The official Authentic Chinese Cuisine review thread
Posted by faunablues on May 20, 2011 · Member since Aug 2003 · 9655 posts
Posted by intheend on May 21, 2011 · Member since May 2009 · 283 posts
Vegetarian bbq "pork" - I used the baked gluten pieces for this and the flavor is f'ing amazing on this. It really reminded me of the days I used to eat this as an omni.
Baked gluten pieces - Do not overbake these like I did! They end up super chewy but I still liked them.
Spicy braised yuba - This doesn't have a ton of flavor but it is still really good and is super quick. I love the texture of yuba and the taste of fermented black beans so this is a winner.
Spring rolls - Super yum!! I love spring rolls and they are so easy to make at home. Eat these with plum sauce and you'll be head over heels in lurrrve.
Dan dan noodles - I've had a few peanut butter noodle type dishes but this is the best one by far. The TVP topping is soooo flavorful and there's a hint of peanut butter but not enough to be overwhelming. This recipe really does make only 2 servings so if you want more, double it.
Mapo doufu - Now this is my shit. I used to eat this all the time so I have high standards and this recipe is awesome! I love the texture of soft tofu and TVP.
Sichuan kung pao "chicken" - This was definitely tasty and will definitely be made again.
Hunan-style "duck" curry - I used canned "duck" and Japanese curry (S&B brand) because that was all I had on hand. Man this was sooo flavorful, I want it again. I have a Malaysian curry powder that I want to try in this recipe so I need to make it again to see how it tastes.
Potstickers - Yeah! Loved these and folded them by hand. I can't believe people use a potsticker press for this. Seriously, it only takes a couple minutes to get use to folding by hand and then it goes quickly. Besides, it looks better.
Spicy dipping sauce - Perfect compliment to the potstickers and has great flavor.
Sichuan spicy tangerine "chicken" - Didn't like this at all, it was just plain and the only thing that stood out was the zest.
Chow mein - Basic, good chow mein. Nothing to rave about but it's good.
Pineapple sweet and sour - Fantastic flavor, probably due to the 1/3 cup of sugar but this dish is worth the indulgence.
Hunan tofu with fresh garlic - Enjoyed this but had to double the sauce since I like things to have a lot of it but other than that, this is a dish that goes great with sriracha.
Beef and broccoli - This was alright but I wasn't enthusiastic about it.
Sichuan tofu - I've been making a variant of this dish for a couple of years so I decided to try this recipe and it's just as good. I always add some boiled edamame cause that's how I was taught to make this. Try it if you make this.
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Posted by intheend on Jun 15, 2011 · Member since May 2009 · 283 posts
I was supposed to say that the Beef and Broccoli review above was for the black bean sauce version. Here's the review for the regular sichuan beef and broccoli - Seriously, anything with 6 cloves of garlic is going to win me over. This is always good to make when all you have is some seitan and broccoli.
Chinese style "beefy" seitan - This really does taste like beef, I was completely surprised. The method of cooking is unliked anything I've tried for seitan before but it works and it ends up with like a thick syrup like glaze on top which is so delicious.
Beef and broccoli in oyster sauce - This tastes just like takeout but way healthier and overall better. I really recommend making the seitan from this book for this dish cause it comes out insanely good.
Asparagus tofu with black bean sauce - I love fermented black beans but this was just lacking in flavor. I had to add a lot of soy sauce and sriracha to get it to be edible but I couldn't say I was glad I at least tried it.
Fried rice - Fried rice is always good and this recipe is no exception. I like that scrambled tofu is added, definitely gives it more flavor and helps out the texture.
Stir-fried "chicken" and snow peas - I think I would try this again with veggie broth instead of water cause I thought this was so bland. The other thing is make sure you stir-fry the snow peas first and get them to the tenderness you want them. I follow Bryanna's instructions and found them way too crunchy.
Stir-fried "chicken" and mushrooms - Anything with oyster sauce seems to win me over so of course I really enjoyed this. Besides, tofu and mushrooms is always a great combo.
Hunan hot and sour "duck" - Ok this is not hot at all but with all the extra sriracha I put on it, it definitely ended up hot. Good, filling dish with great flavor.
Chili green beans - They weren't spicy and very flavorful. I'm still on the hunt for a good Chinese green bean recipe!
