Author: Grace

[:en]Cutlery[:]

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[:en]knife_soft

At the monastery we often use a Chinese cleaver. It is thinner in cross section than a western meat cleaver and very versatile.

Point: The very end of the knife, which is used for piercing

Tip: The first third of the blade, which is used for small or delicate work.

Edge: The cutting surface of the knife, which extends from the point to the heel.

Heel: The rear part of the blade, used for cutting activities that require more force, such as cutting through corn cobs.

Spine: Push here to exert more force such as when cutting a pumpkin.
[:zh] 

knife_soft

At the monastery we often use a Chinese cleaver. It is thinner in cross section than a western meat cleaver and very versatile.

Point: The very end of the knife, which is used for piercing

Tip: The first third of the blade, which is used for small or delicate work.

Edge: The cutting surface of the knife, which extends from the point to the heel.

Heel: The rear part of the blade, used for cutting activities that require more force, such as cutting through corn cobs.

Spine: Push here to exert more force such as when cutting a pumpkin.[:]

[:en]Knife Technique[:zh]刀功[:]

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Sslicing2LICING: Holding the food and cleaver firmly, cut straight down, using the knuckles of your free hand as a guide.

 

 

 

 

 

JULIENNE2JULIENNE: Stack a few slices, and use the slicing technique, cutting straight down through the stack to create sticks. For matchstick julienne, start with 1/8-inch slices, and cut them into 1/8-inch sticks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

shreddingSHREDDING: Slicing herbs and leafy vegetables into long, thin strips. This method is especially useful for cooking tougher greens which can be hard to chew when left in bigger pieces. To shred a cabbage for coleslaw, cut a cleaned, washed head into quarters, remove the hard core, then thinly slice the quarters across the grain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

roll_cuttingROLL CUTTING: This technique is used for long vegetables, like carrots or zucchini. It makes attractive chunks and exposes more of the surface area of the vegetable. Hold the blade perpendicular to the board and cut straight down on the diagonal. Then roll the vegetable a quarter-turn, and cut straight down again at the same diagonal angle. Continue rolling and cutting in this way all along the length of the vegetable.

 

 

 

 

 

crushingCRUSHING: To crush ginger, place it near the edge of the cutting board, lay the knife blade flat over it with the blade facing away from you, and with the heel of your free hand, give the side of the blade a good whack, being careful to avoid the edge of the blade.

 

 

 

 

 

parr_cuttingPARALLEL CUTTING: Lay the food close to the edge of the board with the fingers of your free hand flat on top of it. Angle the Chinese chef’s knife so that it’s almost parallel to the board, slanting slightly downward. Move it slowly and carefully back and forth to slice the food, paying close attention to avoid cutting your fingers.  

 

 

 

 

 

dicingDICING: Line sticks up perpendicular to the blade, and slice straight down across them, creating cubes.

 

 

 

 

brunoiseBRUNOISE: Is to create very fine, confetti-like pieces. Stack the panels or lay them out, then cut them lengthwise into very thin julienne. Remember to keep your fingers tucked in, and out of the knife’s path. Finally, turn the julienne and chop them into a beautiful brunoise.

 

 

 

 

 

mincingMINCING: Start by cutting the ingredient into thin strips, and then dice the strips. Using the tip as a pivot, raise and lower the blade in a chopping motion, moving it from side to side to mince everything evenly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

choppingCHOP: Means to cut foods into pieces. This is a larger cut than dice. With a rocking motion, keeping the tip of the knife on the chopping board, slice down through the vegetable at regular intervals, using the full length of the knife.

 

 

 

 

 

 

grateGRATE: Grate food into fine crumbs or other sizes depending upon your grater.

 

 

 

 

 

 

shavingSHAVING: Different from peeling, shaving only removes a thin layer of the outer skin. This is a preferred technique for certain vegetables such as gobo.

 

 

 

 

 

flower1FLOWER CUT: Includes using special tools and scoring techniques to create unique patterns. This creates fun, creative and beautiful dishes.

