Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
Mini Summary: Mia Warren and her daughter, Pearl, move to the picture perfect town of Shaker Heights. Their lives are soon intertwined with the Richardsons, who present the idyllic suburban family. When a baby is abandoned and an adoption pursued, the Warrens and Richardsons see the divergence of their opinions, lives, and perspectives.
Experiences. Opportunities. Personal and social expectations. Cultural demands. Commitments. Conscience. These along with so much more play a part in the experiences of motherhood in this highly acclaimed book. Although there are plenty of other themes at play in this story, motherhood is at its center. But maybe that’s just what I consistently absorbed since I’m currently in the thick of being a mom.
Mia works at a Chinese restaurant where there was a good takeout business in Shaker Heights.
In addition to Mia’s hourly pay, the servers gave her a share of their tips, and when there was extra food, she took a few containers home- slightly stale rice, leftover sweet-and-sour pork, vegetables just past their prime- which sustained her and Pearl for most of the week.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
I guess I could have given you some guidelines on how to make rice stale, or a good method for getting vegetables just past prime (hint: both include time), but I decided to go with one of my all-time favorite Chinese takeouts in the USA: Beef and Broccoli.
Beef and Broccoli
Course: Dinner, LunchCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Beginner, You can do this!4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalA homemade take on a Chinese take out favorite! A little sticky, a little salty, a little sour. A LOT good!
Ingredients
3/4 lb top round steak, I buy the thin cut
1 lb broccoli
3 green onions, sliced thinly
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, optional
4 cups cooked rice for serving
2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil
- For the Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons loosely packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons low sodium chicken stock
1 tablespoon honey
Directions
- Slice the beef in 2 inch by 1/4 inch strips across the grain of the meat
- Put the beef in a bowl and add the 2 teaspoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, and two teaspoons corn starch. Stir until combined and set aside while you prep the other ingredients.
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.
- Prep the broccoli: Heat up the wok or a large pot on the stove. Cut the broccoli florets into bite-sized pieces. Peel the thick skin off the stock and chop the tender centers into bite sized pieces.
Toss the broccoli into the wok (or pot) and pour 1 cup water over the top. Cover the top with a large lid or sheet pan to steam the broccoli to crisp tender, about 4 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green and beautiful. Drain the broccoli into a large colander and rise for a couple minutes with cold water to stop the cooking process. (You are welcome to do an ice water bath, but I find it unnecessary.) Leave the broccoli to drain. Return the wok to the hot stove. - Heat the wok on medium high heat. Pour in 1 tablespoon of the oil then immediately add in the sliced beef. If you want to add red pepper flakes, now is the time. Let the meat sizzle for a few minutes before stirring to give it a nicely browned crust. Then let it sit again for another minute or two. As soon as the meat is cooked, put it in a bowl and set aside.
(At this point you should have a bowl of meat, a bowl of broccoli, and a bowl of sauce on the counter.) - Return the wok to the heat. Pour in 1 more tablespoon of oil. Toss in the drained broccoli and the minced garlic. Sauté on high heat for a couple minutes until the broccoli has heated through. Pour the sauce over the broccoli. Toss to coat. Add in the beef. Toss to coat. Let the sauce get to a boil and let it cook for a minute to thicken up.
- Serve hot over rice.