for 3-5 hours, depending on the activity level of the starter and the ambient temperature. It’s about 9am, for those keeping track of the time.

Form the Dough & Let Rise. About mid afternoon, my bowl of dough was showing signs of activity and was ready to divide into rounds. Just throw a handful of flour on the counter, work the dough out of the bowl, and roll it onto a ball. Sprinkle with flour, and cut into four similar sized pieces.

I like to knead more flour into the balls, as this gives the dough something more to digest and turn into gasses, which form air pockets. I put two balls on each baking sheet, if you’re using the home sized versions, sprinkled with corn meal. Sprinkle some flour on your balls and cover with plastic wrap, loosely, allowing room for expansions during the day.

At this point, it’s about 3pm. One note on raising time: with sourdough, the longer the ferment, the more sour the dough becomes, in my experience. About every hour, I lift the plastic wrap to ensure it isn’t sticking, then loosly drape it back over the balls.

Preheat Oven. Later in the evening, about 8pm, I make a couple of slash marks with a very sharp knife to give the baked bread some design. When marking your bread, be gentle in your slashing so you don’t flatten it. About 9:30pm I set the oven to 500 degrees, then go sit in the hot tub on the back patio for about 45 minutes with my wife while things heat up.

Bake. When the dough looks nice and puffy with a good rise, gently slide the dough into the oven. I’ve had a few times when the dough looked perfect and, trying to be too gentle, I’ve hit the side of the oven and deflated the dough. I baked it anyway, hoping it would rise again, it didn’t. If you have a steam injection oven, you’re one lucky soul. I use a spray bottle and hold the door open about an inch, and give about a dozen mists of water, about three times during the first five minutes of baking. The humidity adds to the chewy texture of the crust. Bake for 20 minutes in a conventional oven, turning once for even baking and crust color.

Cool and Slather with Butter. After baking, place the loaves on a cooling sheet. I only bake one pan at a time, since the top rack is the preferred position in my oven. Try to let the loaves cool for about 30 minutes before slicing into them … I dare you. About the time I pulled out the second pan, I was cutting into the first batch and smearing liberally with salted cream butter and watching the end of Jay Leno while my lovely wife was sound asleep. By the time Jimmy Fallon hit the tube, I was on my second piece, probably scattering crumbs in the bed. For some strange reason this batch of bread turned out pretty tasty and fluffy. I’ve followed the exact same procedure and had absolute flops. I guess I got lucky this time.

Share. The next morning, I put the remaining three loaves into paper bags and give them to friends and neighbors.

I think there’s good karma in giving away fresh baked bread.

The fun is in the baking and I love the challenge, although sometimes it infuriates me. I don’t think I’ve had two batches turn out the same yet, and that’s why I love baking sourdough.

<< Previous Article: Sourdough is a Fickle Bitch, Part 1 – Building a Starter

Vaughn Montgomery lives in scenic Southern Utah, loves the great outdoors, making foods and brews, and hanging out with friends. He is currently retired from the restaurant businesses enjoys cooking and experimenting with ingredients, just for the fun of it. He graciously agreed to share his method on making a great loaf of sourdough bread (from starter to finish).

To me, a kitchen is just a big chemistry set, a scattered mix of ingredients just waiting to become something unique and tasty.” Vaughn

My friend, Vaughn Montgomery, is living the good life in Southern Utah. Retired from the hectic restaurant business, he enjoys the great outdoors, experimenting in the kitchen, and hanging out with friends. He’s the quintessential family man and a generous patron of local arts. He graciously agreed to share his method on making a great loaf of sourdough bread (from starter to finish).

Part 1: Building a starter

One thing I love is a thick slice of sourdough bread with a smathering of yellow stuff, not that overrated gear lube endorsed by the muscular guy with the beautiful hair, I’m talking real butter!  And the lingering taste of sourness is the prize for a nice loaf, although you might want a breath mint before you get in the face of an unfortunate non-sourdough participant.

I’ve spent a large portion of my working life owning and operating restaurants and bakeries. With a streak of luck I escaped, and I streaked happily away from my captivity of the kitchen, only to be drawn back to the kitchen by my creative desires. To me, a kitchen is just a big chemistry set, a scattered mix of ingredients just waiting to become something unique and tasty. I ran a bakery for a few years — it was too easy. I just hired the college kids, they followed the directions and out came the donuts while I stayed in bed. I got bored and decided to add some specialty breads to the display case. Had I known it was a trap, I would have never started down that path, but now I’m up to my eyes in squishy dough, metaphorically of course… I’m in pretty good shape for a bread eater.

Like I alluded to earlier, I’m an all-natural kind of guy, and I’ve been intrigued with three simple ingredients: Water, flour and salt. With these simple ingredients you can either make wonderfully smelling and tasting loaves of bread, or a parking block that looks like a biscotti and keeps your car from rolling backwards while you change the tire. I’ve made both.

I think anybody can open a package of Red Star yeast and make flour go fluffy, but the quest with a real sourdough is to gather the yeast particles that naturally float through the air.”

Sourdough is usually named by its region, for example, the famous San Francisco Sourdough has the strain of yeast that’s naturally floating in the air after being stirred up from Bay to Breakers.

If you live outside the rainbow region like I do, you’ll have to rely on natural yeast from a few sources:  The first is the yeast that’s naturally found on the wheat and ground into the flour, that is, unless your flour has been stripped of its personality and designed to make Wonder bread.  Try to find natural white flour, I personally like Wheat Montana as it’s locally available.

The second source of natural yeast is what’s been collected on the fruit.  I like organic plums, grapes and other smooth skinned fruit.  As the fruit hangs on the tree, the yeast particles stick to them and form a white chalky surface.  I prefer organic fruit, so that I’m not making a pesticide cocktail.

Making a starter is pretty simple:

1. Take the unwashed fruit (about a dozen grapes or 3 to 4 plums) and drop them into a smooth blend of 1 cup water mixed with 1 cup flour.
2. Let the fruit sit for a few days in the mixture on the counter at room temperature.
3. After a few days, pull out the fruit before it gets too fruity, and a great portion of the yeast should have transferred to the slurry.
4. To feed the starter, add a couple tablespoons of flour and about the same amount of water and stir. Do this twice a day for the rest of your natural life.

As time progresses, it will start to get bubbly. Believe me, this is a good thing; you’re getting fermentation.  It may take a few weeks to months to get a good starter.  Keep it covered with a loose lid or cheesecloth to keep the flies out.  When it’s active, it will overflow the container. (Photo above.)

Vaughn and wife, Sharon

Flying over Southern Utah

Sunday food is slow food.  If you are hurried in the kitchen on Sunday, you might not be doing it right.  Think about it — grandma never threw something together for Sunday dinner.  Even when we stopped by unannounced, and Gramma Jo set out a spread that seemed effortless and quick, it consisted of things already made the slow way, by hand, from scratch — leftover casseroles, chilled meats, buttery bread, relishes, pickles and jams she put up.

Chinese Chicken Soup with Wontons is my new favorite, slow-Sunday one-pot dish.

The broth is basically created from a chicken, water, and a handful of simple things strewn about.  It seems almost too simplistic to create a worthwhile soup.  But, the finished broth is the pure, focused essence of chicken, ever so delicately perfumed with Chinese dates, mushrooms, ginger and onion.  And it’s slightly richer than expected, thanks to the fattened skin.  It might be the best chicken broth you’ve ever made.

When the chicken is done, it is set aside, and the broth is strained.  Eileen Yin-Fei Lo suggests combining the broth, wontons, mushrooms and greens for the soup, and serve the chicken on the side.  But, you can easily add the chicken to the soup, if you prefer.

Peddling back a step: the method for prepping the greens was an epiphany for me.  When greens are quickly blanched in simmering water and baking soda, then refreshed in very cold water, before being added to the soup, they will not leach their liquid and dilute the broth.  That’s pure genius.

Usually, when trying a new dish, I don’t always know what I’m in for.  I just love it when something turns out more interesting than I thought.  Dishes like this, long-steeped in tradition, teach both restraint and respect for the food.  They also help me slow down, breathe deep, and enjoy the pleasure of Sunday.

Chinese Chicken Soup with Wontons

Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

• 1 whole chicken, 4-1/2 lbs. with neck and giblets
• 4 Tbs. kosher salt, divided

…

• 2 quarts plus 1/2 cup water
• 1-1/2 Tbs. kosher salt
• 2-inch-long piece of ginger, peeled and lightly smashed
• 1 lb. onions, quartered
• 6 celery stalks, cut crosswise into thirds
• 24 small dried black mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, drained and squeezed dry, stems removed
• 18 dried red dates, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes and drained

…

• 6 cups water
• 1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and lightly smashed
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda, optional
• 2 lbs. Tianjin bok choy, stalks and leaves separated, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

…

• 24 of your favorite filled wontons, cooked

Clean the chicken: Rinse chicken thoroughly, inside and out, with cold running water. Place in clean sink or on plate.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of salt on the breast side, and rub it thoroughly into the skin of the breast, thighs, legs and wings. Turn the chicken over, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of salt over entire back, and rub it thoroughly into the skin. Run cold water over the chicken to rinse away the salt and wash the chicken. Drain for several minutes in a colander, and thoroughly sanitize the sink.

Chicken and Broth: Pour 2 quarts and 1/2 cup of water into a large pot. Add 1-1/2 Tablespoons of salt and stir. Add the 2-inch piece of ginger, onions, celery, mushrooms and dates. Place chicken, breast side up, on top, add the neck and giblets, cover the pot, and bring to boil over medium heat. Lower heat to a gentle boil, just a bit higher than a simmer, and leave the lid slightly cracked. Allow to cook for 30 minutes. Then turn the chicken over and cook for 45 minutes longer, or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. To test for doneness, cut into the meat near the bone to check for redness. (The thickest part of the thigh is the best place to test.) If the chicken is not ready, cook it for 10 minutes more. Turn off the heat, turn the chicken breast side up, cover the pot, and let rest for 20 minutes.

While the chicken rests, water blanch the Tianjin bok choy: In a pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the 1/2-inch piece of ginger, 1 tsp. of salt, and baking soda, if using. When the water returns to a boil, add the bok choy stalks and cook for 45 seconds. Then add the bok choy leaves and cook for 30 seconds longer. Transfer pot to sink and run cold water into the pot; then drain off the water. Run cold water into the pot again, drain well, reserve the bok choy and discard the ginger. (It is necessary to water-blanch the bok choy, or the water it naturally contains will dilute the soup.)

Transfer the whole chicken from the pot to a heated platter. Remove the neck and giblets from the pot and reserve. Separate the chicken meat from its frame in 2-inch pieces and reserve. Remove the mushrooms from the pot and reserve. Drain the contents of the pot through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids. There should be about 7 cups of liquid.

Return the liquid to the pot, add the reserved mushrooms and bring to boil over high heat. Add the wontons, sir and allow the soup to return to a boil. Add the bok choy, stir to mix, and allow the soup to return to a boil again. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with salt, if needed.

Turn off the heat, transfer the soup to a heated tureen, and serve in individual bowls. Place the platter of chicken, with the neck and giblets, in the center of the table. Invite diners to help themselves to the chicken, adding it to the bowls of soup.

