Kung Pao Chicken

When I order take-out Chinese food I rarely deviate from the usual. Its safer that way; I know exactly what to expect when I open those brightly white paper containers marked with a black sharpie in barely legible writing. This is part of the take-out experience.

As fun as it is to order our favorite dishes off a soy sauce stained paper menu, I will honestly tell you we order out less these days because Ive made it my personal mission to learn how to make our favorite take-out dishes so we can make it at home. This way I can customize the spectrum of flavors available. It is also important when we have friends or family joining us who sometimes ask about the ingredients due to allergies or food sensitivities.

I love knowing I can make these dishes at home. And Im not talking mediocre, either. Im talking about cooking restaurant quality dishes at a fraction of the cost. Dont get me wrong, I still love occasionally ordering take-out. Who doesnt? But once youve mastered a dish to your own liking its hard to order the same dish again, especially knowing the home version is better. Enjoy!

The aromatic and spicy Sichuan pepper is also known as the Szechwan pepper or Szechuan pepper.  A popular spice commonly used in Asian cooking, it is not a pepper or peppercorn despite its name. The peppercorn is the outer coat of the (citrus) prickly-ash tree berry.  When used in cooking, it imparts a slight aromatic, spicy numbing flavor.

Alice Currah is the publisher of popular food blog, Savory Sweet Life. Her approachable everyday recipes are accompanied by beautiful step by step photos and have been featured online at Martha Stewart, Real Simple, The Pioneer Woman, Epicurious, Bon Appetit, Saveur, iVillage and many more. In March 2010, Forbes.com featured Alice as one of Eight of the Very Best Food Bloggers. You can find her on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.