Wine Making

Special Ingredients: Shark Fins & Birds Nest




Home Spas: They're Not Just For The Rich & Famous Anymore!
Aaah, a spa. It used to be that you needed a Hollywood mansion to even entertain the thought; but now, home spas are popping up everywhere you look and with good reason.

The .....


There are wide variety of ingredients in Chinese cooking. The

ingredients that we normally see can be divided into two major

kinds: vegetable and animal. Vegetable ingredients can be

further divided into vegetables, beans, fresh fruits, dried

fruits, seasonings, vegetable fat, etc. Animal ingredients can

be further divided into meat, internal organs (not everyone

likes them), poltry, aquatic product, egg product. There are

also a selection of special ingredients that we don't often use

in our daily cooking. They are either rare and expensive that we

only see them in high class hotels or restuarants, or we use

them for special occasions, or from time to time when we want

something different for a change. Some of these inexpensive

special ingredients are getting more popular nowadays due to

their nutritional values and unique tastes.



In this chapter I'll introduce the two finest and most expensive

ingredients in Chinese cooking.



Shark Fins



Shark fins are one of the finest delicacies in Chinese food.

They are dried in one of two forms - whole or shredded and

formed into a square. The best are from Africa.



Method for preparation: Wash

shark fins and boil for 30 minutes Soak in cold water

for 2 hours and remove rough skin. Simmer for another 3

hours and soak 4 hours in cold water. Remove soft

bones, be careful not to break shark fin pieces. Change water

and simmer for 3 hours. Soak again in cold water until

soft Boil with fresh ginger for 1 ~ 2 times to remove

smell from shark fins. Place in deep casserole, add chicken soup

stock and steam for 1 hour. Do not use iron pot as shark fins

will turn dark in color.



Bird's Nest



Bird's nest, one of the most delicate ingredients in Chinese

cooking, is produced in Annam, Thailand and Singapore regions.

The Annam bird's nest is considered to be the best in both

quality and color.





Method for preparation: Soak

Cantonese Regional Cuisine


Easily the most well-known of the Chinese regional cuisines,

Cantonese cuisine comes from the region around Canton in

Southern China. Simple spices and a wide variety .....
bird's nest for 3 ~ 4 hours in cold water, remove pinfeathers

and foreign particles with a pincette, rinse well and soften in

hot water. Place softened bird's nest in soup stock

seasoned with salt and cooking wine, steam for about 30 minutes

and serve. Note: You may freely republish this recipe

as long as author bio and active hyperlinks are kept intact.

Thank you!



About the author:

Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and

emobile-news.com. She

is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with

multiple web sites. She will be pursuing singing career in

China.



The articles and content provided on this website have been contributed by guest authors, and may not reflect the views, opinions, thoughts or beliefs of http://www.wine-making.me.uk/ or its staff. We are not responsible for copyright infringements by columnists, writers and authors. We do not necessarily endorse or promote the services, advice or products by, from and mentioned by any authors, writers or columnists. http://www.wine-making.me.uk/ will not be liable for any loss or damage suffered by a user through the user's reliance on information and advice gained through the articles, interviews, stories, columns, and any and all writings viewed on this website.