Say what you will about the homogenization of the US, we're finding out that some of that sameness is only skin deep. Strip malls, chain restaurants, big box stores&mdash;all that looks the same out here (grotesque), but what's inside is sometimes... different. The most difficult adjustment for us has been the differences in restaurant food, particularly cheap, takeout "ethnic" food, specifically Chinese (although there have been a couple of pizza surprises as well, and there was one less than satisfactory Indian meal).

A little back story is necessary here. I've never been a fan of the fried-meat-with-sauce kind of Chinese food (not since I was about twelve, anyway), but when we lived in Nashville, we both became addicted to General Tso's chicken from <a href="http://nashville.citysearch.com/profile/9319119/" target="_blank">Dragon Garden</a>, a takeout place near our apartment. I wasn't very impressed with the other dishes I tried there, but Dragon Garden's General Tso's chicken was fabulous. The sauce was dark and sweet, but not too sweet, with just the right amount of spicy kick. The chicken was piled on top of crisp steamed broccoli that, by the time we got it home, was covered in a thin layer of chicken grease and sauce&mdash;sounds gross, but it was really good.

Fast forward: Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The Chinese takeout place I frequented in my grad school days had undergone a change in name and ownership. We went there several times before venturing into General chicken territory but found it passable to good once we did. Our movie nights were saved (General chicken and a movie having become a tradition during the Dragon Garden days).

Fast forward again: Salt Lake City, Utah. Home of the worst Chinese food I have ever had, with one standout exception. We were invited to brunch at <a href="http://utah.citysearch.com/profile/35885640/salt_lake_city_ut/hong_kong_tea_house_restaurant.html" target="_blank">Hong Kong Tea House</a> by one of James' co-workers. Brunch at a Chinese restaurant? Crazy! It was dim sum, which I'd never had, and it was a perfect brunch. Delicious. But I digress&mdash;the issue at hand is cheap takeout Chinese. Twice we have tried General chicken, from two different restaurants, and it has been awful both times. It's so sweet, it tastes like dessert; there's no way to eat a whole serving without feeling sick. Worst of all, the place we tried most recently served its General chicken with huge pieces of bell pepper (not my favorite vegetable) and its fried rice with ham. Ham? Maybe this is an authentic preparation, but it's new to me (I always get steamed rice, but J. said the ham fried rice was not good).

In protest, I decided to make my own fried rice last night. I had some leftover cooked chicken in the freezer and was able to cobble together a recipe from several sources (one being the wonderful <em>How to Cook and Eat in Chinese</em>*). I must say it was pretty tasty and a fine use of odds and ends from the refrigerator, namely:

1 large carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, chopped
several cloves of garlic, chopped
6 eggs
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
a lot of cooked rice, cold or room temperature (I used a small rice cooker and made 2.5 cups of rice; not sure how much cooked rice that is, and I didn't measure it)
soy sauce
peanut oil
sesame oil
salt
pepper


Pour 2 T of soy sauce over the chicken and set it aside.

Beat the eggs, adding a little sesame oil. Pour some peanut oil in a large skillet or wok (enough to cover the bottom); add a little sesame oil to the pan. Heat the oil on med-high; when it's hot, pour in the eggs and scramble them until they're done. Add the rice to the eggs and mix well; my rice was a little clumpy, so I poured in some chicken broth in to help unstick it. When the rice and eggs are well combined, remove from the pan and set aside. 

Add a little more oil to the pan (enough to cover the bottom again); when it's hot, put in the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is soft. Add the diced carrots and celery; saute until they are tender but still crisp. Put in the chicken and stir until it's heated through. Return the rice to the pan (as much of it as will fit). Stir everything together until it is well mixed and piping hot. Stir in soy sauce if you like (about 2-3 T). Add salt and pepper to taste.  Eat immediately (from a bowl with chopsticks). Have the leftovers for lunch (that's what I plan to do, anyway).
<p class="note">*For example, Dr. Chao offers this commentary after her recipe for Eggs Stirs Rice: "It is a most convenient make-up meal for someone who has missed a meal from getting up or coming home late. On Chinese trains 'Flied Lice with Eggs' sells almost as fast as sandwiches on American trains." The recipes are good, too.</p>