How To buy Fresh Fish

To cook fish right the Chinese way, you must begin at the market. For the first thing is to tell your fish monger to keep the scales on . If the scales are removed, the skin will become dry and the taste will be wrong, and you might as well cook it the American way. If the fish is too long for the pot, you may have to cut it in two, but the whole fish looks much nicer. Always keep the head and the tongue in a fish cheek.

It is most important that fish should be very fresh. It goes bad very quickly and should be cooked as soon as possible. The following are criterias to look for when buying fresh fish:

• The gills should be bright red and moist

• The eyes should be full and bright, not sunken and dull

• The flesh should be firm, and not flabby, and the tail straight, not drooping

• There should be no disagreeable odor. A muddy odor does not indicate that the fish is no longer fresh, but rather that the fish was caught in muddy waters.

• The skin should be shiny, iridescent, tight and firmly attached to the flesh.

• The shiny, intact scales should adhere firmly to the skin.

• The belly should not be swollen or faded.

Follow Thremometer Style Usage Guidelines

Food thermometers come in several styles. The two types most commonly used in the home kitchen are INSTANT-READ and OVEN-PROOF thermometers.

Instant-Read Dial and Digital Thermometers

Instant-read thermometers aren't meant to be left in food while it's cooking. They give a quick reading when they're used to check the internal temperature during cooking and after food is cooked. They can be used on larger foods and are the best choice for smaller items such as steaks, patties, chops and poultry pieces.

To register an accurate temperature, the temperature-sensing section on the probe end of instant-read thermometers should be fully inserted into food. Instant-read DIGITAL thermometers are easiest to use with THIN food, such as ground beef patties and boneless chicken breasts. On digital instant-read thermometers, the sensing section is only about 1/2 to 1 inch long while it's between 2 to 3 inches long on dial thermometers. Check manufacturer's instructions for more information.

Leave an instant-read thermometer inserted for about 15 to 20 seconds to register an accurate temperature.

If you insert and re-insert an instant-read thermometer into several foods or the same food, wash with hot soapy water between insertions to prevent cross-contamination from food that's not done to food that's done.

It's easier to read the numbers on a digital thermometer face than on a dial thermometer. Digital instant-read thermometers tend to cost slightly more than dial instant-read thermometers and are battery-operated. While dial instant-read thermometers are readily available in many stores, you're more likely to find digital thermometers in "kitchen" stores or stores with "kitchen sections."

Oven-Proof Dial Thermometers

Place oven-proof dial thermometers into food at the beginning of cooking and leave them throughout the cooking period. Their temperature-sensing coil on the probe portion is between 2 and 2 1/2 inches long and relatively thick. They work best on foods 3 or more inches thick such as roasts and whole or large pieces of poultry.

The Care of Cooking Utensils

• Keep them clean. Dirty cooking utensils not only spoil the flavor of food cooked in them but they also wear out more quickly.

• Put all utensils to soak as soon as you have finished using them. Those which have been used for mixing cakes, flour, mixtures, eggs or milk should be soaked in cold water. Hot water hardens these foods and makes them difficult to remove. Utensils used for cooking fish should also be soaked in cold water.

• If food sticks or burns, soak the saucepan or wok well before attempting to clean them. Avoid scratching the pan during cleaning. A saucepan brush or fine steel wool is the best for removing food which will not come off with soaking.

• Do not pour cold liquid into hot pans. This makes even the thickest pans buckle in time.

• To obtain a smooth surface on frying pans for omelet's or pancakes, rub well with a little cooking salt.

• To clean copper bottoms on pots and pans, simply open a can of tomato soup paste, rub it on and scrub then rinse. If you do this weekly, your pots and pans stay shiny clean. This is a very inexpensive way to clean copper and brass items!

• To clean a blender, add a cup of warm water and run for a few seconds. Then add a drop of dishwashing detergent and another cup of water and blend. Let is sit for a few seconds. Rinse clean.

• Spray plastic container with nonstick cooking spray to prevent staining when storing tomato-based sauces or curries.

• Spray the cooking grill with non-stick spray before placing the grid over the coals. Food won't stick nearly as much as it does on an untreated grill and makes cleaning easy later on.

