Restaurant Reproductions

By Erica

Have you ever had a dish at a restaurant and been determined to learn to make it yourself so that you could have it any time you wanted without the pesky requirement of putting on pants and going out? Just me, then?

This week, I've come across two such dishes. The first requires a bit of back-story, so please be patient with me. I'll get to the recipe, I promise.

When I was 16, my parents moved us to Clayton, Missouri so that my dad could attend Concordia Seminary. If you're unfamiliar with St Louis and its many suburbs, let me tell you that there are approximately 1167 Chinese restaurants per city block.* My favorite was a place called Yen Ching's and happened to be across the street from the Galleria, where all teenage girls spend their free time, and my absolute favorite meal was their cashew chicken. 

I'm from a very small suburb of Cleveland and there was a definite shortage of Chinese restaurants in my little town. So, I had absolutely no idea that cashew chicken in St. Louis is different from cashew chicken in the rest of the known universe. When I moved to Texas and first ordered my standard cashew chicken, what I got was decidedly NOT my beloved dish. It was all wrong. I tried Chinese place after Chinese place and the cashew chicken was always the same; WRONG. 

I've not been back to St. Louis in 15 years and I am not exaggerating in the least when I tell you that I've longed for a plate of my cashew chicken at least once a month for each and every one of those years. I've begged friends and family who visit St. Louis to please stop at Yen Ching's on the way to the airport and get an order to go. I offer to pick them up from the airport just to get my food right away. 

This weekend I was browsing recipes for my weekly meal plan and imagine my complete shock when I ran across a recipe for Springfield, Missouri Cashew Chicken. My first reaction was "Springfield has their own kind of cashew chicken? Like St. Louis?" So, I read the recipe and low and behold, it was MY CASHEW CHICKEN. I nearly lost my mind. 

mmmmmmm

Needless to say, I purchased all the ingredients I need to make it this week. At first I was worried that it wouldn't live up to my memory of the delicious, delicious cashew chicken I remember. Then I realized that it's been 15 years since I had it, so chances are if this is only vaguely similar and half as tasty, I'll be totally satisfied. 

Then, today at our monthly book club meeting, my fellow Food Lush writer, Julie, and I shared the most wonderful sandwich. A French Brie Panini. (Here's the menu description for you to drool over: Buttery brie, spinach, bosc pear & prosciutto with Dijon mustard on toasted pugliese bread.) I immediately decided that I would learn to make this sandwich so that I don't have to drive 40 minutes to get my next one. And there WILL BE a next one. 

I'm so proud that my cooking skills have come far enough that I'm not intimidated to try and recreate my favorite restaurant meals. I think, "Oh, this is divine. I'm going to learn to make this myself." That's a great feeling. 

How about you? Are you game for cooking versions of your restaurant favorites?

*I totally made this number up. 

{Photo credit: tastykitchen.com}

Comments

[rebecca]

i've attempted to make cincinnati chili a couple of times, but no joy. i have had some success with olive garden recipes; they post a few on their website. And i think i am going to have to cook your cashew chicken.

[Julie]

I also looked up the exact menu description of that delectable sandwich, and I WILL be making it in the very near future. In fact, my next trip to the store will include the purchase of bosc pears, brie, and fancy bread I cannot spell. And I'll break out my version of the panini press, my George Foreman grill. Maybe now as cosmopolitan as our little bakery, but surely just as yummy. Come on over, and we can snack on them all day long.

[Life of a Doctor's Wife]

I normally hate pears. But pair them with brie and they are DELICIOUS.

And that cashew chicken sounds amazing!

I fell in love with a specific Pad Bai Ga Praw dish in college, and I have NEVER been able to replicate it. But I will keep trying!

[natalie (the sweets life)]

so funny! I actually live in STL and have never before been to that Chinese restaurant..now I'm going to have to :)

[J]

The recipe for Cashew Chicken originated at Leon's in Springfield, MO. St. Louis copies from Springfield. If you want truly delicious Cashew Chicken, go south to Springfield. I am admittedly biased since that's my hometown, but I actually looked this recipe up, too, so I know how delicious it is. I live in Texas now and the Chinese restaurants here aren't anywhere near as good --my husband (TX resident for over a decade, from FL) agrees. I am THRILLED that you found this has a similar flavor--totally craving a taste of home.