CHINESE CUISINE AND FOOD CULTURE

fish soup with tofu and coroader

Steam flatfish with ginger and green onion

Boiled pork with spices

Chinese food now holds a popular place among the entire population of the world. You can find a Chinese restaurant in every major city and in many smaller areas of the world as well. Why is Chinese food so popular? Is Chinese food healthy? What is the history of Chinese food?
The History of Chinese Food
The history of Chinese food1 is an interesting one. Unlike many cultures the Chinese believe that the preparation of food is an art and not simply a craft. The art of cooking Chinese food can include dishes and food preparation techniques which are difficult to develop and may require the expertise of a chef with lots of experience. One such technique is noodle pulling (scroll down to the bottom of the page to learn more about this technique). Noodle pulling requires skill and lots of practice and results in a delicious noodle dish. This article will refer to noodle pulling later on, but for now, let’s go back to the history of Chinese food.
Chinese food and the way it is prepared is very much influenced by the two major philosophies, which influence the entire Chinese culture. These dominant philosophies are Confucianism and Taoism. Both have these philosophies have influenced the way that the Chinese people cook and the way that they enjoy their food..
Confucianism and Chinese Cuisine
Confucius was the man behind the Confucianism beliefs. Among many other standards Confucius established standards for proper table etiquette and for the appearance and taste of Chinese food. One of the standards set by Confucius (you might have noticed this at an authentic Chinese restaurant) is that food must be cut into small bite size pieces before serving the dish. This is a custom that is definitely unique to the Chinese culture.
Knives at the dinner table are also considered to be a sign of very poor taste by those who embrace Confucianism beliefs. The standards of quality and taste that Confucius recommended required the perfect blend of ingredients, herbs and condiments--a blend which would result in the perfect combination of flavor. Confucius also emphasized the importance of the texture and color of a dish, and taught that food must be prepared and eaten with harmony. Interestingly enough, Confucius was also of the opinion that an excellent cook must first make an excellent matchmaker.
Taoism and Chinese Cuisine
Those who follow the Taoism beliefs focus on the health benefits of particular foods vs. the presentation of the same. Taoists search for foods that will increase their health and longevity. They search for foods that have healing powers. Many times these benefits were often referred to as ‘life giving powers’. For instance, the Chinese found that ginger, which can be considered to be a garnish or a condiment was found to be a remedy for upset stomachs or a remedy for colds.
Is Chinese Food Healthy?
Chinese food, when authentic is probably the healthiest food in the world. Some restaurants, which are not authentic, prepare their menu with highly saturated fats or with meats that contain unhealthy amounts of animal fat. These Chinese restaurants are not recommended and they are both neither authentic nor healthy.
Good Chinese food however, is prepared and cooked with poly-unsaturated oils. Authentic Chinese food does not require the use of milk-fat ingredients such as cream, butter or cheese. Meat is used, but not in abundance, which makes it easy for those who love authentic Chinese food to avoid high levels of animal fat. Many believe that authentic Chinese food is really the ideal diet.
Chinese Restaurants in Every Part of the Nation
Whether it is in a Tennessee Chinese Restaurant to a New York Chinese restaurant you are going to find culinary dishes that are both healthy and delicious. Savor the flavor with Chinese food!

French Food

burgundy snail

french burgundy snail is most popular in paris, the Burgundy Snails has a subtle taste, slightly grassy which deserves not to be drowned under a ton of garlic like one too often tends to do it, still today.

ingredients:

1 pound 6 ounces, preferable high-fat European-style, cut into large pieces
1 cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons almond flour
1 tablespoon fine sea slat
1 tablespoon freshly ground white pepper
3 tablespoons Pernod
48 snail shells, cleaned
48 very large canned Burgundy snails, drained

Prehear oven to 400°F. Using a table knife, push 1 teaspoon of the seasoned butter deep into each snail shell, stuff a snail into each shell, and use the remaining butter to fill shells to the rim. Set 12 shells, butter side up, in 4 individual gratin dishes or all of them in a 10½ X 12 inch baking dish.

beouf bourguignon

ingridients:

1 Kg Chuck Steak* cut into 100gm cubes (about 4 inches)

Large carrot roughly chopped

Large onion chopped

Two fresh bay leaves

Two cloves garlic crushed in their skins

Two cloves

One bottle robust red wine

Ten black peppercorns

Tablespoon Madeira

Beurre manie (teaspoon flour and teaspoon butter mashed together)

