chinese food... is it all fried?

[lyscra]

Hello,

 

I got such a good response about the birthday that I thought I would ask about the foods that members wife's cook. Since my wife has gotten here 6 weeks ago I have gained quite a bit of weight, but she says that frying all the food is normal. We bought a half gallon of canola oil two weeks ago and it is half gone. Is this the norm?

 

Thanks!

[tonado]

Not normal at all. Stir fried is normal. Steam veggies are good too.

[Dennis143]

Hello,

 

I got such a good response about the birthday that I thought I would ask about the foods that members wife's cook. Since my wife has gotten here 6 weeks ago I have gained quite a bit of weight, but she says that frying all the food is normal. We bought a half gallon of canola oil two weeks ago and it is half gone. Is this the norm?

 

Thanks!

Chinese do not bake. Everything is cooked on the stove top. Stir fry is still 'fried'. They seem to like to boil their meat more than fry it though. Much of their cooking techniques come from wok cooking over an open flame.

 

My wife uses a lot of oil too. Canola and peanut oils seem to be her favorites. I have gotten her to switch to olive oil which I think is probably healthier.

[tonado]

Hello,

 

I got such a good response about the birthday that I thought I would ask about the foods that members wife's cook. Since my wife has gotten here 6 weeks ago I have gained quite a bit of weight, but she says that frying all the food is normal. We bought a half gallon of canola oil two weeks ago and it is half gone. Is this the norm?

 

Thanks!

Chinese do not bake. Everything is cooked on the stove top. Stir fry is still 'fried'. They seem to like to boil their meat more than fry it though. Much of their cooking techniques come from wok cooking over an open flame.

 

My wife uses a lot of oil too. Canola and peanut oils seem to be her favorites. I have gotten her to switch to olive oil which I think is probably healthier.

 

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/cookingfaqs/f/stirfryoil.htm

 

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/cookingfaq...fryoliveoil.htm

 

"Deep-frying is another story. The smoking point of olive oil varies between 375 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit (190.5 to 200 degrees Celsius), which can be a little low."

Edited July 15, 2007 by tonado (see edit history)

[chilton747]

The chinese have chosen the cheapest oil they can find. Olive oil in China is expensive. I cook most all my meals with olive oil. I can tell you that a liter bottle lasts about 3 weeks easily. So far I am steadily losing weight each week doing this. Maybe she does need to back off with the oil some.

[bosco]

Ling is very careful about the amount of oil she uses. She stir-fry's a lot of stuff but with the no-stick pans she's learned that a teaspoonful is usually plenty---and only corn oil for her.

[esun41]

Not to be a party pooper but I am getting tired of Chinese food. We eat it all the time. When she shops, it is only to cook Chinese food recipes. My fridge is full of Chinese veggies and my freezer full of dumplings and pigs feet.

 

 

 

Damn, what I would do for a pot roast slow roasted with red bliss potatoes and carrots. For dessert, cherry cheesecake.

 

 

 

(BTW, my wife uses peanut oil, little saturation and no taste interference with her cooking)

[bosco]

Not to be a party pooper but I am getting tired of Chinese food. We eat it all the time. When she shops, it is only to cook Chinese food recipes. My fridge is full of Chinese veggies and my freezer full of dumplings and pigs feet.

 

 

 

Damn, what I would do for a pot roast slow roasted with red bliss potatoes and carrots. For dessert, cherry cheesecake.

 

 

 

(BTW, my wife uses peanut oil, little saturation and no taste interference with her cooking)

 

 

Is there some reason you can't cook that roast yourself?????

[Dennis143]

Not to be a party pooper but I am getting tired of Chinese food. We eat it all the time. When she shops, it is only to cook Chinese food recipes. My fridge is full of Chinese veggies and my freezer full of dumplings and pigs feet.

 

 

 

Damn, what I would do for a pot roast slow roasted with red bliss potatoes and carrots. For dessert, cherry cheesecake.

 

 

 

(BTW, my wife uses peanut oil, little saturation and no taste interference with her cooking)

Oh Eric, you speak such truth... http://i18.tinypic.com/6f4tdgw.gif

[esun41]

Not to be a party pooper but I am getting tired of Chinese food. We eat it all the time. When she shops, it is only to cook Chinese food recipes. My fridge is full of Chinese veggies and my freezer full of dumplings and pigs feet.

 

 

 

Damn, what I would do for a pot roast slow roasted with red bliss potatoes and carrots. For dessert, cherry cheesecake.

 

 

 

(BTW, my wife uses peanut oil, little saturation and no taste interference with her cooking)

 

 

Is there some reason you can't cook that roast yourself?????

 

 

 

Yeah... I'm a lazy SOB!

[bosco]

So if your wife doesn't cook you starve? Who cooked before she got here?

[jim_julian]

Other Chinese staples that are not fried in the wok:

 

- Dumplings and noodles

- Many many delicious soups

[mchina34]

Hello,

 

I got such a good response about the birthday that I thought I would ask about the foods that members wife's cook. Since my wife has gotten here 6 weeks ago I have gained quite a bit of weight, but she says that frying all the food is normal. We bought a half gallon of canola oil two weeks ago and it is half gone. Is this the norm?

 

Thanks!

 

 

that's normal. gross, but normal ;-) they don't have ranges/ovens for the most part, though it is becoming more common on the mainland with new generation condos. they rarely use a grill, so there's nothing else to cook with. and, they almost never eat their veggies raw like we do...so even vegetables will be cooked in oil.

 

 

sometimes they steam the foods, but that's it. cantonese, from what i hear, do more steaming of foods than mainland, but all depends on the part of china.

 

and, soups are very common at nearly every sitting.

 

 

 

suggestions:

 

-try to use oils that are better for you like olive oil. you will have to experiment with that as oils burn at different temperatures, so the food needs to be cooked slightly different in some cases depending on the oil uses and its weight.

 

-try cooking more soups and fishes as well, and less starchy foods especially if you are all ready eating rice often. too much rice is fattening and turns into sugar/fat.

 

 

-use less meat like they do in china. one thing that i like from china that's easy and not too fattening is cauliflower and chicken(can be ommitted). use a little oil, throw in the cauliflower, salt, sliced garlic...wait a few minutes until a little brown, throw in thinly veiled cihcken breast meat, wait a few mins, add a little chinese vinegar and a little water and let simmer for few mins until chicken is cooked and cauliflower soft but still firm. something like that will have oil, but most of it will be at the bottom of the bowl, especially with the little water added. chicken breast is not fattening, cauliflower, even though cooked, is still good and of course garlic is good for ya. we also cook most of the dishes as vegetables and normally only one meat dish, and little meat at that.

[NewDay2006]

The good news is my wife doesnt cook, I think . Her mother does all the cooking. I don't like to much fried food. I do like some fried fish and fried oysters though. While I can stand to lose some weight, high colesthrol is not my problem.... just a big belly :

 

Funny thing is, my wife likes to eat a lot of fruit. she will eat dinner and then want fruit when we got home... that was suprising.

 

I told her she will eat alot of vegatables when she gets here, but she was under the impression that all veggies we ate were raw... until I showed her some collard greens i made on though 4th of july...

 

She told me she liked fruit because they are in the air and veggies are on the ground, so I guess she had a concern for eating clean food.

Edited July 15, 2007 by NewDay2006 (see edit history)

[hakkamike]

So if your wife doesn't cook you starve? Who cooked before she got here?

He is the manager of a Restaurant