#5: Kung Pao Chicken.

You gotta be kidding me; Gunker likes the spicy chicken!

The initial step of about 20 dried red chiles (deseeded, shreddeed*) + a heaping tablespoon of Sichuan peppercorns.)

That initial step also involves an exodus from the kitchen coupled with turning up all ventilation processes...

..and those peanuts were freshly-pan-roasted...(it's those little hands-on touches that make home cooking extraordinary...)


After that drama, the recipe comes together in an additional 5 minutes...

*when you get Kung Pao at a restaurant, you'll note laziness in that the dried chiles are whole, and therefore, easily discarded. You will not see Sichuan peppercorn unless you are at an authentic Sichuan establishment; they are key as they establish a "mouth-numbing" astringency countering the chilies.