Tastes Like Vintage: Canton Chow Mein

This week’s Tastes Like Vintage post is by Anita from Rolling Hills Vintage

Back in 1968, I was working in an industrial clinic in Chicago, Illinois. We serviced the surrounding factories in a working class part of the city. I learned so much as a brand new nurse. I assisted in minor surgeries, learned how to take x-rays, do electrocardiograms or EKG’s, drew labs and performed pre-employment physicals for the new hires in the local factories.

I still carry this knowledge with me in my present job in a surgery center in California.

I worked with two other nurses and two physicians. One of the physicians loved to cook and when he found out that I was engaged to be married, he gave me a cookbook that I still use to this day.

The cookbook was Dining with David Wade. He was referred to as the Rembrandt of the kitchen or the Edison of the Kitchen. David Wade was popular on the radio, TV, newspapers and magazines.

The cookbook was published in 1967 and is loaded with artery clogging recipes.

A long time family favorite was in that cookbook and my husband routinely requests it for dinner. I always double the recipe and finish it off in a crockpot.

The recipe below is directly from the cookbook.

CANTON CHOW MEIN

1/2 lb. chopped veal (I omit the veal for personal reasons)
1/2 lb. chopped pork
1/2 lb. chopped beef
4 TBSP. fat
6 TBSP. soy sauce
1 cup water
1 cup diced celery
1 onion, diced fine
1 tsp. M.S.G. powder (I also omit this..I hate killer headaches from MSG!)
1 TBSP. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 TBSP. cornstarch
1 10-oz can water chestnuts
1 No. 2 can bean sprouts, drained (I use fresh)
1 small can mushrooms (I use fresh)

Brown all meats in the hot fat in a large skillet, then add soy sauce, water, celery, onion, MSG powder, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Blend in cornstarch. Now let’s aggrandize the recipe with these distinctive Oriental touches: Add water chestnuts, bean sprouts and mushrooms. Heat through and serve over rice or noodles, or a mix of both if you please. (My husband prefers chow mein noodles)

Recipe serves 6.

One particular enhancing feature of serving Chinese meals is the atmosphere with which you can surround your table – bright lacquer and china dishes, incense wafting through the room, and chopsticks provide fun for diners; green tea in a Chinese teapot and ceremonial cup-bowls – all kudos which escalate dining to heights of Oriental splendor.