A Taste of China

Table of Contents

Cashew Chicken

Shrimp Toast

Moo Goo Gai Pan

General Tsao's Chicken

Hunan Beef

Barbecued Spareribs

Fried Rice

Hot and Sour Soup

Foo Yung

Shrimp with Snow Peas

Egg Rolls

Hoisin Beef & Scallion Rolls

Kung Pao Chicken

Lo Mein

Fried Won Tons

Empress Chicken Wings

Mandarin Pancakes

Sesame Chicken

Orange Beef

Pork with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce

Garlic Chicken

Fortune Cookies

Cantonese Roast Duck

Bean Sprout Salad

Almond Biscuits

Cashew Chicken

3 Chicken breasts, boned and skinned
1/2 lb. Chinese pea pods
1/2 lb. Mushrooms
4 Green onions
2 cups Bamboo shoots, drained
1 cup Chicken broth
1/4 cup Soy sauce
2 tb Corn starch
1/2 ts Sugar
1/2 ts Salt
4 tb Salad oil
1 pack Cashew nuts (about 4−oz)

Slice breasts horizontally into very thin slices and cut into inch squares. Place on tray. Prepare vegetables, removing ends and strings from pea pods, slicing mushrooms, green part of onions, and the bamboo shoots. Add to tray. Mix soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Heat 1 tbls of oil in skillet over moderate heat, add all the nuts, and cook 1 min shaking the pan, toasting the nuts lightly. Remove and reserve. Pour remaining oil in pan, fry chicken quickly, turning often until it looks opaque. Lower heat to low. Add pea pods, mushrooms, and broth. Cover and cook slowly for 2 mins. Remove cover, add soy sauce mixture, bamboo shoots, and cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Simmer uncovered a bit more and add green onions and nuts and serve immediately.

Shrimp Toast

12 fresh uncooked large shrimp
1 egg
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch pepper
3 slices sandwich bread
1 hard−cooked egg yolk
1 slice cooked ham (about 1 ounce)
1 green onion
2 cups vegetable oil

Remove shells from shrimp, leaving tails intact. Remove back veins from shrimp. Cut down back of shrimp with sharp knife. Gently press shrimp with fingers to flatten.

Beat 1 egg, cornstarch, salt and pepper in a small bowl until blended. Add shrimp to egg mixture and toss until shrimp are completely coated.

Remove crusts from bread. Cut each slice into quarter. Place one shrimp, cut side down, on each bread piece. Gently press shrimp to adhere to bread. Brush or rub small amount of egg mixture over each shrimp.

Cut egg yolk and ham into 1/2 inch pieces. Finely chop onion. Place one piece each of egg yolk and ham and a scant 1/4 teaspoon chopped onion on each shrimp.

Heat oil in wok over medium−high heat until it reaches 375F. Fry 3 or 4 shrimp−bread pieces at a time in the hot oil until golden, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Drain on absorbent paper.

Moo Goo Gai Pan

4 chicken breast halves, skinned, boned and sliced
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
1 tb cornstarch
5 tb corn oil
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced
4 lb. bok choy or Chinese white cabbage, chopped
2 tb sugar
4 tb soy sauce
6 scallions, chopped

In a bowl, toss chicken with the salt and pepper, garlic and cornstarch mixture. Set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons of corn oil in a wok and stir in mushrooms, bok choy/cabbage and sugar for 2 minutes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from wok.

Heat remaining corn oil in wok. Stir−fry chicken for 2 minutes over high heat. Add soy sauce and mix well. Cover and cook for about 6 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Mix in the cooked vegetables and scallions. Stir fry together for about 1 minute. Serve hot with rice.

General Tsao's Chicken

Sauce:
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1+1/2 tsp minced garlic
1+1/2 tsp minced ginger root
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup cooking wine
1+1/2 cup hot chicken broth
1 tsp monosodium glutamate (optional)
Meat:
3 lbs deboned dark chicken meat, cut into large chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp white pepper
1 egg
1 cup cornstarch
Vegetable oil for deep−frying
2 cups sliced green onions
16 small dried hot peppers

Mix 1/2 cup cornstarch with water. Add garlic, ginger, sugar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, vinegar, wine, chicken broth and MSG (if desired). Stir until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until needed.

