Coaching Cooking

It’s a given that I am crazy for Chinese food. After all, it’s built into my cultural upbringing and also probably the first type of ethnic cuisine that I ever ate due to my mom’s excellent training in Chinese cookery. I’m always on the lookout for great Chinese recipes. Many of the dishes that I cook at home are recipes that come from my mom and grandma—so I don’t have written recipes. Instead I have fond memories of cooking in the kitchen with the smell of soy sauce, hoisin and freshly sautéed vegetables. And sometimes there are dishes that I crave and yet I don’t have the recipes!

Enter the Minimalist, Mark Bittman. His cookbooks, including How to Cook Everything, remain popular. Bittman also has a weekly column at The New York Times. I haven’t purchased Bittman’s cookbook yet (it’s on my long list of cookbooks to purchase). So, I was surprised and delighted to find that Mark Bittman has a how-to video on making shrimp and eggs at nytimes.com. I urge you to watch video. It will make your stomach gurgle with anticipation. Really.

This dish is so simple and yet it tastes wonderful. The simple ingredients: shrimp, eggs, green onions, sesame oil and peanut oil give this dish a rich, satisfying edge. I suggest eating this dish with white rice and maybe a sautéed vegetable like broccoli or asparagus for a perfect meal with all elements coming together like a culinary symphony. For me, the success of this dish lies in the quality of the ingredients. Use very fresh shrimp and serve immediately with steamed rice. For an extra treat, use only egg whites (and this is healthier too!) and add some other vegetables like halved straw mushrooms (canned ones are actually great!) or thinly sliced carrots. One dish that I love, a fancy take on Chinese shrimp and egg, called Dragon and Phoenix, uses shrimp, egg whites, sautéed chicken, thin slices of ham, baby corn, straw mushrooms, bamboo shoots, green onions and carrots all placed over a crown of steamed broccoli. Now that is a wonderful dish!

So, enjoy some Chinese cooking instruction by watching the how-to video here.