The red-cooking sauce I posted the other day uses readily available
ingredients. If you can find hoisin sauce and chili bean paste, try
this one, too.

This one is both sweeter and spicier than the sauce I posted the other
day. Especially good with chicken wings, it's from Ken Hom.

1.5 to 2 lbs. chicken wings
1 TB chopped fresh ginger
1 TB chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix together:
2 TB dark soy sauce
1 TB rice wine or dry sherry
3 TB hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons chili bean paste
2/3 cup water

Heat a wok or heavy skillet on high heat. When hot, add 1 TB peanut
oil, the garlic, ginger and salt, stir for about 10 seconds, then add
the liquid mixture and bring it to the boil. Put it the wings, reduce
the heat to a bare simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until
the chicken is done. Serve hot or at room temp. -aem

"aem" > wrote

> The red-cooking sauce I posted the other day uses readily available
> ingredients. If you can find hoisin sauce and chili bean paste, try
> this one, too.

Hey, thanks. I know even my local stores have the hoisin
sauce, but I will be right near the oriental market when I go to the
library in a couple of days, so I will be able to get the chili bean
paste.

You know what will be the toughest ingredient? The peanut oil.
Obviously I'll substitute if I can't find it. I don't know what the
problem is. I think Costco has it in a huge container, I don't want
that.

Thanks again for the recipe. This is something I haven't tried before.
If this isn't the dumbest question: is this red-cooking sauce similar to
what they use to make chinese spare ribs?

nancy

Nancy Young wrote:
>
> "aem" > wrote
>
>> The red-cooking sauce I posted the other day uses readily available
>> ingredients. If you can find hoisin sauce and chili bean paste, try
>> this one, too.
>
> Hey, thanks. I know even my local stores have the hoisin
> sauce, but I will be right near the oriental market when I go to the
> library in a couple of days, so I will be able to get the chili bean paste.
> You know what will be the toughest ingredient? The peanut oil.
> Obviously I'll substitute if I can't find it. I don't know what the
> problem is. I think Costco has it in a huge container, I don't want
> that.
>
> Thanks again for the recipe. This is something I haven't tried before.
> If this isn't the dumbest question: is this red-cooking sauce similar to
> what they use to make chinese spare ribs?
>
> nancy

Not aem, Red dye is added to make the ribs and similar dishes. The red
comes from yeast that grows on rice. If you ever saw funky rice in that
lost container in the back of the ridge the bright red spots are made by
Monascus purpureus. They inoculate rice with it and process it to
obtain the red food coloring. For another piece of trivia it is also the
source of a natural statin and where statins were discovered.

"George" > wrote

> Nancy Young wrote:

>> Thanks again for the recipe. This is something I haven't tried before.
>> If this isn't the dumbest question: is this red-cooking sauce similar to
>> what they use to make chinese spare ribs?

> Not aem, Red dye is added to make the ribs and similar dishes. The red
> comes from yeast that grows on rice. If you ever saw funky rice in that
> lost container in the back of the ridge the bright red spots are made by
> Monascus purpureus. They inoculate rice with it and process it to obtain
> the red food coloring. For another piece of trivia it is also the source
> of a natural statin and where statins were discovered.

No kidding. That shade of red, I always wondered what it was.
Very interesting. Thanks.

nancy

On Jun 30, 2:22*pm, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> [snips]
> Thanks again for the recipe. *This is something I haven't tried before.
> If this isn't the dumbest question: is this red-cooking sauce similar to
> what they use to make chinese spare ribs?
>
Similar ingredients maybe, but the red-cooking, or "loo", is stewing,
while the spare ribs and roast pork (cha siu, sometimes called
barbecued pork) are roasted. The typical roast pork recipe calls for
a long marinade with soys, rice wine, sugar, hoisin, garlic, and often
ketchup. The star anise I like so much in the stews is absent. The
cha siu sold in Chinese delis/markets is usually redder from the
addition of food coloring to the marinade, with a glossier finish from
basting with honey. -aem

Nancy Young > wrote:

>"George" > wrote

>> Not aem, Red dye is added to make the ribs and similar dishes. The red
>> comes from yeast that grows on rice. If you ever saw funky rice in that
>> lost container in the back of the ridge the bright red spots are made by
>> Monascus purpureus. They inoculate rice with it and process it to obtain
>> the red food coloring. For another piece of trivia it is also the source
>> of a natural statin and where statins were discovered.

