Ching's F world

Great time filming the Rachael Ray Show

2011-10-18T01:12:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, have had such a great time filming with Rachael Ray - love her show so it's so amazing to be on it! I made a tasty dish of Oyster Sauce Chicken with Rice. Look out for me on Friday October 21st. Ching x

Tonight's all about healthy take out

2011-10-15T00:58:00.001-07:00

If you like a takeout, tonight's Easy Chinese: San Francisco show is perfect as it's all about 'Healthy Takeout Favourites'. I'll be teaching a busy family how to make a healthy-homemade version of take out with Sweet and Sour Fish Fillets and Vegetable Chow Mein.

I'll also be at the Far West Fungi Mushroom Farm to pick up ingredients for my fragrant Posh Chop Suey and I'll have the pleasure of being accompanied by chef Chris Constantino at San Francisco’s Ferry Plaza Market to scout out the freshest ingredients the city has to offer. Tune in to the Cooking Channel!

Ching x

Delicious dim sum and great company on The Today Show

2011-10-13T10:03:00.000-07:00

Had a great time in New York this morning on The Today Show with TV presenter Al Roker. We made delicious dim sum - boiled pork and prawn wontons and chicken and mushroom steamed siu mai dumplings - delicious! Here I am with Al and The Today Show team. Ching x

Cooking in Rockefeller Plaza for NBC

2011-10-12T22:14:00.000-07:00

This morning I'll be in the centre of Midtown Manhattan at Rockefeller Plaza cooking some delicious dim sum live for NBC's Today Show. There'll be plenty of chatter. What a shame the ice rink doesn't open until Saturday - I love getting my skates on!

Press day in New York

2011-10-11T02:39:00.000-07:00

Today I am cooking at one of New York's most famed Dim Sum restaurants, Golden Unicorn. Very excited to be preparing tasty dishes for some great journalist friends, while showcasing my new US edition book, Ching's Everyday Easy Chinese and Cooking Channel TV show, Easy Chinese: San Francisco. Happy wokking all, love Ching. x

It’s a hot show this week…

2011-10-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

Join me on Saturday for Easy Chinese: San Francisco on the Cooking Channel for some Szechuan cuisine, one of my favourites! I’ll be visiting father and daughter restaurateurs, Kathy and Peter Fang (see above - aren’t they gorgeous!). Check out the images further up for the dishes we create – Mapo Dofu and Szechuan-style Crispy Shrimp. I’ll also be at the San Jose Farmers Market (top image!) buying some great fresh produce - see you there. Ching x

Beautiful tableware in beautiful Ireland

2011-09-29T23:35:00.000-07:00

So excited to be celebrating my new tableware range at Brown Thomas in Dublin today. Come and join in the chatter between 12pm and 2pm – I’ll even be signing a few copies of Ching’s Fast Food, so be quick!

It’s Wok you do with it that counts!

2011-09-29T11:00:00.000-07:00

Saturday’s episode of Easy Chinese: San Francisco will be all about wok skills and simple stir-fries. See me at the famous Wok Shop with the legendary Tane Chan and I’ll be exploring the essential sauces, oils and ‘holy trinity’ of Chinese spices – chilli, ginger and garlic. Tune in to the Cooking Channel! :)

Saturday's premiere only three days away!

2011-09-21T04:50:00.000-07:00

The official premiere of Easy Chinese: San Francisco airs on Saturday and it's all about one of my favourite types of food - Fast Food Street Food. The show is on the Cooking Channel (Direct TV channel 232, Dish Network 113, check your local listings) Also check out the Cooking Channel website for updates.

See me cook specialities like Paper Wrapped Crispy Salt with Black Pepper Chicken and Braised Pork Belly Bao with Peanuts. See a sneak peek above and below of my great meeting with the Chairman Bao Bun food truck where we served up succulent pork belly - yum!

