Take in-Lettuce Wraps

Ok, so I know this is another Asian food recipe, but I really need help in this area. Asian food always presents a far more difficult puzzle to me than does any other style of food that I have experimented with. When I taste something with those influences, I taste only the final result, none of the comprising flavors. When I came upon this recipe, in a food magazine, I wanted to try it. It is a recipe for PF Chang's chicken lettuce wraps. It's really good. Soon on the horizon, I will offer you Chili's Honey Chipotle Sauce (my husband's faaaavorite), but for now, more Chinese.
Back to the lettuce wraps. The first time I made the recipe, I followed the directions as closely as possible. You saute some cellophane noodles in peanut oil, to throw into the wraps, and I definitely would do it if I was making a meal for friends, but on a family night I would just skip the noodles. They are a little fickle, time consuming, and don't come apart very easily.
So, second time around, skipped the noodles. And the lettuce. I also skipped the 1-hour marinade and just drizzled a little teriyaki on and added cornstarch, salt and pepper about ten minutes before stir frying. I skipped the mushrooms (didn't have 'em) and the water chestnuts (I don't really like them) I put the whole thing on top of rice and used beef instead of chicken. It was still a hit. As a matter of fact, my husband, who absolutely does not eat leftovers, heated up the leftovers for himself the next day! Its a bit spicy, but I don't de-seed the jalapeno. My hubby likes spicy stuff. I also threw in a sliced summer squash and a sliced zucchini during the last two minutes of the stir fry and it was really good! I cut them into 1/2-inch thick half-moons.
I'm going to include the original directions for you, and you can make my changes if you want. Be sure the chicken or beef is pretty finely cut up, or it can be a bit tough with this high heat.
Sorry for the lack of photos, my camera had a four-year-old happen to it.
P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

FOR THE CHICKEN
1 large egg white
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, diced

FOR THE STIR-FRY SAUCE
2 tablespoons oyster sauce (I only found oyster flavored sauce)
1 tablespoon hoisen sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoons cornstarch

FOR THE NOODLES
2 bundles cellophane noodles (only called bean thread noodles at my grocery store)
Peanut oil, for frying

FOR THE STIR-FRY
4 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon peeled ginger (or minced ginger-found in the refrigerated produce section)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
4 scallions; 2 minced, 2 cut into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 pound shitake mushrooms, stemmed and diced (I used whatever mushrooms I could find-probably white button)
3/4 cup diced water chestnuts
small lettuce leaves, for serving (butter leaves are nice)
soy sauce, chili paste and/or hot mustard, for serving

1. Prepare the chicken: Whisk the egg white, cornstarch and rice wine vinegar in a bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. In the mean time, prepare all other ingredients. I would recommend reading ahead in the recipe and combining all the items that will be added at the same time. The stir-fry comes together very quickly.
2. Make the stir-fry sauce: Whisk 1/3 cup water, the oyster, hoisin and soy sauces, and the sesame oil in a bowl, then whisk in the cornstarch  until dissolved.
3. Fry the noodles: Pull the noodles apart into sections. Heat 3/4 inch peanut oil in a medium saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer registers 380 F. Working in batches, press the noodles into the oil with a spatula until they puff, 5 to 10 seconds. Drain on paper towels. (This is a bit of an acquired skill)
4. Make the stir-fry: Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to the skillet; when almost smoking, stir in the garlic, ginger, jalapeno and minced scallions, then add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the sugar and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, water chestnuts and scallion pieces and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the stir-fry sauce and chicken and cook 1 minute.
5. Make a bed of noodles on a platter and top with the chicken mixture. Serve the noodles and stir-fry with lettuce leaves and soy sauce for dipping.

Eat Here-Picazzo's

On our recent trip to Sedona, Arizona, we ate at a lovely little restaurant called Picazzo's. The full name is actually Picazzo's Organic Italian Kitchen. The main thrust of the restaurant is, obviously, organic, but you also have gluten free options.
We had a late lunch so we just planned to have some dessert, but the aroma of freshly baked pizza overwhelmed us and we decided to split a small one. We had the classic, it was topped with organic pesto, ricotta, mozzarella and Italian sausage.
After just a few minutes our pizza arrived. The crust was thick and chewy, reminiscent of fresh baked french bread. The pesto was absolutely delicious, and we made short work of the pizza. The service was very good, although they were a bit busy, especially for a Tuesday night, so we did not see our waitress as much as I would have liked.
I was really in the mood for chocolate (weird, huh) so we ordered a gluten-free brownie, topped with organic vanilla bean ice cream. It was alright, but it really reminded me of diet food and I am not a big fan of diet food. Don't get me wrong, I would eat there again and I probably will the next time we travel out here. I give the place four stars out of four. The food was good, it was not expensive, the pizza we split was fifteen dollars and for about twenty-five we had a decent meal. That is comparable to Chilis, who is not organic, gluten free or local. By a long shot.
I say, bravo, Picazzo's!

Unbelievable Banana Bread

I am not joking-you might have a banana bread you really like, but I am telling you this one is absolutely amazing!
I have always made my mom's recipe for banana bread, which I think she acquired from her mother. It is good, and more importantly, it is what I was used to, which sort of implies that it doesn't really have to be good, it is just the thing we crave because it is familiar. But, nonetheless, her banana bread is good-it is a wonderful, simple recipe that calls only for staples, and is a great way to use those leftover, over-ripe bananas.

This banana bread, on the other hand, is a work of art. It is for that time that you want something extra special. The recipe makes two loaves, and I am telling you it is an absolutely grand gift. Just the other day I made up a batch and took the second loaf to an elderly couple living in a retirement home. They shared it with some friends, who asked if they could pay me to make more!

Add a cup of dark chocolate chunks for an extra special treat!

The recipe calls for buttermilk, which gives this loaf tenderness, but that density you can expect from buttermilk, and the large amount of sugar used gives the bread a crispy, sugary top that reminds me of my favorite part of muffins.Vanilla and cinnamon give subtle flavors to this delicious bread.
I am not kidding you, when I bake this bread if I do not take the second loaf to someone it rarely makes it to the next day's breakfast. Walnuts add a delightful depth to the recipe, but if you don't like them, you can leave them out and the bread is still divine.

As bananas begin to become over-ripe at our house, I peel them and place them in a plastic freezer bag. Once I have enough for a recipe, I just set them on the counter for about an hour and they are extremely soft. They practically dissolve into the batter, leaving you without any big pieces of banana!
Enjoy!

Unbelievable Banana Bread
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups very ripe bananas
1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place oven rack in the middle of the oven. Grease two 9-by-3-inch loaf pans. Combine all ingredients, except bananas and walnuts, in a stand mixer. Once thoroughly combined, add bananas and walnuts, if using.
Divide the batter between the two loaf pans and place in oven.
Bake until bread is a deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.  Transfer pans to wire racks and let cool for five minutes before removing bread from pans.
Let cool an additional 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Bride & Groom First and Forever Cookbook.