Tablespoon butter

Chopped parsley

Olive oil

Put the pieces of beef in a large glass bowl and add the next seven ingredients making sure that the beef is covered. Cover the bowl and allow to marinate for 24 hours. Add the drained vegetables from the marinade to the casserole and brown those too and then pour in the wine marinade. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer and pile the meat back in. The meat should be entirely covered by liquid. If not add a little beef stock or more red wine if you have a bottle handy, bring back to a simmer and place in a low oven (140°C) for three hours.

confit de canard

Confit de canard (preserved duck) is another of those things that is often almost impossible to get outside of France, but in France weighs down the supermarket shelves. It is usually bought in tins containing four - six portions of duck, preserved in goose fat. Confit de canard is essentially duck that has been cooked by simmering in oil for a while, then preserved in goose fat.

Asaparagus food recipes

Smoked duck & pear appetizer spoons

Have you ever tried appetizer spoons? It’s the solution to turn any dish you like into finger-food! Possibilities are endless, all you need is Chinese soup spoons and a little imagination…Mix textures and flavors, have fun! You can make sweet ones, warm ones…They’re just great when you need to feed many people but don’t have space enough to have them all around a dinner table. Parisian appartments are expensive and small, it explains I’m a huge fan of appetizer spoons These ones are made with smoked duck and pear slices, but what gives it a special flavor is its spice and honey vinaigrette. Four spices blend is a widely used mixture in France, made with cinnamon, ginger, clove and nutmeg. if you can’t find it already made, mix 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon with 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of ground clove and 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg. you can also add it 1 teaspoon of ground white pepper if you like. In that case, don’t add pepper to the below recipe.

Preparation time: 10 mn

Ingredients (for 10 spoons)

10 smoked duck slices
3/4 pear
2 tablespoons of walnut oil
1/2 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of honey
1/2 teaspoon of four spices mix
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ In a bowl, blend oil, vinegar, honey and spices (including salt & pepper).

2/ Peel and slice pear.

3/ Fill spoons with a piece of pear, topped with a smoked duck slice and another pear piece.

4/ Add a little vinaigrette to your spoons.

Goat cheese & dried figs appetizer spoons

Here is another appetizer spoon recipe I made last week when having friends over. I really like this one because I’m sure it has plenty of great variations. I only had dried fig and raisin; next time I’ll try with dried apricot. The goat cheese I used is called ‘Crottin de Chavignol‘. Its a perfect cheese for this recipe because of its soft texture. The goat cheese you’ll choose for these appetizer spoons shouldn’t be too creamy so it doesn’t make a cheese paste when you dice it. Other than that I’m sure any other medium strengh goat cheese will do the job.

Preparation time: 10 mn

Ingredients (for 10 spoons)

3 1/2 oz (100 g) of goat cheese
2 dried figs
30 raisins
1 tablespoon of small chive
2 tablespoons of walnut oil
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ Scrape cheese and dice it.

2/ Rinse and chop small chives.

3/ In a bowl blend cheese, small chives, walnut oil, salt and pepper. Cover and set aside for at least 30 mn.

4/ Cut the fig’s hard part on top and slice it.

5/ Fill spoons with cheese and top with raisins and dried fig slices.

Green apple & salmon appetizer spoons

One only appetizer spoons recipe won’t serve you much so we’ll keep on going for several posts I told you possibilities were endless! You can use salmon chopped ’scraps’, they’re much cheaper and they do fine. All you have to do is mix apple with salmon and Greek yogurt. I don’t know if Greek yogurt is known (or available) in many countries but I found this little explanation on what it is. There is even a recipe if you’re ready to make your own. Granny Smith apples are perfect with salmon and give these appetizer spoons a very pleasant refreshing taste. They’ll be perfect with white wine.

Preparation time: 10 mn

Ingredients (for 10 spoons)

4 smoked salmon slices (or the equivalent in chopped ’scraps’)
1 Greek yogurt
1/2 Granny Smith apple
1/4 cup of lump-fish roe
2 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ Peel, take center out and chop apple.

2/ Cut salmon into small pieces. Set some aside for decoration when spoons are filled.

