By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Martin Yan limbers up a chicken. He calls this relaxing
the chicken so it won't be so tense. Yan can debone a
relaxed chicken in 18 seconds flat. That's his signature
below: Yan Man Dat, his Chinese name.

The prolific TV chef and cookbook author paused last week during his global travels. He was relaxing over a midafternoon snack at the Kahala Mandarin Oriental hotel's oceanfront restaurant.

Yan, creator and host of the lively "Yan Can Cook" series, is short, a little over 5 feet. His hair is jet black. He is fine-complected with tiny lines showing his 46 years. His brown eyes are clear, serene, unwavering.

By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Moments later, the relaxed chicken is a stir-fried chicken.

A certified master chef, Yan hosted the world's first daily Chinese-cooking show, on Canadian television two decades ago. But Yan shies from taking credit for the worldwide trend toward Asian cookery.

"I don't think any single talent or any single chef can have a long-term, widespread impact on any field unless there is also a supporting cast or also other talent," he said. "So, starting from Titus (Chan) and me and Ken Hom and a lot of people, they're all doing their job, doing their share to promote."

Yan's nimble, balletic fingers piled his tuna sandwich with avocado, fresh basil leaves and long, thin sweet-pickle curls. It is in this innovative manner that he has continued to travel, taste, experiment and contribute to the evolution of Asian cookery.

"I spend at least 1-1/2 to two months in Asia and China every year just to learn and work with master chefs. This year I would be spending about 3-1/2 months in Asia because I go out on locations.

"I just came back from Malaysia and I learned (about) all the satays and all the wonderful spices - galangal, lemon grass, limes, calamansi and cardamom seed, because Malaysia has a lot of Thai, Indonesian, Indian and also Chinese influences.

"You go to places and you learn all of these things. It's fascinating to me."

Serendipitously, Yan's isle stopover coincided with the advent of the Year of the Ox - symbol of perseverance and agricultural bounty. The indefatigable Yan's career also reflects perseverance and bounty.

He said he'll complete 200 TV shows in an 18-month period, including "The Best of Asia" series. Also this year, he releases three cookbooks - "The Best of Asia," "The Best of Yan Can Cook" and a Chinese-language cookbook. He will return to Hawaii for three cooking demonstration/tastings at Liberty House. And, he's planning an isle fund-raiser with chef/restaurateur Sam Choy.

Former Hawaii executive Mary Bitterman is currently president and chief executive officer of San Francisco's KQED public television station, which has produced 130 "Yan Can Cook" shows since 1985 and will produce 52 more this year. She saluted Yan's extraordinary pace: "His tremendous energy is something that's impressed all of us. Just this past week he traveled from Malaysia to San Francisco, to Honolulu, to Los Angeles, to San Francisco. We really see Martin as a committed teacher and great entertainer. But he teaches much more than Chinese cuisine. He provides a window into the long history and bountiful culture of China."

Yan was asked the secret of his youthfulness and energy.

"Calm," he said, a soft echo over a quiet pool. "I'm always very calm, very low key, very low energy. The only time that I get excited (is) when I work. But for the past hour and a half notice I am very, very low key. This is how I conserve my energy. I'm very very calm, very slow."

He shares Chinese New Year recipes and their meanings: Gold Coin Mushrooms symbolizing money; Crystal Wrap with lettuce, signifying prosperity and wealth; Firecracker Shrimp with red chiles, representing traditional fireworks; Red Envelope Fish, with fish reflecting abundance; and, as a finale, New Year's Sweet Cookies with almonds and sesame seeds.

"All of these are very easy to do, simple dishes," he said. "Yan can cook, so can you. I never do anything people cannot do."

2 dried black mushrooms
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely diced zucchini
2 tablespoons finely diced carrot
14 cup finely chopped, cooked shrimp
1 green onion (including top), minced
1 cup cooked medium-grain rice (see note)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 teaspoon pepper
28 large fresh mushrooms (2-inch diameter), stems removed
13 cup chicken broth

Sauce:

14 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Combine sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and set aside.

Place a wok or wide frying pan over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 seconds. Add black mushrooms, zucchini and carrot; stir-fry for 1 minute. Add shrimp, green onion and rice; mix well. Stir in eggs, salt and pepper; turn off heat and mix well.

Mound about 2 rounded teaspoons of filling into each mushroom cap and press firmly. Place mushrooms filling side up in a shallow-rimmed baking pan. If assembled ahead, cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Just before baking, pour broth around mushrooms. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

With a slotted spatula, transfer mushrooms to a serving platter; cover loosely to keep warm. Pour drippings into sauce. Stirring constantly, cook over medium-high heat until sauce boils and thickens slightly. Makes 28 appetizers.

Note: Do not substitute long-grain rice in this recipe. It lacks the sticky quality which is necessary to bind the filling together.

34 pound medium-size raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and diced
6 dried black mushrooms
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 small carrot, diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 small zucchini, diced
1/2 cup diced water chestnuts
2 green onions (including tops), thinly sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
18 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or coarsely chopped peanuts
14 cup hoisin sauce
8 iceberg lettuce leaves

Marinade:

1 tablespoon Shao Hsing wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon cornstarch
14 teaspoon salt

Soak mushrooms in warm water to cover for 30 minutes; drain. Cut off and discard stems and dice caps.

Place a wok or wide frying pan over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 seconds. Add shrimp and stir-fry for 1-1/2 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Remove shrimp from wok.

Add mushrooms, carrot and broth and cook for 1 minute. Add zucchini, water chestnuts and green onions and cook for 1-1/2 minutes or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Return shrimp to wok and add soy sauce and pepper. Add cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. Stir in pine nuts. Transfer to a serving platter. To eat, spread a little hoisin sauce on a lettuce leaf, spoon in some shrimp mixture, wrap lettuce around filling and eat out of hand. Makes 8 servings.

34 pound raw medium-size shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 dried whole red chile pepper, minced
1 can (8 ounces) sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares

Marinade:

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons water

Sauce:

13 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons rice vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sweet bean paste
2 teaspoons sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Place a wok or wide frying pan over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add onion; cook, stirring, until soft and translucent. Add shrimp; stir-fry for 1 minute or until shrimp turns pink. Add chile pepper, bamboo shoots and bell pepper; cook and toss for 1 minute. Add sauce; cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens slightly. Transfer to a serving platter and serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

1-1/2 pounds mild-flavored firm white fish fillets, such as red snapper, halibut or sea bass, each about34 -inch thick
Salt and pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
Flour for dry-coating
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Slivered green onion for garnish

Sauce:

1/2 cup slivered Chinese sweet mixed pickles or sweet gherkins, drained
14 cup sugar
14 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
34 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Cutting only 1/2 -inch deep into fish, score fillets lengthwise at 1-inch intervals. Then score fish crosswise at 1-inch intervals. Lightly sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Place egg and flour in separate shallow bowls. Dip fish in egg, drain briefly, then dredge with flour, shaking off excess. Set aside.

Set wok in a ring stand and add oil to a depth of about 2 inches. Over high heat, bring oil to 375 degrees. Slowly dip fish fillets into hot oil and cook, turning occasionally, for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Lift out and drain on paper towels. Transfer to a platter. Pour warm sauce over fish. Garnish with green onion. Makes 4 servings.

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 pound lard or vegetable shortening
23 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
34 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Black or white sesame seeds
Whole blanched almonds

To shape each cookie, roll about 1 teaspoon of dough into a ball. Roll in sesame seeds to coat evenly. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Gently press an almond in center of each round. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

At left is the greeting of the season, "Kung Hee Fat Choy," penned by Martin Yan.