La Bai Cai
Peppery Cabbage Sichuan Style
La Bai Cai 辣 白菜
Chinese
A popular appetizer that normally comes free in Sichuan restaurants. It’s easy to make at home, and goes well with a variety of dishes, for example, Continue reading
An Alternative to Table Salt
Good on Fish and Chicken
Sichuan Pepper, Hua Jiao
This is a Seasoned Salt that is good as a substitute for Table Salt, and also versatile in cooking. It works well for cooking Chicken, any Fish Steaks or Fillets. It can also be used to flavor Rice, Pasta and Vegetables.
The recipe is adapted from Jean-Georges Vongerichten and was served at restaurant Vong in Manhattan in place of ordinary Table Salt. Continue reading
Most Popular Sichuan Appetizer
Peppery, Crisp, Sour and Sweet
“This dish is peppery, crisp, sour and sweet.” — Ou Chien-kung
Celery Cabbage
Sichuan Style Peppery Cabbage or La Bai Cai 辣白菜 is probably the most popular Sichuan appetizer. — It’s often served in Sichuan restaurants as an appetizer without even being ordered, along with cold Sesame Noodles and Sichuan style Peanuts.
There are many recipes. This one came from a standard Chinese cooks’ reference. It is listed in the No. 1 position under Cold Appetizers in the section on Sichuan dishes.
Pockmarked Mother Chen’s Bean Curd
A Leading Sichuan Dish
“It’s rich and warming, a perfect winter dish.” — Fuchsia Dunlop
Ma Po Doufu, Cooking in Wok
Ma Po Bean Curd 麻婆豆腐 or Pockmarked Mother Chen’s Bean Curd, has emerged as one of the most popular Sichuan dishes. There are so many recipes, and you can even get instant versions, including forms of the dish delivered Continue reading
Bill Clinton Ate Here
Street Food from Ghost Street
Lao Sze Chuan, Broadway
Three Tony Hu’s: You can see a photo of a happy Bill Clinton in front of Tony Hu’s Lao Beijing restaurant, in Chicago’s Chinatown. Perhaps from the former President’s pre-vegan days.
Of course, you can get veggie dishes at Hu’s various Lao restaurants. Like the excellent Ma Po Do Fu at his Lao Szechuan flagship location. But even that tofu dish has some meat in it. Continue reading
Shichimi Togarashi
A Unique Japanese Spice Blend
Shichimi Togarashi, used by Bruioza in
Prize-Winning Pork Recipe
You see it on the table in Japanese restaurants and on the shelves in Asian markets. The spice Shichimi Togarashi 七味唐辛子, is usually packed in a distinctive little round red tin.
There may even be some in your Continue reading