Chinese Cooking and Food

Chinese Cooking and Food

Who has ever walked past a Chinese restaurant and not been seduced by the aromas of garlic, soy sauce, pepper, sesame oil…..?

As a child, I remember my mom taking my sister and I out to lunch at the nearest Chinese restaurant: Lem’s. Not only were we entranced by the completely different tastes and scents of this new and unusual, but very tasty food, but we also marveled even at the spoons and plates that came with each meal. The Chinese spoons were porcelain instead of metal, and they each had a flat bottom! They looked kind of like miniature ladles. With these wonderous instruments, we sipped a “lighter-than-air” soup called egg-drop, which had magical swirls of cooked egg whites swimming inside the broth. Later, we learned to use chopsticks, if we tried hard enough, and used them to eat the chow mien, the chop suey and the steamed rice. Mr. Lem or his wife would come to our table to greet us and serve us with warmth throughout our special meal. I’m sure they took great delight in watching these amazed, Italian-American little girls wide-eyed at the whole experience: the plates we ate from even had beautiful, delicate floral designs or Chinese symbols on them. Everything was all so different from our Western European view of the world.

I always equate eating at a Chinese restaurant with a special sensory and cultural experience at the same time. Wherever Mr. Lem may be now, I thank him and his family for introducing us to a new world (from a very ancient country).

The best part of it all is that I don’t have to wait to go to a Chinese restaurant nowadays because I can make this same delicious food at home, using my favorite Chinese wok, and spoons and plates and chopsticks, surrounded by my own family, and taking a sip of an aromatic Jasmine or Oolong tea to wash it all down.

*To find over 75 fantastic, easy to make, authentic Chinese recipes (everything from Pineapple and Ginger Duck to Walnut Chicken, from Beef Saute to Stewed Rice Flour Pork , from Button Mushroom Soup to Steamed Shao Mai, etc., etc.) check out the Secrets of Chinese Cooking.

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Don’t feel like cooking?  Check out Chinese Delivery Restaurant Food!

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Oolong Sampler

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Japanese Kosui Turquoise Green Six Piece Sushi Plate Set For Two $28.42 Beautiful turquoise green glazed sushi set makes your sushi to go look like you made it yourself. Makes a terrific gift….

Set of Four Green Kosui Soy Sauce Dipping Bowls 3 1/4 Inch $12.08 Great little dish has endless uses, sauces, jewelry, soap, candles. Whatever you desire…

Joyce Chen Burnished Bamboo Chopstick Set with Holders $4.87 Two pairs of burnished bamboo chopsticks with black tops and two matching burnished bamboo holders….

Boyajian Garlic Infused Oil 12.7 Oz $13.95 Made from 100% pure olive oil, Boyajian slowly infuses fresh herbs and spices for an incomparable aroma and flavor. These oils are wonderful for saut??ing, on pastas and focaccia, in vinaigrettes and marinades, or simply drizzle on your favorite dish. The oils have a shelf life of 2 years when kept away from sunlight. An excellent alternative to fresh garlic. Consistent aroma and flavor in any app…

Toasted Sesame Oil – 5 oz $8.40 Rich with fragrance of freshly toasted sesame seeds, this oil has a deep color and rich nutty flavor. Perfect for cooking, drizzling, and adding to vinaigrettes and marinades….

Joyce Chen Pro Chef 14-Inch Wok Set with Cherry Wood Handles $59.95 Joyce Chen’s Cherry Handle Wok features Excalibur, the world’s premier reinforced non-stick coating that is tough enough for use with metal utensils. Made from professional weight carbon steel, the wok heats quickly and efficiently and has a flat bottom for use on any type of stove top. The attractive cherry handles are ergonomically designed for style and balance, and a glass lid with cherry kn…

Best Simple Useful Unique Table Gift Ideas – 10 Sets Pairs Wood Chinese Chopsticks Hashi Set – 3 Colors Colored hard paper gift presentation cylinders with 20 chopsticks, lacquered hardwood with Shou symbol decorations, for good fortune & longevity, unique gift for housewarming, anniversary, or any new beginning, ships professionally packed fully insured from our Massachusetts warehouse via Fed Ex, expedited delivery available….

The Ultimate Rice Cooker Cookbook – Rev: 250 No-Fail Recipes for Pilafs, Risottos, Polenta, Chilis, Soups, Porridges, Puddings, and More, fro $11.11 Rice cookers are perfect for how we cook today: Versatile and convenient, they have one-button technology, don’t take up too much counter space, and are a breeze to clean.  And they can do so much more than produce foolproof rice, beans, and grains.  This new edition takes note of the whole-grain revolution in U.S. kitchens and offers recipes for a host of new (and rediscovered) grains, like q…

Sunpentown NY-636 3-4/5-Liter Chinese Herbal Medicine Cooker with Stainless Heater $39.60 Chinese herbal medicine has been popular for many centuries. Sunpentown Medicine Cooker brings you the benefits of herbal medicine, but takes the hassle out of the once time-consuming process. Simply place the ingredients, prepared by you herblist, into the cooker and add the specified amount of water, plug in the unit and your medicine will automatically be reduced to one bowl, as prescribed! Aut…

Primula PTA-4009 Flowering Tea Set with 40-Ounce Pot, 6 Flowering Teas, and Loose-Tea Variety Pack $29.98 Primula Flowering Tea Set includes a 40-Ounce Glass Teapot, 6 Flowering teas and a Loose Tea Variety Pack. The tea pot is made of handblown, borosillicate glass, ideal for preparing flowering tea. Primula Flowering Teas are hand sewn by artisans in China. The finest AA Grade green tea leaves are wrapped around all natural flowers to create an encapsulated pod. Simply place the tea pod in the botto…

Gracie China Vintage Blue Rose Porcelain 11-Piece Tea Set $53.78 Gracie China’s Vintage Blue Rose Collection, by Coastline Imports, is lovely porcelain which can complement the kitchen, dining and living room. Vintage Blue Rose, 11-piece Tea Service, includes Teapot, Sugar, Creamer and Four 7-Ounce Cups and Saucers….

Asian Red/Black Soup Spoons, Set of 2 $1.95 …

Chinese Porcelain Soup Spoons, 50 pc #B745 $18.25 Bundle of 50 Porcelain Chinese Soup spoons. These spoons are perfect for serving bite sized party appetizers or for restaurant use. These spoons measure about 5 inches long and are dishwasher and microwave safe. ***note that there is a small hole in the end of each handle of the spoons….

Chinese Black Porcelain Spoons, 12 pieces #DLSP2B $18.50 12 black porcelain Chinese style soup spoons. Each spoon is 5 inches long and can be used for sipping soup, or to serve bite sized servings of appetizers or desserts! Dishwasher safe….