Cooking classes · Lexington Adult Education, Lexington High School, Lexington, MA

Chinese Cooking Class

A hands-on Chinese cooking class built around a 4-page handout of 9 home-style dishes, from crab rangoon and fried rice to hot and sour soup and chow mein. The teaching focused on wok basics: cutting everything to the same size, prepping before you cook, adding vegetables in order and never overcooking. His own notes cover the 3 base sauces (white, brown and sweet and sour), wonton folding, and where to buy wrappers and chili oil. The restaurant's menu card was kept with the notes, which places the class at Beijing Star on Main Street (Route 20) in Waltham.

Taught by the former owner and chef of Beijing Star restaurant in Waltham.

From the classThe class handout and my notebook page, with my notes in the margins.

My notes from classAs I wrote them

p. 1— SQUEEZE CUT WATER
p. 1FOUR CORNERS
p. 1EGGWHITES
p. 1CANOLA
p. 1— BOIL QUICK — INTO COLD WATER
p. 1CUKE / TOMATO / BROCCOLI / CELERY / SCALLION / KUSO [?] SQUASH / G
p. 1TOMATO — GO IN LAST
p. 1REMOVE SEEDS [?]
p. 1CELERY CHOP ALL VEGETABLES (with sketch of diagonal cuts)
p. 2DON'T OVERCOOK SCALLION
p. 2add all the salt
p. 2— COOK EGG — SCALLION — IN OIL — STIR FRY RICE THOROUGHLY LET [?] STEAM OUT — HAM — SALT — CUCUMBER
p. 22 TBLS
p. 2CUT ALONG GRAIN (with sketch of grain lines)
p. 2SOFT/SILKEN
p. 2ONCE VERY HOT ADD
p. 2SLICED GINGER
p. 2LIGINCHI [?] — SAUCE PACK
p. 2SOY SAUCE
p. 2— CHANGE WATER IN TOFU DAILY (with sketch of tofu cut into a grid)
p. 2WISNAN LIU [?]
p. 3EGG DROP BASE
p. 3SUPER 88 — TAR [?]
p. 5White sauce — chicken stock / BROWN — soy sauce / sweet/sour — EQUAL VINEGAR/SUGAR
p. 5BROWN SAUCE: 1. OIL 2. SOY SAUCE 3. DARK RICE WINE 4. SESAME OIL (SESAME OIL)
p. 5WHITE: CHICKEN STOCK
p. 5SCALLIONS — DON'T BURN
p. 5SWEET SOUR — 1/1 VINEGAR-SUGAR
p. 6CHINESE CLASS
p. 6HOT AND SPICY OIL (lady's face)
p. 6— RED PEPPER SESAME OIL
p. 6— WHITE SAUCE — CHICKEN STOCK
p. 6— BROWN — SOY SAUCE
p. 6— SWEET/SOUR — 1/1 VINEGAR/SUGAR
p. 6WONTON WRAPPER — SHANGHAI STYLE — TWIN MARQUIS
p. 6— CRAB — CHOPPED / — CREAM CHEESE (both crossed out)
p. 6BROWN SAUCE: 1. — OIL 2. — SOY SAUCE 3. — DARK RICE WINE 4. — SESAME OIL (NOT BOILED)
p. 6SCALLIONS — DO NOT BURN
p. 6ARSEN / CHRISTINE / DONNI [?] (names, circled)

Recipes9 from the class. Click a line to open its recipe card.

