How Do They Make Chinese Food?

There are so many different ways to cook Chinese food. It can be one of the hardest types of food to cook! When it comes to making those great dishes that you get when you go out to eat it can really take a lot of time and preparation!

When you start trying to cook Chinese for the first time you must really get to know your food. You must really take the time to understand the types of foods that you are going to be working with. When it comes to cooking Chinese food you will notice that it usually presented not just simply eaten. A lot of time and preparation come into place when it comes to cooking such food. You should take the time to understand the food you are going to be cooking. There are tons of techniques and colors, tastes and textures when it comes to preparing
Chinese foods.

\"Chinese Food\"

You should really take the time to learn the different ways that this food is created. You may want to but a cook book that is very explicit in the way it tells you to cook the food. When it comes to preparing the meal, all of the meats and vegetable are trimmed and cut into the precise size and shape that it needs to be so it is equal.

How Do They Make Chinese Food?

When it comes to making Chinese dishes you may want to prepare the meat ahead so you can just simply throw in what you need and all the cutting that you will have to do will be done and out of the way. When it comes to preparing the meal timing is very important! It takes just minutes to put everything together so you will not end up ruing the dish in any way.

When it comes to making a meal of such food you may want to create multiple dishes that kind of flow together so you can make one big meal. Variety is always better! Sometimes when you are cooking Asian food you must remember to check to see if the meat needs to be marinated or rolled in some type of batter.

Chinese dishes are usually only found to use just pork and chicken. You might find some dishes with beef but if usually something that is considered scarce in China, because of the way that it is sometimes contaminated.

When going out to eat you will notice that you are usually served soup with your meal. You may want to try serving it with your meal. Rice is usually a main dish when it comes to Chinese food so you may want to serve that also.

There are so many different ways to cook Chinese and so many delicious recipes! You should try some first before deciding on your favorite! You may find that you like some dishes better than others. And you may also learn that some dishes are way harder to make than others! But it has always been said that variety is the spice of life!

How Do They Make Chinese Food?

Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about chinese food [http://chinesefoodtoday.info/how-do-they-make-chinese-food] visit Chinese Food Today [http://chinesefoodtoday.info] for current articles and discussions.

Nuts

Since the earliest of time and even before agriculture was used by the Greeks to have better food resources, `Nuts' were a stable food and nutritional source in the diet of manhood in the dark ages. During those times, nuts were plentiful, as there were much more forests as today, and well liked for their easy storage, which enabled people to keep them for times in which food was hard to find. (Winter, rainy season, etc)

There is evidence that as far back as the second century B.C., the Romans distributed sugar almonds on special occasions such as marriages and births.

\"Chinese Desserts\"

Nuts have their place in all cultures and through almost all cuisine around the world. Nuts are liked by people of all ages for their subtle taste and high fat and carbohydrate content. It is this subtle taste that Chefs like when creating new dishes and variations.

Nuts

DESCRIPTION & SPECIES

Under the category nuts, we understand anything from a seed to a legume or tuber. The peanut, as an example, is a legume, the Brazil nut and macadamia nut are seeds and almonds are the seed of a fruit similar to a peach.

Botanically nuts are single seeded fruits with a hard or leathery shell that contain a edible kernel, which is enclosed in a soft inner skin.

Generally, all nut trees grow slowly but live long. Trees of walnut, chestnut or pecan continue to produce nuts, often more than hundred years after planting.

Nut trees of any species are found all over the world. Almonds for example are found in California, Spain, Morocco, Italy and even Australia, where as the walnut can be found anywhere from North America to the Andes and Persia to Australia. Asia also has a great variety of nuts. Ginkgo nuts in China, candle nuts in Indonesia and Malaysia, coconut in throughout southern Asia, cashew nuts in India and Malaysia and the Philippines, chestnuts in China and Japan, and the water chestnut which is found in China, Japan, Korea and the East Indies.

SOME OF THE BETTER KNOWN NUTS:

ALMOND

Scientist consider the almond as a stone fruit, much like cherries, peaches and prunes.

Because most people only know the seed (stone) of this fruit, it is generally accepted as a nut.

Almond on the tree, look like small green peaches. When ripe the shell will open and reveal the nut in its shell.

There are various varieties of almonds.

The bitter almond is in fact the kernel of the apricot, which was found growing wild in China as far back as the late Tang Dynasty (AD 619-907).

This same apricot was taken to Europe and became the apricot fruit, which is now enjoyed all over the world. The bitter almond kernel is toxic in its raw state and must be boiled quickly and poached in a oven before being further used. It is primarily used in Chinese desserts like the almond bean curd.

The sweet almond is generally confined for fresh consumption. In 1986, California alone produced 70,000 tons of almonds, which is half of the world's production. The almond has been cultivated around the Mediterranean since ancient times and can still be found wild in Algeria and around the black sea. Sweet almonds can be bought whole, shelled, cut in 1/2 with skin, without skin, flaked, blanched, slivered ground roasted or salted. they are used for snacks, marzipan, confectionery, and desserts as well as for the production of liqueur essence, oil and cosmetic products.

BUNYA BUNYA PINE NUT

The bunya bunya tree is a member of the pine family and grows almost everywhere in Australia. Originally the trees originated in the area of Brisbane and Rockhampton in Queensland Australia. Only the female trees are producing a 2cm x 2.5cm nut in the pinecone.

In the old days, the bunya bunya pine nuts were stable food for the aborigines and also used in ceremonials. These days, the nuts gain in popularity through the trend of native food in Australia (bush food) in recent years.

The nut is rich is carbohydrate, similar to the chestnut, and therefore used more like a potato than a nut. the bunya bunya nuts can be eaten raw but are usually boiled for easy removing of the skin. Shelled nuts are then butter fried and flavored with pepper or sugar, or added to stews and soups.

RED BOPPLE NUT

The red bopple nuts are a relative of the macadamia nut, and native to the tropical rain forest of the East Coast of Australia.

