Time for kung pao

It's noon on a rainy, grey election day, and I'm already starting to salivate over dinner. I agreed to cook kung pao chicken at a friend's house tonight, but then remembered I didn't have my tried-and-true recipe with me. So I'll have to make do with this one, which looks like a pretty good facsimile of the usual spicy stir fry.

For the uninitiated, it's a standard dish from Sichuan, China, which is known for its hot and spicy cuisine. Sichuan peppercorns make your tongue turn numb, but I'm not that extreme. (If you want to experience that sort of pain, check out Sichuan Bistro in Mason.)

When I cook kung pao (which literally means "firecracker"), the secret lies in the spicy "rooster sauce," also known as sriracha, which you might have seen at Vietnamese restaurants (or at Lulu's in Springdale). You can buy it at Cincinnati Asia Market, or CAM, in Evendale.

Once I get at my recipe from home, I'll post that one too. Let me know how you like it!