Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered something
on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the recipe,
they would not reveal it? Maybe you've even been at a potluck, or buffet
meal, and tasted something that was very good, but you had no idea who
brought it, so couldn't ask them for the recipe?

Did you go home and try to recreate whatever it was, going by taste, and
the ingredients you remember seeing in this particular food item? Were
you satisfied with the outcome of the finished product?

Many years ago I had a piece of apricot pie at an airport restaurant,
that I recall as being absolutely delicious. Over the years I have made
many apricot pies, that I thought possibly could be a duplicate, only to
be unsatisfied with the flavor. They were all 'GOOD', but nothing
special.

The same thing happened with a baked halibut dish at a brunch in a hotel
in Anchorage, AK. in 1987. It was heavenly, and I asked the waitress if
I could possibly have the recipe, or even what ingredients were used to
prepare it....to no avail. However, eventually I did find a recipe in
a cookbook that was very close to what I remember the flavor of the fish
to be, and was most pleased.

One down.....one to go! ^o-o^

Judy

"Judy Haffner" <>
> Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered something
> on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the recipe,
> they would not reveal it? Maybe you've even been at a potluck, or buffet
> meal, and tasted something that was very good, but you had no idea who
> brought it, so couldn't ask them for the recipe?
>
> Did you go home and try to recreate whatever it was, going by taste, and
> the ingredients you remember seeing in this particular food item? Were
> you satisfied with the outcome of the finished product?
>
> Many years ago I had a piece of apricot pie at an airport restaurant,
> that I recall as being absolutely delicious. Over the years I have made
> many apricot pies, that I thought possibly could be a duplicate, only to
> be unsatisfied with the flavor. They were all 'GOOD', but nothing
> special.
>
> The same thing happened with a baked halibut dish at a brunch in a hotel
> in Anchorage, AK. in 1987. It was heavenly, and I asked the waitress if
> I could possibly have the recipe, or even what ingredients were used to
> prepare it....to no avail. However, eventually I did find a recipe in
> a cookbook that was very close to what I remember the flavor of the fish
> to be, and was most pleased.
>
> One down.....one to go! ^o-o^
>
> Judy
Ah yes. Well. Not quite. My mom made a strawberry pie that was
magnificent. I've been attempting to duplicate it for about 20 years.
Things learned: cream cheese was an ingredient. It was not a 'staple' in the
40's and 50's and took me a while to realize it was part of the recipe.
Only real, really real, fresh strawberries will do. Anything shipped in
from afar or frozen won't do either. They just don't have the zing of
fresh/local. Polly

"Judy Haffner" > wrote in message
...
>
> Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered something
> on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the recipe,
> they would not reveal it? Maybe you've even been at a potluck, or buffet
> meal, and tasted something that was very good, but you had no idea who
> brought it, so couldn't ask them for the recipe?
>
> Did you go home and try to recreate whatever it was, going by taste, and
> the ingredients you remember seeing in this particular food item? Were
> you satisfied with the outcome of the finished product?
>
> Many years ago I had a piece of apricot pie at an airport restaurant,
> that I recall as being absolutely delicious. Over the years I have made
> many apricot pies, that I thought possibly could be a duplicate, only to
> be unsatisfied with the flavor. They were all 'GOOD', but nothing
> special.
>
> The same thing happened with a baked halibut dish at a brunch in a hotel
> in Anchorage, AK. in 1987. It was heavenly, and I asked the waitress if
> I could possibly have the recipe, or even what ingredients were used to
> prepare it....to no avail. However, eventually I did find a recipe in
> a cookbook that was very close to what I remember the flavor of the fish
> to be, and was most pleased.
>
> One down.....one to go! ^o-o^
>
> Judy

I can usually do this. Not always. As I have said before, I can't get the
plain,, boneless, skinless chicken breast to my daughter's satisfaction.
When I made the chicken Marsala the other night she liked the texture of the
chicken but wouldn't eat it because she didn't like the taste of the sauce.
She seems to take after my parents in that regard. They generally like just
plain, unseasoned or barely seasoned foods. *sigh* This doesn't work very
well for me given that I love to try new recipes and stuff.

