I like your 1972 recipes, too. While it's splendid of course to be able to cook with original and authentic Chinese ingredients, I like that Tabasco is in your 1972 recipe because it's so relaxing to see already-in-the-pantry/fridge options permitted. I like Tabasco aplenty, and have used it many atime in cooking Chinese food. And being from northern China, I often prefer plain apple vinegar to Chinkiang/Zhenjiang vinegar for my dumplings, because Chinkiang/Zhenjiang vinegar is a southern Chinese vinegar, which I'm not used to using, while apple vinegar tastes surprisingly like the vinegars I remember from a childhood in Shaanxi.
We’re the “Don’t use these recipes “ from your “Mmmmm-A Feastiary” cookbook? I am searching for
my copy, it is such a window into all the things we were starting to explore back in the 70’s, and always with an eye on making the dish economically. Your illustrations were pretty “original” too.
Wasn’t there a giant chicken costume?
It’s great to have had your commentary through the years! Thanks for “La Briffe”!
Yes, there was indeed a giant chicken costume. All the chapters in Mmmmm open with costumes by the incredible performance artist, Pat Oleszko. If only we could have printed them in color!
I lived in Beijing for 8 years so today’s subject was awesome. You’re definitely correct in referring to Fuschia Dunlop. She is the current leader in hyper accurate Chinese cookbooks. She is also a lovely generous person.
Unfortunately the last two scans are unreadable for some reason.
Did you try clicking on the last last 2 images? If you click on them 2 times, you may be able to zoom in and make the image a little bigger and less difficult to read.
That's frustrating. I can see it fine even on my phone. I think I have reached my limit of tech support skills, meager as they are. Maybe try a bigger or higher resolution monitor? I am not a techie, but I am also not a quitter. One way or another, let's get you the info. from this posting. Here's what it says:
"Chinese food, aside from all its other virtues, is healthy: low in fats and carbohydrates, high in protein and vitamins. The quick cooking allows all the vegetables to retain their natural nutrients, rather than giving them to the water in which most American vegetables are boiled. Your system is happier not being overloaded with the burden of digesting great hunks of meat, and your body saves its energy for more important tasks.
If you are interested in eating cheaply over a long period of time, it is probably worth your while to invest in a Chinese cookbook. In the meantime, I offer you here a couple of simple, cheap, and westernized versions that I worked out myself. But first, a note on the how of Chinese "chow" (stir frying). The idea is to use an extremely hot pan and cook everything for a very short time-often less than a minute-so that the foods will retain their natural flavor and texture. In order to do this, all the ingredients are prepared in advance, and lined up next to the pan in the proper order in which they will be used. The pan is first heated over a very high flame, and when it is red hot the ingredients are put in according to their relative speed of cooking. ONce the food in the pot, you never stop stirring.
Chinese Spaghetti
(Lo Mein)
Boil a big pot of water. Meanwhile prepare the ingredients. Slice into thin strips about 1 inch long any kind of leftover meat, 1/4 pound, anything will do. Also slice any cooking vegetables. Cabbage is terrific, a scallion or two would be tasty; a little piece of onion is fine. You don't need much. A good handful will do. If you have some bean sprouts, drain 1/2 cup of them. Set vegetables aside in separate dishes. Mix 2 T soy sauce, 1/4 t sugar, and a little pepper in a dish. Set aside. Find 2T liquid-any cooking liquid, or a some soup or bouillon or even water. Put in a little cup and set aside. Pour out 2t sherry. Smash 1/2 clove garlic. By now the water should be boiling. Add 1/2 pound noodles and cook about 8 minutes. When cooked to taste drain and hold them. Meanwhile over a high flame, heat a wok or heavy iron skillet until red hot. Now add 1T vegetable oil and 1/2 t salt to the pan and let it get hot. Now get ready. Add garlic. In a few seconds, add meat and sherry. Add vegetables and stir for 30 seconds. Next, add liquid and noodles; don't stir, but cover for 1 minute. Stir. Add soy sauce mixture and stir again. Serves 2, fairly meagerly.
...
Here is an absolutely wonderful Chinese dish. Part of its goodness lies in the fact that it takes all of 2 minutes to cook, but most of its greatness is in the taste, which is delicious. If you have been to reluctant cook Chinese food because you get it all in the Chinese restaurants, overcome that with this dish; I've never seen it on the menu in any Chinese restaurant I've been in.
