Chinese Mise En Place and Cooking a Full Meal

How to cook for a family! Today we’ll be showing how to feed four people a full satisfying meal in the space of about an hour. We’ll be making four dishes: Beef and Gailan, Deep Fried Tofu, Steamed Pork Belly with Mianchi, and a simple Fishball soup.
Now, I’m not sure how useful this’ll be - I’m sure some of you’ve already got a lot of experience with this kind of thing. But we figured it’s an important topic nonetheless.
BEEF AND GAILAN
Beef Loin (牛脊肉), 150g
Gailan (芥兰), 250g
Marinade for the Beef: ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch (生粉), ¼ tsp kansui (枧水) or sodium carbonate (碱面) or baking soda, ½ tsp soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1tbsp water, 1 tsp oil to coat
Seasoning ‘sauce’: 1 tbsp water, 1 tsp soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp oyster sauce (蚝油), ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp cornstarch (生粉)
Aromatics: ~3 cloves garlic, smashed; ~1 inch ginger, smashed
For use while stir-frying: 1 tbsp liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), ~1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil (麻油)
1. Wash gailan, separate leaves from stalk. At the stalk, pull out the fibrous string. See if the stalk snaps (ala asparagus). If it does, toss the lower portion. If not, cut ~1 inch from the bottom and toss that inch. Alternatively, peel the stalk if you have time/feel like it.
2. Slice beef to 2-3mm. Marinate using ‘marinade for beef’. Mix everything, adding the oil in at the very end of mixing to coat it all.
3. Blanch gailan. ~30 seconds or until deepened in color. Strain well! Moisture can muff up the stir fry.
4. ‘Pass through oil’ the beef, oil at 160C. I said 20 seconds in the video, but 10-15 seconds would probably be better.
5. Stir fry. As always, longyau: get the wok piping hot, shut off the heat, add in your oil (~1.5-2tbsp), give it a swirl to get a non-stick surface. Flame back to medium high, add in the aromatics. Fry ~30 seconds, until fragrant. Swirl in the tbsp of Shaoxing wine. Quick mix. Add back the gailan. ~15 second fry. Add back the beef, ~15 second fry. Lower the flame to ~medium-low, add in the ‘seasoning sauce’. Mix, cook til thickened ~20-30 seconds. Heat off. Sesame oil in. Quick mix. Out.
FISHBALL SOUP
Video: • How to Make Fish Balls...
Frozen Fishballs, ~8-12
Dried seaweed: Zicai (紫菜) a.k.a. Gim, Raw Nori, ~3g.
Water, ~1L.
Romaine lettuce (生菜), ~8 leaves.
Seasoning: 3/4 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp sugar, 1/8 tsp MSG (味精).
Deep fried garlic crisp (蒜酥), ~2 tsp
Sliced Scallions (葱)
Toasted sesame oil (麻油), ~1 tsp.
1. Add water and frozen fishballs (no need to thaw) to wok or pot.
2. Once boiling, add seaweed. Cook for ~30 seconds, break it up a bit.
3. Add the seasoning to the soup. Taste.
4. Nestle in the lettuce. Shut off the heat. Transfer.
5. Add the deep fried garlic, scallions, and sesame oil in the bowl to serve.
DEEP FRIED TOFU
Video: • Three Chinese Tofu Fry...
Soft Tofu, preferably Puning Tofu (普宁豆腐), 400g. You will likely need to cut your tofu in half into triangles. The tofu we got was very small.
Oil, for frying. ~3 cups if using large round bottomed wok.
For the sauce: 25g Jiucai Chinese chives (韭菜), ½ tsp salt, optional 1 tsp fish sauce (鱼露), ½ cup water.
1. Cut the tofu into triangles: Slice your tofu in half crosswise. Cut each crosswise piece in half at a 45 degree bias. Cut each into 3 pieces, ~1cm each.
2. Heat the oil up until 180C, then drop in the tofu. Continue over max flame, oil at 150-160C, until the tofu slices begin to float.
3. Lower the flame to medium, fry for ~7 minutes at 150C. Or until puffy & golden brown. Flip periodically.
4. Remove the tofu, lay on a paper-towel lined plate.
5. For the sauce: mince the jiucai. Add salt & mix it into the Jiucai. Then add the fish sauce & do the same. Then add the water.
PORK BELLY WITH MIANCHI
Pork Belly (五花肉), 250g
Marinade for the Pork Belly: ½ tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp cornstarch (生粉), ½ tsp soy sauce (生抽), 1 tsp liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tbsp mianchi (面豉) or Japanese red miso, 1 tsp oil to coat.
Ginger, ~1/2 inch. Julienned.
Sliced Scallions (葱)
1. Slice pork to ~3mm thickness
2. Mix with the marinade.
3. Mix the pork with the julienned ginger and toss on a plate. One layer but no need to be too paranoid.
4. Steam for 8 minutes.
5. Remove, sprinkle scallions.
PICKLES
Apologies for the continued lack of pickling videos from us. We’re… fermentation novices.
Wang Gang’s video is here: • 厨师长教你四川泡菜的做法，史上最有质量的讲解...
Sarcasmo57 and his wife also have a nice video here if you prefer English: • How to Make Pao Cai (C...
And ChinaSichuanFood also has a good look: www.chinasichuanfood.com/pick...
We also have an appetizers 101 video if you’re cool with something tangential: • Real Chinese Appetizer...
And check out our Patreon if you'd like to support the project!
/ chinesecooking. .
Outro Music: คิดถึงคุณจัง by ธานินทร์ อินทรเทพ
Found via My Analog Journal (great channel): • Live Stream: Favourite...