• Never soak a wooden chopping block. Instead, scrub with soap and hot water after use. Occasionally, you can use vinegar and lemon juice to clean and deodorize a chopping board.

• To clean a bamboo steamer, simply rinse it with water. Do not use detergent or it will absorb the flavor of the soap and spoil the taste of you food the next time you use it

• To prolong the life of your cleavers, store them in a proper knife rack where there is less risk of damage. As for cleaning, wash the cleaver in warm, soapy water and dry thoroughly. Clean the blade immediately after working with acidic ingredients such as tomatoes and onions. If the handle is wood, avoid soaking it in water or it will break apart faster.

To remove the yellow or brown stains from the insides of your kettle, fill it with water and squeeze the juice of a lemon into the kettle. Then bring the water to a boil. You kettle will come out clean and shiny.

When cleaning the refrigerator, add a little baking soda to the wash water. This will help deodorize the fridge.

Burnt food can be removed from a glass baking dish by spraying it with oven cleaner and letting it soak for 30 minutes. The burnt-on residue will be easier to wipe off.

If something spills over in your oven, first sprinkle it with salt and remove with a metal spatula, then wipe with a damp sponge.

To restore color and shine to an aluminum pan, boil some apple peels in it for a few minutes, then rinse and dry.

To remove the smell of onions or garlic in a plastic container, wash it thoroughly. Then stuff a crumpled piece of newspaper in it and put on the lid. The odor will disappear in a couple of days.

A pestle does become "blunt". It shows when you require more time and effort to grind an ingredient than you used to. To sharpen your pestle, crush some washed seashells (picked from the seashore) in the mortar over and over again. Wash it thoroughly.

Having a hard time washing and reaching to the edges of a fancy-shaped milk bottle? Don't worry. Scoop some uncooked rice into the milk bottle, then pour in a little warm or hot water. Put on the nipple and shake well. Remove the rice-water and rinse the bottle under running water. The bottle will not only come out squeaky clean, any stains on the nipple will also be removed!

How to Season & Clean your Wok

It is very important to season your wok. Seasoning removes the manufacturer's protective coating and coats it with a thin layer of oil, enabling foods to glide smoothly over the cooking surface of the wok. A well-seasoned wok is worth its weight in gold. Not only will food not stick to its blackened surface, flavors are greatly enhanced. Below is a general step-by-step instruction for seasoning a carbon steel wok. However, I'd advise you to adhere to manufacturer's instruction if there is one.

1) Thoroughly scrub it inside and out with soap and a steel wool scouring pad to remove the manufacturer's preservative oil, and rust, if any. Rinse thoroughly with hot water.

2) Fill it with water and boil it for several minutes. This is to dissolve stubborn coating that can't be removed by scouring. Empty the wok and scrub the surface with steel wool and soap again.

3) Set the wok over high heat.

4) When a sprinkle of water sizzles in the wok, wipe some peanut or corn oil on the entire cooking surface of the wok by using paper towels with the help of a long wooden chopsticks or tongs.

5) Reduce heat to low. The wok will start to absorb the oil. Wipe with another thin film of oil if the surface begins to dry off. After 15 minutes, remove wok from the stove and let it cool.

6) Repeat step 1 to 5 and the wok is seasoned!

It is important to properly clean your wok after each use. Run hot water into it and clean the surface using a bamboo brush or plastic scour. Dry it thoroughly. Avoid soap and scouring as these will remove the hard-earned seasoning.

If food sticks or burns, soak the wok well before attempting to clean them with the method mentioned above. Use abrasive material such as steel wool only as the last resort because you will need to re-season the wok if it was scoured this way.

Boiling water in a well-seasoned wok can easily ruin its hard-earned shiny, black patina. Try to avoid this as much as possible.

Like Martin Yan says it "The number one tip for keeping your wok happy and perfectly seasoned is to use it!"

Chinese Cooking Utensils

Some of the things to cook with for Chinese are the same as in the West. Others are quite different. However, most Chinese dishes can be prepared and cooked with the equipment found in the normal home kitchen with perhaps, a few smallish additions. A good supply of pots and pans of various sizes should be handy. In general, slow cooking dishes should have thicker pots and faster cooking things should have thinner ones. In the recipes, skillet means any shallow, thin pan which oil can be heated quickly for various forms of frying. Deep frying, of course calls for something deep enough in which to float the pieces to be deep fried.