I made some cheese biscuits when my parents came to eat and they said they
were even better than Red Lobster's. Odd thing is, I have never eaten at
Red Lobster so have no clue how their biscuits are.

But I have noticed that when I make things at home and am trying to recreate
something I've eaten elsewhere, I usually wind up liking *my* version
better!

On 1/27/2013 10:53 PM, Judy Haffner wrote:
>
> Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered something
> on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the recipe,
> they would not reveal it? Maybe you've even been at a potluck, or buffet
> meal, and tasted something that was very good, but you had no idea who
> brought it, so couldn't ask them for the recipe?
>
> Did you go home and try to recreate whatever it was, going by taste, and
> the ingredients you remember seeing in this particular food item? Were
> you satisfied with the outcome of the finished product?
>
(snipped)
>
> Judy
>
Yes. Stuffed flounder, which I first tasted when I worked at Red
Lobster around 1982. Several years later a friend and I decided to cook
dinner one evening. Stuffed flounder sounded tasty (flounder was a heck
of a lot cheaper circa 1989) so we decided to give it a shot. I had to
rely on my memory of what the crabmeat "stuffing" tasted like. It came
out very well.

Butternut squash soup (which I improved upon by roasting the squash
first and adding a little tarragon to give it more oomph). A keeper!

Catfish Acadian, which I had at the Bayou Bar & Grill in Memphis.
Pretty darn close but... hmmm. I emailed the chef detailing what I'd
done and he responded with a smiley: Excellent, except you forgot the
celery

Jill

"Judy Haffner" > wrote in message
...
>
> Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered something
> on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the recipe,
> they would not reveal it? Maybe you've even been at a potluck, or buffet
> meal, and tasted something that was very good, but you had no idea who
> brought it, so couldn't ask them for the recipe?

I google "copycat recipes" and have always had good results.

On 1/28/2013 10:56 AM, news wrote:
> "Judy Haffner" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered something
>> on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the recipe,
>> they would not reveal it? Maybe you've even been at a potluck, or buffet
>> meal, and tasted something that was very good, but you had no idea who
>> brought it, so couldn't ask them for the recipe?
>
> I google "copycat recipes" and have always had good results.
>
>
Heh. You let someone else do the work. Do you then always prepare
[whatever] according to their interpretation? Apparently replicating
recipes isn't your strong suit.

Jill

Jill wrote:

>> Did you go home and try to recreate whatever it was, going by taste, and
>> the ingredients you remember seeing in this particular food item? Were
>> you satisfied with the outcome of the finished product?
>
> Yes. Stuffed flounder
>
> Butternut squash soup
>
> Catfish Acadian

What about that shrimp with basil cream sauce you got at Barbara Jeans
several Thanksgivings ago? You seemed pretty ****ed off at the fact they
wouldn't give you any information at all about the recipe and suggested you
buy the restaurant's cookbook (which almost certainly would not have had
that recipe, since it wasn't a part of their regular menu).

Bob

On 1/28/2013 11:57 AM, Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Jill wrote:
>
>>> Did you go home and try to recreate whatever it was, going by taste,
>>> and the ingredients you remember seeing in this particular food item?
>>> Were you satisfied with the outcome of the finished product?
>>
>> Yes. Stuffed flounder
>>
>> Butternut squash soup
>>
>> Catfish Acadian
>
> What about that shrimp with basil cream sauce you got at Barbara Jeans
> several Thanksgivings ago? You seemed pretty ****ed off at the fact they
> wouldn't give you any information at all about the recipe and suggested
> you buy the restaurant's cookbook (which almost certainly would not have
> had that recipe, since it wasn't a part of their regular menu).
>
> Bob

I have to wonder why you've paid so much attention to my posts over the
years.

You'll have to refresh my memory. The only time I had "Thanksgiving" at
Barbara Jeans was the week we buried our mother. She died two days
before Thanksgiving, 2008. I honestly couldn't tell you now what I ate
ate that day. I probably did ask and was irritated about them pushing
the cookbook.

I do like basil cream sauce and have since successfully prepared it...
not over shrimp. It's excellent over gnocchi (another restaurant thing
I never tried to make).

