I strongly suggest for stir frying that:

• the practice of mis en place, i.e., "things in place", should be used
• each ingredient or group of ingredients to be cooked as a separate step in the cooking sequence should be in a separate container placed in the sequence of use;
• note that an ingredient(s) container may be used when a particular ingredient(s) are to be set aside after cooking EXCEPT when the ingredient contains raw poultry in which case a clean container should be used for the cooked ingredient
• each ingredient(s) in its container should be pre-measured; if one is able to judge appropriate amounts by eye such as a bottle of soy sauce, oil, or rice wine, etc.
• for stir frying, the wok should be hot before adding oil and the oil should shimmer or even begin to smoke slightly before adding an ingredient(s)
• traditionally, lard was used for stir frying but today vegetable oils with high smoking points are generally used: peanut oil, canola oil, etc.; olive should not be used because of the taste it imparts unless one particularly wants that flavor; sesame oil is not generally used for stir frying because of its low smoking point although some cooks prepare stir fry oil in advance by mixing the regular oil and sesame oil (I will provide instructions for this special oil when I come across the recipe again)

When I make Oyster Sauce Beef, I only use sliced onions and sliced green bell pepper along with the beef, oyster sauce and other flavors. I do not use mushrooms or other vegetables. Some "traditional" recipes use sliced onions but I have not seen any which use bell peppers. I may provide my recipe at some future date.

If you are curious, you might find my discussion regarding the origins of chop suey interesting.

"Tsap sui" more commonly known as "chop suey", essentially mean "odds and ends" and is made from whatever are available to use up. Actually for my version(s), I usually make it a point to buy bean sprouts, choy sum and/or bok choy, and Napa cabbage when I am going to make my chop suey. Chop Suey is usually served with steamed white rice but I also like it over soft noodles (spaghetti may be used) and crispy deep-fried noodles, on occasion!

Ingredients:

• Initial seasonings:
  • 1/2 - 1 Tbls Chinese black bean with garlic sauce
  • 1/2 - 3/4 Tbls minced garlic
  • 1/2 - 3/4 Tbls minced/pureed ginger
• Hard Vegetables:
  • 1 cup carrots (sliced diagonally, bite size) or baby carrots (slice in half length-wise)
  • 1/2 cup bok choy or Napa cabbage stems, sliced diagonally, bite size
  • 1 cup bok choy or Napa cabbage leaves, thinly sliced
• Soft Vegetables:
  • 1 cup bell pepper, sliced into 1/2" x 1 1/2" strips
  • 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• Last Minute Vegetables:
  • 1/2 cup bok choy or Napa cabbage leaves
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • 1/2 cup diagonally sliced zucchini 1/4" thick
• 1/2 - 1 cup shrimp (peeled and deveined) or scallops or beef/pork/chicken thinly sliced across the grain
• canola oil
• corn starch
• Sauce

  preferred: 3/4 cup chicken stock 3 Tbls soy sauce 3 Tbls Chinese rice wine or dry sherry or saki or even rice vinegar 1/2 - 3/4 tsp corn starch

  emergency: 3/4 cup cold water 1/2 - 3/4 tsp chicken bouillon powder 3 Tbls soy sauce 3 Tbls Chinese rice wine or dry sherry or saki or even rice vinegar 1/2 - 3/4 tsp corn starch

Before cooking preparation:

• place Initial Seasonings in container
• prepare vegetables as suggested, dry and place in bowls:
• Hard Vegetables in one bowl
• Soft Vegetables in another bowl
• Last Minute Vegetables in another bowl (Note: it is best to set the vegetables aside for a while to dry)
• Put seafood/meat in separate bowl; sprinkle with about 1 tsp corn starch; mix well (Note: it is best to set the seafood/meat aside to rest for at least 10 minutes)
• Prepare preferred or emergency sauce: add sauce ingredients to a cup and mix well

Cooking technique:

• heat wok
• add 1 Tbls oil; when oil shimmers, add initial seasonings; stir fry briefly
• add seafood/meat and stir fry until almost cooked; about 1 - 2 minutes; remove to bowl
• add 1 Tbls oil; when oil shimmers, add hard vegetables; stir fry about 1 - 2 minutes or desired crunchiness is achieved
• add soft vegetables; stir fry briefly
• add reserved seafood/meat and last minute vegetables; stir well
• stir sauce to remix thickener, pour sauce into wok, stir fry until all ingredients are hot about 1 minute or so
• serve immediately

Notes:

• any desired vegetables can be used but be sure to separate into hard vegetables ( those which require more cooking) and soft vegetables (those which require less cooking) and last minute vegetables such as bean sprouts, i.e., those which only require heating
• virtually any ingredient is optional except I would recommend the cup of sauce be prepared pretty much as described
• this dish is great without any seafood or meat, and for vegetarians, vegetable bouillon could be substituted for chicken broth/bouillon
• I like sometimes to add freshly ground Sichuan peppercorns and/or freshly ground 3-5 color peppercorns

Chow Mein

Chow Mein is essentially the same as Chop Suey but rather than being served with steamed white rice it is served with/using noodles (Mein):

• uses soft Chinese noodles (which have been cooked al dente and drained) stirred into the vegetables and meat at the last minute just long enough to make the noodles hot
• is served on top of the same hot soft noodles
• is served the same cooked soft noodles which have been pan fried to be crispy on both sides
• is served over room temperature crispy Chow Mein noodles (this version is not really Chinese but is really an American version).

Notes/Suggestions:

• if appropriate Chinese noodles are not available, spaghetti can be used but be sure to cook it al dente
• when doing pan fried noodles, if there is a problem with the noodles not keeping in the disc shape when turning over to fry the second side, you might want to try the following:
  • cook the noodles al dente
  • drain and cool
  • mix with a small amount of oil (sesame oil might be desireable)
  • put the noodles into an appropriate sized dish or pan to shape the noodle disk
  • refrigerate until cold
  • take the noodles out of refrigerator
  • panfry noodle disk in flat bottomed skillet
  • turn over when desired crispness achieved,
  • cook second side
  • remove from fry pan
  • drain on paper towel
• when cooking vegetables, separate the vegetables into two or more groups according to required cooking times
  • soft and leafy vegetables requiring only short cooking time, e.g., choy sum, bok choy leaves, mushrooms, snow peas (mangetout)
  • harder vegetable and stems requiring longer cooking times, e.g., carrots, celery, bok choy stems, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts
  • frequently bean sprouts and snow peas are added at the last minute and just barely heated

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bean sprouts
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced 1/2" thick
• 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoon soy sauce
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon cold water
• 1/4 cup chicken broth (low sodium recommended)
• 1/2 pound Chinese soft noodles (spaghetti can be used if Chinese noodles not available)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 medium stalks celery sliced 1/2" thick on diagonal
• 1/2 medium onion sliced 1/2" thick
• 2 cups bok choy or cabbage sliced 1/2" thick
• 2 green onions sliced 1" on diagonal
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons canola oil
• 
  Optional: sliced/shredded carrots, sliced celery, mushrooms, snowpeas, etc. may be added if desired

Cooking technique (see the Cooking Technique for My Basic Version of Chop Suey above for details):

• 1/2 to 1 hour before cooking, rinse and slice vegetables and rinse bean sprouts; allow to drain
• Slice the chicken breasts and set aside
• Cook noodles al dente, drain, mix with sesame oil and set aside
• Heat wok or skillet over medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons canola oil; when barely smoking, add portion of noodles; fry portions of noodles until golden brown; set fried noodles aside
• Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil; add garlic and chicken; stir fry until chicken almost cooked; remove and set aside
• Add remaining vegetables except green onions; stir fry to desired texture
• Add chicken broth and chicken; stir fry for 2-3 minutes
• Make a depression in the middle of the wok; stir cornstarch and water; add oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch salt and pepper; mix together
• Add noodles and green onions; stir quickly
• Serve immediately

When I make Mapo Dofu, I add the following ingredients to a recipe for four servings:

• 2 cubes of dofu ru (chou dofu, fu ru, i.e., fragrant/fermented/stinky tofu)
• 2 Tbls. mashed Dou chi (Chinese fermented black beans) (I do not rinse the beans)

Both ingredients add to a bigger fuller taste without actually adding noticeable flavors.

2010/01/07: I recently received Chen Kenichi's "Iron Chef Chen's - Knockout Chinese". Chen Kenichi has always been  one of my favorite Iron Chefs so I was pleasantly surprised to see that his recipe for mapo dofu (see below) was essentially the same as the recipe I developed from several other recipes but without my "enhancements" (I also add 2 1" cubes of dofu ru) and I use about 1/4 tsp. minced garlic instead of garlic shoot).

