Area entrepreneur builds her own brand of Chinese cooking
By Kim Mikus
DAILY HERALD

This is one tip Ying Stoller passes on when teaching others to prepare Chinese food. Through her own cookbook and cooking classes, Stoller has shared her insight for years.

Her latest venue to spread the word is through instructional DVDs. “This is the tool that will solve the problem for those who love Asian food but have trouble to make it on their own. Now they can make delicious and healthy food in their own kitchen at home,” said Stoller, who resides in Gurnee.

She is working with a cookware company to market the easy to follow DVD.

About two months ago, Stoller also came out with a line of bottled sweet and sour and stir-fry sauces and marinades. They are available at a handful of specialty gourmet stores and on her Web site, www.yingskitchen.com.

The sauces, which come in both spicy and regular, make it possible for those who are busy but enjoy delicious and healthy Asian food.

When Stoller immigrated here about 19 years ago, the food was one of the aspects she missed most from home Stoller was born in Harbin, in northeast China, where it’s colder
than here. She came to the U.S. to obtain her master’s degree from the University of Toledo, where she met her husband, Wes, an engineer now working at Motorola. The couple has three children.

Stoller began cooking to satisfy her own taste buds. “My dad was a wonderful cook,” she said.

When she cooked for friends, they urged her to offer classes and that lead to publishing “Ying’s Chinese Cookbook, Authentic but Simple.” The cookbook contains 115 Chinese recipes from all over China, some of which have never been published before.

“It includes tips and tricks that make Chinese cooking simple, and the results are revolutionary,” Stoller said.

Stoller continues to teach at the College of Lake County, Chicago Botanic Garden and area public libraries. She’s also set to do cooking demos at the Taste of Chicago at 3 p.m. June 28.

During the demonstrations she shows how to properly use a wok and a steamer. “I give tricks and tips,” she said.

She believes stir fry offers a healthy alternative. “There are so many people in this country dealing with health and weight problems, stir fry might be beneficial,” she said. And as eating out becomes more expensive, stir fry at home is a healthy alternative, she says.

Kim, Mikus. "Area entrepreneur builds her own brand of Chinese cooking".       Daily Herald 9 May 2008, sec. Name: page.

Start the (Chinese) new year right
Gurnee’s Stoller will show you how she does it
By Long Hwa-Shu
SPECIAL TO THE NEWS SUN

The lunar New Year, the Year of the Rat, begins Thursday. Don’t be squeamish about it. The rat has contributed mightily for the advancement of health and science. This should be a good, bountiful year, at least in China where the economy is booming.

Born in Harbin, China, a northeast city which is as cold as Chicago, Stoller is an accomplished cook and has written a cookbook bearing her name. She has appeared in cooking demonstrations on local channels 7 and 9, in area libraries and at Chicago Botanic Garden and Kenosha Museum.

By popular demand, Ying Stoller is launching her sweet and sour, stir-fry sauce and Korean barbecue marinade. The sauces are available by e-mailing her at yingskitchen@msn.com. She is making arrangements to sell them at local markets.

“I learned cooking from my parents, but I also developed my own ideas,” said Ying, of Gurnee.

To the Chinese, eating well at the family reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve is essential because it is sign of prosperity. Even the poor manage to keep the dinner table full of dishes.

“Generally, we would have at least eight dishes,” she said, noting that indispensable would be a whole fish because it is synonymous with surplus. The Chinese believe that a family needs surplus or savings to start the New Year right.

From her experience in teaching cooking, she found out that Americans really go for pot stickers and egg rolls. Pot stickers are essentially dumplings with meat fillings and fried in a skillet on top of the stove. Egg rolls are called spring rolls in China. While cabbage is widely used in America along with meat, chives, the Chinese use those with a garlic flavor.

You are a rat according to the Chinese zodiac if you were born in 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996, and, of course 2008.

A rat is supposed to be clever, sensitive, emotional, adventurous and ready to take on a challenge-well, to find its next meal, for instance.

Hwa-Shu, Long. "Start the (Chinese) new year right". Lake County NEWS-SUN       6 Feb. 2008, sec. WHAT'S COOKING: 22.

[
Joe Shuman * SPECIAL TO THE NEWS-SUN

Teaching others how to make authentic but simple Chinese foods is Ying Stoller’s Passion. “Chinese cooking can be easy and healthy,” Stoller said. She has taught Chinese cooking classes for eight years, published a cookbook and cooking DVDs, and has developed her own line of barbecue sauces.

With Chinese New Year celebrated next Thursday, Feb. 7, Stoller encourages people to try their hand at making their own Chinese appetizers. Stoller, who lives in Gurnee with her family, taught a Chinese New Year’s Appetizers at Gurnee Park District on Saturday, Jan. 26. She offered recipes and tips on how to make classic recipes such as spring rolls, crab rangoons and pot stickers.

