Cold dish preparation and food carving

Author: Wang Zhensheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Cold dish preparation and food carving are integral components of the magnificent and splendid Chinese cuisine, serving as traditional techniques for showcasing culinary culture in the food industry. Cold dishes mark the beginning of a banquet and create the first impression of the meal; their quality directly impacts the success of the banquet. Cold dishes, with their diverse shapes, flavors, ingredients, textures, knife skills, and cooking methods, offer a variety of culinary delights, including hot-prepared and cold-prepared dishes. The pairing of food carving not only adds decorative beauty to the dishes but also enhances the artistic spirit of cooking.
This book focuses on traditional craftsmanship requirements, emphasizing the color coordination, plating, and cooking methods of cold dishes. It provides detailed introductions to various preparation techniques, including red braising, white braising, common braising methods, as well as sauces, boiling, frying, pickling, oil stewing, drying, rolling, grilling, crispy, mud, sprouts, freezing, marinating, pickling, and vegetarian cooking.
Food carving is also extensively covered, with an introduction to basic shapes and tool requirements, along with patterns for decorative molds, floral outlines, basic methods for carving flowers, and reference designs for carved gourd lamps, rings, bowls, and flat patterns such as landscapes, birds, animals, and figures. The book also includes methods for whole-carving techniques and the application of comprehensive knowledge.
Additionally, the book features photographs of selected works from the National Chef Festival and outstanding entries from the Anhui Culinary Competition, providing a rich foundation for teaching cold dish preparation and for self-taught food carvers.