This is one of Tina's favourite dishes. I have only had this a few times, but be warned, it is so very delicious and very addictive!

• For the nice colour and glossy look, use rock sugar

• Pan shearing the skin makes the pork belly taste better in the end

• Pre-boiling the pork skin in water is healthier because it gets rid of some of the pork fat

• Anytime you add water to already heated ingredients, the water needs to be boiled. Never add cold or warm water.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 lb pork belly
• 4 pieces of fried tofu, cut into1.5 cm squares (optional)
• 4 thin slices giner x 2
• 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pepper corn
• 2 stars anises
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 table spoon dark soy sauce
• 1 Tablespoon cooking wine
• 1/2 teaspoon  salt
• 2 cups boiled water

This is one of my all time favourites. This dish is actually commonly served in Chinese homes, but rare to find in Chinese restaurants. I have tried this before but my potatoes became soggy and mushy. But Tina had a great tip and I have since made this on my own with success! This is a really easy stir fry that only takes about 5 mins in the wok.

Sichuan Potato Stir Fry

Tina's Tips:

• To prevent potatoes from going soggy, mix a bit of salt to the potatoes prior to cooking to draw out some of the moisture.

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn

• 2 Tablespoons dried chilli

• 1 lb russet or white potatoes (~2 large) chop into match stick

• 1 cup sweet red pepper or carrot match sticks

• 2 green onions chopped

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 Tablespoon Chinese vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Chop potatoes into match sticks.
2. Place potatoes in cold water for a few minutes to settle out of of the starch. Drain out water.
3. Add salt and gently mix by hand. Let sit for a few minutes. Drain out water.
4. Turn heat to high. Add oil to to wok. Then add peppercorn and dried chilli.
5. Stir fry until chilli darkens (dark red) and oil turns golden (~1-2 min).
6. Add potatoes (remember to drain out as much water as possible to prevent splatter).
7. Stir fry on high for 3 minutes.
8. Add vinegar and stir fry for 1 minute. 
9. Add sweet red pepper and green onion and turn off heat, but keep the wok on the burner. 
10. Stir fry for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

Chop potatoes into match sticks.

Place potatoes in cold water for a few minutes to settle out of of the starch. Drain out the water.

Add salt and gently mix by hand. Let sit for a few minutes. Drain out water.

Turn heat to high. Add oil to to wok. Then add peppercorn and dried chilli.

Stir fry until chilli darkens and oil turns golden (~1-2 min).

Add potatoes (drain out as much water as possible to prevent splatter). Stir fry on high for 3 minutes.

Add vinegar and stir fry for 1 minute.  Add sweet red pepper and green onion and turn off heat,   but keep the wok on the burner.  Stir fry for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

Easy!

This is one of my all time favourites. We made this for our 2nd Chinese cooking challenge. Traditionally the green beans are deep fried, however we decided to try steaming the beans before stir frying for a healthier alternative. It turned out great!

Bring water to boil, and steam green beans until it is 1/2 cooked (about 5 min)* You may also boil the green beans, ensure it is not fully cooked.

Start by coating pan evenly with oil.  Turn the heat to mediumAdd ginger to the oil and wait for the oil to heat up.  Once ginger starts to cook (oil is heated), add ground pork.  Once the meat is cooked, add dried chilli, pepper corn, and garlic.  Stir and cook until garlic softens and becomes fragrant.

Next add ya chai. Stir.Add soy sauce. Stir.

Add pre-steamed green beans. Stir. Add salt.

Stir fry the beans patiently until the skin looks cooked as pictured above. Add green onion. Stir and remove from heat.

Having the proper chillibean paste turns out to be one of the most essential tricks in making most of the dishes from Tina's hometown Chongqing. It's actually quite simple for something that's such a big deal! It's really about getting the right brand of chillibean paste and adding it to vegetable oil. Once prepared, the paste can last months in your fridge.

Ingredients: 6 Tbsp of oil for 1 cup of chillibean paste


Directions:

1. Finely chop the paste
2. Add oil to pan
3. Add chilli bean paste
4. On low heat gently stir until fragrant, oil is golden, and chilli bean paste is brownish with a gritty texture (approximately 10 mins).
5. Place in jar for future use.