In separate bowl, mix chicken, 1/4 cup soy sauce and white pepper. Stir in egg. Add 1 cup cornstarch and mix until chicken pieces are coated evenly. Add cup of vegetable oil to help separate chicken pieces.

Divide chicken into small quantities and deep−fry at 350 degrees until crispy. Drain on paper towels.

 Place a small amount of oil in wok and heat until wok is hot. Add onions and peppers and stir−fry briefly. Stir sauce and add to wok. Place chicken in sauce and cook until sauce thickens.

Hunan Beef

2 cups broccoli florets
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 small dried red chilies
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water

Marinade:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
3/4 pound flank steak, thinly sliced across the grain

Sauce:
3 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add beef and stir to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Place broccoli in a large pot with 1 inch of boiling water. Boil until tender−crisp, 2 to 3 minutes; drain.

Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add garlic and chilies and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add beef and stir−fry until no longer pink, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

Add broccoli and sauce to wok; bring to a boil. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens.

Barbecued Spareribs

2 banks of spareribs, uncut, about 2 pounds each
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup sweet bean sauce (hoi sin deung) or hoi sin sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry

Trim off excess fat from the thick edges of spareribs. Place ribs in a shallow pan or platter. Mix remaining ingredients for a marinade and spread over both sides of the spareribs. Let stand for at least two hours.

 Place one oven rack at the top of the oven and one at the bottom. Preheat to 375F. Hook each bank of spareribs with 3 or 4 S−hooks across its width, on the thick edges, and suspend under top rack. Place a large pan with 1/2" water on bottom rack. This pan will catch the drippings and keep the meat from drying out. Cook spareribs for about 45 minutes.

Fried Rice

2 eggs
1 teaspoon MSG (optional)
1/8 teaspoon groung white pepper
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cups cooked rice
4 scallions, chopped, including green ends
2 cups diced cooked pork, ham, chicken, shrimp, or any meat
1 slice ginger, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Put first four ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir slightly; the eggs should not be well beaten.

 Heat wok or pan hot and dry. Add the oil. Brown the garlic and ginger slightly, then add the rice. Cook for 2−3 minutes, stirring to break up lumps and coat with oil. Add the rest of the ingredients except the egg mixture. Fry and stir constantly until thoroughly mixed. Add the egg mixture while stirring the rice so it will cover as much of the ingredients in the pan as possible. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Serve while hot.

Hot and Sour Soup

2 1/2 quarts chicken stock
1 block (16 oz.) of tofu, cut into 1 1/2 inch long strips
5 shitake mushrooms, cut into thin slices
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 1/2 cups bamboo shoot strips
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
3 eggs. beaten
1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Combine first seven ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Drizzle the cornstarch mixture into the soup, stirring to thicken. Then drizzle beaten eggs into soup, stirring. Top with sesame oil.

Foo Yung

6 eggs, beaten well
1 cup shredded cooked meat (roast pork, shrimp, almost any!)
2 cups fresh bean sprouts (or 1 can)
2 scallions, chopped, including the green ends
1 medium onion, shredded
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon MSG (optional)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock or water
Vegetable oil for frying

Make gravy if desired (recipe follows). Preheat oven to 200F. Line a platter with several thicknesses of paper towel. Mix all ingredients except the vegetable oil together in a mixing bowl.

 Heat a frying pan hot and dry. Put in vegetable oil to a depth of about 1/2 inch. Keep oil at this level by adding more, as some is absorbed in cooking. Bring oil temperature to medium. Stir up the omelet mixture each time before you take a scoopful of it out, in order to have the proper ratio of liquid and solid ingredients in each.

