我做菜不是無師自通的。我的「師父」不是人，只是一大堆食譜，中英文都有。
老外都很想做中國菜的，打開一本英文食譜書，食譜會教老外煮叉燒炒麵。我等自恃炎黃子孫，當然對這種菜式嗤之以鼻。後來我才明白，其實這些基本菜式是易學難精的，老外應該先掌握好一些簡單的基本炒法，才去弄什麼芥蘭炒牛肉、回鍋肉、蒸魚等「複雜」的菜式。
我就在一本西菜譜中找到一味蜜豆炒雞片。看看材料，居然有薄荷葉，又有檸檬汁加魚露，想像一下也大槪感到又鹹又酸了。
我又何妨試試這老外中菜，不過，份量是肯定不會照抄的。材料中竟然用半杯雞湯，看到完成圖片，雞片和蜜豆在碧波暢泳。
我將蜜豆改為上海白菜，雞胸肉和白菜都是從健康買回來的，煮出來肯定健康了。
我喜歡菜譜中加入薑，炒雞片加薑絲真的可以帶出了鮮味。
做法相當簡單：先將雞片炒好，盛起待用。再將薑、葱、蒜爆香，加入白菜炒熟，再下魚露、檸檬汁、薄荷葉兜炒，最後倒入雞片，埋獻，就可上桌了。
家人一吃，馬上問我：「這是什麼中國菜？」
嘿﹗老外方法煮中菜。
下不為例。
睇完個食譜，忽發其想：假如將呢味菜，變成上海菜飯方式去煮，味道會唔會有所突破？
我覺得調味好似整沙律。
外國係咪有好多咁整嘅「中國菜」？所以本書教返啲老外咁煮，
就可以煮出佢哋心目中想食嘅味道。
不過沙律味小炒，真係…
下次好唔好試吓用「沙律醬」炒西芹雞柳？
叉燒炒麵、芥蘭炒牛肉、回鍋肉、蒸魚…好似都係港式粵菜。
美國最流行港式粵菜？
「家人」？邊位「家人」呀？明明都係嗰個。
佢話好唔好食呀？
athrunz：
上海菜飯好味呀，不過家人不喜歡呢。
amo：
我其實沒有詳看老外怎教老外煮中國菜。不過，我老公只選一些他認為是道地的做法。這個食譜是我借回來的，只有一味教煮中國菜，我好奇拿來試試。大家不要誤會，我老公不是這種口味的。
哈。家人咪即係你的另一半囉。
佢話okay，不過鹹咗啲。
鬼咩，要兩湯匙魚露，唔鹹有鬼。
佢話我做乜照跟，我話已改了一點了。
Haha, I think the majority of “gweilos” believe Far-East Asian cooking = something stir-fried with fish sauce, soy sauce, and mint/thai basil/kaffir lime leaves/other “exotic herb”. In fact, I think the majority of what they mistake to be “Chinese” cooking probably has more to do with Thai cuisine and tastes than the Chinese per se.
Oh, in addition to Mattew Fox we discussed before (who is really more a food critic than a chef per se), another English chef that I admire is Rick Stein, who specialises in seafood cooking, but who also knows a thing or two about authentic Chinese (as opposed to other Asian) cuisine. He knew about the importance of garlic and ginger in Chinese cooking, and his demonstration of roast pork belly with crackling reminds me of my grandparents’ dish
snowdrops,
Thanks for your sharing last time. I read a lot of pages of his book after hearing your comments. I think his writing about the food and the people, culture behind it is really interesting. Talking about garlic, when I stir fry vegetables, I like adding garlic.