Chef Guide for Chefs: Author Cynthia Bowan
Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 1 Number 016 - October 8, 2001.
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Hello Recipe Club. You know when things get a little out of sorts in my life, personally or out of my control, like recent events, I find great solitude in taking the time to making an extra special/ or new recipe to give myself a break from my concerns. It doesn't have to be an elaborate dish, just something new to stimulate my mind, give new focus and challenge my taste buds.

Welcome to our fourth week of the Recipe Club at Chef2Chef.net. This week "Cynthia of Cynthia's Corner" offers up the first of her menus for the Recipe Club. We'll get to sample a selection of her "Oriental Recipes". This is a great collection of recipes covering soup to desserts, and a great "Dim Sum Celebration" on Friday.

I promise to tell you more about Cynthia in the next few days. Have a Great Day and tell a true friend how much you appreciate them today. You won't believe how good it will make you feel.

Bon Appetit, David Nelson
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Oriental Menus

Monday

Quick Chinese Egg Drop Soup
Spicy Napa and Red Pepper Stew
Chinese Tea Salad
Almond Cookies

Quick Chinese Egg Drop Soup

4 c. seasoned chicken broth
1/2 c. frozen green peas
1 egg, beaten
2-3 green onions, finely diced

Bring broth and peas to boil in large saucepan. Slowly add egg to boiling broth, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with onions. Serve hot.

Serves 6.

Note: can also add sliced mushrooms to this.
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Spicy Napa and Red Pepper Stew with Buckwheat Noodles

You can use Korean buckwheat noodles but this should work with soba as well. It's an earthy and satisfying dish, somewhere between a soup and a stew that's nice on cold evenings.

NOTE: amounts are per person:

Veggie topping:

1/4 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/4 small white or yellow onion, in similar
size pieces
2 tsp. vegetable oil
Minced garlic, ginger, and dried red pepper flakes to taste (or use garlic and ginger powder)
1 tsp. Kikkoman soy sauce or tamari
1-2 oz. firm tofu, cut in bite-size or smaller pieces (unflavored)
1/4 c. water
3 lg. leaves Napa, celery cabbage, or big
bok choi, cut into bite-size pieces

Noodles:

a few oz. buckwheat noodles (mine are thin, like capellini, and I use a loose 1/2" bundle) water to cook in

Broth:

2 tsp. "miso-cup" soup mix (available in health food stores)
1/2 tsp. soy sauce (see above soy sauce)
a splash of dry sherry (optional)
2/3 c. water

Chop the veggies. Saute the onions and peppers in oil just until tender,adding the spices as you go. Then add the tofu and soy sauce and saute just a few minutes more. Add the water and cabbage and simmer, covered, about 4-5 minutes or until cabbage is tender. Uncover and let the water evaporate.

In the meantime, stir together the miso mix, soy sauce, sherry, and water (you can use boiling water or microwave the broth after it's mixed)

Also in the meantime, boil the noodles until done. (Depending on how long your noodles take, you might want to do this first; my noodles cook in 3 minutes, so I put them in the water just after adding the cabbage and water to the saute)

To serve, place broth and noodles in a bowl and top with hot veggie-tofu mixture.
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Chinese Tea Jell-O Salad

11 o. can Mandarin oranges
9 oz. can crushed pineapple
3 oz. pkg. Orange Jell-O
1 c. hot freshly brewed tea
1 c. reserved fruit juices
5 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained well
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. whipping cream
2-3 T. freshly grated orange rind

Drain oranges and pineapple, reserving juices (for the 1 c. Add orange juice if necessary to get the 1 c.) Dissolve Jell-O in hot tea, add reserved juices. Chill until consistency of egg whites. Stir in fruit and water chestnuts.
Pour into 4 c. mold and chill several hours.

Combine mayonnaise, cream and orange rind. Unmold salad onto a bed of lettuce and serve with dressing. Serves 6-8.
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Chinese Almond Cookies

1 c. (8 0z.) lard, room temp.
1 egg
3/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2-1/4 c. all purpose flour
1-1/4 tsp. baking powder
50-55 whole blanched almonds
1 egg yolk, beaten

NOTE: The recipe says lard makes the difference.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl beat together the lard, 1 egg, almond extract, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.

Add flour and baking powder, beating until well blended.

Shape dough into 1-1/4" balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press an almond in the center of each. Brush cookies with beaten egg yolk.

Bake 14-15 minutes or until golden. Watch carefully. Remove cookies and cool on racks. Makes 50-55 2" cookies.
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