The nut is about the same size as a hazelnut and has a thick (0.5cm 0 1cm), woody husk with a bright red outer skin, which only appears if the nut is fully ripe.

In contrary to most other nuts, the red bopple nut is very low on fat, but very high in calcium and potassium. the low fat content make this nut very easy digestible. The nuts are eaten raw or toasted.

COCONUT

"He who plants a coconut tree", the saying goes, "plants food and drink, vessels and clothing, a habitation for himself and a heritage for his children". Indeed every part of the coconut is used, but only the coconut milk and the coconut meat are foods. The shell is used as charcoal, the husk is used to make ropes, clothing and brushes, and the trunk of the tree and leaves are used for roofs of houses and building material respectively.

The fruit of the palm `cocos nucifera' has an edible kernel and therefore qualifies as a nut. The palm tree is native to the Philippines, Malaysia, Brazil and Indonesia, and can produce 50 - 100 nuts a year, over a life span of 70 years. Coconut palms grow best close to the seaside but have been proven to withstand high altitude, although the production rate is diminishing as further away from the sea the tree grows.

The large thick green pod encloses a brown fibrous husk around a brown shell , which contains a layer of soft white flesh and the clear water in the center. Sub-species found only on one island of the Seychelles, in the Indian Ocean, produces a nut often weighing more than 20 kg, which needs 10 years to ripen.

Coconuts are the worlds most commercially used nuts. Especially the meat, or copra, as it is called after sun drying, is vital for the export industries, in coconut growing countries. The coconut is a important food source especially in South East Asia, India, Brazil and the South Pacific Islands.

The copra can be brought shredded or desiccated and is used in confectioneries, ice creams and to coat chicken or fish for frying. However much of it is pressed for its oil also called coconut butter as it is white and fatty at room temperature. Not only is it used for cooking and to make margarine, but it also goes into soaps, detergents, shampoos, face cream, perfumes and candles.

It is also a major ingredient in glycerin, synthetic rubber, safety glass and hydraulic brake fluid. Coconut juice or milk is the natural juice of the nut, but not the water inside the coconut. It is won by shredding the raw coconut meat, then adding water and straining the mixture through a cotton cloth. The coconut milk has then the consistency and color of skim milk and is available canned or frozen.

CANDLE NUT

The candle nut gets her name, from when threaded tightly on the midrib of a palm leaf it has been used a primitive candle. More recently, the nuts were grounded to a paste, mixed with copra (grated coconut meat) and ten formed into a candle.

Candlenuts are the seed of the candle berry tree native to Indonesia and Malaysia but widely spread throughout south East Asia, the South Pacific and Sri Lanka.

The nut has a very high content on fat and is valued for the extracted oil for lighting as well as cooking. The nut is colored gray to black, about 5cm in diameter, with a thin, papery husk containing one or two nuts.

Candlenut oil for lighting purposes is extracted by roasting the nuts when they are only half ripe as oil for cooking is extracted by roasting the nuts when they are fully ripe. For human consumption, the nuts have to be roasted as raw once have been causing sicknesses.

Ripe candle nuts are roasted, then pounded into a meal and mixed with salt, chilies or shrimp paste for usage in curries or as a spicy condiment to curries. Traditionally, the Javanese have roasted the nuts for eating in the whole.

PALM NUT

The palmyra palm native to most South East Asian Countries produces a hard, shiny nut, from which a sweetish sap or gel is extracted. While this sap is used in the Indonesian cuisine for soups and desserts, it is on other well known product that is begin produced out of the palmyra palm - The Palm Sugar (gula melacca).

There are not reliable data available on the nutritional value of the palm nut, but it is widely known that the fat is saturated.

MACADAMIA NUT

Native to Queensland and New South Wales in Australia, the macadamia nut takes its name from Dr John McAdam, a scientist and early promoter of the cultivation Australia.

The macadamia trees are evergreen and reach a height of up to 20 meters. The edible seed of the silk oat tree has a very hard, light brown shell, 2 - 3cm in diameter.

In 1888, macadamia trees have been planted in Hawaii where through careful cloning and hybridization, it became an important commercial product.

Today, macadamia nuts are also cultivated in South Africa, Zimbabwe, California and parts of South and Central America.

It is very difficult to crack the macadamia nut as it's shell is very hard and so tight to the kernel that when cracked the nut is smashed. In Hawaii, American scientist developed a way of separating the kernel from the shell by shrinking them in drying bins. They then developed the first commercial cracker. It was through these two developments that the macadamia nut could be formed to the commercial importance it has today.

This is also the reason why macadamia nuts are only available already de-shelled. Macadamia nuts also are valued for their oil and the macadamia nut butter.

They are available roasted and salted. When buying macadamia nuts, give care that they are packed in a air tight or vacuum bags, as they become easily rancid once opened.

Macadamia nuts are used for confectioneries or as snacks, but also gain in popularity in the kitchen as they have a very mild and subtle taste and add texture to salads, and hot dishes. It's oil makes excellent vinaigrette and cold sauces.

WATER CHESTNUTS

The name refers to a nut like tuber of a aquatic plant called Trapa. The plants are common to several parts of the world, but are mainly used in Japan, China and Thailand where it is also a sought after ingredient in it's cuisines.

The trapa plant roots in ponds and lakes and sends, its' leaves to the surface, similar to a water lily. The water chestnut grows on the roots underneath the water surface. Water chestnuts are flat and round with a diameter of 5 - 7cm. They have a soft black skin and white flesh similar to the flesh of a coconut. Once peeled, they can be eaten raw, or dried and are a well liked ingredient because its crunchy texture, and sweet subtle taste. Water chestnuts are also boiled and made into flour, which is used for thickening of sauces and dishes, much like cornstarch.

CHESTNUT

Chestnuts are thought to have originated in Southern Europe and Persia even though they are also found in China, Japan and Northern America.

The nuts of the chestnut tree have a brown shiny color and leathery shell. they can be eaten raw, but mostly are consume boiled, baked or roasted or as a chestnut puree sweetened or unsweetened. They are also sold in syrup as marron glaces.

