Go Slow to Go Fast. The Regional Cuisines of Chinese Cooking (Part 4 of 4).
I've been telling people this
for several years. The admonishment, for me, began with my work teaching Quality Improvement at Chevron. In that work we found, to no one's surprise, that people often focus on the task - solving a problem - much more than on the process - understanding its causes (and planning solutions accordingly.)
Most of us in western culture can easily focus on solving a problem or removing a barrier. After all, we know what's wrong - just fix it! As all of us know from experience, the bias for action (a task focus) often leads to incomplete solutions, solutions that cause more problems (maybe ones worse than the original), solutions that don't solve.
Go slow to go fast.
By taking time to focus on process - how we solve the problem - and using some sequence of steps that include understanding the causes of the problem often we achieve better results. The rub is that these steps may seem like they take a lot of time. In the moment, that time is often seen as wasted ("Let's just solve the problem!").
Go slow to go fast.
Several current happenings have coalesced recently to remind me of this saying (yes I hear myself telling others in my own voice!) On the flight from Chicago to Oakland recently, I was reading a book and put it down with nearly two hours remaining in the flight. This is very odd behavior for me, especially when I am truly enjoying the book. I put it down because I decided some reflection would make the book more valuable and more enjoyable.
Go slow to go fast.
After I had put it down and was contemplating what I had read, the flight attendant came by to pick up empty drinks. She mistakenly thought my Coke was empty. As she quickly started to pick it up it spilled (mostly on me!) She certainly didn't intend to spill it and she was very helpful in my cleanup efforts. The point is, she ended up spending much more time with me than she would've had to if the Coke hadn't spilled. Slow down to go fast. A trivial example? Perhaps. But often the greatest truths are seen in the simplest acts.
This phrase is also in my consciousness as I work with a colleague to build a workshop on consulting skills. This workshop will feature much time for reflection, personal learning and process. I'm hoping to impress, through my actions, the importance of process - the importance of slowing down.
There are examples, large and small, of this advice all around us. Since I started this Vantagepoints I've seen many! (Including my tendency to hand write notes too quickly, which make it hard for the reader to read, and may cause miscommunication, etc.) I urge you to think about the application of this thought to your life. I am sure you will come to the same conclusion I have - that we can often improve our results simply by slowing down and focusing on process as well as task.
When you come to this conclusion, I urge you to pick one task or problem you are working on and apply this advice. Slow down. Focusing on the process you are using to solve the problem will bring clarity and help you avoid mistakes. It may be a bit frustrating, but in the long run it will be time well spent.
Kevin is Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group (http://KevinEikenberry.com), a learning consulting company that helps Clients reach their potential through a variety of training, consulting and speaking services. Kevin publishes Unleash Your Potential, a free weekly ezine designed to provide ideas, tools, techniques and inspiration to enhance your professional skills. Go to http://www.kevineikenberry.com/uypw/current.asp to read the current issue and subscribe.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
Canton and Fukien: the southern cuisine
The provinces of Fukien and Canton make up the southern coast of China, and are the 2 major constituents of the southern Chinese cuisine. As expected, seafood plays an important role due to the geography. The southern Chinese cuisine takes full advantage of the plentiful supply of lobsters, crabs, prawns, shrimps, etc. They are usually stir fried or steamed with ginger, and onion to eliminate the fishy smell. Seafood is also utilized in their seasonings, as oyster sauce, shrimp sauce, and shrimp paste are widely used.
Fukien, which lies northeast of Canton, features beautiful color, and wonderful mixture of sweet, salty, and sour taste in its dishes. "Red distiller's grain" is a famous flavoring often used in Fukien cuisine. It takes over a year to prepare from glutinous rice, fermented with red yeast, and emanates the most interesting aroma of the red yeast.
Of all the Chinese regional cuisines, Canton is perhaps the most familiar and best known to the western cultures. For hundreds of years, Canton has had extensive trade links with the rest of the world, from land, as well as the sea. As such, the art of Cantonese cuisine has long since been taken and spread around the world to represent Chinese cuisine. That, and the fact that the majority of the first group
of Chinese emigrants in the 19 th century came from the Canton region, further cemented its influence in the west's interpretation of "Chinese cooking".
The mild, tropical climate in the region produces an abundance of crop all year round. Ample supply of rice, fruit, and vegetables provide plentiful feed for livestock, which in turn, produces high-quality meat and poultry. Along with the wealthy of seafood along the coastline, the south has arguably the most extensive array of dishes in all of China. Having all this assortment of ingredients in their arsenal, the southern chefs pay a great deal of attention to the artistic presentation of the dishes, making them especially appealing to the eyes, as well as the taste buds.
Steaming, boiling, and roasting are popular cooking methods, which preserve the natural flavors and colors of the ingredients. The Cantonese have perfected, and are most renowned for the art of stir frying. Nothing epitomizes the essence of Chinese cooking better than stir frying to achieve food tenderness through quick cooking in order to retain the natural taste, flavor, and color of the ingredients. It is also perfect for those who are health conscious, as these Chinese cooking techniques require the least amount of oil.
Dim sum are little southern delicacies served on small plates or steam baskets for only breakfast or lunch. They are pushed around the restaurants on wheel-carts by the wait staff for the customer to pick from. It is especially popular among bird-lovers in the south. After walking their birds, they would visit Dim sum restaurants, hang the bird cages on a rack, and meet up with friends over tea and rounds of Dim sum to relax and mingle. If you've never tried Dim sum, then you are missing out on quite a unique experience.
This wraps up our brief overview of the major schools of Chinese cuinsine. We hope you have enjoyed reading our article series, "The regional cuisines of China ". We have plenty more articles on all facets of Chinese cooking on our website (http://www.ChineseHomeCooking.com), and we are constantly adding to the database. So bookmark us and visit often. Thanks for reading!
Helen Fan grew up in a family that has owned various Asian restaurants all over North America, from Vancouver (Canada), Houston (Texas), Decatur (Illinois), to Chicago (Illinois). She, and the rest of the Fan family are now sharing their decades of knowledge on the art of Chinese cuisine at http://www.ChineseHomeCooking.Com
You can read more of our articles at http://www.ChineseHomeCooking.Com/resources/resources.htm
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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