Braised tofu with Chinese black mushrooms - I've been making a dish like this that I learned from an ex-gf years ago so I decided to try this and this tastes almost exactly like my version. The only thing I do differently is add a handful of defrosted edamame.
Stir-fried vegetarian duck - I hate bell pepper so I used an onion in its place but that's the only change I made. I love the premade duck seitan and this is a great way to prepare it. It's so easy to make since you can buy the seitan instead of having to make it from scratch.
Stir-fried chinese broccoli - This seems like a lot of work and it is. I don't do it often but every now and then it's worth the extra steps. I love how it looks from not being chopped up and the sauce that goes with it is great.
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Posted by faunablues on Jun 16, 2011 · Member since Aug 2003 · 9655 posts
which black bean sauce version? I can't find it :-\
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Posted by intheend on Jun 17, 2011 · Member since May 2009 · 283 posts
It's on page 132, it's on the left hand side of the page under Variation. "Beef" and Brocccoli in Black Bean Sauce.
Where's your reviews woman?!
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Posted by Allychristine on Jun 17, 2011 · Member since Dec 2007 · 15438 posts
which black bean sauce version? I can't find it :-\
:[ I'm getting to it... along with my other half of reviews for Buddha's Table. eheh.
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Posted by seichou on Jul 07, 2011 · Member since Apr 2007 · 10 posts
Hi everyone, I really think this book needs more positive reviews! I'm not at home right now but will review what I remember from the top of my head and will add to that when I've had a look at the reviews I've scribbled into the book
Breast of Tofu "Chicken" Easy, quick, liked the method. Good to prepare and I liked the taste.
Sichuan Kung Pao "Chicken" This is what I use the breast of tofu chicken in. Absolutely love this recipe! The sauce is the best.
Baked Seitan Balls this was a completely new method to me and I really liked how the seitan balls puffed up and had a texture that was unlike any other seitan I have ever tasted. I always plan on trying variations on this, like seasoning the seitan instead of using the plain gluten+water variety.
Vegetarian "Barbecued Pork" This was very intense tasting bur really good! I might cut back a little on the 5 spice next time though. Used this as a filling for the steamed buns and I could not stop eating them.
Steamed Savory Filled Buns The dough recipe worked very well for me although I usually dislike any recipes that measure in cups. (really prefer weight)
Green Tofu Filling Used this also for the steamed buns, also very much delicious.
Pearl Balls Unusual but tasty snack. I remember them being a little heavy on the ginger but will have to check my notes to make sure.
Chili Green Beans I really liked those. I browned them thoroughly in the pan and I think that did the trick. Great, easy side.
Zucchini with Ginger Simple, easy, nice side. Tastes pretty much like zucchini and ginger (it is a really simple, straightforward recipe)
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Posted by faunablues on Jul 07, 2011 · Member since Aug 2003 · 9655 posts
hey there! I do have (positive) reviews to add, as I'm starting to re-make a lot of the things in here (I made most of the recipes before, but it's been so long that I've forgot...) Nice to see another person has this book =)
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Posted by seichou on Jul 11, 2011 · Member since Apr 2007 · 10 posts
Okay, I have now looked up my notes in the book and would like to add some additions to my previous review.
Spicy Braised Yuba: I must have made and liked it as it is marked in the book but to be honest, I don't remember well. So it was probably good but not spectacular.
Steamed Savory Filled Buns: Maybe useful information: one filling recipe makes enough filling for one dough recipe (=16 buns = 8 servings)
Flower Rolls: Well, it's just steamed white yeast dough and I did not like the plain kind very much. The filled buns are just so much better.
Velvet Corn Soup: I used smoked tofu for the tofu in this recipe and it was pretty good.
"Beef" and Broccoli in Black Bean Sauce: I liked it.
Crispy "Pork" with Sweet-and-Sour Sauce: Another of those recipes I've made but do not remember well. I made it with tempeh as the 'meat' and it probably worked well. The notes say that I liked it.
Red Pepper Tofu: Liked it, noted to use less sherry and light soy sauce next time though so it was probably a little too salty.
Green Beans with Garlic: This one is marked with a heart in the book so I really liked it. If I remember correctly it was a quick and lovely side.
Mapo Doufu: That one was good!
Now I have all recipes covered I've ever tried. I really need to use this book more again, so many lovely recipes still to try out...
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Posted by faunablues on Jul 16, 2011 · Member since Aug 2003 · 9655 posts
Yep I've got some recipes to try and re-try too. They're next on my list...
