Monday, September 18, 2017

Memories of Calgary - Ginger Fried Chicken

If you've ever been to Calgary and had Chinese food, there is a good chance you've been introduced to Ginger Beef.  Ginger Beef is a Calgary institution, and a big deal there - or at least it was when I lived there all those years ago. 

Near the end of my time in the city, I worked not too far from a place with very very good GB, and my co-workers and I would occasionally go for lunch buffet, and my least favorite co-worker would always get bent out of shape and complain if they did not have full containers of GB and pot-stickers.  I am sure they just loved to see us walk through the door.

Ginger Beef it turns out, is not as well known here as it is there.  Shortly after we moved we went for lunch at a Chinese food buffet here and we were thrilled to see Ginger Beef among the offerings.  Sadly it was nothing - NOTHING - like what we had left behind in AB.

So basically we have been Ginger Beef-less all these years.  I mean, we are managing just fine, not pining away or anything, but it is one of those fond memories that sticks with you, you know?

Yet again, I have been working on purging my recipe collection.  I went through my collection of papers and tried to see not only what else could go, but what in there I actually wanted to cook.  Because why else am I keeping this stuff, right?

In there I found a recipe I found and printed in 2012 - Calgary Style Ginger Chicken!  I was so excited about finding the recipe that I made it the next night - and for me, that is moving fast.

The recipe is easy to make and is very delicious, and reminded me a lot of our old Calgary Ginger Beef.  I left out the chili peppers in the hope that the kids would eat some, but I am looking forward to trying it again soon with some spice.