Stir-Fried Chicken and Vegetables with Lo Mein Noodles

• This has to be one of the easiest and tastiest dishes I have ever made ( don't get discouraged by all the ingredients, its common in Asian Cuisine)
  

1 each Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless, diced
2 oz Garlic, minced
1 tsp Ginger, minced
1 tsp Scallions, chopped
4 oz Broccoli, cut into florets
3 oz Chinese cabbage, shredded
1 oz Dried Shitake Mushroom, soaked
¼ each Red Bell Pepper, julienne
¼ each Yellow Bell Pepper, julienne
1 tsp Cilantro, chopped
1 tbl Cornstarch
4 oz Chicken stock
1 tsp Sesame Oil
2 oz Sherry
1 oz Hoisin Sauce
1 tsp Chile Paste {or 4 ea. Dried red chiles}
1 oz Soy Sauce
3 oz Dried Lo Mein Noodles
As Needed Kosher Salt
As Needed Black Peppercorn, ground


1. Season the wok with hot oil and assemble all ingredients for the stir fry.
2. Bring a sauce pot of seasoned water to the boil. Add the noodles to the water and cook them until just tender. Drain and reserve.
3. Add the diced chicken to the wok and stir fry until lightly browned on the outside. Reserve the chicken.
4. Add the broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, cabbage, garlic, ginger, and scallions. Stir fry for a minute.
5. Create a slurry with the chicken stock and jus from the mushrooms and the cornstarch and add it to the wok.
6. Add the sesame oil, sherry, Hoisin, and chile paste. Add the cooked Lo Mein and adjust seasonings with soy sauce.

7 months in the making...

It has been seven long months since I first started culinary school. I have learned more than I ever anticipated. However, my journey is nowhere near the end but at least I am enjoying the ride.

Essence of the soul

No matter how lost/away I get.. the scent of fried chicken, black-eyed peas, greens, simmering cabbage, honey cornbread, and cheesy mac hit the air, I am soon reminded of those simple pleasures that come from home..food for soul..thanks mama..Once a southern always a southern..

The beginning....

I understand that this post is a bit late in the schedule(considering I started school January 4th). Nevertheless, I still felt compelled to at least cover my first experience. Here it goes . . .

There are many things that admission representatives don’t reveal when they are giving you a tour of the campus. They gracefully walk you down the hallways telling you stories of successful alumni...promises of fun and a quality education. They keep your attention fixated on the classes where the students are preparing delicious meals, the various on campus restaurants, and the strategically placed flat screen TVs playing food network. I have to admit my admission rep was very good at her job. She tapped into my ability to take unique flavors and combine them into something new, cutting edge, and flat out delicious. I quickly realized that cooking is as much a science as it is art. I love how food can react differently when heated in various ways, when combined with exotic spices, and so on. After my vivid tour was over, we retreated to her office to get down to business and go over some financing ( of course we talked about some other stuff but to no surprise all I could hear were $ signs). So yea $42,000 was the verdict and I suddenly felt my throat get tight, my legs started to shake, and fight or flight made me want to get up and run. Jumping to conclusions, I assumed that I could not afford to attend the school and informed her that I would not be returning. Just as I was about to haul ass out of there... she convinced me to at least apply and see what I could get from financial aid. It has been two weeks later and im still amazed at how God works sometimes.. I do not have a dime to my name, I have semi credit, struggling to make ends meat, a car that needed to be repaired, and I am a 20-year-old who has never even accumulated $42,000. Nevertheless, I was able to get the financing that I needed in two weeks. I did not think it was possible. I now have the ammunition I need to follow my dreams. Knowledge is the best starting point for innovation. TO BE CONTINUED....