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We have reached the final chapter of this (not so) epic trilogy. Time to put this one to bed and get on with our lives... Managed to time it so the topping slowly crept down the cake after a slice. That's about it. I preferred version 2.0 with the firmer set, but I don't see any reason to make it again.

Pollo en ajillo (chicken in garlic: Toasted ancho chile sauce with 14 cloves of roasted garlic, fried chile guajillo rings, and stock from simmering the chicken. Tasted like the world's simplest mole. This was leftover from having friends visit for dinner last night. Bulgur pilaf with peas and carrots, cumin seed, ginger, jalapeno, and a little cayenne. Sadly, no leftovers and no pictures for the rest of last night's dinner: Asiya's eggplant curry and Sri Lankan sweet potatoes with cardamom and chiles. You will have to take my word that they were both pretty and tasty.

My point was to point out other instant /pressure pot techniques, not using garbage chicken. To maybe help people learn a little something about classic stock making. And to see at what point you’d stop asking questions and start to show your annoyance.

And what's your point? This was never intended to be a classic stock, and stocks made with salt or other seasonings serve a purpose just as real as unseasoned stocks.

I haven’t tried these but I quite like the Trader Joe’s version. The flavor is a little like a cross between salt-preserved lemon and olive! My Walmart neighborhood market has surprised me with black garlic and a wide range of ingredients I didn’t expect to find there.

Hmmmm - I wonder if a top and bottom foot might help?

As I said, the technique for making a classic stock is basically no salt.

Made duck for Valentine's dcarch

2 days West Hollywood 3 days Anaheim 2 days Santa Monica

Where will you be staying?

And just like that, the horses have galloped in!

Not really….this week’s box contained more potatoes, TWO cabbages, and a butternut squash the size of my thigh 😂. It’s back to square one! Last night, no root vegetables were harmed in the making of dinner. Linguini with clams

@Neely…it is really delicious with pistachios, we enjoy much more than pine nuts!

This is about technique. Theres nothing to prevent you from using a chicken other than Costco's. Around here, at least, many markets carry rotisserie chicken, some even high-end organic or air-chilled birds. At least one market has salt-free birds the last time I checked.

Bumping. Any thoughts on places not to be missed in LA? Traveling with kids who are very adventurous eaters. Not looking for high end, more ethnic/fun local places.

First question. Are you sure you're looking at a "best before" date? China rarely uses a best before date. They always use a manufacturing date. Is it specifed in English ir any other language?

Moderators, please move this topic if it belong elsewhere. I was starting to prep a batch of Char Sui to celebrate the Year of the Horse and noticed that my hoisin had a best by date in the Year of the Rabbit (2023). It got me thinking about the shelf life of the ingredients I use infrequently. I like to try my had at pan-Asian cooking (China, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.) so I keep some of the basics on hand. Maybe @liuzhou or some other kind soul could point me toward some information on the shelf life and storage for these ingredients. Specifically, what needs to be refrigerated (before and after opening) and how long are they "good"? I started some research on this site and found the following topic.

got that same knife

Tje rule of thumb for all meals is for there to one dish to match the mumber of diners plus a minimum of one for the table. This can go much higher at CNY.

We used to be invited along with many others to celebrate the Chinese New Year by a Caucasian friend who was married to a Chinese man and who has sadly passed away. It was always a time for much joy and amazing food. There was so much food and so many different dishes.

As I write, we are about two hours away from The Year of the Horse 🐴. All day, people have been chopping, mixing, cooking and preparing for the Family Reunion dinner, tonight. This elaborate feast is usually home made but an occasional bought-in dish is acceptable. Here in Guangxi, this is the usual mix of Cantonese dihes such as white cut chicken and.spicy hot Hunan food. One dish that always returns is a Zhuang style "overturned bowl" - fried and stemed pork belly and taro. I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow. Any plans to celebrate in any culinary way?

Tonight: A big-ass pork chop (carved and plated), over a pan sauce made of fond, onion, mushroom, white wine, chicken stock, mustard, butter. Boiled new potatoes sautéed with olive oil, garlic, pimentón, chives. Salad on the side. Chef gets the bone. Also, don't be buying a Cadillac or a mink coat right after you get paid off.

My centers are at around 22 C, room temperature ... and the temperature of tempered chocolate is around 29-30 C. I don't refrigerate at all after coating. Yes, chocolate is cracking only along the top edges. I found the below photo on the internet. The edges of my centers are as sharp as seen in the photo below.

DW went to see some obscure independent movie with her friends and I stayed home to relax with a glass of wine. Made some (slightly too flat) truita de patates and sous vide rabbit legs … … all while watching Goodfellas. Not sure if it was the wine or the olive & salumi nibbles but when I reached the prison scene where he cuts the garlic with the razor I suddenly felt famished, stopped, went straight to the kitchen and made a huge batch tagliatelle puttanesca. Very good and no leftovers 🥳. My wife returned some two hours later and enjoyed her planned truita, and the rabbit with ensalada rusa … No complaints, except maybe no more Mafia movies while drinking red wine 🤗

What is the temperature of your centers when you dip and also the temperature of the tempered chocolate you are enrobing with? Are they cracking only along the top edges?