 

Cooking Tips

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[:en]cookingtip3_400_soft1. Cut your items to consistent sizes so they not only look attractive on the plate but also will cook evenly.
2. Always slice through. Do not cut part of the way where pieces remain stuck together.
3. Don’t waste food; change your cutting direction or technique so all ingredients are used. Save your scraps for other purposes such as a soup base or for another dish.
4. When you cut against the grain, food tends to be tender. When you cut along the grain, food tends to be tougher. Nevertheless, you may occasionally need to cut along the grain because it is unavoidable or you wish to display a pretty pattern.
5. In a dish there should always be more of the main ingredient than the secondary ingredients.
6. For crisp food such as crunchy vegetables, use high heat and cook fast. Stir fry and deep fry are used for this purpose.
7. To tenderize, use medium to low heat and allow the ingredients to cook a longer time. Simmering, roasting, stewing, and braising are used for this purpose.

[:zh]cookingtip3_400_soft1. Cut your items to consistent sizes so they not only look attractive on the plate but also will cook evenly.
2. Always slice through. Do not cut part of the way where pieces remain stuck together.
3. Don’t waste food; change your cutting direction or technique so all ingredients are used. Save your scraps for other purposes such as a soup base or for another dish.
4. When you cut against the grain, food tends to be tender. When you cut along the grain, food tends to be tougher. Nevertheless, you may occasionally need to cut along the grain because it is unavoidable or you wish to display a pretty pattern.
5. In a dish there should always be more of the main ingredient than the secondary ingredients.
6. For crisp food such as crunchy vegetables, use high heat and cook fast. Stir fry and deep fry are used for this purpose.
7. To tenderize, use medium to low heat and allow the ingredients to cook a longer time. Simmering, roasting, stewing, and braising are used for this purpose.[:]

[:en]Basic Seasonings[:zh]調料[:]

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[:en] 

seasonings1

From left to right

  1. Chinese BBQ Sauce
  2. White Pepper
  3. Vegetarian Mushroom Oyster Sauce
  4. Tomato Ketchup
  5. Rice Vinegar
  6. Soy Sauce
  7. Black Vinegar
  8. Sesame Oil
  9. Sweet Flour Sauce
  10. Chili Sauce
  11. Soy Bean Sauce

seasonings2

 

  1. Rock Candy
  2. Hondashi Konbudashi (Powdered kelp)
  3. Green Bean Starch
  4. Sweet Potato Powder
  5. Washed Raw Sugar

Seasoning Mix

Basic Stir Fry

  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Powdered kelp
  • Water (for more sauce)

Red Stir Fry

  • Soy sauce
  • Sugar
  • Powered kelp
  • Black vinegar (optional)
  • Water (for more sauce)

Stir Fry with Gravy

  • Sweet Flour Sauce
  • Soy sauce
  • Sugar
  • Powered kelp

Sweet and Sour Sauce

  • Tomato sauce
  • Sugar
  • Water
  • White vinegar
  • Soy sauce (optional)

Dry Stir Fry

  • Sweet rice
  • Tomato sauce
  • Spicy tofu paste
  • Sugar
  • Powdered kelp

[:zh]seasonings1

From left to right

Chinese BBQ Sauce
White Pepper
Vegetarian Mushroom Oyster Sauce
Tomato Ketchup
Rice Vinegar

Soy Sauce
Black Vinegar
Sesame Oil
Sweet Flour Sauce
Chili Sauce
Soy Bean Sauce

seasonings2

Rock Candy
Hondashi Konbudashi (Powdered kelp)
Green Bean Starch
Sweet Potato Powder
Washed Raw Sugar

Seasoning Mix

Basic Stir Fry

Salt
Sugar
Powdered kelp
Water (for more sauce)

Red Stir Fry

Soy sauce
Sugar
Powered kelp
Black vinegar (optional)
Water (for more sauce)

