This is the sort of letter we live for – the writer loves Desperation Dinners, expresses it beautifully and shares a terrific original recipe we’ve nicknamed “Jennifer’s Special Stir-Fry.”

Without further ado, here’s the letter from Jennifer McKee of Billings, Mont., and how the recipe came to be:

“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.

“This recipe was born 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” American Chinese 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 or recipe you’d like to share, please email us at tellus@KitchenScoop.com or post it in the comments following this blog post.