Ed’s birthday is coming up soon and even though we’ve dined on fancy food and feasted on multi-course meals at lovely restaurants; even though I’ve cooked fancy food and prepared multi-course meals, it’s not what he wants for his birthday.

He always wants Chinese food. Usually, old-fashioned Cantonese style Chinese food, the kind he remembers from his boyhood. Like this Sweet and Sour Chicken. It’s also a perfect dish for Lunar New Year which begins on Sunday January 22.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

• 1/2 cup chicken stock

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 2 tablespoons ketchup

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1/4 cup flour

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 1/4 cup water

• 1 large egg

• 16-20 ounces boneless chicken, cut into bite-size chunks

• Vegetable oil

• 1/2 small green or yellow bell pepper cut into chunks

• 1/2 small red bell pepper cut into chunks

• 1 small onion, sliced

• 1 large clove garlic, chopped

• 1 cup pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

Preheat the oven to warm. Make the sauce: place the chicken stock, vinegar, sugar, ketchup and soy sauce in a saucepan. Cook the ingredients over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Mix the ingredients, turn off the heat and set aside.

Mix the coating ingredients: place the flour, cornstarch, water and egg in a bowl. Whisk thoroughly until a smooth batter has formed. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat all the pieces.

Add enough vegetable oil to a deep saute pan to cover the chicken pieces halfway. Heat the oil until it is hot enough for a bread crumb to sizzle. Cook a few chicken pieces at a time (don’t crowd the pan) for about 4 minutes or until the pieces are browned and crispy. Drain on paper towels and place in the preheated warm oven. Repeat with the remaining pieces.

Drain all but 1-2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil from the pan. Add the bell pepper pieces, onion and garlic to the pan and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add the pineapple chunks and cook for a minute to heat the pieces. Spoon the vegetables and pineapple into the sauce and reheat over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until hot. Mix the cornstarch/water together until smooth, add it to the sauce and stir until the sauce has thickened.

Place the chicken onto a serving platter. Pour the sauce on top and serve.

Makes 4 servings