As seen in Blue
Ginger: East Meets West Cooking with Ming Tsai By Ming Tsai
and Arthur Boehm
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| Bok
choy |
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Also called Chinese white cabbage,
this staple of the Chinese kitchen is a lovely, all-purpose
vegetable. Of its many varieties the most frequently available kind
has long white stems and large green corrugated leaves. Very small
heads will be labeled baby bok choy. To prepare bok choy, separate
the stems and rinse the vegetable well, or cut the cabbage as your
recipe directs, wash and drain it well. Store bok choy well wrapped
in paper towels in your refrigerator’s vegetable crisper. |
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| Choy
sum |
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Sometimes called flowering cabbage for
its relatively slender stalks and tiny yellow blooms, this Chinese
cabbage has a particularly delicate taste. Wash the leaves well and
prepare choy sum as you would bok choy. |
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| Shanghai
cabbage |
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This delectable Chinese cabbage is
characterized by its curved, concave stems and smooth petal-like
leaves. Small plants (about 6 inches long) are the most readily
available in our markets. Prepare and store them as you would other
bok choy varieties. |
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| Napa
cabbage |
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Known also as Peking cabbage, this
barrel-shaped vegetable has a mild, non-mustardy taste. Its crinkly,
tightly packed leaves are delightfully crisp. Buy firm, light
colored heads. Well wrapped, the cabbage should last in the fridge
for up to one month. |
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| Bonito
flakes |
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Used primarily in the preparation of
dashi, the Japanese cooking stock, these pinkish flakes come from
dried bonito. They also make a welcome sushi and sashimi seasoning.
Buy them in bags or boxes in stores with a rapid turnover, because
the flakes lose their flavor if held too long. Store in airtight
containers. |
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| Chinese
chives |
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Flat-leaved and with a garlicky
pungency, green Chinese chives are widely available in Asian
markets. They are sold in large bunches and are 10 to 14 inches
long. They will last, well wrapped in paper towels and placed in a
plastic bag, in the fridge for about two days. Do not confuse
Chinese green chives with the yellow or hollow flowering variety
(which are the stems of the same plant) or with garlic chives, the
flowering stalks of the garlic plant, although any of these would be
a good substitute for the regular kind. |
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| Chinese
long beans |
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Growing up to three feet in length,
these beans are a long-favored Chinese vegetable. They lack
sweetness, but have a subtle taste and pleasing crunchiness that
make them a good addition to numerous dishes. Buy thin firm beans
that are without dark discolorations, taking into account that the
tips of the beans are usually black. |
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| Chinese
dried black mushrooms |
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Harvested from fallen trees, these
highly esteemed fungi are never actually black, but light to dark
brown in color. Their succulent texture and smoky flavor make them
welcome in many savory dishes.
In the market, you’ll find many
dried black mushroom grades; the most popular (and expensive) are
the large, light brown ones with cracked surfaces. Buy these, if
your pocketbook permits-but moderately priced varieties are good,
too. All grades need to be rinsed and then soaked, covered in warm
water for approximately 20 minutes to rehydrate them. Once softened,
remove their tough stems and use the caps only. Save the soaking
water for other cooking.
Store dried mushrooms in a cool, dry
place in an airtight container-or freeze them, if you don’t use
the mushrooms often.
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| Coconut
milk |
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An extraction made by seeping freshly
grated coconut in boiling water or milk, coconut milk is available
in Asian markets and many supermarkets. The milk is used in
Southeast Asian rice desserts, curries, and shellfish recipes.
Because coconut milk spoils quickly, it is wise to freeze any unused
portion. Don’t confuse coconut milk with the liquid found inside
the coconut, which is insufficiently rich for most recipes that call
for the milk. My favorite brand is Choo kah.
