Mark Bittman's Bok Choy with Shiitakes and Oyster Sauce

The clock is ticking. In less than three weeks, I'll be on my way to the airport with a one-way ticket in my bag and my earthly possessions on the slow boat to China (well, or Hamburg, to be more accurate). I've gone from having a wobbly lip on every blessed New York sidewalk to becoming foot-tappingly impatient. I'm ready to say goodbye, I want to start writing, I need to do this thing, you know?

But patience is a virtue, toots. That's what I keep telling myself, when the butterflies in my stomach start whirling and I think of everything over there waiting for me, everyone over there waiting for me. And besides, there are still a few things I need to do while I'm here. I need to go to Kitchen Arts & Letters, though I am prohibited by cosmic law to buy anything, anything at all, while there (that international shipping bill isn't getting any smaller, is what I'm trying to say). I need to stroll in Central Park while drinking a hot chocolate with a big, puffy, homemade marshmallow melting oozily into it. I need to go to the Museum of Natural History one last time for that Silk Road exhibit. And I need to eat some Chinese food.

When I left Berlin, in 1995, there was one passable restaurant that we went to every once in a blue moon when the urge for Chinese food got rather overwhelming and there was no where else to turn. Apparently, things have gotten a little better there now - I've heard of a Sichuanese hole-in-the-wall and a dumpling place recommended by a friend's friend from Beijing - but good Chinese food, as ubiquitous as it is here, is still somewhat of a rarity.

Thrillingly, though, as long as I can find a grocery store selling bok choy, shiitakes and good-quality oyster sauce, I should be in pretty good shape. The Minimalist's recipe was a big hit in my kitchen on Sunday night: quick, delicious and fresh, and it practically tasted like take-out! I mean this as high praise, mind you. High, high praise indeed.

And with that, lovely people, I leave you to your brining, your salting, your traveling, and your feast-preparing. This year, I'm staying put for a real New York City Thanksgiving. My loved ones are coming to me and we are going out on the town, to a late lunch at Back Forty book-ended by long walks all around this beautiful town and pie with friends. I am thrilled. And full of excitement for my own Thanksgiving next year, a German-American feast that I cannot wait to plan. Until then, I'm giving thanks every day.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Bok Choy with Shiitakes and Oyster Sauce
Serves 4

1/4 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
1 1/2 pounds bok choy, trimmed
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
1/2 to 3/4 cup commercial oyster sauce

1. Soak dried shiitakes in one cup of very hot water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Trim mushrooms and chop. Separate leaves and stems of bok choy; cut stems into 2-inch lengths and slice leaves into ribbons.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. When oil is hot, add bok choy stems, garlic if you are using it, reconstituted mushrooms, and about 1/4 cup reserved mushroom water. Cook, stirring frequently, until stems are crisp-tender, about 4 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil; sauté fresh shiitake mushrooms over medium-high heat. Continue cooking until they begin to brown and crisp on edges.

4. Into the large skillet or wok, add bok choy leaves and oyster sauce and toss vegetables gently to combine; continue cooking until greens wilt, about 2 more minutes. Serve immediately, topped with crisp mushrooms.

Comments

[Kasey]

Happy Thanksgiving, Luisa!

[Tea]

Oh, I can feel the excitement, the eagerness. You are practically pulling at the bit! (I mean that in the nicest way possible, I'm not really saying you're a horse:-).

Happy Thanksgiving to you, Louisa! Enjoy these last moments. I know NY is going to miss you.

xox

[Teryll]

My heart definitely has a soft spot for bok choy, Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

[montague]

happy thanksgiving luisa! i hope it's a glorious one!

[elizabeth]

Happy Thanksgiving! Thank you for mentioning Kitchen Arts & Letters--I've never been, but on the front page of their website they are featuring a new Sicilian cookbook that would be a PERFECT gift for my MIL.

[Dawn (KitchenTravels)]

Thanksgiving in NY, Christmas in Berlin. It sounds like you are set for a wonderful holiday season! And I hope it is. This recipe looks so appealing to me, by the way. Reminds me of the Chinese broccoli they serve at dim sum places, which I absolutely love.

[Adrienne]

Happy Thanksgiving to you, too! Enjoy your strolling :)

[Julie]

That sounds like a wonderful Thanksgiving.

[TheKitchenWitch]

Happy Thanksgiving! I, too, love that recipe from Bittman.

[Randi]

Not sure if you mentioned this already, but I caught your name in the Dec issue of Food and Wine in the article about the Baked potluck. Are you going to share the pork recipe? Congrats btw!!!

[Amber]

Happy Thanksgiving! (And, if you don't mind my asking, do you have an oyster sauce you could recommend? I've tried a couple I wasn't so fond of.)

[Shauna from Piece of Cake]

I personally am thankful when the universe rewards the hard work of people like you--can't WAIT to read your book! Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy your last (for now) days in NYC.

