Eastern Cooking

This section of the book is a very brief outline of the techniques used and recipes inspired by Chinese, Thai or Vietnamese cuisine.

Underpinning all Chinese cooking is the yin-yang theory, which is related to Chinese beliefs about health and food. Remembering which is yin and yang may sound like a nightmare, but it’s actually quite simple. Yin are the cooling foods, yang the heating foods, and the idea is to achieve harmony and balance between the two within a meal. If you follow Chinese recipes from start to finish it will all start to unfold. Suddenly you’ll see the colour, taste and texture of Chinese food and, without realising it, you’ll be stir-frying broccoli, ginger and garlic, adding soy sauce, sesame oil, stock and a dash of sugar, creating simple and delicious delights.