Chinese Food, Cafeteria Style

 I was invited out for lunch by Renee, one of my long time friends, and we decided that I would introduce her to Pei Wei Asian Diner. As she had never been there, I felt that it was only fair to introduce her to something different in the world of Asian food.

Our meal started with an order of edamame, and I ordered the Pei Wei Spicy, which had fried chicken, sugar snap peas and carrots and was drowned in a spicy chili vinegar sauce, with brown rice. Renee had the Dan Dan noodles, which were egg noodles topped with chopped chicken that had cooked in a garlic soy, served with scallions, bean sprouts and cucumbers.

Ironically, we both noted that the meal, while tasty, was loaded with sauce and sodium, making it a rather unhealthy meal. In fact, the most healthy part of the meal may have been the edamame, which is high in protein.

While the traditional Chinese food is very healthy, with an emphasis on vegetables, with meat being utilized more as a “condiment” than the main focus of the meal, the Americanization of food has resulted in an end result that is higher in fat and calories, and as Pei Wei proved, much higher in bold flavored sauces and seasonings.

(A little secret: Those of you who are brave enough to try and eat with chopsticks – do so!! A diner generally eats more slowly, since it is more difficult to grasp larger quantities of food than would end up on a fork. Also, using a pair of chopsticks also reduces the amount of oil that ends up being consumed.)

After the meal, I was left wondering what some of the healthy options might have been for the meal, and how that would possibly work into my campaign for San Antonio City Council. Cafeteria food is generally considered the subject of rude jokes and grim recollections from yesteryear. Think of it as a popularity contest between hospital food and prison chow, with cafeteria food making a surprising showing. But whether or not more exotic choices, such as sushi, or even a vegetarian stir fry could be added to the menu of a youngster’s cafeteria fare is nowhere near the forefront of many schools’ considerations.

The Texas Department of Agriculture reigns supreme over the Public School Nutrition Policy. Their guidelines are set up to appease the parents, administrators, school officials, health professionals and lastly, members of the food industry. Foods MUST meet the TPSNP standards if made available to students of school campuses.

With this in mind, it seems, sadly, that Asian food in the school environment may generally only make an appearance during a class or school heritage enrichment program. Such programs must be officially scheduled and part of the written curriculum, which then means that administrators have the authority to override a teacher’s decision to have such an event. Foods brought to such events must clearly identify nutritional information, especially if cooked with a potential allergen, such as peanut oil. Sadly, this tilt towards healthier dining options does not eliminate vending machines with sodas in them, or salty or sugary snacks.

In all reality, since so many of the public school systems release their menu early, allowing parents to decide whether or not to send their child/ren to school with a sack lunch that day, it is feasible to incorporate tasty and healthy dining options which COULD include the occasional Asian food choice. Asian foods can be mass produced on a scale to feed kids running through the line at a breakneck pace, so the evolution of cafeteria food is due to allow this kind of tasty transition. After all, “healthy” does not have to mean “not tasty.” It could also give nutritionists additional options as far as offering a meal that is simultaneously cheap, appealing and nutritious.

We can’t be fooled into disguising healthy food in pretty presentations, though. It needs to be understood that children have become more sophisticated in their tastes (try dining with mine) and thus often welcome new offerings such as sushi and chicken satay. Just don’t expect to see it in a cafeteria any time soon. Kids will also be able to identify the faux foods, like peanut butter made from soybeans, or low fat cheese pizzas. Forget about trying to offer a tofu burger. Therefore, if we were to offer a chicken stir-fry, it would be just that. Small pieces of chicken, stir fried with a minimal amount of oil, and loaded with vegetables that kids generally will eat at home.

Sadly, this taxpayer subsidized meal is often times the most healthy, nutritious meal that many of our children will get in a day. Thus, it is important that it be palatable, if not memorable.

This is what I would LOVE to see in a cafeteria – definitely a list of some of the healthier choices:

• Egg Drop, Miso, Wonton or Hot & Sour Soup.

• Stir fried, steamed, roasted or broiled entrees, such as cashew chicken, shrimp chow mein

• Steamed or baked tofu. (Yeah, right)

• Entrees made with lower sodium or lower caloried sauce, such as ponzu, rice-win vinegar, ginger and wasabi

• Steamed brown rice

• Edamame

If we do see anything, as long as it is not a fried, drowned option, it may pass. Skip the fried rice as well. And the egg roll. And the sweet and sour sauce. Sorry gang. We will figure SOMETHING out…

Until then, Good Eating, Friends…


 
Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Playing with Fire... (or at least WOKKING on it...)

WHOOSH!!! There is nothing more satisfying to me hearing the visceral roar of 90,000 btu's of gas powered flame leaping into the air and hitting the base of my carbon steel wok.  Or the sound of the sizzle that springs from the wok as I put the ingredients for the night's meal into the smoking (just barely) hot oil. Or the sound of forks (and chopsticks) hitting the plate, and mad slurping, munching, and chewing of crispy stir fried vegetables.  Or the satisfied belch that springs from my youngest daughter as she leans back in her chair after practically licking her plate clean.