[Caitlin]

I too want to check out the Silk Road exhibit - thanks for the reminder!!

[notyet100]

umm have some bok choy in fridge but oyster sauce i guess gona buy,...;-)

[Jenny]

I love bok choy -- this reminds me of a dish I tasted a few months ago and wanted to make it but didn't know how -- now I do -- thanks so much! Best of luck on your new home and venture in Berlin -- send lots of pictures and recipes!

[Clara Van Eil]

Thank you for this yummie recipe. Will you keep the same website and continue publishing, so we know how you will be.
Good luck in Hamburg anyway.

[jonquil]

'tis a slow boat no matter where it's heading ;) hope you & et al make it in one locatable piece!! oohhh christmas markets in berlin & etc...

[The Leftoverist]

Happy Thanksgiving to you, too. I love how life gets us ready for transition--that you've gone from a quivering lip to being impatient. It must be time, and it must be right.

[Tara Bethune-Leamen]

i can't wait to start cooking again!

[Xiaolu @ 6 Bittersweets]

I love this dish and have made a variation of this for years. Beautiful, understated presentation and happy holidays!

[Hungry Caterpillar]

We make this stir-fry quite often, and it's great even with plain chopped garlic and salt. The secret is to toss the greens thoroughly dry before throwing them into the wok, and stir-frying it quickly over high heat.

[Molly]

I go through more bottles of oyster sauce in a year than ketchup in a lifetime. It is divine, especially on greens, and so, so simple. Will have to try with the shrooms. Happy Thanksgiving, and happy travels!
Molly

[nithya at hungrydesi]

Looks savory and simple...I wonder what a good vegetarian substitute for oyster sauce. Or does the taste of the oyster sauce make this dish? Happy Thanksgiving!

[Erika from The Pastry Chef At Home]

How is it that i've lived in NYC for 25 years and have never been to Kitchen Arts & Letters? I mean I know all about it, yet i've never been. Something is wrong with me.

ps: that Bok Choy dish looks so healthy and comforting!

[Kelsey/TheNaptimeChef]

Happy Thanksgiving and yes, RUN to Kitchen Arts & Letters!!

[Anna]

Wow, getting excited for you. With all that you're busy with I find it amazing you still have time to cook and blog about it!

[Luisa]

Randi - thank you! The recipe is up at Food & Wine, right here: http://aolsvc.houseandhome.foodandwine.aol.com/recipes/maple-sugar-ginger-roast-pork

Amber - I just used what my store had, the Lee Kum Kee brand. Bittman says you're meant to use good-quality ones so I'd recommend you stop at Kalustyans, where they have a pretty big assortment of the real thing.

Shauna - thank you so much!!

Clara - I will definitely still be blogging from Berlin!

Nithya - I don't know about vegetarian substitutes for oyster sauce, unfortunately, but a quick Google search should turn up some suggestions, I think.

Erika - that's how I feel! :)

Anna - thank you, you're sweet. I feel like my head is exploding and I'm only blogging once a week! I have such lovely readers. :)

[Tracy (Amuse-bouche for Two)]

A nice sauté of mushrooms and wilted greens...rice...such different textures. I love the elements of this dish.

[Jan (Mixing Bowl Kids)]

I'm delurking to say that this recipe sings to me more than you can know. I love mushrooms and bok choy and rice...what great textures and flavours!

[Kristine in Santa Barbara]

Luisa: if you can, try to enjoy, or at least be present with all of it: the butterflies, the chaos, the disorientation, then the wonder of making Berlin your own again, even the melancholy of missing NYC. It'll feed you.....and your book.

I'm SO looking forward to the "Eat, Love, It's Wednesday" manuscript. I'd preorder if I could!

[Chris of Stumptown]

I've discovered that pecans pair well with Bok Choy.

Maybe this sounds odd, but I was planning on a tofu/bok choy combo and noticed pecans are on post-thanksgiving sale. I figured sweet and crunchy would go well with the bitter greens and soft tofu.

As fate would have it my tofu had gone so I ended up with bok choy, pecans, and red bell pepper. I will say that pecans work better imo than either peanuts or cashews.

Just wanted to share, that's all!

[The Food Hunter]

Looks delicious!

[deana @lostpastremembered]

I hope your journey is rewarding and your book-path filled with delightful bends and twists and unexpected forks.
Change is good.

[Martin Yarnit]

Because it's been sub-zero here on the Welsh border for days the obvious thing for lunch was...macaroni cheese made with lots of old cheddar (ie lurking in the fridge old), a sprinkling of parmesan and some thick cream on top just before the end. Served with a delicate cucumber salad. Probably not how my friend Marcello makes it at his restaurant in Sasso Marconi, just outside Bologna.

[heather]

This looks fantastic! I think vegetarians would love this dish (minus the oyster sauce). And I can actually serve this for dinner. Yum2!
Heather (dinner group enthusiast)