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Posted by faunablues on Jul 31, 2011 · Member since Aug 2003 · 9655 posts
Baked seitan balls Yep these end up SUPER chewy. They come out of the oven puffed up, but soon deflate. I'd recommend freezing them if you're not immediately using them, so that they don't dry out. (fb)
Braised Chinese Seitan Good, savory. I used the baked seitan chunks, which were quite chewy. I used these for the Shanghai noodles. (fb)
Vegetarian Ground "Chicken" I think this tastes vaguely meaty rather than specifically like chicken. My TVP was chunkier than the typical stuff, and I think it needs to be smaller pieces to work as "ground" chicken or be formed into balls for other recipes. (fb)
Vegetarian barbecued pork very strongly flavored, sweet, saucy. I used the baked gluten pieces, which works out well for the pork bao, since it results in exactlyl 3 pieces per bun. I usually don't like 5-spice, but this was fine. (fb)
Chinese "Pork" Balls
I couldn't get these to entirely stay together, probably because my TVP was coarser than most TVP is. It would probably work otherwise. Because of this, I formed it into a loaf, wrapped it in foil, and steamed it for 45-60 min instead. I cut it into chunks once cooled, which mostly stayed together. I like the flavor of this better than the "ground chicken" stuff. (fb)
Crispy garlic chicken balls Still couldn't get much of the chicken mixture to stick together, but did sort of, and fried as much as I could. Pretty tasty, stays juicy after frying. (fb)
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Posted by faunablues on Jul 31, 2011 · Member since Aug 2003 · 9655 posts
Spicy braised yuba I used less black beans because I remember it was too strong last time. This was more lightly flavored, which I liked. The texture of the yuba is nice, and it didn't take as long as instructed (30 min) to rehydrate. It took maybe 10-15 min. (fb)
"Seafood" Mushroom Filling I didn't have dulse, so I crushed up a nori sheet instead. This was good, and had a vague sea flavor without being too fishy. I made steamed dumplings out of them instead of steam-fried, and served them with sweet chili sauce and plum sauce. (fb)
Bao ah that serving information was useful! I notice that in the book sometimes, where it will call for "24 pieces of this", where the "this" recipe says it makes "12 servings" or something, and it's hard convert one measurement to another. Anyway, this dough wound up being a bit too soft (but it was pretty hot in my kitchen that day, so maybe it's not the recipe), but it worked anyway (just didn't hold its shape as much as it should). I don't have much to say about the taste - it's steamed bread! (fb) Vegetarian "Barbecued Pork" Filling Not too much of a modification of the barbecued pork itself. You could probably be lazy and skip this and use the bbq pork itself for the filling. This filling was very saucy, and it was a little tough closing the buns. But still tasty and sweet. (fb)
Curried "Chicken" Filling Very strong curry flavor! Good as a filling, but if you make this for having by itself, i'd reduce the amount of curry powder. (fb)
Green Tofu Filling A "healthier" tasting filling. I used napa this time, used bok choy before. Both work. This is probably the easiest filling for the bao, only because it's less saucy and easy to close the buns around it. (fb)
Flower rolls the dough ended up being really soft, so that i didn't really get the bulging double flower effect thing as illustrated. But as steamed bread it's still good, and puffs up well. Bao are better, but this is so easy. (fb)
Dan Dan noodles Yep, only two serving. This came out REALLY salty for me. I'd reduce the soy sauce next time, and use only water and no broth, or something like that. Very good though, but too much sodium. Pb was unexpectedly good in this type of dish. (fb)
Shanghai Noodles I ended up using spinach for the greens because it's what I had. This is kind of plain to me, at least versus the chow mein. (fb)
I got a good vegetarian "beef" bouillion and it made this so tasty. Freshly fried tofu is so good anyway, plus everything else... Also, I used less noodles, but it still had plenty in total. Good simple soup, kind of a light meal. (fb)
Hot and Sour Soup Interesting. Most other recipes for this type of thing involve some sort of vinegar for the "sour" part, but this just calls for some Chinese pickles, and that's it. It's pretty mild both on the hot and sour ends, and is a light soup. It's fine, but I like the bok choy, mushroom, tofu soup better. (fb)
Stir-fried "duck" with chili, bell pepper, and black beans Very easy and quick. I used fewer black beans (maybe half) because sometimes that flavor is overwhelming. This was good, and by using the broth stuff the "duck" is packed in, the sauce was kind of like gravy. (fb)
