From the Far East

Notes on Far East cooking...

It is said that the backbone of Chinese cooking is like a mirepoix, but it's ginger, garlic and scallions.

Velvety Chinese stir-fry meat technique...

A desirable feature of meat in stir fry is called velvety by food critics. How is this done? 

2 chicken breasts or (4 thighs)

1 egg white
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp Shaoxing cooking wine (or mirin)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp white pepper
2 tsp cornstarch
— sprinkle of monosodium glutamate

Mix well in bowl, slice up the chicken meat, make sure meat
is covered well by the sauce. Set aside for 20 minutes while
you prepare the rest of your stir fry.

Just before stir-frying, blanche meat in boiling hot water
for 45 seconds. Then stir-fry it just as you were already
going to do it.