Introduction 11 The Chinese Pantry 13 Cooking Equipment & Tools 21 Prepping Aromatics & Vegetables 24 HOMEMADE S A UCE S & C ONDIMENT S Chili Oil 29 Sichuan Chili Garlic Sauce 30 Seasoned Sweet Soy Sauce 31 Black Bean Sauce 32 Char Siu Sauce 34 Hoisin Sauce 35 Red Bean Paste 36 APPETIZERS & S ALAD S Fifteen-Minute Pickled Watermelon Radish 40 Pickled Cabbage Salad 43 Bang Bang King Oyster Mushrooms 44 Sichuan Spicy Peanuts 47 Wood Ear Mushroom Salad with Horseradish 48 Baked Crispy Tofu Nuggets 49 Silken Tofu with Scallions 50 Salt and Pepper Tofu 53 Shredded Potato Salad 54 Easy Cucumber Salad 57 Steamed Eggplant Salad with Nutty Sauce 58 Spinach and Peanut Salad 61 FAV ORITE TAKE OUT Tofu and Broccoli 65 General Tso’s Tofu 66 Mapo Tofu 69 Sichuan Chili Garlic Tofu 70 Sweet-and-Sour Tofu 73 Kung Pao Tofu 74 Black Pepper Portobello Mushrooms 77 Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce 78 Orange Cauliflower 81 Mushroom Fried Rice 82 Vegetable Fried Rice 85 DIM SUM Chive and Tofu Puff Pockets 89 Scallion Pancakes 93 Vegatable Dumplings 97 Kimchi Steamed Buns 99 Spicy Wontons in Red Oil 102 Vegetable Spring Rolls 105 Char Siu Bao 109 Bamboo Shoot and Mushroom—Stuffed Yuba Rolls 113 Cumin Potato Baked Buns 115 Spring Pancakes 118 Chinese Broccoli with Oyster-less Sauce 121 C ONTENT SIntroduction 11 The Chinese Pantry 13 Cooking Equipment & Tools 21 Prepping Aromatics & Vegetables 24 HOMEMADE S A UCE S & C ONDIMENT S Chili Oil 29 Sichuan Chili Garlic Sauce 30 Seasoned Sweet Soy Sauce 31 Black Bean Sauce 32 Char Siu Sauce 34 Hoisin Sauce 35 Red Bean Paste 36 APPETIZERS & S ALAD S Fifteen-Minute Pickled Watermelon Radish 40 Pickled Cabbage Salad 43 Bang Bang King Oyster Mushrooms 44 Sichuan Spicy Peanuts 47 Wood Ear Mushroom Salad with Horseradish 48 Baked Crispy Tofu Nuggets 49 Silken Tofu with Scallions 50 Salt and Pepper Tofu 53 Shredded Potato Salad 54 Easy Cucumber Salad 57 Steamed Eggplant Salad with Nutty Sauce 58 Spinach and Peanut Salad 61 FAV ORITE TAKE OUT Tofu and Broccoli 65 General Tso’s Tofu 66 Mapo Tofu 69 Sichuan Chili Garlic Tofu 70 Sweet-and-Sour Tofu 73 Kung Pao Tofu 74 Black Pepper Portobello Mushrooms 77 Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce 78 Orange Cauliflower 81 Mushroom Fried Rice 82 Vegetable Fried Rice 85 DIM SUM Chive and Tofu Puff Pockets 89 Scallion Pancakes 93 Vegatable Dumplings 97 Kimchi Steamed Buns 99 Spicy Wontons in Red Oil 102 Vegetable Spring Rolls 105 Char Siu Bao 109 Bamboo Shoot and Mushroom—Stuffed Yuba Rolls 113 Cumin Potato Baked Buns 115 Spring Pancakes 118 Chinese Broccoli with Oyster-less Sauce 121 C ONTENT SAPPETIZERS & SALADS At Chinese takeout restaurants, you typically see a lot of deep-fried appetizers, but in China, appetizers often take the form of cold dishes, salads, and small bites of hot dishes. At a restaurant, these dishes are brought to the table before the others, but at home, we simply serve them with other hot dishes, rice, and soup as a part of a multi-dish family-style meal.APPETIZERS & SALADS At Chinese takeout restaurants, you typically see a lot of deep-fried appetizers, but in China, appetizers often take the form of cold dishes, salads, and small bites of hot dishes. At a restaurant, these dishes are brought to the table before the others, but at home, we simply serve them with other hot dishes, rice, and soup as a part of a multi-dish family-style meal. — 50 CHINE SE HOME S TYLE YIELD 4 servings PREP 5 minutes 1 block (12 ounces, or 325 g) silken tofu 1 teaspoon light soy sauce 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste 2 scallions, sliced 1 teaspoon grated ginger 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (or Chili Oil on page 29) 1 Use a knife to cut the package to release the tofu. Carefully shake the package to transfer the tofu onto a serving plate. Dice the tofu on the plate using a paring knife. Set the tofu aside until you’re ready to serve. Water will continue to seep out of the tofu; drain off the water before you add the other ingredients. 2 When ready to serve, pour the soy sauce over the tofu and sprinkle with the salt. Top with the scallions and grated ginger and drizzle with the sesame oil. You can adjust the seasoning by adding more soy sauce or salt. Serve at room temperature. Did you know that with just a few ingredients you can turn silken tofu into a refreshing appetizer that adds protein to your meal? My mom usually serves this dish with Sesame Noodles (page 133) on warm days to avoid standing in front of a hot stove. Try to integrate silken tofu into savory dishes if you haven’t already, because it is easy to prepare and so delicious. S ILKEN T OF U W I T H S C ALLIO NS — 50 CHINE SE HOME S TYLE YIELD 4 servings PREP 5 minutes 1 block (12 ounces, or 325 g) silken tofu 1 teaspoon light soy sauce 1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste 2 scallions, sliced 1 teaspoon grated ginger 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (or Chili Oil on page 29) 1 Use a knife to cut the package to release the tofu. Carefully shake the package to transfer the tofu onto a serving plate. Dice the tofu on the plate using a paring knife. Set the tofu aside until you’re ready to serve. Water will continue to seep out of the tofu; drain off the water before you add the other ingredients. 2 When ready to serve, pour the soy sauce over the tofu and sprinkle with the salt. Top with the scallions and grated ginger and drizzle with the sesame oil. You can adjust the seasoning by adding more soy sauce or salt. Serve at room temperature. Did you know that with just a few ingredients you can turn silken tofu into a refreshing appetizer that adds protein to your meal? My mom usually serves this dish with Sesame Noodles (page 133) on warm days to avoid standing in front of a hot stove. Try to integrate silken tofu into savory dishes if you haven’t already, because it is easy to prepare and so delicious. S ILKEN T OF U W I T H S C ALLIO NSAPPETIZERS & S ALAD S — 57 YIELD 4 servings PREP 10 minutes 1 English cucumber (11 ounces, or 300 g), partially peeled 3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 2 teaspoons Chili Oil (page 29), or to taste, for serving (optional) For this light and refreshing appetizer, crisp cucumber is mixed with lots of garlic, drizzled with an appetizing blend of soy sauce, vinegar and sugar, and finished with a few drops of sesame oil. The sauce is light yet has a distinct sour flavor with a hint of sweetness, enhanced by the strong aroma of garlic. To give the salad an extra kick, I recommend drizzling it with the homemade chili oil, which makes the dish addictively tasty. This is another family favorite that my mom would serve every week. It pairs especially well with noodles and savory dumplings. 1 Dry the cucumber with paper towels. Place it on a large cutting board and carefully use the flat side of a knife or cleaver to crush it; a meat pounder will work as well. Cut the cucumber into bite-size pieces and place the pieces in a medium bowl. 2 Add the garlic to the cucumber. 3 In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and sesame oil for the sauce and mix well. 4 Right before serving, pour the sauce over the cucumber and garlic and mix well. (Do not add the sauce beforehand; it will cause the cucumber to lose water and dilute the sauce.) 5 Drizzle with the chili oil (if using) and serve. EA S Y C UC UMBER S A LADAPPETIZERS & S ALAD S — 57 YIELD 4 servings PREP 10 minutes 1 English cucumber (11 ounces, or 300 g), partially peeled 3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced 1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 2 teaspoons Chili Oil (page 29), or to taste, for serving (optional) For this light and refreshing appetizer, crisp cucumber is mixed with lots of garlic, drizzled with an appetizing blend of soy sauce, vinegar and sugar, and finished with a few drops of sesame oil. The sauce is light yet has a distinct sour flavor with a hint of sweetness, enhanced by the strong aroma of garlic. To give the salad an extra kick, I recommend drizzling it with the homemade chili oil, which makes the dish addictively tasty. This is another family favorite that my mom would serve every week. It pairs especially well with noodles and savory dumplings. 1 Dry the cucumber with paper towels. Place it on a large cutting board and carefully use the flat side of a knife or cleaver to crush it; a meat pounder will work as well. Cut the cucumber into bite-size pieces and place the pieces in a medium bowl. 2 Add the garlic to the cucumber. 3 In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and sesame oil for the sauce and mix well. 4 Right before serving, pour the sauce over the cucumber and garlic and mix well. (Do not add the sauce beforehand; it will cause the cucumber to lose water and dilute the sauce.) 5 Drizzle with the chili oil (if using) and serve. EA S Y C UC UMBER S A LADNext >