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Hey guys, a few notes: 1. Obviously, there’s not too many universals discussed in this video or anything. We were wracking our brain for actual potential guidelines to give, but we kept on thinking of exceptions depending on where in China you are and what exactly you were cooking. I hope ‘what us cook a family meal’ was useful, but obviously I’m sure there’s many of you guys out there that’re more experienced in the practice than a couple DINKs in their 30s. So if you have any other tips, definitely drop a line. 2. So for us, if we were feeding more… let’s say 5-6 people… we’d probably do the same kind of thing as we did here, but also include some sort of braised dish. It’d make for a longer cooking time of course, but it’s something that you could start earlier in the day and have simmering there for a bit. 3. On a similar note, another ‘start earlier in the day and leave it simmering’ kind of option is a, well, actually proper soup. Especially for Cantonese families, the soup is kind of a cultural institution. Steph often talks about going to her Grandmother’s house on Sundays for a family meal, and the house would always immediately smell like soup upon entering. 4. The tofu that we used here was Puning tofu, which’s conveniently, like, completely ready to deep fry. I know that you will not be able to find this kind of tofu, which is ok. Use soft tofu. You will need to cut the tofu beforehand, which we outlined in our tofu frying 101 video, but if you like you can actually also cut the tofu into even smaller wedges than we outlined (which I’ve been enjoying recently). Something like this (s3.cdn.xiangha.com/caipu/201510/2017/201701578220.jpg/MjUwX2MyOjEvM15yYjI6MS84XzE4MA.webp ) also comes out very nice after frying. 5. A few people on the Patreon discord were very interested in the steamed pork belly with mianchi (again, subbing akamiso is ok there). I think that we definitely need to do a ‘basic steamed meat’. I really quite enjoy this sort with mianchi, but there’s a ton of options. Shrimp paste or Cantonese salted fish are two other especially classic choices with pork belly. You could do a sauce based off of a douchi flavor profile (black fermented soybeans). You can do lean pork. You can do beef. You can do some bone-in chicken. I think that could potentially be a useful one. 6. On that note, I know that a lot of the dishes we do on this channel are the kinds of things that’d… fill that ‘intense dish quota’. It’s just the nature of the thing, in some ways. People are generally most curious about dishes they eat out at restaurants; and on a similar note, we’d naturally more interested in exploring more complex dishes as well. If you ever want to cook something we make but don’t know how to round it out, definitely ask us in the comments. We enjoy the intellectual exercise :) 7. This was very much a… PRD meal haha. Two Cantonese dishes, two Teochew dishes. As for elsewhere in China? We could probably make a full Sichuan meal in the same way, but then other cuisines we’re a little less familiar with. One day! There’s so much still to learn. As an aside, I apologize for being a liar about the previous couple Reddit posts (re hand pulled noodles) being out ‘at the normal time’. I’m working on a monster of a post where I cover the Lanzhou Lamian, the Chenmian, *and* also revisit Biang Biang noodles. Ended up getting slowed down due to (1) the radical increase in scope (is ‘feature creep’ possible in recipes?) and (2) having to sort out some visa stuff (always fun in the age of COVID).

