Our survey is unscientific, but emphatic: Kids love Chinese food. They appreciate the flavors, as well as the opportunity to practice the customs of different cultures. It's the taste, and not the takeout containers that they relish, so there is no reason why you can't duplicate Chinese menus in your own family kitchen.
Chinese cooking basically means stir-frying. For this, you need all your ingredients cut into bite-size pieces so they will cook quickly. Cutting, chopping and otherwise preparing your ingredients in advance will take time, but you can invite your kids to help. The actual cooking time is confined to tossing ingredients in a pan over very high heat for minutes.
You do not need to use a wok. A 12-inch, seasoned, cast-iron skillet, or a pan with either an enameled or a nonstick surface, works equally well. (A skillet with a nonstick surface will enable you to cook with less oil, but it is essential to use some oil because this ingredient seals in flavor and color, and prevents your vegetables from burning.) If you are using a wok or a cast-iron skillet, you should heat the pan before adding the peanut oil. Stir-frying always should be done in hot, hot oil.
One purchase I have made without regret is a rice cooker. I use it at least once a week, and every time I do, I give it a grateful little pat. Rice cookers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Mine is a small, $35, 5-cup cooker that turns out perfect brown or white rice each time, and also can be used as a steamer. The measurements for rice and water are straightforward, and the heat turns off when the rice is done. Rinsing the rice before cooking it guarantees a less starchy rice.
The order of ingredients given for the following recipes is the order in which they must be added to your pan. Most of the recipes call for items that can be purchased at your local grocery store. However, if you live in an urban area, it's a lot of fun to explore Chinese markets with your kids. They may not beg for the dried shrimp or the preserved beans, but they may find the assorted rice candies tempting. You will discover a variety of tasty sauces and condiments, as well as rice bowls and chopsticks, to add authenticity to your meals. Be sure to serve fortune cookies for dessert--if your kids tweeze out the enclosed strips of paper, they can even insert fortunes of their own devising.
Rebecca Lazear Okrent is a regular contributor to FAMILYFUN.