With a ladle or soup scoop, take a scoop of the egg mixture and gently put into the frying pan. When the first omelet has stiffened, gently move it over to make room for the next. The number of omelets you can make at once depends on the size of your frying pan. When one side of the omelet has turned golden brown, turn over gently with pancake turner to fry the other side. When done, transfer from frying pan onto paper−lined platter. Keep warm in oven until all the omelets can be served together. Serve with or without gravy.

Gravy:
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon MSG (optional)
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper Pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a saucepan. Bring to a boil slowly with frequent stirring. When gravy has thickened, turn heat to very low to keep it warm until ready to use.

Shrimp with Snow Peas

 2/3 lb. tiger prawns

Marinade for shrimp:
1 1/2 tsp. sherry
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. water

Seasoning:
1 Tb. chicken broth
3 Tb. water
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
3 Tb. oyster sauce (very important)
1 Tb. hoisin sauce

also needed:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. snow peas

Shell and devein prawns. Rinse and pat dry with a paper towel. Combine marinade in medium bowl. Add prawns and mix well. Let stand 30 mins. Heat wok over medium heat, add oil, and stir fry garlic for 15 secs. Add prawns and stir fry until pink. Remove from wok, and place on plate. Add salt and snow peas to oil in wok. Stir fry 30 secs. Add seasoning sauce and stir slightly until think and bubbly. Add cooked prawns. Stir to coat everything with sauce. Serve hot with cooked rice.

Egg Rolls

1 lb. chinese cabbage (Napa)
2 stalks celery
1/2 lb. cooked shrimp
1/2 lb. cooked pork or chicken livers
10 water chestnuts
1/3 cup bamboo shoots
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
Liberal dash pepper
1/2 tsp. light soy sauce
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
1 beaten egg
10 egg roll skins
3 cups oil

PREPARATION: Boil cabbage and celery until very tender. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Shred very fine and set aside to  drain further. Parboil shrimp and fry or bake pork. Mince both. Shred water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Mix all ingredients but egg together. Beat egg. Wrap filling in egg roll skins and seal with egg.

COOKING: Heat oil in wok or deep fat fryer to 375 degrees and drop in egg rolls. When skin turns light golden brown, remove from oil and drain. (At this point restaurants refrigerate them and finish the cooking process as needed.) When cool, drop again into hot oil and fry until golden brown.

 Makes 10.

The two−stage deep frying method is actually a professional Chinese chefs' secret. It assures that the inside will be moist and not overcooked (as anything overcooked becomes dry) and the outside will be crisp.

Hoisin Beef & Scallion Rolls

1 whole flank steak
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup ginger −−chopped, fresh
dash black pepper
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1 bunch scallions

In a shallow dish, mix together the soy sauce, oil, garlic, ginger, and some pepper. Add the beef and marinate overnight in the refrigerator, turning once. Heat the broiler. Pat the marinated meat dry and broil the steak, about 4 inches from the heat, until rare, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Cool completely and then slice very think on the bias, across the grain of the meat. Trim the slices to form approximately 2 x 4 inch strips. Brush a thin layer of hoisin sauce on each strip of beef. Lay a small bundle of scallion julienne at one end and roll up securely. Arrange on trays, seam side down, cover tightly with plastic wrap (make sure the plastic is in close contact with the beef),  and refrigerate until time to serve.

Kung Pao Chicken

2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken

Sauce:
1/4 cup Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
8 small dried red chilies
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1−inch squares
1 can (8 oz.) sliced bamboo shoots, drained
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1/3 cup roasted peanuts

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl. Cut chicken into 1−inch pieces. Place chicken in marinade and stir to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes.

 Combine sauce ingredients in a bowl.

 Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons oil, swirling to coat sides. Add chilies and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add chicken and stir−fry for 2 minutes. Remove chicken and chilies from wok.

 Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil to wok, swirling to coat sides. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add celery, bell pepper, and bamboo shoots; stir−fry for 1 1/2 minutes.

 Return chicken and chilies to wok; stir−fry for 1 minute. Add sauce and bring to a boil. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. Add peanuts and stir to coat.

Lo Mein

4 cups cooked Chinese noodles (or very thin spaghetti) rinsed and drained
12 oz. diced cooked meat (beef, chicken, pork ... any)
1 package frozen French−style green beans, thawed
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
3 scallions, chopped
1 slice ginger, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teas. MSG (Accent)
1 teas. sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 teas. sesame oil
2 Tbls. sherry

Mix together MSG, sugar, and soy sauce. Set aside. Heat wok or pan hot and dry. Add just 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil and all the sesame oil. Put in ginger and garlic to brown first, then all the other vegetables. Stir and cook for one minute over high heat. Add the sherry. Cover and cook one minute longer. Turn off heat. Remove vegetables, and drain; discard these juices. Set drained vegetables aside. Heat wok or pan dry again. Put in remainder of oil. Turn heat to medium. Add cooked noodles and stir constantly to heat through and to coat the noodles with oil for a couple minutes. Add your choice of meat and reserved vegetables; mix thoroughly. Add reserved soy sauce mixture and stir until noodles become one even color. Serve.

Fried Won Tons

1 lb. Won ton skins
1/2 lb. Fresh ground pork
1/2 lb. Fresh prawns
4 Dried mushrooms, soaked for 2 hours
8 Water chestnuts, finely chopped
2 Stalks green onions, finely chopped
2 small Eggs, beaten
1/4 ts Pepper
1 1/2 ts Salt

 Yield: About 60 to 70.

Shell and devein prawns. Mince fine. Stem mushrooms and mince caps. Mix with prawns, pork, water chestnuts, green onions, half of the beaten eggs and all of the seasonings.

 WRAPPING:

 Place won ton squares on working surface so corners face up, down, left and right. Place 1 teaspoon filling in the center of each skin.

Dip a little of the beaten egg onto the bottom corner, bring top corner to meet bottom corner. Press to seal. Moisten left corner and bring right corner to meet it. Press to seal. This should give you a little bundle that looks kind of like a nurses hat.

 FRYING:

 Heat 4 cups oil in wok. Fry wrapped won ton until golden (about 2 minutes). Turn over once. Drain and serve hot.

Empress Chicken Wings

1 1/2 pounds Chicken Wings
3 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Dry Sherry
1 tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger Root
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1/3 cup Cornstarch
2/3 cup Water
2 Green Onions And Tops, Cut Into Thin Slices
1 teaspoon Slivered Fresh Ginger Root

Disjoint the chicken wings; discard tips (or save for stock). Combine soy sauce, sherry, minced ginger and garlic in a large bowl; stir in chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken; reserve marinade. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat chicken pieces with cornstarch; add to skillet and brown slowly on all sides. Remove chicken; drain off fat. Stir water and reserved marinade into same skillet. Add chicken; sprinkle green onions and slivered ginger evenly over chicken. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until chicken is tender.

Mandarin Pancakes

2 cups flour
3/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Place flour in a bowl. Add boiling water, stirring with chopsticks or a fork until dough is evenly moistened. On a lightly floured board, knead dough until smooth and satiny, about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured board, roll dough into a cylinder; cut into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten slightly into a pancake. Brush top of each pancake with a light coating of sesame oil.

Place 1 pancake on top of a second pancake, oiled sides together. With a rolling pin, roll to make a circle 6 inches in diameter. Stack and roll remaining pairs of pancakes the same way. Cover with a damp cloth to prevent drying.

Cooking:

Place a nonstick frying pan over lm heat until hot. Add 1 pair of pancakes and cook, turning once, until lightly browned and bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and separate into 2 pancakes while still hot. Stack cooked pancakes on a plate while cooking remaining pairs of pancakes.

Serve pancakes hot. If making ahead, reheat pancakes in a microwave oven or wrap in a clean dish towel and steam in a bamboo steamer for  5 minutes.

