Cooking with Mumu: [Update] There are 2 new posts in "Simply Recipes"

Simply Recipes

Here is the Simply Recipes update for cookingwithmumu@gmail.com

Kung Pao Chicken
Savory Cherry Compote

There are 2 new posts in "Simply Recipes"

Kung Pao Chicken

Please welcome contributor Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic as he shares one of his favorite go-to Chinese (American) dishes, Kung Pao Chicken. ~Elise

Kung Pao Chicken (also known as Gong Bao or Kung Pow) is probably the dish most associated with Chinese food in America. This dish is also one of the most authentic dishes on the menus of Chinese restaurants and owes its fiery flavor to two particular ingredients: chilies and Szechuan peppercorns.

The chili peppers most commonly used for Chinese cooking are Tien Tsin chilies, named for their provence of origin. They're quite hot and possess an earthy pungency. Szechwan (or Sichuan) peppercorns were actually banned by the FDA until 2005 due to their potential to carry citrus canker. Now they're permitted for import but only after they've been heat treated. Rather than being hot or pungent, they're slightly citrusy and create a slight numbing, tingling sensation as opposed to the burning, hot sensations of peppers and chilies (think the tingle on your tongue from a carbonated drink). You can find both in Asian markets or order them easily (and cheaply) online as a little goes a long way.

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Savory Cherry Compote

When fresh cherries are in season, it's kind of hard to resist eating as many as you can. Actually, at our house, that goes for any stone fruit. But sometimes, sometimes we have even more cherries than we can justifiably eat, and common sense kicks in and we think, uh, maybe we should fill up on more than just fruit? Protein perhaps? Dinner beckons yet that big bowl of cherries eyes us temptingly. Dilemma solved. A quick and easy savory compote made with fresh cherries, walnuts, rosemary, and shallots in a wine reduction makes an excellent accompaniment to pork, chicken, or even duck. Serve with pork chops, pork tenderloin, seared duck breasts, or baked chicken. Yum.

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