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What's Your Favorite Asian Dish?

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Konnichiwa and Ni hao foodies…

I just said "hello" in Japanese and "how are you?" in Mandarin, the most commonly spoken dialect in China. Now, I should go on and greet you in languages representing all the countries in Asia (because that's where we're headed this Sunday on In the Kitchen with David in honor of Global Cuisine Month), but I don't know any more greetings. So, let's talk about food!

And let's start with Japan. Not all Asian food is created equally, and in fact, you'd be surprised how varied the foods (and spices) are from country to country. In the following video, from our friends at QVC Japan, you'll learn the fundamentals of Japanese cooking from program host Mina Mori. It all comes down to five spices!

I hope you've enjoyed the videos from our partners in QVC Italy, Germany, UK, and Japan…they were thrilled to give you a taste of their native cuisine, and we are so very appreciative of their help.

Now onto Sunday's recipe…my Sweet & Sour Chicken! No doubt you've ordered and enjoyed this dish from your favorite Chinese restaurant, but this Sunday, I'm going to show you how easy (and fast!) it is to make at home.

Sweet & Sour Chicken

This recipe is prepared with the Cook's Essentials® 10-Cup Digital Stainless Steel Nonstick Rice Cooker (K30032).

Go to David's Recipe Item Page for the full list of items that David has used in his recipes.

Ingredients:

1 lb frozen breaded popcorn chicken

2 Tbsp oil

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 cup onion, chopped

1 cup celery, sliced thin on the bias

1 cup green pepper, chopped

1 cup canned pineapple chunks

1/2 cup juice from canned pineapple

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

2/3 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp cooking sherry

1/2 cup dry roasted cashews, chopped

2 cups long grain rice, cooked

Directions:

Cook the chicken according to package directions.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the onion, celery, and pepper and sauté until the vegetables are cooked through but not soft, about 5–8 minutes.

While the vegetables are sautéing, whisk together the pineapple juice, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, and sherry and a small bowl. Set aside.

Add the pineapple chunks, cooked chicken, and sauce to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and stir for 2 minutes. Serve over the rice. Top with cashews.

I suspect you have almost all the ingredients to make this dish in your pantry. What you may not have is the rice wine vinegar (if you don't do much Asian cooking). Most of the vinegars Americans are familiar with (i.e. white and balsamic) are made from fermented grapes. Rice wine vinegar, or rice vinegar, is made from fermented rice and is not the same as rice wine or wine vinegar. So, check the label twice before buying this ingredient! Rice wine vinegar can be black, red, or white and all impart a distinct Asian taste. For this recipe, I suggest red, as it has the most pronounced sweet and tangy flavor of all the colors. If you can't find it, however, and black and white rice wine vinegar aren't available, you can always use apple cider vinegar as a substitute.

If you're feeling at all overwhelmed by all the ethnic cuisine we've been trying this month, Sunday's brand-new "Cookbook Corner" selections will bring you home again…the first is The Complete Cook's Country Cookbook from America's Test Kitchen (F09884) which is heaven in a book. And the second is The Southern Foodie Cookbook by Chris Chamberlain (F09839) and shares the 100 places to eat in the South before you die. (Yep, I'm getting both.)

Your blog question today is what's your favorite Asian dish? Do you like Chicken & Broccoli, General Tso's Chicken, or Pork Dumplings? Or, maybe the fortune cookies are your favorite? Let me know, foodies. I'm looking forward to seeing you again this Sunday! Tune in at Noon ET as usual!

Keep it flavorful!

—David

P.S. At the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, I ran into Chef Edward Lee from Bravo's Top Chef Season 9! How does the Korean-American spice things up at 610 Magnolia—his restaurant in Louisville, Kentucky? He's making a custom barbecue sauce from a special secret ingredient. Find out what!