Vegetarian Yunnan Pot Seems I didn't get something - it calls for cooked noodles, and I used fresh (soft) noodles, but I think I was supposed to cook them first anyway >< But, the noodles on the bottom towards the sauciness were soft and delicious, and I mixed everything together when reheating to get the rest of the noodles to the right texture. I used the regular pork balls instead of the "lion's head" ones (the seasonings are slightly different, otherwise the recipes are the same). This was good, and had a lot of "meat." I don't have a yunnan pot (she says on the back of the book that you won't need special equipment!), so I used a large ceramic bowl as suggested. Worked fine! (fb)
Steamed Tofu with Spicy Bean Paste Sauce I cut down on the soy sauce by about half and the sauce was still way salty. Maybe my brown bean sauce is saltier than normal, idk. Anyway, this is quite good, and I've never actually just had plain steamed tofu + sauce. Simple. (fb)
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Posted by VanillaDoe on Aug 23, 2011 · Member since Feb 2011 · 11 posts
sweet and sour dipping sauce- I made this for some sweet and sour chicken balls... you know the battered and deep fried stuff. I thought it was okay... an okay substitution. I must say i prefer the neon orangey red stuff you get from a chinese take out
mapo doufu- YUMM! i totally underestimated this dish judging by the ingredients. I didnt expect much. But it was sooo goood. I have to agree with the other poster. I love the soft texture of it. It was something new to me and very pleasant. I had this with boiled white rice and broccoli.... oh and i also added peas to the dish. Peas are a nice addition to it :) oh and if were getting super technical.. subbed red pepper flakes, added vegan worchester sauce and a bit of sushi rice vingegar and a touch of brown sugar sweetener. :)
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Posted by VanillaDoe on Aug 24, 2011 · Member since Feb 2011 · 11 posts
baked seitan balls- Just made these strange little things. chewy,crispy in places, small, cute and quite interesting. i added soy sauce and chicken seasoning just to add a little flavour. I've not used these in any dishes yet i just tried them straight out the oven.
Not sure what im gonna put them with yet...
Kind of want to try the deep fried version, as is used in the crispy sweet and sour pork recipe.. I just want something crispy on the outside and moist on the inside to add to this jar of kung po sauce ive got... determined to recreate the kung PO chilli mock chicken from my local chinese. The dude that owns it knows me as the regular veggie girl now... i eat wayyy to much chinese takeout haha ::)
Vegetarian bbq "pork" - I used the baked gluten pieces for this and the flavor is f'ing amazing on this. It really reminded me of the days I used to eat this as an omni.
Baked gluten pieces - Do not overbake these like I did! They end up super chewy but I still liked them.
Spicy braised yuba - This doesn't have a ton of flavor but it is still really good and is super quick. I love the texture of yuba and the taste of fermented black beans so this is a winner.
Spring rolls - Super yum!! I love spring rolls and they are so easy to make at home. Eat these with plum sauce and you'll be head over heels in lurrrve.
Dan dan noodles - I've had a few peanut butter noodle type dishes but this is the best one by far. The TVP topping is soooo flavorful and there's a hint of peanut butter but not enough to be overwhelming. This recipe really does make only 2 servings so if you want more, double it.
Mapo doufu - Now this is my shit. I used to eat this all the time so I have high standards and this recipe is awesome! I love the texture of soft tofu and TVP.
Sichuan kung pao "chicken" - This was definitely tasty and will definitely be made again.
Hunan-style "duck" curry - I used canned "duck" and Japanese curry (S&B brand) because that was all I had on hand. Man this was sooo flavorful, I want it again. I have a Malaysian curry powder that I want to try in this recipe so I need to make it again to see how it tastes.
Potstickers - Yeah! Loved these and folded them by hand. I can't believe people use a potsticker press for this. Seriously, it only takes a couple minutes to get use to folding by hand and then it goes quickly. Besides, it looks better.
Spicy dipping sauce - Perfect compliment to the potstickers and has great flavor.
Sichuan spicy tangerine "chicken" - Didn't like this at all, it was just plain and the only thing that stood out was the zest.
Chow mein - Basic, good chow mein. Nothing to rave about but it's good.
