All Activity

We wore the N95s practically everywhere indoors except while eating before we got to Sulawesi. The only exception that comes to mind is on the flight to Singapore - since we had upgraded to biz class (using miles) and we saw how much space there was between seats and how the seat kind of wraps around you, we figured it would be really hard for someone's expectorate to reach us without going through the plane's hepa filter first. Fortunately, when eating indoors in Jakarta, there was a decent amount of space between tables everywhere we went - unlike when we're in NYC and you're literally rubbing elbows with the tables next to you, and restaurants are so loud that everyone has to shout to be heard (forcefully expelling the contents of their lungs). The last time we wore masks in Sulawesi was in the long car rides to get to the marina after the airport. We stopped wearing them once we were on the open boat (what's the point?) and the hotel was almost completely open air with lots of space between tables, etc. Also, we didn't worry about getting a respiratory virus once we started diving as it would take a couple days to incubate - and by that time, we'd be finished diving so the worry is over. We didn't bother wearing masks on the trip home since we weren't concerned if we got sick or not and we'd rather be comfortable on the 18 hour flight while in our seats - although we did put one on when going back to and in the restroom on the plane.

@Shelby That method for rice works great for basmati - really helps with the lengthening of the grains. Jasmine rice can get mushy when done that way - it prefers to be steamed rather than boiled once hydrated otherwise it gets gummy and also loses its aroma.

You could be very right. I'm just excited that after all these years, I'm not alone in my rice cooking method LOL.

I will never again take a pack of frozen pierogies, handmade in a small community outside Winnipeg, and thaw them before cooking. The instructions said to boil from frozen but we were going to fry without boiling. Anyway, I didn't read the instructions and we now have a gooey mass of dough and cottage cheese to fry up.

@Shelby , et. al . : Rice cooking the rice by boiling no doubt works. if cooking w measured water method , might be less rice flavor lost to the abundant water via the boil method. ie making rice soup . maybe ?

We went to Sam's the other day. They had shrimp and some really good pork chops and steaks on sale so we loaded up. Had to make fried shrimp for dinner Pork chops, Alfredo-ish zoodles and the always present cucumbers and tomatoes from the garden. The tomatoes are SO good. Did a major splurge. Made bread--HAVE to have BLT's with real bread. Along with fries. Homemade strawberry sauce and strawberry ice cream for dessert. Big salad night to atone for BLT night. I had leftover bacon so I stuffed some mushrooms too. Really good lamb chops last night. Cauliflower "potato" salad again to go with. That's a keeper recipe. Also collards from the garden.

I don't remember how old I was--probably around 12??? Anyway I made white rice after school one day for a snack. I did it just like I'd do pasta--I boiled unmeasured water and dumped rice it. It worked fine. I later learned that's the wrong way to do it. I've always wondered why when it worked just fine lol.

Amazing shots as usual, looks like you guys had a fantastic time. Thanks for sharing. Curious, if you do not mind my asking - the N95's....did you wear those everywhere, or just certain places that were more crowded? Increased local COVID outbreaks or just being cautious as you were closer to the 'source'? Also you should have told them....their 'mille feuille' looks more like 'trois feuille' 😛

Agree 100%. Presence of a brioche bun in particular is enough to get me to order something else. I’m probably in the minority but I find English Muffins make excellent burger buns when I cook at home

@TdeV I think SV , ie low and slow w/o a vac-bag is a different process resulting is an entirely different result : Steam , in contact w the meat , is a bit like water in contact w meat : ie making a stew or soup. the tasty bits wash off into the stock , and its the stock that makes the dish , no longer really the meat. In the Bag , nothing is washed off. and at lower temps , the meat contacts less , so more jus and falvor remain in the meat. my 10 cents on the differences. after all Sous Vide means ' under vacuum ' which is a bit of a misnomer .

"Quail chicken physio" is probably the most adorable phrase I will hear this week 🥰

My work w the IDS suggests there are large temperature differences between the top-back and the lower front . significant ones that require rotating from time to time. and these are notable when the setting is 225 F I would think the differentials are greater as the selected temp increases. but this can be worked with.

