Cooking Experiments

[Rogue]

So last night was a success!:D I made General Tso's chicken and Lo Mein, two of my favorite chinese buffet items. Enjoying the leftovers for lunch.

I'm above 50/50 in my kitchen experiments. :eek: Mrs. Rogue has been the unwitting victim or benefactor many times.

Lessons learned:

1) Fresh mint cannot be used in a vinaigrette
2) It takes a summer to perfect Caesar Salad Dressing, but it's worth it
3) Most recipes are general guidelines, but when it comes to baking
things (bread, cake, etc) it's best to either follow 'em or leave it
to the experts
4) There is really no such thing as "too much":
-garlic
-cayenne pepper
-meat
-beer
-pasta sauce
-edge on a knife

5) There can be too much/many:
-salt/pepper
-tabasco, although you don't find out until it's too late :eek:
-wine
-anchovy paste
-people in the kitchen

Now that I have my confidence back, I'm ready to try some new stuff again.
:cool:

[TopDaugIn2000]

please share your recipe for General Tso's chicken. I love that stuff and haven't tried to make it yet.

TIA

[TopDaugIn2000]

I love to watch cooking shows and read recipe books in order to try something new. VERY rarely has it NOT been worth eating.

[Rogue]

http://www.absoluterecipes.com/international-rec/general-tsos-chicken.html

"They say" that the MSG is optional. Well, eating chinese food without MSG would be like going to a brothel to get a kiss. ;)

At several points in this deal I kept thinking "well that'll never work" but it did.
I was pretty skeptical of breading chicken with cornstarch. I used dark and white chicken meat. You guessed it... breasts and thighs. :P

General Tso's Chicken

1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp minced ginger root
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup cooking wine
1 1/2 cups hot chicken broth
1 tsp monosodium glutamate (optional)

3 lbs deboned dark chicken meat, cut into large chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp white pepper
1 egg
1 cup cornstarch
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
2 cups sliced green onions
16 small dried hot peppers

Mix 1/2 cup cornstarch with water. Add garlic, ginger, sugar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, vinegar, wine, chicken broth and MSG (if desired). Stir until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until needed.

In separate bowl, mix chicken, 1/4 cup soy sauce and white pepper. Stir in egg. Add 1 cup cornstarch and mix until chicken pieces are coated evenly. Add cup of vegetable oil to help separate chicken pieces. Divide chicken into small quantities and deep-fry
at 350 degrees until crispy. Drain on paper towels.

Place a small amount of oil in wok and heat until wok is hot. Add onions and peppers and stir-fry briefly. Stir sauce and add to wok. Place chicken in sauce and cook until sauce thickens.

[TopDaugIn2000]

THANKS!

[TopDaugIn2000]

I made this the other night as an appetizer for my dinner party. it turned out REALLY good. Had to substitute baby spinach for the arugla though, couldn't find it ANYWHERE, even Albertson's! It was tasty.

arugula pesto: Blend arugula, olive oil, garlic and chopped walnuts, spread over rustic bread and top with grilled asparagus and goat cheese.

[Rogue]

Sure thing TD. That pesto sounds good. Man I wish we had an Albertson's here. Kroger is OK, but it's no Albertson's. I grew some great herbs last year and fully intended to eventually make pesto, but I let the frost get the basil first.

[TopDaugIn2000]

yeah, if I can't find things at Homeland or IGA I can usually get it at Albertson's (which is where I had to get the goat cheese). No luck this time though.

Spinach worked out well.

[TopDaugIn2000]

I used a long loaf of french bread (or something similar) and thin sliced it diagonally to get bigger pieces. Brushed a little olive oil on it and toasted it in the oven on a low setting (which made it crispy w/o burning it). Then I spread on the goat cheese, a little pesto, and topped it with a piece of grilled asparagus. HEAVEN

[Vaevictis]

Then I spread on the goat cheese, and added roasted garlic cloves. HEAVEN

This stuff is awesome, btw ;)

[TopDaugIn2000]

there was plenty of garlic in the pesto. trust me.

[NormanPride]

I hate my kitchen. I'm beginning to think that when I buy a house, I want the best kitchen I can get.

[handcrafted]

-wine


No doubt. When it says 1/2 cup, it means 1/2 cup. The bordelaise sauce did not turn out well.

:mad: at myself.

[TopDaugIn2000]

I hate my kitchen. I'm beginning to think that when I buy a house, I want the best kitchen I can get.

yeah, when I finally build, my kitchen will RAWK

[King Crimson]

no electric stoves. electric stoves are the ENEMY of cooking. gas.