Stir Fry with Gravy

Sweet Flour Sauce
Soy sauce
Sugar
Powered kelp

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Tomato sauce
Sugar
Water
White vinegar
Soy sauce (optional)

Dry Stir Fry

Sweet rice
Tomato sauce
Spicy tofu paste
Sugar
Powdered kelp

From left to right

Chinese BBQ Sauce
White Pepper
Vegetarian Mushroom Oyster Sauce
Tomato Ketchup
Rice Vinegar

Soy Sauce
Black Vinegar
Sesame Oil
Sweet Flour Sauce
Chili Sauce
Soy Bean Sauce

Rock Candy
Hondashi Konbudashi (Powdered kelp)
Green Bean Starch
Sweet Potato Powder
Washed Raw Sugar

Seasoning Mix

Basic Stir Fry

Salt
Sugar
Powdered kelp
Water (for more sauce)

Red Stir Fry

Soy sauce
Sugar
Powered kelp
Black vinegar (optional)
Water (for more sauce)

Stir Fry with Gravy

Sweet Flour Sauce
Soy sauce
Sugar
Powered kelp

Sweet and Sour Sauce

Tomato sauce
Sugar
Water
White vinegar
Soy sauce (optional)

Dry Stir Fry

Sweet rice
Tomato sauce
Spicy tofu paste
Sugar
Powdered kelp[:]

[:en]Cooking Methods[:zh]烹調方法[:]

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stirfry1STIR FRY: If any technique in Chinese cooking demands proper preparation, it is stir-frying. Because the heat has to be high and there is little actual cooking time, it’s crucial to have all your ingredients assembled beforehand. Keep your stir fry ingredients separated in bowls based on how much time they need in your wok. Chop components to equal sizes so they have more uniform cooking time, and the result will be appealing and easy to eat. Stir fry comes in many categories such as: dry stir fry, cooking in gravy, pre cooked stir fry and raw stir fry.

 

 

deepfry1DEEP FRYING: Deep-frying produces crisp textured food. Food that has been properly deep fried at the right temperature absorbs less oil and can be light and crispy without being greasy. When food is added to oil that has been heated to 380ºF, the surface of the food is quickly sealed, forming a coating the oil cannot permeate. If the oil is not hot enough, too much oil soaks in. You can test this by seeing if food sinks to the bottom of the oil; if so, the oil is not hot enough. If it’s too hot, the outside of the food can burn before the inside is cooked. You often see smoke rising from the oil.

 

 

roasting2ROASTING: a cooking method that uses dry heat, such as an oven. Roasting usually causes carmelization of the surface of the food, which is considered a flavor enhancement. Most root and bulb vegetables can be roasted.

 

 

 

steaming2STEAMING: Steaming is traditional Chinese cooking developed for when a moist dish was required as an alternative to a roasted one. To start, choose a heat resistant dish that’s slightly smaller than the steamer basket or wok so the steam can rise around it. Always bring the water to boil before adding food to the steamer. Occasionally check the water level as the food cooks. If it’s low, add boiling water to avoid lowering the temperature. Always open a steamer with care and lift the lid so that it points away from you.

 

 

stewing1STEWING: is a time-honored moist cooking technique that allows the cook to assemble the dish and then let it simmer, with little or no attention, for an hour or more. Many “crock-pot” dishes are essentially stewed. In China, stews are usually cooked in a clay pot over a fire for hours at a time.

 

 

 

redcooking1RED COOKING and BRAISING: this is a slow cooking method in which food is first browned then gently simmered over low heat in a liquid consisting mainly of soy sauce and sugar. The food takes on a deep mahogany color glaze; a tender, juicy texture, and a rich full-bodied flavor.

 

 

 

 

simmeringSIMMERING: simmering means gently cooking food just below the boiling point in enough liquid to cover it. This technique is used to make broths, soups, sauce, and stews.

 

 

 

 

blancing1BLANCHING or PARBOILING: refers to immersing foods in boiling water for a few seconds or a few minutes to partially precook it. .