Two Woks

This wok represents a new beginning. I bought it for practical purposes, but when Grace Young visited Seattle on book tour for "Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge," I was reminded that a wok could actually be an heirloom. I hadn't taken very good care of my carbon steel wok and let it languish in storage as I opted to use a (gasp!) non-stick wok. But after looking at Grace's new book, I was inspired to revive my carbon steel wok. (Grace rehabilitated my old wok, giving it a "facial" to remove the rust.) I had decided that I should be more diligent about cooking in it. I also decided I would get a second wok, season it with care and cook in it. Then, one day twenty or so years from now, I will give each of my children a wok that has the memory of their childhoods and the many Chinese dishes that will have been stir-fried in it.

#hcCNY -- or, Hsiao-Ching's Chinese New Year

It did not occur to me that I missed cooking a proper feast for Chinese New Year until I was applying the dry rub on the duck for crispy duck. With that task, I began the two-day process required to prepare this dish, which I make only for special occasions. The duck was one of ten dishes I'd be serving. I needed no recipes, just an internalized sense of the amounts of ingredients, the types of flavors and textures, and the symbolic value of each dish. Until this past weekend, it had been four or five years since the last time I made this feast.

I documented the process on Twitter. Here's a link to the photos.

Edible Portland Piece on Chinese New Year

I think this piece counts toward my coming out of "retirement": I was asked to write a story about Chinese New Year for Edible Portland. This was the result. You have to scroll to page 42. I hope you enjoy. Story.

Here's a simple recipe for Chinese New Year:

‘LION’S HEAD’ MEATBALL STEW

SERVES 4 AS PART OF A MEAL

1 pound ground pork

2 stalks green onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ teaspoon white pepper

Plain vegetable oil for pan-frying

1 head of Chinese cabbage (about 1 pound)

1 bunch dried cellophane noodles

In a bowl, combine the ground pork, chopped green onions, soy sauce and white pepper. Mix well. Form meatballs using about 3 heaping tablespoons of meat. Brown the meatballs in oil in a pan. You don’t have to cook them all the way through. Place the meatballs in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Once all the meatballs are browned, add enough water to the pot just to cover the meatballs. Bring to a boil and then turn the pot down to medium low and let simmer for about 1 hour, or until the flavor of the broth has developed.

Meanwhile, cut the cabbage leaves into 1 ½-inch (approximately) squares. Add the cabbage to the pot, adding a touch of water if necessary, and let it cook down. The cabbage will shrink in size once tender. About 10 minutes before taking the pot off the stove, add the cellophane noodles to the pot to cook. Taste for seasoning. If necessary, add a touch of salt. Serve as part of a meal with rice.

Hoisin Chicken and Yu-choy

It's been a while since my last post. I gave birth to my son on May 5 and it's been busy to say the least. I am fortunate that my mother lives with us, so we have enjoyed her cooking on those days (which have been many) when I just can't manage to juggle putting dinner on the table. The first order of business for any Chinese matriarch is to make a postpartum pot of chicken soup to help the new mom with breastfeeding. So I came home from the hospital to my mom's rich, simmering pot of chicken soup that had been flavored with fresh ginger and shiitake mushrooms. It's a soup that she's made countless times and that I've made for myself, too, but I never tire of it. It's always soothing and the leftovers make a utilitarian base for noodle soup or refrigerator soup or mian ger tang (flour dumpling soup).

One of the ways that we stretch ingredients is to break down a whole chicken, which is cheaper to buy. Typically, the breast is saved for stir-fries and the rest is cut into parts for chicken soup. For the dish above, it's fine to use thighs -- also less expensive than breast. I combined chunks of chicken with yu-choy, soy sauce and a dash of hoisin. Quick and easy.

HOISIN CHICKEN WITH YU-CHOY
SERVES 4

½ pound chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 bunch yu-choy, about ½ pound
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
Dash of water, as needed

In a medium bowl, combine the chicken chunks with 1 tablespoon soy sauce and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.

Rinse the yu-choy. Trim about an inch off the bottom end of the stalks, which is tough to chew. Cut the yu-choy into 2-inch segments. The leaves will shrink significantly once cooked, so if they are a little larger, it’s ok.

Heat wok over medium-high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and let heat through for about 30 seconds. Gently add the chicken and quickly start stirring to separate the chunks and so that the pieces don’t stick. Stir-fry the chicken pieces until just cooked through, about 3 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken chunks. Add the yu-choy and stir to combine. Once the yu-choy has wilted, add the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and the hoisin. Stir to combine. If it looks a little dry, add a touch of water to thin out the sauce.

Serve with rice and other dishes as part of a meal.

My Nutella

One of my favorite condiments is red bean paste. Whether it's in a steamed or baked bun, a fried sesame ball, or simply on a slice of white bread, red bean paste takes me back to my childhood. I didn't have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I had red bean paste on Wonder bread.

My tastes are a more sophisticated now and I prefer these sesame flatbreads called shao bing, which are often served with warm soy milk and Chinese doughnuts (you-tiao) at breakfast. Freshly made is best, but these frozen ones aren't bad and they're easy: Just put them in the toaster.

Then split in half and spread some red bean paste on it. The sesame seeds add a warm nuttiness to the combination of sweet, mashed red beans on toasted bread. Great snack!