Chestnuts are the only nuts, which are treated like a vegetable because they contain more starch (30%) and less fat 3%.

Chestnuts are also made into a flour high on fiber and starch.

CASHEW NUT

Originating in the West Indies and native to the north of Brazil, Portuguese explorers introduced the nut to India and Malaysia as well as parts of Africa.

The hard-shelled nut grows inside the cashew apple. When mature the cashew nut appears at the end of the red or yellow apple. The cashew tree is a member of the poison ivy family and farmers must take great precautions when extracting the nuts. The hard shell contains an oil, which irritates the skin, so the nuts are heated to extract the kernel. The smoke and steam, which occurs however may still be harmful to skin and eyes. When heated the cashew nuts are harmless and may be extracted.

GINKGO NUT

The ginkgo is the prehistoric maidenhair tree, which survives as a wild tree only in China.

The fruit looks like a tiny plum but has a foul and bitter shell. the Chinese wait for the smelly hull to full off, then paint the nuts and use them for festive decorations, before they crack them open to eat the nut. In Japan and Korea, ginkgo nuts are skewered and then grilled, which turns the nuts color from yellow to green. In China, the ginkgo nut is a popular ingredient to vegetarian dishes. The nuts can be obtained fresh or canned.

HAZELNUT/FILBERTS

The nut of the hazel bush is native to Europe and North America and was mentioned in writings as far back as 2838 B.C., and was credited of currying many human ills as well as being considered excellent for Boldness and use as a hair tonic. Some say that the name filbert comes from Saint Philibert, a French abbot whose feast day on 22 August coincides with the ripening of the first nuts in the Northern hemisphere.

Hazelnuts have a very hard shell, which has to be cracked by a nutcracker before getting to the kernel. Hazelnuts are available, raw, blanched, or toasted, chopped, ground, cooking as well as hazelnut liquor.

PEANUT

The peanut is not a true nut. It is the seed of a leguminous plant with a soft, brownish colored brittle shell and belong to the Botanical family of beans and peas. But they are usually considered along with the nuts because of they're physical characteristics and nutritional value. The nuts grow on the long roots of the plant and below the ground. The peanut is native to Brazil and has been found there ever since the first recording in 950 B.C..

Today, peanuts are cultivated throughout the tropics all over the world (India, China, West Africa, Australia and the USA are the largest peanut growing countries). Peanuts produce excellent oil, which is used for salads and cold dishes as well as for frying. Peanuts also produce peanut butter, margarine, and also used in canning of sardines. Peanuts are available whole, de-shelled and de-skinned and raw or toasted. Peanuts are used in all different varieties in everything from salads to main courses and desserts.

PINENUT

These are the edible seed of the pine tree and grow in the cone. Pine trees are found in the Southern USA, Mexico and around the Mediterranean sea. It is very difficult to establish a pinenut industry as the trees are growing very slow and don't carry a lot of fruits until they're 75 years old.

Pine nuts are mostly obtained raw and then toasted, fried or grilled. Pine nut oil is used for the cosmetic industry. Pine nut flour is used in confectionery.

PISTACHIO NUT

The pistachio nut is a small green kernel, which grows on the pistachio tree originating in Syria, Palestine and Persia.

The natural color of the shell is grayish white, but some times the nuts are dyed red to cover up some of the staining.

The pistachio nut is now cultivated in India, Europe, North Africa, Mexico, the USA and the Far East. Pistachios are usually sold in their shell or shelled and blanched.

The greenish seed is used as flavoring in cooking, candies and ice cream.

WALNUT

The walnut is related to the hickory and pecan tree and grows anywhere from North America to the Andes and Europe to China. English walnuts, butternuts and hickory nuts are all walnuts, botanical speaking. All those walnuts have different shells and kernels but the English walnut with it's rough, rippled shell and yellow brown kernel is the most popular and popularly referred to as `The Walnut'.

Walnuts are bought in the shell or de-shelled and are sought after for their oil, which is used for cooking as well as for salads and dressing.

OTHER COMMONLY USED NUTS INCLUDE:


Macadamia Nuts )
Bunya Bunya Pine Nuts ) Australia
Red Bobble Nut )


Candle Nut ) Malaysia
Palm Nut ) Philippines,
Brazil


Coconut ) Indonesia,China
Water Chestnut )


Brazil Nuts ) South America


Beech Nuts ) USA
Pecan Nuts ) North America

NUTRITIONAL VALUE AND INFORMATION

Nuts are rich in fat (40-60%) and dietary fiber (5-15%) with moderate amount of protein (2-25%) and small amounts of starch (up to 10%). As mentioned above chestnuts are an exemption to this general rule.

The fats in nuts are mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated and contain no cholesterol as nuts are harvested from plants. Only the coconut and palm nut contain saturated fats.

Significant amounts of minerals can be found in nuts, including zinc, calcium, iron, phosphorus and magnesium.

They also contain some provitamins and vitamins like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin E & C.

Nuts contain very little natural sodium and have a high amount of potassium, which in this constellation is recommended for the control of blood pressure.

Unfortunately nuts are often sold salted as snacks, which upsets this natural balance, and by a over consummation of salted nuts people take in a lot of fat and salt.

Nuts are also a great source of energy and often used in diets for athletes.

Used in moderate amounts, nuts in unsalted forms are nutritionally valuable food.

USAGE OF NUTS FOR THE PROFESSIONAL CHEF

One does not know where to start where to compile information about the usage of nuts and nut related product in today's hospitality. In the kitchens, there is no limit on the amount of dishes and creations a Chef can use nuts or nut products for. From appetizers to salads, soups and desserts, with cheese, fish, pasta, meats and vegetables, nuts are very versatile and do not have a over powering flavor, and its subtle taste and crunchy texture adopt early to almost all given products as a supplement.

