My mother was of the idea that a man's place was never in the kitchen, and
	  this was ingrained into us as she shooed us out of the kitchen every time
	  whenever we tried to get into the kitchen to see what was cooking. It might
	  not have been the best or correct thing to do, and as a result, her children
	  grew up not knowing how to cook until we were college going kids and
	  had to live away from home and to start to cook and fend for ourselves.

	Disadvantaged as we were in cooking for ourselves, it made us more aware
	  of the beauty in mum's cooking. Mum's prepared food that was absolutely
	  marvelous, both in taste and smell. Meals prepared by her were never
	  ordinary. They were a delight to behold, a pleasure to consume - no matter
	  how simple the dish was.

	Now in her twilight years, mum can no longer cook for herself. She has
	  bouts of amnesia, and old age has taken a severe toil on her. Dependent
	  on others to cook and serve her meals, she can sometimes struggle to
	  the kitchen and still manage to prepare a ten minute fast cooking instant
	  noodle, much to our chagrin and anxiety. The doctor orders were not to
	  let her near a stove for fear of a fit or a fall, lest she burn the house down.

	Just yesterday, in the quiet of the night, I was able to recall times I had with
	  mum when I was about to go to college. Vivid in my mind, as history
	  started to flash back, I remembered words of wisdom from mum on
	  cooking. We were always profuse in our praise and bountiful in our
	  appreciation for mum's fantastic cooking. And on one occasion, she
	  revealed the secret formula that had always enveloped the food she
	  cooked.

	"In Chinese cooking," she said one day," the two most important things
	  are to have a sharp knife and a hot stove. Always sharpen your knife so
	  that you can slice through your veggie and your meat or fish. Cutting
	  them up becomes a pleasure and not a task. Be sure to have everything
	  prepared before you start cooking: the vegetables washed, drained and
	  cut; the meat cut and marinated; the sauces prepared."

	"And get yourself a good wok - It is the one piece of cooking equipment
	  you may want to purchase CLICK HERE for the best quality and deals
	  for authentic woks and accessories. Always heat up the wok. When
	  cooking meat or poultry, make sure that the wok is very hot before
	  adding the food. If you are going to stir-fried meat and vegetables,
	  stir-fry the meat first and set it aside. Then return it to the wok with a
	  sauce during the final stages of cooking. And use a little cornstarch
	  as a binder at the end of your cooking, if it calls for that. Just remember
	  how the dish tastes like, the way I cooked it", she said.

	Throughout the years when I had to cook, her words of wisdom flashed
	  back to me whenever I despaired over my cooking. I had seen my cooking
	  improved, and had added more styles and recipes to vary my cooking in
	  the later years.

	"And the secret ingredient in all Chinese cooking is to add a little bit of
	  inner joy to your dish as you cook. When you approach your cooking
	  with this little bit of inner joy, you will have a song on your lips as you
	  cook. Something mysteriously will spur you on to do your best and
	  turn on the magic in your cooking," she added.

	That day, last week, when I recalled those words of mum when I prepared
	  a meal for her, I could only add not just a little bit of inner joy, I tried my
	  best to give her a physical massive hug of love.

	"Vary your ingredients to add textures, colors and flavors. Then it is
	  possible to find harmony and balance in your meals. This is an important
	  principle in Chinese cooking."

	Mum may be frail and too old to handle a wok anymore, but her words
	  of wisdom in Chinese cooking has helped us through the many years.
	  Her simple tips for Chinese cooking may help you too.

	In honor of my ailing mum who could prepare the best Chinese meals
	  and dishes, a website providing free tips and cooking recipes with
	  cooking videos, recipes and other resources is available for you.
	  Visit Bettykam.com to gain new skills in Chinese cooking and to
	  obtain free cooking recipes covering the entire range of
	  international cuisine.