The problem with leftover stir-fried vegetables, especially greens, is they seem to exude more liquid the longer they sit.  I hate to throw them out, but I can’t ever get any takers for soggy vegetables in a puddle of water.  It’s weird.

Flipping through Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking, I spotted a recipe for savory Squash Pancakes.  I didn’t have zucchini, but I did have a leftover stir-fry of bok choy, mushrooms and bean sprouts that was destined for the compost bin.  Somehow I came to the conclusion that the bean sprouts mixed with egg batter might resemble egg foo yung, which sounded really tasty at the time.

Within three minutes, the batter was made and poured into the wok.  It was that fast.  In fact, it was flipped, cooked, sliced, and halfway eaten before I could seriously question the validity of the whole idea.

This savory pancake could be made with almost any leftover stir-fry you have on hand — Kung Pao Chicken, Hoisin Pork, or Bok Choy in Oyster Sauce.  I think Pad Thai, or another noodle dish, would also be terrific — it’d be like a Chinese version of Italy’s noodle pie.  Another thought: rather than making one large on in the wok, you could make tiny, appetizer-sized ones, top them with a pickled chutney of some sort, and serve at your next dinner party. (I’ll work on a topping.)

Leftover Stir-fry Pancakes

Based on Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking, by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo
serves 4 to 6

• 1 to 1-1/2 cups leftover stir-fry (in this case bok choy, mushrooms and bean sprouts)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1 Tbs. Shaoxing wine
• 3 Tbs. flour
• Pinch of kosher salt and ground white pepper
• 3 Tbs. thinly sliced scallions
• 2 Tbs. peanut or grapeseed oil, divided

Drain leftover stir-fry in fine mesh sieve over sink, pressing contents against the bottom to release as much liquid as possible.  Set aside.

In medium bowl, gently stir together egg, soy, Shaoxing, flour, salt and pepper until just combined and smooth.  Fold in drained vegetables and scallions.

Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water evaporates within a second.  Swirl in a tablespoon of the oil.  Immediately pour in batter, spreading it into a thin, even layer.  Using the handles, move the wok in a circular motion so the pancake moves around and cooks evenly.  Cook for about 2-1/2 minutes, until bottom browns.

Slide pancake from the wok onto a large, flat plate.  Invert a second plate of about the same size over the top, and flip the plates over, so the cooked side is now on the top.  Remove the top plate, swirl in remaining tablespoon of oil, and slide the pancake back into the wok.  Reduce heat to medium and cook 3 more minutes, or until pancake is golden on the other side and set in the middle.

Transfer to plate or cutting board, slice and enjoy while it’s hot.

The first and obvious answer is to cut them. That’s not the secret; but, it is a solution to the noodle ball. Cutting noodles into 6- to 8-inch lengths will make them easier to stir-fry. Grace Young knows many Chinese cooks who insist on cutting noodles, and they are all alive and well.

Here’s the secret: Grace suggests using a pair of wooden (plastic will melt) chopsticks in one hand, a metal spatula in the other, and toss the noodles as you would a salad to loosen the mass and incorporate the other ingredients.  Tongs also work beautifully, for those of us who are too white to deftly maneuver a pair of chopsticks. This tip works like a charm, and you won’t tempt fate, which is always a good thing (knock on wood).

For more tips and troubleshooting stir-fried noodles, click and scroll here.

Shanghai Noodles

Adapted from Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking
Any vegetable or combination of vegetables can replace the pork and bok choy. Just be sure to keep the overall amounts the same. A good rule of thumb is: 4 cups noodles and 2 cups meat and/or vegetables total — more than that, and you’ll be steaming instead of stir-frying.

Pork/Marinade:

• 4 oz. ground  pork or chicken
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. cornstarch

Sauce: 

• 4 Tbs. sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce
• 4 Tbs. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sugar, optional
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/8 to 1/4 tsp. sambal oelek, optional

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh Shanghai-style thick noodles or Chinese egg noodles
• 1 Tbs. peanut or grapeseed oil
• 2 tsp. minced ginger
• 2 heads baby bok choy, coarsely chopped
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Method:

Combine pork and marinade in small bowl; set aside.

In small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients; set aside.

Cook noodles according to package directions; rinse and drain well.

Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact.  Swirl in peanut oil.  Carefully add pork, spreading it evenly into a single layer.  Cook undisturbed for 1 minute; stir-fry 1 minute, until meat is browned and cooked through.

Push pork up sides of wok and add ginger to the wok’s well; stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds.  Add bok choy; stir-fry until leaves turn bright green.  Add noodles and toss together.  Swirl in sauce around the sides of the wok; stir-fry until greens are tender-crisp and sauce thickens. Sprinkle in scallions and serve.

Here’s my new afternoon power snack — it packs a nutritional wallop, and might just make your skin soft and dewy fresh as Snow White on a spring morning:

• Greek yogurt has more fiber, and less sodium, sugar, and carbs than regular non-fat yogurt.
• Chia seeds, the latest health craze, has omega 3 and fiber, as well as a few other healthy qualities. I like it, because it fills me up before a meal, so I don’t eat quite as much.
• Strawberries are high in vitamin c and antioxidants, and may also fight against cancer, aging, inflammation and neurological diseases. And they are sooooo delicious! If strawberries aren’t in season, you can substitute blueberries, raspberries, melons, peaches, or citrus fruits. Frozen fruits would probably be just fine as well.
• I really like Barlean’s Organic Master Blend Total Omega 3-6-9 oil. It has pure borage oil, flaxseed oil, fresh catch fish oil, and a nice lemon flavor. It costs about $25, but you get more bang for your buck.  Keep it in the fridge.
• Local, natural honey has health benefits, including aiding allergies. It also gives you a little natural energy boost. It’s optional in this snack, but it does smooth out the flavor quite nicely.

Strawberry Greek Yogurt with Honey, Chia Seeds and Essential Oils

makes 1 snack

• 1 Tbs. organic chia seeds
• 6 Tbs. filtered water, room temperature
• 1 Tbs. omega, borage and/or flaxseed oil
• 1/2 cup non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
• Dallop of local, natural or raw honey, to taste, optional
• 6 strawberries, sliced

Stir chia seeds into water; let set, stirring occasionally, until gelled.

Meanwhile, stir oil into yogurt, and flavor with honey.

When chia seeds are gelled, stir them into the yogurt. Mix in strawberries. Eat and feel the power!

And, if you are feeling fancy, put it in a fancy glass

I adapted it slightly, but not because the original recipe isn’t excellent. At the market, I eyeballed some fabulous spot prawns, but no crab; so, I used all shrimp, rather than half crab/half shrimp. And, because spot prawns are even more flavorful cooked with the shells on, I stir-fried them whole. They make a gorgeous presentation, and even though they are a little messy to peel and eat, I think that’s part of the fun. I also sprinkled a little soy sauce and fish sauce on top, mostly because I was in the mood — it lifted the dish for me, but you can definitely leave it out.

Gold Medal Shrimp Fried Rice

• 2 Tbs. grapeseed or vegetable oil, divided
• 3 cups cooked, day-old rice
• 4 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, shelled, deveined and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 Tbs. water
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste
• 1/8 tsp. ground white pepper
• Soy sauce, to taste, optional
• Fish sauce, to taste, optional
• 2 tsp. tobiko caviar, optional

Heat large wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the sides. Reduce heat to low, add the rice and egg yolks, and cook. stirring continuously, until each grain of rice is coated with the yolk and golden, about 2 minutes.

Increase heat to high and push the rice up the sides of wok to expose the bottom. Add remaining tablespoon of oil. Add garlic, then shrimp; stir-fry until shrimp turns pink, about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes.

Stir the shrimp and rice together. Add green onions, water, salt and pepper. Stir-fry until heated through, another minute or two. Taste for seasoning. Add soy sauce and/or fish sauce, if desired. Garnish with tobiko.

The only glitch is that cornstarch doesn’t freeze well. It basically loses its thickening power. The easiest thing to do is to leave the cornstarch out initially. Then, whisk the cornstarch into the thawed sauce, and pour it into the stir-fry. Even with that extra step, you’re still way ahead of the game.

The sauce can be frozen in tupperware containers, small plastic buckets, small freezer bags, or ice cube trays. I prefer to freeze it in 1/2-cup portions (6-oz. container, or 4 ice cubes, etc.), so I have exactly the amount I need for Kung Pao Chicken.

Kung Pao Sauce

makes 1/2 cup

• 2 Tbs. chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 Tbs. Chinkiang black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1-1/2 Tbs. Shoaxing wine or sherry
• 1 Tbs. hoisin sauce
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce
• 1/4 tsp. ground Sichuan pepper
• 1 tsp. cornstarch – added later

Stir together all ingredients except for the cornstarch. Pour into ice cube trays, tupperware container, or freezer bag; freeze.

To use: thaw sauce, stir in cornstarch and use according to recipe.

First of all, Kung Pao has got to have some heat, not enough to melt your mind (unless you like that sort of thing), but enough to know it’s from Sichuan.  And, that heat should have a pronounced roasted flavor that only comes from dried Thai chiles stir-fried in oil. A good, roasted chili oil will work in a pinch.

Second, Kung Pao must have peanuts.  Those rich, salty, crunchy bits counterpoint the heat and acidity perfectly.  And, you don’t mess with perfection.

A classic Kung Pao relies on a hefty punch of vinegar to play with the peanuts and chilies.  Lemon and lime juice don’t work; they are too light and refreshing.  You need the deep, rich notes of Chinkiang black vinegar or balsamic — something that can hold its own.

Sichuan pepper (not related to black or white peppercorns) gives Asian dishes a touch of spiced perfume.  According to Wikipedia, it “creates a tingly numbness in the mouth that sets the stage for hot spices.”  Isn’t that clever?  Well, whether it has a numbing effect or not, it does give Kung Pao a unique little flavor twist.

I think Kung Pao is classic with chicken; but tofu and shrimp are a close second.  I haven’t tried it with beef or pork, but I like a spicy/pungent sauce with both, so it stands to reason that it would be good.  (Side note: If using tofu or shrimp, omit the marinade.)

During the Kung Pao taste test, there was one recipe that had an abundance of sauce, so I threw in some Chinese egg noodles.  Holy smokes, Kung Pao Noodles are killer! (Side note: if using noodles, substitute 8 oz. or 4 cups noodles in place of the chicken.)

And last, but certainly not least, are crisp vegetables.  As long as you have celery and onions, diced into 1-inch cubes, you are golden.  I also like green onions tossed in at the end.  But, if you feel the need to add a little something else, it’s totally up to you. Red and yellow peppers are kind of fun, and in the photo above, I added a handful of asparagus.

Kung Pao Chicken

Chicken/Marinade:

• 12 oz. boneless chicken breast or thigh, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 Tbs. egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 tsp. Shaoxing or sherry

Sauce:
If you like it saucier (i.e. if you are serving it with rice), you can make 1-1/2 to 2-times the amount of sauce.