>No kidding. That shade of red, I always wondered what it was.
>Very interesting. Thanks.

Another possibility is carmine, a red substance made from
beetles. This is popular in Chicken Tikka.

Carmine has also long been used in Campari in many markets, but
recently I've noticed Campari sold here in the U.S. is not nearly the
bright red it once was, so I'm wondering if they have gotten
rid of the carmine.

Steve

On Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:02:11 -0700 (PDT), aem >
wrote:

>The red-cooking sauce I posted the other day uses readily available
>ingredients. If you can find hoisin sauce and chili bean paste, try
>this one, too.

I really like the looks of this one... and I have the ingredients or
can find them. This is chili *bean* paste, not chili paste?


>
>This one is both sweeter and spicier than the sauce I posted the other
>day. Especially good with chicken wings, it's from Ken Hom.
>
> 1.5 to 2 lbs. chicken wings
> 1 TB chopped fresh ginger
> 1 TB chopped garlic
> 1/2 teaspoon salt
>
>Mix together:
> 2 TB dark soy sauce
> 1 TB rice wine or dry sherry
> 3 TB hoisin sauce
> 2 teaspoons sugar
> 2 teaspoons chili bean paste
> 2/3 cup water
>
>Heat a wok or heavy skillet on high heat. When hot, add 1 TB peanut
>oil, the garlic, ginger and salt, stir for about 10 seconds, then add
>the liquid mixture and bring it to the boil. Put it the wings, reduce
>the heat to a bare simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until
>the chicken is done. Serve hot or at room temp. -aem



--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Jun 30, 2:02�pm, aem > wrote:

> The red-cooking sauce I posted the other day uses
> readily available ingredients. �If you can find hoisin sauce
> and chili bean paste, try this one, too.

Thanks for this. I'll give it a try this weekend.

On Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:02:11 -0700 (PDT), aem >
wrote:

>The red-cooking sauce I posted the other day uses readily available
>ingredients. If you can find hoisin sauce and chili bean paste, try
>this one, too.
>
>This one is both sweeter and spicier than the sauce I posted the other
>day. Especially good with chicken wings, it's from Ken Hom.
>
<recipe snipped>

looks interesting, aem. thanks.

your pal,
blake
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

aem wrote:
> The red-cooking sauce I posted the other day uses readily available
> ingredients. If you can find hoisin sauce and chili bean paste, try
> this one, too.
>
> This one is both sweeter and spicier than the sauce I posted the other
> day. Especially good with chicken wings, it's from Ken Hom.
>
> 1.5 to 2 lbs. chicken wings
> 1 TB chopped fresh ginger
> 1 TB chopped garlic
> 1/2 teaspoon salt
>
> Mix together:
> 2 TB dark soy sauce
> 1 TB rice wine or dry sherry
> 3 TB hoisin sauce
> 2 teaspoons sugar
> 2 teaspoons chili bean paste
> 2/3 cup water
>
> Heat a wok or heavy skillet on high heat. When hot, add 1 TB peanut
> oil, the garlic, ginger and salt, stir for about 10 seconds, then add
> the liquid mixture and bring it to the boil. Put it the wings, reduce
> the heat to a bare simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until
> the chicken is done. Serve hot or at room temp.

I have a question about two of the ingredients. I started to
gather what I need this morning at the asian market.

Rice wine was labeled rice cooking wine. Now, I'd never use
cooking wine when a recipe calls for wine. Is it different for
rice wine?

Then I looked for chili bean paste. This is what I bought:
Hot Broad Bean Paste ... ingredients, chili, bean, salt, vinegar,
sesame oil. Did I buy the wrong thing?

