Hoisin Sauce

If you want Chinese food in a hurry, you could drop by your local carryout. But in probably less time than it takes to phone in your order and pick it up, you could cook your meal at home. Celebrity chef Martin Yan shows you how in his latest Public Broadcasting Service series, Martin Yan Quick & Easy, and in the companion cookbook of the same name (Chronicle Books, 2004, $24.95). The book contains more than 150 recipes for familiar Asian fare that can be made in less than 30 minutes, including sesame-orange beef, miso soup and sesame noodles.

Most every home cook has a particular approach to the weeknight meal. Some of us are really into doing ahead. Slow cookers are their thing. On the other hand, unless we're whipping up goodies for a dinner party, others of us can't bear the thoughts of starting supper in the wee hours of the workaday morning so it'll be ready at dinner time. (And we certainly don't want to deal with it the night before.) Indeed, the only challenge we're willing to take on in the morning is figuring out what to remove from the freezer to thaw for later.

Cooking With Three Ingredients: Flavorful Food Easy as 1, 2, 3 by Andrew Schloss (Quill, 2003, $17.95) inspires a mix of elation, shame and validation in those of us who have a love/hate relationship with the kitchen. The title of the book, reissued in paperback, speaks to the cooking conundrum faced by so many: Why does preparing a delicious meal have to be complicated? And, just because you say you like to cook, does it mean you also like to tangle with complicated procedures for achieving perfect textures and taste fusions?

Chez Jacques Traditions and Rituals of a Cook Chocolate & Zucchini Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen By Clotilde Dusoulier Broadway Books / 2007 / $18.95 Clotilde Dusoulier named her popular food blog, and now her first cookbook, to convey her agreeably split culinary personality: health nut with a sweet tooth. In her chatty, accessible book, she combined the title ingredients in only a couple of dishes - Cacao and Zucchini Absorption Pasta, and Chocolate & Zucchini Cake. But unlike veteran French chef Jacques Pepin, this Internet-era upstart does not shy away from offbeat food pairings.

Shrimp has become no-fuss convenience food. Most of the work has been done and shrimp is ready to rumble. It's available peeled and deveined (P&D is the industry term), raw or cooked, and can be found in supermarkets and warehouse stores (either flash frozen in thick plastic bags or thawed and sold at the fish counter). This dish is often quite spicy. But you can regulate the amount of fire by reducing the amount of Asian chili sauce to 1 teaspoon instead of 2. Cathy Thomas writes for the Orange County (Calif.

Main-dish salads, especially those that work hot or cold, add flexibility to a cook's schedule. If you have time, you could make this dish before work and have it waiting when you return home. This recipe uses Japanese soba noodles, made of buckwheat and wheat, which add heft to an entree salad. These are sold in many supermarkets, as well as ethnic and specialty stores. (However, spaghetti noodles will work just fine.) Likewise, if you can't find hoisin sauce, 4 tablespoons of soy sauce can be used in place of the hoisin/soy combination.

Moms really get stereotyped. When it's Father's Day, Dad gets a choice of steak, lobster or ribs -- robust, delicious, finger-licking foods. But Mom? What is she served on Mother's Day? Delicate little creature that she is, she gets tiny little morsels of food -- a shrimp cocktail, a single chocolate-dipped strawberry. Presumably these offerings reflect the genteel woman's sensitive nature. Nonsense. Women have appetites that are just as robust as those of most men. Moms deserve a satisfying meal on their day. Give up on the cream-cheese-frosted sandwich loaf.

One of my favorite recipe collections is "Chopstix," by Hugh Carpenter, which blends American cuisine so simply with Chinese, Thai and even Mexican flavors. This dish, Oriental burritos, marries the most classic Chinese flavorings with south-of-the-border style. Since it can be eaten by hand, it makes for a casual, friendly meal.To round out the main dish, serve a simple salad of shredded lettuce and quickly steamed snow peas (or buy frozen, stemmed snow peas and thaw before tossing) and a peeled, sliced fresh orange.

In contrast to the pretensions of some cookbooks and the missionary sense of purpose of others, an offering occasionally comes along that is relaxed, refreshing and just plain fun. I'm happy to report that the "Fog City Diner Cookbook" (Ten Speed Press, $24.95) is such a book.The format is more or less a menu with recipes, which makes sense because the author, Cindy Pawlcyn, is the chef of the Fog City Diner in San Francisco. The Diner is a place you may have seen in credit card commercials.

Chez Jacques Traditions and Rituals of a Cook Chocolate & Zucchini Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen By Clotilde Dusoulier Broadway Books / 2007 / $18.95 Clotilde Dusoulier named her popular food blog, and now her first cookbook, to convey her agreeably split culinary personality: health nut with a sweet tooth. In her chatty, accessible book, she combined the title ingredients in only a couple of dishes - Cacao and Zucchini Absorption Pasta, and Chocolate & Zucchini Cake. But unlike veteran French chef Jacques Pepin, this Internet-era upstart does not shy away from offbeat food pairings.

