Fan mail delivers special black bean stir-fry

This is the sort of letter we live for - the writer loves Desperation Dinners, expresses it beautifully, and shares a terrific original recipe. Without further ado, here's an easy stir-fry from Jennifer McKee of Billings, Mont., and how it came to be (in her words):

"I must say that my husband and I would have starved but for Desperation Dinners. The desperation only increased after our first child was born. We have entire recipes committed to memory.

"(Today's) recipe was borne from my collegiate career in food service for the University of Montana. While I'm an absolute charmer today, I never had the dependable smile to make it as waitress. I was always working a Hobart or a hot grill. About two years of that time were spent grilling Asian food to order. There, I learned all about black-bean sauce and other Eastern mysteries.

"This recipe is of my own design," Jennifer says. "It's fast, cheap and good enough to serve to company. Plus, the American chef's secret weapon of cornstarch and water give it that 'authentic' Chinese-American restaurant feel. You can use any kind of red meat. We usually get a cheap cut of beef, but bison will suffice, as will almost any kind of wild game."

Our thanks to Jennifer for sharing her story and her cooking success. If you have a kitchen story you'd like to share, please e-mail tellus@KitchenScoop.com. For another Asian beef stir-fry recipe, visit our Web site at KitchenScoop.com.

Suggested menu: Jennifer's Special Stir-fry over white rice with sliced fruit of choice.

• Beverly Mills and Alicia Ross are co-authors of "Desperation Dinners!" (Workman, 1997), "Desperation Entertaining!" (Workman, 2002) and "Cheap. Fast. Good!" (Workman, 2006). Write them at Desperation Dinners, c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016. Or visit them on the Web at kitchenscoop.com.