Here’s a soup that sings for its supper. It’s always a treat to watch the “oohs” and “aahs” when this soup is brought to the table in a Chinese restaurant. Now you can put on your own show at home.

A classic favorite — Ma Po Tofu is a fiery Sichuan classic named for the pockmarked (po) wife (ma) who supposedly invented it at her husband’s restaurant. Ma Po Tofu is a justly popular menu item in many Chinese restaurants, especially in Chengdu.

Print Recipe Spicy Crispy Beef with Rice Crusts Servings Ingredients 10 oz flank steak2 teaspoons soy sauce1/2 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine1 egg white1 teaspoon cornstarch oil for deep-frying 3 1/2 oz dried rice cakes 8 pieces, 2 ½” x 2 ½” each1 cup…

Print Recipe Water-Cooked Fish Servings Ingredients 1 lb fish fillet cut into thin slicesteaspoon ½salt1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine1 teaspoon cornstarch1 cup fresh mushrooms sliced1 cup Chinese celery cut into 2” lengths5 tablespoons Vegetable oil separated1 star anise1 1 ” stick cinnamon5 cloves garlic crushed2…

The dumpling is sometimes called a shrimp bonnet for its pleated shape. This dish is often served together with siumaai; when served in such a manner the two items are collectively referred to as hagaau-siumaai (Chinese: 蝦餃燒賣; Cantonese Yale: hāgáau sīumáai; pinyin: xiājiǎo shāomài).

鍋貼 Potstickers typically consist of a ground meat and/or vegetable filling wrapped into a thinly rolled piece of dough, which is then sealed by pressing the edges together. Finished 鍋貼 Potstickers can be boiled (shuǐ jiǎo), steamed (zhēng jiǎo) or pan-fried (jiān jiǎo). This recipe highlights a fan-favorite — the pan-fried variety.

A classic dish that consists of large thinly sliced pieces of pork in potato starch batter, deep-fried twice until crispy. They are then lightly coated in a variation of a sweet and sour sauce, made from freshly prepared syrup and rice vinegar, flavored with ginger and garlic.

Five-Flavor Grilled Chicken excerpt