Chinese Cooking For Dummies

Forget about takeout! Have you ever had a craving for fried dumplings or hot and sour soup at midnight? Ever wonder how your local Chinese takeout makes their food taste so good—and look so easy to make? Still don’t know the difference between Sichuan, Cantonese, and Mandarin cooking? Discovering how to cook the Chinese way will leave you steaming, stir-frying, and food-styling like crazy! The indescribably delicious cuisine of a fascinating country can finally be yours. And in Chinese Cooking For Dummies, your guide to the wonders and magic of the Chinese kitchen is none other than Martin Yan, host of the award-winning TV show Yan Can Cook. In no time at all, you’ll be up to speed on what cooking tools to use, how to stock your pantry and fridge, and the methods, centuries old, that have made dim sum, Egg Fu Young, Kung Pao Chicken, and fried rice universal favorites. You’ll also be able to: Think like a Chinese chef—usin g the Three Tenets of Chinese Cooking Choose and season a wok, select a chef’s knife, plus other basic tools of the trade Find the essential ingredients—and ask for them in Chinese with a Chinese language (phonetic) version of black bean sauce, hoisin sauce, plum sauce, bamboo shoots, and more Cook using a variety of methods—including stir frying, steaming, blanching, braising, and deep frying And with over 100 recipes, arranged conveniently like a Chinese menu, Chinese Cooking For Dummies lets you select from any column in the comfort of your own kitchen...which is when the fun really begins. Imagine putting together your ideal meal from the book’s rich offering of recipes: Delectable morsels—including Baked Pork Buns, Spring Rolls, Potstickers, Steamed Dumplings, and Shrimp Toast Seafood dishes—including Sweet and Sour Shrimp, and Oysters in Black Bean Sauce Poultry dishes—including Moo Goo Gai Pan, Kung Pao Chicken, and Honey Garlic Chicken Pork, beef, and lamb dishes—including Sichuan Spareribs, Tangerine Beef, and Mongolian Lamb Chinese Cooking For Dummies gives you all of the basics you’ll need, letting you experience the rich culinary landscape of China, one delicious dish at a time—and all, without leaving a tip!

Introduction 1 Part I: What Is Chinese Cooking? 7 Chapter 1: How to Think Like a Chinese Chef 9 Chapter 2: A Wok Through China’s Amazing Culinary Regions 13 Part II: Where to Begin? 21 Chapter 3: Tools of the Trade 23 Chapter 4: The Chinese Pantry and Refrigerator 35 Chapter 5: Common Chinese Cooking Techniques 55 Chapter 6: Edible Artistry: Garnishes to Prettify Your Plate 71 Part III: The Recipes 83 Chapter 7: Saucy Sauces and Dips 85 Chapter 8: Delectable Morsels: Appetizers, Snacks, and Salads 95 Chapter 9: Broth, Bones, and a Barrel of Soup 115 Chapter 10: Swimming with the Best of Them: Seafood 125 Chapter 11: Crying Fowl: Poultry Recipes 147 Chapter 12: Moo-ve In and Pig Out, My Little Lambs: Beef, Pork, and Lamb 173 Chapter 13: Healthy Tofu and Eggscellent Ideas 205 Chapter 14: The Green Revolution: Cooking Vegetables the Chinese Way 229 Chapter 15: Rice Bowls and Oodles of Noodles 251 Chapter 16: Sweet Sensations 273 Chapter 17: Bringing It All Together: Full-Fledged Chinese Meals 287 Part IV: The Part of Tens 297 Chapter 18: Almost Ten Tips for Enjoying the Chinese Restaurant Experience 299 Chapter 19: Ten Commandments: Secrets to Your Success 305 Chapter 20: Ten Martin-Tested Resources for Chinese Cuisine and Culture 311 Chapter 21: Drink Up: Ten Tips for Drinking Tea and Wine with Chinese Food 315 Index 319