While everyone watches the Olympics from China, doesn't it seem like Chinese food should be on the menu? When I wrote about Eating in Beijing, I promised to share some tips about Chinese Cooking for those watching the games at home. I've also found some amazing Chinese dishes created by other food bloggers in honor of the Olympics, so get ready to cook something Chinese!

Stir-frying is the main cooking method used in Chinese cooking, usually done in a round-bottomed pan called a wok, although a large heavy frying pan will work. Years ago I took Chinese Cooking classes from a visiting professor from China, and through the years I've often shared his stir-frying tips with people who wanted to learn about this type of cooking. Here are the basic rules for stir-frying I learned from him:

1. Preheat the wok (or pan) before you add the oil.
2. Season the oil (add slices of fresh garlic cloves and ginger root and stir-fry very briefly, just until they become fragrant.)
3. Remember the importance of symmetry of cut (all pieces should be the same size for stir-fry cooking.)
4. Have all ingredients cut and sauces mixed before you start to cook.
5. Use very high heat and cook fast.

Really that's all there is to it. Every stir-fried dish uses basically the same technique, with cut up vegetables and sometimes meat or tofu being quickly cooked at high heat, usually with a sauce that's added at the end. At first you'll need a recipe to help you learn which foods should go in the wok first and how long things take to cook, but after a while you can improvise endless dishes using this basic method.

There are a few pantry ingredients you'll need to have on hand before you start cooking Chinese food. I like to use peanut oil for stir-frying, but any neutral flavored vegetable oil will work. You'll need fresh ginger and a few garlic cloves to season the oil, and most dishes contain soy sauce. Many recipes also call for cornstarch or arrowroot starch to thicken the sauce and if there's meat, rice wine or sherry will often be included. Of course if you check the Asian foods section at the grocery store you'll see lots more interesting ingredients to try, but a few basic ingredients will get you started.

Two favorite recipes I've made that use this stir-frying technique are Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Ginger and Hoisin Sauce and Stir-Fried Tofu with Garlic, Scallions, Ginger, and Soy Sauce (pictured above.)

Besides stir-frying, when I think about Chinese food I think of noodles, dumplings, and rice. When she visited China last year, Jaden from Steamy Kitchen felt she began to reconnect with her country when she realized the importance of Perfect Steamed Rice. Recently she shared a series of dishes leading up to the Olympics, with good instructions if you're a novice at Asian cooking. Jaden started with Ground Beef with Beijing Sauce. Then she shared Stir-Fried Shrimp, Eggs, and Peas (with stir-fry secrets), Pan-Fried Shrimp and Pork Pot Stickers (plus how to pleat dumplings), Steamed Shanghai Soup Dumplings, and Wonton Noodle Soup (pictured above.)

Another blogger who features drool-worthy Asian food is Bee from Rasa Malaysia, who just kicked off a series on Chinese dishes for the Olympics with her version of Cashew Chicken (pictured above). In her recipe archives under Chinese Recipes I also found recipes for Deluxe Fried Rice and Restaurant-Style Chinese Greens with Oyster Sauce. Check back during the games to see what other Chinese dishes Bee will be cooking.

Finally, Sabra from Cookbook Catchall has lived in Beijing and shares a recipe for a pork and noodle dish called Zha Ziang Mian. The dish looks delicious, but what really caught my eye here was her recommendation for a cookbook written by Cecilia Chiang, who moved from Beijing to San Francisco. Sabra says this book has started her cooking Chinese dishes at home due to the clear explanations of any out-of-the-ordinary ingredients or procedures. Sounds like a great read for anyone who's interested in learning more about Chinese cooking.

Hopefully at least one of these delicious dishes I've led you to will entice you to cook something Chinese during the Olympics, even if you're never tried cooking Chinese Food at home. And of course, if you have a good recipe or some tips for Chinese cooking, please share the link or your recipe in the comments.

Kalyn Denny writes about food and at BlogHer.com and shares her passion for cooking at Kalyn's Kitchen.