[@YelDohan]

My family usually assemble the meal like this: one meat/seafood dish, two vegetable/tofu dishes, a soup, the mandatory rice, and the fruit for dessert. This ensures nutritional balance.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

@@YelDohan Totally :) I know this meal was a little short on veg so we tossed a bit more lettuce in the soup than we generally would. Beef + Gailan is a little awkward because it's like... half a meat dish and half a vegetable dish haha

[@joelbrittain6379]

I love the way your missus aggressively attacks the ginger skinning. It always looks like Stephanie Scissorshands

[@Hotsaucedeluxe]

"Shrimp paste or Cantonese salted fish are two other especially classic choices with pork belly." You totally reminded me of a recipe I had when I was younger. Thanks, i'll probably make it this weekend.

[@burgers641]

Do you normally plan for leftovers with this method? I'm wondering if that means you would need to add extra dishes specifically to ensure some is left at the end, since each dish can't grow too much. I'm guessing the "family of four" means the two of you would have some left from all this :)

It's like a list of everything I do wrong.

[@caroline10081]

I try to clean up as I cook but in the end, there's still a counter top full of dirty pots and pans!

[@armoredcoreenjoyer]

faaaacts

[@jenny3416]

So happy to finally see a video on the logistics of cooking so many dishes

[@gfunk449]

No kidding! It always looks amazing when somebody puts together a 4 course Chinese dinner. How do you make it practical for everyday meals, and not just for when guests come over?

[@domw3239]

Yeah more videos like this would be perfect!

[@yassenwu2686]

It is not only a guide to Chinese cooking for western audiences,but also a really useful guide for Chinese people who have no idea how to prepare a proper meal,these days most cooking videos in Chinese are all about make things fancy or just showing off,few of them can hardly serve the rule of guidance for actual daily cooking.For me there's nothing more satisfying than a balanced meal with family.Great work as always and keep up! Oh and I made some lemon ribs yesterday according to your videos(sauce from lemon chicken and rib preparation method from orange ribs)and it was an absolute killer.Thanks again for these awesome recipes!

[@bodyno3158]

And WangGang‘s videos mostly focus on one dish...few people mention about this cooking schematic and procedure.

[@yassenwu2686]

@@bodyno3158 WangGang's videos are more like something you would like to learn if you want to open a small restaurant,he's so skillful but only on a professional level which most people cannot reach without years of training and proper equipment,and sometimes it's just so frustrating to learn that his recipes can be somehow very difficult to replicate even though it looks like easy for him.

[@cokezero9254]

@@yassenwu2686 that's why 老饭骨 is my new fav now. most of their stuff could easily be made at home

[@deadpeach07]

@@cokezero9254 can you send the link for that channel

[@chazM6116]

just needs to translate into English

[@TheWhiteDragon3]

As much as I love how much general information was packed into this video with open spots allowing us [the viewer] to imagine our own customized processes for different meals, I would absolutely love to see move videos of this format. Just watching a husband and wife prep a regular weeknight meal every now and then. Love your work and everything you do!

[@torifrei8396]

I was thinking the exact same thing 😊 And to see the processes with different sets of dishes would help to get the concept down to create menus more logically 😅 I've already learned so much from this one! Thank you both! ❤️

[@itsmederek1]

When you say "As much as" you are supposed to end with a negative. For example: As much as I loved the editing of the video, the content was lacking. That is proper English. Your comment caught my eye and I thought you were going to shit on the video because it started with the words "As much as". Just so you don't have a weird English interaction in the future^^

[@joshuaharper372]

Some of my friends' moms would make 2 or 3 new dishes each day, making sure there would be enough of each left over to reheat the next day. That way they had 4 or 5 dishes each say at supper: half leftover from yesterday and half fresh that day. So each dish they made was a bit larger than typical, but they wouldn't have to juggle as many at the same time.

[@kelyrin-douceuretdessin9476]

Oh my, I’ve been looking for this type of videos for YEARS, and I’m not exaggerating, I really mean YEARS !! I grew up in Beijing and Taiwan and had never been able to serenely replicate this feeling of having “many plates on the table” to feed everyone. I never know how to pick the recipes, organize myself, clean up, portion control etc. And I was frustrated because on KZbin all I see are videos about recipes where the person makes one dish and plates it, but never could I learn by observing “real life meal time” if that makes sense ? Please please do not hesitate to make more of those !! The 300-500g meal per head + the “pick 1 or 2 meals that you really want and the rest are filler means” were GOLDEN information for me. Thank you so much. ❤️❤️❤️

[@Alphonselle]

Me, an asian, basically cook for a living, don't know why I still ended up here on a video about how to put the mise into the place. 10/10 would still watch again.

[@ChrisStargazer]

Steph’s parents sound a lot like my grandparents; and they, too, would make that “wok soup.” I also have a Chinese friend at work who, after eating her lunch (which she ALWAYS brought from home, based on the dinner she cooked the night before) at work, would fill her lunch container (usually Tupperware) with hot tap water, swish it around, and then drink it. I asked her what she was doing (I understood the swishing around of the hot water to make cleaning easier later), and she said she was making herself a “tea” with the leftover bits of food and sauce in her lunch container. So frugal! ❤️

[@user-pm7me3xc2c]

As a child my mom would often pack yesterday's leftovers for my lunch (we're Asian) and in time I grew to hate the stench that leftovers inevitably give off from staling and then being reheated. I can't imagine intentionally drinking that swishing water and I can't say that I know anyone who does/would do this. It's totally different from cooking more dishes in an unwashed wok. Though I have seen a program which showed the meals of Zen Buddhist monks in Japan where they use pickles from their meal + hot water which they drink after to clean their bowls after eating. Living as monk in a temple on a mountain meant being frugal and without worldy things like detergent I guess.

[@gfunk449]

My parents would often use the water from blanching the vegetables as the base for a soup. Toss in some ginger and some duck/chicken bones and seasoning.

[@firstnamelastname9646]

gfunk449 we did that growing up in a refugee camp. We’d blanch water spinach, take them out and season the water for a soup to go with the rice... I still find myself doing that if we don’t already have a soup dish...

[@hypothalapotamus5293]

In the west, they call it deglazing the pan. Pour some liquid into your hot cooking pan after cooking something. The carmelized bits of food on the side of the pan get dissolved, allowing you to make a soup or a sauce. This is a good trick to know.

[@xz1891]

连锅汤，冬瓜，虾米之类，delicious。

[@PCDisciple]

Incredible video. The basic fact of a Chinese meal being based around multiple medium sized dishes is something that never gets brought up!

[@Calmaressurgebat]

Whenever people say "AKA" now I say the wine name in my head.

[@lewismaddock1654]

And when ever I stir-fry I say to myself: "As always longyau, get that wok piping hot! Turn off the heat..."

[@adorabell4253]

@@lewismaddock1654 There need to be stickers for that.

[@KCallia]

CBC here. I'm amazed how things can run smoothly, my parents didn't teach me how to cook, much less plan multiple dishes efficiently. I moved out and didn't understand how they prepared 4-5 meals in the span of a couple of hours every night. I made white rice on the stovetop for the first time. Safe to say I'm buying a rice cooker! How I survived 7 weeks without rice baffles me.

[@MichaelJin74]

My family does the same when it comes to soup. Only difference is that the veggie water to blanch we use as a base for the soup.

[@gfunk449]

The veggie water has all the nutrients, right??

[@quinneyrodgers5772]

@@gfunk449 in China that also has all the pesticides. Outside of China - sure, that's the way to go.

[@Arthiel7]

@@gfunk449 it's a common misconception! It's actually always less than 5% of the nutrients! :)

[@mynameisandong]

Great video! Wok soup is genius!! Also, I see you guys got that gimbal, nice :)

[@AudreysKitchen]

❤️

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Haha just saw this comment man. This video was actually just filmed on an iPhone... we've been finding the phone to be 'good enough' if we've got shitty lighting situation (like in our kitchen) anyhow. The Nikon simply does not like low light environments... I'm sure your BMPCC could handle it better though

[@michaelleue7594]

I would watch several videos like this along the same theme. Figuring out the logistics of a complicated set of dishes is definitely a topic worthy of an entire series.

[@sandonhess3396]

Can we have more of these style of videos? How you tied all the dishes together through common ingredients and cooking methods to make a more varied meal with less was something I've not thought about. I'd love to see more of your insights on this.

[@bob22222222222222100]

The quick wok soup is the best thing I’ve ever seen. It’s such a great way to make a fast, easy, filling, cheap component of a meal

[@dootleedoot3344567]

My family is from Shanxi/Beijing and we do the wok soup too sometimes. But more frequently, we take the super thick and starchy cooking water from boiling handmade noodles/dumplings, add some vinegar and finish with a soup/congee.

[@maxpowr90]

I think this is just a video to show off Steph's knife skills.

[@gfunk449]

After peeling garlic and ginger, I'm basically spent. Cooking is for pros.

[@mouseymedic]

Thanks for these non-traditional type of recipes. Growing up/living in the West, its super useful to get some perspective on how these eastern dishes should be served/logistics, rather than just knowing how to make each one individually.

[@vibelucid]

Awesome. A Kenji style POV real-time cooking video for a meal like this would be cool

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

The thing is... Kenji's a better cook than we are haha. Plus just listening to him talk about stuff's generally quite interesting. We're a lot less naturally engaging on camera, thus the script/narration sort of style we do here. Easier for us amateurs :)

[@emraef]

I love how nonchalant this video is, really makes chinese cooking look a lot more approachable.

[@guyfawkes8873]

Honestly when I lived in China on week nights it would mostly be adding a single dish or two to what was already left over in the fridge from the weekend so we would still have 3-4 dishes on the table by friday. Dunno if that's the most common approach in chinese households but it does involve a lot less planning x)

[@jeiberry]

That's how I grew up with a cantonese-in-america household at least *shrug emote here*

[@shuhaolu3257]

Yeah in our family and in our region, i would say lunch is the biggest meal... dinner would be just the leftovers and maybe congee

[@muffinmuaddib5221]

I am so happy you made this video. I was always astounded how my friends mom could pump out 7 - 8 dishes in an hour when I and some friends would stop by for lunch. Really inspired me to be able to do the same. But the different mentality of multiple dishes vs one main definitely has been tripping me up. Gracias and hope to see more videos in the future.

[@Chewie316]

Steph's got it right though on the veggie rinse. There's been too many E.coli cases here because the veggies still have sediment, so scrub them as best as possible. I do.

[@DarDarBinks1986]

Setting a place for the dog? How adorable!

[@AncientMysteriesAndInnovations]

I worked as an American in Chinese chef positions for eight years, mise en place is absolutely essential for Chinese cooking, too.

[@sallylee4924]

My parents have a different approuch to meal planning. Instead of categorizing by intensity, they categorize by protein vs veg. For a usual 3 dishes 1 soup, the 3 dishes would be: 1 just meat, 1 just veggies, 1 mix of meat and veggies. For 4 dishes, they usually either add a fish or a egg dish. The soup is usually something with a clear broth, and with a mix of meat and veggies again.

[@zalibecquerel3463]

Wonderful video! I've always been curious about this sort of thing and have always found cooking Chinese food for several people very difficult. The first thing I learned was not to have too many stir-frys. The second (at least in the west) was to use a low oven to keep a couple of dishes warm. Using the steamer basket in a rice cooker also works for some dishes. Keep up the great work!

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Yeah definitely. Too many stir fries can build up, absolutely. One thing that's helpful is to either prep stuff for your stir-fries by blanching/passing through oil like we did here, or either do a sort of 'step-by-step' stir fry. It's a lot quicker to whip together a stir-fry when you're not actually really cooking anything in there besides aromatics :)

[@zalibecquerel3463]

@@ChineseCookingDemystified Definitely. Particularly when you do things like prep the garlic and ginger for all dishes at the same time, and pre-mixing your sauces.

[@elwynbrooks]

The steamer basket is a life saver for sad busy students like me living away from home. Toss in a meat paste cake thing, make rice, you've got a whole meal

[@zalibecquerel3463]

@@elwynbrooks So convenient! Try diced chicken thigh, lap cheong, rehydrated shitake mushrooms, on top of chinese cabbage.

[@VitalChinese]

Such a well organized detailed round up of an authentic Chinese full meal. The video is well edited and narrated that I can imagine the amount of effort spent making it. Usually the best quality creators are the most humble and passionate, and this channel is the number one example.

[@joffreysrevenge3045]

long time sub here - i have watched every video on this page. honestly these videos are the best. you should definitely do at least one of these a month. im constantly racking my brain trying to think of things to accompany steamed whole chicken or red braised pork belly. the functional, typical, tuesday night dinner ideas are honestly the best thing imo. appreciate all you and stephanie do and love your yt/ig.

