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The Nasty Bits: Pig's Ears Two Ways
I concur that this column is SE's best. But I disagree on the first point of this post: offal is the category of meat where one is least likely to be able to communicate one's wishes by pointing to one's own body. Ears, feet, tongue, and brain are probably the only nasty bits you could get this way.
Kuma's Corner: A Chicago Burger Even Upton Sinclair Would Love
I'm not a fan of mushrooms or horseradish, but the fact that anyone would name a burger after Neurosis has me overwhelmed.
Pastrami Burgers: Are They Seriously Delicious?
@gb916 I thought the Times article was pretty clear that it was invented in Los Angeles, and evolved in the Greek-owned restaurants of SLC. And the kosher version probably doesn't have cheese and thousand island.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
It doesn't make the dish any less "real," but both the peanuts and the chili peppers are, of course, American influences.
The Nasty Bits: Pig's Ears Two Ways
I concur that this column is SE's best. But I disagree on the first point of this post: offal is the category of meat where one is least likely to be able to communicate one's wishes by pointing to one's own body. Ears, feet, tongue, and brain are probably the only nasty bits you could get this way.
Kuma's Corner: A Chicago Burger Even Upton Sinclair Would Love
I'm not a fan of mushrooms or horseradish, but the fact that anyone would name a burger after Neurosis has me overwhelmed.
Pastrami Burgers: Are They Seriously Delicious?
@gb916 I thought the Times article was pretty clear that it was invented in Los Angeles, and evolved in the Greek-owned restaurants of SLC. And the kosher version probably doesn't have cheese and thousand island.
Sweet Surprise: The Sugar In Iced Coffee From Starbucks
While the official Starbucks recipes are national, people's expectations of how coffee should come are highly regional. Here in PA, black coffee means without sugar, but just across the river in NJ (even in a border town like Phillipsburg) places that don't have separate condiment bars will add sugar to "black coffee" unless you say "no sugar." And they'll add milk too, if you just say "coffee." Over there people drink milk, so Starbucks baristas offer "room for milk," and here it's "room for cream" by which they meant what in Jersey is called Half-and-Half. (And never go against the flow - here the Half-and-Half pitchers constantly get emptied and replaced, while the whole milk sits out as long as allowed - 4 hours - or longer. In NJ the reverse is true.)
Threadless T-Shirt Giveaway: A Piece of Cake
Since I refuse to consider cheesecake cake, carrot cake!
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
Authenticity bores me. I enjoy things that taste good and use their ingredients properly.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
My favorite is definitely cold szechuan style noodles with a peanut/tahini/chili sauce (Bittman's recipe is my basic starting point). A relatively simple dish with a lot of elan and layers.
And, btw, I thought peanuts were of African origin, and I thank you for a new piece of knowledge today!
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
Legend goes it was invented by this guy, and named after his title.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ding_Baozhen
The picture is authentic - and very close to the original Sichuan version in fact. There are many regional varieties, but the main ingredients: chicken, peeled peanuts (the one with cashew nuts is actually a different dish), cucumber, spring onion and spices are all present here in this photo.
Chilli is the primary taste factor that makes most of the difference.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
I, too, have eaten Gog Bao Ji Ding in Beijing many times, and it's very similar to our Kung Pao Chicken. Except there it costs about fifty cents. And, as Barry Foy said, there seems to be an overabundance of peanuts and a relative dearth of chicken in the dish pictured. However, Barry, I've had it with cucumbers on numerous occasions. They work surprisingly well. I can't remember if it always had cucumbers (left Beijing >2 years ago) but it was often at least.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
I was in China this past summer and had "Szechuan Chicken" at the restaurant Made in China In Beijing. This is basically KungPo Chicken (gongbao jiding), but they added Macadamia nuts. It was INCREDIBLE! It was also one of the only restaurants that we went back to just for this dish. I highly recommend Made In China to anyone travelling to Beijing.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
I was always under the impression that Kung Pao chicken was authentic, mostly because I had a friend in college who studied abroad for a year in China and came back saying he'd had it there (but taught us all the "correct" pronunciation for it gong bao ji ding. Although I do enjoy the Americanized version in restaurants, I've always made it at home more in the style of Fuchsia Dunlop's version - cause that's how Mom taught me!
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
@Lorenzo: in Hawai'i, peanuts are boiled with star anise, too. Very tasty.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
There's a couple of Szechwan places around here that do a dynamite version of Kung Pao Chicken, more chilies, more flavor.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
If you don't have time to read Jennifer Lee's book, I highly recommend this TED talk:
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/jennifer_8_lee_looks_for_general_tso.html
It's one of my favorites: funny, informative, surprising... and you'll learn things about General Tso's, fortune cookie's, and other popular dishes that are pretty awesome :P
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
Gongbao jiding (not "jidan") is totally authentic, but what's shown in that photo ain't it. What are those green bits supposed to be? Cucumber? Zucchini? Based on my experience in China and Taiwan, they don't belong. Also, there seems to be more peanuts than chicken, and even the most devoted peanut partisan shouldn't get away with that. As for cashews, not a chance.
As stated, Jennifer 8 Lee's book clarifies the record re: Gen'l Tso's, but gongbao jiding, as far as I know, is quite a different story.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
Lorenzo:There's an asian grocery store in Minneapolis that occasionally sells 5-spice boiled peanuts, so you may be right.
As far as authenticity/ influence goes, these concepts are only truly meaningful if one operates on the assumption that cultures and populations are isolated and develop totally independently of one another, and nothing in human history indicates that this assumption is correct. Not to mention that any student of social sciences is familiar with the proposition that the very act of observation impacts that which is being observed, so the notion of authenticity is disrupted as soon as one begins to assess it.