Kind of dish	Click a line to open it
Appetizer	Crab Rangoon ("Crab Rang Gong")
Crab Rangoon ("Crab Rang Gong") Recipe 6 ingredients Ingredients crab scallion a little celery cream cheese wonton skins oil for deep frying Method Chop the crab, scallion and a little celery. Stir them into the cream cheese. Spoon a little filling onto each wonton skin and fold it closed. Deep-fry until light brown. The handout gives no amounts. His notes: squeeze the water out of the cut vegetables, fold in the four corners, seal with egg white, fry in canola. Chinese class handout, page 1
Vegetable	Stir-Fried Vegetables
Stir-Fried Vegetables Recipe 7 ingredients Ingredients mixed colorful vegetables oil scallion ginger soy sauce (or salt) pepper cooking wine (optional) Method Cut all the vegetables to the same size. Heat the wok, add oil, and stir-fry the scallion and ginger briefly. Add the vegetables in order, toughest first, and stir-fry just until their color brightens. Do not overcook. Add soy sauce (or salt), pepper and a splash of cooking wine for a few seconds. Plate and serve right away. Use any mix of colorful vegetables you have. His notes: blanch quickly, then into cold water. His list: cuke, tomato, broccoli, celery, scallion, squash. Tomato goes in last. Chinese class handout, page 1
Rice	Fried Rice
Fried Rice Recipe 8 ingredients Ingredients eggs, beaten vegetable oil green onion cooked rice peas cucumbers mushrooms (optional) pinch of salt Method Scramble the beaten eggs gently over low heat until soft. Set aside. Heat oil in a wok or large skillet until very hot, swirling it around. Stir-fry the green onion briefly, then add the rice and stir well. Add the eggs, peas, cucumbers and a pinch of salt and toss to mix. Serve topped with shredded green onion. His notes add ham, and say to stir-fry the rice thoroughly to let the steam out. Chinese class handout, page 2
Poultry	Stir-Fried Chicken
Stir-Fried Chicken Recipe 10 ingredients Ingredients chicken tenderloin cooking wine cornstarch vegetables oil green onion ginger soy sauce or chicken broth salt (if needed) sesame oil Method Cut the chicken into small pieces. Mix wine and cornstarch, pour over the chicken and stir to coat. Slice the vegetables thin, about the same size as the chicken. Stir-fry the chicken in hot oil just until it changes color. Lift out and keep warm. Stir-fry green onion and ginger a few seconds, then the vegetables about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce or broth, wine and salt, then return the chicken. Toss 1 to 2 minutes more, drizzle with sesame oil and serve. His notes: 2 tablespoons, cut along the grain, and add the liquids once the wok is very hot. Chinese class handout, page 2
Tofu	Ma Po Tofu ("To Fu")
Ma Po Tofu ("To Fu") Recipe 6 ingredients Ingredients tofu (soft or silken) oil Ma Po sauce sesame oil black pepper scallions Method Cut the tofu into cubes, handling it gently. Heat oil in the wok and stir-fry the Ma Po sauce. Slide in the tofu and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, then turn the cubes. At the very end, add sesame oil, black pepper and scallions. Serve hot. His notes: soft/silken tofu, sliced ginger, a packaged sauce, and change the water on stored tofu daily. Chinese class handout, page 2
Beef	Stir-Fried Beef
Stir-Fried Beef Recipe 11 ingredients Ingredients steak salt cornstarch cooking wine snow peas (or other vegetable) oil green scallions ginger soy sauce pepper Chinese cooking wine Method Slice the steak thin across the grain. Toss with salt, cornstarch and wine to coat. Trim the ends off the snow peas. Fry the beef in hot oil a few minutes, stirring to separate. Lift out. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of oil. Stir-fry scallions, ginger and snow peas just until the peas turn bright. Add soy sauce, pepper and wine, then return the beef and serve hot. Chinese class handout, page 2
Seafood	Shrimp with Vegetables
Shrimp with Vegetables Recipe 13 ingredients Ingredients shrimp salt cooking wine egg white cornstarch vegetable oil green scallions ginger vegetables sugar pepper Chinese wine sesame oil Method Coat the shrimp with a pinch of salt, wine, egg white and cornstarch. Heat the wok on high 2 to 3 minutes, add oil and heat to medium-hot. Cook the shrimp, stirring to separate, and lift out as soon as they turn color. Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of oil. Stir-fry scallions and ginger a few seconds, then the vegetables until their color just turns. Return the shrimp with sugar, salt, pepper and wine and toss well. Finish with sesame oil and serve hot. Chinese class handout, page 3
Soup	Hot & Sour Soup
Hot & Sour Soup Recipe 13 ingredients Ingredients cornstarch water soy sauce Chinese vinegar black pepper hot oil egg chicken broth scallions ginger tofu mushrooms and other ingredients sesame oil Method Stir the cornstarch into the water. Add soy sauce, vinegar, black pepper and hot oil. Beat the egg in a separate bowl. Bring the broth to a boil and add scallions, ginger and tofu, then the mushrooms and other ingredients. Slowly stir in the cornstarch mix until the soup thickens. While stirring, drizzle in the egg so it forms threads. Ladle into warm bowls, add a little sesame oil and serve. A Peking-style soup. The heat comes from plenty of black pepper. His notes: egg drop base. Chinese class handout, page 3
Noodles	Fried Noodles (Chow Mein)
Fried Noodles (Chow Mein) Recipe 10 ingredients Ingredients egg noodles vegetable oil scallions ginger peapods or other vegetables soy sauce black pepper cooking wine sesame oil chicken or pork (optional) Method Boil the noodles briefly, drain, rinse in cold water and drain well again. Heat oil in a wok until very hot. Add scallions and ginger. Stir-fry the peapods or other vegetables, add soy sauce, pepper and wine, then move to a bowl. Toss the noodles in the wok until heated through. Mix the vegetables back in. Plate, drizzle with sesame oil and serve right away. Chinese class handout, page 3

