Gōngbǎo Jīdīng (Sichuan Kung Pao Chicken), Pineapple Buns (Bolo Bao), Pork Egg Rolls. In my attempt to be as authentic as possible as I explore each cuisine I used the Sichuan peppers noted which were.. well.. hot. I mean.. uncomfortably spicy. The taste was phenomenal – the velvet chicken with crunchy peanuts and celery were a flavor bomb – but once the spice train started I stopped being able to taste and at that point it was man vs. food.. and this round, food won. 5 stars would make again – with less peppers.

Potato-Cheddar Pierogi, Lubelskie Cebularze (onion and poppy seed rolls), and a nice Szarlotka for desert. The pierogi weren’t too difficult to make – and the filling was a nice balance of the starchy potato and the sharp cheddar cheese. The rolls were really good, but the choice of parmesan cheese in the recipe I sourced gave it a funky taste that I wasn’t sure meshed with the concept of the dish (Which I would make again, only with just onions and poppy seeds). The desset was a light apple cake that was barely sweetened – using the natural sweetness of the apples instead of sugar. It definitely lacked the expected ‘apple pie’ flavor but it did feel lighter and more clean.

Overall a good meal – and one that is appropriate to make during the winter when root vegetables and apples are the main ingredients.