HOT AND SOUR SOUP WITH CHICKEN; SPICY EGGPLANT SZECHWAN-STYLE; CHICKEN FILLED LETTUCE CUPS; HOT AND SOUR SOUP WITH CHICKEN...CELEBRATING THE CHINESE NEW YEAR OF THE MONKEY..making everything from scratch

Hot and sour soup made with  chicken stock, using the bones & skin, from the removal of the breasts for the chicken & lettuce wraps and the thigh meat for this soup and the eggplant dish. Traditionally Chinese chicken stock uses chicken feet for a more gelatinous stock..finished with swirled beaten egg.

The chopped dark meat chicken for the eggplant dish, rather than saute the eggplant in oil I am poaching it in the chicken stock and sherry cooking liquor. Lots of cracked pepper, garlic and fresh ginger here.

Szechwan style spicy chicken and eggplant

Above and below large eggplant pieces in sea salt to remove any bitterness

Red bell pepper and carrot soup

Chinese style chicken stock, ginger, garlic and cilantro with chicken bones and skin, will simmer for 1 hour, do not break the bones as this clouds any stock.

5 spice powder, garlic, fresh ginger, mushrooms, chicken stock, dry sherry and hoisin sauce..chicken for the Romaine lettuce cups..topped with fresh cilantro

Tomorrow is the beginning of Year of the Monkey, and this menu celebrates it in a grand style..always when cooking Asian food, use the freshest ingredients and cook quickly..also it is best and safe to trim a whole chicken yourself rather than buying pre-ground or chopped chicken..this way you get the bones fresh for the stock. To finely chop chicken, and no mince it, remove  from the bones and remove any fat and sinew/skin cut into bite sized pieces then pulse in a food processor until the pieces are smaller but not minced. This way it cooks "clean" and you cannot mistake fresh chicken in any dish.

I have added red bell peppers to some dishes as red is the Chinese color of good fortune and it represents FIRE which burns away negativity..sensible really.

Happy New Year

Chinatown, Los Angeles this weekend