Jill

On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:36:04 -0500, jmcquown >
wrote:

> On 1/28/2013 10:56 AM, news wrote:
> > "Judy Haffner" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >>
> >> Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered something
> >> on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the recipe,
> >> they would not reveal it? Maybe you've even been at a potluck, or buffet
> >> meal, and tasted something that was very good, but you had no idea who
> >> brought it, so couldn't ask them for the recipe?
> >
> > I google "copycat recipes" and have always had good results.
> >
> >
> Heh. You let someone else do the work. Do you then always prepare
> [whatever] according to their interpretation? Apparently replicating
> recipes isn't your strong suit.
>
Not everyone's, certainly not mine. My son will work on restaurant
favorites until he gets them right. I don't, but I've never had much
desire. There was one dish I loved, went home and duplicated it well
enough to satisfy me. No idea how accurate my version was because I
never ate it at that restaurant again. My family and I loved it and
nobody cared if it's an exact duplicate or not. Another one, Ropa
Vieja Stew, is something I make at home every so often, but it's
nowhere near the dish I order at the restaurant. In any case, what I
make is pretty d*mned good anyway.


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

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:36:04 -0500, jmcquown >
> wrote:
>
>> On 1/28/2013 10:56 AM, news wrote:
>> > "Judy Haffner" > wrote in message
>> > ...
>> >>
>> >> Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered
>> >> something
>> >> on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the
>> >> recipe,
>> >> they would not reveal it? Maybe you've even been at a potluck, or
>> >> buffet
>> >> meal, and tasted something that was very good, but you had no idea who
>> >> brought it, so couldn't ask them for the recipe?
>> >
>> > I google "copycat recipes" and have always had good results.
>> >
>> >
>> Heh. You let someone else do the work. Do you then always prepare
>> [whatever] according to their interpretation? Apparently replicating
>> recipes isn't your strong suit.
>>
> Not everyone's, certainly not mine. My son will work on restaurant
> favorites until he gets them right. I don't, but I've never had much
> desire. There was one dish I loved, went home and duplicated it well
> enough to satisfy me. No idea how accurate my version was because I
> never ate it at that restaurant again. My family and I loved it and
> nobody cared if it's an exact duplicate or not. Another one, Ropa
> Vieja Stew, is something I make at home every so often, but it's
> nowhere near the dish I order at the restaurant. In any case, what I
> make is pretty d*mned good anyway.

So, share the recipe, plaease?
--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

Jill replied:

>> What about that shrimp with basil cream sauce you got at Barbara Jeans
>> several Thanksgivings ago? You seemed pretty ****ed off at the fact they
>> wouldn't give you any information at all about the recipe and suggested
>> you buy the restaurant's cookbook (which almost certainly would not have
>> had that recipe, since it wasn't a part of their regular menu).
>
> I have to wonder why you've paid so much attention to my posts over the
> years.

Get over yourself. Some people have better memories than you do. It doesn't
mean you're special.


> You'll have to refresh my memory. The only time I had "Thanksgiving" at
> Barbara Jeans was the week we buried our mother. She died two days before
> Thanksgiving, 2008. I honestly couldn't tell you now what I ate ate that
> day.

But with the magic of Google, and the fact that you *live* on Usenet, we can
all see what you ate on Thanksgiving 2008 by searching for "A Rather Odd
Thanksgiving Meal". You posted about it again and again.

Bob

On 1/28/2013 1:04 PM, Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> Jill replied:
>
>>> What about that shrimp with basil cream sauce you got at Barbara
>>> Jeans several Thanksgivings ago? You seemed pretty ****ed off at the
>>> fact they wouldn't give you any information at all about the recipe
>>> and suggested you buy the restaurant's cookbook (which almost
>>> certainly would not have had that recipe, since it wasn't a part of
>>> their regular menu).
>>
>> I have to wonder why you've paid so much attention to my posts over
>> the years.
>
> Get over yourself. Some people have better memories than you do. It
> doesn't mean you're special.
>
I don't think I'm special.
>
>> You'll have to refresh my memory. The only time I had "Thanksgiving"
>> at Barbara Jeans was the week we buried our mother. She died two days
>> before Thanksgiving, 2008. I honestly couldn't tell you now what I
>> ate ate that day.
>
> But with the magic of Google, and the fact that you *live* on Usenet, we
> can all see what you ate on Thanksgiving 2008 by searching for "A Rather
> Odd Thanksgiving Meal". You posted about it again and again.
>
> Bob

As if you don't live on usenet? Or more recently on Facebook? Sheesh.