The only time consuming detail is boning and chopping the chicken. If you have more money than time, buy boned chicken breasts (4) and save yourself the trouble. Otherwise bone the chicken and save the bones for soup.
Fried rice is another one of my standbys. It is easy, delicious, filling, and can be made with just about anything you have in the house.
Fried Rice
Whatever meat or fish or poultry you have left-over in the house, shredded. If you don't have any meat, it is fine without it.
2 cups cooked rice, 1 T vegetable oil, salt, 1 egg, 1 diced onion, 1 clove garlic smashed, cabbage, green pepper, carrots, 1 scallion sliced, tomatoes, 3 t sherry mixed with 1/2 cup chicken broth or water, 4t soy sauce mixed with 1/4t sugar and a little pepper.
Heat pan until very hot. Add 1 1 T vegetable oil and a little salt. Heat. Break egg and scramble. Add onions, garlic, and other vegetables except for scallion and tomato. Add meat. Now add sherry and stir for 30 seconds. Add and stir rice. Cover for 45 seconds. Stir. Add soy mixture, scallions and tomatoes and stir again. serves 2/
Chicken with Peanuts
1 chicken boned, 4 T vegetable oil, crushed ginger root, 2 cloves garlic, 3T sherry, 2T Hoisin sauce, 2/3 cup peanuts, 2 onions, chopped, 2 t cornstarch mixed with 2 t water, 1 t molasses, Tabasco to taste, 4 T water
Heat wok until it is red hot. Add the oil, ginger, and garlic. Stir. Add the chicken and sherry, stir. Add the Hoisin sauce, peanuts, and onions. Add the cornstarch mixture and molasses. Mix and stir until the chicken is cooked and all the ingredients are mixed 1 or 2 minutes. At the last minute, season to taste with Tabasco (it is mean to be fairly hot). Serves 2."
I am enjoying this newsletter so, so much. I’m so inspired by your preservation of all of these old menus!
LOVED Mandarette! Thank you for sharing your memories. Truly appreciate these food stories of back in the day in LA. Loved the story on Spago too.
This blog is bringing me so much joy this month! Thank you ruth!!!!
I am really enjoying your memories and menus from the past! I’m also appreciating the resources where we can purchase unusual things that you discuss!
I like your 1972 recipes, too. While it's splendid of course to be able to cook with original and authentic Chinese ingredients, I like that Tabasco is in your 1972 recipe because it's so relaxing to see already-in-the-pantry/fridge options permitted. I like Tabasco aplenty, and have used it many atime in cooking Chinese food. And being from northern China, I often prefer plain apple vinegar to Chinkiang/Zhenjiang vinegar for my dumplings, because Chinkiang/Zhenjiang vinegar is a southern Chinese vinegar, which I'm not used to using, while apple vinegar tastes surprisingly like the vinegars I remember from a childhood in Shaanxi.
Dear Ruth,
We’re the “Don’t use these recipes “ from your “Mmmmm-A Feastiary” cookbook? I am searching for
my copy, it is such a window into all the things we were starting to explore back in the 70’s, and always with an eye on making the dish economically. Your illustrations were pretty “original” too.
Wasn’t there a giant chicken costume?
It’s great to have had your commentary through the years! Thanks for “La Briffe”!
Yes, there was indeed a giant chicken costume. All the chapters in Mmmmm open with costumes by the incredible performance artist, Pat Oleszko. If only we could have printed them in color!
I lived in Beijing for 8 years so today’s subject was awesome. You’re definitely correct in referring to Fuschia Dunlop. She is the current leader in hyper accurate Chinese cookbooks. She is also a lovely generous person.
Unfortunately the last two scans are unreadable for some reason.
Did you try clicking on the last last 2 images? If you click on them 2 times, you may be able to zoom in and make the image a little bigger and less difficult to read.
Brad, you are the best! Thanks so much.
Yes, such a nice guy! BTW, I updated my iOS and although it doesn’t specifically address THAT. I can now see perfectly.
This is a direct link to the image you can zoom in upon by clicking once:
https://cdn.substack.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F64900bd1-043e-4cb8-ad75-6cc46e5b2c0c_1594x948.jpeg
Yep but still I can’t read em
That's frustrating. I can see it fine even on my phone. I think I have reached my limit of tech support skills, meager as they are. Maybe try a bigger or higher resolution monitor? I am not a techie, but I am also not a quitter. One way or another, let's get you the info. from this posting. Here's what it says:
"Chinese food, aside from all its other virtues, is healthy: low in fats and carbohydrates, high in protein and vitamins. The quick cooking allows all the vegetables to retain their natural nutrients, rather than giving them to the water in which most American vegetables are boiled. Your system is happier not being overloaded with the burden of digesting great hunks of meat, and your body saves its energy for more important tasks.
