What exactly are shortenings?

Shortenings are plant oils that have been hydrogenated to make them more solid and pliable. Soybean oil is the major source of hydrogenated shortening and serves as a common frying oil. In the manufacture of shortenings, the soybean oil is hydrogenated until it reaches a solid consistency and then whipped or pumped with air to improve plasticity and give it a white color. Read more »

It is a fallacy that Chinese cooking needs considerable work ahead of time, even if the cooking process is very quick. Really long preparation is required only for the grand, imperial dishes that few people bother to cook at home anyway. Read more »

The following ingredients are the foundation of common dishes:

• Sauces: Have on hand a bottle each of chili sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, yellow or black bean sauce and some sesame oil.
• Canned Vegetables: Plan to stock a can each of bamboo shoots, black beans, straw mushrooms and some water chestnuts.
• Seasonings: Keep a jar of five-spice powder, garlic (fresh or pureed), green ginger (fresh or pureed) and some sesame seeds.
• Noodles and Rice: Stock packets of egg noodles, rice noodles and rice vermicelli, plus bags of fragrant Thai or basmati rice, and perhaps a bag of glutinous or sticky short-grain rice as well.