Ai Hua is the best cook in the whole family. Here are just a few of the most delicious recipes in her files. 

Jiawei's General Tso's Chicken 

Ai Hua's sister Jiawei just loves the balance of sweet and spicy in this version of the takeout favorite! 

Sauce: 
1/2 cup cornstarch 
1/4 cup water 
1+1/2 tsp minced garlic 
1+1/2 tsp minced ginger root 
|3/4 cup sugar 
1/2 cup soy sauce 
1/4 cup white vinegar 
1/4 cup cooking wine 
1+1/2 cup hot chicken broth 
1 tsp monosodium glutamate (optional) 

Meat: 
3 lbs deboned dark chicken meat, cut into large chunks 
1/4 cup soy sauce 
1 tsp white pepper 
1 egg 
1 cup cornstarch 
Vegetable oil for deep-frying 
2 cups sliced green onions 
16 small dried hot peppers 

Mix 1/2 cup cornstarch with water. Add garlic, ginger, sugar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, vinegar, wine, chicken broth and MSG (if desired). Stir until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until needed. 

In separate bowl, mix chicken, 1/4 cup soy sauce and white pepper. Stir in egg. Add 1 cup cornstarch and mix until chicken pieces are coated evenly. Add cup of vegetable oil to help separate chicken pieces. Divide chicken into small quantities and deep-fry at 350 degrees until crispy. Drain on paper towels. 
Place a small amount of oil in wok and heat until wok is hot. Add onions and peppers and stir-fry briefly. Stir sauce and add to wok. Place chicken in sauce and cook until sauce thickens.

Cold Chinese Noodles in Peanut-Sesame Sauce 

This recipe calls for one pound of Chinese-style noodles, but any spaghetti/fettucini-type pasta will do. 

The amount of hot pepper oil you use depends on how hot you like it. Two tablespoons will give it a nice "bite," but if you like your food very spicy, you might want to use three. 

Noodles: 
1 lb. Chinese noodles 
2 Tbsp. dark sesame oil 

Dressing: 
6 Tbsp. peanut butter 
1/4 cup water 
3 Tbsp. light soy sauce 
6 Tbsp. dark soy sauce 
6 Tbsp. tahini (sesame paste) 
1/2 cup dark sesame oil 
2 Tbsp. sherry 
4 tsp. rice wine vinegar 
1/4 cup honey 
4 medium cloves garlic, minced 
2 tsp. minced fresh ginger 
1-2 Tbsp. hot pepper oil (see instructions below)* 
1/2 cup hot water 

Garnish: 
(all are optional, depending on your taste) 
1 carrot, peeled 
1/2 firm medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and julienned 
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped 
2 green onions, thinly sliced 

Cook noodles in large pot of boiling unsalted water over medium heat until barely tender and still firm. 

Drain immediately and rinse with cold water until cold. Drain well and toss noodles with (2 Tbsp) dark sesame oil so they don't stick together. 
For dressing, combine all dressing ingredients except hot water in a blender or food processor fitted with steel blade and blend until smooth. Thin with hot water to consistency of whipping cream. 

For garnish, peel flesh of carrot in short shavings about 4" long. Place in ice water for 30 minutes to curl. 
Just before serving, toss noodles with sauce. Use about 2-4 heaping tbsp. of dressing per pound of noodles. 

Garnish with cucumber, peanuts, green onion, and carrot curls. 
Serve at room temperature. 

Makes 1 quart. 

Chinese Garlic Chicken 

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb.) 
1 egg white 
1 Tablespoon cornstarch 
1 Tablespoon dry white wine or sherry 
4 green onions 
1 teaspoon minced gingerroot 
3 teaspoons minced fresh garlic (about 6 medium cloves) 
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 
Hot cooked rice 

Sauce: 
1 teaspoon crushed chili paste (sambal oelek) or more to taste 
2 teaspoons sugar 
1 teaspoon cornstarch 
2 teaspoons rice vinegar 
1 Tablespoon water 
2 Tablespoons dry white wine or sherry 
2 Tablespoons soy sauce 

Place chicken breasts in freezer for 1 to 2 hours or until very firm
but not frozen solid. Slice crosswise into thin shreds. 
In small bowl, lightly beat egg white, then mix in 1 tbsp. cornstach and 1 tbsp wine, stirring until cornstarch is dissolved. 

Add chicken and mix well to coat all pieces. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, slice green onions on the diagonal into very thin slices. 

Mince gingerroot and garlic. Combine Sauce ingredients, mixing well. 

Heat wok or frying pan, add oil, and stir-fry chicken until no longer pink. 

Remove chicken with a slotted spoon. Add onions, ginger and garlic to wok and stirfry about 30 seconds, until ginger and garlic are fragrant but not brown. 

Return chicken to wok, restir sauce ingredients and add to wok. 
Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is well combined, hot and bubbly and thickens slightly. 

Turn off heat and splash with about 1 tsp. of dark sesame oil. 

Serve over rice. 

Makes 4 servings. 

Scallops With Peppers

1 lb. scallops 
3 red peppers 
1 tbsp. oil 
1 tsp. salt 
1 oz. fresh ginger 
2 tbsp. oil 
pinch of brown sugar 
2 tsp. sherry 
1 tsp. cornstarch 
2 tsp. soy sauce 

Core the peppers and cut into thin rings. Fry in the oil and salt for 1 minute. Add 2 tablespoons water, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain. 