Thanks.

nancy

Nancy Young wrote:
> aem wrote:
>> The red-cooking sauce I posted the other day uses readily available
>> ingredients. If you can find hoisin sauce and chili bean paste, try
>> this one, too.
>>
>> This one is both sweeter and spicier than the sauce I posted the other
>> day. Especially good with chicken wings, it's from Ken Hom.
>>
>> 1.5 to 2 lbs. chicken wings
>> 1 TB chopped fresh ginger
>> 1 TB chopped garlic
>> 1/2 teaspoon salt
>>
>> Mix together:
>> 2 TB dark soy sauce
>> 1 TB rice wine or dry sherry
>> 3 TB hoisin sauce
>> 2 teaspoons sugar
>> 2 teaspoons chili bean paste
>> 2/3 cup water
>>
>> Heat a wok or heavy skillet on high heat. When hot, add 1 TB peanut
>> oil, the garlic, ginger and salt, stir for about 10 seconds, then add
>> the liquid mixture and bring it to the boil. Put it the wings, reduce
>> the heat to a bare simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until
>> the chicken is done. Serve hot or at room temp.
>
> I have a question about two of the ingredients. I started to gather
> what I need this morning at the asian market.
> Rice wine was labeled rice cooking wine. Now, I'd never use
> cooking wine when a recipe calls for wine. Is it different for
> rice wine?
> Then I looked for chili bean paste. This is what I bought:
> Hot Broad Bean Paste ... ingredients, chili, bean, salt, vinegar,
> sesame oil. Did I buy the wrong thing?
>
> Thanks.
>
> nancy

You bought the right rice wine. They likely had a number of brands and
the difference is the taste.

Chili bean paste is fermented beans (usually broad beans) + red chili
peppers + salt. It should have a fermented tang plus heat. The stuff you
bought sounds close with the exception of the sesame oil which likely
won't matter in that recipe.

George wrote:
> Nancy Young wrote:

>> Rice wine was labeled rice cooking wine. Now, I'd never use
>> cooking wine when a recipe calls for wine. Is it different for
>> rice wine?
>> Then I looked for chili bean paste. This is what I bought:
>> Hot Broad Bean Paste ... ingredients, chili, bean, salt, vinegar,
>> sesame oil. Did I buy the wrong thing?

> You bought the right rice wine. They likely had a number of brands and
> the difference is the taste.
>
> Chili bean paste is fermented beans (usually broad beans) + red chili
> peppers + salt. It should have a fermented tang plus heat. The stuff
> you bought sounds close with the exception of the sesame oil which
> likely won't matter in that recipe.

Thanks! Of course, they have a large array of products, I was
hoping I would see signs like Chile Bean Paste. Not that lucky.
Appreciate the advice.

nancy

On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:53:34 -0400, George >
wrote:

>You bought the right rice wine. They likely had a number of brands and
>the difference is the taste.
>
>Chili bean paste is fermented beans (usually broad beans) + red chili
>peppers + salt. It should have a fermented tang plus heat. The stuff you
>bought sounds close with the exception of the sesame oil which likely
>won't matter in that recipe.

Is there a difference between bean sauce and paste?


I've got a jar called "black bean garlic sauce" that has all that in
it minus the sesame, and has garlic added to the list. Plus msg and a
few other things to weird to list.

TIA

Lou

On Jul 9, 2:54*pm, "Nancy Young" > wrote:
>
> I have a question about two of the ingredients. *I started to
> gather what I need this morning at the asian market.
>
> Rice wine was labeled rice cooking wine. *Now, I'd never use
> cooking wine when a recipe calls for wine. *Is it different for
> rice wine? *

Yes, sometimes it says cooking wine, sometimes not. As long as it's
rice wine it's okay, especially if it says Shao Xing rice wine.
Western cooking wine is something like sherry with salt added, which
is yucky. I don't believe that Shao Xing has salt added even it it
says "cooking" on the label.
>
> Then I looked for chili bean paste. *This is what I bought:
> Hot Broad Bean Paste ... ingredients, chili, bean, salt, vinegar,
> sesame oil. *Did I buy the wrong thing?

