In Medias Res #9: Culinary school was not an option
One of the things I really love to do that tends to get way laid in the process of getting a masters degree is cooking. Since the last few weeks have been an utter marathon, and the next few weeks seem to be more of the same, I decided to carve out a little bit of time for myself and mess around in the kitchen this weekend. I did this because I have some solid job prospects, OPE is right around the corner, and my final comp is more or less done. I need something to simultaneously reward and distract myself.
I grew up in a house with lots of picky eaters. So while both of my parents were pretty good cooks it was a lot of the same. When I got out on my own and had my own kitchen I liked to be a little more adventurous. In college, because I lived so close to a farmer’s market, I would take cookbooks out of the library and make fun exotic stuff. As far as Grad school goes it’s a little bit harder to come by some of the more esoteric ingredients (hell, it’s hard to come by fresh ginger) so I tend to cook a little more traditionalist.
Last week I found a recipe for General Tso’s chicken on the web, and I knew that this was what I was going to make this weekend. I love Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Indian flavors…anything from the Asian continent I’m pretty much a fan of. General Tso’s is my absolute favorite though, and especially where I live now it’s hard to come by a good iteration. (We actually have some decent food in town. The Chinese restaurants seem for some reason to really slack on this dish. The breading is neither crunchy nor sticky. It basically just falls of the chicken, and the sauce is loaded with sugar).
I mention all this because as I’m cooking I reflect. I cook alone, without music or the TV, and so I’m basically left with my thoughts. One of the things that has been bugging me a lot lately was whether I really want to go into residence life. When I have lived and worked in the halls I loved it, but I worry that it’s one of those jobs that consumes too much of your life. I know that in Student Affairs I’m never going to work strictly 9 to 5, but I would like to have a life post-graduate school. Last night I went out with a bunch of Hall Directors and although they are a happy and lively bunch I think that evening was sort of atypical for them. There were no emergency calls. There was no need to rush back to the building. Most of the concerns that I’m mulling are being raised by people who were Res Lifers and got out. For whatever reason the job burned through them, and now they are
When I started looking I was almost exclusively interested in Residence Life. Now that I’m a candidate for these two other positions the prospect of moving back in is less exciting. I suppose this is a natural part of the process, at least for individuals like myself who are not completely tied to one aspect of student affairs. I didn’t figure out what I wanted, but I did make some fabulous General Tso’s. Here’s the recipe for those of you who cook:
Ingredients for the sauce:
1 tablespoon double-concentrate tomato paste, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon potato starch (corn starch can be substituted)
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
11/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoons chicken stock or water
Ingredients for the chicken:
12 ounces (about 4 to 5) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons potato starch (corn starch can be substituted)
1 quart peanut oil, more as needed, for frying
6 to 10 dried red chile peppers
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Scallions, sliced thinly, for garnish.
Procedure
1. Make the sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl, and set aside.
2. Make the chicken: Unfold the chicken thighs; lay on a cutting board. Remove as much of the sinew as possible. (If some parts are very thick, cut in half horizontally.) Slice a few shallow crosshatches into the meat; cut each thigh into roughly 1/4-inch slices, and place in a large bowl. Add the soy sauces and egg yolk; mix well. Stir in the potato starch and 2 teaspoons peanut oil; set aside.
3. Using scissors, snip the chile peppers into 1/4-inch pieces, discarding seeds. Set aside.
4. Pour 3 1/2 cups peanut oil into a large wok or deep saucepan or enough oil to rise 1 1/2 inches from the bottom. Set over high heat until oil reaches 350 to 400 degrees. Add half the chicken; fry until crisp and deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate. Repeat with second batch of chicken. Pour oil into a heatproof container, and wipe the wok or saucepan clean.
5. Place wok or saucepan over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons peanut oil. When hot, add chile peppers and stir-fry for a few seconds, until they just begin to change color. Add the ginger and garlic; stir-fry for a few seconds longer, until fragrant. Add the sauce, stirring as it thickens. Return chicken to wok, and stir vigorously to coat. Remove from heat; stir in the sesame oil, and top with scallions. Serve with rice.
It’s incredibly easy and almost certainly is one of the best things I’ve ever made. And don’t take this to mean I have a secret longing to be a chef. For anyone who has ever worked in a kitchen, you know the pace is about 400x faster than what a slow methodical cook like myself enjoys. Next time I post will probably be with updates from OPE.
posted by StudentAffairs.com @ 11:23 AM
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