Chop the ginger finely, fry both scallops and ginger in oil for 1 minute. Add the sugar and sherry. 

Mix the cornstarch to a smooth paste with the soy sauce and add to the pan. Heat gently, stirring until slightly thickend. Add the peppers and cook for 1 minute. 

Mike's Favorite Chicken Dice with Fried Walnuts

Ai Hua adapted this recipe for Jiawei's husband Mike, who loves this dish at the  Peking Duck House in New York Chinatown.

4 dried mushrooms 
4 oz. shelled walnuts 
1/3 cup oil 
3 lb. chicken 
1 tsp. cornstarch 
1 tbsp. sherry 
2 tbsp. soy sauce 
1 tsp. salt 
1 tsp. brown sugar 

Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 10 minutes. Chop the walnuts and fry in 2 tablespoons of the oil for 2 minutes. Drain on absorbent kitchen paper to remove all traces of oil. 

Cut the chicken meat into small pieces, fry in remaining oil for 3 minutes over fierce heat, stirring all the time. Mix the cornstarch to a smooth paste with the sherry, soy sauce, salt and sugar. Add to the chicken and mix well. 

Drain the mushrooms and chop roughly, add to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. Add the walnuts. 

Duck with Almonds

1 lb. duck meat 
2 tbsp. oil 
1 tsp. salt 
2 tbsp. soy sauce 
2 sticks celery 
2 oz. fresh mushrooms 
4 oz. frozen peas 
1 cups stock 
2 tsp. cornstarch 
3 oz. split, toasted almonds 

Cut the duck meat into paper thin slices. Heat the oil, add the salt and duck and fry for about 5 minutes or until the meat is tender. Add the soy sauce and mix well. 

Wash and chop the celery; wash and thinly slice the mushrooms; add both to the pan with the peas, mix well and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Mix the cornstarch to a smooth paste with a little cold water, stir into the pan, bring to the boil, stirring all the time until slightly thickened. 

Add the almonds and serve. 

Broccoli with Pork 

3/4 lb. cooked or frozen broccoli 
2 tbsp. peanut oil 
1 tsp. sugar 
pinch of salt 
1/2 tsp. very finely chopped fresh ginger 
1 clove garlic, crushed 
2 tbsp. soy sauce 
1 tbsp. sherry 
1 tsp. cornstarch 
1 cup thinly sliced pork 

Cut the broccoli into 1 1/2 inch lengths. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the broccoli and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the sugar, salt ginger and garlic, cover the pan and cook slowly for 4-5 minutes. 

Mix the soy sauce sherry, and cornflour (cornstarch) with 3 tablespoons (1/4 cup) water. 

Stir this in to the saucepan, cover again and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. 

Add the pork and reheat. 

Chicken Sweet Corn Soup 

An easy and economical dish made with chicken stock, sweet corn and egg white. 

Preparation time up to 25 minutes, cooking time approximately 25 minutes. Serves 4. 

5½ oz. of canned sweetcorn
1¼ pints of chicken stock 
2 medium-sized cooked chicken breasts 
8 baby corn cobs 
2 Egg whites (2 oz.) 
Spring onions, chopped 
1-inch piece root ginger, chopped 
2 tbsps. of light soy sauce 
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 

Place chicken stock into a saucepan and gently cook for 5 minutes. 

Cut chicken breasts into thin slices and stir the chicken into the stock. Add the sweet corn from the can and baby corn, and stir. Cover, bring to boil and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Add the ginger, soy sauce and spring onions, and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. 

Add salt and pepper if necessary, then stir in the egg white before serving. 

Chicken with Cashews 

This is a very simple and quick dish to prepare, making a tasty and filling mid-day meal or even an evening meal. Serves approximately 4 persons, taking 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook. 

4 oz. of cashew nuts (raw) 
2 oz. of carrots peeled and sliced into small cubes (size of your finger tip) 
2 oz. of bamboo shoots, sliced into small cubes
2 oz. of cucumber sliced into cubes 
2 oz. of onion peeled and sliced into cubes 
8 oz. of chicken filets 
1 tbsp. of corn flour 
Pinch of salt and ground pepper 
Approximately 1 pint of cooking oil 

Place saucepan on heat and pour in hot water boiled from a kettle. 

Turn heat to maximum for a few minutes and place cashew nuts slowly in the boiling water. Boil cashew nuts for about 5 minutes on medium heat, but make sure they do not turn soft. The cashew nuts should be drained and left to cool down for about 5 minutes. 

Heat wok with cooking oil for about 5 minutes until hot, turn heat down to low for a few minutes before placing the cashew nuts in the oil. After 2 minutes turn heat up again to high. Cook for approximately 5-10 minutes until cashew nuts are very light golden brown. The cashew nuts will turn golden brown when cooled down, it is important not to over fry them Leave to cool down for about 15 minutes. Cooked cashew nuts may be stored in a jar for a few days. 

Place sliced chicken in a small bowl, mix in the cornflour, pinch of salt and vinigar, stir in the ingredients. Then pour in the peanut oil in a clean wok, heat oil for about 2-3 minutes until hot. Place the chicken marinade into the wok for about 5-10 minutes until golden brown. Drain chicken in a bowl and leave to one side. 

Reheat wok with 1 fl. oz. of peanut oil, place in onions and cook for about 2-3 minutes. 

Place water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and carrots and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Place cucumbers and cashew nuts and cook for a further 5 minutes before serving on a dish. 

The dish may be served with boiled rice and fried Chinese cabbage.