Beyond Sweet and Sour Chicken: Regional Chinese Cuisine

When looking at a country as a huge and diverse as China, it should be no surprise that there are regional variants in types of cuisine. While many people are familiar with Chinese food from their local take-out place, Chinese cooking has a vast array of different dishes that go well beyond what could be offered on a one page menu. Lately, many home chefs have been focused on trying to recreate traditional dishes in their home kitchens. Looking through various types of cuisines can help any cook get inspired and focus on one or two regional dishes.

Szechuan Cuisine

Originating in the Western part of China, Szechuan cuisine is traditionally a very spicy and pungent type of cooking. Many traditional Chinese recipes have risen from Szechuan cooking including things like Mapo Tofu, Kung Pao Chicken and Dan Dan Noodles. Most dishes in Szechuan cooking use a wide array of techniques. The most common technique used are stir frying and steaming. One of the most commonly used ingredients is the extremely fragrant Sichuan Pepper as well as broad bean chili paste.

Peking Cuisine

Northern cuisine, or Peking cuisine, brings together the many cultures of northern China. Some of the most legendary dishes with a vast history have originated in this region including Peking Duck and Mongolian Hotpot. Many of these dishes also have a regal flare, with Beijing being the historical seat of power for China. With that, the focus tends to be on the meats in most dishes. Other common foods in this region include an array of noodle and dumpling dishes, as well as some flavorful dark sauces to be used for dipping and or dressing noodles and meats.

Cantonese Cuisine

One of the more reserved and balanced flavor profiles comes from Cantonese cooking. Traditionally, these Chinese recipes use a wide array of ingredients, even things like offal, snakes, and chicken feet. Some of the most commonly exported Chinese sauces originate in Cantonese cuisine like Hoisin Sauce and oyster sauce. These sauces are used to enhance and balance out dishes where salt, soy sauce and sesame oil play a key role. Some traditional dishes of this region include chow mein and lo mein dishes, as well as steamed fish and vegetables in oyster sauce.

Eastern Cuisine

In eastern Chinese recipes, the sea plays a huge part in cooking. With a wide array of fresh seafood available, Eastern or Shanghai cuisine offer a different flavor profile than many other regions of China. With a strong emphasis on the use of vinegar, dishes have bright and strong flavors. Along with some of the most enjoyable dishes, also come some notorious ones like Thousand Year Old Eggs and Stinky Tofu. These are by no means the definition of Shanghai cuisine, but can be commonly found in street market stalls and stores. Other, much more recognizable dishes include Xiao Long Bao, a dumpling enjoyed throughout the day, and local Hairy Crab.

If one tried to compile all the Chinese recipes into one book, it would be a massive endeavor that would take years to attempt. By focusing on one region's recipes, home cooks can begin to gain an understanding of that certain area before moving onto another. Learning to cook Chinese food may seem like a tremendous endeavor, but by looking regionally, it suddenly becomes much more manageable.

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10 Reasons to Cook Italian Food Instead of Chinese Food Tonight

First of all, let me just say this. I love both Chinese food and Italian food.  Don't get all excited and start thinking I am bashing on any particular culture. I am not; in fact I am attempting to take a man's view on cooking Italian.   Both styles are mega delicious and should be consumed in great quantities.

