Gong Bao Romanesco

Gong bao (a.k.a. kung pao) is one of those dishes that you grow up loving in the States, but if you're lucky to ever eat it in China, specifically in Chengdu, it will blow your mind. The Chinese American version is tamed, made without Sichuan peppercorns and only a little chile. It tends to be saucy, not dry like on the mainland. Mine leans toward the original, though purists would question the Romanesco, which was probably first bred near Rome. It's a fast, easy dish for any night, and if this vegetarian version doesn't make it clear enough, Chinese food is as healthful as you want to make it. I love the density and brocco-cauli flavor that Romanesco, my favorite late- summer brassica, brings. Break up the florets by hand into little fractal pine trees and make sure all the components in this dish are about the same size. Eat it with however much rice you'd like.