Chinese Homestyle: Everyday Plant-Based Recipes for Takeout, Dim Sum, Noodles, and More, written by Maggie Zhu, features an incredible assortment of 90 Chinese vegetarian and vegan recipes created for the home cook. A few highlights include Pickled Cabbage Salad, Chive and Tofu Puff Pockets, Biang Biang Mian, Red Braised Tofu, and Creamy Red Bean Ice Pops. I will also be sharing her recipe for Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles following the review.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from Rock Point in exchange for my honest review. All comments and opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase something through the link, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.
Maggie Zhu
Maggie Zhu is a food writer, recipe developer, food stylist, and photographer. She created Omnivore’s Cookbook in 2013 as a way to record her family recipes and share her passion for food.
Her work has been featured in numerous publications such as EatingWell, Lucky Chow, Better Homes and Gardens Australia, Bon Appétit, the Washington Post, the Guardian, CNN, and Yahoo.
Maggie was born and raised in Beijing, China, and is currently based in New York City.
Chinese Homestyle
Maggie begins Chinese Homestyle with a short introduction, her history with plant-based cooking, and tips on using the book.
The guide to notable Chinese ingredients with descriptions and uses along with cooking equipment and tools is incredibly helpful. Maggie even demonstrates with step-by-step instructions and photographs how to prep aromatics and vegetables for the recipes.
Chapters are divided according to the following: Homemade Sauces & Condiments; Appetizers & Salads; Favorite Takeout; Dim Sum; Noodles & Soups; Tofu, Seitan & Tempeh; Hearty Seasonal Mains; Easy Seasonal Sides; and Sweet Treats. The contents have a list of the included recipes with page number for easy reference.
Maggie also provides the stunning photography. Most of the recipes are paired with a half to full-page photo of the finished dish. There are a few step-by-step photos to demonstrate techniques such as folding and rolling dough.
Measurements are listed in US Customary and Metric. Titles are written in English. Each recipe includes a headnote with background information, personal stories, helpful notes, prep and cook time, and yield.
Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles
These Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles (葱油拌面, Cong You Ban Mian) are a favorite of my daughter’s and she asked me to make the dish immediately after seeing it in Chinese Homestyle. The flavors were so good!
A fragrant scallion oil is simmered with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and sugar until thickened. The mixture is then tossed with thin wheat noodles to coat.
The Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles are served immediately with the fried scallion pieces, sesame seeds, and more sauce on the side.
Notable Ingredients
I made the Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles with store-bought dried thin wheat noodles. There is also a recipe for Handmade Noodles in the book.
Dark Soy Sauce is also known as sweet soy sauce, black soy sauce, or thick soy sauce. It is available in markets with East Asian ingredients or on Amazon: Pearl River Bridge Superior Dark Soy Sauce.
Other Dishes
I also made the Easy Cucumber Salad, Sweet-and-Sour Tofu, Black Pepper Portobello Mushrooms, and Sticky Rice Cake with Red Bean Paste.
The Easy Cucumber Salad is such a quick and delicious use for cucumbers with just a handful of ingredients. Cucumbers are crushed with the side of a knife, then paired with a blend of soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, sesame oil, and chili oil.
The Sweet-and-Sour Tofu is definitely a new favorite. Cubes of tofu are fried until golden, then tossed in a sweet and sour sauce with onions, scallions, and bell peppers.
Inspired by the plant-based restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown, Buddha Bodai, the Black Pepper Portobello Mushrooms is another easy and flavorful vegetable dish. The mushroom slices are pan-fried, then combined with onion, garlic, ginger, and bell peppers in a flavorful sauce.
I happened to have some leftover red bean paste. It was perfect for making this Sticky Rice Cake with Red Bean Paste. A glutinous rice flour dough is wrapped around red bean paste, coated in sesame seeds, and pan-fried until crisp and golden.
Chinese Homestyle is a fantastic pick for those interested in plant-based recipes with a focus on Northern Chinese cuisine and Chinese-American takeout favorites. I absolutely love the variety from the different uses for vegetables, tofu, mushrooms, seitan, and tempeh. Maggie has adapted the recipes to use a minimal amount of oil and sugar as well.
Many of the ingredients are readily available in larger American grocery stores. A few items may require a trip to an East Asian market such as Sichuan chili flakes, Sichuan peppercorns, dried adzuki beans, Shaoxing wine, Chinkiang vinegar, doubanjiang, dried wood ear mushrooms, dried lily flowers, Yuba sheets, dried wakame, and more. Substitutions are provided when available.
Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles Recipe
Excerpt from Chinese Homestyle
Shanghai Scallion Oil Noodles
Ingredients
Scallion Oil:
- 8-10 scallions
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) peanut oil
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Noodles:
- 1/2 pound (227 grams) Handmade Noodles or fresh thin wheat noodles or 5 ounces (142 grams) dried thin wheat noodles
- Toasted sesame seeds for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
To make the Scallion Oil:
- Chop the scallions into 2-inch-long (5 centimeter) pieces and separate the white and green parts. If the bottoms of the white parts are thick (1/2 inch, or 1 centimeter, in diameter or thicker), slice the pieces in half lengthwise.
- Pat them dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- In a medium saucepan or skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium heat until warm.
- Add the white parts of the scallions. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the scallions turn golden, 6 to 8 minutes. If the oil starts to splatter, reduce the heat to medium-low or low heat, or remove the pan from the stove to let the oil cool a bit.
- Add the green parts of the scallions to the pan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until they turn golden brown and crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Do not let the scallions burn.
- Remove the pan from the heat and use a pair of tongs or chopsticks to transfer the scallions to a large plate to cool.
Meanwhile, make the sauce:
- In a small bowl, combine the light and dark soy sauces and the sugar and stir to mix well.
- Carefully add the sauce to the scallion oil in the pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook and stir for another minute or so, until it thickens a bit. Transfer to a medium bowl.
To make the noodles:
- Boil the noodles (follow the package instructions if not using handmade noodles).
- Strain in a colander and briefly rinse under cold water to stop cooking. Transfer the noodles to individual serving bowls.
- Top each bowl with a spoonful of the scallion oil sauce and garnish with fried scallions and sesame seeds (if using). Serve the remaining sauce on the side.
- Mix the noodles with the sauce before eating, adding more sauce if needed.
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