Bowled over by Berkeley Bowl

2011-09-18T04:53:00.000-07:00

Cooking at Berkeley Bowl - a truly amazing full-service, independent supermarket - in last night's 'sneak peek' episode of Easy Chinese: San Francisco. The show was all about fast food and street food - I just love it there! Next week's show has the same fast and easy theme - catch me on the Cooking Channel (Direct TV channel 232, Dish Network 113, check your local listings), also check out the Cooking Channel website. Enjoy, Ching x

One day to go!

2011-09-16T07:03:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited about my new US show Easy Chinese: San Francisco going out tomorrow. It's on the Cooking Channel (Direct TV channel 232, Dish Network 113, check your local listings).

There'll be regular updates on the Cooking Channel website too. Stay tuned for some fascinating people, places - and dishes of course!

Fabulous time had at Flavour Fest!

2011-08-25T03:03:00.000-07:00

A wonderful time was had at Flavour Fest last weekend. Here I am on stage with handsome chef, Jaques Marchal - I was honoured to have had such a talented assistant. It was a wonderful day, made even better by the sun coming out, despite it being rainy at first!

I must give a big thank you to Liz Lawson and her team for displaying and organising my new tableware range and thanks to Myke and the girls at the Waterstones tent for helping me sell my books.

The biggest thank you though, goes to everyone who stopped by to say hello and for your support and kind words - it means a great deal! I look forward to returning again to beautiful Plymouth and Flavourful Flavour Fest.

(Image courtesy of Dave Styles, Food is Fun)

This Morning!

2011-08-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

Loved appearing on ITV's This Morning today - here's my sweet and spicy prawn recipe. Happy wokking! :)

Iron Chef America

2011-07-24T04:42:00.000-07:00

Hi all - I'm loving New York this weekend, great to be back. I’m filming Iron Chef America. Each week, world-class chefs battle the legendary Iron Chefs – I’ll be posting piccies as soon as I can so watch this space. Ching x

Mid-Week Noodle Treat!

2011-06-29T08:18:00.000-07:00

I can't resist a mid-week noodle treat! Char siu roast pork noodle soupis out of my latest book, Ching's Fast Food and once prepped and marinated is super-quick to cook - ideal for a mid-week after work indulgence. Enjoy x

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 20 minutes for marinating l Cook in: 20 minutes l Serves: 2

2 pork fillets

200g (7oz) dried udon (flat

wheat-flour) noodles

1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil

600ml (1 pint) vegetable stock

2 small pak choy, leaves

separated

1 spring onion, finely sliced

2 small handfuls of bean

sprouts

For the marinade

2 cloves of garlic, finely

chopped

1 tbsp of peeled and grated

root ginger

2 tbsps of yellow bean sauce

2 tbsps of runny honey

2 tbsps of light soy sauce

2 tbsps of Shaohsing rice wine

or dry sherry

½ tsp of dark soy sauce

2 tbsps of groundnut oil

1. Put all the ingredients for the marinade into a bowl and stir

to combine. Add the pork and turn to coat, then cover the

bowl and leave to marinate for 20 minutes.

2. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F),

gas mark 6.

3. Heat a griddle pan or frying pan on a high heat, and when it

begins to smoke, cook the pork for 2 minutes on each side

or until the outside edges are glazed and sticky. Transfer the

pork to a roasting tin and roast in the oven for 12 minutes.

Leave to rest for 5 minutes and then slice.

4. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a saucepan of boiling

water for 2–3 minutes until al dente, or according to the

instructions on the packet. Drain, then rinse under cold

running water and drain again. Drizzle with the toasted

sesame oil and toss together to prevent the noodles from

sticking to each other.

5. Pour the vegetable stock into a separate saucepan and bring

to the boil. Add the pak choy leaves and sliced spring onion

and remove from the heat.

6. Divide the cooked noodles between two bowls, add a handful

of bean sprouts to each bowl and ladle over the soup stock

with the pak choy leaves and spring onion. Top with the

sliced roast pork and serve immediately.

