What a joy it has been to live with a Chinese family and see how they prepare their meals and then to enjoy eating what they have prepared. I will eat almost anything that is put in front of me. There are a few items in both cultures I tend to skip. Here in China I can now truthfully say that I am as comfortable with the Chinese menu as I am with the American menu. I am at home with either menu.
In China, oil is used for cooking, which is very tastefully done by Jiajing's parents. Food served at the table is not oily, but its mark is left on vegetables. At home we would either boil or microwave in a special container. Connie has a special pot and lid she uses in the microwave, providing excellent results. Cooking with oil leaves a slight brown color on the food, especially the broccoli - as I think about it, I don't think it is from the oil but from the frying that takes place as the veggie comes in contact with the sides of the pan in the cooking process. I believe there are some foods that cook very well with oil and I enjoy them very much. There are some foods I prefer cooked the American way. Each culture has some positive and negative examples. If one could take the best from both that would be great.
I believe American cooking is cleaner for the environment. I was in one kitchen in China - not where I live - where there was so much oil in the air from cooking that it was uncomfortable to be in the room. When the air is that filled with oil it results in a very dirty condition as shown in the following picture.
The picture is an extreme case, but you see them around. Behind that wall you would find something similar to the following picture.
As I become more comfortable and familiar with the area around where I live I want to sample more and more food for my noon meal. Living where I am now living is truly a great experience and a pleasure.
