Chinese cooking demonstrations

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32419, 5 October 1970, Page 6

Chinese cooking demonstrations

Mrs Lee, who has a cookery school in Hong Kong, has been brought to New Zealand by the Seyip Association to demonstrate recipes from the book, “Kiwi Chopsticks,” which she compiled. “I think we achieve the higher flavour by always putting the seasoning in before cooking. You tend to put it in at the end. Unlike you we never have pepper and salt, or tomato sauce on our tables,” she said. The recipes in the book are all Chinese style, but they have been designed to use New Zealand products. “I had only 10 days in which to make up the recipes. I had to work very hard,” said Mrs Lee. HELPFUL New Zealand products were sent to Mrs Lee in Hong Kong with which to experiment. “They flew the fish over from New Zealand and the agents in Hong Kong for your food companies were very helpful.” At first Mrs Lee thought she would have many problems incorporating New Zealand food into Chinese recipes. “Peaches and pears to make Chinese food! I thought it would, never work.”

It obviously has and. the result is a clearly iaid-out recipe book which will be very suitable for New Zealanders, especially those who are taking their first tentative steps towards Chinese cookery.

With figure consciousness virtually becoming a way of life it is interesting that Mrs Lee thinks that rice is probably not as fattening as potatoes.

“And the Chinese must have rice. I had gone without it for four days and felt quite weak,” she said. Some of the recipes use instant rice, a completely new product to this experienced cook. “I still prefer ordinary rice,” she said. MORE TIME A Chinese housewife would spend much more time preparing food than her New Zealand counterpart, but Mrs Lee has incorporated some recipes which take only 20

minutes, for preparation and cooking, into her book. The Seyib Association, a “friendly cultural organisation” for Chinese people in New Zealand, invited Mrs Lee to promote their recipe book because of her extensive cookery knowledge and competence. A graduate from a Home Science course in Los Angeles Mrs Lee now runs her own, cookery school and a cake shop, in Hong Kong. She is the nolder of a high award from Maxims in Paris. This is the diploma of excellence, which she received for decorating a cake (which she had made) with just a tube of paper cut into special shapes at the end. She has also attended a Cordon Bleu course in .Paris where, as a qualified cook she just observed demonstrations and absorbed fresh ideas. Mrs Lee will be in Christchurch stores this week from Wednesday until Friday demonstrating recipes from the book which will be on sale. She will also record six television programmes demonstrating Chinese cookery.