Soy sauce chicken is delicious. It was a homemade chicken, not from any restaurant, that is why the chopping parts looked bad

Should be relatively straight forward, I'm just a bit confused on some instructions. I bought a Little Sheep variety pack of hot pot bases. The instructions on the back read:

1. Pour contents of the package into the hot pot

2. Add 6 cups boiling water and boil 2-3 minutes.

Just wanted to clear up the instructions a bit, because some videos I've seen online about getting started don't seem to do things in this order. In most cases the water seems to be added first. What exactly should I be doing in what order? Should I boil the water in the hot pot before adding the base? Or should I add the base to the water and then boil it?

And then a simpler question, can I use broth (either chicken or bone) instead of water?

Had a craving for Mapo Tofu with rice this morning, so I made one using soft tofu topped with lots of cilantro.

Word count vanquished.

I’m obsessed with Panda Express Orange Chicken and want to try recreating it at home. That perfect blend of crispy chicken, sweet and tangy sauce, and just the right amount of spice is something I can’t get enough of!

For those who’ve tried making it, I’d love your advice on:

• Chicken preparation: How do you get that crispy coating?
• The sauce: Any secrets to nailing that iconic sweet and tangy flavor?
• Cooking tips: What’s the best way to toss the chicken in the sauce without losing the crispiness?
• Custom tweaks: Do you add any personal twists to make it even better?

If you’ve got a recipe, step-by-step guide, or tips for making it as close to the original as possible, please share!

While dining in Hong Kong I decided to try chicken feet without researching the proper way to eat them. I chewed up and swallowed 2 toes whole, including the bone, before researching the proper way to consume them. Has anybody done this before or have any idea if it could be dangerous now that ive ingested some of the bone? I ground them up fairly well while chewing and havent experienced any pain within the first few hours of digestion. Thanks!

I don't know what they are called. They were for lack of a better description, scraggly ball-shaped snacks (not mian jin). They had kind of generic savory-sweet seasoning, maybe with some five spice.

Anyone know what I'm describing?

For me, yes. He said that there's 63 cuisine variations in China. I think there's more than that if he really went through and researched while touring China.

Apologies if this is something super obvious, my lack of Chinese language knowledge and days of fruitless Googling have left me at a dead end.

A decade ago, I used to purchase a specific type of Vinegar from a Chinese grocery store in Vancouver (Canada) sold as "sweetened" vinegar. I'd initially bought it by mistake as I thought it was red vinegar (it looked reddish), but it was actually a different ingredient entirely, with a VERY strong flavor of orange peel and cloves over a sweet vinegar.

I once was talking to the shop clerk about it (apparently I was the only one who bought it regularly, and they were curious what I was using it for), and was told it was used "with pork" but didn't get any further details. I'll admit I used it for all kinds of things (both Chinese and not) and would love to get a hold of more, but I have no idea what its proper name is.

Most of the food in the store had a Southern Chinese (specifically Cantonese) lean but there were some ingredients from other regional cuisines so that could be a red herring.

One thing I can say it's not is black vinegar, its completely lacking the smoky qualities and it's light red / orange-ish. The flavor of orange and cloves is quite strong (almost a little medicinal) and it's very sweet (though still vinegar - it's not a premade sweet and sour sauce).

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

What are some good ideas for choosing/making dipping sauces?

For example with shepherd's purse with bok choy, just sesame oil?

I used equal parts light soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil for steamed vegetable dumplings, and liked it. But, with fried it was not good.

Soy sauce is awful with the shepherd's purse.

How do you know what will taste good together?

Often, when making rice, I use a combination of Jasmine and calrose...like half and half.

Is there a point to this? Am I getting a mix of flavor and texture? Or am I just complicating things that don't need complications?

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