Sesame Chicken

1 pound boneless chicken (or pork or steak)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces small mushrooms, quartered
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
4 scallions, chopped diagonally
boiled rice, to serve

Marinade:
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
few drops of Tabasco sauce
1−inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, crushed

Trim the meat and cut into thin strips about 1/2 x 2 inch.

Make the marinade. In a bowl, blend the cornstarch with the rice wine or dry sherry, then stir in the lemon juice, soy sauce, Tabasco sauce, ginger and garlic. Stir in the strips, cover and leave in a cool place for 3−4 hours.

Place the sesame seeds in a wok or large frying pan and dry−fry over moderate heat, shaking the pan, until the seeds are golden. Set aside.

Heat the sesame and vegetable oils in the wok or frying pan. Drain the meat, reserving the marinade, and stir− fry a few pieces at a time until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Add the mushrooms and green pepper and stir−fry for 2−3 minutes. Add the scallions and 1 minute more.

Return the meat to the wok or frying pan, together with the reserved marinade, and stir over a moderate heat for a further 2 minutes, or until the ingredients are evenly coated with glaze. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and serve immediately with boiled rice.

Orange Beef

1/2 Lb. Top round steak
2 Tb Sherry
2 Tb Cornstarch
2 Egg whites
6 Tb Peanut oil

SAUCE:
1 1/2 cups Beef stock
2 Tb Light soy sauce
1 Ts Sugar
1 1/2 Tb Cornstarch
1 Ts Red wine vinegar

5 Dried red chile peppers, broken into pieces
8 Thin slices of orange rind (orange part only) or more
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Whisk together the sherry, cornstarch, and egg whites until the mixture is foamy. Add the beef and toss to coat the pieces well. Set aside. Cut meat into 2x2−inch pieces. Heat 4 tbs. Peanut oil in wok. Fry quickly, just until crispy and browned, remove to wok rack to drain. Add remaining 2 tbs. Peanut oil to wok. Add orange rind and red peppers to hot oil in wok. Stir−fry until orange rind begins to darken and aroma from oil becomes pleasant. Add remaining ingredients and stir until bubbly (add more beef stock if too thick). Add fried beef and toss to coat with sauce. Serve at once with steamed white rice.

Pork with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce

1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon MSG (optional)
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cups sliced lean pork (about 1 pound)
1 bunch (about 2 pounds) fresh brocolli, sliced
2 slices ginger, shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water

Mix together first five ingredients and set aside.

 Heat wok or pan until hot and dry. Add the oil, then the salt. Turn heat to medium. Add the ginger and the garlic and fry until golden brown. Turn heat to high. Add the pork and fry until outside is lightly browned. Add the broccoli and stir−fry for 3 minutes. Add the water, cover, and cook for 4 minutes. Pour in reserved sauce mixture; stir while cooking until gravy thickens. Turn heat down to low, cover, and cook for 2 minutes more. Place in covered serving dish until ready to serve.

Garlic Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb.)
1 egg white
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon dry white wine or sherry
4 green onions
1 teaspoon minced gingerroot
3 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (about 6 medium cloves)
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Hot cooked rice

SAUCE
1 teaspoon crushed chili paste (sambal oelek) or more to taste
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon water
2 Tablespoons dry white wine or sherry
2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Place chicken breasts in freezer for 1 to 2 hours or until very firm but not frozen solid. Slice crosswise into thin shreds. In small bowl, lightly beat egg white, then mix in 1 TBS cornstach and 1 TBS wine, stirring until cornstarch is dissolved. Add chicken and mix well to coat all pieces. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice green onions on the diagonal into very thin slices. Mince gingerroot and garlic. Combine Sauce ingredients, mixing well. Heat wok or frying pan, add oil, and stir−fry chicken until no longer pink. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon. Add onions, ginger and garlic to wok and stir−fry about 30 seconds, until ginger and garlic are fragrant but not brown. Return chicken to wok, restir sauce ingredients and add to wok. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is well combined, hot and bubbly and thickens slightly. Turn off heat and splash with about 1 tsp of dark sesame oil. Serve over rice.