• 2 Tbs. chicken broth
• 2 Tbs. Chinkiang black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1-1/2 Tbs. Shoaxing wine or sherry
• 1 Tbs. hoisin sauce
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. sambal oelek or chili garlic sauce
• 1/4 tsp. freshly toasted and ground Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp. cornstarch

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. peanut or grapeseed oil, divided
• 4 to 8 dried red chili peppers, snipped on one end to release seeds
• 2 Tbs. minced ginger
• 1 Tbs. minced garlic
• 1/2 onion, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes

Garnishes:

• 3/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions

Method:

In medium bowl, combine chicken/marinade ingredients until cornstarch is dissolved; set uncovered in fridge for about 30 minutes.

In small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients; set aside.

Place prepped vegetables in sections on a plate. (This makes the process a lot easier to manage. It’s much easier to bring an orderly plate to the wok and swoosh in various ingredients with your stir-frying utensil, rather than scooping the ingredients up one at a time from a cutting board. For instance, the garlic can burn by the time you get the onions there.)

Place garnishes together in small bowl; set aside.

Bring 1 quart of water to boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and carefully add chicken, stirring so it doesn’t clump.  Cook for 1 minute or until it is opaque, but not cooked through.  Drain chicken in colander, shaking the colander to remove excess water.

Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact.  Swirl in 1 Tbs. of the peanut oil and chilies; stir-fry for 5 seconds, or until the chilies just begin to smoke.  Add garlic, ginger, onions and celery; stir-fry 1 minute, until onion just begins to color. Add peppers; stir-fry another minute or two, until vegetables are tender-crisp.

Push vegetables to the sides of wok and carefully add chicken; stir-fry the chicken in the wok’s well for 30 seconds (giving the wok time to return to full temperature). Swirl in broth mixture around the sides of the wok; stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Stir in peanuts and scallions; serve immediately.

Cookbooks are wonderful things — the good ones are, anyway. Some are hardbound, hefty, and filled with stunning, full-color photographs that transport you to another time or place, and seem more like untouchable garnishes for the coffee table.  Others are chock-full of tips, recipes, and useful information.  I went through a phase where every cookbook I bought had to be saturated with history — the history of pies, the invention of the restaurant, documentation on Roman feasts, etc.  My favorites, though, are probably those where the author takes you on a beautiful personal journey: a return to her home land; a quest to find his ancestral roots through food; or the evolution of a beloved restaurant.

Here are some of my favorite Asian cookbooks that I love to read, cook from, and absorb.

Beautiful Travel Journals.

• The Breath of a Wok: Unlocking the Spirit of Chinese Wok Cooking Through Recipes and Lore, by Grace Young.  If I had to choose one Asian cookbook and leave the rest behind, it would probably be this one. I love it. Not only because Grace signed my copy, and then gave me an interview for this blog, but because it has everything I desire from a cookbook. Her book project was sparked by her fascination with woks. It lead her on a journey through America, Hong Kong and mainland China to document woks, research family recipes and traditions, and find the elusive wok hay. Not only are the photographs and layout beautiful, but it is steeped in family and cultural traditions, and filled with useful information and workable recipes.

The Chinese have an old saying, “Falling leaves return to their roots,” or “Lok yip gwai gan.”  The expression is intended for overseas Chinese like myself, encouraging a return to China.  To understand the wok, I had to return.” –Grace Young

• Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia, by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.  I would buy this cookbook just for the stunning photography alone. It’s a bonus that it is filled with cultural stories, travel experiences and exceptional, authentic recipes. You can cook from it, and then leave it to dress up your coffee table.
• Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking, by Martin Yan.  It’s difficult to know which category to put this book — it straddles the lines between recipes/information, tradition/culture, and a travel journal. It’s all three. Martin Yan travels through eleven Chinatowns in seven countries on four continents. It is filled with clear, workable recipes, and is a joy to read with a cup of tea.

Cookbooks Steeped in Traditions and Stories.

• It Rains Fishes:  Legends, Traditions and the Joys of Thai Cooking, by Kasham Loha-Unchit. My thoughtful brother, Howard, gave me this book just because. Kasham writes respectfully and meticulously about the food and culture of Thailand’s countryside, where the fish are still jumping, and the people still live off the land, but whose way of life is threatened by modern development. She writes about the tours she offers culinary students, and the interaction between them and the townsfolk. Kasham documents authentic recipes, traditional methods, and explains how to balance flavors. The book is filled with beautiful watercolors, drawings, and memories of her mother.

Grandma [Six Fingers] humbly confessed, ‘…We country folk are poor. We don’t have much in the way of material possessions, but what we do have is nam jai.’ And this she gave us in such big doses that we came away with our spirits joyfully filled.” –Kasham Loha-Unchit

• The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook: Home-Cooking from Asian American Kitchens, by Patricia Tanumihardja and Laura Ferroni. I love books about grandmas and food — there’s no better way to get at the heart of a culture. This beautifully illustrated book is filled with traditional recipes and family stories.

Chock-Full of Recipes & Useful Information.

• Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge: The Ultimate Guide to Mastery, with Authentic Recipes and Stories, by Grace Young. If you ever want to know every single thing about stir-frying, this book must absolutely be part of your collection. I adore Grace — her books are so well-researched, concise, respectful, and personal. I’ve probably made more recipes from this book than any other cookbook I own. They work every single time, they taste authentic, and you feel like you’ve connected with what she’s trying to share.  I highly recommend this book.
• The Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking, by Mai Pham. When I was going to culinary school in Vancouver, there was a neighborhood restaurant that served the most amazing things, like Catfish and Caramel Sauce in Claypot. This whole new genre of Claypot dishes made my head swoon — I could eat it every day and never tire of it. I bought this book to figure it out. Based on recipes from the Lemongrass Restaurant and Cafes, this book is filled with tasty, tasty dishes. It’s a favorite.
• Martin Yan’s Culinary Journey Through China, by Martin Yan. This is a well-rounded collection of recipes from various regions of China. He touches on basic techniques, ingredients and equipment, and occasionally includes instructional line drawings. His Kung Kao Chicken and Dan Dan Noodles are to die for.

Don’t eat to live; live to eat.” – Martin Yan

• Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking, by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo. I just got this book, and I’m sure it will become a classic. I think it makes a great, basic Chinese cookbook for an enthusiastic beginner. It’s filled with beautiful photos, a wide-range of techniques (braising, steaming, wokking, baking), and well-written recipes. (I’m excited to delve into some of those homey comfort dishes.) Eileen Yin-Fei Lo is a gifted cookbook author — you can’t go wrong in purchasing any of her books.
• The Food and Cooking of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines, by Ghillie Basan, Terry Tan, and Vilma Laus. I just got this book too, and I’m sort of surprised I brought it home — it’s not necessarily my type. From a quick browse-through, it feels like a purely informational encyclopedia (which is just what you need sometimes). However, when you spend a little time with it, a slightly more personal edge comes through. There are stories, travel experiences, and real people woven between the exhausting amount of authentic and delicious-looking recipes.

Innovative, Creative, Modern.

• Momofuku, by David Chang and Peter Meehan. This book will blow your mind. But, I don’t have to tell you that. David Chang has done more for modern Korean food than … heck, he’s done more for the lowly noodle, than anyone in recent history. His restaurants, his new magazine, all of his ventures are so fresh, modern and completely out of the box. I mean, who else would come up with outlandish desserts like cereal milk ice cream?  It’s genius. His recipe for Momofuku pork buns alone are worth the price of the book.
• China Moon Cookbook, by Barbara Tropp.  I love and respect Barbara Tropp. Her method of fusing San Francisco-style cuisine with Chinese was revolutionary. She was a role model and example for so many women chefs. Once you delve into her homemade pickles, oils and condiments, you’ll be hooked.

This book is dedicated to real eating … what occurs when you’ve fired your stove with effort, filled your home with the perfume of great ingredients, and enriched yourself with a meal that knits together the people you love.”  – Barbara Tropp

• Asian Flavors of Jean-Georges, by Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Jean-Georges changed the way I looked at integrating Asian flavors with traditional French techniques. His approach is seamless, modern, fresh and creative. A few of his recipes were even used by one of the chefs at Chateau Ste. Michelle for a chef dinner — they are that good. Some recipes are fairly involved, but they work, and will open up a whole new world of flavors.
• Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine, by Susanna Foo. I don’t know why I always thought Susanna Foo created more traditional Chinese cuisine. It wasn’t until I bought this book, that I realized the level of her creativity and skill at bringing fresh, modern twists to classic dishes.
• Nobu West, by Nobu Matsuhisa and Mark Edwards. The exquisite photographs make this book is a pleasure to browse through. It’s modern, clean, Japanese fusion at its best.

Dim Sum.

• The Dim Sum Dumpling Book, by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo. There may be more detailed dim sum books out there, but in 1995, this one was pretty much it.  I found it soon after I experienced my first dim sum in Vancouver, BC. (which was a monumental moment for me and my well-documented obsession with food). It’s a darling book filled with treasured recipes that work.

 Easy, Fun, Kitchy.

The Chinese Chef: Yan Can Cook, by Martin Yan. This was literally my first Chinese cookbook. I’m not sure when the Yan Can Cook series aired on PBS, but my book, now pretty dingy, was printed in 1986. It was during a time when most of us had never even heard of bean curd or star anise. Martin Yan explains soy sauce and Chinese culture, and adjusts recipes to include items accessible to most Americans. And, boy, he had his work cut out for him, much like when Julia Child made French cuisine accessible to everyone.

That’s the thing I’ve discovered about stir-frying — whatever recipe you choose (especially if it has a versatile sauce), there’s a whole mess of vegetables, proteins and starches that can be substituted. Obviously, some combinations work better than others; but on the flip side, none of them really suck. It just depends on your preference.

If, at first, you are unsure about fiddling around with the flavor combinations, try substituting ingredients from the original recipe with ones from the same family. For instance, replace one leafy green for another leafy green, or one root vegetable for another. Worse comes to worse, it’s fairly easy to pick out the pieces that just aren’t working for you — it’s just one more great thing about stir-fries.

Also, as with most other stir-fries, try to keep the overall volume the same as the original recipe — that way, the wok won’t be overcrowded, there will be enough sauce, etc.

Some proteins/starches that work with this sauce: fish, shrimp, scallops, chicken, pork, tofu, egg noodles, rice noodles.

Some vegetables that work well: celery, carrots, zucchini, asparagus, bell peppers (any color), long beans, green beans, brussels sprouts, any onions, and yams.

Sichuan Sweet/Spicy Eggplant and Pea Pods

Sauce: 

• 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 tsp. cornstarch

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbs. peanut or grapeseed oil
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 tsp. minced ginger
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small Japanese eggplant, cut into 1” cubes (2 cups chopped)
• 1/2 red pepper, cut into 1” cubes
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups snow peas or snap peas, stringed

Possible Garnishes:

• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal – toss in at the end or sprinkle over finished dish
• Chopped cilantro – sprinkle over finished dish
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts – tossed in with the pea pods

Method:

In small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients; set aside.

Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact.  Swirl in grapeseed oil; stirfry garlic, ginger and onion for one minute.  Add eggplant; stir-fry until eggplant begins to turn color and onions begin to soften, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add red pepper; stir-fry another minute.  Then add pea pods; continue to stir-fry until vegetables are tender-crisp.  Swirl in sauce around the sides of the wok; toss together until sauce thickens. Garnish with scallions, cilantro and nuts; and serve immediately.

I found baked kale on a fabulous, new blog that recently hit the blogosphere — me.purified.com.  J. humorously writes about her journey from the bottom of a Cheetos bag into the enlightenment of pure, healthy eating and living. Her witty prose and refreshingly honest insight will surely keep readers coming back for more. J., who is coping with the loss of popcorn and other movie snacks, takes baked kale packed in tupperware to the theatre (but, suggests taking it out of your purse before walking in — she does not condone illegal activity, wink-wink).

J. tosses kale leaves in coconut oil (all the rage right now) and salt, and bakes them on a sheet pan in a 400° oven. It works great. Seeing that it might replace my bowl of popcorn, I strayed from the recipe and sprinkled some freshly grated parmesan over the top before sending it to the oven.  It was delicious, although a little weird with the coconut oil. But, I like lots of weird stuff, so it was okay. You, on the other hand, might want to use olive oil if you decide to add some parm.

Popcorny Kale Chips

by my adored sister, J, @ me.purified.com
makes about 4 cups

• 1 head (or 1 bag, if you are lazy like me) of Kale, cut into bite size pieces
• 3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• Salt (and pepper if you want)
• Parchment paper or tin foil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a cookie sheet with tin foil/parchment paper.

Wash and thoroughly dry kale (or if you bought the pre-washed bag of Kale, take out of bag) and place in bowl.

Pour melted coconut oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Use your hands to smoosh the mixture all together to ensure an even coating on each piece.

Spread the leaves onto the parchment paper (try not to overlap too much) and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, stirring once half-way through. When the leaves are crispy and browned on the edges they are done.

These come out perfectly salty and crunchy, and since they are low carb with great vitamins, you can chow down on these like it’s nobody’s business. Just be careful when carrying them in your purse that you don’t crush them, or better yet, use Tupperware…oh, and take them out of your purse before you go into the theater.

If you haven’t pickled something yet, you really, really should.  I can’t stress that enough.  At this point, it might be considered “so last season,” but, pickles have been around a long time, and they aren’t going away anytime soon. The easiest place to start is with a fresh pickle (no canning required). Fresh pickles are very simple, take only minutes to make, and will give tonight’s dinner a little excitement — a sort of spurious glamour, if you will.

Carrot pickles are perfect alongside something rich, meaty, or fried (like egg rolls, stir-fried beef noodle, or hoisin pork buns). The acidity cuts right through the richness and cleanses the palate, which is nice, because then you can have another pork bun. That acidity also stimulates the appetite, which makes them a good appetizer — either alone or as part of an appetizer platter.

Carrot pickles can take many shapes: whole (baby carrots), spears, slices, cubes or julienned. The following recipe, by the amazing Barbara Tropp, calls for cutting the carrots on a slight angle, to make coins. Lately, I love them julienned (like the photo above), and sprinkled on green salads, scattered over Pad Thai, or wrapped up in shrimp rice paper rolls. They add a ton of flavor, wherever you put them.

Orange-Pickled Carrot Coins

China Moon Cookbook, by Barbara Tropp
makes 2-1/2 cups

• 1 lb. carrots, trimmed, peeled, and cut slightly on the diagonal into 1/16-inch thick coins, OR 12-oz. julienned carrots
• 2 tsp. finely julienned fresh ginger
• 1 red or green serrano chili or 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
• 3/4 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• Zest of 1 small orange

Place carrots in bowl. Pour enough boiling water over the carrots to amply cover them; let stand for 1 minute. (If using julienned carrots, let stand 15 seconds.) Drain and immediately plunge carrots into icy water to chill; drain and set aside.

Combine ginger, chili, vinegars, sugar and salt in a non-aluminum saucepan and bring to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the salt and sugar. Add the carrots, stirring and pushing them down into the brine. Remove from heat and stir in zest.

Transfer pickle to a storage container and let stand, uncovered, at room temperature until cool.

For fullest flavor, seal and refrigerate overnight. Serve cool or at room temperature.

You’d think pouring two whisked eggs over a pizza crust would just run all over the place.  Colt thought of that.  He stirs half the grated cheese in with the eggs — it sufficiently thickens up the egg mixture, so it can almost be spread over the pizza crust.  What a smarty-pants.  That college education is really paying off.

Breakfast Pizza

By Colton Marshall, Motion Graphic Artist, college student, and all-round smart kid
makes 1

• 1 to 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 eggs (organic, free-range, humanely-raised, if possible)
• 1/2 cup grated fontina, havarti, swiss, divided
• 1 H&L Pizza Crust, or homemade crust, partially baked
• 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
• Sriracha or Rooster Sauce, to taste
• 2 Tbs. thinly sliced scallion
• 1 ripe tomato, sliced, optional

Invert a baking sheet and place it directly on a rack in lower half of oven or toaster oven; preheat to 450°.

Heat small pan over medium-high heat. Add spinach and a splash of water and a pinch of salt. Cook until wilted; transfer to a clean kitchen towel and let cool. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out the extra moisture. Coarsely chop spinach and set aside.

In small bowl, whisk eggs with a pinch of salt. Add half of the grated cheese and stir to combine.

Brush entire top surface of pizza crust with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Drizzle desired amount of Sriracha over the top. Using the same pastry brush, create a very thin layer around the crust. Top with spinach. Using a rubber spatula, drizzle and spread the egg mixture around the crust, taking care not to get too close to the edge. Sprinkle remaining 1/4-cup of cheese and scallions over the top.

Gently slide pizza onto the inverted baking sheet. Bake until egg is just set in the middle (egg usually puffs up when it’s done) and crust is golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes, but check after 4, rotating occasionally to ensure even baking. Transfer to cutting board, garnish with tomatoes, if desired, and cut into wedges.

What would happen if I ate stir-fried noodles every day, for the rest of my life? You know, besides having my girth match the unbridled love I feel for them. This dish makes me consider it anyway.

The combination of beef, noodle, asparagus, fermented black bean, and bean sprout is rather exciting, and the flavors blend seamlessly. I found this combination in Stir-frying to the Sky’s Edge by Grace Young – the recipe was “Beef Chow Fun.” Well, we gave it a spin during our Girl’s Wokking Weekend experiment, and perhaps, got a little carried away. Someone wanted more sauce, and then some asparagus was tossed in, and one thing led to another.  Don’t get me wrong, we loved it; but, I don’t think we can call it Beef Chow Fun anymore. (Even tho, it’s still pretty fun.)

A few notes about the ingredients.

• Vegetarian: To make the dish vegetarian, omit the beef and replace it with 1-1/2 to 2 cups of vegetables. Also, add the marinade ingredients to the sauce mixture, to get the full flavor of the dish.
• Chinese Fermented Black Beans are fermented, salted black soybeans with a sharp, pungent, flavor. They give this dish its distinctive flavor — it’s simply not the same without them. If you don’t have an Asian market in your area, they are available online.
• Bean Sprouts: The bean sprouts give the dish another element of texture, especially if using soft, fresh rice noodles. They play off each other — it’s a good thing.
• Noodles: If using fresh rice noodles, and you find them a little stiff or stuck together, briefly steam them. If using dried rice noodles, soak them in hot water for about 30 minutes. If using Chinese egg noodles, cook them according to the package instructions. Just make sure all noodles are nice and dry before stir-frying.
• No Noodles: If you want to make the dish without noodles, it will still be delicious, but have less carbs. Just make up the difference with other vegetables, like julienned red and yellow peppers, carrots, thinly sliced onion, etc.

For tips and troubleshooting stir-fried noodles, click and scroll here.

Beef and Rice Noodles in Black Bean Sauce

Based on “Beef Chow Fun” in Stir-frying to the Sky’s Edge, by Grace Young 

Beef/Marinade:

• 8 oz. flank steak or skirt steak, cut against the grain into thin strips
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. Shaoxing wine
• Kosher salt and sichuan (or white) pepper, to taste
• 1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. sesame oil

Sauce: 

• 4 Tbs. oyster sauce
• 2 Tbs. Shaoxing or sherry
• 1/4 tsp. ground white pepper

Noodle/Veg/Aromatics:

• 2 Tbs. peanut or grapeseed oil
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. minced ginger
• 1 Tbs. fermented black beans, rinsed and coarsely chopped
• 4 stalks asparagus, sliced on angle into 1-inch pieces
• 4 cups noodles: 1 sheet fresh rice noodles; soaked dried rice noodles; or cooked Chinese egg noodles
• 2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed and drained well
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions

Method:

In small bowl, combine beef/marinade ingredients until cornstarch is dissolved; set aside.

In small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients; set aside.

Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact.  Swirl in 1 Tbs. of peanut oil, carefully add beef, spreading it evenly into a single layer.  Cook undisturbed for 1 minute; stir-fry 1 minute, until beef is lightly browned but not cooked through.  Transfer beef to plate.

Clean wok and return to high heat.  When hot, swirl in remaining tablespoon of oil.  Add garlic, ginger, black beans and asparagus; stir-fry until asparagus turns bright green, about 1 minute. Scootch ingredients up the sides of wok; add noodles in the center of wok, spreading them out to expose as much as possible to the well of the hot wok. Cook undisturbed for 1 minute, until noodles are slightly crusty.

Add bean sprouts; stir-fry until sprouts just begin to limp (not soften), about a minute.  Swirl in sauce around the sides of the wok; toss together. Return beef with any accumulated juices to wok; sprinkle in scallions and stir-fry until asparagus is tender-crisp and beef is just cooked through.

Feel free to use any kind of greens (or other vegetable) in this recipe — the sauce is very versatile. Try bok choy, yu choy sum, Chinese broccoli, cabbage, spinach, snow or snap peas, kale, long beans, asparagus, etc. In the photo above, I stir-fried bok choy, broccoli, and cauliflower (cauliflower obviously isn’t a green, but I had it on-hand, and it was delicious).

Tip: Many stir-fry recipes call for quickly blanching sturdy vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower or green beans, because they take a while to cook. It works brilliantly for beans. However, when I use this method for broccoli or cauliflower, it’s difficult to dry the heads sufficiently. Even slightly wet vegetables steam, rather than stir-fry. But, if I cut broccoli and cauliflower into small, almost bite-sized pieces, they stir-fry up in no time. And, I save an extra step. Anyway, take it for what it’s worth.

Stir-fried Yau Choi

Stir-frying to the Sky’s Edge, by Grace Young
serves 3 to 4 as a side dish

Sauce:

• 2 Tbs. oyster sauce
• 1 Tbs. fish sauce
• Pinch of ground white or Sichuan pepper

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. yau choi or baby bok choy, rinsed and dried well
• 1 Tbs. peanut or grapeseed oil
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• Pinch of kosher salt

Method:

Combine sauce ingredients in small bowl; set aside.

Trim ends of yau choi,  if needed. Cut stalks in half lengthwise, if large.

Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact.  Swirl in oil.  Add garlic; stir-fry until fragrant, about 5 seconds. Quickly add yau choi and pinch of salt; stir-fry until leaves are just limp and yau choi is bright green (this may take a few minutes, depending on your heat source). Pour in sauce around edges of the wok; stir-fry until yau choi is tender-crisp.  Serve immediately.

