up to two weeks.
COOK’S NOTE
Orange marmalade or plum jam can be substituted for plum sauce.
Sweet Chili Soy Sauce
My husband says this sauce is just like me: sweet, spicy, exotic and sometimes salty. Ha! I just love the sweet heat in this sauce, which is filled with piquant flavor and finishes with a fennel-like note from the star anise. Drizzle it over your favorite dumplings or steamed fish.
Makes 1 cup (250 ml)
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
¾ cup (185 ml) soy sauce
4 tablespoons water
½ cup (100 g) plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 star anise pod
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 Combine the soy sauce, water, sugar, star anise and crushed red pepper in a small pan or skillet and mix with a fork or spoon.
2 Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and discard the star anise.
3 Allow the sauce to cool for about an hour. Pour the cooled sauce into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 30 days.
Hoisin Sauce
My mother always taught me that of all the Chinese sauces, hoisin sauce is the boss. Why? Because of its versatility—it’s used as a barbecue glaze, added to stir-fries, served as a dipping sauce and used in marinades. You can easily buy hoisin sauce at grocery stores, but I like to make it from scratch on Sunday afternoons when my kids are at soccer practice. Hoisin sauce is typically made with soybean paste, but I use peanut butter in this recipe for the sake of convenience.
Makes ¼ cup (65 ml)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon Asian hot sauce, like Sriracha chili sauce
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
1 Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until blended.
2 Transfer the sauce to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Hot Chili Oil
When my father used to bring us to visit Uncle Jack Yee at his eponymous Chinese restaurant in Hopkins, Minnesota, they’d sit in a corner reminiscing about China and playing cards. I remember the glistening jars of hot chili oil on the tables; their shimmering golden-red hue always looked like sunset in a jar to me. This seasoning oil is rich, layered, hot and complex. If you like things spicy, then this Sichuan classic will be your new go-to condiment. Have it by your stove to add a little kick to any stir-fry you’re making, or drizzle it over roast chicken. It’s even great on scrambled eggs. Hot chili oil should be used sparingly, as a little goes a long way.
Makes ¼ cup (65 ml)
Preparation time: 10 minutes + 8 to 10 hours resting time
6 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns
One 1-in (2.5-cm) thick slice fresh ginger
2 star anise pods
½ cup (50 g) crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 Place all of the ingredients, except the oils, in a medium glass bowl.
2 In a small saucepan, heat the oils to 375°F (190°C), then pour over the ingredients in the bowl. Let sit for 8 to 10 hours.
3 Strain the oil if you wish. Transfer to a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Chili Paste
This is an earthy, rich paste that adds a spicy aromatic depth to any dish. It’s more concentrated and hotter than chili garlic sauce. Whenever chili paste hit my mom’s wok when we were growing up, its distinct aroma would wend its way up to my bedroom, and I knew we’d be gobbling up one of her amazing spicy dishes before long (she sure knew how to get me to finish my algebra!). You can buy chili paste at Asian markets, but it’s easy-peasy to make, so I encourage you to try this at home.
Makes ½ cup (125 ml)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
1 tablespoon oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
½ cup (125 ml) brown bean paste
1 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 Heat a wok or skillet on medium-low heat. Add all of the ingredients and cook for 10 minutes.
2 Allow the sauce to cool for about an hour. Pour the cooled sauce into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
COOK’S NOTE
You may substitute hoisin sauce for the brown bean sauce, but if you do so, reduce the sugar to 1 teaspoon.
Starters and
Dim Sum
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Dim sum, literally translated, means “to touch the heart,” and it really does touch my heart to share some of my mother’s recipes with you. I always smile when I think about dim sum because, other than its supreme deliciousness, it brings back memories of the time my mother and I went on The Today Show to make dim sum in celebration of Mother’s Day and a Chinese steamed bun got stuck to Al Roker’s face.
In this chapter, I share some of the dim sum we made during that appearance, as well as other classic gems such as Potstickers (page 28) and Crystal Shrimp Dumplings (page 30). I also share some of the yummy appetizers that we served in our catering business, like Firecracker Shrimp (page 43), which my clients called “Crack Shrimp” because they’re so addicting. (My mother
