Stacie, here's one but I'm not sure who's recipe it is. It's pretty standard for Rangoons. From what I picked up on the internet crab rangoons originated at a place here in Atlanta (not confirmed) and the originals had these ingredients. Very good!! And I agree, not to be left out of any chinese food.

Crab Rangoons
Ingredients:
1/2 pound crabmeat, drained and chopped
1/2 pound cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon A-1. Steak Sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3 dozen won-ton wrappers
1 egg yolk, well beaten
Directions:
Combine crabmeat, cream cheese, A-1 Sauce and garlic powder. Place 1 heaping teaspoonful of this mixture in the center of a won-ton wrapper. Gather edges together, moisten with egg yolk and pinch to seal. Deep fry in hot oil in bunches until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

Wow, 60 bucks! ...and hungry an hour later! What a deal!

D-

I have to make chinese the first night of the yearly family get together every summer.

Egg Foo Yong and Fried Rice I usually just throw together - I tried to put them into "recipe" form for you...

Egg Foo Yong

1 cup of chopped vegies (celery, bean sprouts, mushrooms, broccoli, green onions)
1 cup of chopped meat (cooked chicken, pork, beef or shrimp)
five or six eggs
1/2 to 1 tbls soy sauce (to taste)

Mix vegies & meat together in a bowl. Beat eggs together and add to vegie & meat mixture. (It should look like you dont have enough eggs - you want more vegies & meat and the eggs to basically hold it all together). Stir in soy sauce. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Use a ladle to spoon the mixture (I make 4 patties at a time in my electric frying pan) into hot oil and cook on medium high until "set" (like an omelette), turn over once and cook another minute or so until cooked through.

Fried Rice

1 cup cold cooked rice
3 slices of bacon
1/2 cup of chopped vegies (celery, carrots, bean sprouts, mushrooms, green onions)
1/2 cup of chopped meat (cooked chicken, pork, beef or shrimp)
3 scrambled eggs
Couple of splashes of soy sauce (to taste)

Slice bacon into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces and fry until crisp over medium-high heat. Add cold cooked rice (donÂt add it in one big lump - shake it up in a tupperware bowl or zip lock baggie so itÂs separated nicely) and quickly and gently keep it moving around the pan - the goal here is to brown (actually, tan) the rice in the bacon grease without letting a big glob of rice absorb all the grease, in which case you have one gross mess - when the rice is a nice even color, add the raw vegies and cooked meat and keep it moving (stirring gently) around the pan until everything is nice and hot. Add the scrambled eggs (already cooked) and a couple of splashes of soy sauce (taste as you go, itÂs easier to add more...) and keep it moving (stirring gently) for about another minute or so until the eggs are hot.
Shrimp & Vegetable Egg Rolls

2 Tbls vegetable oil
8 cups finely shredded green cabbage
2 cups coarsely grated carrots
2 & 1/2 Tbls soy sauce
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 Tbls ginger, finely minced
6 green onions (or scallions), cut into very thin slices
3/4 lb salad shrimp (can substitute chopped, cooked, chicken)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup finely slivered fresh basil
Salt - to taste, if needed
12 egg roll wrappers (10 oz)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 & 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1. In a large, heavy pot, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the cabbage and carrots; cook over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until cabbage is wilted and bright green. Stir in soy sauce.
2. Add the garlic and ginger; cook for 1 minute, stirring. Remove from heat and stir in green onions, shrimp, cilantro, basil and (if desired) salt.
3. When working with egg roll wrappers, cover them with a damp kitchen towel so they donÂt dry out. Stuff wrappers one at a time: Place one tip facing you like a diamond shape on a flat work surface. Place 1/3 a cup of filling 1 inch from the bottom point and across the wrapper to within 1 inch of each side. Fold bottom tip up over filling and roll away from you halfway up. Brush egg over exposed edges with a pastry brush. Fold in 1 inch side tips and finish rolling TIGHTLY (very important - or egg rolls will absorb more oil and taste ÂgreasyÂ). Place on a plate seam-side down. Repeat procedure with the rest of the wrappers. Keep finished egg rolls covered with a damp towel.
4. Heat 1 & 1/2 cups of oil in a 10 inch skillet until it begins to bubble a bit on top. (To test for temperature, drop a cube of bread into oil; it should brown within one minute). [I use my deep fryer - @ 370 degrees - drop in 3 or 4 egg rolls - cook 1 minute and turn and cook for another minute, or until golden brown.]
5. Add 3 or 4 egg rolls at a time to the oil and fry for 2 to 21/2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Serve immediately.
I like mine with ketchup and hot Chinese mustard. Hubby likes his with sweet & sour sauce. (S&S Recipe follows)
Makes 12 egg rolls

Sweet & Sour Sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 can (13&1/4 oz) pineapple chunks
1/3 cup vinegar
1 Tbls soy sauce
1 small green pepper, coarsely chopped

Mix brown sugar and cornstarch in skillet. Stir in pineapple (with syrup), vinegar and soy sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Cover; simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens to your desired thickness. Stir in green pepper. Cover and simmer for about two more minutes.
This is the Âperfect (according to family & friends) S&S Sauce and can be used for egg rolls, meatballs, chicken, shrimp, fried won-tons, egg foo yong - whatever...

Batter for deep fried chicken or finger steaks

2 egg whites
4 tablespoons cornstarch
4 tablespoons soy sauce

Mix well and add chicken strips (boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1" strips) or beef strips (cube steak cut into 1" strips). Set aside.

1 cup of bisquick
2/3 cup of water
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (if using for almond chicken or sweet&sour chicken)

Mix well and add to chic or beef mixture.