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| Daikon
sprouts |
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Shoots of the long white radish that
is probably Japan’s most fundamental vegetable, these are a
popular garnish and salad ingredient. I like their tender freshness
and spicyness and use them similarly. Buy the sprouts-sometimes
labeled radish sprouts-in 4 ounce hinged plastic containers, alive
in a growing medium. |
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| Dried
scallops |
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Before refrigeration and other modern
methods of preservation and fish and shellfish in China were
commonly dried. Among these, scallops became an esteemed ingredient,
sold in fine shops for high fees. Dried scallops (the species used
is the sea scallop-like conpoy) are still in demand as a flavoring
for soups, sauces, and other dishes, and are still relatively
costly. As small quantity, however, goes a long way, because the
scallops, once rehydrated, are shredded and used in small
quantities. Buy dried scallops in a market that sells enough of them
to ensure their “freshness,” and store them in a covered jar on
the shelf. If the scallops aren’t available, you can substitute
dried shrimp for them in most “dried scallop” recipes. |
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| Edamames |
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Why haven’t people yet discovered
these young soybeans in their fuzzy green pods? Available fresh in
Asian markets, usually from June through October, the beans, taken
straight from the pods, are great for munching, and much better for
you than chips or other snack food. I like them best, however,
cooked as you would fava beans to make luscious purees. When buying
edamames (the name means “branch beans” in Japanese) look for
firm, green pods. Frozen edamames are also available, and work well
in purees. |
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| Foie
gras |
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One of the world’s great eating
experiences, foie gras is the fattened liver of ducks and geese.
Fresh domestic foie gras, taken from ducks only, is now available
and it is excellent. Most of us will have to order our foie gras,
though specialty butchers often have it on hand or can get it for
you. Packed in cryovac, the liver is usually sold whole, though now
you can get it portioned or in thick slices. This luxurious treat is
always expensive, but several grades are available, designated A,B,
and C in descending order of quality. For the recipes in this book
in which the liver is pureed to flavor and enrich sauces or
stuffings, B and C grades are recommended. |
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| Ginger |
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Most of us are familiar with this
fresh root (actually a rhizome), which is one of the primary and
indispensable flavorings of Chinese cooking. Available in large “hands,”
or in smaller portions, fresh ginger should be firm and
glossy-skinned, without wrinkles or fibrousness where the knobs have
been broken. Store the root, wrapped in paper towels and within
plastic bags, in the vegetable crisper of your fridge. Unless
otherwise specified, the ginger called for in this book should
always be peeled before using. Baby or young ginger, if available,
is also excellent; it has a little less bite than the older variety. |
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| Makrut
lime leaves |
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The leaves of the Makrut lime tree,
this Thai seasoning has a delightfully pungent limelike scent.
Available fresh, frozen, or dried, in the order of desirability, the
leaves are a welcome addition to a wide range of dishes. Remove the
center rib if the leaf will be eaten. |
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| La
chang |
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The Chinese have made these dry, hard,
definitely sweet sausages for millenia. Sold in strings of two, with
each measuring about six inches long, la chang must be steamed or
otherwise cooked to be palatable. Most la chang are made with pork
and pork fat and this is the pork variety I have in mind for the
recipes calling for this ingredient in the book. La chang will last
in the fridge for weeks or, well wrapped, for months in the freezer. |
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| Lemongrass |
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Yellow green in color and resembling
large scallions, lemongrass is a preeminent flavoring ingredient in
Thai cuisine. I rely on its aromatic citrus taste in a wide range of
dishes, from soups to desserts. Store fresh lemongrass in moist
paper towels in the fridge, where it will keep for up to two weeks.