You bought the right thing. It can be used with a variety of things.
For example, do you ever boil green beans and then finish them off by
sauteeing them in butter with garlic? Instead, finish them with a
tablespoon or two of bean paste with a tiny bit of oil. Exotic and
yummy.

The wrong thing, for the red sauce recipe, would have been what they
label chile garlic sauce, or garlic chile sauce, aka sriracha. That
doesn't have the bean component. Personally, and disloyally, I think
Thai versions are better.

Also wrong for this recipe would have been the black bean garlic sauce
that LouDecruss mentions. That's a whole different animal that uses
fermented black beans. Good for spareribs, among other things. I
prefer to buy the fermented/preserved beans dry and chop them with
fresh garlic. Once you do that a few ways the premixed sauce doesn't
compare well. -aem

On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 17:09:10 -0700 (PDT), aem >
wrote:


>Also wrong for this recipe would have been the black bean garlic sauce
>that LouDecruss mentions. That's a whole different animal that uses
>fermented black beans. Good for spareribs, among other things. I
>prefer to buy the fermented/preserved beans dry and chop them with
>fresh garlic. Once you do that a few ways the premixed sauce doesn't
>compare well. -aem

Thanks for clarifying.

Lou

On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 17:54:01 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
wrote:

>aem wrote:
>> The red-cooking sauce I posted the other day uses readily available
>> ingredients. If you can find hoisin sauce and chili bean paste, try
>> this one, too.
>>
>> This one is both sweeter and spicier than the sauce I posted the other
>> day. Especially good with chicken wings, it's from Ken Hom.
>>
>> 1.5 to 2 lbs. chicken wings
>> 1 TB chopped fresh ginger
>> 1 TB chopped garlic
>> 1/2 teaspoon salt
>>
>> Mix together:
>> 2 TB dark soy sauce
>> 1 TB rice wine or dry sherry
>> 3 TB hoisin sauce
>> 2 teaspoons sugar
>> 2 teaspoons chili bean paste
>> 2/3 cup water
>>
>> Heat a wok or heavy skillet on high heat. When hot, add 1 TB peanut
>> oil, the garlic, ginger and salt, stir for about 10 seconds, then add
>> the liquid mixture and bring it to the boil. Put it the wings, reduce
>> the heat to a bare simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until
>> the chicken is done. Serve hot or at room temp.
>
>I have a question about two of the ingredients. I started to
>gather what I need this morning at the asian market.
>
>Rice wine was labeled rice cooking wine. Now, I'd never use
>cooking wine when a recipe calls for wine. Is it different for
>rice wine?
>

it's difficult to find chinese wine without the added salt, which
means they can avoid paying an alcohol beverage tax. typically, it's
1.5 percent added salt. it's not quite the same as the vile salted
'cooking wine' found on american grocery shelves. if the idea bothers
you, use a dry sherry.

>Then I looked for chili bean paste. This is what I bought:
>Hot Broad Bean Paste ... ingredients, chili, bean, salt, vinegar,
>sesame oil. Did I buy the wrong thing?
>

probably not. straight chili paste would be quite hotter, but at two
teaspoons even that wouldn't be overwhelming, i don't think.

your pal,
blake
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

blake murphy wrote:
> On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 17:54:01 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
> wrote:

>> Rice wine was labeled rice cooking wine. Now, I'd never use
>> cooking wine when a recipe calls for wine. Is it different for
>> rice wine?

> it's difficult to find chinese wine without the added salt, which
> means they can avoid paying an alcohol beverage tax.

Ah, I thought the salt was added so they could sell it in
grocery stores. You can't buy alcoholic beverages there,
where I live. You go to the liquor store. So I wondered if
there would be rice wine in the liquor store that I should be
looking for.