That said, I was really pleased to find that a number of Hmong farmers in Minnesota grow peanuts! So there's another peanut-using cuisine to add to the list...
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
I am in the middle of a conversation with a co-worker who is from Manila right now about this actually.
I was telling him I had Kung Pao chicken this morning, he said he had it a few days ago.
I asked him if his had peanuts he said no, it came with Cashews.
But on further exploration he explained to me that it DOES infact come with both peanuts and cashews, he just asks for them to be left out as a personal preference.
I also had "beijing beef" with my meal which seems a bit more questionable as far as authenticity goes. Great article! Thanks!
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
Agreed with BD. Kung Pao chicken in China is definitely where it's at. Although a lot of the components are similar, it tastes quite different in China. I lived in Shanghai for a while and the Kung Pao chicken from neighborhood restaurants were the best. I felt silly telling people that Kung Pao chicken was my favorite Chinese dish in China, but it really is different enough that I didn't feel uncultured in saying so.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
I have had Gong Bao Ji Dan (Kung Pao) many more times in Beijing where it is a staple in neighborhood joints, than I have in the US (I love General Tso's for what it is). It is most definitely authentic.
Also they do the cold peanut appetizer on the mainland too, a game I played with my friends while waiting for the food to arrive to to see how many of the soggy little bastards we could pick up with our chop sticks at once (my record was 5).
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
Fuchsia Dunlop's book Land Of Plenty about Sichuan cuisine discusses peanuts in connection with many dishes and has a Kung Pao recipe.
According to Wikipedia, "as of 2006 China was the world's largest peanut producer."
Not directly relevant, but I was introduced to boiled peanuts when I moved to the (US) South some years ago. I've had peanuts boiled with just salt in the traditional manner as well as innovations such as "Cajun spices." This led me to a recent experiment in which I boiled a batch in a Sichuan-ish mixture of crushed chilis and Sichuan peppercorns--the "ma la" or hot-and-numbing combination. I would not be surprised if I was simply re-inventing something that is well known in Sichuan.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
"Authentic" is a pernicious foodie conceit.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
I'm with @lemonfair -- I can never turn down a good bowl of peanut noodles.
I also like to stir fry red pepper, shredded cabbage, snow peas and peanuts and throw over brown rice.
They may not be the most authentic dishes, but the salty peanuts are a great compliment to spicy sauces and add a nice crunch if (when) I accidentally let the vegetables get a little overdone!
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
Have no idea how authentically Chinese it is, but I love to make noodles (usually linguine) with a Peanut butter-sesame oil sauce, usually with julienned cucumber, snow peas, and scallions.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
Every Kung Pao Chicken I've had has cashews, not peanuts. Now I'm really confused!
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
I also love peanuts in a Chinese application!
I like a kung-pao as much as most I think but
(Ive mentioned probably many times) My favourite local Chinese Rest. (Northern Cuisine) "Spicy Noodle House" and they make the most deadly spicy peanut noodle soup! [item #1 of course]
-- you can order the basic version; or they have one with a fried porkchop on the side.
Its the perfect soup and I crave it at least weekly. It also includes something small and diced that seems like a pickle of some kind (?)
Either way: I cannot live without it!
The Nasty Bits: Pig's Ears Two Ways
I freakin' love pig ears.
Mother would simmer them in a cumin-heavy broth until they were tender and then fry them in an eggy batter. Served with warm tortillas and a salsa de molcajete...they were divine!
The Nasty Bits: Pig's Ears Two Ways
Hi fellow nasty bits lovers! As always, thank you for your kind words, which lift my spirits when I'm hunched over my laptop nursing a cup of old coffee.
Alexlv, I think that pointing and gesturing are very helpful in navigating your way through the butcher's department. In addition to what you mentioned, here are some of the parts that you can point to, just off the top of my head:
- tails and cheeks (I talked about those in the post)
- neck (I've seen lamb, pork, and beef)
- joints if you want beef knuckles, for instance
- nose if you want pig's snout
- stomach (if you point to your tummy, they can narrow it down to tripe or pork bellly)
- heart (put your hand by your chest and make a pumping motion)
- tendon (flip your wrist over and show them your own)
The Nasty Bits: Pig's Ears Two Ways
You know, Chichi. I am never, ever going to eat a single thing you talk about in this column. I'm just not an offal person, but you make me wish I were.
I look forward to this column and read every word each time you post. You make gizzards and pig's ears fascinating, which I would have never thought possible. The photography is also outstanding, showcasing each column's "nasty bits" in an entirely honest, unadorned, yet at the same time beautiful way.
Kuma's Corner: A Chicago Burger Even Upton Sinclair Would Love
happyscrappy,
Thanks for your reply. I saw Kuma's on TV over the weekend and some of the toppings did look good. Next trip to Chicago I will try for a visit. However, PaulyWalnuts' comment might send me to Hot Doug's first...I have been hearing about it for ages, so want to give it a try.
Kuma's Corner: A Chicago Burger Even Upton Sinclair Would Love
Kuma's has really gone downhill. It's not just the wait, or even the replacement of the delicious hand cut fries with frozen waffle fries, even the burgers have deteriorated in quality. They lost one of their chefs (the guy who did the Fu Machu burger, hence it no longer being on the menu). Things haven't been the same since. The last two times I've gone in there the burger was over cooked (I order medium rare and there wasn't a hint of pinkness), and so over salted that I literally felt ill by the time I was done eating it.
Damn shame this happened to a place that just two years ago I would have sworn up and down was the best burger in Chicago, and one of the best in the country.
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It doesn't make the dish any less "real," but both the peanuts and the chili peppers are, of course, American influences.