If you are interested in eating cheaply over a long period of time, it is probably worth your while to invest in a Chinese cookbook. In the meantime, I offer you here a couple of simple, cheap, and westernized versions that I worked out myself. But first, a note on the how of Chinese "chow" (stir frying). The idea is to use an extremely hot pan and cook everything for a very short time-often less than a minute-so that the foods will retain their natural flavor and texture. In order to do this, all the ingredients are prepared in advance, and lined up next to the pan in the proper order in which they will be used. The pan is first heated over a very high flame, and when it is red hot the ingredients are put in according to their relative speed of cooking. ONce the food in the pot, you never stop stirring.
Chinese Spaghetti
(Lo Mein)
Boil a big pot of water. Meanwhile prepare the ingredients. Slice into thin strips about 1 inch long any kind of leftover meat, 1/4 pound, anything will do. Also slice any cooking vegetables. Cabbage is terrific, a scallion or two would be tasty; a little piece of onion is fine. You don't need much. A good handful will do. If you have some bean sprouts, drain 1/2 cup of them. Set vegetables aside in separate dishes. Mix 2 T soy sauce, 1/4 t sugar, and a little pepper in a dish. Set aside. Find 2T liquid-any cooking liquid, or a some soup or bouillon or even water. Put in a little cup and set aside. Pour out 2t sherry. Smash 1/2 clove garlic. By now the water should be boiling. Add 1/2 pound noodles and cook about 8 minutes. When cooked to taste drain and hold them. Meanwhile over a high flame, heat a wok or heavy iron skillet until red hot. Now add 1T vegetable oil and 1/2 t salt to the pan and let it get hot. Now get ready. Add garlic. In a few seconds, add meat and sherry. Add vegetables and stir for 30 seconds. Next, add liquid and noodles; don't stir, but cover for 1 minute. Stir. Add soy sauce mixture and stir again. Serves 2, fairly meagerly.
...
Here is an absolutely wonderful Chinese dish. Part of its goodness lies in the fact that it takes all of 2 minutes to cook, but most of its greatness is in the taste, which is delicious. If you have been to reluctant cook Chinese food because you get it all in the Chinese restaurants, overcome that with this dish; I've never seen it on the menu in any Chinese restaurant I've been in.
The only time consuming detail is boning and chopping the chicken. If you have more money than time, buy boned chicken breasts (4) and save yourself the trouble. Otherwise bone the chicken and save the bones for soup.
Fried rice is another one of my standbys. It is easy, delicious, filling, and can be made with just about anything you have in the house.
Fried Rice
Whatever meat or fish or poultry you have left-over in the house, shredded. If you don't have any meat, it is fine without it.
2 cups cooked rice, 1 T vegetable oil, salt, 1 egg, 1 diced onion, 1 clove garlic smashed, cabbage, green pepper, carrots, 1 scallion sliced, tomatoes, 3 t sherry mixed with 1/2 cup chicken broth or water, 4t soy sauce mixed with 1/4t sugar and a little pepper.
Heat pan until very hot. Add 1 1 T vegetable oil and a little salt. Heat. Break egg and scramble. Add onions, garlic, and other vegetables except for scallion and tomato. Add meat. Now add sherry and stir for 30 seconds. Add and stir rice. Cover for 45 seconds. Stir. Add soy mixture, scallions and tomatoes and stir again. serves 2/
Chicken with Peanuts
1 chicken boned, 4 T vegetable oil, crushed ginger root, 2 cloves garlic, 3T sherry, 2T Hoisin sauce, 2/3 cup peanuts, 2 onions, chopped, 2 t cornstarch mixed with 2 t water, 1 t molasses, Tabasco to taste, 4 T water
Heat wok until it is red hot. Add the oil, ginger, and garlic. Stir. Add the chicken and sherry, stir. Add the Hoisin sauce, peanuts, and onions. Add the cornstarch mixture and molasses. Mix and stir until the chicken is cooked and all the ingredients are mixed 1 or 2 minutes. At the last minute, season to taste with Tabasco (it is mean to be fairly hot). Serves 2."
How kind!