Still regarded by Bangkokians as the gold standard when it comes to haute cuisine, Chinese food can also be made at home

Despite the greater availability of international food in Bangkok nowadays, Chinese cuisine still enchants the taste buds of its residents, and makes a great way for families and friends to celebrate special occasions.

But Chinese food doesn't need to be eaten in restaurants. It can also be cooked and enjoyed at home.

And there's no need to traipse all the way to Chinatown, as the vegetables, meats and other ingredients needed are available in supermarkets around town. All you need is a good cookbook. Step up Amarin Printing's "Easy Chinese Cooking". The Thai-language book features some 80 snacks, soups and main dishes and is available in good bookstores for Bt435. Inside there's an introduction to Chinese cuisine, photos and explanations of the ingredients you might not familiar with, and easily followed step-by-step instructions.

Two of the book's recipes are featured here.

Crabmeat Fried Rice

(serves 2)

Ingredients

 2.5 cup cooked rice

 0.5 cup crab meat, cooked

 2 eggs

 2 tspns minced garlic

 2 tspns vegetable oil

 1 tspns Chinese cooking wine

 1 tbspn oyster sauce

 0.5 tspns sugar

 1 tspns salt

 0.5 tspns ground Thai pepper

 3 spring finely chopped

  onions, coriander

  for garnish

Method

Heat the wok, add oil and fry garlic until golden brown and fragrant. Add crabmeat, stir, then add rice and stir quickly until ingredients are well mixed.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and stir before pouring them into the wok. Add oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, sugar and salt. Keep stirring until the eggs and rice are well mixed. Serve with coriander, cucumber and a squeeze of fresh lime.

Tips

It is recommended to use left over cooked rice, cooked at high heat, to make a perfect dish.

Prawn Wonton Soup (serves 4)

Ingredients

 20 medium prawns, peeled,

  tailed and de-veined

 20 wonton sheets

 0.5 cup minced pork

 1 teaspoon finely chopped

  coriander root

 5 Thai pepper

 1 teaspoon sesame oil

 1 teaspoon tapioca starch

 4 cups chicken broth

 0.5 teaspoon salt

 1 teaspoon Chinese cooking

  wine

1  to 2 pieces bok choi or kwang

  tung, cut in five-centimetre-

  long sections

  spring onion and coriander

  leaves for garnish

  ground Thai pepper and soy

  sauce to taste

Method

Mix prawns and pork with finely ground coriander root and pepper. Add sesame oil, starch, salt and wine. Marinade for 15 minutes in the fridge.

Put dollops of pork and a prawn on wonton sheets. Fold into a triangular shapes. Press the sheet to secure the filling.

Boil water after salting with              a pinch. Cook the wontons and put in the serving bowl. Cook the bok choi and put in the serving bowl.

Bring the broth to the boil. Season with salt and soy sauce. Pour into a bowl.

Add chopped spring onion and coriander, and it's ready to serve.

Got soba? Got a salad!

Daily Xpress

Here's a recommended dish from the new Thai Brasserie restaurant at the Jungcylon centre on Phuket's Patong Beach.

It was created by the chefs at Blue Elephant (which owns the brasserie), so you know      its uniqueness is guaran-               teed.

The ingredients are available in most supermarkets and the meat-free salad can be whipped up in minutes.

Japanese Soba Salad Laab-style

Ingredients

 60g soba noodles

 10g lime juice

 10g fish sauce

 3g sugar

 5g long-leaf parsley

 5g shallot

 2g chilli powder

 20g shiitake mushroom

 5g spring onion, cut fine

 20g Japanese mushroom

 5g ground roasted sticky rice

Method

Boil the noodles for 10 seconds and set aside. Do the same with the mushrooms.

Mix together the fish sauce, sugar, sticky rice and chilli and add the noodles and mushrooms. Mix well and lay out on a plate.

Sprinkle the spring onion and parsley over top and serve.