Here's something most of you won't have seen before: quail-chick physio. A clutch of eggs hatches out over a span of 24-30 hours, and occasionally the last ones to hatch are slightly deformed by their extra time in the shell. They can often be salvaged, if you gently stretch and straighten their little legs and feet 2 or 3 times/day while they're still tiny. For context, this little guy is roughly the height of a pecan in its shell, but skinnier. My GF has child-sized hands, which makes the chick look larger than it is. Its peers are a bit bigger, partly because they hatched up to a day earlier, and partly because their legs are straight; which means they expend less effort trekking from the brooder (a warming plate, simulating mama's body heat) to the food and water. I've mentioned a time or two that my sweetheart is a ginger, but you'd probably have guessed that anyway from the freckles.

Dinner tonight was taken in a local Xi’an restaurant. First up a 青椒受肉夹馍 (qīng jiāo shòu ròu jiā mó ), green chilli pepper and lean pork sandwich. I usually make these myself, but using beef the way I was taught in Xi’an, a city with a large non-pork-eating population of Muslims. However, these were perfectly acceptable. Then some 凉皮 (liáng pí, literally ‘cold skin’). Liangpi is both the name of the dish and the noodles used. These are made by taking wheat four and making a simple dough with water. This is then washed several times, but the washing water isn’t discarded. It is carefully collected and left to sit overnight. Next day the starch washed out of the wheat has sunk to the bottom and is extracted, then remade into new dough. This is steamed in thin pancakes and sliced into noodles. Liangpi An important ingredient in the dish is wheat gluten which is steamed and served over the noodles with chilli oil, black vinegar, coriander leaf, bean sprouts and cucumber. Gluten The dish is always served cold, even in Xi’an’s often bitter winters.

My spare rib (singular) was not a success. I started the cook early because I had no idea how long it should take. The rib looked good after about an hour and a half. I turned the smoking temperature down to 77C, the lowest setting. After seven hours the final temperature was 96C and the meat was dried out such that I couldn't chew it. But by masticating I was able to extract tremendous fatty flavor. I'm not convinced the GE is holding accurate temperature. I can't measure the chamber temperature with my BBQOVN wireless probe, but I have a Combustion Inc. on order.

No - for less than $800 CDN - no duty

This one's for BC and Ontario only; Mount Becher Buffalo Medium Cheese (that's a mouthful) recalled for Listeria. https://recalls-rappels.canada.ca/en/alert-recall/natural-pastures-cheese-company-brand-mount-becher-buffalo-medium-cheese-recalled-0?utm_source=gc-notify&utm_medium=email&utm_content=en&utm_campaign=hc-sc-rsa-22-23

I knew I would regret not buying one of these..... I'll wait for Black Friday

ok thanks man

@IndyRob, the roast wasn't a perfect texture. I swear that I did not have the roast long in the hot sauté pan (20 seconds a side x 3) but it was a knobbly shape because of the tied string, so I put a heavy bacon press on it. Usually I like my beef more medium than rare, but his had a medium to medium+ texture and was a bit tough or dry. I'm wondering also if the meat was long in the freezer (I hadn't dated the package). No one on eG has suggested a lower temperature for the sous vide. Of note, this was done in the Anova sous vide without being confined to plastic. Many variables to consider for the next attempt! Edited to add: My rub was a failure; it washed off. It had a lot of salt in it, so the jus was not tasty. Herbs and spices would have helped, I think.

I'm always worried about searing after sous vide. You've spent so much time coaxing it to the perfect temp, and then you blast it with heat. I think that's why blowtorches are so popular. In my experience with SV chuck, the meat gets to the perfect texture, but somehow lacks character.

Check your PMs

I really like my CSO and there are a couple of things it doesn't do well anymore. I like my APO too, but I LOVE my CSO. So, since they came out with an updated model, I decided to get it. I like also like some of the features that the current one doesn't have. My APO is my second one, replaced under warrant. I don't trust it to last.

Well, I cobble it together and never make it exactly the same way twice!

When I read about that meal, I failed to notice that it was indeed, the return trip. Thanks for making me take a second look.