Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumWhat's for Dinner, Sun., June 27, 2021
General Tso's (chicken).
Stir fry rice.
Chinese dumplings.
HUAJIAO
(2,386 posts)I made the stir fry rice but the dumplings I always buy because I made them once and they took me all day. I have found a brand at the supermarket that I really like and that is far better than any I ever bought at Trader Joe's or any other place.
The General Tso's I picked up from the Chinese place down the street.
The stir fry rice is actually the best of all the dishes but the dumplings run a close second.
I made the rice last night, based on something one of our posters mentioned about arsenic being in rice. Due to that, I soaked it overnight which gets rid of most of the arsenic. I also, as recommended, used an organic rice. That, too, lowers the amount of arsenic.
I made so much I froze several cookie sheets of rice for next time. I love stir fry rice. One of my faves.
HUAJIAO
(2,386 posts)I also often buy dumplings. There is a local Asian Market where 2 women are often making dumplings so I get them right off the table. :> )
What is your dumpling sauce?
I usually make one or more Sichuan sauces.
Hoisin
Soy with wasabi
But now you have me thinking about checking my cookbooks for new sauces. And also the Chinese markets for dumplings.
HUAJIAO
(2,386 posts)Many times in a dumpling restaurant there will be several ingredients on the table with which you can mix your own sauce... soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, chili oil, etc...
1- Is a very general sauce used pretty much all over China, with regional variations of course. - soy
sauce, Xinjiang vinegar and LOTS of minced garlic-- this is a classic
2- a sauce combining Hong You (chili oil) and Fu Zhi Jiang You- (roughly translated to "sweet aromatic soy sauce) You can make both at home.. the latter includes soy sauce, cinnamon stick, cassia bark, fennel seeds, star anise, Sichuan Pepper, ginger, brown sugar---- TRUST ME it is worth the effort.
You can get almost any Sichuan ingredients at www.themalamarket.com - including BLANK SLATE chili oil, which I recommend. They also have many Sichuan recipes.
The sauce recipes are also in Fuchsia Dunlop's EVERY GRAIN OF RICE available at............. AMAZON !! where else? As well as other good Chinese cookery books.
Good luck !!
NJCher
(35,685 posts)I just copied and pasted your post to my files and put the few things I need from the Chinese market (only cassia bark and fennel seeds) for the Fu Zhi Jiang You. Of course, I might be able to get those elsewhere but I like going to that market anyway. I'm also going to ask about Blank Slate chili oil when I'm there.
Also just bought Every Grain of Rice and am looking forward to looking at it as my "reward" for knocking off certain tasks around here today.
Thanks so much for all this.
HUAJIAO
(2,386 posts)I doubt you will find BLANK SLATE locally. It is not a big company, but maybe.. if not The Mala Market for sure. It is a mom and adopted Chinese daughter operation that has grown from just the 2 of them to a little bigger,1 employee(i think) another mom and daughter, bought a small 'warehouse.' They often travel to Sichuan and have special suppliers there at the source, so to speak. The BEST sichuan pepper corns you can get! They are in Nashville and have a great back story.
Oh, try Fuchsia's directions for making Hong you.. it's is fun, easy but must be done just right or not so good...I recommend using rape seed oil or at least peanut oil...rape seed oil has a delicious flavor.. Mala Market has it... :> ))
But I like Blank Slate better than my homemade Hong you..
Have fun.
lkinwi
(1,477 posts)Scottie Mom
(5,812 posts)My Romanian grandmother made it all the time.
lkinwi
(1,477 posts)Fried is so much better.
Scottie Mom
(5,812 posts)Get it steaming and add the cabbage. I use a Dutch oven and once I get the tomatoes and bell pepper soft, I add the cabbage. Can use shredded carrots and celery, too. I usually only use two other veggies with the cabbage.
lkinwi
(1,477 posts)Scottie Mom
(5,812 posts)As you fry the cabbage, salt and pepper it. Fresh ground spices really bring out the taste.
Scottie Mom
(5,812 posts)there is always onion in the start.
NJCher
(35,685 posts)but see my response upthread. Very little heating up of the kitchen for this one.
MissMillie
(38,560 posts)(too hot to cook)
dessert is leftover birthday cake (for a 90th birthday you bake the cake no matter how hot it is outside, lol)
Cairycat
(1,706 posts)with leek, carrot, celery, turnip and peas, served over mashed potatoes. A nice Austrian Grüner Veltliner to drink with it.
Scottie Mom
(5,812 posts)Adds such flavor.
Luciferous
(6,081 posts)it in the trash.
Luciferous
(6,081 posts)NJCher
(35,685 posts)it takes about 3 days for excessive salt to get out of your system and your blood pressure to go down.
no_hypocrisy
(46,121 posts)Salmon prepared by simple seasoning with H/M Italian Seasoning. Gently sauteed on cast iron.
MontanaMama
(23,322 posts)Raw veggies in the side with hibiscus iced tea.