3/ In a bowl, blend yogurt, salmon, apple dices, oil, salt & pepper.

4/ Fill spoons with the mixture and top with salmon and lump-fish roe.

See…It takes no time and I bet your guests will be impressed

Prosciutto & blue cheese appetizer spoons

I’ll finish this ‘appetizer spoons week’ by one recipe I discovered not long ago but I already know I’ll be making it quite often. Unlike the other recipes I posted along the week, you’ll need some cooking for that one. I caramelized shallots but you can also use onions as long as you slice them into thin pieces. They help sweeten blue cheese’s strong taste. The three flavors go just perfect together… I used raspberry vinegar when caramelizing shallots, it adds a delicious fruity taste; but you can replace it by red wine if you like.

Preparation time: 35 mn

Ingredients (for 10 spoons)

3 prosciutto slices
6 shallots (or 2 onions)
2 oz (55 g) of blue cheese
2 tablespoons of raspberry vinegar (or red wine)
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ Peel and chop shallots.

2/ Melt butter in a frying pan over low heat. (Be careful it doesn’t get brown, it’s very bad for health.)

3/ When butter has melt, add chopped shallots. Leave covered, stirring frequently, for about 10 mn or until translucent.

4/ Add sugar and stir. Let shallots caramelize for a couple of minutes, then add raspberry vinegar. At that time, you should probably go for medium heat. It’s important when adding alcohol to get it to a (smooth ) boil so the strong taste evaporates. When the strong smell is gone, you’re done. Take pan off heat.

5/ Cut prosciutto into small pieces.

6/ Dice blue cheese.

7/ Fill the bottom of your Chinese soup spoons with caramelized shallots. Add a dice of blue cheese and top with prosciutto pieces.

8/ Serve right away.

Green asparagus and vinaigrette

Asparagus season has come I love that time of the year when in season fruits and vegetables’ list starts growing. Here is a simple recipe to enjoy green asparagus with little cooking to make. You can serve them as a starter but it will also make a perfect side dish for fish. We had them with salmon, it came out great.

Preparation time: 20 mn

Ingredients (for 3 to 4 servings)

2.2 lbs (1 kg) of fresh green asparagus
6 or 7 basil leaves
1 non-treated lemon
1 teaspoon of capers
6 tablespoons of olive oil
4 tablespoons of balsamiq vinegar
Salt & pepper

Instructions

1/ Take water to a boil in a large pan.

2/ Clean asparagus. Peel the last third on the opposite side of the head and cut the hard end off.

3/ When water is boiling, add asparagus and leave for 8 to 10 minutes.

4/ Clean lemon and grate zest.

5/ Rinse and chop basil.

6/ Prepare vinaigrette in a bowl by mixing oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir energetically.

7/ When asparagus are tender, take them off water and lay them next to each other in a plate.

8/ Top asparagus with capers, chopped basil, lemon zest and a pinch of salt.

9/ Serve right away.

Food low calories recipe

the easy way to diet by baked pear

baked pear

ingredients:

• Pears – 2 ( peeled, cored and halved )
• Butter – 1 table spoon ( unsalted )
• Lemon juice – 1 table spoon. ( squeezed freshly )
• Pepper – ¼ teaspoon ( grounded )
• Ginger – ¼ teaspoon ( grounded )
• Cinnamon – ¼ teaspoon ( grounded )
• Water – 2 table spoons
• Vanilla cream – ¼ table spoon ( extracted )

The already heated oven is once again preheated to 375 Fahrenheit. In order to make baked pear fans prepare a slice of pear each one about ¼ inches in lengthwise. Prepare the pans first before you even begin to mix the muffins. Muffins, whether from a purchased mix or made from scratch need to be mixed quickly and as little as possible to prevent them from being tough when baked. So you need to have your muffin pans lined up and waiting, and the oven pre-heated before you mix the batter.

Chicken Scallopini

ingridients:

• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/3 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 4 teaspoons capers
• 1 tablespoon butter

custard

ingridients:

• 8 fl oz double cream
• 4 fl oz milk
• 5 large egg yolks
• 6 sticks Canderel
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cook the custard at a bare simmer- don't let it boil- whisking constantly, especially around the edges of the pan. When the custard thickens, take it off the heat and continue to whisk for a minute or two. Mix the cream and milk in a heavy saucepan and place it over medium heat. In a mixing bowl, preferably one with a sprout whisk the egg yolk together with the sweetener and vanilla until they' re pale yellow.