Nut oils are also widely used for dressings, frying and flavoring of hot and cold dishes. Nut liqueurs can be a welcome supplement to savory sauces as well as pastry sauces and creams, marzipan and other nut pastes are often used to produced chocolates and confectionery items. In the Indian cuisine, a cashew nut paste is often used for the thickening of curries and sauces. Through the wide spread of different nuts around the world, nuts are used in almost all cuisines known and its nutritional value make it an asset to so many diets since the ancient days.

In the beverage outlets, nuts are used in form of lacquers (Hazelnut, Almond) and liquid (coconut Milk), and as snacks served with drinks (Salted Nuts)

Nuts

Thomas Wenger is a Chef and Author his career has spanned the globe for the past 25 years. His keen interest in regional Asian cuisines, cultures and traditional cooking techniques, combined with his background of a traditional continental European culinary training, define his cooking style and cuisine today.

Preparing Traditional Chinese Food Recipes

The delectable and traditional Chinese food recipes have been the benchmark of excellence in the culinary field. They are the product of an imaginative mind and greatly noted for their distinctive taste as well as being extremely nutritious.

The traditional Chinese cuisine is a desired balance maintained between the 'Yin' foods, which refer to vegetables and fruits, and the 'Yang' foods, which comprises of different types of meat. This balance is very necessary to ward off most illness and offer healthy benefits.

\"Chinese Food\"

There are also many cooking methods, such as boiling, roasting, steaming, poaching, stir-frying, braising, smoking, and baking, involve the use of very little oil or no ill, thus are suitable for a health diet.

Preparing Traditional Chinese Food Recipes

Chinese cooking is actually easy to learn with the right knowledge and recipes, and it is also a great addition to include to any family's homemade meals.

You can easily find Chinese recipes online through recipe websites or forums, but finding the traditional ones can be tricky, because most of the recipes are not in their traditional style and have been modified to make them more easily and quickly to cook. If you search recipes online, try to figure out whether this site is dedicated to traditional Chinese recipes only and make sure you are getting traditional ones.

Another thing you should remember is that have your ingredients purchased ahead of time, check out your local markets, or visit any Asian stores to see what is available in your area. In fact, this can save you a lot of frustration ahead of time in trying to cooking any new dishes.

When you get ready to prepare your recipe, make certain that you have read the entire recipe ahead of time. Some ingredients actually require hours to prepare properly, meanwhile, have the vegetables prepared before cooking, know your time frame for preparing the cook, and make sure you fully understand the cooking methods before beginning.

Preparing Traditional Chinese Food Recipes

Find traditional Chinese recipes, and cooking tips on http://www.homechineserecipes.com/traditional/ to experience the flavor of the rich Chinese cuisine.

Hao Luo is the author of Chinese Food Recipes, an online traditional Chinese recipes and cooking website offering plenty of free Traditional Chinese recipes with pictures and cooking tips.

Chinese Food - Peking Duck Recipe

Peking Duck is one of the most famous Chinese foods originating from the ancient royal courts. For centuries, the best Chinese chefs trained extensively in order to make sure that they could present this delicacy properly to the Emperor. In fact, their very lives depended on it. Today, no chef will lose his life for messing up his Peking Duck recipe but his self-esteem will be sorely dented. However, with attention to detail, a modern day Peking Duck can be a feast fit for royalty. Here's just one of the many up to date Peking Duck recipes:

Ingredients

\"Chinese Food\"

1 3.5 - 4 lb duck (fresh or frozen)
2 pints water
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
5 fl oz rice wine (you can use dry sherry)
1 lemon

Chinese Food - Peking Duck Recipe

To serve:

8 - 12 Chinese Pancakes
4 - 6 tbsp hoisin sauce
16 - 24 spring onions (cut into thin slivers lengthwise or into brushes)

In China, ducks are specially raised on a diet of soybeans, maize, sorghum and barley for just six weeks, when they are ready for cooking.

Normally, the preparation of Peking Duck is rather time consuming and complex. The duck must be cleaned and plucked thoroughly, then air should be piped in to separate the skin from the flesh which let the skin roast to a lovely crispness. While the duck dries a sugar solution is brushed over the duck and it is then roasted in a wood fired oven. However, with our modern life styles being what they are, this Peking Duck recipe is rather less complicated.

Rinse and dry the duck thoroughly, blotting with kitchen paper.

Mix the water, dark soy sauce, honey and rice wine together and combine with the lemon cut into thick slices and bring to the boil then simmer for about 20 minutes. Ladle the mixture over the duck several times, ensuring that the skin is thoroughly coated. Hang the duck up to dry somewhere cool and well ventilated with a roasting tin beneath it to catch any drips. When the duck is properly dry the skin will feel like paper.

Roast the duck on a rack over a roasting tin in which you have water to a depth of about two inches (this stops the

fat splashing), in a pre-heated oven 475ºF, 240ºC, Gas 9 for 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 350ºF, 180ºC, Gas 4 and continue cooking for 1 hour, 10 minutes.

Let the duck rest for about fifteen minutes before serving. You can carve the meat and skin into pieces using a knife or cleaver or you can shred it with a spoon and fork.

Serve the duck with warmed Chinese pancakes, spring onions and hoisin sauce.

Each diner takes a pancake, spreads on a little hoisin sauce then tops that with some meat and crispy skin followed by a spring onion brush or some strips of spring onion. The pancake and contents are then rolled up into a tube and eaten either with one's fingers or with chopsticks.

Even this simple version of the classic Peking Duck makes a very special dinner party dish, fit for an Emperor.

Chinese Food - Peking Duck Recipe

Liz Canham is a writer and a lover of Asian food. To learn more about Chinese food click here and visit Asian Food and Cookery.

Mango Cheesecake Recipe - An Exotic Delight

Known as "food of the Gods" in Hindu mythology, mangos are a tropical fruit with a reddish yellow shell protecting a soft pulpy interior. Abundant in tropical and warmer subtropical climates throughout the world, the ripen fruit has a very sweet and unique taste. As such when used as a compliment in cheesecakes you can create an exceptional and exotic tasting dessert.