Pineapple sweet and sour - Fantastic flavor, probably due to the 1/3 cup of sugar but this dish is worth the indulgence.
Hunan tofu with fresh garlic - Enjoyed this but had to double the sauce since I like things to have a lot of it but other than that, this is a dish that goes great with sriracha.
Beef and broccoli - This was alright but I wasn't enthusiastic about it.
Sichuan tofu - I've been making a variant of this dish for a couple of years so I decided to try this recipe and it's just as good. I always add some boiled edamame cause that's how I was taught to make this. Try it if you make this.
I was supposed to say that the Beef and Broccoli review above was for the black bean sauce version. Here's the review for the regular sichuan beef and broccoli - Seriously, anything with 6 cloves of garlic is going to win me over. This is always good to make when all you have is some seitan and broccoli.
Chinese style "beefy" seitan - This really does taste like beef, I was completely surprised. The method of cooking is unliked anything I've tried for seitan before but it works and it ends up with like a thick syrup like glaze on top which is so delicious.
Beef and broccoli in oyster sauce - This tastes just like takeout but way healthier and overall better. I really recommend making the seitan from this book for this dish cause it comes out insanely good.
Asparagus tofu with black bean sauce - I love fermented black beans but this was just lacking in flavor. I had to add a lot of soy sauce and sriracha to get it to be edible but I couldn't say I was glad I at least tried it.
Fried rice - Fried rice is always good and this recipe is no exception. I like that scrambled tofu is added, definitely gives it more flavor and helps out the texture.
Stir-fried "chicken" and snow peas - I think I would try this again with veggie broth instead of water cause I thought this was so bland. The other thing is make sure you stir-fry the snow peas first and get them to the tenderness you want them. I follow Bryanna's instructions and found them way too crunchy.
Stir-fried "chicken" and mushrooms - Anything with oyster sauce seems to win me over so of course I really enjoyed this. Besides, tofu and mushrooms is always a great combo.
Hunan hot and sour "duck" - Ok this is not hot at all but with all the extra sriracha I put on it, it definitely ended up hot. Good, filling dish with great flavor.
Chili green beans - They weren't spicy and very flavorful. I'm still on the hunt for a good Chinese green bean recipe!
Braised tofu with Chinese black mushrooms - I've been making a dish like this that I learned from an ex-gf years ago so I decided to try this and this tastes almost exactly like my version. The only thing I do differently is add a handful of defrosted edamame.
Stir-fried vegetarian duck - I hate bell pepper so I used an onion in its place but that's the only change I made. I love the premade duck seitan and this is a great way to prepare it. It's so easy to make since you can buy the seitan instead of having to make it from scratch.
Stir-fried chinese broccoli - This seems like a lot of work and it is. I don't do it often but every now and then it's worth the extra steps. I love how it looks from not being chopped up and the sauce that goes with it is great.
which black bean sauce version? I can't find it :-\
It's on page 132, it's on the left hand side of the page under Variation. "Beef" and Brocccoli in Black Bean Sauce.
Where's your reviews woman?!
which black bean sauce version? I can't find it :-\
Where's your reviews woman?!
http://www.emoticonzone.com/msn-emotions/animated/tsktsk.gif, fb
I am very bummed that my library does not have this cookbook after seeing all these amazing reviews. :(
which black bean sauce version? I can't find it :-\
Where's your reviews woman?!
http://www.emoticonzone.com/msn-emotions/animated/tsktsk.gif, fb
:[ I'm getting to it... along with my other half of reviews for Buddha's Table. eheh.
Hi everyone, I really think this book needs more positive reviews! I'm not at home right now but will review what I remember from the top of my head and will add to that when I've had a look at the reviews I've scribbled into the book
Breast of Tofu "Chicken"
Easy, quick, liked the method. Good to prepare and I liked the taste.
Sichuan Kung Pao "Chicken"
This is what I use the breast of tofu chicken in. Absolutely love this recipe! The sauce is the best.
Baked Seitan Balls
this was a completely new method to me and I really liked how the seitan balls puffed up and had a texture that was unlike any other seitan I have ever tasted. I always plan on trying variations on this, like seasoning the seitan instead of using the plain gluten+water variety.
Vegetarian "Barbecued Pork"
This was very intense tasting bur really good! I might cut back a little on the 5 spice next time though. Used this as a filling for the steamed buns and I could not stop eating them.