This recipe/family fun comes from Martin Yan’s Chinatown Cooking. Anything and everything is fair game, as long as you stick to the amount guidelines — 4 cups rice and 2 cups meat/vegetables. The only tricky part is knowing when to add the chosen ingredients to the wok. Usually, the order is: oil, aromatics, meat, veg, egg, rice, sauce. But, that often depends on the type and size of meat and/or vegetables.

For a whole lot of tips, check out: Troubleshooting Fried Rice

Something for Everyone Fried Rice

Adapted from Chinatown Cooking by Martin Yan
You can use more meat and less vegetable, or vice versa, or make it completely vegetarian. Just be sure to not exceed 2 cups.

Sauce: 

• 2 Tbs. chicken stock (omit, for a stronger sauce)
• 1 to 2 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1 to 2 Tbs. oyster sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil

Main Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs. peanut or grapeseed oil, divided
• 1 cup uncooked meat or seafood, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and ground Sichuan pepper, to season
• 2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. minced ginger
• 1 cup assorted vegetables cut into 1/2-inch pieces (carrots, celery, bok choy, peas, snap peas, long beans, zucchini, scallions, peppers, etc.)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten with pinch of salt
• 4 cups cold, cooked day-old rice

Garnishes:

• 1/4 cup sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts like macadamias, almonds, peanuts or cashews, optional

Method:

Combine sauce ingredients in small bowl; set aside.

Heat 14″ wok over high heat until a bead of water evaporates in a second. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add seafood or meat, a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir-fry until nearly done; transfer to plate and set aside.

Wipe out wok and swirl in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add garlic, ginger and harder vegetables (onion, carrots, celery); stir-fry for about one minute. Scatter medium vegetables (bok choy, pea pods, blanched beans) over the top, and stir-fry another minute or so.  Scatter soft vegetables (thawed peas) over the top and bring together.

Push vegetables up sides of wok. Add remaining tablespoon of oil to well of wok. Pour eggs into center; stir until lightly scrambled.  Add rice and stir-fry until everything is mixed together. Swirl in sauce around sides of wok and return meat or seafood to wok; stir-fry until everything is cooked and mixed together nicely.  Garnish with scallions and nuts.

It didn’t look like it was going to taste good, but it really does!” said her adorable, picky little eaters. And they ate every bit. Success!

You can’t really screw up fried rice. But, if you want it perfect, here are a few tips from all my research, and a few odd ones that just work for me.

THE RICE.

• Rinse raw rice. Chinese cooks always rinse rice until the water runs clear; this removes the excess starch that can make rice gummy.
• Fluff cooked rice while it’s hot. This technique loosens the grains, making it easier to stir-fry later.
• Day-old rice is best because it’s cold and much of the moisture has gone, making it easier to separate the grains when frying. (Warm, fresh rice sticks to the wok and turns gummy.)
• In a time pinch, spread out cooked rice on a sheet pan and refrigerate, uncovered, to cool it down quickly.  When it’s cool, go for it.
• Brown Rice is heartier, and therefore, may need a little more aggressive seasoning — sauce and aromatics.

THE BASIC METHOD.

• Avoid overfilling wok. In a 14” wok, you want about 6 to 8 cups of any combination of ingredients; most recipes call for 4 cups of cold cooked rice and no more than 2 cups of chopped meat or vegetables.  You can easily change the amount of the individual ingredients, just be sure the total dish amount doesn’t exceed 7 or 8 cups.
• Always have a sizzle. The moment the rice hits the wok, it should sizzle, meaning the wok is sufficiently heated. That sizzle should continue throughout the process; thus, when adding ingredients, don’t add too many, too quickly — give the wok time to return to the proper temperature.

MAIN INGREDIENTS.
Ingredients are added one by one, and timed perfectly, to build the final dish. The tricky part is knowing when to add the chosen ingredients to the wok.  In most recipes, the order is: oil, aromatics, meat, vegetables, egg, rice, and finally, sauce. But, that often depends on the type and size of meat and/or vegetables.

• Cut everything into bite-sized pieces. Everything will cook quickly and evenly.
• If using seafood. If seafood is stir-fried at the beginning (until just barely done), transferred to a plate, and added back in at the end, it won’t have a chance to overcook.
• For that matter, if using meat or poultry, I would treat it the same as the seafood, and saute it separately at the beginning. The reason I cook the meat/seafood until “just barely” done is two-fold. 1.) hot meat continues to cook somewhat, even after it has been removed from the heat source. If your chicken is completely done in the wok, it will get a little more done just sitting on the plate, especially in a pile.  And 2.) At the end of the process, when the wok is full (with about 6 cups of stuff), it’s almost impossible for a home stove to keep the wok at a high temperature. A filled wok will steam ingredients, rather than stir-fry them. If your chicken isn’t cooked when you toss it in at the end, by the time it is finished, the other ingredients can get soggy.
• Stir-fry aromatics with vegetables. Most stir-fry recipes call for cooking the aromatics until fragrant, and then adding an ingredient. Mine burn almost every time, before I can toss in the next ingredient. But if I add something with it, like onions and/or carrots, it’s much more manageable. They still get fragrant, but they don’t burn.
• Add harder vegetables first. These are veges that require a longer cooking time, even if everything is cut into bite-sized pieces. These include: onions, carrots, broccoli, celery, etc.
• Add medium/soft vegetables after. These are veges that you want tender-crisp and not at all overdone. These include: asparagus, peas, pea pods, maybe peppers, zucchini, etc.
• Use oil for eggs. Most recipes call for the vegetables to be scootched up the sides of the wok, add a tablespoon of oil to the wok’s well, and then pour in and scramble the eggs. To save an extra 124 calories, I’ve skimped on that last bit of oil. Don’t do it. They stick like a son of a gun, and you’ll have brown eggs. It’ll stop being fun at that point, I promise.
• Seasoning: Interestingly enough, Chinese fried rice is usually sauced simply with soy sauce; Thai rice with fish sauce; Martin Yan has a recipe that includes oyster sauce and sesame oil, which is unusual.  I think it’s fun to mix and match and see what you like. For me, aromatics like garlic and ginger are essential for solid flavor; other good and interesting aromatics include shallots and lemongrass.
• Swirl in sauce around the edges. A full wok already has a tough time maintaining a high temperature; pouring sauce in the middle will only exacerbate the problem.
• Last Resort. If you are anywhere in the process and really having a problem (burning, sticking, etc.), there’s no shame in stir-frying everything in batches. Cook meat; remove; cook veges; remove; cook egg in separate egg pan; wok the rice; add everything back to wok and sauce it up.

Come on, Monsoon, give it up. I’ll still come for the Imperial Spring Rolls.

There are many versions of this classic dish. This recipe has good, solid flavor without overpowering the delicate greens, and is very quick to put together.  You can use any greens you have on hand (broccoli, pea pods, cabbage, yu choy sum, asparagus, Chinese broccoli, etc.), just be sure it’s about the same amount (8 ounces).

Also, feel free to experiment with the mushrooms. If you are lucky enough to live near a great Asian market like Iwajimaya, you’ll have a wide variety of both fresh and dried. Among the fresh mushrooms, try cremini, oyster, portobello, shiitake, eryngii (the king), chanterelle (in the fall), morels (in the spring), enoki, Shimeji, etc. There are a zillion dried mushrooms as well, but for this particular recipe, I prefer cloud ears (not to be confused with wood ears, which are quite a bit thicker and not as flavorful). Soak dried mushrooms in hot water for about 15 minutes or so, until they soften, and proceed with any recipe.

Photo: Shanghai or Baby Bok Choy

Shanghai Bok Choy with Oyster Sauce and Mushrooms

Sauce:

• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 2 Tbs. oyster sauce
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1 /2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp. cornstarch

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 8 medium fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced or quartered
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 8 oz. Shanghai or baby bok choy, rinsed and dried well
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1 Tbs. peanut or grapeseed oil

Method:

Combine sauce ingredients in small bowl; set aside.

Trim ends of bok choy, if needed. Cut lengthwise in halves or quarters, depending on thickness. (If using large greens, cut into manageable pieces.)

Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact.  Swirl in 1 Tbs. peanut oil. Add garlic, mushrooms and shallots; stir-fry until mushrooms are tender, about 2 minutes. Add bok choy; stir-fry until greens are bright green and just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes (could be longer, depending on your heat source). Pour in sauce around edges of the wok; stir-fry until bok choy is tender-crisp and sauce thickens, another minute or two.  Serve immediately.

The ingredients in Pad Thai are different than I thought they were — I don’t know what I expected, but that wasn’t it. In Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid brought back authentic recipes from their culinary journey through southeast Asia, and I couldn’t wait to try their version. The sauce is simple – tamarind, soy sauce, fish sauce. It’s beautiful in its simplicity, and highly addictive. Add rice noodles, pork, tofu, peanuts and bean sprouts, and you have a solid Pad Thai from which everyone at the table can add various condiments and accompaniments to suit their tastes.

Tamarind, the foundation of Pad Thai sauce, is a pod-like fruit from the tamarind tree. The pulp smells somewhat pruney, but the taste is astringent — like lime juice or vinegar; in fact, it’s used as the acidity component of many Asian dishes. You can buy tamarind as fresh pods, juice, concentrated juice, puree, paste, and pulp with seeds. Leela at She Simmers says your goal for using it in Pad Thai is to get a concentrated puree with very little water. Apparently the pre-jarred stuff in the grocery store is too watery, which won’t give your dish the desired impact. Your best move is to buy the “Tamarind Pulp with Seeds,” which is basically a pliable block of tamarind pulp, seeds and membranes. It’s looks a little daunting, but don’t let it scare you off. The whole process of making tamarind puree is very easy and kinda fun. Place equal parts tamarind pulp and water into a bowl and work it with your fingertips into a puree, removing the pulp from the seeds and veiny bits.

Use both hands for extra pleasure.” suggests Leela

Then remove the seeds/solids either by squeezing the mixture through your hands, letting the puree run through your fingers, thereby leaving the solids in your palm; or by gently working the puree with a rubber spatula through a sieve into another bowl. The result is a concentrated puree, thick enough to hold a spoon upright.

Tip: If you puree an entire 14-oz block of tamarind with 14-oz of water, you’ll have about 2 cups extra on-hand, which is always a good thing. It will last a couple weeks in the refrigerator or longer in the freezer (freeze in ice cube trays for convenience).

I’m not sure why I’m even trying to explain any of this. If you really want to understand Pad Thai in all its glory, Leela has published an entire series dedicated to the ingredients, steps, utensils, etc. of Pad Thai.  She Simmers is beautifully written and the photos are exquisite. Here’s her well documented post on how to prepare tamarind; and from there you can leisurely wander through the stories of her life, and become inspired by a whole host of dishes from her native Thailand. (You’ll wish your computer screen had a “scratch and sniff” app.) And then, you can come back here and look at my recipe for chipped beef on toast – it’s riveting.

The only reason we didn’t try Leela’s recipe that weekend, is because palm sugar isn’t available where my Mom lives, and our demo recipes needed to have that whole easy accessibility thing.

