June 27 – Easy Chinese Stir Fries & Barefoot Riesling
We begin with a LIVE Farmer’s Market update from the Plaza in Old Town with Pat Randleas.
Then we’ll be talking to Helen Chen, the founder of Helen’s Asian Kitchen, a widely distributed Asian cookware line, and the author of Helen Chen’s Chinese Home Cooking and Peking cuisine. Her mother, Joyce Chen, was a pioneering Chinese restauranteur and entrepreneur. Helen served as the CEO of her mother’s company before launching her own business. Helen’s latest book is the focus today…Easy Chinese Stir-Fries!
Inside, you’ll find many familiar dishes—Kung Pao Chicken, Moo Shi Pork, and Sweet and Sour Shrimp, to name just a few—and find out just how easy it is to prepare them at home. You’ll also discover lots of less familiar dishes that are equally delicious, such as Chicken with Cashew Nuts, Black Pepper Beef with Green Beans, and Shanghainese Shrimp with Peas. In addition, you’ll find nearly twenty healthy tofu and vegetable dishes, ranging from Grandmother’s Spicy Bean Curd to Garlicky Green Beans.
To help you get started, Helen provides a thorough overview of Chinese cooking techniques, equipment, and ingredients. You’ll discover why cornstarch is important, how much oil to use in a wok, and what kinds of soy sauce you should choose. With Helen’s clear instructions and straightforward recipes, you’ll soon be cooking and enjoying a wide variety of delectable stir-fries.
Throughout the book, more than thirty gorgeous color photographs show just how deliciously appealing these stir-fries can be. Complete with Helen’s fascinating notes on each dish, this handsome cookbook is just what you need to explore the simple pleasures of home-style Chinese cooking.
Jennifer Wall Barefoot Winemaker
Wine of the Week: NV Barefoot Riesling
Spicy Chinese Stir Fry and this light crisp off-dry Riesling are the perfect match! Sweet fruit aromas of citrus flowers, crisp yellow apple and hints of lemon, this is a great wine for HOT weather. I’ll be chatting with Jennifer Wall, winemaker at Barefoot about this wine as well as her other products.
Note to self: 1.5 ltr Barefoot, all varietals are on sale at Jacob this weekend!!!
The second half is all about Merryvale winery in the heart of Napa with winemaker Sean Foster and Vineyard Manager Remi Cohen. Always a fan of Merryvale, the wines have never been better and the awards keep flowing, thanks to these two talented young pros!