[@simongreenland-smith865]

This is why this channel is a cook's channel and not just another recipe channel! Brilliant.

[@KennytheWhaleHunter]

Probably my favorite of all your videos. Very cool walkthrough!

[@bionboy]

This is the type of practical video I needed!

[@vimo1601]

YES!! This is the kind of video I want to see! It's so useful to understand how dishes are eaten, how meals are put together and how you plan it out. I love understanding better how people eat at home. Awesome!

[@nickeut]

I loved this format! That’s really cool to show a full meal prep! Please do more!

[@rectify2003]

Thats not a meal, its a feast. Good job Mr and Mrs Guylan 😀

[@Sarah-eo4cq]

Really, really appreciated walking through a normal meal prep like this! Would love to see more!!

[@sceptre1067]

re rice cookers... bought first one as bachelor in early 90s here in Minnesota. Back then only friend who didn’t scoff at it was from Hong Kong. But after a month any roommate I had realized why it was so useful... 😀

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

The early students that went to the west to study back in 80s/90s would ALWAYS brought a rice cooker with them. Even now, our friends that studied aboard would bring a rice cooker with them. Kinda like jade, it's a bit of an 'amulet of protection' lol -Steph

[@denaspringer2929]

Thank you for making these videos!

[@denizg571]

Great to have an insight behind the scenes. Thanks for that.

[@-laodoushunancuisine4641]

Wow, what a lovely meal! Big thank! You got meat, vegi, soup, snacks and fruits. That is a perfect PROPER CHINESE MEAL! Hope you could make more videos like this to intro our Chinese meal! I am also working on intro my family daily meal, if someone like to see more different proper Chinese meal welcome!

[@callumburns4809]

So luv your videos, im addicted!! thanks for the advice/techniques and just great content!!!

[@atticushensley739]

I LOVE the window you give into a different world.

[@jakeneos]

this was such a cool video! i love the thought process of how the meal comes together, and seeing you guys just enjoy that meal casually afterwards was really nice, thanks guys

[@freakmoister]

Fishballs are a life saver for soups. So convenient. We usually just have fishballs boiling away in just plain water on a small fire somewhere (even one of those electric stove tops) and get a soup bowl prep it with all the seasoning needed and when it comes to serve pour the whole pot into the soup bowl and voila! soup done ✅ 😆😆😆 And of course GREAT VIDEO!!👍👍👍

[@Metal0011]

Defiantly the kind of logistical video I didn't know I needed but thoroughly enjoyed!

[@jeffreydlayman]

This is fantastic! It's so helpful (and fascinating!) to understand the workflow of preparing a meal like this. I hope you make more like this in the future.

[@dan26dlp]

Everything you make looks amazing

[@deatheragefarms]

Really great video, as always! Staging and logistics of a meal is one of those things that doesn't get discussed enough, and for a meal of any complexity it's one of the hardest parts.

[@ziggymack2233]

Thank you for this mise en place video and you all's approach to cooking chinese cuisines in general

[@BillyFung69]

As usual, loving the content. This is hits home on how I watched my grandma and mom cook, and how I learned my cooking habits. Rice + soup also helps to fill up if you don't have enough quantity of the small dishes

[@bchoor]

Really awesome. Would love to see more of these family dinners. Super informative. Also, big about keeping a clean kitchen as you cook.

[@martytu20]

2:27 low key flexing on a Zujiroshi rice cooker.

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Haha Zojirushi's make awesome rice. And honestly? I find the 50 minutes it takes to make rice to be *perfect* for sorting a meal in the meantime.

[@Bear-cm1vl]

@@ChineseCookingDemystified, even the 2-1/4 hours for a Zojirushi to cook GABA brown rice is not an issue because the timer function will have the rice ready by the time you have it set to. I spent a long time debating a few hundred US dollars for a rice cooker, but haven't regretted the purchase for a second, especially when I figured out the porridge and mixed rice settings.

[@Iamkitkatbar]

I'm buying one next paycheck

[@adorabell4253]

@@Bear-cm1vl I'm still talking myself up to it. I want one of the fancier ones because I make different types of rice and other grains as well. But, seems like it'll have to wait till post covid now.