What we learned

The 3 basic sauces (from his notes)

White sauce: chicken stock base.
Brown sauce: soy sauce base. Order: oil, soy sauce, dark rice wine, sesame oil (sesame oil not boiled).
Sweet and sour: equal parts vinegar and sugar (1 to 1).

Cooking tips from the handout

Prep everything (meat, vegetables, sauces) before you turn on the heat.
Wash leafy greens early so they drain dry before stir-frying.
A cleaver is nice to have but not required.
Line up cut vegetables on a tray in cooking order, since they cook at different speeds.
Drain tofu before using so it soaks up flavor.
Marinate fresh meat. Always cut beef across the grain. Cut pieces evenly, bite-size if in doubt.
Drizzle stir-fry oil down the sides of the wok.
Deep-fry test: stand a chopstick in the oil. When it sizzles all around, the oil is ready.
Skip dark soy sauce unless a recipe asks for it.
Cook meat first and set it aside. Return it with the sauce at the end.
Hard vegetables cook longest (broccoli, carrots, cabbage), then bok choy, then snow peas and bean sprouts. When unsure, cook each separately.
Use fresh ginger, never powdered. Sugar can stand in for MSG.
Cornstarch slurry: 1 part cornstarch to 2 to 4 parts water (for example, 1 tablespoon to 2 tablespoons water).
Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.

Ingredients and shopping (from his notes)

Hot and spicy oil: the jar with the lady's face on it.
Red pepper sesame oil.
Wonton wrappers: Shanghai style, Twin Marquis brand.
Tofu: soft or silken for Ma Po. Change the water on stored tofu daily.

From the classThe class handout and my notebook page, with my notes in the margins.

My notes from classAs I wrote them

Recipes9 from the class. Click a line to open its recipe card.

Crab Rangoon ("Crab Rang Gong")

Ingredients

Method

Stir-Fried Vegetables

Ingredients

Method

Fried Rice

Ingredients

Method

Stir-Fried Chicken

Ingredients

Method

Ma Po Tofu ("To Fu")

Ingredients

Method

Stir-Fried Beef

Ingredients

Method

Shrimp with Vegetables

Ingredients

Method

Hot & Sour Soup

Ingredients

Method

Fried Noodles (Chow Mein)

Ingredients

Method

What we learned

The 3 basic sauces (from his notes)

Cooking tips from the handout

Ingredients and shopping (from his notes)