“After taking my class, people realize that Chinese cooking is so easy,” Stoller said. She grew up in China and was influenced by her father and sister, who she describes as excellent cooks. Stoller later worked as a travel agent for international tourists, experiencing the unique tastes offered in various regions of China.

Her cookbook, Ying’s Chinese Cookbook, Authentic but Simple, her DVDs on Chinese Appetizers and Sushi and her line of barbecue sauces available at Don’s Finest Foods in Lake Forest and on her Web site www.yingskitchen.com. They average $6 or $7 per bottle.

“I first started (teaching) in Ohio and Michigan, and now I teach in Illinois and Wisconsin,” she said. In addition to Gurnee, she also teaches at the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe and at the Kenosha Public Museum. She had taught at the College of Lake County in Grayslake and will appear on WGN TV on Monday, Feb. 4.

Friends Kim Swank and Mary Louie of Gurnee wanted to learn some tricks to successful Chinese cooking during Stoller’s recent Gurnee class. “I wanted to get some hands-on experience,” said Swank. “I’m addicted to the Food Network. This is similar, but offers up close and personal instruction.”

Louie said she liked the interesting combination of flavors and ingredients like ginger root in Chinese cooking. “My husband is Chinese so I wanted to take this class to learn some more tricks,” she said.

Stoller wants people to feel comfortable enough to replicate the recipes at home for Chinese New Year or anytime. “Chinese cooking is really simple, and a way to eat healthier if you know a few tricks,” she said. “You can cook quick and simple recipes.” She prides herself on using only fresh ingredients and no MSG. Upcoming Chinese cooking classes include one Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Gurnee Park District and one Tuesday, March 11 at the Warren-Newport Library in Gurnee.

Darlene Schwab of Grayslake attended the recent Gurnee class with her long time friend Christine Berg of Arlington Heights. “I’m a really good cook but I don’t really cook any Chinese food,” said Schwab. “I’m hoping to learn to cook Chinese at home so it is less expense than ordering it in.”

Wo xi huan zong can
Translation: I love Chinese Food, by: Amanda Wolfe

To me, there has always been a real mystique to Chinese cooking. The only thing I've ever mastered is a stir-fry with a store-bought sauce; and every attempt to replicate a beloved take-out dish has only resulted in a kitchen covered in fish sauce and honey, and an emergency call to the nearest Pizza Hut. But when handed a copy of "Ying's Chinese Cook-book," the recent opus of local Chinese cuisine guru Ying Stoller, I went forth undaunted. Surely there would be something in there I could make.
Guess what? Every dish I touched turned to gold. There where no painful five-spice mishaps, and no kitchen fires. Each recipe turned out to be extremely easy to follow, and I actually enjoyed putting them together almost as much as devouring the gorgeous results.

What makes this book stand out is the thorough nature of Stoller's writing. Not only is she an accomplished culinary instructor; but she is also a proud wife and mother, and writes with a mother's attention to detail. She is friendly and encouraging, and her tips for each section are indispensable. I never knew tofu would last longer if you change the water in it every day, and I'm glad I know this as I need it for the miso soup is not only delicious, but also good for you in a way that makes every cell in your body stand up and applaud.

The dishes which seem more complicated at first glance are surprisingly simple. I took on the challenge of General Tsao Chicken, which actually came out better than the restaurant version. The flavor was slightly more subtle and complex, and the sense of accomplishment from having actually made it was priceless. As a side note, the batter used for the chiken in this dish is amazing. I plan to use it frequently.

If you're a fan of egg rolls, there's a recipe for that, too; or, you might have some fun with the spring rolls, which leave room for customization depending upon which meat you want to use. Stoller includes instructions on how to wrap them, just in case you're in the dark about proper assembly (which I was).

As an author, Ying Stoller is a perfect representative of the honor and integrity inherent in Chinese culture. Throughout the book, she shares stories of her youth in northeastern China, stories that add another dimension to her cooking. One gets a sense of the history and philosophy behind certain regional differences in the food. And even in print, Stoller is your true advocate, with the utmost confidence that you can demystify the noble art of the Chinese meal.

What's more, the book is peppered with drawings and Chinese phrases with pronunciations, like "dinner" (wan fan) and "I love Chinese food" (wo xi huan zong can). I loved Chinese food before, but now that I can make it, I really love Chinese food.

Ying's Chinese Cookbook is available at Thackeray's Kitchen Tools and Skills, Gourmet curiosities, Fireside Books, Sautter's and other locations. Most of the ingredients can be found at any grocery store, and specialized items can be found at stores like Kim's Oriental Foods on Laskey Road, which also carries the book (along with many boxes of delicious Pocky). Copies can also be purchased through the mail; send a check or money order for $19.95 plus $2.00 shipping/handling to P.O.Box 792, Sylvania, OH 43560.