Chen Kenichi's Genuine Mapo Tofu from Chen Kenichi "Iron Chef Chen's Knockout Chinese"

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 block firm tofu
• 2 3/4 oz (80 g) ground pork
• 1 garlic sprout
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 heaping Tbsp Doubanjiang (Chinese chili paste)
• 1 tsp sweet noodle sauce (tianmianjiang)
• 2 tsp fermented black beans (dauchi), minced (I do not rinse the beans)
• 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp chili oil
• 3/4 C (180 ml) soup stock (I usually use chicken stock/broth)
• 1 Tbsp sake
• 1 tsp soy sauce
  Dash salt
• 2 Tbsp starch paste (1 Tbsp cornstarch 1 Tbsp cold water)
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  1 tsp ground Sichuan pepper (hua jiaa fen)
• toasted sesame oil, to taste

Preparation:

1. Cut tofu from the side into 2 halves of equal thickness and dice halves into 1" (2 cm) cubes and boil in salted water until firm. Set aside
2. Mince the white part of garlic sprout and cut the green leaves into bite-size pieces. Set aside
3. Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a wok and add ground pork
4. Cook at high heat until crispy and crumbled
5. Add Doubanjiang, sweet noodle sauce, black beans, cayenne, and half of the chili oil and stir-fry
6. Drain water from tofu and add to sauted meat mixture
7. Add soup stock and white part of garlic sprout
8. Simmer, mixing occasionally
9. Add sake, soy sauce, and the remaining chili oil, gradually, to taste
10. Sprinkle in green part of garlic sprout
11. Add starch paste and turn heat to medium
12. Stir slowly until sauce thickens
13. Add vegetable oil
14. Transfer to a serving dish
15. Sprinkle on ground Sichuan pepper and toasted sesame oil
16. Serve over white rice or soft noodles

TIP: Garlic sprouts are early-harvest garlic. They have a milder flavor than garlic cloves. You can use garlic cloves and scallions instead.

2010/05/11 - I found the following recipe and it is the first recipe I have seen which includes all my mapo dofu enhancements (I do not yet have permissions to reproduce it but if anyone knows where I can ask for permission, please let me know ASAP so I can ask) :

Mapo Dofu

Posted by Sarah Kiino at avenuefood.com 20071003 mapo-dofu

Only recently legally available in the United States after an almost 40-year banishment (something to do with a citrus canker they could potentially carry and spread), Szechuan, or Sichuan, peppercorns are floral, vibrantly aromatic, and capable of inflicting a distinctly unpleasant numbing effect on the tongue when used in excess. I'm not talking painful numb like chiles. Just numb, like Novocaine. Weird, right?

But these zesty little fruits, so exotic to our American palates, have long been used (http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/sichuan-peppercorns) in traditional Chinese cooking. And perhaps I was a bit starry-eyed at the whole mystique they have about them, being (formerly) forbidden and all, but when I saw them for sale at the Penzey's (http://www.penzeys.com/) in Grand Central Station, I of course bought a jar.

Regular readers of this blog know my feelings about tofu(http://avenuefood.com/2007/07/10/tofu.aspx), and mapo dofu may be my very favorite way to eat it. Our go-to Chinese take-out place does a respectable version using Szechuan peppercorns, in fact but awhile ago I came up with my own recipe, which I hoped to be just as flavorful, but less greasy. Brian and I loved it. Much bowl-licking ensued.

My first attempt to integrate Szechuan peppercorns into the dish was a little, er, bumpy, culminating in anguished cries of "Aahhh! My tongue is numb! Aahhh!" (That was me, Brian, to his credit, was much more restrained in his criticism: "Um, maybe you should use fewer Szechuan peppercorns next time.")

So remember: practice restraint with this distinctive spice. And then you'll come to appreciate its bright peppery zing without feeling like you've just gotten a cavity filled.

MAPO DOFU

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1 1-pound tub "regular" tofu
• 2 tablespoons dried fermented Chinese black beans, rinsed and chopped
• 6 dried hot chiles, 1 crumbled and 5 left intact
• 4 scallions, 2 finely minced and 2 sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cube Chinese fermented tofu (funyu) with chile
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with a little water
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, lightly toasted in a dry skillet and crushed

Preparation

1. Combine stock, sugar, salt, soy sauce, and fuyu in a bowl; stir to mix
2. Heat pan until smoking hot (I use a large cast-iron skillet for all my stir-frying)
3. Swirl a tablespoon of oil around pan, spread out pork, let sit a minute, then stir-fry, breaking it up, a minute or two longer
4. Add chiles and beans, fry another minute
5. Add 2 minced scallions, ginger, and garlic; fry 30 seconds to a minute
6. Add stock mixture and tofu; simmer gently about five minutes
7. Add cornstarch mixture, stirring until sauce is thickened
8. Sprinkle crushed Szechuan peppercorns over tofu and stir to combine
9. Garnish with cilantro and sliced scallions

Note: I would call this recipe an Egg Fu Yung Sauce. This term refers to the ingredients usually added to a dish near the end of the cooking period. The following is a basic recipe, but is, of course, variable, according to the seasoning desired:

(Plus salt, sugar, seasoning powder, pepper, etc.)

