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@liuzhou In the Ivy version the berries are plated for five minutes to "lose their chill" then the sauce added. When I had it the berries ranged from warmed to still frozen. That's all I can tell you.

The recipe requires that the berries be partially defrosted before even starting, then they have hot chocolate sauce poured over them before serving! They are not frozen!

@liuzhou Not all the berries defrost. There is a range.

Interesting, but they're not eaten frozen.

Back in the 90s when The (original) Ivy restaurant in London relaunched, a dessert that had its moment was "Scandinavian Iced Berries with Hot White Chocolate Sauce", created on the recommendation of a customer who had something similar in Sweden, apparently. Recipe via Ina Garten here (although The Ivy always stuck to small berries).

Mini cakes filled with assorted fruits, nectarines, plums, blackberries and raspberries. They were served with roasted apricot gelato, roasted plum gelato, a trio of fruit coulis and diced nectarine. The cakes were adapted from a Nigel Slater recipe, “a midsummer cake”. Tender with a slightly crispy edge, they are utterly delicious. I’m planning on the larger cake asap.

I don’t store my potatoes, I eat them …

Some meals over the past week or so... .Mapo Tofu - added Japanese eggplant 'cos I wanted them! Had cooked these thin Pad Thai noodles and they were not right for this dish! Took them out and glad I had leftover rice in the fridge. Sauteed Shrimp, chips and Shanghai Bok Choy. Curry gravy is a favourite for chips! Beef & Bitter Melon with the Pad Thai Noodles I cooked a couple of nights ago. Shake 'n' Bake BBQ Glaze for chicken legs. I had kept the stock left from poaching a chicken. Cooked the rice and the Chinese cabbage with it. Delicious rice! Reminds me of Hainan Chicken & Rice. Grilled Ground Chicken Burgers with Thai Basil, pan fried potatoes, roasted cauliflower and salad (strips of carrot, cuke, diced red onion, and feta cheese. I used Japanese seasoned sushi seasoning (a vinegar) as dressing. Breaded Pork Chops, a few shrimp, corn OFF the cob, new taters. WE loved VH Mango Chili dipping sauce on pork, chicken, fish, but they have discontinued it !!! Booo

My above was based on the serious Eats experiments - it’s a direct quote. And here’s another: Which comes directly from Oregon State University…https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/tips-keeping-harvested-potatoes-fresh I guess, as some used to say, we’ll just have to agree to disagree.

Veal schnitzel is my favourite meal. There is a place about 1/2 an hour away from us which has been in business for 75 years. My deathrow meal would be their schitznel Oscar (shrimp and crab in bernaise,) with red cabbage and fried potatoes. We haven't been as often as we'd like as they are grandfathered so don't have to be accessible and there is a very steep staircase from the parking lot to the restaurant and that is a tough climb for my husband these days. We still manage to make it there once a year for our anniversary.

Frozen cubes of watermelon are always in our freezer when the good ones are in season. Since there are only two of us, a whole watermelon is a challenge, Now we eat it fresh and when we're tired of it, freeze in cubes. A few watermelon cubes, a splash of fresh lime juice and some tonic or soda is a great refreshing summer drink. I also add frozen green grapes to my pinot gris in the summer.

What is that based on? Potatoes are not especially moist -- 80% is not high relative to fruits and vegetables like greens. Consulting the Michigan State University Extension, we find that "Potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions and dry garlic prefer cool, dry conditions . . . (t)hey actually don’t need to be refrigerated at all.

I bought a big bag at a local Indian grocery and it's labeled “Product of India.” I didn’t realize there was Chinese black cardamom so I’ll be on the lookout!

Frozen grapes, for sure, but I had frozen some slices of nectarines to use them for…something…and found myself enjoying them still frozen.

I read that Chinese black cardamom and Indian black cardamom are different. Do you know which you used?

Enjoying cooking for us again. Poached rockling on bed of puréed cauliflower, broccoli, a few chips and a sauce made from green onion, yellow pepper, tomato and some herbs.

Potatoes are about 80% water, so high storage humidity—90 to 95%—is ideal to prevent moisture loss and shriveling. Per Serious eats…https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-store-potatoes-8711610#:~:text=(Potatoes are about 80% water,prevent moisture loss and shriveling.)

Actually, I think the ideal humidity inside a wine fridge is above 50% and below around 70%. Low humidity isn’t great for corks. But honestly, my wine fridge is kinda full - with wine.

Recently, I made the Black Cardamom Whiskey from A Whisper of Cardamom by Eleanor Ford. I love black cardamom in cocktails so I was interested to try this as all the previous cocktails I’ve made have used the pods to infuse a sugar syrup while this one infuses the whiskey itself. Here’s the “recipe”: “Fill a jar with whiskey, add a few black cardamom pods and leave to infuse somewhere dark.” Easy peasy. As instructed, I tasted after 24 hrs and found the flavor very subtle. At 2 days, it was noticeable, very flavorful at 3 days and starting to get a touch bitter after 4 days. The infused whiskey was nice in the recommended maple syrup-sweetened smoked cardamom Old Fashioned the book suggests. Serendipitously, I happened on a cocktail called Cabin in the Woods on a menu from Paragary's, a restaurant in Sacramento. It listed cardamom-infused bourbon, amaro Nonino, sweet vermouth and orange bitters as the ingredients. I mixed myself one of those, garnished with an orange twist and one of the black cardamom pods. It was lovely. Cabin in the Woods (with apologies to the creator as this was just my best guess) 2 oz black cardamom-infused bourbon 0.5 oz Amaro Nonino 0.5 oz Cocchi Vermouth di Torino 2 dashes orange bitters Garnished with a black cardamom pod and orange peel The smoky flavor of black cardamom makes this more appealing for fall and winter sipping but I’ll make this again when cooler weather comes around.

Guests for dinner so Mrs. C picked up jumbo lump crab. Clockwise from bottom right: Tartar sauce Gertie's crab cakes, shallow fried in ghee Carrot and endive, cooked down for 60+ and 30 minutes in butter, respectively Street corn from the seafood place Green beans with almonds, courtesy of dinner guest Coleslaw, also courtesy of dinner guest

Ladyslipper is open and rocking - every night but Monday, from 5 PM...https://www.instagram.com/ladyslipperptown/ Kelly Fields making desserts.

@RWood and a very nice glass

As would I have done. The best type.

Hugo Spritz after coming in from the pool. Pretty tasty. Prosecco, lime, mint, St. Germain and sparkling water.

+1. Shallots, garlic, potatoes, ginger - all in a rattan basket.