Category Archives: Recipes

Oysters and the Chinese Saucerer

Posted on January 15, 2018 by herschelian

130 years ago, in 1888, there was a young man called Lee Kum Sheung who lived in Nanshui, Zhuhai, a small town not far from Shanghai. He had a take-out shop which served oyster soup.            … Continue reading →

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Beansprout salad – so good!

Posted on March 16, 2017 by herschelian

In Chinese cuisine it is not usual to eat food that is raw. So the idea of salads composed of uncooked vegetables is not at all traditional. Of course they DO have salads but most ingredients would have been slightly … Continue reading →

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Dragons-on-Horseback

Posted on April 13, 2016 by herschelian

Recently I had to take a plate of appetisers as a contribution to a pot-luck lunch party.  The guests were a mixed bunch of Brits, Germans, Chinese and Filipinos, I wanted to make something out of the ordinary which would … Continue reading →

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Grabbing the future

Posted on May 26, 2015 by herschelian

Tomorrow is my younger grandson’s 1st birthday, a time for fun and rejoicing at having this special little chap in our family.  Alas, because we live in China and he lives in India, we will not be with him on … Continue reading →

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Sichuan pepper and 5 Spice Powder

Posted on March 22, 2015 by herschelian

I was surprised to learn that what we call Sichuan* Pepper (huajiao 花椒) is the only spice that is truly indigenous to China. Of course the Chinese cultivate and use many spices, but they all originated in other parts of … Continue reading →

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Fish Fragrant Aubergine – My version

Posted on December 12, 2014 by herschelian

The first thing you need to know about this dish is that no fishes are involved!  It has this name because the combination of ingredients and the method of making the dish are very similar to some fish recipes.  It … Continue reading →

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Chinese pears poached in spiced red wine

Posted on July 12, 2014 by herschelian

Pears which have been poached in red wine are a popular dessert in Britain, the original recipe must go back hundreds of years and is lost in the mists of time.                   … Continue reading →

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Yangzhou chao fan – everybody loves eating it.

Posted on April 16, 2014 by herschelian

When we were staying in Yangzhou last week I knew there was one dish we HAD to eat, and that was Yangzhou chao fan  扬州炒饭 which translates as Yangzhou fried rice.  This is the dish that Yangzhou has given to the … Continue reading →

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Cucumber and Pine nut salad with Spicy Dressing

Posted on March 19, 2014 by herschelian

It is ages since I posted a recipe, which is strange really as I do a lot of cooking both for ourselves and for when we entertain, and love finding and trying to recreate new dishes. Needless to say, living … Continue reading →

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First choke your wok – then stir-fry.

Posted on January 8, 2014 by herschelian

All the fun and games of Christmas and New Year are well behind us now. Twelfth Night has come and gone, the decorations are packed away, pine-needles and mistletoe berries have been swept up, and the long bleak days of … Continue reading →

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