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Cooking Chinese or Asian
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    Posted: 27 February 2010 at 06:47
30 + years ago when I was in college and rooming with college buddies we shared cooking duties and each week one of us would be responsible for 3 or 4 meals that week.

I had been to Hong Kong a couple of years earlier, and even though I wasn't into cooking yet, I found a paper back cook book on Chinese Cooking written in English while I was there.

Several times while in the apt when it was my turn to cook, I would do a Chinese menu for the entire week or 3 or 4 days.  Back then you couldn't find the asian sauces on the grocery store shelf like today.  So to do a Chinese menu I would have to plan on cooking Chinese for all the meals. I would make the sauces, make enough stocks, and sauces for all the meals  from scratch on the first day.  It really was the cheapest way to do these dishes.  I had a cheap wok, and would make  3 or 4 coarse chinese meals.  I even did a couple of chinese dinner parties and invite 8 to 10 girls. Usually for teh parties I would make 8 or more dishes.  Man what an easy way to meet new girls, then never turned down a dinner party invite.

I only make an occasional Asian dish but would like to do more.

What 5 to 7 asian sauces and pantry items would you recommend having on hand always to crank out a variety of dishes?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 February 2010 at 07:21
Let's see, there are so many but this is mylist-
1- Hoisin Sauce
2- Fish Sauce
3-Soy Sauce
4-Hot sesame oil
5-oyster sauce (wonderful for adding depth to anything)
6-Chinese 5 spice powder
7-Garam Masala powder
8-Fresh ginger root
That's the basics and if you went to the grocery store and picked them all up at once, they'd probably cost less than $20
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Joined: 25 January 2010
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Points: 9389 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 February 2010 at 07:21
excellent question! i am by no means an expert, but i will give this a try:
 
1) chinese 5-spice power
2) soy sauce
3) rice wine
4) szechuan peppercorns
5) szechuan and/or oyster sauce
6) salt
7) cornstarch
8) oil
 
the above list is just an educated guess and my idea on some "pantry items" around which a person could turn basic ingredients from a market into a meal. i am sure that my lis doesn't cover everything, and look forward to more ideas!
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Points: 180 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jdonly1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 February 2010 at 13:37
1)Rice
2)Ginger
3)Garlic
4)Soy Sauce
5)Oyster sauce
6)Sesame oil
7)Jimmys Sate
8)Rice wine
9)Chinese sausage
10)Corn starch

A real good heat source and a good wok helps
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Points: 180 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jdonly1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 February 2010 at 15:36
We will be making Chinese tonight,will take a few pics
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Points: 99 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Montana Maddness Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 March 2010 at 10:44
Not sure how to spell it Taz but I think rice wine is Saki unless there is a different rice wine for cooking. Have not done much Asian cooking. Funny it's one of my favorites to eat too.
Hotter the better bring on the peppers!
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Points: 3454 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 March 2010 at 17:14
Mirin is also a rice wine...a little lower alcohol content than saki, and is often used in cooking.
Ponzu is also nice to have....a citrus flavored soy sauce.
Go ahead...play with your food!
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Points: 9389 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 March 2010 at 17:21
another vote for ponzu, here! i haven't tried mirin or sake in cooking - mostly because i can't get it here. we're going to great falls this weekend and i will if i can pick some up, along with some smoked paprika!
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Points: 99 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Montana Maddness Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 March 2010 at 08:02
Great Falls has a asian market behind Dr Sixx office on 10th beside Taco Bell. across from the Townhouse inn Taz might want to look there. If memory serves correctly there is also one just out side the main gat at the base on 2nd north also.
Hotter the better bring on the peppers!
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Points: 9389 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 March 2010 at 11:16
thanks, scooter! i'll check both spots!
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Points: 83 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote GarethM Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 March 2010 at 06:29
Originally posted by Hoser Hoser wrote:

Mirin is also a rice wine...a little lower alcohol content than saki, and is often used in cooking.
I use mirin and sake for Japanese cuisine, but find http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaoxing_wine better for Chinese and other Asian food.  It is more powerful/robust and more suited for less delicate flavours.  I don't think I could develop a taste for drinking it though Thumbs Down (but that is just a personal opinion)
Gareth
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Points: 3454 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 March 2010 at 03:01
I'll have to look for that Gareth, thanks for the tip.
Go ahead...play with your food!
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