  • Mango Cheesecake Recipe
  • The Ingredients
  • 8 ounces graham crackers
  • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened and cut into pieces
  • 4 small mangoes
  • (to make approximately
  • 2 cups puree)
  • 1 1/2 pound cream cheese
  • 1 cup superfine sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1/2 lime, juiced

\"Chinese Desserts\"

Directions

Mango Cheesecake Recipe - An Exotic Delight

The Crust

Place graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and process until they are fine crumbs. Add dark brown sugar and butter. Process until mixture clumps together. Press mixture evenly into bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and refrigerate while preparing filling. A little oil on your fingers helps to keep the crust from sticking.

The Filling

Heat oven to 325° degrees and bring a kettle of water to boil. Peel and cut flesh from mangoes and puree in food processor until smooth. Add cream cheese and process until smooth. Add superfine sugar, and with motor running, add eggs one at a time through the processor's feed tube. Add lime juice, and process until blended.

Baking

Place springform pan on a double layer of strong foil. Crimp edges up around pan to make a waterproof nest. Place foil-covered pan in a deep roasting pan. Pour filling into pan and pour boiling water into roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until filling is set and wobbles slightly in the center, about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Remove springform pan from water bath. Discard foil and place pan on a cooling rack. Let cool and refrigerate overnight. Remove from pan and place on a serving platter before slicing. Serve and enjoy your Mango Cheesecake.

Mango Cheesecake Recipe - An Exotic Delight

Cedrick White is an avid baker and publisher of http://www.I-Love-Cheesecake.com which offers an assortment of delicious and delightful cheesecake recipes. Be especially sure to check out the large selection of chocolate cheesecake recipes. Go ahead and find one to bake today.

Is Chinese Food Unhealthy?

Next to Pizza, Chinese food has to be on of the more popular takeout foods for Americans. So, is it bad for you?

Chinese food is a favorite of both the native Chinese and American foreigners alike. Their spicy dishes and authentic cuisine suits almost any palate and has endless possibilities. Unfortunately, sometimes Chinese food can be anything but a healthful dinner. Lucky for many Chinese food lovers, there are healthy alternatives that are equally tasty but lower in saturated fats and simple carbohydrates.

\"Chinese Food\"

Choosing the right type of foods when ordering Chinese takeout can make a world of difference in the nutritional value you will receive. Picking foods that are high in protein, such as chicken or beef dishes and full of veggies are great healthy choices. As a substitute to fried dishes such as sweet and sour or sesame chicken, opt for a sautéed alternative such as cashew chicken or beef and broccoli. These dishes provide nutritional value that other traditional plates such as lo mein lack. Lo mein provides several sources of bad fats and carbohydrates due to the large amounts of noodles and the oil it is stir fried in. Always make sure that the Chinese restaurant you choose serves food without MSG. There have been conflicting reports about the poor nutritional value contained within.

Is Chinese Food Unhealthy?

For healthy side dishes, skip the fried egg roll and wontons and instead have a cup of soup. Skip the order of fried rice. It is an unnecessary supply of large amounts of calories. It also contains high concentrations of cholesterol. If available, brown rice is the most healthful alternative to fried or white rice. If possible, on the day you choose to order Chinese takeout, limit your intake of sodium rich foods. Many Chinese meals are high in sodium content due to the use of soy sauce and other additives. Don't add any more salt than necessary once your meal arrives! Additionally, if you are ordering a dish with peanuts, eat them in moderation. Peanuts can be very beneficial and contain many good fats and nutrients. However, eating too many can make a somewhat healthy dish unhealthy quite quickly.

Choosing between inexpensive restaurants and high end Chinese restaurants can also increase or decrease the health of the food served. As a generalization, many high end Chinese food restaurants will have a special menu with specifically healthy options as well as a list of their nutritional content.

When all else fails, do not hesitate to question your server or the manager of the Chinese restaurant. Most are eager and willing to provide you information on their native dishes and are usually very knowledgeable about their cuisine. The majority of restaurants are required to have nutritional content information on site. This could be useful in helping you decide on the best healthy Chinese takeout options.

Is Chinese Food Unhealthy?

Jerry Passi is with HealthFoodCompanies.com - providing free health food articles.

Chinese Desserts - From Fresh Fruit to Elaborate Puddings

There are not so many Chinese desserts as western desserts, for the simple reason that the Chinese are not huge dessert fans. We might consider a jello recipe to be the perfect end to a dinner, or a no bake cheesecake to be the ultimate indulgence, but a Chinese person would probably opt for a piece of fruit. There are some Chinese desserts but these tend to be overly sweet. Also, the Chinese prefer to snack between meals rather than eat their desserts after a meal.

A lot of Chinese homes did not have refrigerators until recently, which is another reason why chilled desserts have never been that popular. Ovens were also quite rare, which is why a lot of Chinese cakes are steamed instead of baked.

\"Chinese Desserts\"

Chinese food is often quickly cooked and chefs love to cook rice and noodle stir fries in minutes. Elaborate, time consuming desserts are perhaps not that appealing to a Chinese chef who just wants to make quick dishes.

Chinese Desserts - From Fresh Fruit to Elaborate Puddings

Examples of Chinese Dessert Recipes

Almond tea used to be sold door to door in China and it was made by grinding almonds and raw rice by hand. Today this treat is made with almond paste and rice flour. Adding gelatin or agar agar to this tea results in almond junket, which is the closest Chinese equivalent to western jello recipes. Almond tea is extremely sweet.

Peking dust is another popular dessert in China and this combination of whipped cream and chestnuts is thought to have been invented by western settlers in the early twentieth century. Precious pudding is a sweet rice pudding with dates, maraschino cherries and other colorful fruits. Each fruit is supposed to symbolize a precious stone such as emerald or ruby.

Tropical fruits are popular in China and you can choose from lychees, mandarin oranges, mangos and more. Serve fresh fruit marinated in a liqueur or steam it in honey syrup. You can also make banana or pineapple fritters and serve them with ice cream.

