Go Green with Chinese Veggies

A stroll down the aisle of any substantial Asian market will reveal countless varieties of green veggies all but unknown to the average Westerner. Cafe Drake loves exploring this leafy new terrain and finds it impossible to really screw up any Chinese greens dish. If you're not in the mood to Google, or just forgot to scribble the name of a vegetable while at the supermarket, a basic cooking strategy follows: wash greens very well to remove any grit then chop (or not) and saute in vegetable oil till tender. Season with salt and soy sauce and a bit of onion, garlic, ginger, chiles, chile oil, or toasted sesame oil as you wish. But perhaps not all in the same dish.

It helps to saute greens first then after a couple of minutes add seasonings and a bit of water to pan and cover and cook till just tender. Really, this will work with tatsoi, Chinese cabbage, bok choy, choy sum, yu choy, gai lan, chrysanthemum leaves or any others you may find.