Best Chiken Soup for Diet

mexican chicken soup diet

you eat as much chicken soup as you want but nothing else other than perhaps a small breakfast. If you can live on chicken soup 7 days a week then the chances are you will lose weight but would you want to? There are other options that are far more appealin

Here is the recipe for the chicken soup:
Ingredients:

2 Tbs. oil, best if you use olive oil
4 parsnips cut into 1/2 inch pieces (this is about 1 lb. of parsnips)
4 ribs celery sliced
1 turnip cut into 1/2 inch pieces (3/4 of a pound)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Tbs. chopped garlic
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
16 cups reduced fat, low sodium, chicken broth
7 cans (5 oz. each) of chicken, or 5 cups (1 1/2 lbs) fresh chicken (cooked)
1 bag (16 oz.) frozen carrots
1 box (10 oz.) frozen broccoli florets
1 box (10 oz.) frozen chopped collard greens
1 1/2 cups frozen chopped onions
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or 1 tbs dried dill.

Cooking Method:

Using a large pot, heat the oil over a medium head. Add the parsnips, celery, turnip, jalapeno peppper, garlic, salt and cayenne pepper. Cook all the vegetables until the are crisp-tender...this should take about 15 minutes. Add the broth, chicken, carrots, broccoli, collard greens, onions, lemon juice and dill. Brink it to a boil, reduce heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

This will make 26 cups of soup.

healthy food recipes

A central concern of the society in which we live is health. People are getting more and more conscious about living a healthy life. Eating healty food is of course a great way to improve your health and stay healthy. A common misconception among people is that healthy food refers to bland and boring food that is widely available as a natural food co-op. However, healthy food is actually what you eat every day, only it is prepared in a slightly different way.

Healthy food as well as healthy eating habbits is pleasant for the palate. Closer the food is to its natural state; the healthier it is for you. You can improve your eating habbits by cutting down on packaged food. This kind of food, although convenient, is filled with preservatives and artificial ingredients. Healthy food can be convenient too, once you get into the habit of preparing them.

Grilling lean meat, fish, or chicken does not take a long time. While the meat cooks, you can easily toss up a salad of greens and vegetables. You can also round out the meal by using frozen or fresh vegetables. You can bring in variety into your meals by using healthy foods that you have never tasted before. Be sure to check the produce section of the local grocer, which will be stocked with a whole range of exotic fruits and vegetables. Some produce sections also offer recipes on how to cook the vegetables with which you are not familiar. This is a great way to introduce your children to healthy foods. You can also experiment with fresh herbs that can add new flavors to your meal.

Preparing healthy food on a regular basis will help you to make fast health nutrition meals. If you get the time, try using healthy food in exotic recipes. Healthy food can be prepared before hand and frozen for later use. When you prepare your own frozen food, you can be absolutely sure that there are no artificial additives or preservatives.

Encourage your children to get involved in the preparation of healthy foods. This will create a time that you can share with them. Eating healthy food does not cost you much of your time or money and most certainly, it is a better option for you.

Ingredients

1 pound raw shrimp

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon thyme

3 teaspoon garlic, minced

2 teaspoons cilantro, minced

1 teaspoon oregano

4 tablespoons low fat/non fat Parmesan cheese

Method

Put all of the ingredients together in a large bowl and refrigerate for at least three hours. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to sauté pan and add shrimp to pan. Saute shrimp over medium hear for 5-10 minutes. Heat sauce in separate pan; add sauce to shrimp.

Healthy Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients

12 oz. pkg. whole wheat pasta

1 c. fresh grated Parmesan cheese

4 cloves pressed garlic

3/4 c. olive oil

1-2 c. shrimp (1/2 lb.)

2 tsp. dried parsley or 1/2 c. fresh parsley

Methods

Heat olive oil and garlic in pan over low heat. Remove from heat and add parsley. Boil pasta; drain. Toss pasta with oil, garlic, parsley sauce and then add shrimp. Finally add Parmesan cheese and toss. Serve immediately.

healthy food in japanese is also popular

Boiled Japanese Radish "Furofuki Daikon" with miso sauce

1/2 Japanese white radish peeled and cut into 2-3cm rounds

1/2 carrot peeled and cut into 2-3cmrounds

"konnyaku" devil's tongue jelly sliced into triangles and four taros pee

4 taros peeled and cut if too big.

konbu kelp

salt

Preboil the raddish using the water from rinsing

rice(if necessary, add water)

Put konbu kelp,carrots,taros and konnyaku into a diffeerent

pot and cover with water.

