Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Sounds Good: Daughter begs for bok choy

Our society has become so instant that I “devoured” a book at 3 a.m. and have time to share my thoughts with readers, wrap it up and present it to my daughter for Christmas Eve excitement.
My daughter begs for bok choy at the grocery store.
The New Year season is when we crave Asian food even more than usual. I’ve already weirded out my co-worker David Ball by dragging him to Port Arthur’s Vietnamese markets for squid, pho seasoning, and ginger. It all goes in the gift bag Jasmine always expects to find under the tree.
“Quick & Easy Chinese: 70 Everyday Recipes” is how Nancie McDermott can transform your home into a mini restaurant. I love to look at trend books and health books, but this is one with recipes that sound and look like what you want to order off the menu. Tea eggs, five-spice roast chicken, pork with black bean sauce and nappa cabbage stir-fried with ginger and green onion are dishes I could eat for a month straight. Here are two quick sauces that will give even your American leftovers some Asian flair.

Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk or stir well to dissolve the sugar and salt and mix everything together into a thin, smooth sauce.

Chili-Vinegar Sauce
The author says this simple condiment provides a satisfying sharp contrast to the rich, dark flavors of soy sauce noodles with beef and greens.
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons chopped or thinly sliced fresh hot green chilies
Combine the vinegar, soy sauce and chilies in a small bowl and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for up to a week.
ddoiron@panews.com

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