I am not releasing any ancient buried secret here. Jews and Chinese food have a history.
Many of my Jewish cookbooks have Chinese recipes in them. I’ve always been entertained and amused by that.
In New York City, back in the day, it has been said you could tell how Jewish a neighborhood was by the number of available Chinese restaurants. They were often on every corner.
There are even old jokes that circulated about Jews, Chinese people and food…they always crack me up…
If, according to the Jewish calendar, the year is 5764, and, according to the Chinese calendar, the year is 5724, what did the Jews eat for forty years? Ha! I love that.
and another
Two Chinese men are walking out of Katz’s Delicatessen. One says to the other, “The problem with Jewish food is that two weeks later you’re hungry again.” Bwahahahahahahaha!
Anyway, in Brooklyn, there were even many kosher Chinese restaurants (I’m not sure if there are any left). For many Jewish families it was a Sunday ritual to patronize these often upscale Chinese eateries. In Los Angeles, on Fairfax, I know of a New York style Chinese restaurant named, Genghis Cohen, an obvious play on words.
There are many reasons the Jews love Chinese cuisine, most of them religious, some forbidden and the fact the Chinese did not combine dairy and meat in the same dish was also a draw for Jewish people following strict dietary laws.
Overall, it works for them.
Personally, I love Chinese food, especially this Chinese-American Chow Mein. Whether you are Jewish or not, you will love this dish.
Let’s make it together…
Here’s what you will need: Onions, celery, mushrooms, chicken stock, dry sherry, soy sauce, cornstarch, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, cooked chicken and fried chow mein noodles. Ingredients not shown: Peanut oil and garlic.
In a small pouring vessel, combine 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons dry sherry, 1/4 cup chicken stock and 4 teaspoons cornstarch. Set aside.
In a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 Tablespoons peanut oil until the oil is very hot but not smoking. Add onions and celery and stir fry for about 5 minutes.
Add 2 cloves crushed garlic and 1-1/2 cups sliced white mushrooms; stir-fry for one minute. Add 1 cup of remaining chicken stock, cover the pot and simmer for four minutes, until vegetables are tender.
Uncover the pot and stir in 1 cup fresh bean sprouts and 1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts.
Add cornstarch mixture to the pot and stir it until the liquid in the pot has thickened. Taste for seasoning. You may want to add salt or more soy sauce.
Serve immediately on a bed of fried Chinese chow mein noodles. Top with 2 cups of sliced, cooked chicken you have prepared any way you choose.
It’s soooooooooooo yummy! You must try it.
Even my kids love this and they can be VERY picky. It must be the crunchy noodles.
Chinese-American Chow Mein
Adapted from Jewish Home Cooking
2 Tablespoons peanut, canola or corn oil
2 medium-large onions, peeled, cut in half through the root end, and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
5 ribs celery, thinly cut on a sharp diagonal (about 2 cups)
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1-1/2 cups sliced white mushrooms
1-1/4 cups chicken stock (or broth), divided
2 Tablespoons dry sherry, dry madeira or in a pinch dry red wine
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts
2 cups white meat chicken, cooked any way you choose, sliced into strips
Fried Chinese chow mein noodles
In a small pouring vessel, combine soy sauce, dry sherry, 1/4 cup chicken stock and cornstarch. Set aside.
In a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until the oil is very hot but not smoking. Add onions and celery and stir fry for about 5 minutes.
Add garlic and mushrooms; stir-fry for one minute. Add 1 cup of remaining chicken stock, cover the pot and simmer for four minutes, until vegetables are tender. Uncover the pot and stir in bean sprouts and water chestnuts. Add cornstarch mixture to the pot and stir it until the liquid in the pot has thickened. Taste for seasoning. You may want to add salt or more soy sauce.
Serve immediately on a bed of fried Chinese chow mein noodles. Top with chicken you have prepared any way you choose.
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