Does anyone out there have a favorite restaurant in mind that utilizes open flame wok cooking?  For me, Golden Wok, Fire Wok, Fire Bowl Cafe and Pei Wei have the best and most consistent technique (although none of them could touch Chino's Cafe...)  My listing them, by the way, is by no means an advertiesment for these companies. 

For me, wok cooking is definitely my style of choice.  I have struggled (and failed) to cook a decent tasting stir fry dish, or good fried rice with a skillet, or even a float bottomed wok, and sadly, they never seem to come close to what the imagined final result is supposed to be.  The science behind it is basic, but the skill behind it is intricate.

Woks are the most versatile cooking implement out there.  I use woks most often for stir frying, but they can also be used many other ways, such as in steaming, deep frying, braising, stewing, smoking, or making soup. I use with my wok, a long handled chahn (spatula) or hoak (ladle). The long extensions of these utensils allowsme to work with the food without burning myself.

Classic woks are clearly identified by their distinctive shape - a wide mouth with a well rounded bottom.  (Remind you of anyone?)  There are some made and sold with a flat bottom, specifically for those who do not have gas stoves, or want to use them more in the frying capacity.  My favorite one is a carbon steel wok, 18" in diameter with a metal handle.  The one I use the most, however, is 14" wide, with a wooden handle.  I have learned through experience that this particular wok does not work well when trying to cook for the masses, as the wooden handle does not have the tensile strength to withstand as much action as a wok can be put through with nearly 2 pounds of food in it.  My wooden handled wok also presents a disadvantage as it has an additional handle (I guess for lifting) on the opposite side of the bowl.  This darned handle causes food to hit it and fly tangentally away from the rest of the portion, which adds to the mess that I create when cooking.

I am also challenged by conditions which we have no control over - I don't have a gas stove that belches fire at a rate that I need it to in order to best cook Chinese food - I have an electric range.  (I can already hear the gasps of horror, as many of you know that I am a HUGE proponent of gas cooking.)  Electric ranges simply do not provide enough heat at a fast enough rate to heat the sides of the wok, thus reducing the usable surface area with which to cook.

Successful wok cooks (like me, after 4 years of working on the mechanics) can turn and mix food with a flipping motion that tosses the food into the air over the wok.  This style of cooking means that the term "Stir Fry" is a bit of a misnomer, as the flipping of the food, while cool to watch, actually takes to food away from the hot 450 degree surface. 

Does "Flip Fry" sound good to you? Brings to mind much potential for a burger joint for the horizontally gifted crowd...

Teflon?  Who the heck uses teflon? You sure can't with Asian stir fry, as teflon scratches easily, and your complementary cooking utensils are metal ladles or spatulas... What were you thinking?!?!?

Basic Stir-Frying Tips (Best Practice)

Always start with a hot wok.  Hot.  Really.  Then add a small amount (1-3 tablespoons) of peanut oil, soy oil, sunflower oil, or canola oil. (Fresh chopped garlic and ginger can be added to the oil to flavor it, but must be quickly scooped out before burning or turning brown.) Add the first ingredient, usually sliced meat, and stir in the very hot oil until hot, then push it up the side to slow the amount of heat on the meat or cooking items. The meat may be returned to the oil and then flipped and pushed to the sides several times until the cooking is done. A well made wok will have ridged or dimpled edges to prevent the food items from sliding back down into the center of the wok.

Once cooked, scoop out the meat with a Chinese strainer (or any, really,) to a side plate then cook the next ingredient, usually vegetables, in the same manner. Strain out any excess cooking oil, and combine all your ingrediens, with sauces, seasonings, liquids, and corn starch slurry for thickening.  Continue stirring until your food has a nice glaze to it.   If done effectively, many portions can be cooked in a short period of time.

I usually try not to cook more than one serving, 2 at most, otherwise not all of the ingredients cook evenly or get hot enough.  I will also, when cooking for an army, as I am usually wont to do, pre-cook a lot of the meat, then cook the individual portions after having prepped all of the other ingredients.

Use extreme caution, when wok cooking over gas, to not allow water or juices to splatter over the sides of the wok when adding your ingredients.  This splatter could cause the hot oil to ignite and burn, which then could result in a charred, burnt oil taste. 

The visual effects are cool, but only if not actually cooking for someone.   I still enjoy going to Chinese restaurants that cook on display (interactive dining at its best) to watch the cooks do their thing.  Many Chinese restaurants have an open cooking line to enable their guests to see what is actually going on.  (Such transparency has become a staple of the dining experience now, as many restaurants battle to gain trust among people who have less and less disposable income to spend on dining out.)  I had actually dreamed of opening a restaurant on the Riverwalk here in San Antonio that had a glass frontage along the walkway for people to stand and watch the pyrotechnics, with master chefs hard at work.  Sadly, though, I have not yet won the lottery, so such dreams will have to be put on hold.

Until then, Good Eating...





Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

cooking, Martin Yan, Gordon Ramsey, Asian Stir Fry, Chino's Cafe, Chinese Food, Asian Stir Fry