In cooking, only the portion of the stalk from the base to the point
at which the leaves branch is used. |
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| Lychee
honey |
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This amber-colored honey is, as its
name suggests, a product of lychee blossoms. It has a rich, deep
honey flavor that'’ particularly pleasing. Buy it in Asian
markets; if unavailable, you may use any mildly flavored honey in
its place. |
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| Mizuna |
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Feathery leaved and green in color,
this delightfully flavored, slightly tart lettuce is Asian in
origin. If you can’t find it in your market, substitute baby
mustard greens or mache. |
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| Panko |
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These buttery bread crumbs are used in
Japanese cooking to coat foods for frying. Panko is available in
cellophane packages, in which it lasts indefinitely if the packages
are unopened. Once opened, freeze unused portions. |
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| Rock
shrimp |
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I call for rock shrimp often in my
cooking. Firm in texture and with a delicious lobster-like flavor,
these small shrimp are caught in Florida and then shipped
nationwide. They arrive in the market headless and peeled because
their shells are hard to remove. They work very well chopped or
pureed to make shrimp toast and other hors d’oeuvres, or whole in
noodle dishes. |
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| Shiso
leaves |
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A member of the mint family and
resembling basil in taste and aroma, these leaves come in green and
red varieties. The green is the most widely available and also the
most fragrant. Shiso leaves are available stacked in packages and
make a lovely garnish. Green shiso is also used in sushi. |
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| Tatsoi |
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A spicy lettuce with a mustardy taste,
tatsoi has rounded leaves that are green rimmed. Its pungent flavor
has made it a longtime Chinese favorite. If unavailable, substitute
baby spinach leaves. |
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| Tea
leaves |
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Oolong, jasmine, and black lychee.
Tea, which is made from the leaves of an evergreen shrub, has been
drunk for pleasure since the fifth or sixth century a.d.
Oolong tea leaves are partially
fermented; this results in a tea that has the color, flavor, and
aroma of fermented black tea and the green freshness of unfermented
tea. Oolong tea leaves are widely available.
Jasmine tea leaves, which are green,
are steamed and then scented with jasmine flowers. The tea made from
them is delicately aromatic and makes a lovely dessert
flavoring.
Black lychee tea leaves, which are
fermented, produce a brisk (yes?) tea with an inherent sweetness. It’s
worth searching out this tea, particularly for summer enjoyment-it’s
incredibly good iced. Look for black lychee tea in Asian markets.
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| Togarashi |
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Small Japanese red chiles, these are
available fresh or dried. The dried variety is also sold ground,
which is the form of togarashi I generally use. Bottled ground
togarashi is available in Japanese specialty markets and other Asian
food stores. |
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| Tofu |
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An ancient Chinese and Japanese
product, tofu is made from curdled soy bean milk. Depending on how
much liquid remains after the curds are pressed into cakes, the
resulting tofu can be custard-like or chewy, and may be labeled
soft, medium, or firm. “Silken” tofu is the most delicate kind,
even if labeled “firm.” Tofu is nutritional powerhouse,
protein-rich and also low in fat and cholesterol. It is sold
packaged in water, vacuum-packed, and in bulk, and used in a wide
variety of dishes, including sir-frys, salads, and soups. Tofu is
extremely perishable. Refrigerate unused tofu promptly in its tub or
pouch, or transfer it to water. Change the water daily. |
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| Truffles |
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One of the world great culinary
luxuries, truffles, both black and white, have been prized since
ancient times. All truffles are fungi that grow underground in
symbiosis with the roots of certain trees; black truffles, which I
use in my recipes, are harvested primarily in France, where they are
traditionally sniffed out by pigs and dogs. Fresh black truffles are
expensive-if you are going to make the investment, buy them only in
season (December through March) and from a reputable source. Look
for truffles that are firm to the touch and highly aromatic. Use
them within three days of purchasing, and store them well wrapped in
the fridge. |
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| Wasabi
powder |
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The dehydrated powder of the wasabi
root which traditional grew only in Japan. It is now cultivated in
Oregon. It has a spicy, pungent flavor, similar to horseradish and
is pale green in color. It is traditionally served in paste form
with sushi.
Available
in Ming's Pantry |
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| Wasabi
tobiko |
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Prepared with flying fish roe, which
is crunchy and has a definite but pleasing fish taste, this caviar
is seasoned with wasabi. It has a nice kick, and makes a piquant
garnishing ingredient. |
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