1. Italian wine: Need I say more? Ever hear of a good Chinese wine? I think not.  Maybe a Saki, but as far as I am concerned, it's an acquired taste.
2. Complexity: Husbands who don't venture into the kitchen much tend to feel more comfortable with something not as complex. Spaghetti and meatballs is really not too tough.
3. Lots of variations: You can start with any kind of pasta, dump anything on top of it, and you have transformed the ordinary into the extraordinary. Anything in your pantry or refrigerator is fair game.
4. Tomatoes: Tomatoes are beautiful. They come in so many varieties, and can be spiced in so many ways. How can you not like them?
5. Simple ingredients: We have very good Chinese friends who invited us to dinner once. She asked me to grab something out of the refrigerator for her while she was creating our culinary delight. Upon opening the refrigerator, I saw items that I have never seen in my refrigerator before. There was funky plant life and animal parts that I did not think you could buy much less eat. This was one well stocked unit but I would have to imagine it would take a while to buy all those ingredients. Italian refrigerators seem a little simpler. Besides, gizzards and chicken feet just don't work for me.
6. Neater noodles: Italian noodles are just more fun to me. You get all kinds of noodles in all sorts of shapes and sizes. You can buy them in boxes and bags or make them yourself. Chinese noodles, while delicious, seem to have less variety.
7. Easy to make: For some reason I just can't get my white Anglo Saxon attempt at Chinese food to taste authentic. I never seem to have the one ingredient that creates the magic touch. In Italian cooking, I have  everything I need,( which is the fab four: olive oil, onions garlic and basil), and it is usually just comes down to adding more of "this" or "that'
8. Impersonations: I just don't do a good imitation of an Asian, but I can get you going with my rendition of  Vieto ala beanie. Everyone can do a good Italian imitation. This is the part where cooking is becomes fun. (its easier to make fun of your own) I love to entertain my children with my cheesy attempts at cultural   impressions. It's better received to kiss your fingertips in appreciation than to muster up a large belch.
9. Italian food tastes better the next day: My grandmother would make sauce, but we were never allowed to  eat it until the next day. That's because all the flavors came together while it sat overnight in the refrigerator after assembly. What I once thought was a cruel thing to do to a boy, turned out to be a rewarding exercise in patience. (check out our pasta fagioli, most excellent the next day)

And the number one reason....(Actually #10)

Garlic: As far as I am concerned, garlic is the center of the universe. I can't get enough of it. I love the smell of it, I like it on my hands, I like the way it smells in the kitchen, I like it on bread, in sauce, on pizza or in pesto.  Heck if I could get away with garlic sheets on the bed. (you get the idea)  Italians love to cook with it and its versatility is certainly bound to make it the signature of any dish. Sauté' some with some onions and olive oil, it can make a grown man cry.

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Low Calorie Dining - How to Eat Healthy at a Chinese Restaurant?

The authentic Chinese delicacies are rich in vegetables and usually cooked with little or no oil, owing to which they can be made a part of a low-calorie diet. However, the food offered at the Chinese restaurants in the West is nothing but a 'Westernized' version of the traditional Chinese food. These American-Chinese and Canadian-Chinese cuisines are rich in fat and calories and hence, it is very necessary to make healthy choices from the Western-Chinese food menu if you are following a strict low-calorie diet.

Following are a few guidelines that will help to eat healthy at your favorite Chinese restaurant:

1) When it comes to placing an order for appetizers, you should avoid foods like egg rolls and spareribs. Instead, you can opt for egg drop or wonton soups. Any low calorie broth-based soups will best suit your diet plan.

2) Other main course dishes that you can order include Chinese delicacies, such as the Shrimp Chow Mien, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Steamed Spring Rolls, Teriyaki Chicken Skewer, and Chicken served with broccoli and Chop Suey.

3) Any dish that includes steamed or boiled chicken or shrimp, and steamed vegetables is a good choice.

4) Do not order dishes that are made with sweet and thick sauces. Also, avoid any food that is battered or floured and then deep-fried. A dish prepared with loads of vegetables and little oil is the best choice you can make. Instead of the deep-fried foods, you can opt for the stir-fried, roasted or broiled ones.

5) Although fried rice is one of the most popular Chinese foods, it should be strictly avoided if you are really keen on following your low-calorie diet plan. Fried rice, especially the one made with eggs, is rich in fats and cholesterol and is a big 'NO' when it comes to including Chinese foods in your diet plan. If you are fond of rice, you can try brown rice that is healthier than fried rice.

6) Think twice before placing an order for dished that are described as "crispy" or "battered" in the food menu. Also watch out for dishes that include noodles, chow mien, and marinades.

7) Other bad choices would include Kung Pao chicken, crispy duck, dishes laden with rich sauces like Hoi sin, dumplings, and lo mien.

To conclude, Chinese cuisine offers a lot of healthy choices that can be made a part of your health diet, but you need to be prepared before visiting your favorite Chinese restaurant.

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