When the raddish has slightly tender, rince with cold water

and to 2.

boil until the raddish is tender.

Serve the raddish,carrots, taro and konnyaku on a dish and

add hot miso sauce.

AMERICAN FLAVOR AND CHIKEN

A true American classic, the casserole is as rich in flavor as it is in culinary history. This creamy, cheesy or crispy-topped dish, usually made with a combination of meat, vegetables and rice or pasta, has become one of the most beloved and popular entréles ever created.

The casserole, as we know it today, evolved during the 1940s, as more women joined the workforce and had less time to prepare dinner for their families. One-dish meals were a great way to stretch a basic pantry, reinvent leftovers and put a wholesome, home-cooked meal on the table quickly and easily.
Once the war ended and the economy rebounded, the casserole took on a fancier feel and became a suppertime centerpiece, even at elegant dinner parties. In addition, many classic casserole recipes from that era featured convenient pantry staples such as canned vegetables, rice or noodles and condensed soups, such as Campbell's Cream of Mushroom, as the sauce.

Today, casseroles are still a family favorite and can be customized to suit your friends' and family's individual tastes. In fact, casseroles ranked fourth on the list of America's most often made main dishes. Usually requiring 10 minutes or less of prep time, they are a great change of pace when you're looking to create a balanced, homemade meal.

Crispy Chicken

I like chicken, especially those with crispy skins. This dish got me salivating with its tender and juicy meat beneath paper thin skin that crackled with every bite. It didn't come across as too salty or bland either and was a hit with all of us.

golden chiken with spicy refried bean

Chicken is versatile, low-fat, and downright delicious, as the innovative dishes in this volume attest. Here are more than 70 flavorful recipes for the original white meat, all of which can be prepared in 20 minutes or less. Dinner guests will swoon over elegant Chicken with Creamy Mustard Sauce, which comes together in less than 15 minutes. And for lunch? Tasty, easy-to-assemble Barbecue Chicken and Cheddar Calzones. Whether roasted whole, cut into pieces on the bone, or pared down to boneless, skinless breasts, chicken is a surefire family favorite. Like all of Rodale's New Classics, this book employs quick-cooking ingredients and timesaving techniques for today's harried home cooks, and it includes complete nutritional analyses and more than 30 mouth-watering photographs.

TOP CHINESE FOOD

ciang mai steak is also a favorite food in china. many restaurants available to it in thailand. the food is easy cooking and very simple methods. tray it and make on your food software as your favorite food.

Ingredients:

Coconut Milk

1 1/2 cup Water 1 cup Packed -- flaked coconut Steaks

4 Beef tenderloins -- cut 1"

2 tablespoon Creamy peanut butter

2 teaspoon Curry powder

1 Coconut Milk

Kiwi fruit -- peeled and

2 tablespoon All-purpose flour

Sliced -- if desired

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Flaked coconut

1/2 teaspoon Butter

Parsley sprigs

1/2 teaspoon Vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in small saucepan Add 1 cup packed,flaked coconut and simmer,uncovered,5 minutes.

2. Process in blender at high speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly blended.Strain coconut milk,discarding coconut.

3. Prepare coconut milk.Combine flour and salt;dust beef tenderloin steaks.

4. Shake off excess flour and reserve.

5. Heat butter and oil in large heavy frying pan over medium heat until hot.

6. Add steaks and pan fry 6 to 8 minutes or to desired degree of doneness, turning once.

7. Remove steaks, keep warm.

8. Reduce heat to medium low. Add reserved flour to pan and cook just until brown, stirring constantly.

9. Stir in peanut butter and curry powder until smooth.

10. Gradually add coconut milk and cook until sauce comes to a boil and thickens, stirring constantly.

11. Return steaks to pan and turn to coat with sauce.

Serving Suggestions & Notes:

Place steaks on heated platter.Garnish with Kiwi and

parsley sprigs. Sprinkle with coconut and serve