My first attempt at Pad Thai went well, but it didn’t have quite enough punch. I wanted a little more sauce, which was 1 T tamarind, 1 T soy, 1 T fish sauce. Most likely, the problem was not the recipe’s fault; various brands can make a huge difference in a dish’s outcome. Bumping up the sauce (3 T tamarind, 3 T soy, 3 T fish) made the dish fantastic. In fact, the third time, the Kid said it was “the best Pad Thai he’s ever eaten.” I hope my slight alterations don’t make it any less authentic, like the equivalent of pouring ketchup on top. But like I said, brands vary, and so do heating elements, wok thicknesses, stir-frying technique — it all makes a difference. I say, play with the dish and have fun — and play with the following list of accompaniments — now, they actually are riveting.

Pad Thai with Tofu

serves 3 to 4
Recipe adapted from Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford & Naomi Duguid

Sauce:

• 3 heaping Tbs. tamarind pulp, dissolved in 5 Tbs. warm water and pressed through a sieve (as described above)
• 3 Tbs. soy sauce
• 3 Tbs. fish sauce

Main Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs. peanut or grapeseed oil, divided
• 4 oz. extra-firm or firm tofu, cut into strips or cubes, dried on paper towel
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup thinly julienned carrots, optional
• 7 to 8 oz. dried rice noodles, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and drained well
• 2 large eggs and pinch of salt, lightly beaten
• 1-1/2 cups bean sprouts
• 3 scallions or Chinese chives, sliced
• 1 to 2 Tbs. dried shrimp, optional
• 1 to 2 Tbs. salted radish, optional
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Accompaniments:

• Chile-Vinegar Sauce, Cayenne pepper, Sugar, Thinly sliced cucumber, Lettuce leaves, Lime wedges

Method:

Stir together sauce ingredients in small bowl; set aside.

Heat 14″ wok over high heat until a bead of water evaporates in a second. Swirl in 1 Tbs. of the oil; carefully add tofu in even layer along bottom of wok; sprinkle with salt and cook undisturbed for about 1 minute. When tofu is golden, it will release itself from the wok and not stick; at this point flip each piece over to fry on the other side. Using Chinese spatula, transfer tofu to a platter and wipe out any remaining bits from wok.

Swirl in 1 Tbs. of the oil. Add garlic and carrots; stir-fry until garlic is fragrant and golden, about 20 seconds. Quickly add noodles; with tongs in one hand (easier with long noodles) and a spatula or wooden spoon in the other, stir-fry vigorously, pressing them against the hot wok to sear and heat them; stir and press again.  Keep tossing and pressing until they are softened and warm. (If noodles stick together in one mass; don’t worry, just keep going, they will regain composure once the sauce goes in.) Move noodles up the sides of wok; add remaining tablespoon of oil at the bottom of the well. Pour eggs into center; stir until they are just barely set.

Quickly scatter in bean sprouts, scallions, dried shrimp, radish and fried tofu; toss briefly to bring everything together.  Pour sauce around the sides of the wok; stir-fry until ingredients are incorporated and everything is hot.  Garnish with peanuts and serve with accompaniments.

I find the combination of artichokes, potatoes, olives and some form of spicy cured pork product completely irresistible.

It’s that whole ”whole is greater than the sum of its parts” part. I’m sure you know what I mean. Each ingredient has a unique flavor profile, and is wickedly good on its own; but (in this case) when earthy, rich, spicy and briny come together, their characteristics counterpoint each other and create an entirely new, cohesive taste — something even better. The problem for me in this situation is: I get a slightly different bite each time, so I keep on eating it, even after I’m full. Bleh, that sounds like a complete lack of will power.  Maybe it is.  I can own that.

Peeling an artichoke isn’t as daunting as it might seem by looking at them, but it does take some time. If you haven’t prepped one before, but think you’d like to, Elise at Simply Recipes posted an excellent photo-demo with step-by-step instructions called, How to Trim an Artichoke. When trying something new in the kitchen, it really helps me to repeat the process a few more times fairly soon afterwards.  When I learned to prep artichoke hearts, I was working in a restaurant and had to do a whole case. Obviously, that’s a pretty good lesson, but if I didn’t have that opportunity, I could’ve learned it just as well by prepping five artichokes one day, then five more a week later, and maybe five more three months after that, just to refresh.  If you repeat something enough times, it’s yours.

I’ve never actually eaten a frozen artichoke (something I will rectify soon), but I hear they taste great; in fact, some people even prefer them.  I have used canned artichokes tho, when fresh were out of season, and they really need to be tossed in olive oil and roasted to remove the tinny taste. Whether you use fresh, frozen or canned artichokes for this pizza, toss the sliced hearts in extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast in a 375° oven until they are soft and tasty.

Roasted Artichoke and Sopressata Picante Pizza
makes 1

• 1 to 2 small new potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 3 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme or rosemary, divided
• 2 to 3 artichoke hearts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 H&L Pizza Crust, or homemade crust, partially baked
• 1/2 cup grated fontina, havarti or fresh cheese
• 10 slices sopressata picante or other spicy salami
• 5-7 black olives, pitted and sliced
• 1-2 Tbs. fresh herbs, like basil, parsley, oregano, rosemary or a combination

Preheat oven to 375°.

Toss potato slices with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread out into a single layer on a small parchment-lined sheet pan; season with salt and 1 teaspoon of the thyme; and bake until just tender.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Toss artichoke pieces with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Spread out on a small parchment-lined sheet pan (you can use the same pan/parchment from the potatoes or bake them on separate sheets at the same time); season with salt and remaining teaspoon of the thyme. Bake until tender and golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside.

Invert a baking sheet and place it directly on a rack in lower half of oven; increase heat to 450°.

Brush entire top surface of pizza crust with remaining tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Top with cheese, sliced potatoes and sopressata, followed by the artichoke hearts and olives.

Slide pizza onto the inverted baking sheet. Bake until cheese is bubbly and crust is golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes, but check after 4, rotating occasionally to ensure even baking. Transfer pizza to cutting board, garnish with fresh herbs, cut into wedges and serve.

Cocktail Pairings: Last Word, Lemon Drop, French 75
Mocktail Pairings: Pink-Basil Mocktini, French 25

Hoisin, or Chinese Barbeque sauce, is made from fermented soy, garlic, something sweet and chilies. It’s quite salty, and some brands can be too sweet. Did you ever go to the white-trash Chinese take-out (back before we knew what real Chinese food was) and have Mu Shu Pork with the dark, thick, cloyingly sweet/salty sauce?  That’s hoisin, straight from the jar.

This recipe has beautiful hoisin flavor; but it’s not at all overwhelming, like some hoisin-based stir-fries can be. In fact, the sauce is surprisingly versatile, meaning you can easily substitute any of the vegetables or meat, depending on the season or what you have on hand.

As far as the protein goes, the sauce works with shrimp or beef, but it’s especially nice with pork.  And, if you want to change up the vegetables, or make it completely vegetarian, try:

• asparagus, spring onions, pea vines, Shanghai (baby) bok choy and/or carrots in the spring,
• Japanese eggplant, long beans, red/yellow peppers, zucchini, pattypan and/or yellow squash in the summer,
• yu choy, wild mushrooms, any of the autumn squashes, lotus root, and/or Asian yams in the fall,
• or, cauliflower, bok choy, broccoli rabe, dinosaur kale, parsnips and/or turnips in the winter.

Just a couple more thoughts.  First, I used the velveting technique in this recipe (cooking the chicken in simmering water for one minute prior to stir-frying), because it creates the most succulent juicy meat ever. You don’t have to do it, it is one extra step; but I’m confident that once you try it, you’ll never go back to stir-frying it straight. Even when I’m feeling lazy, I will summon up the last bit of energy to boil up some water — the result is that good.  And second, you can use white or dark meat, depending on your preference, but if you tend to overcook chicken “just to be safe,” then may I suggest chicken thighs. Dark meat can take a little extra cooking without drying out as much — you get more flavor anyway.

And last, but not least, here’s the link to all the basic stir-frying methods/tips.

Stir-fried Chicken with Snow Peas, Red Peppers and Hoisin Sauce

serves 4 to 6
Recipe adapted from Stir-frying to the Sky’s Edge by Grace Young. Be sure to use an all-natural hoisin sauce (no msg, dyes, etc.); it’s worth paying a little more for your health.

Chicken/Marinade:

• 8 oz. chicken breast and/or thigh, cut into thin, bite-sized slices
• 1 Tbs. egg white, lightly beaten
• 1-1/2 Tbs. Shaoxing or sherry
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground Sichuan pepper

Sauce: 

• 4 Tbs. hoisin sauce
• 1 Tbs. soy sauce
• 1 Tbs. chicken stock
• 2 Tbs. Shaoxing or sherry

Veg/Aromatics:

• 1 Tbs. minced ginger
• 1 Tbs. minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, or less
• 1/2 onion, diced into 1-inch pieces (about same size as peppers)
• 1 red, yellow or green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares, about 1-1/2 cups
• 1 cup snow peas or snap peas, strings removed, sliced on an angle into bite-sized pieces (small ones can be left whole)
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
• 1/3 cup cashews or peanuts

To Stir-fry:

• 2 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. peanut or grapeseed oil

Method:

In medium bowl, combine chicken/marinade ingredients until cornstarch is dissolved; set aside to marinate for about 20 minutes.

In small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients; set aside.

Prep all veg/aromatic ingredients and organize into sections on a plate (it’s much easier to bring an orderly plate to the wok and swoosh in various ingredients with your stir-frying utensil, rather than scooping them up in multiple batches from a cutting board).

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil over high heat; reduce to a simmer and add 1 teaspoon of the oil. Carefully add chicken, stirring with a chopstick to keep the pieces from sticking together.  Let simmer one minute, until opaque, but not cooked through.  Using a Chinese strainer, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Heat wok over high heat until a bead of water vaporizes within 1 to 2 seconds of contact; swirl in 1 Tbs. of the oil.  Carefully add chicken, spreading it in a single layer; cook undisturbed for 1 minute.  Stir-fry 1 minute or until chicken is lightly browned, but just about cooked through.  Transfer to plate and set aside.

Clean wok and return it to high heat.  When hot, swirl in remaining tablespoon of oil; add onion, ginger, garlic and pepper flakes; stir-fry about one minute, until onion just begins to soften.  Add peppers; stir-fry another minute. Then add pea pods; stir-fry until they turn bright green, another minute or so.

Return chicken and accumulated juices to wok. Swirl in broth mixture around the sides of the wok; stir-fry until chicken is cooked through, vegetable are tender-crisp, and sauce thickens, about 1 more minute.

Wokking rocks! I think a lot of us believe stir-frying is healthy, family-friendly, and something exciting to get us out of the usual weeknight dinner rut. And it is. But, if you can’t get your wok properly seasoned, your noodles stick, and the vegetables in your Chow Fun are just not having a good time, it quickly becomes not worth it. All too often we give up after a try or two. My sister, Jill, the queen of witticism, nailed it:

I cannot tell you how livid I get when I waste my time and money on something that is gross. Then, I am livid and hungry. There is nothing worse than that. Ask my kids.”