How to Combine Jello with Chinese Desserts

Jello is popular all over the world and you can combine China's delicious fresh fruits with jello to make delicious desserts. What about adding lychees or rambutan to your favorite jello? Mandarin segments and banana slices are well loved in jello recipes but adding exotic fruits would add a special touch, especially if you plan to serve the jello recipe after an Asian dinner.

If you are watching your weight, you can always follow dinner with some China tea, perhaps jasmine tea or green tea, and a bowl of sugar free jello. Add some tropical fruits or simply leave it plain. This gives you enough sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth and is a fat free and almost calorie free dessert. You can add artificial sweetener to the tea, or maybe a little honey.

Chinese Desserts - From Fresh Fruit to Elaborate Puddings

You can use jello with any sweet ingredients to come up with brand new dishes. Why not try lychees in jello or make a Chinese style rice pudding with colorful fruits and finger jello cubes? Other times you might fancy an easy no bake cheesecake recipe.

JelloRecipes.net - We Don't Make the Products We Just Make Great Desserts with Them!

How to Make Fresh Fruit Cheesecake Recipes

Cheesecake comes in many forms. It can be topped with ingredients as diverse as chocolate, toffee, jello, fresh fruit and even savory ingredients. Sweet cheesecakes are the most common type and fresh fruit makes a wonderful topping.

When making a fresh fruit cheesecake, you will need to make the crust, the cheese layer and the topping. Cheesecake crusts can be chilled or baked. A very simple way to make a crust for your cheesecake is to combine cookie crumbs or wafer crumbs with melted butter, press the mixture into the base of a spring form pie tin and chill it in the refrigerator. As the butter chills it will set and this holds the crumbs together, to form the crust.

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The next layer is the cream cheese layer and there are lots of different recipes for this. If you are making a baked cheesecake recipe, you will need to make a different kind of crust because the melted butter and crumb crust is designed for no-bake cheesecake recipes.

How to Make Fresh Fruit Cheesecake Recipes

The cheese layer can be as savory or as sweet as you like. It is nice to have a very sweet crust and topping and a tart or tangy cheese layer. If you are using fresh fruit to top your cheesecake, perhaps you could make the cheese layer a bit sweeter, to contrast with the fresh fruit. Fruit is sweet, of course, but not sugary sweet like some other cheesecake toppings.

Using Jello as a Cheesecake Topping

Jello is very popular when it comes to cheesecake recipes. If you want to make a fresh fruit cheesecake, you will prepare the crust and cheese layer and then arrange your chosen fresh fruits over the top. You can simply use the fruit or you can add ice cream syrup, chocolate sprinkles, marshmallows or even jello. There are several reasons why jello is great to use with fresh fruit cheesecake recipes.

First of all, it adds a really nice flavor. If you are topping your cheesecake with raspberries and strawberries, you could combine raspberry and strawberry jello and pour this over the fruit to complement the taste. Jello also sets and holds the fruit in place. A third reason to use jello is that it looks great on cheesecakes. It is glossy, colorful and has a delicious flavor and texture.

Recipe for Easy Kiwi Cheesecake

This is an incredibly easy cheesecake recipe and it makes enough to serve six people. You can use any fresh fruit rather than the kiwis, if you prefer, and fresh berries are especially good. This cheesecake needs to chill for four hours so make it in plenty of time.

You will need:

  • 1 readymade graham cracker crust
  • 1/2 cup cold milk
  • 1 package Dream Whip topping mix
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 lb cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 3 kiwis, peeled and cut into slices
How to make it:

Combine the whipped topping mix with the milk, and then add the cream cheese, vanilla essence and powdered sugar. Spoon this mixture over the readymade crust and chill it for four hours in the refrigerator. Arrange the kiwi slices over the top of the cheesecake and serve.

How to Make Fresh Fruit Cheesecake Recipes

Out of all the cheesecake recipes, some of the very best ones feature a fresh fruit topping. You can use fresh fruit as it is or cover it with a layer of jello for delicious and impressive looking results.

We Don't Make the Products We Just Make Great Desserts with Them!

Chinese Lunar New Year Food

The Chinese New Year falls in the months of January to February, depending on the year in question. The Chinese food that is served for New Year is the foods that are symbolic of fortune, luck and wealth. The most common foods are those that are traditionally associated with fortune for the coming year, such as oranges and uncut noodles.

Fish - Fish is a very traditional Chinese food that is served at the New Year, often for both the first and last course of the day. Fish is considered a food that will bring good fortune, and can be served in a variety of ways. The most common way of serving fish for Chinese New Year is to cook and serve the fish whole, with seasoning served on the whole fish.

\"Chinese Food\"

Oranges and Tangerines - Oranges and tangerines are also very popular during the Chinese New Year. Oranges and tangerines can be eaten whole, or used in dishes such as Orange Glazed Chicken. If you are looking for an orange-infused accent for your favorite Chinese food dish, then you may want to try using an orange sauce on your New Year.

Chinese Lunar New Year Food

Chinese Dumplings - Chinese dumplings are also a favorite Chinese food that is served on New Year, symbolizing togetherness and blessings from heaven. The dumplings are typically filled with cabbage, mushrooms and a combination of pork and beef or chicken.

The great thing about Chinese dumplings is that you can choose the combination of vegetables and meats that your family likes best, as long as the seasonings are authentic. The seasonings for Chinese dumplings include sesame oil, ginger and soy sauce.

Eggs - Chinese food often contains eggs, whether scrambled directly into the meal, served whole, or simmered in a delicious stock for soup. Eggs are a symbol of fertility in traditional Chinese cooking, and they are also a great addition
to a Chinese New Year feast.

A beautiful and festive New Year's dish is made from whole eggs, which are hard boiled and then steeped in a mix of star anise, cinnamon, soy sauce and tea.

The hard boiled eggs are cooked and cracked before they are placed in the broth, which gives the eggs a wonderful cracked appearance once they have been peeled. The eggs can be eaten whole as a snack, or used a side dish for another part of the meal.

