| My mother was of the idea that a man's place was | | | | "And get yourself a good wok - It is the one piece |
| never in the kitchen, and this was ingrained into us as | | | | of cooking equipment you may want to purchase |
| she shooed us out of the kitchen every time | | | | before you start cooking for more detail go to: food. |
| whenever we tried to get into the kitchen to see | | | | Always heat up the wok. When cooking meat or |
| what was cooking. It might not have been the best | | | | poultry, make sure that the wok is very hot before |
| or correct thing to do, and as a result, her children | | | | adding the food. If you are going to stir-fried meat |
| -the sons, including me, For more detail go to: up | | | | and vegetables, stir-fry the meat first and set it |
| not knowing how to cook until we were college going | | | | aside. Then return it to the wok with a sauce during |
| kids and had to live away from home and to start to | | | | the final stages of cooking. And use a little cornstarch |
| cook and fend for ourselves. | | | | as a binder at the end of your cooking, if it calls for |
| Disadvantaged as we were in cooking for ourselves, | | | | that. Just remember how the dish tastes like, the |
| it made us more aware of the beauty in mum's | | | | way I cooked it", she said. |
| cooking. Mum's prepared food that was absolutely | | | | Throughout the years when I had to cook, her |
| marvelous, both in taste and smell. Meals prepared by | | | | words of wisdom flashed back to me whenever I |
| her were never ordinary. They were a delight to | | | | despaired over my cooking. I had seen my cooking |
| behold, a pleasure to consume - no matter how | | | | improved, and had added more styles and recipes to |
| simple the dish was. | | | | vary my cooking in the later years. |
| Now in her twilight years, mum can no longer cook | | | | "And the secret ingredient in all Chinese cooking is to |
| for herself. She has bouts of amnesia, and old age | | | | add a little bit of inner joy to your dish as you cook. |
| has taken a severe toil on her. Dependent on others | | | | When you approach your cooking with this little bit of |
| to cook and serve her meals, she can sometimes | | | | inner joy, you will have a song on your lips as you |
| struggle to the kitchen and still manage to prepare a | | | | cook. Something mysteriously will spur you on to do |
| ten minute fast cooking instant noodle, much to our | | | | your best and turn on the magic in your cooking," |
| chagrin and anxiety. The doctor orders were not to | | | | she added. |
| let her near a stove for fear of a fit or a fall, lest she | | | | That day, last week, when I recalled those words of |
| burn the house down. | | | | mum when I prepared a meal for her, I could only |
| Just yesterday, in the quiet of the night, I was able | | | | add not just a little bit of inner joy, I tried my best |
| to recall times I had with mum when I was about to | | | | to give her a physical massive hug of love. |
| go to college. Vivid in my mind, as history started to | | | | "Vary your ingredients to add textures, colors and |
| flash back, I remembered words of wisdom from | | | | flavors. Then it is possible to find harmony and |
| mum on cooking. We were always profuse in our | | | | balance in your meals. This is an important principle in |
| praise and bountiful in our appreciation for mum's | | | | Chinese cooking." |
| fantastic cooking. And on one occasion, she revealed | | | | Mum may be frail and too old to handle a wok |
| the secret formula that had always enveloped the | | | | anymore, but her words of wisdom in Chinese |
| food she cooked. | | | | cooking has helped us through the many years. Her |
| "In Chinese cooking," she said one day," the two | | | | simple tips for Chinese cooking may help you too. |
| most important things are to have a sharp knife and | | | | In honor of my ailing mum who could prepare the |
| a hot stove. Always sharpen your knife so that you | | | | best Chinese meals and dishes, a website providing |
| can slice through your veggie and your meat or fish. | | | | free tips and cooking recipes with cooking videos, |
| Cutting them up becomes a pleasure and not a task. | | | | recipes and other resources is available for you. Visit |
| Be sure to have everything prepared before you | | | | Wok With Betty to gain new skills in Chinese cooking |
| start cooking: the vegetables washed, drained and | | | | and to obtain free cooking recipes covering the |
| cut; the meat cut and marinated; the sauces | | | | entire range of international cuisine. |
| prepared." | | | | |