Here are my notes from our “Caution: Girls Wokking” weekend experiment, copied, pasted and revised.  Most of the information comes from Grace Young‘s book, The Breath of a Wok, which is truly the most respectful, in-depth, well-written book on woks.  If you are interested in wokking at all, this book will inspire you.

WOK HAY:

I think of wok hay as the breath of a wok — when a wok breathes energy into a stir-fry, giving foods a unique concentrated flavor and aroma.” — Grace Young

Wok Hay, a Cantonese expression, is what we aspire to achieve. It is breathed into a stir-fry via the correct fire power (fo hao), and supposedly dissipates within minutes.  So time your dish accordingly, and “relish those first irresistible succulent morsels.”

STIR-FRYING TIPS:

• The Best wok for home is a well-seasoned, flat-bottomed, 14″ carbon steel wok. It sits close to the heat source.
• Heat the wok completely.  Heat until a whiff of smoke is released and a bead of water will evaporate in a second. Cold oil drizzled into a hot wok will dance or ripple on the surface.
• Hot wok / cold oil = ingredients won’t stick.  Cold oil / cold wok = problems.
• The Best oils are ones with the highest smoking point: safflower (450°), grapeseed (446°), peanut (410°), corn (410°), avocado (520°), rice bran (500°). Note: heating oil changes its characteristics; some can become unhealthy when heated beyond its smoking point.
• Keep the wok as hot as possible.  The biggest challenge is to keep the wok hot throughout the entire cooking process, or food will become soggy rather than stir-fried. To ensure success: 1) add ingredients one at a time; 2) don’t exceed the total amount of ingredients; 3) add sauce by drizzling it around the edges, rather than dumping into the center. These tips will keep the temperature from dropping. You want to hear that sizzle throughout the entire process.
• Maximum of 12 oz. of meat at one time.  Any more than this and the meat turns foamy and gray within seconds, releasing its juices, crowding the wok, and making it impossible to sear.
• Spread meat around into a single layer to prevent pieces from clumping together and losing contact with the wok’s hot surface.  Leave the meat untouched for 20-60 seconds, allowing it to sear and intensify its flavors; then stir-fry for 10-15 seconds; spread the meat into a single layer once more, and let it sear for at least 30 seconds; then continue stir-frying.
• Maximum of 3 to 4 cups of vegetables in a dish.  Larger quantities quickly drop the temperature of the wok, consequently, the ingredients steam rather than stir-fry, and you’ll have a puddle of water at the bottom.
• Very dry ingredients.  If washing greens or other vegetable, make sure they are completely dry.  A salad spinner works well for washed greens.
• Place all vegetable/aromatic ingredients on a plate — it makes the process a lot easier to maneuver. Stir-frying is very hot and goes fast, it’s much easier to bring an orderly plate to the wok and swoosh in various ingredients with your stir-frying utensil, rather than scooping them up in multiple batches from a cutting board. (The garlic can burn by the time you get the ginger there.)
• Serve immediately.  You don’t want to lose that wok hay. Stir-fry is like a souffle or risotto — they wait for it, not the other way around.

STIR-FRYING METHODS:

• The Chinese word for “stir-fry” in Cantonese is chau (chow). “The chau motion is not a stirring action, but is closer to a tumbling, tossing, or a quick scooping action. The goal is to continuously toss bite-sized ingredients in a small amount of oil in a wok over high heat so that each morsel is constantly exposed to the hot wok’s well. The result is a light searing of ingredients that allows them to cook both quickly and uniformly without burning or charring.”
• Velveting: This is a Cantonese cooking technique (known as waat) that produces light, delicate, tender succulence. Yes, that’s right. It is “accomplished by briefly marinating bite-sized pieces of beef, pork, chicken, fish, shrimp, or scallops in a standard combination of egg white, cornstarch, and a little water or rice wine. The morsels are then blanched in oil or water and thoroughly drained in a colander before being stir-fried.” Blanching in oil is a little trickier and longer process.  Alternatively, ingredients can be blanched in water with a touch of added oil, resulting in a very tender product, with much less hassle, and way fewer calories — this is an extraordinary low-fat cooking technique.

TIPS FOR FRIED RICE.

• Rinse raw rice. Chinese cooks always rinse rice until the water runs clear; this removes the excess starch that can make rice gummy.
• Fluff cooked rice while it’s hot. This technique loosens the grains, making it easier to stir-fry later.
• Day-old rice is best because it’s cold and much of the moisture has gone, making it easier to separate the grains when frying. (Warm, fresh rice sticks to the wok and turns gummy.)
• In a time pinch, spread out cooked rice on a sheet pan and refrigerate, uncovered, to cool it down quickly.  When it’s cool, go for it.
• Avoid overfilling wok. In a 14” wok, you want about 6 to 8 cups of any combination of ingredients; most recipes call for 4 cups of cold cooked rice and no more than 2 cups of chopped meat or vegetables.  You can easily change the amount of the individual ingredients, just be sure the total dish amount doesn’t exceed 7 or 8 cups.
• Always have a sizzle. The moment the rice hits the wok, it should sizzle, meaning the wok is sufficiently heated. That sizzle should continue throughout the process; thus, when adding ingredients, don’t add too many, too quickly — give the wok time to return to the proper temperature.
• Seasoning: Interestingly enough, Chinese fried rice is usually sauced simply with soy sauce; Thai rice with fish sauce; Martin Yan has a recipe that includes oyster sauce and sesame oil, which is unusual.  I think it’s fun to mix and match and see what you like. For me, aromatics like garlic and ginger are essential for solid flavor; other good and interesting aromatics include shallots and lemongrass.
• Brown Rice is heartier, and therefore, may need a little more aggressive seasoning — sauce and aromatics.

TIPS FOR WOKKING NOODLES:

• Toss cooked noodles in a little oil. One of the most popular noodles to stir-fry are the thick, fresh egg noodles found in the Chinese market. After boiling according to package directions, drain in colander, rinse under cold water, and shake vigorously to remove excess water.  Then toss in a drizzle of sesame or vegetable oil and spread out onto a baking tray to keep them separated.
• Broad rice noodles, also known as chow fun noodles, are best used the day of purchase without refrigeration.  If they are cold, steam them for 10 minutes to re-soften; and allow to cool before cutting.
• Dried rice noodles must be soaked in warm water for 20-30 minutes until soft and pliable. After soaking, drain in colander and vigorously shake out excess water.  Then toss in a drizzle of sesame or vegetable oil and spread out onto a baking tray.
• Avoid overfilling wok: In a 14” wok, you want about 6 to 8 cups of any combination of ingredients.
• Always have a sizzle. The moment the noodles hit the wok, it should sizzle, meaning the wok is sufficiently heated. That sizzle should continue throughout the process; thus, when adding ingredients, don’t add too many, too quickly — give the wok time to return to the proper temperature.
• Use a pair of wooden (plastic will melt) chopsticks or tongs in one hand and a metal spatula or wooden spoon in the other. Toss the noodles as you would a salad to loosen the mass.
• It’s considered bad luck to cut noodles before eating.  Noodles are a symbol or longevity in Chinese culture; however, Grace has met many Chinese cooks who insist on cutting noodles into 6- to 8-inch lengths to make them easier to combine with other ingredients.

If cleaning and seasoning a new wok is so easy, like they say, why do so many of us get on chat rooms asking if we did it right?

I’ve been involved in two wok seasonings, and to this day, I’m not sure if we completely removed the manufacturer’s coating.  My sister could still be eating broccoli with oyster sauce and waxy gunk.

Here’s the good news.  Apparently, you can’t, I repeat, can not ruin a wok.  I read somewhere that someone scrubbed rust from a wok with sandpaper.  You can’t ruin it. You can ruin the seasoning, but then you just re-season it.  With that warm thought in mind, here’s a list of varied ways to remove the stubborn coating and season your new wok.  And if one doesn’t work, carry on down the list until you’ve tried them all. Trying them all won’t ruin it; because, that’s right, you can’t ruin a wok.

How to Remove the Manufacturer’s Coating.

Many woks are protected with various coatings (wax, machine oil, grease) to keep them from rusting before the first use.  I’ve heard the coating can vary in color as well; mine have all been grayish, but apparently there are blue and yellow ones too.  Some may have residual metal powder.  Regardless of whatever is on your wok, it needs to be completely removed before “the seasoning” can commence.

• Steel Wool Scrub.  This is a very common way to remove the gunk: Scrub thoroughly with a pad of steel wool, hot water and mild dish soap.  This process may require more than one pad.
• Troubleshooting:  If that doesn’t work, I have used a green, heavy-duty scrubbing pad before, and it worked great. This approach may scratch your wok, but think of her as a woman over 40: wokking (like life) is crazy-fast and blazing hot, she’s going to see some action, but those battle scars will be part of her charm.
• Baking Soda Bath.  (Photo below.)  I recently heard of this method, and it is genius. Wash wok in hot, soapy water; dry the outside and place on stove.  Fill with hot water and 1/3-cup baking soda. (It’s easier and more efficient to fill the wok about three-quarters of the way, place on stove, and finish filling it to the top with a pitcher.  A 14″ wok holds a lot of water and is quite heavy when filled to the brim; getting a full wok from sink to stove is tricky business.)  Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.  Boil at full speed for 20 minutes.

• Troubleshooting: Okay, when I did this, the water never actually came to a full rolling boil (photo below), and my stove is good.  Perhaps my fan was too powerful, but the coating on the bottom of the wok was being burned off by some pretty fierce heat, and I wasn’t about to breathe in those fumes.  I let it go on high heat for about an hour, replacing the water as it evaporated. Hand-pounded woks are slightly uneven, so the water level was at capacity on one side, but there was 1/8-inch gap on the other.  I got a pastry brush and occasionally brushed the soda water onto the exposed gap.  It worked, and I could LITerally see the coating buckle around the edges.

• Potato Skins. Last Thanksgiving I bought a French carbon steel saute pan and the instructions said to toss in some potato skins, fill the rest of the way with water, and boil for 20 or 30 minutes. It worked brilliantly.  Plus, I had 17 people coming over for Thanksgiving dinner, so I had a lot of potato skins available. (Insert smiley emoticon here.)
• Last Resort.  The baking soda method worked very well, it felt noticeably cleaner, however, there were a few spots that didn’t feel completely smooth.  I was cleaning the hood the same night as seasoning the new woks, and it hit me, orange grease remover.  You know, the kind chefs use to clean the hood? I hesitate to recommend this because, well, for legal reasons, obviously, but also because it could have been a fluke.  It made sense to me at the time, but I’ve never heard of it before. Apply a tiny amount with a paper towel; then use a few more paper towels to remove the remover; then wash really, really well with hot, soapy water and a sponge.  It was a Godsend.  But, you have been warned.

How to Know if the Coating is Gone.