Fortune Cookies

8 oz. All−purpose flour
2 Tbl. Cornstarch
4 oz. Sugar
1/2 teas. Salt
4 oz. Vegetable oil
4 oz. Egg whites
1 Tbl. Water
2 teas. Vanilla extract.

In a deep bowl, mix the following ingredients: 8 oz. Flour, 2 tablespoons corn starch, 4 oz sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt, blend in 4 oz. oil, 4 oz. Egg whites, 1 tablespoon water and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and beat until smooth consistency.

Write your own "Fortune" on a piece of paper 2 1/2" by 1/2". Prepared oven to 300F.

Scoop a tablespoon of cookie batter and spread evenly into a 4" circle on a well greased baking sheet.

Bake cookie for about 14 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove one cookie at a time from the oven.

You have about 15 seconds working time before the cookie hardens. Place the "Fortune" in the middle of the cookie.

Shape the cookie by folding it in half and grasp both ends. Place the finished cookie in a muffin pan with the ends down to hold its unique shape.

Cantonese Roast Duck

1 duck, about 5 pounds, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon salt
1 scallion
3 slices fresh ginger

Glaze:
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Few sprigs fresh cilantro, for garnish

Thaw the duck, if frozen. Remove any excess fat, and rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Rub the entire surface of the duck, inside and out, with the salt. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, or, overnight.

Put the scallion in the cavity and lay the slices of ginger on top of the duck. Add at least 2 inches of water to a large flameproof roasting pan with a lid and put the pan on the stove. Place a large rack in the roasting pan and bring the water to a boil. Choose an oval casserole large enough to hold the duck and small enough to fit into the roasting pan. Place the duck in the casserole and then put the casserole on the rack. Cover and steam for 1 hour, checking the water level from time to time and adding more boiling water if necessary. Save the duck broth to use in soups or stir fry dishes. When done, remove the duck from the casserole and place it on a rack to dry.

Combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. With a pastry brush, paint the hot glaze over the surface of the duck. Allow duck to dry for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Roast the duck, breast side down, for 20 minutes. Turn over and continue to roast for 40 more minutes.

Transfer duck to a chopping board and allow to cool slightly. Using a cleaver, disjoint and cut the duck through the bone into bite size pieces. Arrange the pieces on a serving platter, garnish with cilantro and serve.

Bean Sprout Salad

2 tablespoon Sesame seeds
1 pound Fresh bean sprouts thoroughly washed and drained
3 Garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 md Scallions −− trimmed & minced
1 − 1" cube ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil
1/3 cup Soy sauce
2 tablespoon Cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Mirin (sweet rice wine)
2 teaspoon Light brown sugar
1 teaspoon Spicy sesame oil

PREHEAT OVEN TO 300F. Toast the sesame seeds by spreading them over the bottom of a pie tin. Roast for 12−to−16 minutes, stirring often, until they are golden. The seeds can be toasted in advance and stored in an airtight container.

Place the bean sprouts in a large heatproof bowl and set it aside. In a medium−size skillet set over moderately low heat, stir−fry the garlic, scallions and ginger in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are limp. Add all the remaining ingredients, increase the heat to moderate, then boil the mixture, uncovered, for 1 minute to slightly reduce the liquid. Pour the boiling dressing over the bean sprouts, toss well, then cover the bowl and chill the salad for several hours. Toss again before serving.

Almond Biscuits

2 1/2 cups all−purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond essence
blanched almonds for decoration
beaten egg for glazing

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Cream the margarine (or butter) and sugar together until light, white and fluffy. Beat in the egg and almond essence. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients to make a stiff dough.

Form the mixture into balls about 1 − 1.5 inch diameter and place these on a greased baking tray. Place half an almond (split lengthways) on each ball and press to flatten slightly. Brush with beaten egg.

Bake in a moderate oven (350 deg F / 180 deg C) for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack. This quantity makes about 45 biscuits.