Chinese fried rice

So.........at long last, I'm sharing some of my Chinese recipes (this is Rube, by the way.  Ellen has no Chinese recipes.  None that I know of, at least.  Now I'm suddenly feeling like I've just made a presumption.  I'll ask her if she has any Chinese recipes to share - I feel like a jerk.).  I feel badly that so much time has passed and this is the first of my recipe postings.  I hope you can overlook my delay.  For the first recipe, I'm sharing how to make fried rice - a seemingly easy dish, but a few little tricks can elevate it its deliciousness.  Here are two secrets to success: 1.) make sure the rice is cooked and refrigerated for at least 1 day.  2 or 3 days is preferred.  2.) add white pepper powder and sesame oil at the end, just before dishing out.  Both of these ingredients' flavors degrade if cooked too long or hot.  Feel free to experiment with rice varieties; brown rice is scrumptious, jasmine rice is delectable, and of course straight up white rice is delightful.  

The Real-Deal Fried Rice (with bacon for the indulgent, non-vegetarian)

1 Tablespoon vegetable or canola or peanut oil or rice bran oil (apparently)

2 eggs - whisked

½ onion - minced

1 carrot - finely diced

3 garlic cloves - minced

3 cups rice - cooked and refrigerated for 1 or 2 days (or 3 days if you’re feeling cheeky)

½ cup frozen peas

34 strips bacon (or however much you think is appropriate) - cooked crisply and crumbled

1 Tablespoon - soy sauce

white pepper powder - just a pinch

sesame oil - just a drizzle

salt - to taste

1. Heat vegetable oil in wok or non-stick pan over med heat.  Add eggs and scramble until just done (we’re looking for some curds here). Remove eggs from pan and set aside.

2. Add a bit more oil to the wok and return to heat and you might as well crank up the heat a bit, let’s say high-med (or high if you’re gonna be ever-vigilant).  Add onions and carrots and toss around for a minute or two (don’t brown too much).  Add garlic and toss for a minute more.

3. Add the rice to the wok and give it a good toss around for 3 or 4 minutes until it’s nicely heated and looking scrumptious and perhaps developing a bit of crunch.  Add the peas and toss for a minute.  Add the bacon (if you’re using it) and the reserved scrambled eggs.  Toss for a minute to get everyone acquainted and then add  the soy sauce, white pepper powder, and sesame oil.  Toss for another minute and at this point, it should start smelling ridiculous.  Taste it! Add more soy sauce/sesame oil/white pepper/BACON as you see fit.    

4.  Serve.  Remember, you don’t want to overly cook your sesame oil or white pepper or it’ll start losing it’s deliciousnessssssss (extra esses are intentional).  Feel free to garnish with chopped cilantro or green onion.