Jill

On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:34:01 -0000, "Ophelia"
> wrote:

>
>
> "sf" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:36:04 -0500, jmcquown >
> > wrote:
> >
> >> On 1/28/2013 10:56 AM, news wrote:
> >> > "Judy Haffner" > wrote in message
> >> > ...
> >> >>
> >> >> Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered
> >> >> something
> >> >> on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the
> >> >> recipe,
> >> >> they would not reveal it? Maybe you've even been at a potluck, or
> >> >> buffet
> >> >> meal, and tasted something that was very good, but you had no idea who
> >> >> brought it, so couldn't ask them for the recipe?
> >> >
> >> > I google "copycat recipes" and have always had good results.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> Heh. You let someone else do the work. Do you then always prepare
> >> [whatever] according to their interpretation? Apparently replicating
> >> recipes isn't your strong suit.
> >>
> > Not everyone's, certainly not mine. My son will work on restaurant
> > favorites until he gets them right. I don't, but I've never had much
> > desire. There was one dish I loved, went home and duplicated it well
> > enough to satisfy me. No idea how accurate my version was because I
> > never ate it at that restaurant again. My family and I loved it and
> > nobody cared if it's an exact duplicate or not. Another one, Ropa
> > Vieja Stew, is something I make at home every so often, but it's
> > nowhere near the dish I order at the restaurant. In any case, what I
> > make is pretty d*mned good anyway.
>
> So, share the recipe, plaease?
> --

At the restaurant, it's a stew of beef, chicken and chorizo. They and
I use *fresh* Spanish (not Mexican) chorizo. If you can't find fresh
spanish chorizo, it's a no-go from the gitgo.

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

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:34:01 -0000, "Ophelia"
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> "sf" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:36:04 -0500, jmcquown >
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> >> On 1/28/2013 10:56 AM, news wrote:
>> >> > "Judy Haffner" > wrote in message
>> >> > ...
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered
>> >> >> something
>> >> >> on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the
>> >> >> recipe,
>> >> >> they would not reveal it? Maybe you've even been at a potluck, or
>> >> >> buffet
>> >> >> meal, and tasted something that was very good, but you had no idea
>> >> >> who
>> >> >> brought it, so couldn't ask them for the recipe?
>> >> >
>> >> > I google "copycat recipes" and have always had good results.
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >> Heh. You let someone else do the work. Do you then always prepare
>> >> [whatever] according to their interpretation? Apparently replicating
>> >> recipes isn't your strong suit.
>> >>
>> > Not everyone's, certainly not mine. My son will work on restaurant
>> > favorites until he gets them right. I don't, but I've never had much
>> > desire. There was one dish I loved, went home and duplicated it well
>> > enough to satisfy me. No idea how accurate my version was because I
>> > never ate it at that restaurant again. My family and I loved it and
>> > nobody cared if it's an exact duplicate or not. Another one, Ropa
>> > Vieja Stew, is something I make at home every so often, but it's
>> > nowhere near the dish I order at the restaurant. In any case, what I
>> > make is pretty d*mned good anyway.
>>
>> So, share the recipe, plaease?
>> --
>
> At the restaurant, it's a stew of beef, chicken and chorizo. They and
> I use *fresh* Spanish (not Mexican) chorizo. If you can't find fresh
> spanish chorizo, it's a no-go from the gitgo.

Well I can find it, but we don't like it ... so thanks anyway)
--
--
http://www.shop.helpforheroes.org.uk/

"Polly Esther" > wrote:
-snip-
>Ah yes. Well. Not quite. My mom made a strawberry pie that was
>magnificent. I've been attempting to duplicate it for about 20 years.
>Things learned: cream cheese was an ingredient. It was not a 'staple' in the
>40's and 50's and took me a while to realize it was part of the recipe.
>Only real, really real, fresh strawberries will do. Anything shipped in
>from afar or frozen won't do either. They just don't have the zing of
>fresh/local. Polly

I hope that by 'fresh/local' you mean pick-your-own. That might not
even do it-- but you can plant a dozen plants in an earth box that
will rival the flavor of those your mom got.