• 2 cups stock (or water)
• 1 tsp. soya sauce
• 2 tsp. cornstarch and 2 tsp. cold water (made into a paste)
• If prepared separately, cook until thickened, or if added to a dish being cooked, allow to thicken with the other ingredients

*from John Keys "Food For The Emperor".

NOTE: when I use this recipe for Egg Fu Yung sauce, I add 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. curry powder. Please note that this amount of curry powder does not really add a curry taste but it does make for a fuller bigger taste! I first tasted this egg fu yung sauce variation at the now defunct Miss China restaurant in La Jolla, CA...when I identified the "special" ingredient, the chef confirmed the identification.

from: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/lifestyles/fooddrink/s_477564.html and several other sources.

"For Katie Monti, Natrona Heights, who is trying to find La Choy brown sauce. From Patricia L. Colin, Lower Burrell, Westmoreland County, who writes, "I, too, had looked for the small bottles which she referred to as brown sauce, although I think she means brown gravy sauce made by La Choy. When I couldn't find it anywhere, I wrote to La Choy and received a reply dated April 8, 1997. It informed me that the brown gravy sauce had been discontinued because the turnover at the store level was not enough to warrant shelf space. They were kind enough to provide me with easy substitutions." The substitutions are as follows:

• "To make a 5-ounce bottle of La Choy Brown Gravy Sauce, combine 1/2 cup corn syrup (light or dark -- I use dark) and 1/2 teaspoon La Choy Soy Sauce.
• "To make a 5-ounce bottle of La Choy Bead Molasses, combine 1/2 cup molasses (light or dark) and 1/2 teaspoon La Choy Soy Sauce."

La Choy Food Products, Div. Beatrice Food Co., Archbold, Ohio, 1954)

Cooking time: 5 minutes     Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons drippings from roast beef, ham or chicken
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons La Choy Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon La Choy Brown Gravy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• dash pepper
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 1/2 cups hot water

Preparation:

1. Melt butter; blend in flour.
2. Add Sauces, seasonings and cold water.
3. Mix thoroughly.
   Stir in hot water.
4. Cook until smooth and thickened, stirring constantly

Serve with Egg Foo Yong, cooked or fried rice, biscuits, potatoes, dumplings, egg noodles, chops, roast beef, pork or veal.

Regarding oil for this recipe, I would suggest that only oils that can handle high heat be used such as peanut oil, canola oil, etc. This would eliminate using sesame oil because it burns easily.

Ingredients:

• 1 quart Canola oil or oil of choice
• 1 - 2 handfuls dried Ghost Chiles, to taste, some finely diced
• 1 handful dried Chilis Japones
• 1/2 cup freshly roasted Sichuan/Szechuan peppercorns or to taste (these are not really peppercorns!)
• sesame oil (optional)

Cooking Technique:

• Heat oil until almost smoking
• Turn off heat wait 3 minutes.
• Carefully put Ghost Chiles and Sichuan peppercorns into oil...it will foam up.
• Cool
• Using a coarse sieve and funnel, strain into appropriate bottles (I use emptied 500 ml. soy sauce bottles with resealable plastic caps)
• I like for put some pieces of chiles and peppercorns in the bottle which will increase potency (and it looks nice!)
• Optionally, top off each bottle with about 1/2" - 1" sesame oil and shake to mix.

This is a recipe for a quick hot and sour soup. It is definitely not "authentic" but it does have a similar taste and consistency.

Ingredients:

• 1 La Choy Chop Suey package or similar (canned vegetables and sauce)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• pepper (black, white, Sichuan, etc.) to taste
• 4-7 Tbls vinegar (rice, cider, etc.) to taste
• optional - 2-4 Tbls dry sherry or rice wine to taste
• optional - additional vegetables (carrots, celery, etc)
• optional - dried or fresh chiles to taste
• optional - Asian toasted sesame oil

Cooking Technique:

• Heat all ingredients except sesame oil until all vegetables are the desired texture.
• Serve (topped with a few drops of sesame oil, if desired).
• Can be served with crispy chow mein noodles or fried wonton strips. I like to use "Ritz" crackers if I don't have the crispy noodles or wonton strips.