Welcome to Seasoned Cooking and to Phil's International Flair! This month I have decided to discuss Chinese cooking methods once again. Chinese cooking is more of a style or method of cooking than an assortment of recipes. Basically, Chinese cooking is very simple and stir fry is one of the more popular methods of preparing Chinese dishes. Virtually any type of vegetable and meat, fowl or fish may be cooked in the Chinese style.
Most of the work in preparing a Chinese meal is in the preparation before cooking. The cooking itself typically only takes only a few minutes. The preparation however, may take up to an hour or more, depending on the dish. The Chinese way of cooking often expresses contrast. By this, I mean that there may be a contrast of flavors, like sweet and sour, or there may be a contrast in textures like soft and crunchy. This is one quality that gives Chinese food its unique character. There are a few things that the Chinese practically never cook with. One of these items is cheese. It is quite obvious that cheese does not lend itself to stir fry unless one likes trying to scrape melted cheese out of their wok! Most vegetables, meats, fish and fowl do lend themselves to a variety of Chinese cooking.
This month, I will share a few more of my favorite recipes cooked in the Chinese style. Try them out for your own family before trying them on guests. In this way, you can tailor the recipes to your own tastes by being a little creative and taking advantage of the freshest vegetables that are available in your region. Enjoy, and good cooking!
The recipes presented this month are from my yet to be published cookbook, Phil's Family and Friends Cookbook. Feel free to email me at with your comments and requests. Be well, and good eating!
Now, on to the recipes!