Sticky Rice Cakes - Rice is one of the most traditional Chinese foods, and is also one that is included in Chinese New Year's recipes. Sticky rice is made by using a Chinese Sticky Rice, which is sold in specialty stores. The traditional way to make sticky rice is to use a steamer, which allows the rice to cook without burning.

You can use sticky rice for a special Chinese food recipe that is used on New Year's to make a cake with fruits such as dates and cherries or papaya and pineapple. All you need to make the cake is some sticky rice, and the fruits that you want to use.

Chinese Lunar New Year Food

Keith Yao the author of Chinese Food Recipes, an online Chinese recipes and cooking website offering plenty of free Chinese New Year recipes and cooking tips.

Traditional Chinese Food - Eight-Treasures Rice For the Chinese New Year

Eight-Treasures Rice (Babaofan) is traditionally served on the 7th day of the 1st month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar. This marks the end of the Spring Festival (or Chinese New Year).

This pudding is made from sticky or glutinous rice flavoured with 8 luxurious fruits:

\"Chinese Food\"

  • red jujubes (Chinese dates);
  • finely chopped red plums;
  • finely chopped green plums;
  • dried longan pulp;
  • gingko nuts;
  • lotus seeds;
  • lily seeds; and
  • seeds from Job's Tears (sometimes known as Chinese Pearl Barley).

Traditional Chinese Food - Eight-Treasures Rice For the Chinese New Year

Nowadays, you may find some of these items replaced with walnuts, peanuts, raisins, cherries and the like. These are often cheaper and easier to obtain. However, the original recipe has a distinct colour, fragrance and taste so see if you can get an authentic version if you can, even if that means paying a little extra to eat somewhere nice.

Many of the fruits were selected and are prepared to look like jewels. The name however may not originally come from the appearance. See the story below for the alternate explanation.

Babaofan forms a special part of the Spring Festival banquet, often enhanced by a tradition of melting brown sugar over the top with burning alcohol. This tradition is meant to date back to ancient times and evidence from Hunan Province suggests that the dish at least has been around for over 2000 years.

The story tells us that a despotic king, King Zhou of the Shang Dynasty was removed by Eight Scholars (the Eight Treasures) recruited by his neighbour, King Wen of the Western Zhou Dynasty. These scholars apparently burned King Zhou to death and both their number and their method were incorporated by the imperial chefs when they invented this dish.

The Spring Festival is not a good time for visiting China. The festival is very much a family affair and visitors without local friends may well feel left out. Almost every Chinese will try to get home during the period meaning that travel services are swamped, and other services may be limited.

There's no need to worry. You can find Eight-Treasures Rice at most good restaurants throughout the year. The dish is also popular at weddings and, if you are lucky enough to get an invite, then you could well be served this along with lots of other traditional Chinese foods.

Traditional Chinese Food - Eight-Treasures Rice For the Chinese New Year

Ian Ford has lived in China for most of the last 10 years. He is the owner and manager of China Journeys, a UK tour operator offering travel in China with added interest (Registered in England and Wales No. 07014791, ATOL 10236)

Chinese Dumplings: What They Mean in Chinese Culture and How to Make Them

Introduction to Chinese Dumplings

Dumplings are a very important dish in Chinese cuisine, whose influence in Chinese culture can never be overlooked or underestimated. Dumplings are also part of Japanese, Korean, and even Russian cuisines (although the way they look and taste is totally different).

\"Chinese Food\"

Dumplings carry a very special meaning for Chinese people all over the World. Most Chinese families gather together during Chinese New Year Eve celebrations to prepare dumplings. When Chinese people have guests for dinner, they prepare dumplings to warmly welcome their guests. Here, in UK, when Chinese friends gather for dinner, it is very common to prepare dumplings together: while a few of us prepare the pastries, the others are rolling them up.

Chinese Dumplings: What They Mean in Chinese Culture and How to Make Them

And me, I never forget the time I was there trying to help my parents and grandparents preparing dumplings, I was only five probably, trying to hold the rolling pin to make the pastry, and hated that my left and right hands did not coordinate as they should. So, on top of every cultural facts, it really is a family thing. I remember that after I became an 'expert' on making the pastry, my mum would call all of us come to the kitchen to help after she had prepared the fillings and flour dough already; then, we would all sit around the table chatting and making dumplings.

Here is a basic description of a dumpling: it is a round flour made pastry wrap with fillings inside. Fillings can be made of meat or vegetables, or seafood, (hundreds of different fillings); then, they can be boiled in water, light fried with oil, or steamed. However, the most popular form of preparation in China is to boil them. Different ways of cooking normally require a little bit different ways of preparing the dough.

Dumplings can be easily found in most restaurants in the North East of China, and there are many restaurants specialized on dumplings.

The Pastry Sheet

Nowadays, you can get prepared dumpling pastry sheets in Chinese supermarkets. These normally come frozen, and contain around 30 sheets per pack. They is very convenient if you are short of time. Frozen pastry sheets are good to use, but since they are machine-made, the thickness in the centre and edges of each pastry is the same, where traditionally it is better if the centre of the pastry is slightly thicker and the edge is thinner. And they come in slightly bigger sizes than those made at home.

Here is how to make the pastry sheet from scratch.

Apart from the flour and a bigger size board, you need a nice rolling pin. It is commonly made from wood, around 30cm long, and 2-3 cm diameter (the middle bit is a bit thicker than the two ends). Modern rolling pins can be made of marble as well; marble is heavier, which facilitates the rolling of the pin.

I prefer to prepare the dough first before preparing the fillings. Then, the dough can be left for 20 minutes while you are preparing the other things.

I normally use plain flour, which can be found in any supermarket. If I am expecting guests, however, I would use a different kind of flour. Dumplings are supposed to be white (almost transparent), and the dumplings made of plain flour normally come out dark after boiling. Furthermore, the dough made from plain flour has a tendency to get softer after a while; hence, if you are cooking for many people, you will have to prepare quite a few dumplings, and the dough you will end up using for preparing the last few ones could be too soft.