Strawberry culture has come *way too far* in the last 30 years.

if you can pick a quart of strawberries and not have to scrub your
hands and change your shirt-- they either aren't ripe enough or
they are not the right variety.<g>

Jim

On Monday, 28 January 2013 13:53:16 UTC+10, Judy Haffner wrote:
> Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered something
> on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the recipe,
> they would not reveal it?

I had a very tasty beef, cumin, and fresh coriander dish in Beijing. The menu was in Chinese, none of the staff were fluent in English, I didn't have a pen with me to write down the name of the dish.

Not knowing what it's called makes it harder to find a recipe.

I didn't duplicate it exactly, but did make a similar tasty dish. I also found a similar recipe in Fuchsia Dunlop's Hunan cookbook. I'm happy with the results, but I remember the original being better. I probably use less oil, and my wok doesn't stay hot enough (on electric stove).

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:36:04 -0500, jmcquown >
> wrote:
>
>> On 1/28/2013 10:56 AM, news wrote:
>> > "Judy Haffner" > wrote in message
>> > ...
>> >>
>> >> Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered
>> >> something
>> >> on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the
>> >> recipe,
>> >> they would not reveal it? Maybe you've even been at a potluck, or
>> >> buffet
>> >> meal, and tasted something that was very good, but you had no idea who
>> >> brought it, so couldn't ask them for the recipe?
>> >
>> > I google "copycat recipes" and have always had good results.
>> >
>> >
>> Heh. You let someone else do the work. Do you then always prepare
>> [whatever] according to their interpretation? Apparently replicating
>> recipes isn't your strong suit.

If something has a lot of ingredients, and I can find a similar recipe, why
reinvent the wheel? I like cooking and eating, not fussing in the kitchen
for hours and spending money testing ingredients. I work, am paid well, and
my time is valuable.

One experience I have had with restaurant food worth cloning come from a Mom n Pop sandwich shoppe/deli combo run by a very Nice Roman Catholic Eyetalian Lady from Noo Yawk city. She had meatballs so good they should be illegal. Took only one short lesson and she taught me everything she knew. So no need to go back there to eat anymore. The rest of her groceries was nothing to write home about. She migrated as a child and her Daddy used to eat the eyeballs out of lambs back in the old country. That sounds real appetizing huh? She has since closed up shop. The nice Lady is named Annie Mooney. She used em for making meatball sandwiches but reckon a person could use em for whutever purpose a meatball might be used. As I recall it went something like this:

"Annie Mooney's Noo Yawk Eyetalian Meatballs"

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
10-12 cloves fresh minced garlic or more (is impossible to get too much)
1 cup Progresso brand Eyetalian breadcrumbs..soaked in water
2 eggs
1 t. oregano
1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesiam cheese
1/2 t. salt (*watch this close because how much you need is some dependent on how much salt the sausage has in it. Very easy to get too much especially figgering the sauce and cheese is likely salty too)
1 t. black pepper
3 16 oz. cans tomato sauce (use three different brands of sauce)
2 T. red wine or 2 t. sugar

Soak the bread crumbs in water for about 15 mins then drain and squeeze out some of the water...still want it pretty moist. Mix up everything except the sauce and the wine. Form into meatballs about 1 inch diameter. Add the wine to the sauce and bring to a simmer in a non-reactive pan. Add the meatballs, cover and simmer with a lid till done..about an hour. Check occasionally and if you get any grease floating on top of the sauce..dip it out with a spoon.

She served them as a sandwich on hoagy rolls..with meatballs down the middle covered with sauce. Fresh grated Mozzarella (sic) on top. Toasted up in the oven just a little. Bunch of napkins on the side. The reason for the three different brands of sauce was because she say one brand was too sweet..the other too salty etc. If you mix em up it supposed to give a mo well balanced flavor profile. If you dont have any wine sub out a t. or two of sugar. She claimed the wine or sugar cut the acid..but I don't see how since wine is acidic it can cut much acid. I just repeating it as I was tole. It do knock some of the sharp edges off the sauce.