Launch of my new tableware range

2011-06-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

Amazing turn out at the launch of my new tableware range at Exclusively Housewares earlier today. Lovely journalists and customers of Typhoon, who manufacture my products. Can't wait to see the products in stores!

Wonderfully light Prawn and Cucumber Salad

2011-06-01T01:27:00.000-07:00

I just love the summer and today being the 1st of June, I thought it an ideal day to share with you one of my favourite tasty summer dishes - enjoy! Ching x

Girl Power

2011-05-18T00:52:00.000-07:00

Really looking forward to tomorrow's Asian Women of Achievement Awards. I'm proud to have been shortlisted in the Media Professional of the Year category – best dig out a fancy dress!

Over their 12-year history, the Awards have recognised and provided a platform for an exciting generation of Asian female groundbreakers – such as comedy actress Nina Wadia; civil rights activist Shami Chakrabarti; and the first Asian woman to lead a FTSE 250 business, Ruby McGregor-Smith.

So many highly regarded women attend the event - the pic shows awards founder Pinky Lilani OBE, awards patron Cherie Blair and the winners from last year’s awards - so excited!

Fingers crossed:)

Honeymoon on a Plate

2011-05-11T04:59:00.000-07:00

This recipe is my gift to Kate and Will – a perfect recipe that will echo the sweet, sour, salty, bitter and fragrant times that life will throw their way, like a true Chinese dish – the process will be fun, the dish delicious and no doubt be balanced and full of flavour!

Beef in Oyster Sauce

Ingredients:

For the beef

350g/12oz beef fillet

1 tsp light soy sauce

1½ tbsp oyster sauce

pinch sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp groundnut oil

3 cloves garlie, finely chopped

1 chili, de-seeded, finely chopped

200g/7oz baby spinach leaves

1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry

pinch of dried chilli flakes

For the oyster mushrooms

1 tsp groundnut oil

100g/3½oz oyster mushrooms

dash Chinese black rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar

dash light soy sauce

Preparation method

1. For the beef, place the fillet in between two sheets of cling film and bash with a meat mallet or rolling pin until half as thin. Slice the beef into thin pieces and place into a bowl, then season with the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

2. Heat a wok until smoking and add one tablespoon of the groundnut oil, then add the garlic and chilli. Stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the spinach leaves and toss for a few seconds, until warmed through. Pile onto a large serving plate.

3.Place the wok back on the heat and add the remaining oil, then add the beef slices and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the beef is cooked to your liking. Pour in the Shaoxing rice wine and sprinkle over the dried chilli flakes. Pile the beef over the spinach leaves.

4.For the oyster mushrooms, heat the oil in the wok and add the oyster mushrooms, stir frying for one minute. Add a small splash of water to create some steam to help the mushrooms cook, then season, to taste, with the black rice vinegar and light soy sauce.

5.Spoon the oyster mushrooms over the beef and serve.

(Recipe from Chinese Food Made Easy, published by Harper Collins, for the recipe video go to the BBC2 website)

Foodie heaven in NYC!

2011-05-07T06:01:00.000-07:00

Although it’s a little cloudy today, Springtime in New York always makes me feel alive. No wonder it has inspired poets, songwriters, artists and photographers – there is just something inherently energising about the place at this time of year.

Plus, I’ve a whole weekend of foodie fun to look forward to thanks to the second LUCKYRICE Festival! Tonight I’m off to The Grand Feast in the glorious surroundings of the Mandarin Oriental Ballroom with breath-taking views across Central Park. Prepared by an acclaimed line up of Asian master chefs as well as those from the LUCKYRICE culinary council, The Grand Feast is going to be something really special with the flavours of Korea, Taiwan, Maau and Malaysia all set to delight. Then on Sunday, I’m really looking forward to hosting the Talk + Taste event from 1 until 4 at the Astor Center. There’s going to be so much to see and do there and the event’s interactive style really makes for a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. Guests can alternate between six demos by star chefs in the Professional Demo Kitchen as well as a chance to join in various food samplings, beverage tastings and culinary showcases in the adjoining lounge at the Astor Centre. Looking forward to seeing the stellar chef line up including Ming Tsai (Blue Ginger), Angelo Sosa (Social Eatz) and Jennifer Maeng. If you're attending do come and say hello!

