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Fad has passed, but she's still cocooning For a brief time in the early '90s, I was a participant, for once, in a social trend. It was called "cocooning," and if trend-spotter Faith Popcorn could be trusted, everyone everywhere was forgoing wild nights out for the comforts of cozy nights in. Me? I was the mother of a kindergartener and a toddler. I couldn't recall my last night out; it was too exhausting and too expensive to do anything but stay in. Nevertheless, the cocooning craze -- or at least the attention to it -- made me feel in sync with the rest of society for the first time in a long time. After all, I was born in 1961, in the no-man's land between the last of the boomers and first of the X-ers. Everything I could do, the boom could do better -- and already had, according to think pieces in Time and Newsweek. Imagine my glee when I learned I was finally on the cutting edge of a cultural trend. Those of us who favored feet pajamas and rented videos weren't slacking, after all. We were cocooning! So for nearly a decade now, I've continued to cocoon, long after it ceased to be chic. From what I understand, the new trend is "clanning," which explains the proliferation of book groups and swing dancing. But I don't have the energy for it. After a day of work, baseball bleacher duty and supervising whoever's grounded this week, all I want to do is sink into an overstuffed sofa. There are nights when even going out to eat is an ordeal: You have to wear decent clothes and speak nicely to people, the last I checked. If I could create an ideal cocooning environment, it would include big pillows, good movies and restaurant food -- all without the restaurant. Alas, none of us lives in a perfect world. So far, the closest I've come to my fantasy is by creating a cache of home-cooked dishes that taste like we're eating out. I'm not talking diner food, either. I don't call it much of a coup to recreate the meatloaf served at the corner coffeeshop. No, the recipes I've found are for foods my family would actually order: great-tasting pizza, crispy French fries, Mexican enchiladas with green olives and mole sauce. One cuisine always has eluded me, however. I've never been able to fix authentic-tasting Chinese food. For years, I've thought it was just me. Maybe I didn't get the wok hot enough or make the sauce sweet enough or find the right kind of rice vinegar. But then a friend and co-worker asked me an innocent question: Why didn't his Chinese fried rice taste turn out like his favorite restaurant variety? I decided to find out. Guess what? It turns out the secret to superb fried rice lies -- not surprisingly -- with the rice. That's the consensus of skilled Chinese cooks all across the Rogue Valley. From Frank Marzocco, a former NBC TV chef, to Andrew Zhu, a chef at Colony Far East restaurant in Medford, they all agree that the key is making sure the rice is dry. Even Peter Wong, the Mail Tribune's political reporter and infamous Chinese cook, concurs. "You can't use rice you've just cooked," Wong says. "It's too moist." Chinese fried rice was invented, after all, as a way to use up leftovers: extra rice, little bits of meat, tiny pieces of vegetables. Mixed with scrambled eggs and soy sauce, it's a treat. And if the rice is dry enough, it'll taste just like the house dish at your favorite restaurant. So try the two recipes that follow. First is a standard -- but good -- fried rice recipe. I've also included directions for Chicken, Snow Peas and Mushrooms over Pan-Fried Noodles, more commonly known as Moo Goo Gai Pan. Gleaned from a new book by author Elaine Corn, it tastes EXACTLY like the Moo Goo Gai Pan at my favorite Chinese restaurant. Now, if I could just remember where I put my bunny slippers. Chicken, Snow Peas and Mushrooms Over Pan-Fried Noodles CHICKEN : 1/2 pound white chicken meat, sliced (about 2 breasts) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 teaspoon sugar 1/8 teaspoon white pepper FOR THE ONE-STEP SAUCE : Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt Rounded 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 2 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 teaspoon brown coloring such as Kitchen Bouquet FOR THE PAN-FRIED NOODLES : 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 pound thin egg noodles, boiled according to package instructions and drained 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1/2 cup sliced onion 6 ounces small fresh mushrooms, such as white button or a mixture of shiitake, chanterelle, oyster and whatever is available, in any combination 2 ounces snow peas, trimmed 1 cup chicken stock 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons cold water 1. In a small bowl, mix together the chicken, salt, sugar, white pepper and cornstarch, stirring well. 2. To make the sauce, measure all the ingredients into a measuring cup. Stir to mix. 3. To prepare the noodles, heat a serving platter in a 150 F degree oven. Heat a wok, a wide skillet, or griddle over high heat. When hot, add the oil and continue heating. 4. Spread the cooked noodles in an even layer in the pan, reduce the heat to medium-high, and let the underside brown, about 5 minutes. 5. Flip the noodles like a pancake, maneuvering the entire mass of noodles in a single flip. Brown the second side, about 5 minutes longer. 6. Loosen the browned "pancake" a little, then transfer to the warmed serving platter and keep warm. 7. Heat a wok or heavy skillet over high heat until almost smoking. Add the oil; when it smokes, add the chicken. Saute until lightly browned. 8. Add the onion, stirring quickly. In about 30 seconds, the onion will brown and release its aroma. Add the mushrooms, snow peas and stock; cover, and when the steam escapes, reduce the heat to low and cook, covered, for 2 minutes. 9. Uncover and stir in the sauce. Bring to a boil. 10. Add the cornstarch mixture a little at a time, as needed, and boil until the sauce coats the chicken and vegetables. 11. Ladle over the panfried noodles. Serve immediately. From "Chicken: 150 Great Recipes for All Seasons," by Elaine Corn, (Chronicle Books, 1999; $17.95) . Chinese Fried Rice 2 beaten eggs 3 tablespoons cooking oil 1/2 cup finely diced fully cooked ham OR raw pork 1/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions 4 cups cooked rice Soy sauce Before beginning recipe, make sure rice is fully dry, either by letting it sit, covered, in the refrigerator for several hours, or by sauteeing it until almost toasted in a large, wide pan. Dry rice is the key to fried rice. In a 10-inch skillet or wok, cooked beaten eggs in 1 tablespoon of the oil, without stirring, until set. Chop eggs finely; set aside. In the same skillet, in remaining oil, cook ham or pork, mushrooms, 3 tablespoons soy sauce and green onion until tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in cooked rice and eggs; heat through. Serve with additional soy sauce, if desired. Makes 4 to 6 servings. -- Adapted from "Better Homes and Gardens Heritage Cook Book," (1975; Meredith Corp.) Reach JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465 or [email protected] Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA