Martin Yan

If you're in the mood for Chinese food, don't go out — try cooking it yourself! Cooking Chinese food at home can be quick, easy, and fun. To get started, you need to know the basic ingredients, tools, and techniques to make your Chinese cooking the best it can be.Basic Tools for Chinese CookingIn Chinese cooking (or any other cuisine), you can usually use the kitchen tools you already have.

This drunken chicken recipe doesn’t call for chickens who’ve had one too many martinis. It actually gets its name from the step of marinating moist, cooked chicken pieces overnight in Chinese rice wine mixed with sugar, ginger, and other flavorings. Credit: PhotoDisc, Inc. Preparation time: 25 minutesCooking time: 50 minutesYield: 4 servings 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/4 pounds) 3/4 cup chicken broth 1 cup Chinese rice wine 3 tablespoons brandy 3 tablespoons soy sauce 6 pieces ginger 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1/8 teaspoon white pepper Discard any lumps of fat from the chicken.

Removing shells from shrimp is pretty easy, whether they’re cooked or raw. To shell shrimp, you need just your hands. If you want, put on a pair of vinyl gloves to prevent shrimp-scented hands. If you have a fresh lemon, though, you can use some of the juice to wash away the “fragrance.”Hold the shrimp by the tail with one hand, and then use the thumb and forefinger of the other hand to grasp the shrimp’s legs and edge of the shell.

This twice-cooked pork recipe first simmers the pork in a fragrant mixture of rice wine, ginger, and green onions tenderizes it and keeps it moist, then finishes the dish by stir-frying the sliced, simmered pork with garlic and a chile-laced sauce to give it a final flavorful punch. Preparation time: 12 minutes Cooking time: About 40 minutes Yield: 4 servings 1 pound boneless pork butt 3 cups water 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine 3 to 4 pieces ginger 2 green onions 1⁄3 cup chicken broth 3 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon chile garlic sauce 3 tablespoons cooking oil 6 dried or fresh red chiles 2 garlic cloves 1/2 small head of napa cabbage 1 teaspoon cornstarch Thinly slice the ginger.

The tantalizing textures in this tofu dish run the gamut: It has light, airy pieces of fried tofu; chewy, tender button mushrooms; and crunchy roasted cashews. Combine all that with the bright green of the asparagus spears and the sweet-savory flavors of the stir-fry sauce, and you have a recipe that’s a feast for all the senses.

Hunan-Style Braised Fish is cooked with a spicy sauce that goes well with rice or noodles. You can make your own spicy, braised fish in the Hunan style with this recipe. Freshwater fish are perfect for pairing with zesty sauce. Any type of firm, moist white fish works in this dish. Choose one with a slightly fatty texture to provide a counterpoint to the sauce’s piquancy, such as sea bass, cod, or halibut.

Welcome to the wonderful world of mushrooms! This simple dish — the name says it all — introduces you to three different mushrooms, each with its own distinct texture and flavor. Really, it’s all about those different textures and flavors that intermingle in your mouth when you combine mushrooms in this way. Preparation time: 12 minutes Cooking time: 6 minutes Yield: 4 servings 8 to 10 fresh shiitake mushrooms 1 can (15 ounces) straw mushrooms 1 cup small button mushrooms 2 tablespoons cooking oil 8 basil leaves 1/3 cup chicken broth 1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauce 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch Halve the shiitake mushrooms.

The secret to making the perfect spring roll is having the oil hot enough, but not too hot. Make sure you heat it to 360 degrees rapidly. Serve the spring rolls hot with a dipping sauce. You can make your own spring roll dipping sauce, but any bottled sauce works, too. Credit: Ed Carey/Cole Group/PhotoDisc Preparation time: 1 hour Cooking time: 18 minutes Yield: 12 spring rolls 6 dried black mushrooms 2 tablespoons cooking oil 1/2 pound boneless pork 1 cabbage 2 green onions 2 tablespoons oyster-flavored sauce 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 1/4 cup chicken broth 1 cup bean sprouts 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch 12 spring roll wrappers Cooking oil for deep-frying Soak the mushrooms in warm water until softened, about 20 minutes.

In northern China, people enjoy this flavorful noodle dish hot or at room temperature. Enjoy ja jiang mein at whatever temperature you like. (And any time is noodle time in northern China.) In case you’re wondering, ja jiang mein translates to fried sauce noodles. It’s not the noodles that are fried, it’s how you cook up the sauce.