Timid wrote:

> I like cooking and eating, not fussing in the kitchen for hours and
> spending money testing ingredients. I work, am paid well, and my time is
> valuable.

Your time is only valuable when you're working. Don't delude yourself into
thinking that your leisure time is valuable. It may be prized by you, but
it's not valuable. When you're relaxing at home you can spend as much or as
little time as you like puttering around the kitchen, secure in the
knowledge that you're not losing any more money than if you were
masturbating. And since you apparently don't like puttering around in the
kitchen....

Bob

Timo wrote:
> On Monday, 28 January 2013 13:53:16 UTC+10, Judy Haffner wrote:
>> Am wondering if you had ever gone to a restaurant and ordered something
>> on the menu that was real delicious, but when you asked for the recipe,
>> they would not reveal it?
>
> I had a very tasty beef, cumin, and fresh coriander dish in Beijing. The menu was in Chinese, none of the staff were fluent in English, I didn't have a pen with me to write down the name of the dish.
>
> Not knowing what it's called makes it harder to find a recipe.
>
> I didn't duplicate it exactly, but did make a similar tasty dish. I also found a similar recipe in Fuchsia Dunlop's Hunan cookbook. I'm happy with the results, but I remember the original being better. I probably use less oil, and my wok doesn't stay hot enough (on electric stove).

Try the recipe in Fuchsia Dunlop's book, Every Grain of Rice,
which just came out in the United States. I was looking at
reviews of the recipes. and many people raved about the Beef with
Cumin recipe. One person thought he/she would use 2 bell peppers,
one person said he/she would increase the cumin and chiles. (Note
that I also saw a discussion of chiles, and the really hot
peppers, e.g., Thai bird's eye chiles, are NOT appropriate for the
recipes. Rather one should use larger, milder peppers, such as
Penzey's Tientsin chiles or Swad's unnamed dried ones.) Yet
another person suggested garnishing with cilantro instead of
scallions, which sounds like what you want to do.
If you want, I will compare the recipe in EGoR with that in her
Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook.

Jean B.

On Monday, February 4, 2013 12:31:11 PM UTC+10, Jean B. wrote:
> Timo wrote:
>
> > I had a very tasty beef, cumin, and fresh coriander dish in Beijing. The menu was in Chinese, none of the staff were fluent in English, I didn't have a pen with me to write down the name of the dish.
> >
> > Not knowing what it's called makes it harder to find a recipe.
> >
> > I didn't duplicate it exactly, but did make a similar tasty dish. I also found a similar recipe in Fuchsia Dunlop's Hunan cookbook. I'm happy with the results, but I remember the original being better. I probably use less oil, and my wok doesn't stay hot enough (on electric stove).
>
> Try the recipe in Fuchsia Dunlop's book, Every Grain of Rice,
> which just came out in the United States. I was looking at
> reviews of the recipes. and many people raved about the Beef with
> Cumin recipe. One person thought he/she would use 2 bell peppers,
> one person said he/she would increase the cumin and chiles. (Note
> that I also saw a discussion of chiles, and the really hot
> peppers, e.g., Thai bird's eye chiles, are NOT appropriate for the
> recipes. Rather one should use larger, milder peppers, such as
> Penzey's Tientsin chiles or Swad's unnamed dried ones.) Yet
> another person suggested garnishing with cilantro instead of
> scallions, which sounds like what you want to do.
>
> If you want, I will compare the recipe in EGoR with that in her
> Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook.

I've not sat down and looked at the two side-by-side, but the EGOR recipe is essentially the RCC recipe simplified.

These days I tend to do a combination of the black bean chilli beef on pg 101 of EGOR and the beef with cumin recipe. Either the beef with cumin recipe with Laoganma sauce instead of dried chilli, or the black bean chilli recipe with a big spoonful of cumin. With plenty of coriander/cilantro. I like Laoganma sauce (AKA Guizhou black bean chilli sauce).

The beef with cumin is a standout recipe in both books. Another fine find in RCC was the salted chilli recipe. Drought was a bit harsh on my chilli plants, so I haven't made this for a while. Mapo tofu recipes in both are good, too. The EGOR recipe is vegetarian.

The other Chinese dish I first had at a restaurant and went and replicated was Dong Po pork, but that was easy because I knew what it was called.