F
ifty years ago David Leong was struggling for Springfield, Missouri, locals to accept foods from his homeland in China. He created Chef David Leong and cashew chicken his son Chef Wing Yee. Photo: Springfield to serve at his Visitors Bureau. Leong’s Tea House and within a few years “Springfield -Style Cashew Chicken” appeared on menus coast to coast. To make his Cashew Chicken, Laong took fried chicken chunks and covered them with Chinese oyster sauce, cashews and chopped green onion. Here are two versions of the classic that use healthier chicken breast rather than the classic fried chicken:
Cashew Chicken
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes 1 Tbsp cornstarch Salt and pepper 2 Tbsp vegetable oil 6 cloves garlic, minced 8 scallions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1-inch pieces 2 Tbsp rice vinegar 3 Tbsp hoisin sauce 3/4 cup raw cashews (4 ounces), toasted White rice, cooked
Toss chicken with cornstarch until chicken is coated; season with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Cook half the chicken, tossing often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining oil and chicken to skillet along with the garlic and white parts of scallions. Cook, tossing often, until chicken is browned, about 3 minutes. Return first batch of chicken to pan. Add vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup water; cook, tossing, until chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in scallion greens and cashews. Serve immediately over white rice, if desired. (Hoisin sauce is used both at the table and as a seasoning in cooking.)
Cashew Chicken Salad
Cooked chicken strips 1 (12-ounce) container cole slaw 1 (8.5-ounce) can mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained 1/3 cup cashews, chopped 1 Tbsp olive oil, optional
Slice chicken strips diagonally. In a bowl, toss together all ingredients. Reserve some cashews for garnish and serve.
(Food Network’s Semi-Homemade Cooking)
Thrift Shop or eBay for Shopping Pleasure?
S
econdhand stores, consignment shops and thrift shops are thriving while competing with eBay and other websites because their patrons seek “intangible satisfactions,” not just bargains, say researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Thrift stores, vintage boutiques, consignment shops and flea markets are often small, locally owned and idiosyncratic. “That’s their appeal,” says Patty White. “The uniqueness of each shop is what makes a shopping neighborhood fun to visit.”
Like eBay shoppers, patrons of thrift, consignment and vintage shops seek inexpensive, unusual goods and are interested in a product’s history. White adds, “I love to imagine the story behind a piece I pick up. Why did the first owner buy it? Why is it here now?” White views herself as helping the economy by recycling goods. But really, she admits, her love is the thrill of wondering what she will find on any given shopping trip. Does she shop online? Not much. And the researchers say that “Sitting alone, slouched over the computer, trying to discern the quality of a garment on eBay just can’t recapture a social and material experience of brick and mortar shopping.” Then too, ‘I got it on eBay’ does not evoke the same air of mystery and treasure hunt as scoring a find in a little consignment shop in Sarasota.
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Lifestyles After 50 • May 2013 • page 39