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Old 10-17-2012, 10:30 AM
 
Location: Volcano
12,969 posts, read 28,303,558 times
Reputation: 10756

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pikantari View Post
I actually do feel there was offense meant, and I really don't care. I didn't cook the food, I only said what I had in it many years ago.

When you post like this, it comes off as a snub-nosed, know it all way.

I probably just made my coffee wrong.
No, no offense was meant at all, absolutely not. I was not criticizing you in any way, shape, or form, and I apologize for any misunderstanding. Now, put down the coffee and step away and nobody will get hurt...

I hate that it's so easy for folks to read stuff into online posts that isn't there just because you can't see the twinkle in the eye or the grin on the face behind the post.

I actually remember those days of green peppers and pineapple and cherries in the "Sweet N Sour" myself, so thanks for reminding me of earlier experiences. Then my thoughts turned to what a drastically different dish I had more recently when a co-worker took me to an authentic Chinese restaurant which was popular with Chinese people and ordered a "Sweet and Sour" dish for the table. One clue to its authenticity was that the name of the place was in the Chinese language, and it did not include the words "Chinese Restaurant" in it.

My Chinese friend explained that what most Americans call a Chinese restaurant is actually an American restaurant with a particular style that loosely imitates Chinese cooking. Most of the dishes as they are served in this country are not from China, but were actually invented in America, and in the latest piece of a long evolution, many of them today are actually owned and operated by Koreans. Chop Suey and Chow Mein, to take the best known examples after WWII, and the first dishes I ever tasted at the Golden Dragon (where my father would only ever order pork chops), were developed in California in the gold fields and the railroad camps in the 1800s by Chinese laborers. They used what they could find... chopped celery, for example replacing bok choy (aka celery cabbage)... because that's what they were able to find locally, and they made the dishes to be palatable to American tastes. And cheap.

Fortune cookies? Totally American, and unknown in China. For a long time over 90% of the fortune cookies served in restaurants were made in Brooklyn.

Chinese-ish restaurants... definitely All-American!
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Old 10-17-2012, 10:36 AM
 
Location: Volcano
12,969 posts, read 28,303,558 times
Reputation: 10756
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bunjee View Post
What, though, is the purpose of the custard powder in the dredge mix?
It's a thickener, cornstarch with a little orange tint from ground annato seeds. You can just double the plain cornstarch (called corn flour in the recipe) instead.
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Old 10-17-2012, 10:42 AM
 
Location: The Jar
20,058 posts, read 18,240,073 times
Reputation: 37120
Okay, just had a nice, greasy lunch; however-- I am now suffering hunger pangs just from reading this thread!!
Great thread producing great recipes and ideas!
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Old 10-18-2012, 12:11 PM
 
Location: Texas
1,192 posts, read 2,469,707 times
Reputation: 2615
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mouldy Old Schmo View Post
I assumed that with the desire to simplify the food for American palates, the original idea has been lost.

I found this on Wikipedia:

Sweet and sour - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I think so too, and Panda Express has to be worst for having too much breading. I think it's a trick though...makes it look like you're getting more chicken.

I do like most Americanized Chinese and would probably not each some of the authentic Chinese. For instance, I don't want a stick of roasted scorpions or a bowl of chicken soup with a chicken foot floating around in it.
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Old 10-20-2012, 09:20 AM
 
Location: Somewhere flat in Mississippi
10,062 posts, read 12,733,796 times
Reputation: 7168
Quote:
Originally Posted by OpenD View Post
Maybe we need a new designation for this "not really" cuisine, this "more American than not" food style which is so popular and ubiquitous in the U.S.... Chinese-ish?
I refer to it as "Chinamerican".
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Old 10-20-2012, 02:25 PM
 
18,837 posts, read 37,239,147 times
Reputation: 26458
Ha ha..Panda Express is "Chinese" food like "Taco Bell" is Mexican food.

I never had any sweet and sour anything when I was in Beijing. We had lots of duck eggs, rice, soup with veggies, noodles. Not a lot of meat. Mostly tofu and eggs...duck meat. No cherries. No pineapple. I did have an interesting poultry dish with lychees.
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Old 10-21-2012, 11:26 AM
 
Location: Middle of the valley
48,381 posts, read 34,504,185 times
Reputation: 73446
When I was in Hong Kong I never even saw anything remotely resembled what I normally got in Chinese restaurants - not even the dim sum. Same thing when I was in Thailand... heck, Mexico too.

Which is fine, for the most part, I like it all.
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