Featured posts | Soy, Rice, Fire

Steaming is a perfect method for cooking fish steaks.

Steamed Chilean sea bass steak

Braised chicken with chestnuts

This is a popular dish in many parts of China. Chicken and whole chestnuts are braised together until their flavors meld. The sugar in the nuts adds a subtle sweetness to the sauce, and its starch thickens the sauce beautifully.

I love the Cantonese way of using oyster sauce to season blanched vegetables, creating a simple yet delicious dish with minimum effort.

Broccoli with oyster sauce (蚝油西兰花)

White Asian radish and pork rib soup

This tasty soup with white Asian radish and pork ribs is easy to make and utterly warming and satisfying when it’s cold outside.

A hot, comforting bowl of noodle soup made with three versatile ingredients: cellophane noodles (glass noodles), tomatoes, and shrimp.

Cellophane noodle soup with shrimp and tomatoes

Stir-fried chicken and walnuts with tian mian jiang (酱爆核桃鸡丁)

In this classic dish from Beijing, the tender chicken and crunchy walnuts create a nice textural contrast, and the sweetness from tian mian jiang counterbalances the mild bitterness of the walnuts.

When thin slices of yam are blanched briefly and then tossed with the mushrooms, they retain their wonderful crispness and subtle sweetness.

Stir-fried Chinese yam with mushrooms

Sichuan chicken with chilies (laziji 辣子鸡)

In this stunning dish from Sichuan, the chilies and peppercorns lend their wonderful aromas to the fried chicken pieces while giving them a gentle heat and a subtle tingling effect.

When diced water chestnuts are added to minced meat, their crunchiness makes the otherwise soft and tender meatballs more exciting.

Steamed meatballs with water chestnuts and spinach

Stir-fried beef with black pepper (黑椒牛肉粒)

In this Chinese-style pepper steak, the beef is cut into cubes for stir-frying, and the garlic adds a new dimension to the magic pairing of beef and black pepper.

Pounded eggplant and chili peppers (擂椒茄子), is a beloved summer dish in Hunan and the neighboring provinces.

Pounded eggplant and chili peppers, Hunan style (擂椒茄子)

Shanghai-style vegetable and meat wontons (菜肉馄饨)

These Shanghai-style wontons, using larger wrappers and stuffed with a mixture of vegetables and meat, are perfect for one-dish meal.

Snow vegetable and green soybeans add layers of flavor and texture, making this steamed fish dish at once familiar and exciting.

Steamed fish with snow vegetable and green soybeans

Cold noodles with shredded chicken (鸡丝凉面)

Cold noodles with shredded chicken (鸡丝凉面) are a favorite in many Chinese households.

Braising or simmering kabocha in a flavorful cooking liquid is a great way to bring out its delightful taste and texture.

Braised kabocha with garlic cloves and pork belly

Tofu with bok choy and shiitake mushrooms

This tofu stew, with tender bok choy and fragrant shiitake mushroom, is one of the best feel-good dishes.

Fragrant scallion oil elevates this simple dish to something special.

Steamed pork ribs with scallion oil

Sweet and sour fish

The whole fish is fried until golden and crispy on the outside but still juicy and tender inside. The sauce, made with tomato paste, sugar, white rice vinegar, has a pleasant balance between sweet and sour, and pairs well with the fish.

Rice with white radish (萝卜饭) is a specialty from the city of Quanzhou (泉州) in southern Fujian Province.

Rice with white radish (萝卜饭)

Steamed egg custard with spinach and shrimp

This smooth egg custard, with spinach and shrimp, makes a perfect one-dish meal.

One of my favorite Chinese greens, choy sum has thinner stems, darker leaves, and sometimes yellow flowering shoots.

Cantonese-style blanched choy sum (白灼菜心)