I see I missed a couple of replies. Thanks, everyone, I
appreciate the responses. Now, once the weather becomes
more agreeable to simmering anything, I will be ready.

nancy

"Nancy Young" > wrote in newsv-
:

> blake murphy wrote:
>> On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 17:54:01 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
>> wrote:
>
>>> Rice wine was labeled rice cooking wine. Now, I'd never use
>>> cooking wine when a recipe calls for wine. Is it different for
>>> rice wine?
>
>> it's difficult to find chinese wine without the added salt, which
>> means they can avoid paying an alcohol beverage tax.
>
> Ah, I thought the salt was added so they could sell it in
> grocery stores. You can't buy alcoholic beverages there,
> where I live. You go to the liquor store. So I wondered if
> there would be rice wine in the liquor store that I should be
> looking for.
>
> I see I missed a couple of replies. Thanks, everyone, I
> appreciate the responses. Now, once the weather becomes
> more agreeable to simmering anything, I will be ready.
>
> nancy
>

I have never made the sauce or even tasted it, but I'd do the liquor
store rice wine and add salt if the sauce tasted wrong. You'd probably
get a better quality rice wine. I usually use sherry instead as it lasts
damn near forever and a drinkable cheap sherry tastes good in soups and
sauces. Maybe $15 bucks for a half gallon which will last you years. Even
if you do the ginger stored in sherry thingie.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:36:57 -0500, Lou Decruss >
wrote:

>On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:53:34 -0400, George >
>wrote:
>
>>You bought the right rice wine. They likely had a number of brands and
>>the difference is the taste.
>>
>>Chili bean paste is fermented beans (usually broad beans) + red chili
>>peppers + salt. It should have a fermented tang plus heat. The stuff you
>>bought sounds close with the exception of the sesame oil which likely
>>won't matter in that recipe.
>
>Is there a difference between bean sauce and paste?
>
>
>I've got a jar called "black bean garlic sauce" that has all that in
>it minus the sesame, and has garlic added to the list. Plus msg and a
>few other things to weird to list.
>
>TIA
>
>Lou

i've not used 'bean sauce,' so labeled, very much, but the pastes (hot
bean or sweet been) are pretty thick, and are sometimes mixed with the
wine and soy before adding to the cooked meat and vegetables and
sometimes thrown in by itself at the last minute before serving. the
pastes are usually used in one or two tablespoon amounts for a
stir-fry. i really haven't seen them too much in a red-cooking
recipe, but the main thing there is the technique rather than the
exact sauce, which is usually mainly soy, wine, a little sugar, water
and sometimes star anise or a few ginger slices.

in some chinese families or restaurants (where there would be frequent
re-use), the cooking liquid is saved from batch to batch with spices
replenished as necessary as a 'master sauce,' which i think was
discussed here not too long ago.

has sqwertz weighed in yet? he usually has the dope on this kind of
thing.

(there is a good book on the subject of asian ingredients by bruce
cost, oddly enough called 'asian ingredients' that's worth a look if
you're interested in the subject. it also has some brand-name
recommendations which can be comforting when you go to asian markets.
there are a few recipes also.)

your pal,
blake

** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:22:28 -0400, blake murphy
> wrote:

>On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:36:57 -0500, Lou Decruss >
>wrote:
>
>>On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:53:34 -0400, George >
>>wrote:
>>
>>>You bought the right rice wine. They likely had a number of brands and
>>>the difference is the taste.
>>>
>>>Chili bean paste is fermented beans (usually broad beans) + red chili
>>>peppers + salt. It should have a fermented tang plus heat. The stuff you
>>>bought sounds close with the exception of the sesame oil which likely
>>>won't matter in that recipe.
>>
>>Is there a difference between bean sauce and paste?
>>
>>
>>I've got a jar called "black bean garlic sauce" that has all that in
>>it minus the sesame, and has garlic added to the list. Plus msg and a
>>few other things to weird to list.
>>
>>TIA
>>
>>Lou
>
>i've not used 'bean sauce,' so labeled, very much, but the pastes (hot
>bean or sweet been) are pretty thick, and are sometimes mixed with the
>wine and soy before adding to the cooked meat and vegetables and
>sometimes thrown in by itself at the last minute before serving. the
>pastes are usually used in one or two tablespoon amounts for a
>stir-fry. i really haven't seen them too much in a red-cooking
>recipe, but the main thing there is the technique rather than the
>exact sauce, which is usually mainly soy, wine, a little sugar, water
>and sometimes star anise or a few ginger slices.
>
>in some chinese families or restaurants (where there would be frequent
>re-use), the cooking liquid is saved from batch to batch with spices
>replenished as necessary as a 'master sauce,' which i think was
>discussed here not too long ago.

I remember it, but most of it didn't sink in.

>has sqwertz weighed in yet? he usually has the dope on this kind of
>thing.

I think he said somewhere he had a new assignment and couldn't post
much.

>(there is a good book on the subject of asian ingredients by bruce
>cost, oddly enough called 'asian ingredients' that's worth a look if
>you're interested in the subject. it also has some brand-name
>recommendations which can be comforting when you go to asian markets.
>there are a few recipes also.)

Thanks. I've been making some pretty damn good stuff, but I've got a
lot to learn. Time to dig out the books I haven't read yet.

Lou

Lou Decruss wrote:
> On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:53:34 -0400, George >
> wrote:
>
>> You bought the right rice wine. They likely had a number of brands and
>> the difference is the taste.
>>
>> Chili bean paste is fermented beans (usually broad beans) + red chili
>> peppers + salt. It should have a fermented tang plus heat. The stuff you
>> bought sounds close with the exception of the sesame oil which likely
>> won't matter in that recipe.
>
> Is there a difference between bean sauce and paste?


The paste is much thicker almost similar to peanut butter consistency.

>
>
> I've got a jar called "black bean garlic sauce" that has all that in
> it minus the sesame, and has garlic added to the list. Plus msg and a
> few other things to weird to list.
>
> TIA
>
> Lou
>
>
>

On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:29:51 -0400, George >
wrote:

>Lou Decruss wrote:
>> On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:53:34 -0400, George >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> You bought the right rice wine. They likely had a number of brands and
>>> the difference is the taste.
>>>
>>> Chili bean paste is fermented beans (usually broad beans) + red chili
>>> peppers + salt. It should have a fermented tang plus heat. The stuff you
>>> bought sounds close with the exception of the sesame oil which likely
>>> won't matter in that recipe.
>>
>> Is there a difference between bean sauce and paste?
>
>
>The paste is much thicker almost similar to peanut butter consistency.

I'm learning this. Thank you. I just buy this stuff and try it not
really knowing what I'm doing and try to learn (hopefully). I just
found another bottle of the sauce (minus the garlic) in the back of
the cabinet. I'll look for the paste and try to learn how to use it.

Thanks for the reply,

Lou

On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:07:07 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
wrote:

>blake murphy wrote:
>> On Wed, 9 Jul 2008 17:54:01 -0400, "Nancy Young" >
>> wrote:
>
>>> Rice wine was labeled rice cooking wine. Now, I'd never use
>>> cooking wine when a recipe calls for wine. Is it different for
>>> rice wine?
>
>> it's difficult to find chinese wine without the added salt, which
>> means they can avoid paying an alcohol beverage tax.
>
>Ah, I thought the salt was added so they could sell it in
>grocery stores. You can't buy alcoholic beverages there,
>where I live. You go to the liquor store. So I wondered if
>there would be rice wine in the liquor store that I should be
>looking for.
>

the unsalted chinese wine is hard to find even at liquor stores. i
think i've bought one bottle in twenty years, at a chinese herbal
medicine place that also had a few food items. the salted stuff isn't
unpalatable; you just wouldn't drink a glass of it. i'm not sure
you'd drink a glass of the unsalted stuff, frankly.

some suggest saki as a substitute, but that strikes me as an expensive
(and unsatisfactory) solution. again, if the salt freaks you out, buy
an inexpensive dry sherry, which you can also keep around for when
granny is feeling frisky and wants a snort.

your pal,
blake
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:53:05 -0500, Lou Decruss >
wrote:

>On Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:22:28 -0400, blake murphy
> wrote:
>
>>On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:36:57 -0500, Lou Decruss >
>>wrote:
>>
>>>On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 18:53:34 -0400, George >
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>You bought the right rice wine. They likely had a number of brands and
>>>>the difference is the taste.
>>>>
>>>>Chili bean paste is fermented beans (usually broad beans) + red chili
>>>>peppers + salt. It should have a fermented tang plus heat. The stuff you
>>>>bought sounds close with the exception of the sesame oil which likely
>>>>won't matter in that recipe.
>>>
>>>Is there a difference between bean sauce and paste?
>>>
>>>
>>>I've got a jar called "black bean garlic sauce" that has all that in
>>>it minus the sesame, and has garlic added to the list. Plus msg and a
>>>few other things to weird to list.
>>>
>>>TIA
>>>
>>>Lou
>>
>>i've not used 'bean sauce,' so labeled, very much, but the pastes (hot
>>bean or sweet been) are pretty thick, and are sometimes mixed with the
>>wine and soy before adding to the cooked meat and vegetables and
>>sometimes thrown in by itself at the last minute before serving. the
>>pastes are usually used in one or two tablespoon amounts for a
>>stir-fry. i really haven't seen them too much in a red-cooking
>>recipe, but the main thing there is the technique rather than the
>>exact sauce, which is usually mainly soy, wine, a little sugar, water
>>and sometimes star anise or a few ginger slices.
>>
>>in some chinese families or restaurants (where there would be frequent
>>re-use), the cooking liquid is saved from batch to batch with spices
>>replenished as necessary as a 'master sauce,' which i think was
>>discussed here not too long ago.
>
>I remember it, but most of it didn't sink in.
>
>>has sqwertz weighed in yet? he usually has the dope on this kind of
>>thing.
>
>I think he said somewhere he had a new assignment and couldn't post
>much.
>
>>(there is a good book on the subject of asian ingredients by bruce
>>cost, oddly enough called 'asian ingredients' that's worth a look if
>>you're interested in the subject. it also has some brand-name
>>recommendations which can be comforting when you go to asian markets.
>>there are a few recipes also.)
>
>Thanks. I've been making some pretty damn good stuff, but I've got a
>lot to learn. Time to dig out the books I haven't read yet.
>
>Lou

i find that the cuisine is a pretty forgiving one. the only drawback
is that you may start to turn out stuff better than the local
restaurants and become dissatisfied with them.

your pal,
blake


** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:28:19 -0400, blake murphy
> wrote:

>i find that the cuisine is a pretty forgiving one.

It sure is. Sometime back I caught some minor shit about putting too
many things in my attempts. I took notice of what was said and did
some reading about conflicting flavors and toned things down a bit.

> the only drawback is that you may start to turn out stuff better than
>the local restaurants and become dissatisfied with them.

My stuff may not be totally authentic, but I'm already there. I can't
compare to upscale restaurants, but the little corner carry out places
usually suck. Mainly because of the inferior ingredients. When you
order a shrimp dish you shouldn't be able to smell the shrimp before
you open the door when it's delivered.

Lou

On Jul 11, 10:24�am, blake murphy > wrote:

> some suggest saki as a substitute, but that strikes me
> as an expensive (and unsatisfactory) solution. �again, if
> the salt freaks you out, buy an inexpensive dry sherry,
> which you can also keep around for when granny is
> feeling frisky and wants a snort.

If you have one, TJ's sells a decent dry sherry for about
$5 per fifth (No. CA). That's about $2 to $3 less than the
comparable Gallo/Almaden.

I was always told that supermarket cooking wines were
salted to discourage the hired help from nipping at them.
That never made much sense to me, since they could
just as easily get into the Scotch.

KevinS > wrote:

>I was always told that supermarket cooking wines were
>salted to discourage the hired help from nipping at them.
>That never made much sense to me, since they could
>just as easily get into the Scotch.

They are salted to avoid excise taxes and off-sale
laws. Nobody in their right mind would drink them
to get soused. You'd be better off drinking vanilla
extract. They have a small but steady market
among those households in which all alcohol is banned
(persons in recovery and straightedgers).

Steve

Lou Decruss wrote:
> On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:28:19 -0400, blake murphy
> > wrote:
>
>> i find that the cuisine is a pretty forgiving one.
>
> It sure is. Sometime back I caught some minor shit about putting too
> many things in my attempts. I took notice of what was said and did
> some reading about conflicting flavors and toned things down a bit.
>
>> the only drawback is that you may start to turn out stuff better than
>> the local restaurants and become dissatisfied with them.
>
> My stuff may not be totally authentic, but I'm already there. I can't
> compare to upscale restaurants, but the little corner carry out places
> usually suck. Mainly because of the inferior ingredients. When you
> order a shrimp dish you shouldn't be able to smell the shrimp before
> you open the door when it's delivered.
>
> Lou
I wonder why you have lousy corner places? My experience from lots of
travel in Asia and visiting lots of restaurants here is that the more
"upscale" a place the worse the food. Some of the greatest Asian food
comes out of the little mom & pop shops.

On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:06:57 -0500, Lou Decruss >
wrote:

>On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:28:19 -0400, blake murphy
> wrote:
>
>>i find that the cuisine is a pretty forgiving one.
>
>It sure is. Sometime back I caught some minor shit about putting too
>many things in my attempts. I took notice of what was said and did
>some reading about conflicting flavors and toned things down a bit.
>
>> the only drawback is that you may start to turn out stuff better than
>>the local restaurants and become dissatisfied with them.
>
>My stuff may not be totally authentic, but I'm already there. I can't
>compare to upscale restaurants, but the little corner carry out places
>usually suck. Mainly because of the inferior ingredients. When you
>order a shrimp dish you shouldn't be able to smell the shrimp before
>you open the door when it's delivered.
>
>Lou

my main complaint with the chinese restaurants is that they seem to
use cruddy beef, usually too tough. they do have some advantages in
other ingredients due to the volume they use.

beyond not using ground ginger or la choy soy sauce, i'd not worry too
much about authenticity if the stuff tastes good.

your pal,
blake
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:34:19 -0700 (PDT), KevinS >
wrote:

>On Jul 11, 10:24?am, blake murphy > wrote:
>
>> some suggest saki as a substitute, but that strikes me
>> as an expensive (and unsatisfactory) solution. ?again, if
>> the salt freaks you out, buy an inexpensive dry sherry,
>> which you can also keep around for when granny is
>> feeling frisky and wants a snort.
>
>If you have one, TJ's sells a decent dry sherry for about
>$5 per fifth (No. CA). That's about $2 to $3 less than the
>comparable Gallo/Almaden.
>

taylor new york dry sherry isn't too bad. about six bucks a bottle.

>I was always told that supermarket cooking wines were
>salted to discourage the hired help from nipping at them.
>That never made much sense to me, since they could
>just as easily get into the Scotch.

the first time i was in a grocery that sold booze (california, in the
seventies), i was totally amazed. 'albertson's dry gin'? i'd never
heard of such a thing.

your pal,
blake
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Jul 12, 11:16*am, blake murphy > wrote:
>
> my main complaint with the chinese restaurants is that they seem to
> use cruddy beef, usually too tough. *they do have some advantages in
> other ingredients due to the volume they use.
>
Too bad you don't have good Chinese restaurants where you live. Or
maybe you haven't found them. Good restaurants, like good home cooks,
don't use cruddy, tough beef. Those that do often use baking soda in
the marinade in an attempt to tenderize it but it's a poor compromise,
damaging both texture and taste. Use good beef and you won't have to
stoop to that low level. -aem