Everyday Chinese Cooking: Quick and Delicious Recipes from the Leeann Chin Restaurants - Hardcover

Chin, Leeann; Chin, Katie

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0609605860 ISBN 13: 9780609605868

Publisher: Clarkson Potter, 2000

Synopsis

"There are too many exotic ingredients." . . . "What about all that preparation?" . . . "I don't want to buy special equipment." . . . Acclaimed restaurateur Leeann Chin and her daughter Katie have heard all the excuses before, and in response they present their collection of delicious, simple recipes that will make any cook feel like a gourmet Chinese chef. Everyday Chinese Cooking proves that the very best Chinese cooking can be achieved in a real home kitchen, by real people, on real schedules.

As a young, time-strapped mother cooking for a family of eight on a limited budget -- and in her new home of Minnesota, half a world away from where she was raised -- Leeann Chin developed recipes that worked for her new lifestyle, without access to all the ingredients of her homeland and within the constraints of a very busy life. The results speak for themselves: quick, flavorful, accessible but authentic Chinese dishes that could make you consider opening up your own take-out restaurant.

More than 150 recipes encompass appetizers, soups, poultry, beef, pork, seafood, vegetables, noodles, rice, and desserts. Introductions to each recipe provide completely usable information, such as ingredient substitutions, make-ahead tips, serving suggestions, and other ideas for real-life cooking and eating. Everyday Chinese Cooking is more than quick and easy food; it's also naturally healthful. Best of all, once you get a few recipes under your belt (in every sense of the word) you'll realize that Chinese cooking is truly one of the most convenient ways to get dinner on the table with the least amount of stress.

Leeann Chin's incredibly successful restaurants have been voted "Best Chinese Food" by Minneapolis & St. Paul Magazine in the Minneapolis area for more than a dozen consecutive years. With the help of her daughter Katie, Leeann proves that Chinese food can -- and should -- be an everyday option for home cooks of all experience levels, everywhere.

About this title

About the Author

LEEANN CHIN is an award-winning restaurateur, professional chef, caterer, and founder of Leeann Chin, Inc., which includes fifty-seven restaurants and take-out locations in the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, and Kansas City areas (with more new restaurants opening in these regions plus Des Moines and Wisconsin). She has been named Entrepreneur of the Year (1993) by the National Association of Women Business Owners. Leeann lives in Minneapolis.

KATIE CHIN, Leeann's daughter, is an entertainment industry marketing executive, writer, and board member of Leeann Chin, Inc. She is currently senior vice president of worldwide promotions for Twentieth Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising and lives in Los Angeles.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Garlic Chicken Wings
Makes 24 pieces (serves 3 to 4)
Make sure the chicken marinates for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours to ensure the proper flavor. Buy precut chicken wings for ease of preparation.

12 chicken wings
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Cut the chicken wings at the joints to make 3 pieces. Reserve the tip thirds to use in broth.

In a small bowl, mix the vegetable oil, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, ginger, salt, and sugar together. Pour over the wings and marinate 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Bake for 40 minutes in a shallow roasting pan (line it with foil for easy cleaning). Stir 3 to 4 times while baking.

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Stir-Fried Beef With Tomato and Basil
Serves 2
This recipe has a unique flavor and goes well served over fresh rice or noodles.

10 ounces beef tenderloin
4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
5 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash white pepper
1 small white onion
2 medium tomatoes
1/2 ounce (about 12 leaves) fresh basil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

Trim the fat from the beefsteak and cut the beef lengthwise into 2-inch strips. Cut the strips crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. In a medium bowl, toss the beef with 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, the salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut the onion into 1-inch squares. Cut the tomatoes into 8 wedges. Wash the basil and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water and set aside.

Heat a nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the remaining 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, the beef, garlic, and onion and stir-fry for 1 minute, or until the meat browns. Continue stirring for about 2 minutes over high heat. Stir in the hoisin sauce and cornstarch mixture. As the mixture begins to thicken, after about 1 minute, add the tomatoes and basil; stir for 1 minute.

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Crispy Scallops With Garlic Sauce
Serves 4
You may deep-fry the scallops ahead of time. Simply refry or reheat in the oven before serving.

1 pound sea scallops
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 small egg white
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
4 cups + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 cup Chicken Broth (page 52)
3/4 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 green onions, diced

Remove the muscle on the outside of each scallop and rinse the scallops in cold water; drain thoroughly. Pat the scallops dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, mix ½ teaspoon salt, the pepper, sesame oil, egg white, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Stir in the scallops, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon water, and the dark soy sauce and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add the chicken broth, vinegar, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook to boiling. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and return to boiling. Remove from the heat.

Heat 4 cups vegetable oil, 1 ½ inches deep, in a wok to 350°F. In a medium bowl, mix ½ cup water, the flour, the remaining ¼ cup cornstarch, the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, the baking soda, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir the scallops into the batter until well coated. Fry 8 scallops at a time for 2 minutes, or until light brown, turning occasionally; drain on paper towels. Continue until all the scallops are cooked. The scallops can be cooked to this point ahead of time.

Increase the oil temperature to 375°F. Refry the scallops for about 1 minute, or until golden brown; drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, reheat the garlic sauce and gently mix with the scallops. Garnish with the diced green onions and serve immediately.

Edition details

• Publisher: Clarkson Potter
• Publication date: 2000
• ISBN 10: 0609605860
• ISBN 13: 9780609605868
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192