Adventures In Cooking: Kung Pao Chicken

Remember, no true scientist ever says that an experiment is a failure. There is no such thing: even an experiment gone awry provides valuable data. In this case, I found out yesterday that I should not overheat the dried chillies or I might set off the smoke alarm, flood the air with burning, tear gas-like fumes and send any guests running out of the apartment for safety, downing huge amounts of water, not to mention carbonizing the end of the wooden spatula I use for stir-frying and leaving burnt remains on the bottom of the wok.

Curiously, though, it still turned out pretty good. Go figure.

So remember - some recipes may tell you too cook the chillies until they are black. BE CAREFUL AND DO NOT USE HIGH HEAT. If you do so, you may re-enact Chernobyl. When these babies burn, they burn.

( Recipe follows. )

Adventures in Cooking: Lion's Head Stew

This is a favorite of mine - when Mom made it that is. My own version has turned out still tasty, but not quite as good as Mom's (of course). I need to write her and ask her how she does hers and see if I can duplicate that experience, but this is the current recipe I use, for what it's worth, which obtained positive feedback.

To explain the name: the "lion's head" in the recipe is the fist-sized pork meatball, and the "mane" of the lion is the Napa cabbage that surrounds it in the stew.

( Recipe follows. )