Ruth Taber

Special to the Times

I just celebrated my 88th birthday and a Chinese friend told me the coming year will be auspicious for me.

The word for eight sounds like "prosper” or “wealth” in Chinese; thus my “double eight” age bodes well.

I thanked her for the good wishes and promised to share any newly acquired “wealth” – which I know will include knowledge about new foods, recipes and cooking tips!

My first bit of luck is acquiring a monumental (more than 700 pages) encyclopedic cookbook: "China, The Cookbook" by husband/wife authors Kei Lum Chan and Diora Fong Chan (Phaidon).

The authors explain that China’s 34 provinces/regions include 56 indigenous nationalities and they each have their own food traditions! The more than 650 included recipes barely cover the diversity of China’s cuisine.

The book’s extensive introduction serves up a history of Chinese food culture, detailed explanations of regional cuisines, cooking techniques and equipment.

I found the explanation of the “Chinese table” fascinating; when entertaining guests, the custom is to have as many dishes as the number of people at the table. Thus, based on traditional food customs, if a recipe in the book states “serves 4” the intent is for it to be shared at the table along with three or four other dishes (and the ever present steamed rice).

In other words, you don’t “add water to the soup” (my mother’s expression when told extra people were showing up for dinner) but, instead, create another dish!

The authors realize that our (Western) eating habits are different and state that their recipes can be doubled, but, they really encourage the home cook to try Chinese customs which allow for so much more variety at the table.

Proper cooking techniques are emphasized.

Most of us associate stir-frying (ingredients cooked in hot oil over high heat and stirred continuously until done) with Chinese food; the authors point out this method is just one of hundreds! They write “the aim of cooking is to showcase the pure flavor of the ingredients” and, to accomplish this, describe 23 common techniques easily mastered by the home cook. “Red braising” - ingredients braised in a caramelized soy sauce — and “smoking” (with tea leaves) in a wok were new to me.

I’ve often wondered what was in some of the prepared Asian sauces I use in my cooking: An excellent glossary at the back of the book answered most of my questions.

I was surprised to read that oyster sauce (popular in Cantonese cuisine) really is made with oysters “that have been simmered until the reduced juices caramelize”. I discovered that tofu or bean curd sheets (think Chinese style phyllo pastry) are made from boiled soy milk.

Sichuan-style Wontons in red oil, Crab Meat Soup with Crispy Wonton Wrappers, Hakka Dumplings call for ready-made wonton wrappers; Braised Tofu Sheets (a Buddhist vegetarian recipe) call for ready-made tofu (bean curd) sheets. The basic recipes for wrappers for spring rolls, wontons, pot stickers, noodles, or tofu (bean curd) sheets etc. are not included in the book; fortunately, they’re available in El Paso markets and online.

Recipes in the book are grouped by types of dishes (not regions) from appetizers, fish, poultry, meat, vegetables, tofu/eggs, rice/congee/noodles to desserts.

The 38 desserts included Split Pea Pudding (made with split peas, gelatin and sugar), Honeyed Lotus Roots in Sweet Osmanthus (osmanthus sugar made with leaves from the osmanthus bush) and Taro Roots in Honeyed Sauce – all “outside my box.”

I might try the Peanut Mochi (small cakes made with peanuts, sesame seeds, brown sugar and glutinous rice flour). More in my line were the Peanut Crisp or Walnut cookies from Hong Kong! An added bonus: the final chapter includes selected recipes from nine internationally acclaimed chefs. Ambitious foodies looking for a challenge will enjoy the chefs’ Chinese food specialties!

I’ve always believed that recipes are like maps (showing alternate routes from one place to another) and you choose which way to go.

A recipe for Potatoes, Eggplants And Peppers (some of my favorite veggies) looked good – but I didn’t follow the authors’ cooking directions. Instead of deep frying the veggies, I cooked each of them in the microwave about 6-7 minutes on High and drained them on paper towels. I added olive oil to the bottom of my deep fry pan (2-3 tablespoons) and added a full teaspoon of shredded ginger with the sliced garlic – cooking on Medium High for about two minutes. Then I added the drained veggies, sauce (soy sauce mixed with cornstarch) and rice wine; I stirred the mixture constantly for about four minutes and served it with grilled salmon.

My live-in feinschmecker gave the veggies a big thumbs up rating!

Here is the recipe as it appears in the cookbook. Note: I used the same ingredients (few minor changes) but changed the deep fry cooking method.

Potatoes, Eggplants and Peppers

(adapted from "China: The Cookbook," Phaidon Press)

Preparation time: 20 Minutes, Cooking Time: 15 Minutes, Serves: 4

1 large potato, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 cups (16 fl oz/ 475 ml) vegetable oil (I used a few tablespoons of olive oil to stir fry cooked veggies)

2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks

1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon shredded ginger (I used a full teaspoon)

4 cloves garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon rice wine

Soak the potatoes in a bowl of cold water until ready to use.

Fill a bowl with 2 cups (16 fl oz/ 500 ml) water and add the eggplant and 1 teaspoon salt. Soak for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok or deep saucepan to 300°F/150°C, or until a cube of bread browns in 1 1/2 minutes. Add the green bell peppers and deep-fry for about 15 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the peppers from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Drain and pat the potatoes dry with paper towels. Add to the oil and deep-fry for about 4 minutes until golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the potatoes to a plate lined with paper towels.

Drain and pat the eggplants dry with paper towels. Heat the oil to about 350°F/180°C, or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds, add the eggplants, and deep-fry for 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the eggplants to a plate lined with paper towels.

Combine the soy sauce, sugar, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cornstarch in a bowl and mix into a sauce. Set aside.

Pour out most of the oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the wok over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. Add the potatoes, eggplants, and green peppers, increase to high heat, and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add the wine and sauce to the wok. Bring to a boil, stirring, for 30 seconds to thicken the sauce. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with rice. (No rice for us; perfect with the grilled salmon!)

Ruth Taber is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals. She may be reached at taber.ruth@gmail.com.