Asian staples congee, noodles and rice explored in TV chef Mrs Fong's cookbook
The contents of this 1990 book, one of a series of publications that fall under the umbrella banner of being a "Lisa Yam's Cook Book", are as straightforward as its title.
"What we are looking for in cookery, I believe, are dishes which are nutritious, delicious, and at the same time, give us new tastes [...] Congee, noodles and rice [...] can be easily prepared and have many varieties. The 60 recipes in this book provide you with traditional Chinese dishes as well as exotic varieties in Thai, Indonesian and Vietnamese styles. With fresh ingredients and varied cooking methods, you would be able to prepare congee, noodle and rice recipes that can stimulate your appetite."
When Lisa Yam AKA Mrs Fong spoke to the South China Morning Post in 1993
A couple of the recipes here could be more precise (the one for baby oyster congee in Chaozhou style calls for "some fine stock" and "some fine rice"). But most of them, while being to the point, provide all the information required to do the job, so long as you have some knowledge of cooking and use common sense.
There are recipes for all the cha chaan teng and noodle-shop favourites. These include congee with pork liver and kidney; braised vegetarian superior fried noodles; braised rice vermicelli with green salted vegetable and shredded barbecued pork; stir-fried rice vermicelli in Singapore style; stir-fried rice noodles with spiced pig's ear; stir-fried needle-shaped noodles with assorted meat and vegetables; stir-fried rice in pineapple; baked rice with pork chop; rice with minced beef and egg in casserole; rice with shredded yellow eel; and rice with field frogs and Chinese ham.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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