For the handling of materials being cooked, you can use the ordinary ladle, leaking ladles, and perforated frying shovels.

Of course, you will want to add your home kitchen with Chinese cooking utensils such as a wok and bamboo steamers as you go along and get more ambitious; which you'll find very useful and indispensable once you put you hands on them. This section is created to make you have a better understanding of the utensils used in a typical Chinese kitchen and help you decide if you want to invest in some.



Bamboo steamers are great for steaming food and are designed to fit inside the wok. The texture of the bamboo allows steam to circulate and evaporate so that less moisture will form on the inside of the lid. The bamboo steamer has the additional asset of allowing more than one layer of food to be steamed simultaneously - just stack a second basket on top of the first. Chinese would boil water in a wok then stack bamboo steamers over the wok, up to 5 layers, with the food needing less steaming on top, and the most, at the bottom. Bamboo steamers are attractive and can be used to serve food as well. They sure will fascinate yours guests!

Tip: To clean a bamboo steamer, simply rinse it with water. Do not use detergent or it will absorb the flavor of the soap and spoil the taste of you food the next time you use it.

The Chinese Spatula : This is a long-handled wide shovel-like blade spatula specially designed for stir-frying in the wok, known as 'wok sang' by the Chinese. The edge of the spatula blade is rounded to fit the shape of the wok, and the utensil itself is sturdier overall than the usual Western version, to allow stirring and tossing of large quantities of food as well as removing food from the wok.

The Chinese Wire Strainer - This wide, flat wire-mesh strainer with a long bamboo handle is very useful for removing deep-fried foods from hot oil or noodles from boiling water. It drains oil and liquid more efficiently than those metal perforated types. The long bamboo handle won't conduct heat and helps keep you farther away from the cooking heat. The most common size for home use is 6" diameter.

Sizzling Platter - Sizzling-platter dishes, also called "iron-plate" dishes, have recently become popular menu items in Chinese restaurants. These dishes are named for the heavy iron platter that is used for serving. The platter is heated to a high temperature, placed on its wooden tray, and delivered to the table. When hot stir-fried food is spooned onto the platter, the sizzle is very dramatic.

Clay-Pot - Clay-pot dishes are the Chinese version of the American casserole. The main difference is that they are cooked on top of the stove rather than in the oven. The design of the clay-pot assures good retention of heat, so that even if dinner is delayed, the food stays piping hot. Clay-pots add an indefinable richness of flavor to soups and hot pots.

Steaming stand or rack - useful in steaming food.

Long Wooden Chopsticks: The Chinese sometimes use chopsticks for putting food into and taking things out of a wok especially during deep frying, but you may use your fingers, forks or ladles, if you have not learned to use chopsticks.

Chopping block - The Chinese prefer a wooden chopping block over the plastic ones because it does not slip as easily and a big heavy wooden block big enough to hold what you're chopping is easier to find. However, you can always lay a damp kitchen towel under a plastic board to prevent slipping. Never soak a wooden chopping block. Instead, scrub with soap and hot water after us and keep dry when not in use. Occasionally, you can use vinegar and lemon juice to clean, sanitize and deodorize a chopping board.

Other Chinese cooking methods:

1. Stewing
2. Red-Cooking
3. Clear simmering
4. Stir Frying
5. Deep Frying
6. Steaming & Double-Boiling
7. Other less common CHinese cooking methods that I will not elaborate here can be seen under cooking terms are salting, pickling, steeping, drying, meeting, splashing, plunging, rinsing & smoking.

Chinese Cooking Methods

The art of Chinese cooking is not, contrary to popular belief, complicated and difficult. Most Chinese dishes do not require a complex processing and equipment in the kitchen as does one of China's most famous dishes, Peking duck. Simplicity is the key to Chinese cuisine as evidently shown in their various cooking methods. When you have the ingredients, seasonings and marinades ready, you can use one of the following methods to cook in Chinese.

