Louis Cannon’s home-made Kung Pao Chicken! That’s some recipe!
The late Ding Baozhen, mentioned in Mr. Cannon’s recent “How To Make Kung Pao Chicken That Tastes Better than Takeout” column, would have been mighty impressed, although the savory aroma of the bacon Mr. Cannon substituted for chicken, might have thrown the Qing dynasty official off, a bit?
And the Fritos corn chips, rather than bell peppers? And Crisco? And ginger snap cookies, instead of fresh ginger root?
But, who am I to weigh in on your interpretation of Kung Pao Chicken, Louis? My thing is barbecuing, and that’s about it! And, maybe, scrambled eggs.
In Bill Hudson’s recent editorial series, his observations about consultants in “Taking the Bus to Durango, Part Four”, I’m recalling consultants, from when I was in business, and emerging from presentations — featuring charts and graphs, and such — with some takeaways, but with some confusion, as well.
The problem was a sort of mismatch, where the consultants’ perception of whatever they were called upon to weigh in on, and – to be blunt – the reality of the business, didn’t quite match up. In other words, and in some cases, they didn’t know the business as well as the folks who were involved, constantly, in the business.
And so…various presentations would be pretty fancy, even pretty impressive, but getting back to food, and borrowing from an iconic fast-food restaurant chain’s advertising slogan – “Where’s the beef?” – where was the beef? I’d be wondering… sometimes.
Harvey Radin is former senior vice president in charge of corporate communications and media relations, Bank of America Western Region. He makes his home in Redwood City, CA.