Short shameful confession: I stopped reading Chinese cookbooks a long time ago. I think I still have one, but I'm not at all sure. It's probably time for me to try something really different, but I haven't gotten around to that yet.

Secrets of Stir-Fry

Do all of your preparation before you start cooking. Once you heat up your wok, you don't want any distractions.

Always use peanut oil; it tastes good, but more important, it can get a lot hotter than other oils before it starts smoking.

Keep your wok as hot as you can. One way to do this is to cook things in small amounts. Cook your veggies one or two at a time; all they need is a minute or two in the wok, then out they go, back into a bowl. Add a touch more oil and as soon as it's hot, go on to the next item.

Veggies

Any of the following will work well in a stir-fry. Always use fresh veggies, unless there is a good reason to do otherwise.

• Bell pepper, cut in thin strips.
• Carrots, cut in very thin strips or cross-sections.
• Celery, usually cut in thin cross-sections.
• Bok choy, usually cut in thin cross-sections.
• Green onions, cut in one- or two-inch sections.
• Green beans, cut in one- or two-inch sections.
• Chinese cucumber, cubed or cut in thin two-inch strips.
• Snow peas, whole.
• Onion, coarsely chopped but not still in sections.
• Broccoli, cut into small florets.
• Bamboo shoots. Canned shoots are fine.
• Water chestnuts, sliced. Canned water chestnuts are fine.
• Baby ears of corn, either whole or cut in sections. Canned baby corn is fine.
• Tree ear (black-and-white) mushrooms. These are usually available dried; break them into small chunks and re-hydrate.

Chop the veggies and separate them for cooking. If you cook two or more together, group them for similar cooking times. Canned and dried items only need to be heated up.

The Sauce

The foundation of a good stir-fry sauce includes two or three tablespoons of black bean sauce, one inch of ginger root (peeled and grated), and at least a teaspoon of fresh garlic.

Add several of the following, to taste. The only way to know if your sauce is good is to taste it!

• A tablespoon of rice wine vinegar.
• A tablespoon of sherry.
• A tablespoon or two of fish sauce. (Yes, it smells vile. Use it anyway.)
• A tablespoon or two of hoisin sauce, Chinese barbecue sauce, or plum sauce.
• Pureed red pepper and garlic, to taste.
• A teaspoon of sesame oil.
• One or two tablespoons of Thai peanut sauce.
• One or two tablespoons of a good Szechuan sauce.
• Not more than a teaspoon of Chinese mustard.
• A sampling of any other sauces that look interesting when you visit your local Chinese grocery.

That's right; soy sauce didn't make the list. My complaint is that it makes your sauce really salty. In any case, you don't need it.

Mixing a good sauce is an art; it takes practice and a willingness to experiment. Don't let your tongue be fooled by the current trend in American Chinese food; Chinese sauces in general shouldn't be sweet. Try it my way, and trust me.

Meat and other Proteins

Almost any meat will work in a stir-fry. The only requirements are to cut your meat into bite-sized pieces, and to trim as much fat as possible. If you use tofu, cut that into small pieces also. You don't need a lot of meat in a stir-fry; a half-pound or so is enough for two people.

Some meats will pick up flavor from the sauce. If you want to try this, make your sauce first and marinate the meat in it, before you start chopping veggies.

Cooking

Start your rice first. You can cook the rice however you want, but this is what works for me: Bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil. Add one cup of raw rice. Bring the water back to a boil, then lower the heat to "warm." (On a gas stove, boil for one minute before lowering the heat.) Cover, and let it sit for fifteen minutes. Perfect rice, every time.

Add a tablespoon or two of oil to your wok, and get it as hot as you can. You can tell when the oil is hot by adding a drop of water; when the oil is hot, the water will pop into steam on contact.

Cook the vegetables singly or in small groups. Stir continuously, and don't overcook. Vegetables in a good stir-fry are supposed to be crunchy. If you need to add more oil between vegetables, do so, but sparingly.

Before cooking the meat, add a little oil if necessary. If you'd like, put chopped fresh garlic or crushed red paper flakes in the oil for about ten seconds before adding the meat. If you marinated the meat, take it out of the sauce before cooking it. Save the sauce for later. Cook the meat, stirring continuously, until it's done. You should be able to tell when it's done by its texture.

Add the veggies back in, one or two at a time so that the whole contents of the wok don't cool too much. When all the veggies are in, add the sauce and stir until everything is coated.

It's ready to serve. If you like things like peanuts, cashews, or sesame seeds in your stir-fry, this is a good time to add them. If you put them in earlier, they get soggy.

Enjoy!