moyashi in Japanese. Heads and tails should be removed before sprouts are used. Canned bean sprouts should be drained before using.
Chinese cabbage: Celery cabbage.
Cucumbers: Oriental cucumbers are only about one-third the size of the American variety when full-grown.
Eggplants: Oriental eggplants are much smaller than the Western variety and are about the size of a large pear.
Flour: Wheat flour is meant unless otherwise specified.
Green peppers: Full-grown Oriental green peppers are ordinarily smaller in size than the American variety.
Ham: Boiled ham, approximately four inches in diameter.
Mushrooms: Dried mushrooms, which have an excellent flavor, are the kind most frequently called for in this book. They should be soaked in lukewarm water for 15 to 20 minutes before they are used. Stems should not be used.
Onions: Round onions or dry yellow onions may be used. In recipes calling for leeks, onions may be substituted in slightly smaller quantities.
Pork: Uncooked pork is meant unless otherwise specified.
Potatoes: Size should be such that three potatoes equal one pound.
Snow peas: Small green peas used shell and all. They should be strung before they are used.
Spinach: Oriental spinach is smaller in size and more tender than the ordinary Occidental variety and consequently requires less time for cooking.
Vermicelli: The two types of vermicelli called for in this book are not the Italian type but are made from green beans and seaweed, respectively. The type made from beans is called fên ssû in Chinese and harusame in Japanese. It is used in either hot or cold dishes. The seaweed type is called yang fên in Chinese and ito ganten in Japanese. It resembles gelatine and is best used in cold dishes. Bean vermicelli should be dipped briefly into boiling water before use, while seaweed vermicelli should be soaked for about 20 minutes in lukewarm water. The shiny type of vermicelli is best. Products made from potatoes are poor in quality and dissolve quickly in hot water. In any case, Oriental vermicelli should not be cooked too long or it will become mushy.
SPICES AND FLAVORINGS. Among the numerous seasonings employed in Chinese cookery, those mentioned below are the most common. They are listed here with general instructions for their use, but in the individual recipes they should be used strictly according to directions in order that the proper flavor will result.
Bean paste (mien chiang in Chinese, miso in Japanese): Thick, syrupy paste made from soy beans and used for added flavor in such dishes as Pancake Rolls.
Black pepper: Used chiefly for flavoring noodle dishes and soups. Also mixed with salt for dipping pieces of fried or roasted fowl. Some recipes call for black pepper-corns and some for ground black pepper. In others, powder made from rolled peppercorns is preferred to ground pepper.
Garlic: Used chiefly for flavoring fish and meats.
Ginger: Fresh ginger is best, but if it is not available, ground ginger may be used. One-eighth teaspoon of ground ginger is equivalent to one tablespoon fresh chopped ginger. For recipes in this book, one slice of ginger is a thin slice about one inch in diameter. To prevent fresh ginger from drying out, bury it in a flower pot filled with moist sand or loose earth. Ginger juice is obtained by grating fresh ginger and squeezing the juice out through a cloth.
Leek (long onion): Use white part only. Cut according to instructions in individual recipes. In this book "stalk" means only four or five inches of the white part.
Monosodium glutamate (wei ching in Chinese, ajinomoto in Japanese): "Accent," "Ajinomoto," and "Gourmet Powder" are popular brands.
Onion: Round onion may be substituted in slightly smaller amounts in recipes calling for leeks.
Red pepper: Cayenne or chili pepper. Prepared ground variety may be used, but it is preferable to make red pepper powder by toasting chili peppers in a skillet and rolling them into a powder on a board.
Red pepper oil: To prepare, heat three tablespoons of sesame oil, fry three or four red peppers in it until they turn dark, remove peppers, and use oil only. Or mix heated sesame oil with ground or rolled red pepper.
Sesame oil: Used chiefly to give added flavor to vegetables.
Sesame seed: Either black or white variety may be used unless recipe specifies which. Toasting adds interesting flavor but must be done carefully, since sesame seeds burn easily.
Soy sauce: This is as important in Chinese cookery as salt is in most other countries. It imparts a special flavor to foods. Since non-Oriental soy sauces are more concentrated and salty, they should be used in smaller amounts than those indicated in recipes in this book.
Star aniseed: The dry, star-shaped seeds add excellent flavor to beef, pork, and duck.
Sugar: Granulated sugar is meant unless otherwise specified. Since sugar used in the Orient is not so sweet as Occidental sugar, measurements called for in this book should be slightly decreased if latter is used.
Tabasco: This goes well with Chinese food and may be used in place of red pepper in certain of the recipes.
Tomato catsup: Use as indicated in recipes.
Vinegar: Since Western-style vinegar is stronger than the Oriental variety, amounts called for in this book should be slightly decreased if former is used.
Wine: If Chinese yellow wine is unavailable, dry white sherry, cognac, or Japanese sake may be substituted.
SPECIAL HELPS AND HINTS. Advance preparation: Preparation of the ingredients for Chinese dishes involves more work than the actual cooking. Much time and energy will be saved if the prepared ingredients are all assembled in one place-preferably on a large platter or plate-before the cooking process is undertaken. Seasonings should be readily accessible. Such advance steps as washing, soaking, cutting, parboiling, and pre-deep-frying should be accomplished first. Once the pan is on the fire, fried foods will require only a few minutes. If advance preparations are made, reheating, deep-frying, or sauteing will take only 15 minutes before serving.
Cutting methods: It is a basic principle of Chinese cooking to cut the ingredients into sizes and shapes convenient for picking up with chopsticks, so that knives and forks need not be used. Meat and vegetables are frequently shredded. A single dish nearly always consists of two or more main ingredients (meat and vegetables or fish and vegetables), and these are always cut to the same size. The following are the chief methods of cutting employed in recipes in this book (see photograph):
Chop: Cut into very small pieces with knife or other implement.
Cube: Cut into cubes approximately one inch in size.
Dice: Cut into small cubes the size of dice.
Flake: Cut or grate into shavings.
Grate:
