My Cooking tools

Cooking is really about combining the right ingredients to produce a special result that appeals to your sight, taste and smell. If you are thinking that it's about the meat or vegetables, we can argue that point till tomorrow morning after Dim Sum, then lunch, then over "high-tea", and dinner; we'll still be debating the same point. Anyways, I just want to show some of the ingredients I like to use in my cooking site, simpleasiancookings.com if you have not checked out by now.


The first item is the cooking wine. There are few brands out there and as I mentioned in my earlier blogs can produce different aroma when combined with different ingredients. Here are the two cooking wine I used most often, ShaoXing and Taiwanese Cooking Michu. Generally I used the ShaoXing for beef marinate and the Taiwanese for everything else. Why? You may asked. I find the ShaoXing enhances the flavor of the beef. Odd, but true. Taiwanese cooking Michu gives meat a better taste. Odd, but true.


I use the following ingredients for extra flavoring. Be aware that adding any ingredients with slightly more or less can change the results of the dish. Odd, but also true. If you over spiced any meat during marinating process, when you cook, I guaranteed it will not be the same. That's why when you watch TV chef making the meals; seems straight forward, but when you try to do it, there is a different. Why? You didn't do it exact and you are not supposed to. As long as you come closed, you can achieved a similar result. That is good already. If you are cooking homestyle, then you definitely will product different results, from my earlier blog again. Control the flame or different flame level from stove also is a factor to the outcome.


I used the following measuring items. Straight forward. Nothing rocket science in measurement. I like Rachael Ray on the "eye-ball" concept. Sometimes it's all about "eye-balling". Don't get over anal about how much you'll put in. As I mentioned earlier, you result will be different, just get closed. Think of cooking TV or recipes as a guidelines, you'll probably be less critical that way.
Style foam cups works miracles in measurement. Keep on cooking, you can only get good at it.