It's amazing how something so delicious and be so easy to make! The key to this recipe is making sure you have the right type of chillibean paste. Click here for instructions on how to prepare authentic chillibean paste.

Tina's Tips:  Never add cold water to a hot dish. Boil the water first! Ingredients (Serves 4): 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil 3/4 tsp. finely chopped ginger ~ 150 g ground pork 2 tsp. Chinese cooking wine (optional) 4 Tbsp. chilli bean paste (if you choose to use the chilli bean paste right out of the package, make sure you chop it first and only add 2 Tbsp) 1 tsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. soy sauce ~ 800 grams medium firm tofu cubed Boiled water (~ 1/2 to 3/4 cup) 2 Tbsp. starch 6 Tbsp. cold water 2 tsp ground Szechuan pepper corn 1 tbsp chopped green onions Directions: Start by coating pan evenly with oil. Turn the heat to high. Add ginger to the oil and wait for the oil to heat up. Once ginger starts to cook (oil is heated) add ground pork. Once pork is fully cooked, add cooking wine (optional) and chilli bean paste. Stir. Turn heat down to medium. Add sugar and soy sauce. Stir.  Add tofu and then turn heat to high. Once sauce starts to boil, add boiled water (enough to half cover the tofu). Turn heat to low medium to allow the tofu to simmer in the sauce to soak in the flavours. No need to stir at this point. Do not cover (water needs to evaporate). Wait for the sauce to thicken (~15 min). Prepare the starch by adding cold water to starch and stirring until well mixed. Set aside. Once most of the water has evaporated, turn heat to high (you want the tofu to keep cooking even after the cool starch water is added). Stir to remix the starch and add to tofu. Gently stir. Remove from heat within 30 secs. Place mapo tufo in bowl and garnish with chopped green onion and sprinkle with ground Szechuan pepper corn.

Start by coating pan evenly with oil. Turn the heat to high.  Add ginger to the oil and wait for the oil to heat up.  Once ginger starts to cook (oil is heated) add ground pork.

Once pork is fully cooked, add cooking wine (optional) and chilli bean paste. Stir.

Turn heat down to medium. Add sugar and soy sauce. Stir.  Add tofu. Turn heat to high.

Once sauce starts to boil, add boiled water (enough to half cover the tofu).  Turn heat to low medium to allow the tofu to simmer in the sauce to soak in the flavours.  No need to stir at this point.  Do not cover (water needs to evaporate).   Wait for the sauce to thicken (~15 min).

Prepare the starch by adding cold water to starch and stirring until well mixed.

Once most of the water has evaporated, turn heat to high  (as you want the tofu to keep cooking even after the cool starch water is added).  Add starch. Gently stir. Remove from heat within 30 secs.

Place mapo tufo in bowl and garnish with chopped green onion and sprinkle with ground Szechuan pepper corn.

Ready!

I am overwhelmed with excitement!

Like many children from immigrant families, growing up I took my mom's cooking for granted. I much preferred Western foods. After moving out on my own I realized when it came to cooking Chinese food I was clueless. I remember calling my mom to ask her how she made my favourite dishes. The answers I got were so vague... "add some salt and oil and stir fry it until it looks right". I would ask... "how much salt? how much oil? how will I know it's ready?".  To my mom, cooking is an art; to me, it is a science.
Until I met Tina, I had given up on ever mastering Chinese cooking. But now there is new hope!

For the next few months Tina (Chinese girl who grew up in China with proven Chinese cooking skills) and I (Chinese girl who grew up in Canada without much Chinese cooking skills) will be challenging ourselves in recreating popular authentic Chinese dishes. Mainly Tina will be passing down her wisdom and I will make sure I take notes!

I would like to add to our lovely list a few of my childhood favourites of which I am determined to master. These comforting Northern Chinese dishes are staples in my memory.

1. Chinese Steamed Buns
2. Cumin Lamb Skewers
3. Chinese Steamed Egg
4. Chinese Dumplings
5. Shredded Potato Stir Fry

Let the challenge begin!