Roasting - Roasting is not family cooking in China, since few Chinese kitchens have facilities for roasting. Only restaurants go much into roasts and Cantonese restaurants excel especially in these. In roasting, raw ingredients are marinated in seasonings before being roasted in an oven or barbecued over direct heat from charcoal fire, with the roast turning slowly round and round. Marinades is added inside and out from time to time so that the skin remains smooth and shiny, instead of rough and flaky, and the meat remains juicy instead of powdery. The Peking duck is one of China's most famous dishes cooked this way. Families can go to food shops to buy roast meat or poultry and eat it cold. But for the crisp juicy hot roast duck, one has to go to a restaurant.

Boiling - Strictly speaking, this means cooking food in boiling water (A liquid is boiling when the surface is continually agitated by large bubbles). Violent boiling should be avoided. It wastes fuel; it does not cook the food any faster, it tends to make the food break up and so spoils the appearance; the liquid is evaporated too quickly with the consequent danger of the food burning. There are one or two exceptions to this rule; for example, when one wants to drive off water quickly from syrup or a sauce to make it thicker, then violent boiling with the lid off hastens the process.

In Chinese cooking, there is very little big-fire boiling, as a complete process. Chinese would not consider eating boiled potatoes. After a thing is boiled, the natural question is - Now what of it? Quick plain boiling is often only a preparatory process for other ways of cooking - where the term parboil comes into place. There are some exceptions, such as plain boiled celery cabbage with salt and a little lard, or boiled yam, to eat with sugar. But celery cabbage and yam are such cook-proof things that they are good in any method prepared. It's not necessary to use continued big fire after water has started to boil, because water cannot be hotter than 100° C or 212°F. Turn the fire to medium if you want but to make sure that it is at least hot in all parts, especially in a large tall boiling or steaming pot, the fire must be big enough for you to see the steam come out.

Shallow frying - shallow frying uses a small amount of oil in a frying pan or wok at a temperature lower than stir-frying. Ingredients are usually cut into slices or flat pieces, and are used as they are, slightly coated with batter or rubbed with seasonings. Fish is ideal for this cooking method. The presentation side of the food should be fried first as this side will have the better appearance because the oil is clean, then turned so that both sides are cooked and browned. Sauces, if called for, are then added. Food cooked this way is tender inside with some crispness outside. This method is quite similar to sautéing in the West.

About Chinese Food and Cooking

Do you know that more than a third of the world's population eat Chinese food daily? Even if it was eaten regularly by some only, Chinese cooking would still be acknowledged as one of the greatest and original cuisines of the world. There is an ever increasing interest in and appreciation of Chinese food in the West. The fact that Chinese restaurants are mushrooming in the West is ample testimony to the variety and quality of Chinese food.

"Have you eaten already?" is a popular greeting among the Chinese.

The culinary appeal of Chinese cooking has taken the Western culture by storm because those who experimented know how good and economical Chinese food can be. They discovered how easy it is to create Chinese dishes in their own kitchen and the joy of eating Chinese food can be experienced regularly rather than as an occasional treat.

The art of Chinese cooking does not, contrary to popular belief, present any real difficulty as you will soon find out at Chinesefood-recipes.com. All the ingredients in Chinese recipes such as bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, water chestnuts and so forth can be readily purchased from most general food stores and supermarkets, and even online!

"Color, aroma and flavor are not the only the key elements in Chinese cooking; nutrition is also a priority."

Chinese food appeals to the majority and its variety of flavors is so cleverly contained in each dish that there is nothing incongruous in the serving of meat and poultry in the same course. Both the cooking and consumption of Chinese food are great culinary experiences. Besides appealing to our taste buds and eyes, food prepared in the Chinese manner is highly nutritious, retaining all its vitamins with quick and minimum cooking.
The reward of cooking Chinese are obvious to anyone who has tasted a well-cooked Sweet and Sour Pork or was sustained by a succulent Chow Mein. Chinesefood-recipes.com has a great selection of free, easy-to-cook and delicious Chinese recipes. Helpful sections such as Ingredients and Cooking tips are available to make your cooking experience easy and fun. Happy cooking!

Confucius (551-479 B.C.) said, "The path to your friend's heart and soul begins from your cooking."