Mix together well (coating all meat) and deep fry until golden.

For the egg drop soup, this is a slight variation, but I made it last week and it was super good (although I broke up the egg more than I had wanted to). Really easy/fast as well. And doesn't hurt if you add a good dose of Sriracha to it.

Thanks for all the recipes, keep them coming. Feel a Chinese feast coming on this weekend.

Stacie

Do you want just the recipes you listed, or other ideas? If the latter, please give us parameters -- anything your group won't eat, or especially likes?

Do you think they will spurn anything they haven't seen in their favorite restaurant, or are they open to trying something new? Will they eat spicy food?

Here is my favorite recipe for hot and sour soup. It's fun to make. It doesn't look right until suddenly at the very end when you add the egg.

Hot-and-Sour Soup

Adapted from Calvin B.T. Lee and Audrey Evans Lee, The Gourmet Chinese Regional Cookbook. The authors note, "The term to taste occurs with unusual regularity in this recipe since the balance of hot-and-sour can be changed according to ones mood. We prefer a more sour flavor in the summer and a hotter one in the winter." Serves 6.

¼ cup cloud ears ["white fungus" mushrooms]
¼ cup golden needles [dried tiger lily buds]
¼ pound chicken (original recipe called for pork)
3 T cornstarch
1 t dry sherry
½ cup water
2 blocks of tofu
4 T white rice wine vinegar or to taste
½ t white pepper or to taste
½ t hot oil or to taste
2 t sesame oil
2 scallions to garnish
1 quart chicken stock
½ t salt or to taste
1 T light soy sauce
1 egg, beaten

Preparation

Soak the cloud ears and golden needles in hot water for 20 minutes or until they have increased in size several times. Drain. Shred the cloud ears and cut the golden needles in half.

Shred the chicken or pork into narrow strips 1 ½ inches long. Combine the meat with 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch and the sherry.

Mix the remaining cornstarch with the water and set aside. Cut each bean curd into cubes.

Combine the vinegar, pepper, hot oil, and sesame oil in a bowl and set aside. Chop the scallions into ½ inch segments.

Cooking

Bring the chicken stock, salt, and soy sauce to a boil in a large pot. Add meat and boil 1 minute. Add cloud ears, golden needles, and tofu. Boil 1 minute. Add cornstarch mixture and stir to thicken. Lower heat and add the vinegar mixture. Adjust seasonings. Slowly stir in the egg. Garnish with scallions.

Here's another really good Chinese soup I make often. It's a good one for kids; not spicy, and it's sort of a spaghetti and meatballs soup. Fast and easy, and an inexpensive complete meal. This one, too, originally called for pork, but it's wonderful with beef.

Meatball soup (Baitsai fensz rouwan tang)

2/3 lb -- about 3 cups -- (I always use more) Chinese cabbage (celery cabbage or Napa-- I prefer Napa), cut to about 1 ½" sections
2 oz dried bean thread (cellophane noodles)
6 c water
1 ½ T soy sauce
½ t salt
½ lb ground beef

For marinating the meat:
¼ t salt
1 T soy sauce
1 T minced scallion
½ t minced ginger root
1 t dry sherry
4 T water
2 t cornstarch

1. In a bowl, mix the meat with the marinade ingredients: salt, soy sauce, scallion, ginger, and sherry. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, while with a spoon or a fork mixing in one direction until all the water is used up and the meat has become a smooth paste. Sprinkle on the cornstarch and mix well.

2. Soak the bean thread in hot water for about 5 minutes. Drain and cut into about 6" lengths.

3. Wash the cabbage and drain. Cut the cabbage stalks into 1 1/2" sections.

4. In a saucepan, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the cabbage, bring back to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the salt, soy sauce, and bean thread and cook for another 2 minutes. With a spoon, scoop some meat mixture and with the help of the palm of your left hand, form the meat into a ball about 1 ¼" in diameter. Wet your left hand beforehand and also dip the spoon into a bowl of cold water every time you start a new meat ball. Drop the balls into the boiling soup one by one until all the meat is used up. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

My kids also love Chinese food. My lame attempt at it is limited to cashew chicken and fried rice. Any stir-fry I've tried to make has been so salty.

We really love almond chicken but battering and frying is just not something I'd get into at home.

When I actually see the amount of work and amount of ingredients that goes into most Chinese dishes, I think it is worth the price.

Here is a long time T&T favorite. It can be made ahead for pot lucks, transports well and is always a hit with the guests.

"ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE" SPARERIBS

This is a light-hearted title for an extremely easy and delectable dish -- the 1 to 5 referring to the simmering ingredients. The sauce-coated meat is succulent, with a deep sweet and sour flavor. The dish serves 2 or 3 amply when accompanied by rice and a stir-fried leafy vegetable or a crisp salad. The ribs are also good as an appetizer.

1 1/2 pounds meaty spareribs

Simmering ingredients:
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons water

Separate the ribs first; then chop each, meat side down, into 3 pieces. (I always ask the butcher to cut the slab of ribs crosswise into 3 pieces. He does it easily on a band saw. I separate them.) Put them in a skillet or saucepan and set it over high heat; add the simmering ingredients and stir to mingle. When the liquid comes to a boil, adjust heat to maintain a very gentle simmering, and cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Stir and turn the spareribs from time to time.

Uncover and turn heat high to bring the sauce to a sizzling boil; stir rapidly until the sauce is all but evaporated.

From The Key to Chinese Cooking by Irene Kuo

Jim

Stir_fryi, I sometimes use low-sodium Kikkoman's soy sauce if I think the dish is going to be too salty. Usually I mix it half and half with the regular sauce when I do use it.

Judi