Love Ching x

Lucky me at LUCKYRICE!

2011-05-06T04:32:00.000-07:00

NYC’s sell-out LUCKYRICE Festival kicked off in style earlier this week at Anita Lo’s hugely popular and widely regarded annisa restaurant - a beautifully-crafted dinner with wine pairings and tantalising courses such as ‘Night Market’ a Sea Food medley with Curry Laksa Sauce and ‘Macau’ – pork tenderloin with Manila Clams, Black Beans and Green Garlic to name but two.

As befits as a chef of Lo’s stature, the divinely crafted menu was a feast of imagination, creativity and culinary craftsmanship and there couldn’t have been a better start to a Festival that has been described as ‘about as high end as these things get’ with leading chefs including David Chang and Mashaharu Morimoto presenting.

It’s such a pleasure to be here at this time and purchasers of a Festival VIP Passport certainly made a shrewd move, with access to four signature events, it really does represent great value for money. A firm favourite from last year certainly didn’t disappoint – the Asian Night Market provided an inspirational hotbed of talent, taste and cultural touch points. Just looking forward to the weekend now and preparations for my event are going well. A busy few days ahead...

Love Ching x

Join Me for Lunch!

2011-04-26T01:12:00.000-07:00

As part of The Asia House Festival of Asian Literature, I’ll be demonstrating some delicious recipes from my new book, Ching’s Fast Food, at a lunchtime event on Friday May 13^th, 12.30pm – 2pm, at Asia House.

There’ll be plenty of chatter and sampling too, plus a goody bag for everyone who attends. It would be great if you could join me.

Tickets cost £20, concessions and Asia House Friends, £15. To book call T:020 7307 5454 or email enquiries@asiahouse.co.uk and visit Asia House for the full address and more information.

Thanks,

Ching x

Easter Foodie Thoughts

2011-04-20T07:01:00.000-07:00

As Easter approaches, many chefs turn to traditional lamb dishes, but I can’t help getting excited about chicken and eggs, not the chocolate ones – although those are good too!

Chicken has always been a favourite of mine as it’s so versatile. Chicken breast tends to be so popular, but for me there’s something very special about the juicy thigh meat, especially when making Salty Crispy Chicken served with a side of rice or chunky chips and a beer, perfect for an Easter picnic – yum.

But for something a little more suitable to enjoy with family and friends around a table, below is some chicken and egg inspiration from my new book, Ching’s Fast Food. These are light, healthy and quick recipes offering a little oriental balance if you have overdone it with the Easter eggs!

Love,

Ching x

Ps. To make sure these recipes are extra tasty and better for you – please use chickens who have had a happy life and eggs from a happy hen – and that means at least free range or organic if possible. Thank you

Oyster-sauce chicken with ginger and shiitake mushrooms

This is one of my own flavour combinations, inspired by southern Chinese dishes from regions such as Canton and Fujian, where the combination of meat and seafood is very common. I hope you like it!

Prep time: 10 minutes l Cook in: 9 minutes l Serves: 2–4 to share

Chicken & Duck

2 chicken thighs and

3 drumsticks (500g/1lb 2ozin total), skinned and the meatier parts sliced off but keeping some of the flesh on the bone (or use skinless,boneless chicken thighs)

Salt and ground white pepper

1 tbsp of potato flour or cornflour

1 tbsp of groundnut oil

2.5cm (1in) piece of root ginger, peeled and sliced

1 tbsp of Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry

5 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

2 large spring onions, sliced on the diagonal

For the sauce

1 tbsp of light soy sauce

1 tbsp of oyster sauce

1 tbsp of chilli sauce

100ml (3½fl oz) cold vegetable stock

1. Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and season with salt and

pepper. Add the potato flour or cornflour and mix well to

coat the chicken. Pour all the ingredients for the sauce into

another bowl and stir together to combine.

