“Hong Shao” (红烧) is a very typical Chinese cooking style, which usually finishes with thick sauce and very tender and thoroughly cooked meat chunks. I haven’t found a good translation for it in English yet. This Melt-In-Mouth Potato Chicken is one of the often made Hong Shao dishes. It goes great with rice. If you like beef or pork, you can use them to substitute chicken in this recipe. Please check back for more Hong Shao dishes.
Preparation Time: 6 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Garlic Stem Pork is a very typical Beijing home-made dish and was one of my favorites when I was little. It is incredibly delicious with steamed rice. Some people like spreading soy sauce over steamed rice. If you are one of them, you will go crazy when mixing the sauce of this dish with rice.
The garlic stem is crunchy and refreshing; the combination of fine-sliced pork and soy sauce makes the dish simple yet flavorful. The amount of cooking oil is crucial when stir frying vegetables with lean meat. Adding a little bit more oil than your usual cooking amount is preferred, as it brings the dish a nice richness that satisfies you and your stomach.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 8 minutes
Before I came to the US, I never had potato skin and had never even heard of it. In most Chinese cooking, we peel off potato skins and never thought of using it to make a dish. I still remember my first time eating potato skin in a restaurant in the States; it was surprisingly tasty. The Orange Melon Skin Salad is made of watermelon skin, the part that you often throw away too. However, with the zest and sweet taste from orange, it becomes a refreshing dessert.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooling Time: Several hours or overnight
Welcome to the first episode of Cooking Basics, where we show you how to do the essential cooking and preparation steps needed for many delicious recipes.
Today, we take a look at how to cut watermelon squares. This is an easy way to enjoy watermelon with a fork rather than the messy slice-by-slice eating method. It also serves to clear the watermelon skin for recipes such as the refreshing Orange Melon Skin Salad. 
The 3rd part of our I Like Shrimp series gets even healthier with Broccoli Shrimp. Combining these miniature trees with delicious shrimp creates a quick and tasty meal suitable for any occasion.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 minutes
The Cucumber Shrimp Fry (清炒虾仁), a light and fresh dish, constitutes the second recipe of the I Like Shrimp series of quick yet tasty shrimp concoctions. The perfect combination of crunchy green cucumber and bouncy pink shrimp makes a tasty, colorful addition to your meal. It is extremely easy to prepare and cook too. Give it a try!
Preparation Time: 12 minutes (shrimp with shells); 5 minutes (shrimp w/o shells)
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Welcome to the inaugural recipe of the I Like Shrimp series. In this series of dishes, we will create many healthy and refreshing shrimp dishes to fulfill your shrimp-loving desires. These entrées don’t required much preparation work nor much cooking time, yet the end result can be impressive.
The first item on our list is the Ketchy Cauliflower Shrimp Fry (茄汁菜花炒虾仁). This orange beauty comprises of cauliflower and shrimp bathed in creamy ketchup sauce. Although it may sound weird to some, the mixture produces a salty satisfaction worth your time. Let’s get started.
Preparation time: 20 minutes (shrimp with shells); 12 minutes (shrimp w/o shells)
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
