One great benefit of America’s globalized kitchen is the introduction of so many new kinds of produce. Chief among them are the wrinkled napa cabbage, bulbs of bok choy, crunchy soybean sprouts and various mushrooms that frequently figure into recipes across Asia and, increasingly, in this country.
That is why it’s always helpful to come across a new cookbook that explains what’s in the market, as with “Asian Vegetables,” by Sara Deseran (Chronicle, $18.95).
Deseran, the food editor for the recently launched Williams-Sonoma Taste magazine and former food editor for San Francisco magazine, writes that living in San Francisco, with its thriving Asian population, is what made her appreciate the cuisine and offered plenty of shopping sources. But Americans in most metropolitan areas are now exposed to a variety of Asian ingredients that wouldn’t have been in the supermarket even 10 years ago. To take advantage of that opportunity and to tackle some of the less-well-known produce, this book is a nice introduction.
The chapters are broken into groups of ingredients, such as “leafy and green” “roots, shoots and bulbs,” and “herbs and aromatics.” Sub-categories include more than 40 specific vegetables and herbs, from mustard cabbage and long beans to daikon and bitter melon. Each ingredient comes with tips on selecting, storing and using the vegetable, as well as other names by which it’s known. That long beans are also called “snake beans” and that Chinese broccoli can be referred to as “Chinese kale” or by its Cantonese name, gai lan, might come in handy at the store–you never know.
Even better, all the vegetables are illustrated with lovely color photos, and many of the recipes also get the full-color beauty treatment. It’s amazing how tempting a simple side dish of Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce can look in lush close-up.
The recipes are an inspired mix of familiar preparations, as with the Thai spicy basil chicken, and fresh ideas, as in the crisp taro pancakes with hoisin lime dipping sauce, passed as an hors d’oeuvre the way you might see potato pancakes served. None of the recipes are long or complicated, which should encourage newcomers to the scene.
The best recipe of the bunch we tested was one for curried omelets rolled around a seasoned ground pork filling. The thin, gently spiced egg layer acted as a wrap for the garlicky pork filling and would make a yummy first course or light meal.
Also appealing was the lo mein dish prepared with crisp water chestnut coins, bok choy and pieces of bacon. The bacon’s smoke worked very well with the slightly tart greens; hey, cooked collards wouldn’t be out of place here. But the plentiful amount of noodles needed even more vegetables than are called for. On the other hand, less would have been better when it came to the full tablespoon of cornstarch used to thicken the somewhat gummy sauce; better to cut it back just a bit.
Not quite as interesting were the steamed shrimp and greens dumplings, which somehow lacked enough flavor in the filling despite a thorough list of seasonings. Those who like to make their own dumplings–easy enough with store-bought wrappers–could probably punch up the filling through experimentation.
The book offers a useful glossary of ingredients, a number of Web sites for pantry sources and a bibliography for those who want to read further.
“Asian Vegetables” won’t be the last word on the subject, but it’s a good way to start talking–and cooking.
Bok choy, water chestnut and bacon chow mein
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Author Sara Deseran writes of this recipe in “Asian Vegetables”: “You might not think of bacon as Chinese, but salt curing is an ancient tradition in China, and slabs of cured pork belly are a common sight in Asian butcher shops. The slabs are often cubed and used to flavor stir-fries, soups and clay pots.” Look for baby bok choy and fresh water chestnuts in Asian and specialty markets. One head of regular bok choy and canned water chestnuts may be substituted.
1 pound fresh thick Chinese noodles, preferably Shanghai or chow mein style
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon canola oil
4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and slivered
2 small heads baby bok choy, bottoms trimmed, separated into leaves, and each leaf halved lengthwise
1/2 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved lengthwise
5 fresh water chestnuts, peeled and sliced into coins
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1. Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil. Add the noodles, separating them as you go to keep them from sticking to one another. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain the noodles and place in a large bowl. Toss with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the 1 tablespoon sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar and chicken broth; set near the stove. In a large wok or large, deep skillet over medium-low heat, heat the canola oil. Fry the bacon for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it is just beginning to crisp. Add the ginger and continue to cook for 15 seconds.
3. Turn the heat to high, add the bok choy, snap peas, and water chestnuts, and stir fry for about 1 minute, or until the bok choy leaves begin to wilt. Add the oyster sauce mixture, bring to a simmer, stir in the cornstarch mixtures and cook for about 15 seconds, or until the sauce thickens a bit.
4. Add the noodles and toss as you would a salad, using a spatula or fork in each hand. Cook for 1 minute more to heat the noodles. Serve at once.
Nutrition information per serving:
508 calories, 33% of calories from fat, 19 g fat, 4.4 g saturated fat, 16 mg cholesterol, 70 g carbohydrates, 17 g protein, 1,020 mg sodium, 5.8 g fiber
Curried omelet with ground pork, tomato and garlic chives
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
This recipe, from “Asian Vegetables,” makes two wonderful omelets that may be eaten as part of a multi-course meal or with a salad for a light dinner. Also known as “Chinese chives,” garlic chives are chives with a mild garlic flavor and can be green, yellow or flowering, with tiny buds at the tip. The chives, as well as the sambal oelek chili sauce, can be purchased at Asian or specialty markets. Regular chives can be substituted.
4 eggs
2 tablespoons coconut milk
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Filling:
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped shallot
1/2 pound lean ground pork
1/2 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped garlic chives
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons canola oil
Chili sauce such as sambal oelek for dipping, optional
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut milk, curry powder, salt and pepper until blended. Set aside.
2. To make the filling, in a saute pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and shallot and saute for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the ground pork, breaking it up with a spatula as much as possible, and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink. Drain any fat off and add the tomato, garlic chives, fish sauce, salt and sugar. Cook, stirring, for another 30 seconds to marry the flavors. Remove from the heat.
3. In a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil. Pour in half of the egg mixture. Let cook until the edges are beginning to set fully but the center is still slightly runny. Add half of the ground pork mixture to one-half of the omelet and, using a flexible spatula, gently lift up the other half and fold over. Let cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Tilt the skillet and ease the omelet onto a platter. To make the second omelet, repeat the process with the remaining egg mixture, filling and oil. Serve immediately with the chili sauce alongside, if desired.
Tribune test kitchen note: Some tasters found the filling a little salty; to avoid that, you may cut the fish sauce down to 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons. Also, the filling may be too wet for the omelet; be sure to drain the meat well after cooking to avoid excess liquid.
Nutrition information per serving:
278 calories, 67% of calories from fat, 21 g fat, 6.4 g saturated fat, 250 mg cholesterol, 4.8 g carbohydrates, 18 g protein, 915 mg sodium, 0.8 g fiber
