Step by Step with Vegetables: Meet 60 Delicious Vegetable Dishes

Author: "Baita Kitchen" Studio
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Cooking vegetables may require more wisdom and skill. The taste of tofu is like a blank sheet of paper—how it is colored and decorated depends entirely on one's heart; vegetables are also unique. The difference between asparagus and lotus root is undoubtedly greater than that between beef and lamb. And for each vegetable, we must follow its nature to shape it, only then can we achieve works that are complete in color, aroma, and flavor. If you doubt this, spinach can serve as proof. In Western cuisine, spinach is boiled in water until it becomes a slurry, seasoned slightly, and then scooped into a bowl with a spoon. This method is quite hygienic but hardly appealing. As a result, every adult feels obligated to flash a toothy, stiff smile and persuade the next generation to take just one more bite. As a nation that has always been pragmatic, their attitude toward spinach is truly astonishing. Since so much ingenuity has been poured into promoting spinach, it should not be difficult to cook it to be more delicious. Yet, as we all know, blanching and stir-frying it just right can create a vegetable dish that even any child would refuse to refuse. And the color and shape of the dish remain vibrant and green. With so many varieties of vegetables, the pursuit of delicious ones can spark a similar interest to that of natural history. Every vegetable has a long history, seemingly simple, but in reality, it is full of knowledge. How can the fragrance of the vegetable be preserved? How can the color be maintained? Which place produces the longest lotus root shreds? Which place has the sweeter radishes? Even a maid like Qingwen knows that removing the leaves of the scallion stalk leaves a refreshing taste. Then, the secret recipe of Wang Xifeng's spiced eggplant fritters must contain even more cleverness. The outcome of cooking is not important; what matters is the process of experimentation. The joy of this must be gradually experienced by everyone. In fact, this elegant cooking style is truly worthy of becoming a delightful pastime, just like flower arrangement.