Chefs
Ten Questions for Ching
We asked our message board regulars to come up with ten questions to ask the lovely Ching...
Which Chinese chef/cook has inspired you most? (Baboush)
My mum has inspired me the most - I'm always amazed at how quick she is. She can whip up a delicious dinner in a matter of minutes however busy life is! I also learnt some great tips for making the best Char Siu pork from my friend David Wong, who used to own his own Chinese restaurant and still works in the food industry.
What's your favourite comfort food dish? (Sarah Lawson)
It has to be steamed Char Siu pork buns, washed down with a cup of Chinese green tea. I also like a simple tuna and cheese melt; that's my western side coming out!
Hi Ching, firstly I would like to say congratulations and good luck with your new show. I enjoy watching you cook as I find you very peaceful and a calm chef. What is your favourite dish to cook and eat? (Lovegrub)
Thank you so much for your well wishes and I've got my fingers crossed for the series. I have several favourites, but I think Peking duck and pancakes with my own special sauce is a winner with my family and friends - so it has to be that!
How often do you go back to China? And are your relatives still there? (Pip100)
My grandparents are still in Taiwan and I try and go back at least once a year as I miss them a lot. I pig out as much as I can when I'm over there. I can't resist the food stands at the local night markets.
Hi Ching, your new show on UKTV Food is so refreshing. It's so nice to watch someone new. Would you advise people to buy their ingredients from a specialist Chinese supermarket? (Debs41)
It's fantastic that western supermarkets are stocking more Chinese ingredients for people to experiment with but I do recommend a specialist Chinese supermarket if you can get to one. There are more and more springing up all the time including Hoo Hing, Wing Yip and Oriental City. I'm fortunate that there are a few great places around me in north London. Even if you don't live near one, these days there are some great online stores that supply authentic Chinese ingredients.
What did you have for your Chinese New Year meal? (Missy2)
I had a fabulous Chinese 'steamboat' - an array of Chinese dishes cooked in broth and dipped in a special chilli Taiwanese dip. Mum and I prepared it together for a big party with family and friends and the meal went on for six hours!
Have you got an authentic recipe for fish cakes, similar to Thai fish cakes? (Blondie02)
Yes I do and it follows along similar lines to my Thai fish cake recipe. As well as salmon, add cod, prawns and scallops. Take out the red Thai curry paste and flavour with Chinese chives, spring onions, a dash of light soy sauce, a dash of sesame oil and salt and ground white pepper. Fresh seafood has a lot of flavour, so it shouldn't need too much seasoning.
Happy New Year Ching! I am a rooster, what is your sign? (Tina6)
Happy New Year! I was born in the year of the horse - I think I'm an earth horse to be exact. Roosters are great, very flamboyant and great at decision making!
Why did you put garlic in your special fried rice? Is there an alternative? (Brucelee)
I love garlic and put it in a lot of my dishes. However, you can use onions or spring onions instead which give lots of flavour too. My friends love seafood fried rice garnished with fried garlic and shallots as a topping.
Would you describe your recipes as classical Chinese, or are they modern interpretations of traditional Chinese food? (Lucy Vogel)
My dishes are a mix of classical Chinese and some more modern variations. Many are not at all traditional and are modern versions of classic Chinese takeaway or restaurant favourites. For the series we concentrated on simple recipes, but there is a whole world of exotic traditional Chinese cuisine just waiting to be uncovered for the more adventurous chef. We are fortunate in the UK to have such a wide variety of ingredients available to us.
My mum has inspired me the most - I'm always amazed at how quick she is. She can whip up a delicious dinner in a matter of minutes however busy life is! I also learnt some great tips for making the best Char Siu pork from my friend David Wong, who used to own his own Chinese restaurant and still works in the food industry.
What's your favourite comfort food dish? (Sarah Lawson)
It has to be steamed Char Siu pork buns, washed down with a cup of Chinese green tea. I also like a simple tuna and cheese melt; that's my western side coming out!
Hi Ching, firstly I would like to say congratulations and good luck with your new show. I enjoy watching you cook as I find you very peaceful and a calm chef. What is your favourite dish to cook and eat? (Lovegrub)
Thank you so much for your well wishes and I've got my fingers crossed for the series. I have several favourites, but I think Peking duck and pancakes with my own special sauce is a winner with my family and friends - so it has to be that!
How often do you go back to China? And are your relatives still there? (Pip100)
My grandparents are still in Taiwan and I try and go back at least once a year as I miss them a lot. I pig out as much as I can when I'm over there. I can't resist the food stands at the local night markets.
Hi Ching, your new show on UKTV Food is so refreshing. It's so nice to watch someone new. Would you advise people to buy their ingredients from a specialist Chinese supermarket? (Debs41)
It's fantastic that western supermarkets are stocking more Chinese ingredients for people to experiment with but I do recommend a specialist Chinese supermarket if you can get to one. There are more and more springing up all the time including Hoo Hing, Wing Yip and Oriental City. I'm fortunate that there are a few great places around me in north London. Even if you don't live near one, these days there are some great online stores that supply authentic Chinese ingredients.
What did you have for your Chinese New Year meal? (Missy2)
I had a fabulous Chinese 'steamboat' - an array of Chinese dishes cooked in broth and dipped in a special chilli Taiwanese dip. Mum and I prepared it together for a big party with family and friends and the meal went on for six hours!
Have you got an authentic recipe for fish cakes, similar to Thai fish cakes? (Blondie02)
Yes I do and it follows along similar lines to my Thai fish cake recipe. As well as salmon, add cod, prawns and scallops. Take out the red Thai curry paste and flavour with Chinese chives, spring onions, a dash of light soy sauce, a dash of sesame oil and salt and ground white pepper. Fresh seafood has a lot of flavour, so it shouldn't need too much seasoning.
Happy New Year Ching! I am a rooster, what is your sign? (Tina6)
Happy New Year! I was born in the year of the horse - I think I'm an earth horse to be exact. Roosters are great, very flamboyant and great at decision making!
Why did you put garlic in your special fried rice? Is there an alternative? (Brucelee)
I love garlic and put it in a lot of my dishes. However, you can use onions or spring onions instead which give lots of flavour too. My friends love seafood fried rice garnished with fried garlic and shallots as a topping.
Would you describe your recipes as classical Chinese, or are they modern interpretations of traditional Chinese food? (Lucy Vogel)
My dishes are a mix of classical Chinese and some more modern variations. Many are not at all traditional and are modern versions of classic Chinese takeaway or restaurant favourites. For the series we concentrated on simple recipes, but there is a whole world of exotic traditional Chinese cuisine just waiting to be uncovered for the more adventurous chef. We are fortunate in the UK to have such a wide variety of ingredients available to us.