When we have guests at home, I would buy the flour in Chinese supermarket, actually, now in some Chinese supermarket you can find 'special dumpling flour'. It is more expensive than the alternatives, but then, you don't have to worry about the colour and softness.

If dumplings are the main dish on the table, I normally use four cups of flour for three people, which amounts to 15-20 dumplings per person). However, if you have other dishes to accompany the meal, then the amount of flour can be reduced.

Here are the steps you need to follow in order to make the dough:

  • As for the proportion of flour and water, I normally put three cups of flour with 1 cup of water, or 4 cups of flour with 1 cup and a quarter of water. If I use plain flour, I would add a little spoon full of salt (this is useful especially when the dough gets softer). Keep the dough it in the mix bowl. Traditionally, you can use a slightly wet kitchen cloth to cover the dough, allow it to sit for a while.

  • I normally divide the dough into 2 or 3 portions, which facilitates the preparation.

  • Make sure you have dusted enough flour on the board so that the dough does not get stuck to the board; then, knead the dough into a long slender tube

  • Divide them again into smaller pieces. I prefer use a knife to chop it into pieces, as it is easier to measure the pieces evenly. Many experienced people, however, can do it by hand.

  • Press each piece on the board, and make it flat.

  • Spread a pinch of dry flour on the board, then place the small dough on the top. The easiest way to do it is just to roll with the rolling pin with both hands, then stop time to time for changing direction. What we normally do, however, it to use the right hand to use the rolling pin and use the left hand to fold the edges of the pastry. Every time when you push the rolling pin up, stop in the middle.

Just couple of reminders. First, do not get frustrated if the pastry sheet does not have a perfect round shape. The dumplings will look beautiful in the end. Second, make sure you have dusted enough flour at button of each sheet, otherwise, they will get stuck together.

The Fillings

The common dumpling fillings in Northeast are either pork, beef, lamb, or prawns, which are normally combined with different vegetables. Of course, there are also many vegetarian choices. Popular vegetables that go well with beef, lamb or prawns are spring onions (you can use leeks as an alternative), celery, or 'Jiu Cai'. The latter are called 'garlic chives' in English (however, there are slight differences between the Jiu Cai and chives in mainland China).

The dumpling filling I am going to explain next is a mix of minced beef and celery.

The basic method of making the fillings is very simple: just mix the minced meat and vegetables together with the seasonings, and try to prevent the filling from getting too much liquid from the seasonings and vegetables (otherwise it will be too difficult to fold the dumplings up later).

Here are the ingredients:

  • Beef mince.
  • Celery.
  • Spring onion (or leeks).
  • Ginger.
  • Salt, cooking wine, light soya sauce, sesame oil, five (or thirteen) spices (or flavoured oil).

Preparation steps:

  • Chop the celery, leeks and ginger into very small pieces.
  • Put the mince and chopped celery, leek and ginger all together into a mix bowl.
  • Add salt, 1 table spoon of cooking wine, 1 table spoon of light soy sauce, 1 tea spoon of spicy powder, 1 table spoon of sesame oil, and 3-5 table spoons of oil or flavored oil.

Rolling the Dumplings

The classic shape of a Chinese dumpling is similar to a small sailing boat.

Preparation steps:

  • Place one dumpling pastry sheet flat on your hand.

  • Put a tea spoon of the filling in the middle of the pastry sheet. The amount of filling depends on the size of the pastry sheet. I normally use a serving knife for this, but I also found that a long stirring spoon for tall cappuccino can also come handy.

  • Fold the two sides together, nip them tightly.

  • Use your index finger to push the edge on the right end in, nip it together with the front edge.

  • Push the remaining part on the right side from the back towards the front, then nip it together with the front edge. Now, the back would show a nice fold.

  • Swap the dumpling to your other hand, then do the same with the left hand side.

However, the most important part is not whether the folding is beautiful; what really matters is whether the edges have been tightly nipped up, so that the dumpling won't break during boiling (or frying).

If you want to go the easy way, just fold up the two sides tightly whichever way you like.

Put the prepared dumplings on a plate or on any clean surface (traditionally, we use a bamboo board). The material is not important, but make sure that you dust some flour on the surface before placing the dumplings on to prevent the dumplings from getting stuck to the surface. Since the flour could be softer if the dumplings are left for a long while, (especially now with the liquid coming out from the fillings), get ready to cook them as soon as you get enough of them to boil or fry.

Boiling and Serving

As already mentioned, Chinese dumplings can be boiled, steamed, or light fried. In this recipe we follow the traditional method, namely to boil the dumplings in water.

Preparation steps:

  • Fill in a deep saucepan with water, and bring the water to boil.

  • Once the water is boiling, start putting the prepared dumplings into the water. Don't put too many within one go, otherwise they will get all stuck together, and will also take longer to boil. (The idea is not to leave the dumplings in the water too long, so only put dumplings in when the water is boiling, and take them out as soon as they are done). While doing this, use a skimmer to stir the dumplings from the bottom of the saucepan up.

  • Sprinkle some salt into the water (this could prevent the dumplings from getting stuck together).

  • Stir the dumplings time to time.

  • When the water boils again, pour in a cup of cold water to cool it down, then allow it to boil again. If you are making meat dumplings, then repeat this step. If you are making vegetable dumplings, you can turn off the fire, remove the dumplings from the saucepan and serve them on a plate using the skimmer.

Traditionally, the dumplings are served with a dip (a mixture of soy sauce and vinegar). In most restaurants in North East China, you can see a small bottle of light soya sauce and rice vinegar on each table.

Here is the delicate 'dip recipe' we commonly prepare at home. Mix light soya sauce, rice vinegar, a little pinch of white sugar, sesame oil, 'minced' garlic and chili oil (optional).

Chinese Dumplings: What They Mean in Chinese Culture and How to Make Them

Shibin Zhang writes about Chinese food and Chinese culture. She specialises in the cuisine of North East China and in Islamic Chinese cuisine. On her website you can find many other articles about Chinese cuisine and culture.