On 3 Sep 2005 08:50:36 -0700, Jennyanniedots > wrote:
> There's a huge asian supermarket in my hometown, and there are many
> foods I'm familiar with. But I'd like to broaden my horizons. I'm
> particularly interested in the produce. I currently prepare Chinese
> broccoli, mustard greens, and baby bok choy in a very simple way - I
> boil them for just a minute or two, then toss with either oyster sauce
> + veg oil or ponzu sauce + veg oil to coat. (This is very tasty by the
> way.) But I'd like to branch out. Does anyone have any ideas for how to
> prepare other kinds of Asian produce, like bittermelon, or coconut....
> or any ideas for how to season the greens I'm already cooking? I don't
> have a wok yet, but I do have a large frying pan so I could stir fry.
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Jen

I prefer simple preparations myself for stuff like bok choy... We
usually saute some minced garlic in peanut oil, then add the bok choy and cook
until slightly wilted, stir in some soy sauce and a bit of sesame oil to
taste. Oyster sauce, as you mentioned, is good, too. If you don't mind a bit
of heat, adding fresh sliced chilies is nice, or a spoonful of chili-garlic
sauce. Otherwise, the greens could be used in a regular vegetable stir-fry or
soups.

Bittermelon is a bit of an acquired taste. I haven't managed to
acquire it, so I'm afraid I don't have any recipes. But doing a Google
search for it turned up (in the first result, i think) an interesting
website with pictures and dish ideas, mostly Bengali dishes, IIRC.

Ariane