FoodBanter.com - View Single Post - have you tried caviar, truffles, and such and such?

Miles Bader wrote:
>
> (Vanya) writes:
> >> It's entirely possible to make either pizza or chop suey from good
> >> quality frech ingredients and without chemical additives. (Even MSG.)
> >
> > Chinese food (which chop suey, of course, is not) without MSG is not
> > authentic Chinese. MSG is very common in Taiwan and the PRC. It's not
> > an additive any more than salt is an additive.
>
> Perhaps, but it seems clearly wrong to say "Chinese food without MSG is
> not authentic Chinese".
>
> I've had a number of Chinese Flatmates who were great cooks, and the
> spices they used were largely restricted to Garlic, chili peppers, and
> vast quantities of salt (plus vast quanties of oil).
>
> It was amazing to taste the results they could achieve with just that.
> My attempts to replicate it -- while they were watching! -- inevitably
> resulted in a salty greasy mess.

Greasy probably means the wok wasn't hot enough.
--
Peter T. Daniels