Steamed Savory Filled Buns
The dough recipe worked very well for me although I usually dislike any recipes that measure in cups. (really prefer weight)
Green Tofu Filling
Used this also for the steamed buns, also very much delicious.
Pearl Balls
Unusual but tasty snack. I remember them being a little heavy on the ginger but will have to check my notes to make sure.
Chili Green Beans
I really liked those. I browned them thoroughly in the pan and I think that did the trick. Great, easy side.
Zucchini with Ginger
Simple, easy, nice side. Tastes pretty much like zucchini and ginger (it is a really simple, straightforward recipe)
hey there! I do have (positive) reviews to add, as I'm starting to re-make a lot of the things in here (I made most of the recipes before, but it's been so long that I've forgot...)
Nice to see another person has this book =)
Okay, I have now looked up my notes in the book and would like to add some additions to my previous review.
Spicy Braised Yuba:
I must have made and liked it as it is marked in the book but to be honest, I don't remember well. So it was probably good but not spectacular.
Steamed Savory Filled Buns:
Maybe useful information: one filling recipe makes enough filling for one dough recipe (=16 buns = 8 servings)
Flower Rolls:
Well, it's just steamed white yeast dough and I did not like the plain kind very much. The filled buns are just so much better.
Velvet Corn Soup:
I used smoked tofu for the tofu in this recipe and it was pretty good.
"Beef" and Broccoli in Black Bean Sauce:
I liked it.
Crispy "Pork" with Sweet-and-Sour Sauce:
Another of those recipes I've made but do not remember well. I made it with tempeh as the 'meat' and it probably worked well. The notes say that I liked it.
Red Pepper Tofu:
Liked it, noted to use less sherry and light soy sauce next time though so it was probably a little too salty.
Green Beans with Garlic:
This one is marked with a heart in the book so I really liked it. If I remember correctly it was a quick and lovely side.
Mapo Doufu:
That one was good!
Now I have all recipes covered I've ever tried. I really need to use this book more again, so many lovely recipes still to try out...
Yep I've got some recipes to try and re-try too. They're next on my list...
Baked seitan balls
Yep these end up SUPER chewy. They come out of the oven puffed up, but soon deflate. I'd recommend freezing them if you're not immediately using them, so that they don't dry out. (fb)
Braised Chinese Seitan
Good, savory. I used the baked seitan chunks, which were quite chewy. I used these for the Shanghai noodles. (fb)
Vegetarian Ground "Chicken"
I think this tastes vaguely meaty rather than specifically like chicken. My TVP was chunkier than the typical stuff, and I think it needs to be smaller pieces to work as "ground" chicken or be formed into balls for other recipes. (fb)
Vegetarian barbecued pork
very strongly flavored, sweet, saucy. I used the baked gluten pieces, which works out well for the pork bao, since it results in exactlyl 3 pieces per bun. I usually don't like 5-spice, but this was fine. (fb)
Chinese "Pork" Balls
I couldn't get these to entirely stay together, probably because my TVP was coarser than most TVP is. It would probably work otherwise. Because of this, I formed it into a loaf, wrapped it in foil, and steamed it for 45-60 min instead. I cut it into chunks once cooled, which mostly stayed together. I like the flavor of this better than the "ground chicken" stuff. (fb)
Crispy garlic chicken balls
Still couldn't get much of the chicken mixture to stick together, but did sort of, and fried as much as I could. Pretty tasty, stays juicy after frying. (fb)
Spicy braised yuba
I used less black beans because I remember it was too strong last time. This was more lightly flavored, which I liked. The texture of the yuba is nice, and it didn't take as long as instructed (30 min) to rehydrate. It took maybe 10-15 min. (fb)
"Seafood" Mushroom Filling
I didn't have dulse, so I crushed up a nori sheet instead. This was good, and had a vague sea flavor without being too fishy. I made steamed dumplings out of them instead of steam-fried, and served them with sweet chili sauce and plum sauce. (fb)
Bao
ah that serving information was useful! I notice that in the book sometimes, where it will call for "24 pieces of this", where the "this" recipe says it makes "12 servings" or something, and it's hard convert one measurement to another. Anyway, this dough wound up being a bit too soft (but it was pretty hot in my kitchen that day, so maybe it's not the recipe), but it worked anyway (just didn't hold its shape as much as it should). I don't have much to say about the taste - it's steamed bread! (fb)
Vegetarian "Barbecued Pork" Filling
Not too much of a modification of the barbecued pork itself. You could probably be lazy and skip this and use the bbq pork itself for the filling. This filling was very saucy, and it was a little tough closing the buns. But still tasty and sweet. (fb)
Curried "Chicken" Filling
Very strong curry flavor! Good as a filling, but if you make this for having by itself, i'd reduce the amount of curry powder. (fb)
Green Tofu Filling
A "healthier" tasting filling. I used napa this time, used bok choy before. Both work. This is probably the easiest filling for the bao, only because it's less saucy and easy to close the buns around it. (fb)
Flower rolls
the dough ended up being really soft, so that i didn't really get the bulging double flower effect thing as illustrated. But as steamed bread it's still good, and puffs up well. Bao are better, but this is so easy. (fb)
Dan Dan noodles
Yep, only two serving. This came out REALLY salty for me. I'd reduce the soy sauce next time, and use only water and no broth, or something like that. Very good though, but too much sodium. Pb was unexpectedly good in this type of dish. (fb)
Shanghai Noodles
I ended up using spinach for the greens because it's what I had. This is kind of plain to me, at least versus the chow mein. (fb)
Stir-Fried Savory Noodles and Vegetables (Chow Mein)
savory garlicky deliciousness (fb)
Baby Bok Choy, Mushroom, and Deep-Fried Tofu Soup
I got a good vegetarian "beef" bouillion and it made this so tasty. Freshly fried tofu is so good anyway, plus everything else... Also, I used less noodles, but it still had plenty in total. Good simple soup, kind of a light meal. (fb)
Hot and Sour Soup
Interesting. Most other recipes for this type of thing involve some sort of vinegar for the "sour" part, but this just calls for some Chinese pickles, and that's it. It's pretty mild both on the hot and sour ends, and is a light soup. It's fine, but I like the bok choy, mushroom, tofu soup better. (fb)
Stir-fried "duck" with chili, bell pepper, and black beans
Very easy and quick. I used fewer black beans (maybe half) because sometimes that flavor is overwhelming. This was good, and by using the broth stuff the "duck" is packed in, the sauce was kind of like gravy. (fb)
Vegetarian Yunnan Pot
Seems I didn't get something - it calls for cooked noodles, and I used fresh (soft) noodles, but I think I was supposed to cook them first anyway >< But, the noodles on the bottom towards the sauciness were soft and delicious, and I mixed everything together when reheating to get the rest of the noodles to the right texture. I used the regular pork balls instead of the "lion's head" ones (the seasonings are slightly different, otherwise the recipes are the same). This was good, and had a lot of "meat." I don't have a yunnan pot (she says on the back of the book that you won't need special equipment!), so I used a large ceramic bowl as suggested. Worked fine! (fb)
Steamed Tofu with Spicy Bean Paste Sauce
I cut down on the soy sauce by about half and the sauce was still way salty. Maybe my brown bean sauce is saltier than normal, idk. Anyway, this is quite good, and I've never actually just had plain steamed tofu + sauce. Simple. (fb)
sweet and sour dipping sauce- I made this for some sweet and sour chicken balls... you know the battered and deep fried stuff. I thought it was okay... an okay substitution. I must say i prefer the neon orangey red stuff you get from a chinese take out
mapo doufu- YUMM! i totally underestimated this dish judging by the ingredients. I didnt expect much. But it was sooo goood. I have to agree with the other poster. I love the soft texture of it. It was something new to me and very pleasant. I had this with boiled white rice and broccoli.... oh and i also added peas to the dish. Peas are a nice addition to it :)
oh and if were getting super technical.. subbed red pepper flakes, added vegan worchester sauce and a bit of sushi rice vingegar and a touch of brown sugar sweetener. :)
baked seitan balls- Just made these strange little things. chewy,crispy in places, small, cute and quite interesting. i added soy sauce and chicken seasoning just to add a little flavour.
I've not used these in any dishes yet i just tried them straight out the oven.
Not sure what im gonna put them with yet...
Kind of want to try the deep fried version, as is used in the crispy sweet and sour pork recipe..
I just want something crispy on the outside and moist on the inside to add to this jar of kung po sauce ive got... determined to recreate the kung PO chilli mock chicken from my local chinese.
The dude that owns it knows me as the regular veggie girl now... i eat wayyy to much chinese takeout haha ::)