Unlike Thailand or Japan, China is not so familiar to me and I do not think my cooking is influenced by Chinese cuisine.
Because I love to explore, and for me there is no end to the discovery of ingredients, products, dishes, techniques and cooking traditions, I decided to go into other people's homes - and learn.
I knew Rafi Cohen and Li-Yu, who came from China, in Kfar Vradim as neighbors of Aliza and Gabi, my wife Naama's parents.
They opened my home and heart to me, with stories about the chain of life and recipes.
Cook only with chopstick.
Yossi and Li-Yu in the kitchen, Photo: Assaf Carla
Li-Yu, born in Sichuan Province, China, was a young musician who wanted to study classical music in Europe.
At the age of 19, she received a scholarship and came to Israel for only one year of study in Jerusalem, after which she was supposed to continue her studies in France, but life, like life, led her to a new path.
In those years there were almost no Chinese in the country, and in Steph Wertheimer's Iscar factory they hosted a delegation from China and looked for an interpreter.
Fate wished, and Li-Yu was chosen to come north and translate.
In Kfar Vradim she met Rafi, the two fell in love and have a daughter together, Yam, 8 years old.
Although Lee-Yu spent most of her adult life in Israel, she cooks using techniques she brought from China, for example only with chopsticks.
After many years in the country, Li-Yu of course speaks and writes in Hebrew, but she writes the recipes only in Chinese.
Beyond recipes, she is today in the process of writing a book, which tells the story of her life and adolescence in opposing worlds.
The recipes are written only in Chinese.
A recipe by Li-Yo, Photo: Assaf Carla
In the past year, Li-Yu has also been invited to several places to share the story of her life, and in these meetings she shares parts of the book with pictures, music and more.
In addition, it has established a classroom platform that offers children and adults classes in foreign languages, music and art.
Sichuan style dumplings
The dumplings have fixed shapes: the vegetarian is round, the meat is half-moon-shaped and the dumpling for the soup looks like a tortellini, with triangular edges.
Li-Yu says that in southern China, dumplings are made only on holidays and special occasions.
All diners participate in the event, including the children - a real dumpling party.
Materials:
200 grams of plain white flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
100 grams of cold water
Put the flour, salt and water in a bowl and mix well and a lot, until the liquids are absorbed into the flour and a dough with a pleasant and elastic texture is obtained.
Cover the dough and let it rest for an hour, roll to the thinnest thickness you can and make small circles.
In the center of each circle place a heaping teaspoon of the filling and fasten with your fingers so that the filling does not come out.
Note: The sides of the dough should be thin and the middle thick, so that it holds the filling.
There are three main methods of making dumplings.
Cook dumplings in boiling water three times: boil water, put the dumplings in them floating, add cold water and boil again, and so on three times.
For steamed dumplings, arrange the dumplings on a bamboo steamer (you can line them with baking paper, so that they do not stick to the bottom) and sauté over a pot with boiling water for 20 minutes.
For fried dumplings, fry the dough in a pan on one side, and as soon as it gets crispy, pour water and cover to continue cooking.
This creates semi-steamed and semi-fried dumplings, which are both well made on the inside and get crispy from the frying.
Padding with baking paper, to prevent sticking.
Steamed dumplings, Photo: Assaf Carla
Filling for dumplings
Vegetarian filling:
2 eggs
1 box of tofu
150 grams of cooked rice
1/4 chopped cabbage
3 chopped green onion stalks
5 black "ear" mushrooms (soaked in hot water)
5 dried shiitake mushrooms (slightly soaked in boiling water)
1 chopped onion
5 cloves of crushed garlic
A handful of chopped celery leaves
A handful of chopped coriander
1 tablespoon chopped ginger root
1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
black pepper
Salt
Vegetable / olive / coconut oil
Fry the vegetables with a little oil (vegetable / olive / coconut).
After about 10 minutes, add the herbs (celery leaves, coriander) and spices, fry a little more, remove from the heat and strain the liquids.
Stir in the rest of the ingredients, allow the mixture to cool and fill the dumplings without leaving air bubbles.
Meat filling:
300 grams of ground beef or chicken
2 celery stalks (with leaves) finely chopped
1/4 finely chopped cabbage
A handful of chopped parsley
A handful of chopped coriander
Mushroom case (Champignon, Jordan, what you like)
1 chopped onion
2 eggs
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tablespoon chopped ginger root
10 Sichuan peppercorns
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup red wine or rice wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 chopped hot green pepper
Salt
pepper
Mix all the ingredients well and fill the dumplings, leaving no air bubbles.
For sealing, it is recommended to use a little water or egg, which is used as a sticky substance.
It is important to close tightly.
Filling the dumplings, Photo: Assaf Carla
Soup for dumplings
Materials:
A handful of coarsely chopped celery leaves
1 onion cut into circles
A handful of coarsely chopped coriander
2 cm ginger root
5 Sichuan peppercorns
4 wings or chicken neck
1 cup white beans (soaked and pre-cooked)
1 seaweed leaf (combo) torn into small pieces
4 black "ear" mushrooms (soaked in hot water)
A handful of peanuts
5 Chinese dates
1 peeled tomato, cut in half
1 tablespoon salt
black pepper
In a large pot, fry the celery leaves, onion, coriander, ginger and Sichuan pepper, add the chicken pieces, fry a little more, add 2 cups of water (which will cover the chicken) and bring to a boil.
Add the white beans, fill with water to the end of the pot, bring to a further boil and add salt and black pepper.
Add the seaweed, mushrooms, peanuts, Chinese dates and tomatoes and cook over low heat for an hour.
When ready, cook the dumplings in the soup for 3 minutes and serve.
Three minutes inside - and serve.
Dumplings soup, Photo: Assaf Carla
Sauces for dumplings
Peanut butter sauce (not spicy):
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon white sesame oil
1 teaspoon peanut butter
A little salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
Simple and easy: mix all the ingredients well, except the sesame seeds, and sprinkle it over.
Li-Yo ointment (very pungent):
A handful of dried tangerine peels (save the peels and dry them) from 1 tangerine
5 bay leaves
5 star anise
10 dried red peppers
4.5 cm ginger root
1 bunch of green onions
Teeth from 1 head of garlic
20 Sichuan peppercorns
100 grams of chopped peanuts
50 grams of chopped nuts
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tablespoons of sugar
300 grams of chopped fresh hot peppers
Salt
pepper
Heat a regular oil pan and fry the dried tangerine peels, bay leaves, star anise, dried red pepper, ginger, green onion, garlic and Sichuan pepper.
After frying, remove and mash to a puree.
In the same pan fry the peanuts and nuts, add the puree back, add all the other ingredients and cook everything together while stirring.
Sichuan style fish
Induced, fried and boiled.
Sichuan-style fish, Photo: Assaf Carla
Materials:
2 whole lark fish
1 onion
3 cm ginger root
Teeth from 1/2 head garlic
3 chopped hot green peppers
6 Sichuan peppercorns
1/3 cup red wine or rice wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
1/4 cup water
A handful of chopped coriander leaves
1/3 bunch chopped green onions
Salt
pepper
Soak the fish with onion, ginger, garlic, hot green pepper and wine overnight, and put all the ingredients in the fish belly as well.
The next day heat in a saucepan vegetable oil and fry the onion, ginger, garlic, Sichuan pepper, soy sauces and sesame oil.
Season with salt and pepper.
Add water, place the fish in a pot and cook for 15-10 minutes over medium heat until the fish is ready.
When serving, sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and green onions over the fish.