67 going on 50… : HOW TO...CELEBRATE THE YR OF THE ROOSTER & COOK HEALTHY CHINESE FOOD

London's Chinatown is well worth a visit during Chinese New Year.

Replica Qing Dynasty Gate in London's Chinatown (Leicester Square End of Wardour St)

The triangle between Shaftesbury Avenue, Charing Cross Road and Leicester Square will be chock-a-block, especially during the free celebrations on Sunday 29th.

The main events take place in and around Gerrard Street, Trafalgar Square and Leicester Square. All events are free so get there early but be prepared for football scrum crowds.

Luckily, the Lion Dance is staged on and above street level; kids with a safe perch on an adult's shoulders should be able to see. Events start at 10; arrive early - watered, fed and having visited the lavatory - to stock up on bakery goods. Pork buns, curried beef pastries, custard tarts and pandan sponge cakes will come in handy when you can't move for crowds! 67's favourite bakeries are the Pick & Mix Chinatown Bakery on Newport Place - it's small but perfectly formed - and the more spacious Bake on Wardour Street, near the Qing Gate.

Most bakeries and supermarket prices are reasonable; before entering restaurants, check the clientele and widow menus. Dim sum Chinese Lunch will be exceptionally popular; in some cases booking may be necessary.

Manchester also stages excellent Chinese New Year Celebrations but they may not be on the same weekend as London. Manchester celebrations are often said to be equal to, if not better than, London's.

For information on Chinese cooking techniques & ingredients, see How to...on the Nav Bar, section Oriental.

The Art of Stir-Fry (a summary)

Stir-frying, the ultimate fast food, is healthy and gentle on the budget; protein and fuel are minimal.

Stir-fried Beef & Peppers in Black Bean Sauce

THE MARINADE

The standard marinade is:

one part normal or reduced-salt soy sauce
one part dry sherry (or white wine/grape juice)
grated ginger (1 tbsp to every cup of marinade)
grated garlic (1 tbsp to every cup of marinade)
1 tbsp fresh finely diced chilli or a sprinkling of chilli flakes or a dash of tabasco (opt.)

Twenty mins is the maximum marinade time before the protein starts to break down.

Tips:

prepare everything before cooking
vegetables should be cut in similar sizes
to maintain juiciness & thicken the saucelightly coat drained marinaded protein with cornflour
add a little water to prevent sticking and enhance the gravy
the pan should be very hot -- smoking hot -- before cooking begins
standard cooking oil is groundnut/peanut oil but any light veg oil will do; coconut oil is very high in saturated fat
stir-frying with electricity rather than gas means the pan is unlikely to get hot enough for a fast stir-fry; adjust cooking time accordingly (See Stir-fried Beef & Peppers in Black Bean Sauce )