Shrimp has become no-fuss convenience food. Most of the work has been done and shrimp is ready to rumble. It's available peeled and deveined (P&D is the industry term), raw or cooked, and can be found in supermarkets and warehouse stores (either flash frozen in thick plastic bags or thawed and sold at the fish counter). This dish is often quite spicy. But you can regulate the amount of fire by reducing the amount of Asian chili sauce to 1 teaspoon instead of 2. Cathy Thomas writes for the Orange County (Calif.

If you want Chinese food in a hurry, you could drop by your local carryout. But in probably less time than it takes to phone in your order and pick it up, you could cook your meal at home. Celebrity chef Martin Yan shows you how in his latest Public Broadcasting Service series, Martin Yan Quick & Easy, and in the companion cookbook of the same name (Chronicle Books, 2004, $24.95). The book contains more than 150 recipes for familiar Asian fare that can be made in less than 30 minutes, including sesame-orange beef, miso soup and sesame noodles.

Main-dish salads, especially those that work hot or cold, add flexibility to a cook's schedule. If you have time, you could make this dish before work and have it waiting when you return home. This recipe uses Japanese soba noodles, made of buckwheat and wheat, which add heft to an entree salad. These are sold in many supermarkets, as well as ethnic and specialty stores. (However, spaghetti noodles will work just fine.) Likewise, if you can't find hoisin sauce, 4 tablespoons of soy sauce can be used in place of the hoisin/soy combination.

Cooking With Three Ingredients: Flavorful Food Easy as 1, 2, 3 by Andrew Schloss (Quill, 2003, $17.95) inspires a mix of elation, shame and validation in those of us who have a love/hate relationship with the kitchen. The title of the book, reissued in paperback, speaks to the cooking conundrum faced by so many: Why does preparing a delicious meal have to be complicated? And, just because you say you like to cook, does it mean you also like to tangle with complicated procedures for achieving perfect textures and taste fusions?

Hidden off Hickory Ridge Road in Columbia is China Chefs, a Chinese restaurant that caters to business clientele and large parties with three main seating areas in spacious rooms. "We are proud of the style and taste of the food we serve," manager Paul C. Lim says. He credits the consistent quality of the food to his chef, who has been cooking at China Chefs since it opened 12 years ago. The menu features regional specialties: from Taipei, Ginger Pork Chops (pork chops simmered with fresh ginger sauce)

Moms really get stereotyped. When it's Father's Day, Dad gets a choice of steak, lobster or ribs -- robust, delicious, finger-licking foods. But Mom? What is she served on Mother's Day? Delicate little creature that she is, she gets tiny little morsels of food -- a shrimp cocktail, a single chocolate-dipped strawberry. Presumably these offerings reflect the genteel woman's sensitive nature. Nonsense. Women have appetites that are just as robust as those of most men. Moms deserve a satisfying meal on their day. Give up on the cream-cheese-frosted sandwich loaf.

Hidden off Hickory Ridge Road in Columbia is China Chefs, a Chinese restaurant that caters to business clientele and large parties with three main seating areas in spacious rooms. "We are proud of the style and taste of the food we serve," manager Paul C. Lim says. He credits the consistent quality of the food to his chef, who has been cooking at China Chefs since it opened 12 years ago. The menu features regional specialties: from Taipei, Ginger Pork Chops (pork chops simmered with fresh ginger sauce)

Most every home cook has a particular approach to the weeknight meal. Some of us are really into doing ahead. Slow cookers are their thing. On the other hand, unless we're whipping up goodies for a dinner party, others of us can't bear the thoughts of starting supper in the wee hours of the workaday morning so it'll be ready at dinner time. (And we certainly don't want to deal with it the night before.) Indeed, the only challenge we're willing to take on in the morning is figuring out what to remove from the freezer to thaw for later.

One of my favorite recipe collections is "Chopstix," by Hugh Carpenter, which blends American cuisine so simply with Chinese, Thai and even Mexican flavors. This dish, Oriental burritos, marries the most classic Chinese flavorings with south-of-the-border style. Since it can be eaten by hand, it makes for a casual, friendly meal.To round out the main dish, serve a simple salad of shredded lettuce and quickly steamed snow peas (or buy frozen, stemmed snow peas and thaw before tossing) and a peeled, sliced fresh orange.

Szechuan House, 1427 York Road (next to the Galleria), Lutherville; (410) 825-8181. Open every day for lunch and dinner. Major credit cards. No-smoking area: yes. Wheelchair-accessible: yes. Prices: appetizers, $1.25-$4.95; entrees, $4.25-$18.95. I can name only a few Chinese restaurants in Baltimore that people are willing to travel any distance for. And why should they? Most places have interchangeable names like the Hunan Gourmet Dragon and Golden Szechuan Palace; and the food seems pretty interchangeable, too. Not bad, but predictable.