Watch people cooking, eating, buying, and selling food, and carrying it along to share with someone else, anytime and anywhere Chinese people are awake. The variety and range of things to eat on short notice is a testament to the dedication Chinese people have to eating with pleasure, and this kind of food translates wonderfully into starters you can make for any gathering. Street food is a natural for this category, since it tends to be simple-to-eat, stand-alone fare, rather than a component of a rice-centered meal. Favorite appetizers on the menu of Chinese restaurants in the West are often versions of street-food classics, from spring rolls and spareribs to dumplings and deep-fried treats. Many street-food specialties take time and years of expertise to master, but a number of these small dishes translate wonderfully to a home kitchen and make a delicious addition to your repertoire of starters. In this chapter you’ll find Honey-Ginger Spare-ribs (page 26), Soy Sauce Chicken Wings (page 27), Cold Sesame Noodles (page 31), and Hoisin Shrimp in Lettuce Cups (page 21), each of which is simple enough for your standard party menus.