[@tomjeffrey2891]

@@adorabell4253 I have never heard of this brand of rice cooker, I have only ever used the cheap common ones found at any store. What is special about this one?

[@goldfish3385]

Absolutely love your videos !! thanks for the effort and all the recipees !!

[@Leoga79]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾 these videos are seriously awesome video’s! So informative and inspiring. Thanks for sharing!

[@graydensnyder2173]

Loved this video! Acts as a really nice aid to cooking from your other videos. Would love to see more videos like this in the future!

[@TricksterModeEngaged]

I can honestly say this channel has really improved my cooking skills and organization. Thanks!

[@KamalikaMukherjee81]

I love your explanations and the way you break down the ingredients and the technique for everyone's easy comprehension.

[@JohnThomasKong]

I love watching Steph’s knife work.

[@kukanakamaoli]

Love it! Clean as you go! That’s how I was taught too! But it sure helps when there are people there to help wash and put away dishes.

[@Babegirlcass]

Ok, this was super informative and really useful. I love your channel anyway but it's stuff like this that really makes your channel stand out.

[@orangelloj346]

Thanks for the great content! I’m all over the place when it comes to what I watch on KZbin, but your channel is my favorite. I’ve been inspired to try quite a handful of your featured dishes and can’t wait to try more. Thanks for doing the difficult research and showcasing amazing cuisine.

[@thankfullynonumbers]

This was excellent. Thank you. As a Sydneysider with a Taiwanese wife, I can never quite wrap my head around the different approach. If you can muster the energy, I for one would happily welcome more videos like this. Thank you again - stellar work as always.

[@pinkmonkeybird2644]

Thank you! One of the most important skills I’ve acquired over the years of home cooking is timing dishes to be ready at roughly the same time. It takes practice to orchestrate even a simple healthy meal so that everyone can sit at the table and enjoy that time together. And I’m with you; I clean as I cook, mainly because, regardless of who does the final washing up, I cannot relax and enjoy my meal if I’m looking at a sink full of dirty dishes. I’d love some tips on how to maximize every inch of kitchen space, as I’ve got a small kitchen as well. I’ve done a decent job managing my pantry dry goods and spices, but I need help with cooking utensils and pots. Thanks in advance, and please keep up the great work. I’ve made so many great dishes from your videos, and I’m grateful you and Steph are willing to share what you know.

[@KaingMusic]

I’ve been so curious about this essential aspect of your kitchen. Timing is everything, especially when cooking several dishes, and it’s insane to spend two hours when you only need one. Thank you so much! Love you two!!

[@lilithgrrrl]

Ugh so jealous !! Looks so amazing, delicious and healthy

[@aaronsakulich4889]

I LOVE this video. Multiple fast easy recipes... good general concepts... all the cuts to photos and the associated text commentary... Chris wandering into the kitchen with a beer once all the hard stuff is done... a little bit of salt about people's attitudes towards cleaning... this made my day!

[@gosunflower]

Love your hand gestures

[@mandelbomb99]

To me, everything about this video is absolutely wonderful! From the easy dishes, the practical use of one cooking method being used for another, to the cleanup method. This is such a perfect all-around family meal video!

[@Revima]

Hey, Just wanted to say thanks for makin these videos. Always a joy to open up my YT and see it. :)

[@florcitabs]

I can only say: amazing and I really love you both (and your dog). Everything you upload is interesting, useful and fulfilling. Thanks so much

[@melissacorbett4180]

Would love to see more of these meal composition videos! Super informative!

[@hojeesum]

Great video and learned a lot! Please make more of these

[@gideonTeli]

i really liked this video... i hope you do more full meals.

[@obrachet]

Great idea to explain the full entangled process of making a meal for 4 people. Very interesting, great best practice! Thanks!

[@onegrapefruitlover]

This is the most helpful video ever! thanks

[@whozitwat1939]

This was incredibly wholesome and informative. Thank you!

[@evapetrone8380]

Much needed addition to the canon! I appreciate the bird's eye view of how a meal would come together, and I am particularly interested in some of the lighter, less flashy dishes that are not normally focused on. For instance, I'd love to see more 'basic' soups mentioned. I have a million ways I could put together a western soup, and there are plenty of examples of meat stock / master stock rich Chinese soups but very little focus in the west on the common soups that might be served with every meal. I am clueless as to how much seaweed is too much, what are alternative soup bases/flavorings, or where to begin with additions. Thanks again for the upload!

[@frankandrews58]

This video is awesome and finally get to see your face, so excited. Awesome channel and love every minute!!

[@reginabillotti]

Rice cookers are fantastic. I use it whenever I'm cooking rice (except for making risotto). And they are not unitaskers. You can cook other grains, lentils, and steam vegetables in them.

[@mrspowerpuff5]

This is such a useful video! Thank you for explaining the differences between different cultural meal styles, this video has already helped me expand my thinking on how to make well balanced, flavorful meals without overloading a single dish with too many ingredients! Thank you!

[@jesstucker6201]

this video was WICKED useful, thank you so much for sharing!! (also it makes me so happy to see people cleaning as they cook, it's something that is not often prioritized)

[@xucongzhan9151]

Hahahaha wok soup! It is indeed a great idea, though in Guangdong people don't like it that much. See, we value our "slow-cook" version of the soup more, which is much richer. Fun fact: In my school days at least, my buddies and I usually referred to it as "刷锅水", in a somewhat mocking manner, which literally means "wok washing water".😂 It came for free in our school canteens (usually seaweed with egg, or gourd with some meatless ribs), and we usually had a small bowl of it after meals, just like a cup of after-lunch coffee.

[@Lewis-TheNthLevel]

I've been watching your videos for a while, and they've really helped my refine what I'd learnt from recipe books, but (until last year) never actually seen done in a genuine way in China. Beyond that, I've got to say that the two of you are utterly adorable. You present in a calm, measured, and fluent way - and I think that you're one of the best channels, and certainly one of my favourite on KZbin.

[@exmanitor]

Would love to see another example of this, with different dishes! Love your channel!

[@ajwaddanwarr3409]

I have a new found appreciation for the wok after this video. It's so versatile!

[@vernshein5430]

The sign of mastery is plating all these foods and having them steaming hot and not over warmed in an oven.

[@ikyiAlter]

Hey! That's a new kitchen! Looking good!

[@Artzenflowers]

Looks amazing and delicious!

[@blizzard9789]

Awesome video! Nice to see a video discussing how to actually plan a meal. I reckon it would be cool to do a series of these with a dish assortment for each season

[@cmcginley20able]

Great video! Since starting to deep dive into Chinese cuisine, this something I've been curious about and rarely see addressed

[@SonnyJacobLee]

Loved this video! Need more samples for sets like these!

[@sariyahm]

I really appreciate this channel. I don't usually watch any non vegan cooking videos, but there's always so much to learn from you guys!

[@wittytui]

That's totally right! Thanks for sharing our culture💚 Every time when our Chinese family have dinner, it's just like having a mini buffet 😜

[@ChineseCookingDemystified]

Sometimes I like to say that the reason why high end 'tasting menus' never caught on here is that *every meal* can be a tasting menu, provided you got enough friends ;) Personally, I love my Western food too... but I just can't help but think the Chinese *style of eating* is just, like... better (I'm biased though, of course). Like, I always find myself scratching my head when I see 'modern' Chinese restaurants in the West mimicking the Western style of dining. I feel like the inverse would be much more interesting. Gimme some barbecue, stewed collards, etc etc that I can much on with chopsticks together with a big table of people downing beer from little ganbei cups haha

[@jeiberry]

@@ChineseCookingDemystified i agree chinese style of eating is really so good for sharing. Ordering three dishes at say, Olive Garden and sharing with my sister and a friend is not as easy as with chinese dining for sharing what we ordered with each other. Or just ordering two dishes to share between the three of us since the portions at Olive Garden are just that big (And with my sister going to a different college i cant share as much with her, which only enables me to finish large portions by myself. Having a boba all to myself sounds yummy until i remember I'd have all the sugar that's in it all to myself)

[@FortuitousOwl]

Honestly this is a video I didn’t know i needed!

[@kitchencounterculture8466]

This is super helpful, thank you!

[@royrottleb9362]

You guys did so many amazing videos to show „western“ people how to do Asian cooking. That was incredible! But with this video you stepped up even higher 😎 Absolutely amazing. Thank you very much for it and lots of love to you from Germany. Keep up the outstanding job you do 😊

[@thehollows]

I love your channel so much!

[@BearFoodKitchen]

Great video. A piece of reality is the prep time. 🐻♥️