P.F Chang s Copycat Recipe – Philosophy of Chinese Cooking

by

Alma D. Bryant

We all enjoy Chinese Food and a favorite is PF Changs Wonton Soup. Discover this soup recipe secret from the comfort of your home. Chinese cooking secret recipes are based on the ancient philosophy of Yin and Yang. Yin and Yang are when two opposites combine into perfect harmony. Enjoy this favorite soup copycat recipe provided by America s Secret Recipes. America Secret Recipes has over 700 copycat restaurant recipes.

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Wonton Soup Recipe

Restaurant Copycat Recipe

-2 chicken breast halves without skin, cubed

-1 lb medium shrimp, tail off, fresh or frozen

-1 cup fresh spinach, torn in small pieces

-1 cup sliced mushrooms

-1 x 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained

-1 tspn light brown sugar

-1 tbsp Chinese rice wine, or dry sherry

-2 tbsp soy sauce

-1 tspn finely chopped green onion, green part only

-1 tspn finely chopped fresh ginger

-4 cups chicken stock

Homemade Wontons:

-24 wonton wrappers

-6 oz pork, coarsely chopped

-8 medium shrimp, coarsely chopped

-1 tspn light brown sugar

-1 tbsp Chinese rice wine, or dry sherry

-1 tbsp soy sauce

-1 tspn finely chopped green onion, green part only

-1 tspn finely chopped fresh ginger

Bring chicken stock to a rolling boil, then add all the ingredients. Cook until chicken and shrimp are cooked through, about 10 minutes.

For homemade wontons: In a bowl, mix the chopped pork and ground shrimp with brown sugar, rice wine or sherry, soy sauce, scallions and chopped ginger. Blend well and set aside for 25-30 minutes for the flavors to blend.

Place 1 tspn of the filling in the center of each wonton wrapper.

Wet the edges of each wonton with a little water and press them together with your fingers to seal, and then fold each wonton over.

To cook, add wontons to boiling chicken stock and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Transfer to individual soup bowls and serve.

Garnish with thinly sliced green onions.

Provided by: America’s Secret Recipes

Philosophy of Chinese Cooking

Yin and yang dates back to ancient China. The belief that everything in the universe is consigned into two forces that is opposing but harmonious and complementary.

The yin and yang philosophy is used in Chinese cooking. The traditional symbol for the forces of yin and yang, are two fish swimming head to tail. The left half is yin and the right half is yang. Taken literally, yin and yang mean the dark side and sunny side of a hill. Yin and yang are not opposing forces. They are complementary pairs. The Chinese believe problems arise when there is an imbalance between them. Earthquakes, floods and fires and etc. all can be attributed to disharmony in the forces of yin and yang.

This concept of yin and yang relates to food. Opposites are set in balance to create harmony in food and body. If harmony is not achieved the body can be vulnerable to disease. Chinese chef s belief in the importance of following the principles of yin and yang in the diet. There is always a balance in color, flavors, and textures. In China live seafood, fresh meat, and seasonal vegetables and fruits are used when preparing meals. Chinese daily meals consist of four food groups: meat, vegetable, fruit and grains. Large amounts of dairy products are not consumed. Dairy produces are substituted with soymilk and tofu. Soymilk and tofu contain large amounts of protein and calcium.

Unlike some cultures the Chinese hardly waste any part of the animal. They have found ways to cook nearly every part of an animal. Chinese culture believes that the shape and part of the animal will replenish and strengthen the same part of the human body.

Certain foods have yin properties, while others have yang properties. We think in yin and yang terms everyday hot or cold, fat or fat-free, high-calorie or low- calorie, sugar or sugar free, gluten or gluten-free, yeast and yeast-free and etc. But do not apply these trains of thought to cooking. Chinese yin properties: steaming, poaching and boiling and yang properties: stir-frying, pan frying and roasting. Balance is achieved by using both yin and yang methods. The yin and yang ingredients can be cooked separately or together.

Each province in China has its own cuisine. There are the Beijing, Hunan, Shanghai, Szechwan and Cantonese cuisines. The most well known are the Szechwan and Cantonese.

Yin and yang cooking methods are used in all Chinese cuisines. Few foodstuff is purely yin or yang – it’s more that one characteristic tends to dominate. Some yin will have a little yang and some yang will have a little yin. Chinese cooking reinforces that it is not so much the individual ingredients, as the balance and contrast between the recipe ingredients in each dish that is important.

Chinese food is a worldwide favorite. Chinese cooking offers artful harmony and balance beneficial to your health and well-being. The Chinese believe balanced and healthy foods bring harmony and closeness to the family and relationships.

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