2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry, divided

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 pound sirloin or flank steak, shredded

⅓ cup dried orange peel

1 green onion

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon chili paste

3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

2 slices ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

• Add 1 teaspoon rice wine and baking soda, using your fingers to add the baking soda, to the beef. Marinate the beef for 30 minutes.

• Cut the dried orange peel into thin slices. Cut the green onion into 1½ -inch slices on the diagonal.

• Combine the soy sauce, sugar, chili paste, and 1 teaspoon rice wine. Set aside.

• Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the beef. Stir-fry until it is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok and drain on paper towels.

• Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the ginger, garlic, green onion, and dried orange peel. Stir-fry until the orange peel is aromatic. Add the sauce in the middle and bring to a boil. Add the beef back in. Mix everything and stir-fry until the beef is cooked through, and serve hot.

Orange Peel Cold Cure

Have a cold? Why not try an orange peel cure? For centuries, Chinese medical practitioners have recommended dried orange peel to treat everything from colds to insomnia. Whatever their medicinal value, there is no doubt that the peel contains more vitamin C than any other part of the orange.