On Mon, 07 Jan 2013 09:34:52 -0500, Jim Elbrecht >
wrote:

> On Mon, 7 Jan 2013 15:07:54 +0100, "ViLco" > wrote:
>
> >What are the most common fake chinese dishes served in chinese joints and
> >restaurants in your area? Here in northern Italy the most widespread fake is
> >"riso alla cantonese" (tr. "cantonese rice"), which does not exist nor in
> >Canton nor in all of China, or so a chinese friend told me: basically it's a
> >dish of rice with no sauces but just a lot of peas and bits of scrambled
> >eggs, along with diced prosciutto cotto (!!!). Every chinese restaurant or
> >take-away has them on the menu, every single one.
> >Here a shot of the infamous cantonese rice:
> >http://www.giallozafferano.it/images.../slide-450.jpg

It looks like an Italian version of fried rice, which is in every
Chinese home and reportedly how they use up leftovers. I would
venture to say fried rice was introduced to Italy via Cantonese
immigrants and that's how it got that name.
http://g-cdn.apartmenttherapy.com/34...-FriedRice.jpg
Yep - it's fried rice
http://www.lacucinaimperfetta.com/20...l#.UOrmkW9ZWE0

> >And in your area?
>
My vote goes to General Tso's Chicken. It's tasty enough, but it's
not Chinese. At least Chinese restaurants have the decency to keep
"Chinese Chicken Salad" off the menu, but one chain (California Pizza
Kitchen) is indelibly linked with it.

> Crab rangoons! [another of my wife's favorites]
>
> Invented by Trader Vic in San Francisco [I think]. A very slightly
> crab flavored cream cheese filling- wrapped in wonton wrappers into
> little 'purses'- so there are lots of edges-- and deep fried.
>
> I'm in NY and there are no 'Chinese' places that don't sell them.
>
> Served with sweet and sour sauce. I've eaten worse, but don't get
> excited over them. Lots of folks love them.
>
I've never eaten it, but I looked at a recipe and it sounds awful.
I'd put it right up there with the sushi they make these days with
cream cheese. Horrible, nasty stuff.


--
Food is an important part of a balanced diet.

sf wrote:
>
> My vote goes to General Tso's Chicken. It's tasty enough, but it's
> not Chinese.

It's apparently gone full circle and there is at least one restaurant in
Taiwan that is reported to make it.