2. Heat a wok over a high heat until it starts to smoke and add

the groundnut oil. Add the ginger and fry for a few seconds,

then add the chicken pieces and stir-fry for 4 minutes,

stirring constantly.

3. As the chicken starts to turn opaque, add the rice wine or

dry sherry and cook for a further 2 minutes, then add the

sauce and bring to the boil. Tip in the shiitake mushrooms

and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the spring onions. Remove

from the heat and serve immediately.

Pak choy with carrot and garlic

Pak choy (or ‘bok choy’) is a leafy vegetable much used in Chinese cooking, especially

soups and stir-fries. I love both the green- and white-stemmed varieties.

Prep time: 5 minutes l Cook in: 4 minutes l Serves: 2–4 to share

1 tbsp of groundnut oil

1 clove of garlic, crushed and

finely chopped

1 small carrot, thinly sliced on

the diagonal

200g (7oz) baby pak choy,

leaves separated (see the

tip below)

2 pinches of coarse sea salt

1. Heat a wok over a high heat until it starts to smoke, then add

the groundnut oil and the garlic and cook for a few seconds.

Add the carrot slices and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Tip in the pak

choy leaves and toss. Add a small dash of water and cook for

1 minute. Sprinkle over the sea salt and serve immediately.

Ching’s tip

If you are using the larger, green-stemmed pak choy, then

separate the leaves from the stalks, slice the stalks and

stir-fry with the carrot for 2 minutes before adding the

leaves and stir-frying for 1 further minute.

Egg and asparagus fried rice

The first time I tried to make egg-fried rice, I made the mistake of frying rice that was freshly cooked and really moist. The result was a thick congealed porridge of egg and spring onions – disaster! I was only 11 and so my father ate it anyway. To master fried rice, check that the wok is hot enough and use leftover cooked rice if possible. If using freshly cooked rice, make sure it’s al dente rather than too soft. Make sure there is enough oil in the wok too, and try not to stab at the rice but toss it in the wok as it fries.

This is my classic egg-fried rice recipe, to which I like to add blanched sliced baby asparagus when in season, although frozen peas would work just as well.

Prep time: 5 minutes l Cook in: 8 minutes l Serves: 4 to share

100g (3½oz) baby asparagus

spears, woody ends snapped

off

Salt and ground white pepper

1 tbsp of groundnut oil

2 eggs, lightly beaten

350g (12oz) cold leftover

cooked jasmine rice or

freshly cooked long-grain

rice (see the tips below)

2 tbsps of light soy sauce

1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil

1 large spring onion, finely

sliced

1. Blanch the asparagus spears in a saucepan of boiling salted

water for 3 minutes, then drain and refresh in cold water.

Slice the cooked asparagus crossways into 5mm (¼in) pieces

and set aside.

2. Heat a wok over a high heat until it starts to smoke and then

add the groundnut oil. Add the eggs and stir for 2 minutes

to scramble, then tip in the rice and stir well in the wok to

break it up. Add the blanched asparagus pieces and toss

together well.

3. Season with the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and salt and

pepper to taste. Add the spring onion and mix well, then

remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Ching’s tips

If cooking rice to use later, make sure the cooked rice is cooled for no longer than 30 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to a bowl or plastic box, cover and keep refrigerated until ready to use. Only reheat/cook rice once after it has been cooked already.

If using freshly cooked rice for a fried dish, try a longgrain variety such as basmati. For this dish, use 175g (6oz) of uncooked long-grain rice (well rinsed) and boil in 350ml (12fl oz) of water until all the water is absorbed.

This will increase the cooking time by 20 minutes.