Growing Up

When I was little and we used to go out for Chinese food Thatbrother and I would always get Egg Drop Soup. We didn't have a refined enough palate for the Hot and Sour Soup our parents got. And between you and I, the egg drop soup was really just a vehicle for the crispy noodles they served it with.

In fact, after Thatbrother and I loaded up our soup with the noodles, I would take another handful to dip in the sweet and sour sauce. Now there's a confession. Who lets their child dip fried food into sugar? Maybe that's where my love of funnel cake comes from.

Thatdad used to make Chinese food at home, but we never had the fried noodles. Instead he used those angel hair noodles. Which are also fried, but taste like straw. Or styrofoam. Either way, they were not satisfying and I tended to avoid them.

It has been years and years and years since those days. Nowadays I'm grown up enough to have Hot and Sour Soup. Which is helpful because I don't even think they serve those fried noodle things. BUT I did find some in the store the other day. I was looking for something else and stumbled upon them. (Isn't that always the case?) Instead of soup, I decided to mix them into my stirfry. I thought they would be far more fun than the angel hair Thatdad used to use.

Chow Mein Stir Fry
1 Tbsp butter
1 /2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chipped
1 cup cooked meat (veal, steak, pork chops, chicken - your choice)
1/2 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp white wine
salt and pepper
2 oz of fried chow mein noodles

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet and cook the onion and green pepper for 5 minutes.
2. Add the meat and sprinkle with the flour. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the milk and wine and bring to a boil, stirring to blend.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste and then the chow mein noodles and cook until liquid is almost evaporated and everything is heated through.