How to cook Fried Rice

Many of my America friends like Chinese style fried rice. Today I will show you how to cook it.Fried rice is a tasty dish that is traditionally made from steamed rice stir-fried in a wok, but it can also be made in a pan. Fried rice is delicious with a variety of ingredients, including almost any type of vegetables, meat, and eggs. Not only is it easy to make, but it's absolutely delicious. If you want to know how to make fried rice, just follow these steps.

Cook 4 cups of white rice. Just place the rice in boiling water and cook it for the amount of time listed on the instructions. Some types of white rice can take just 10 or so minutes to boil, while others can take 30 minutes or more. You can also microwave instant rice in the microwave, but it may not be as tasty.

Prepare the vegetables. First, wash 2 cups of carrots, 1 medium onion, 1 clove of garlic, one ginger root, and 1 cup of bean sprouts. Then, dice the carrots and onions, and mince just 1 tsp. of fresh ginger. Set these ingredients aside.

Pour 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil into a large pan. The pan should be very deep, almost like a wok. Place it over medium heat. Make sure the pan is clear of any trace of water, because the oil crackles and flies everywhere.

Cook the vegetables in the pan for 3 minutes. Place the carrots, onion, garlic, bean sprouts, and ginger into the pan. Throw in 1 tsp. of salt and a pinch of black pepper. The vegetables should sweat a bit, but they shouldn't turn brown.

Throw 1/2 lb. of cooked chicken into the pan. You can use chicken that you've cooked for another meal the day before, or buy or make cooked chicken especially for the fried rice. Just dice the chicken into thin strips and place it in the pan.

Put up to 2 tbsp. of sesame oil into the frying pan. You can gradually add the oil when it becomes necessary -- you don't have to throw it in at once.

Add three eggs to the pan. Crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk them together. Then, pour the eggs into the pan.

Toss the cooked rice into the pan. Fry the rice and the other ingredients together for 2-3 minutes, just enough time to heat up the rice and mix the ingredients. Keep stirring as you fry the rice. Add 3 tbsp. of soy sauce to the mixture and fry the ingredients together for another 30 seconds. Then, remove the pan from the heat.

Serve. Place the rice in a dish and garnish it with a few sprigs of green onion. Enjoy this dish as a main course.

How to cook Mala Xiang Guo

During the rain days I often don’t want to go out shopping to buy ingredients to cook. I open my fridge and see what I still have and try to cook with that. This is one of the main reasons why I like to cook Ma La XiangGuo: because you can put everything in this what you like…well almost everything.

It is spicy, hearty and ideal for when it is getting colder outside. The version below is a vegan, but you can add streaky bacon, shrimp or boiled quail eggs in this stir-fry if you want to add some more protein in this this. When you choose for a vegan version add in mushrooms as they are packed with umami flavor.

Let's start:

Heat up 6 tablespoons vegetable oil in the wok. Add in the dried chili and stir fry till fragrant and remove the chili from the oil and set it aside for later.

In the oil add in ginger, garlic and leek and stir fry till fragrant.

Add the dry spices: bay leaves, start anise, Sichuan pepper corn, Chinese black cardamom, cinnamon bark and continue to fry that for 1 minute till it release aroma.

Add 2 tablespoons of Sichuan bean paste and 1 teaspoon of sugar and stir fry till the oil change to red color.

Stir-fry the vegetables: add the firmest one first: potatoes, lotus root, broccoli and then the softer ones like mushrooms.

Add in the tofu skin and season it with 2 tablespoons cooking wine and 1 tablespoon light soy sauce and season with salt to taste.

Drizzle in 2 teaspoons sesame oil, earlier fried dried chili and coriander (leave some on the side to garnish)

Transfer to plate and garnish with some fresh coriander and serve with rice. Hope you like it.

Chinese Lantern Festival

     This week, my hometown's people talk a lot the Lantern Festival. And lots of historical cities hold lots of parties to celebrated the festival. The Lantern Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar calendar, and it falls on Thursday this year. The festival, observed by the lighting of lanterns, also marks the end of Chinese New Year celebrations, which began on Feb. 19.

     The festival also is known as the Yuan Xiao or Shang Yuan festival. The word “yuan” (元) refers to the first month of the lunar calendar, and “xiao” (宵) is an former way to refer to night in Mandarin. Thus, Yuan Xiao and Shang Yuan mean “night of the first month” or “first month” festival, respectively. 

     There is a very important thing about the Lantern Festival: The Sky Lantern! The sky lantern probably was invented before Late Han Dynasty. A prime minister Kung-Ming used sky lantern for military liaison purpose during Three Kingdom epoch (221A.D.). Some people still call the sky lantern as Kung-Ming lantern.During the night of lantern festival, Some people in Taiwan will fly the sky lantern by writing their wishes on the paper lantern and pray their wishes come true. Long time ago, people thought the lantern will fly up to the heaven. The god of heaven will receive their messages and will give them blessing.There is a story for this custom. Once a village was attacked by the private. When the private ship came, people ran to and hide in the mountain. When private left, some one in the town flew the sky lantern to tell people in the mountain safe to come home. It happened on the 15th lunar day in that year. Now people do the same way to depict their peace, safety and without accident.

     All the Chinese festival come with a great food. Be a foodie, I made Yuan-Xiao (元宵) by myself in the Thursday midnight. Because the Lantern Festival is also called Yuan-Xiao Festival. This is because Chinese eat Yuan-Xiao on this day. This custom originated from the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the fourth century, then became popular during the Tang and Song Dynasty. Yuan-Xiao made of sweet rice flour into sticky glutinous balls. They can be filled in with sesame, red-bean or peanut butter paste. Usually, they are severed with sugar water. But some people still  make salty Tang-Yuan.

SEJC in ATLANTA

1. Thursday afternoon check in for Southeast Journalism Conference at Ramada Plaza get my name tag and the conference guide. I am very exciting to join the SEJC. I driving about 3 and half hours for travel here with my classmate Katie, Tiffany, and Dettloff. 

2.We hang out at Atlanta downtown and have dinner. Singing song in the cab.

3.The conference start, we sitting ready to listen the big people speech. And I learn a lot about how important the international news and the guys speak a lot about Chinese.

4.During the conference, everybody is listening carefully.

5.Take photo with my professors and classmates. We are here for SEJC in Georgia State University.

6.We finish Friday conference and waiting for the hotel shuttle. We dressing good. Hah...

 7.In the Best of the South Awards Banquet!!! I am very honored Troy University get the best college video news program and best college TV station.

8.We all happy to get the Ranked 1st!!!

 9.Saturday conference I went to two great section for listening.

10. SEJC is a great chance to learn some new knowledge and meet some new people. Here is the newspaper and magazine from journalism schools.