Cooking Lesson

My friends Lucy and Shu came over to teach me to cook some Chinese dishes. I have known these ladies for over two years now, but we hadn’t seen each other since last summer. I was so happy to spend time with them again!

First we went shopping where my friends insisted on paying for everything.

They formulate their plan of attack.

Back in the kitchen they chopped and soaked and simmered and fried while I asked questions and frantically took notes for around four hours.

Lucy hard at work.

These ladies were so much fun to watch in the kitchen. I enjoyed listening to their friendly disagreements about cooking methods, as they each have their own techniques learned from their mothers and grandmothers. They used no recipes or measurements and the results were truly amazing!

Not only did I learn a ton about Chinese cooking, but I also had some intensive language practice and encouraging spiritual discussions as well. 

When I told Shu which gathering we've been attending on Sundays, she was shocked! One of her students, going for his master’s degree in English translation, was planning to visit our place the next day on her recommendation. It is in the same neighborhood where he lives and studies.  After our time together, she told him to look out for us there. We met him and shared a meal while also sharing the good news with him! Please join us in lifting up Andy, if you are so inclined.

We glory in the One who directs our steps!

Keep reading if you are interested in the cooking methods or are adventurous enough to try some new dishes without knowing exact measurements or cooking times! :)

Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs: In Chinese cooking almost everything has to be handled with chop sticks, so the ribs are chopped into bite sized pieces. The cooked ribs are popped in one's mouth where everything edible is sucked off. The bones are then discarded on the table.

Wash the ribs and boil in water together with salt, star anise, cinnamon bark and pepper corns. Skim off the scum that rises to the surface every so often. Boil for over one hour until very tender. (Shu said she usually uses a pressure cooker.) Remove from the pot and reserve some of the liquid. Heat some oil in a wok and add some sugar. Stir fry for a minute or so (I have never stir fried sugar before!), add the ribs, cooking wine, vinegar and some of the reserved liquid, sliced fresh ginger, red peppers (chopped), and green onion (chopped). Keep stirring until the ribs look slightly shiny.

Review: We loved these! When I went for seconds, they were already gone.

Shrimp, Ribs, Kung Pao Chicken, Broccoli

Shrimp: We used the whole, de-veined shrimp—eyes and all. Lucy taught me how to get the veins out by sliding a toothpick under the second joint from the head, pulling up the vein and then pinching it out with your fingers the rest of the way. Wash them, put them in a bowl and pickle for about an hour with salt, green onion slices and a drizzle of cooking wine. Heat oil in a wok and add peppercorns, star anise, and green onion. Stir fry for a bit, then add the shrimp, sprinkle with a little more salt and add reserved pickle “juice.” Stir fry until nice and pink.

Review: I thought these were amazing—so flavorful and the texture was just right--but others didn't like having to tear off the heads and work to get the meat out of the shells.

Chicken Wings: Lucy chopped the wings in half.  Then she boiled them for five minutes, removed them and marinated them for a couple of hours with green onion slices, ginger, cooking wine, and soy sauce. Heat some oil in wok and fry hot pepper corns (If desired) and chopped red peppers. The pepper corns Lucy used are called “ma-la,” or numb and spicy peppers. We all had to leave the kitchen while she stir-fried, because it was like pepper spray was in the air!  Then add chicken and green onion slices and stir fry until golden brown.

Review: Ian loved the spice from the ma-la, but the rest of us would like this dish toned down a little bit!  Next time I would also leave the wings whole and eat them the western way!

Cold Cucumber Salad: Soak enoki mushrooms (Japanese name-Chinese is 金针菇-gold needle fungus) in water for an hour. Wash and shred cucumber and mix with sesame oil. Let it sit for a while, before serving add the mushrooms, vinegar, salt, sugar and minced garlic to taste. Add a few handfuls of shredded iceberg lettuce and mix well.

Enoki mushrooms

Review: I loved it, but I was the only one in the family. It reminded me of a cold cucumber salad my mom used to make. Hers used crab meat, but the other flavors are similar.

Lotus Root: Wash the lotus root and slice thinly. Stir fry it over high heat with sugar, green onions, ginger slices, and peppercorns.  Add water if needed to keep it from scorching. Add vinegar and salt and keep stirring, then add some hot pepper oil and more green onions. Cook until lotus root is tender but still a bit crisp.

One huge benefit of lotus root, the holes make them easy to handle with chopsticks!

Review: We all liked this one. It wasn’t too spicy and was really good served cold as leftovers, too.

Kung Pao Chicken: Cube one chicken breast and marinate with salt, sugar, ginger slices, and cooking wine. Coat with potato starch, and let it sit for an hour or so.  Fry raw peanuts in oil and remove. Slice green onion and dice a cucumber, chop red peppers. Stir fry the chicken, add the cucumber, peppers and green onion and sprinkle on some more sugar. Then add some potato starch dissolved in water. Stir until sauce has thickened. Add peanuts.

Review: We all prefer this dish without the cucumber, but otherwise it was delicious! If you don’t like a lot of spice, don’t add too many red peppers.

We also made hot and sour soup and broccoli, but I didn't get those “recipes” recorded.

It’s amazing the variety of flavors that come about from using very similar ingredients in slightly different combinations and amounts. Let me know if you have any questions!