• Two ways: the feel and smell.  Until I had such defining results with this last baking-soda-orange-goop method, “the knowing” was always the part that drove me crazy. Here’s my take. When the coating is gone, the texture should feel different, although it is slight (somewhere between clean and cleaner).  If you aren’t sure, place the wok over high heat, if your eyes water or you feel like you’re getting high from the fumes, there may be residual coating.  Now, bear in mind, the outside of the wok sitting on the heat source could be the brazen chemicals you are smelling — I spend most of my scrubbing power on the inside, where the food is going, and have, in the past, somewhat neglected the outside.  Try giving the outside one more good scrubbing with steel wool, and put it on the heat again.  If you are even slightly concerned of possible residual muck on the inside, try another cleaning process, just to be safe.

How to Season Your New Wok.

Now that your wok is clean, it needs to be seasoned, to build a patina: i.e. the protective covering that prevents rust from forming and food from sticking.  A well-seasoned wok is black.

• Oven Method.  This is hands-down the easiest and most efficient method, and it’s idiot-proof.  Preheat oven to 450°.  If your wok has wooden handles, wrap the exposed wood in a damp cloth, and wrap that with a double layer of aluminum foil.  Using a paper towel, rub a thin layer of grapeseed or peanut oil inside and outside the wok. Place wok upside-down on oven rack and cook for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven, carefully remove foil and cloth (it comes off much easier when hot), and let cool.  Feel free to repeat the process to build up the patina.
• Stovetop Method.  Place wok on stove over high heat.  Pour in 2 or 3 tablespoons of grapeseed or peanut oil.  Carefully tilt the wok back and forth, covering the entire surface inside.  Use extreme caution, you don’t want to spill the oil and cause a grease fire.  The goal is to “burn” the oil into the wok until it builds up a dark patina.  This process may take a while, and sometimes the coloring is uneven; but just keep working through the process until it is dark and seasoned.  (Or just do the oven method, and go watch Downton Abbey.)
• Salt Method for Gas Stoves Only.  Place wok on gas stovetop over high heat and pour in 1 cup of salt.  Cook for 20 minutes, pushing the salt up the sides, covering the entire surface of the wok.  When the wok is black, carefully transfer salt to heat proof dish and wipe out wok.

What to do with Your Newly-Seasoned Wok.

• Traditional Garlic Chive Stir-fry. Sometimes a new wok will transfer a slight metal taste to the first dish, so before you waste money and effort on Kung Pao Chicken, stir-fry a handful of garlic chives (or a garlic/ginger combo) in a good dose of grapeseed or peanut oil (top photo), scootching them up the sides, covering the entire inside surface.  When they blacken, toss them out, wipe out the wok and you are ready for your first dish.  It’s easy and works every time.
• 3 Fatty Dishes. A new wok is thirsty and will “drink a lot of oil.”  Grace Young, wok diva, suggests that the first few dishes be really fatty — like bacon or fried chicken. Also, for a while, stay away from anything too acidic, until the wok builds up a nice patina. With the first few dishes, my new woks lost some of the copper color, a couple areas were more silver; but, most of it is beginning to turn black.  Just keep wokking — the more you wok, the better the patina, and the less food will stick.

Excellent Resources.

• The Wok Shop.  The brilliant ladies at the Wok Shop, in San Francisco’s Chinatown, are the professionals, and have methods they’ve been using for years.  During my last trip to the shop, they gave me the Baking Soda tip.  Check out their website for great how-to videos.
• Grace Young’s Books.  Grace Young has written two remarkable in-depth books specifically about wokking.  The Breath of a Wok not only offers tips on choosing, seasoning and using a wok, but also leads you through the story of woks, her journey to China to both find a wok and research recipes.  Her follow-up book, Stir-frying to the Sky’s Edge, is everything you would ever want to know about stir-frying.  The recipes are straightforward, well-written, and they work.

My stir-fries suck. Some vegetables get mushy, while others aren’t done; and despite what I put in them, they all taste the same. How can that be?” my sister asked.

I didn’t know.  We live in different cities, I’ve never eaten her stir-fries, how could I know exactly what she meant?  I tossed out some trouble-shooting tips and promised a few recipes in my next email.  And then it hit us – Girls Wokking Weekend!

My fabulous Sisters come up every so often for a girls cooking weekend: partly to experiment with unknown dishes, and partly to escape for some responsibility-free frivolity, bonding time, and good food. (Okay, mostly for that last bit, but we do learn a lot.)  Plus, I have some amazing books on wok cooking, but haven’t really explored them to their full potential.  So this was the perfect two-birds/one-stone solution.

The Wok Shop, San Francisco’s Chinatown.
It just so happened my husband was flying out to San Francisco on business, so I tagged along — how’s that for luck?  I spent the prior few weeks researching, experimenting and typing up recipes and methods; so a trip to Chinatown was the ultimate place to fill in some gaps.

I have a cast-iron wok and a steel wok, but I wanted the mother of all woks: the 14-inch, carbon-steel, hand-pounded wok, responsible for the highly coveted and evasive wok hay.

If you want to find the perfect wok, you can’t beat the enormous selection at the Wok Shop.  They have everything.  I mean everything.  And if you don’t see it on their tightly packed shelves, I assure you, they have China on standby in their basement.

For those of us who don’t live in the Bay Area, check out the Wok Shop online — they offer everything in their shop, plus special-order items.  They even have helpful how-to videos, like idiot-proof ways to season your new wok.  I’ve been placing orders with them for years and have always been completely satisfied.

But if you get a chance to go in person, I highly recommend it — the ladies are such a delight to chat with and there are hidden treasures among those shelves.  Hidden treasures, I tell you.

Wokking Into My New Adventure.
Tiff had no idea that evening, but with one innocent phone call, she sent me headfirst into a heart-warming, all-consuming, stark raving food obsession.  A happy place, indeed.

Beautiful, simple, fresh — it’s what we love to eat in the spring.  This pizza is the epitomy of local/seasonal eating — from the asparagus and new potatoes to the Mt. Townsend Seastack cheese. (Well, and the crust too, if we want to get technical.)

Seastack is an earthy, soft ripened cheese blanketed in vegetable ash (looks like a tiny Humboldt Fog).  Its creamy texture and almost mushroomy flavor is crazy good and really brings the flavors of the pizza together.  Matt Day and Ryan Trail of Mt. Townsend Creamery on the Olympic Peninsula, source all their milk locally and focus on quality, not quantity.

Merv Dykstra, Yakima Valley’s produce perveyor, returns this week after a long, cold winter with the season’s first crop of asparagus. These bundles are mainly delivered to Seattle’s small restaurants that feature local produce; but lucky for us, Merv allocates a portion each week for shops like Sunset Hill Green Market in Ballard.  And while you are there, pick up some of our pizza crusts, new potatoes and Seastack, and create your first spring pizza.

While you’re downtown, why not make an evening of it and check out the Gaugin exhibit at the Seattle Art Museum — it’s breathtaking!

Link Lab Artisan Meats is a boutique butcher shop in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood that specializes in truly delightful artisan sausages.  David Pearlstein (owner and Chief Meat Officer) is very particular about sourcing his meat from the most conscientious local farmers who are doing the right thing for their animals, for the soil, and their farm workers.”

Clearly, David puts his heart and soul into his handmade sausages — just look at these flavor profiles: Fremont Beer Brats, Chipotle-Tequila, Vintner’s Bratwurst, Rosemary Lamb, Juniper-Garlic (and those are just a few)!  Link Lab is,

Helping conscientious meat lovers support local farmers through sausage!”

Note: Pickled peppadews give the salsa a touch of heat & a nice pickle-y kick — if you can find them, they are a delicious addition to the dish as a whole.

Lemon Drops are a bit like the chicken of the cocktail world — delicious, a real crowd pleaser, and so versatile, they go with almost anything.  Lemon Drops are perfect with seafood pizza, cheese pizza, vegetable-based pizza, many chicken pizzas, and even while you’re making pizza.  

Autumn is finally here, and the local markets are being taken over by wild mushrooms, game, root vegetables and nuts. Making a mushroom pizza with roasted fennel, toasted walnuts and Gruyere is a great way to welcome in the season. A dry Champagne Cocktail is the perfect accompaniment, with its palate-cleansing bubbles and sweet-earthy flavor – it’s even the color of an autumn leaf!

Side Notes: To give this pizza a little luxury, drizzle on a little truffle oil just before serving.  Also, If fennel isn’t available, use caramelized onions.

This is one of my all-time favorite pizzas.  It makes a gorgeous appetizer for an outdoor dinner party, both in flavor and presentation.

Smoky tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella give pizza a delicious base for any kind of seafood — clams, prawns, scallops, salmon, mussels. I prefer to cook the seafood separately and add it to the pizza just before it’s finished baking — that way, the seafood is warm, but not overcooked.

Have you smoked tomatoes yet? It’s really quite easy, and adds a little mystery to the usual tomato sauce. Smoked tomato sauce gives pizza a hint of that flavor you get from a wood-fired oven.

The simplest smokers require filling a dish with wood chips and plugging it in — nothing could be easier. However, food can be smoked in a variety of things: a grill, metal drum, old refrigerator, a wok covered in foil, or even a cardboard box — almost anything that can hold wood chips, a rack, and most of the smoke.

If using fresh tomatoes, remove the skin, so the smoke can permeate the flesh; if fresh tomatoes aren’t in season, use canned whole tomatoes. And as long as you are going through the effort, double the amount, and freeze the excess for later.

Summer and autumn rain brings an abundance of chanterelle mushrooms — the forest floor is littered with them.  It’s just another lovely thing about living in the Pacific Northwest. If you are lucky enough to find them yourself, or have a friend who’s a forager, you won’t have to pay $25 a pound for the delicious fungi. Truth be told, I’d pay even more – they are that good.

Chanterelles and corn have such an affinity for one another, little else is needed for a truly great pizza. A buttery, creamy cheese bridges the flavors together — havarti, fontina, or even a mild brie.  Pesto, made with just basil, or a combination of basil, oregano and thyme, brings the flavors up a notch.  But if you don’t have pesto on hand, extra virgin olive oil is a good, neutral base — just increase the amount to 1 tablespoon.

Rather than following a recipe, sometimes it’s better to let the food be your inspiration. Merv brought me peaches, corn, beefsteak tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes and these gorgeous cherry tomatoes (picked by Merv from his & Lucy’s own garden!). I’ll be experimenting all week with end-of-the-summer pizzas inspired by his amazing produce. (I love my job!)

There’s nothing quite like pesto pounded by hand with a pestle.

It fills the kitchen with the most delightful fragrance, gives your arms a nice workout, and is indescribably more tasty than anything prepackaged.

Sure, it can be made in the blender or food processor, but you miss an integral part of the process – the part where you connect with your food, the part where you add the love. Try it once, and you’ll see what I mean.

It’s difficult to give exact amounts in a recipe like this, because so much depends upon your taste and the intensity of the ingredients.  Try to find a good quality olive oil that doesn’t have such a powerful flavor that it overwhelms the basil.  Same with the garlic — young garlic is sweeter and won’t take over the other flavors.  If you like more of a pure basil flavor, add Parmesan and pine nuts sparingly, or omit them all together — it’s your call.

My Kid (who’s all grown up now) made this video for my new venture.  And my husband, created the website: Horace and Lydia Pizza Crusts.  Pretty cool, huh?

I’m infatuated with Brazilian cuisine.  It’ll probably be my next food obsession.