Tania Wan - Chinese Takeout Cookbook: 75 Favorite Homemade Chinese Takeout Recipes For Everyone

Chinese Takeout Cookbook 75 Favorite Homemade Chinese Takeout Recipes For Everyone Tania Wan Copyright 2017 Tania Wan All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

T he vast population of Chinese immigrants in different parts of the world has made Chinese food very popular. No wonder there are a countless number of Chinese restaurants in most places today. The citizens of these countries, as expected, could not resist these exquisite meals with strong flavors and have come to take them as special treats. They just love Chinese food simply because it is great and different from the normal meals everyone is used to.

They enjoy eating them and having them on the go, even when they can't cook them. And that's how Chinese take-outs were born. There is never a dull moment with Chinese foods. Chinese cuisine is diverse and gives a whole lot of options to choose from. In fact, you can eat three different Chinese meals a day, all through the year and still not exhaust the seemingly unending list of Chinese foods. The regional modification of Chinese foods in different parts of the world has further broadened the varieties offered.

There is always something for everyone and to suit any occasion appetizers, desserts, soups, noodles, vegetables, seafood, etc. The Chinese as a people love balance, and this also translate to their meals as seen in the way the appearance, smell and taste of Chinese food blends to leave your mouth watering. They like to eat their food fresh and not overcooked, therefore preserving the nutrients in the food. Cooking these beautiful delicacies is an art and one has to learn how to combine the ingredients used with the right cooking methods to achieve mastery and perfection.

S oy Bean Products: You can't talk about Chinese food without mentioning tofu. There are different varieties of tofu depending on how they are made.

Other soy based ingredients like the soy oil, soy milk, soy sauce and soy paste are also commonly used. Seasonings, Herbs And Sauces: Many Chinese recipes make use of the following to add extra flavor to the meals garlic, sesame, cilantro, star anise, ginger root, scallion, cinnamon, white pepper and fennel. The Chinese also make use of dried flavorings such as dried baby shrimps, mushrooms, Sichuan chilies and tangerine peel to spice up their cooking. Apart from the soy sauce, there are other sauces like the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, yellow bean sauce and ground bean sauce. We can't afford to leave out chili, rice wine, five-spice powder and the clear and black rice vinegar. Vegetables: The Chinese like to eat healthy, therefore vegetables are mostly important in their meals.

Apart from the common ones used in e everyday cooking, special vegetables used include Chinese egg plant, straw mushrooms, bok choy, baby corn, Chinese broccoli and snow peapods. Others are the watercress, lotus roots, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots and pea vine tips. Rice and noodles: You can hardly talk about Chinese take-outs without mentioning rice and noodles. Owing to this, a whole category in this book is dedicated to wholesome recipes you can with rice and noodles as the main ingredients.

M ost of the methods employed in cooking Chinese foods help to retain the flavors and nutrients. There are a lot of cooking methods used in China but the most common ones that have been adopted in cooking these meals outside The Great Walls are listed below.

Stir-Fry: This is the most frequently used method in Chinese cuisines. It's fast, simple and makes the food taste fresh and juicy. The ingredients used are shredded to pieces and cooked in a wok with very little oil. This is done for a short period over high heat, while stirring with a wok spatula all through the process. Steaming: This employs the use of steam and is considered the healthiest cooking method as it retains almost all the nutrient in food while cooking. Here the ingredients are put into a steamer basket and placed over boiling water in a steaming pot for a period until the food is well cooked.

Deep Frying: In this method, food is cooked in a lot of oil in a deep saucepan until they become crispy. The ingredients can be cut into sizeable chunks, soaked in seasoning and then coated with cornstarch to make them even more crispy. Boiling: This is the easiest cooking technique as the ingredients are merely placed into boiling water and allowed to cook. It is mostly used for cooking ingredients cut into smaller pieces and soft ones. This method helps to retain the texture, color and nutrients of the food. Shallow Frying: This involves cooking in less fat than is required in deep frying.

The ingredients are cut into flat pieces or slices and seasoned as desired. One side is first fried until slightly golden or charred before flipping to the other side. Braising: This cooking style is employed for cooking large sized ingredients. Here, all the ingredients and seasoning are put into a saucepan with little water or broth and cooked over high heat for a short period. The heat is then lowered to allow the food simmer for a longer period. Red Stewing: This is a very slow cooking method exclusive to Chinese cuisine and is used for cooking tough meat.

The meat is firstly browned and then heavily seasoned with spices and sauces and cooked for several hours in broth or water. The best equipment for this is a slow cooker or stew pot. Roasting: This is about the oldest style of cooking and is used in cooking all kinds of meat, seafood and some vegetables. Here, the food to roasted is washed and dried, seasoned and rubbed with oil. It is then hung over naked flames or placed over hot charcoals or in a hot oven. Now you are set for an amazing experience as you flip the pages into the world of Chinese takeout recipes.

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