NOT CUCKOO FOR CUCKOO KITCHEN

Being Christmas  I thought that I would go along with the Jewish tradition of having Chinese food.  I came across a food delivery company that specializes in preparing Chinese food via meal kits.  It's called Cuckoo Kitchen.  Their thing is healthy Chinese food.  

Something different, I decided to try it out and ordered four items that would take me through Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

"Paying homage to Chinese cart food, our Juicy Beef Bun uses all-natural, USDA cuts of meat. Expertly seasoned and piled into a sandwich, this dish will quickly become a family favorite"

The kits come with a bamboo dish, fork and napkin.  It does allow you to microwave right in the dish, eat and toss away.  Two sealed portions of beef and two seals buns.  Instructions said that I could place in a regular oven for a few minutes.   The result was the beef being too dry and buns very doughy.  

It was early so later that evening I thought I'd partake in the General Tso's Chicken.  This time I decided to pan fry the whole thing.  Poured liquid sauce and added chunks of chicken and both green and red peppers.  When heated, I added the corn starch that I mixed with a bit of water.  (As directed) It tasted just fine....not great...but okay.  How about an hour later?  There might just as well have been some prune juice mixed in...if you know what I mean.  Here is their rendition of the meal.  If you want rice, you pay extra.  Oh, it did not come with the buns in the background.

"Originating in Hunan China, General Tso’s Chicken is a traditional favorite across the globe. Renowned for its sweet and spicy tang, our rendition boasts tender, all-natural chicken and organic ingredients."

"Christmas Day - A delicacy in Chinese cuisine, our succulent Braised Pork consists of USDA choice cuts of meat. Accented with a savory ginger glaze and sweet potatoes, you’ll love this decadent dish."

 Here is their rendition

I opened each sealed package.  One had the pork, another had the sauce, corn starch, and what appeared to be chunks of mushrooms.  Oh well.  Cook as I did with the chicken.  They weren't mushrooms....they were white potatoes....SAY WHAT?  

An hour later I was annoyed. 

Later that evening I tried "Wildly popular across Asia, Braised Beef is a dish rich with flavor and history. Ours features USDA Choice, naturally-sourced beef. Fragrant and complex, this stir-fry offers an authentic taste of China.

Just substituted beef for the pork.  Otherwise the same.  Beef did not taste "right".  The whole thing came down to taking food and making it "Chinese style" by adding the appropriate ingredients such as ginger, soy sauce, scallions and chili oil to make it hotter.   I could have done this myself!  

What kind of Chinese food has chunks of white potatoes????   An hour later, I called in for Chinese food.