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So Significant Eater spots these “baby” bananas on the counter. She loathes regular bananas. She jests: “Wow. Are you making Bananas Foster with those?” Wasn’t planning to, but what the fuck. Ice cream was already on hand. Madagascar bourbon vanilla and George Howell coffee Philadelphia-style ice creams made Saturday. Yesterday - Bananas Foster.
 

Mentioning wine glasses elsewhere...I definitely believe Zaltos are awesome, and there's no reason (other than expense) not to use good stuff on a daily basis. However, I was turned on to different wine glasses by a friend in California wine country, and they are quite good at a reasonable price; mostly, I leave the Zalto and their concomitant expense/need for care to the restaurants we go to which use them.
 
These are called The One (though there are two), and they're very nice...
 

 
https://andreawine.com/theonewineglass/
 

A friend just dropped by with these, after returning from a Chinese New Year/Spring Festival trip to Thailand.
 
She knows I like Thai food a lot (as does she), but find it difficult to get some of the herbs and spices.
 

 

 

 
 
 
 

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My love for Gustiamo is no secret, for very high-quality Italian foodstuffs. Also, Supermarket Italy (though the scope of products is much greater) and Buon Italia.
 
For Spanish...
 

 
This place has joined my list too...Donostia Foods. I also like La Tienda and Despaña for other Spanish imports.

Good morning.  I thought I would update this thread while waiting for someone else to wake up and come on a beach walk with me.  I have been awake since 6:30, sigh.  Yesterday's breakfast on the deck of scrambled eggs and kale with local strawberries on the side
 

 
We went in to Provincetown yesterday afternoon because my niece has been on a quest to find a copy of Stephen King's Salem's Lot. Yesterday marked the 11th bookstore we tried without success.  Luckily my sister is joining us tomorrow for the rest of the trip, and she is going to bring out my copy from home.  Provincetown was a lot more crowded than I was expecting!  The film festival is this week, so maybe that is why.  
 
I had planned to cook at home, but my nephew insisted that he was 'STARVING' and could not wait to go home and have me cook and he needed to eat 'NOW' so at his insistence we went to Mac's Fish House.  Oysters
 

 
Fried calamari
 

 
Tuna poke
 

 
My blackened swordfish sandwich
 

 
Niece's sushi roll
 
 
 
Husband's lobster roll
 

 
Brother in law had salmon but I forgot to take a picture.
 
The shocker of the meal, my nephew actually ordered fish!  He got a coconut swordfish curry and completely devoured it.  I guess he really was starving, haha
 

 
 

It's been more than a year in which international travel was challenging to impossible, but gladly this is changing, as more countries are able to vaccinate their population.
Greece had managed to return to a state of near normality, and opted to allow vaccinated individuals to enter. And so I decided to go on a slightly spontaneous vacation (only slightly, we still had almost a month for planning). To the trip I was joined by my father, to whom I owed some good one-on-one time and was able to travel on a short-ish notice.
 
 
Many people are yet unable to travel, and many countries are suffering quite badly from the virus, and therefore I considered if I should wait some time with this post. However, I hope that it will instead be seen with an optimistic view, showing that back-to-normal is growing ever closer.
 
 
We returned just a few days ago, and it will take me some time to organize my photos, so this is a teaser until then.
 
 
 
 

Chicken paillard topped with clean out the fridge salad
 

Today I went to school.
 
I was double booked. One invitation came from an old friend, who teaches in the local vocational school. They run, among other courses, a Chinese language course for foreign students. I was invited to witness a “special lesson”.
 
The second invitation came from some friends in the local government, whom I often work with, and who mainly wanted me to be the semi-official photographer at an “interesting event”.

Fortunately my two invitations were to the same event.

Saturday will be 端午节 (duān wǔ jié), the Duanwu festival, also know as “The Dragon Boat Festival”.

I won’t repeat the history and the fables it arises from, but you can be sure they are mostly nonsense. WikiSometimesRight has a reasonably accurate version of the unreasonable story. By the way, the Kingdom of Chu, to which the article refers is modern-day Sichuan. I guess they didn’t know.

Anyway, the important thing to do at Duanwu is to make and/or eat 粽子 (zòng zi), which are a kind of dumpling made by mixing glutinous rice with various fillings and wrapping them in bamboo leaves before boiling or steaming them. The actual fillings vary by region. Northern China tends to like sweet fillings whereas, down here in the south, we are sweet enough, so prefer to mix the rice with mung beans, barbecued pork and chestnuts.

So the event was intended to show the few foreigners in town how to assemble these critters. It was held in what is really a bakery shop, but styles itself a baking museum. True they do have some old stuff on display, but are just one of 54 places styling themselves museums – we have a luosifen museum, a baijiu museum, a coffee museum, a mahogany museum, a bamboo museum, a ticket museum etc., etc. I’m just waiting for them to open a museum museum.
 
So here are a few images. Starting with the building and some of the museum exhibits.
 

Entrance
 

Exterior
 

Interior 1
 

Mooncake Moulds
 

and more
 

WeddingTableau
 

Old Stuff
 
more soon

I have a huge backlog of pictures to share, so I'll start with one from the winter months -  germknödel.
This is enriched yeast dough filled with plum preserves lightly flavored with cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
The buns are boiled, or as I did, steamed, then topped with vanilla flavored creme anglaise and poppy seeds toasted in butter.
Served with brandy. This was a great cold weather dessert.

I don't know how well these fall into the potato chip flavor category, yep each one tastes like the potato it is...
 

 
I was at the farmer's market today, and at 3 bags for $10, couldn't resist...
 

My friend J and I had a late birthday dinner (but an early dinner time-of-day-wise) for me today.  My birthday was actually two weeks ago, but celebrations were delayed due to a family bereavement. 

Lunch  was partaken of in a mainly Cantonese restaurant on the 73rd floor of the city's tallest building. Great views normally, but it poured monsoon-like all through the meal.
 

铁板黑椒牛仔骨 (tiě bǎn hēi jiāo niú zǎi gǔ) - Iron Plate Black Pepper Cowboy Beef Ribs.
 

高山菌黄牛舌 (gāo shān jūn huáng niú shé) - Mountain Mushroom Beef Tongue
 

水东芥菜 (shuǐ dōng jiè cài) - Cantonese Mustard Leaf Soup
 

铁板海鲜炒饭 (tiě bǎn hǎi xiān chǎo fàn) - Iron Plate Seafood Fried Rice
 
Then we went shopping and I ended up accidentally buying a new cell phone! Now spending the evening, trying to work out all its functions.
 

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Nik Sharma's The Flavor Equation has a recipe for Blueberry & Omani Lime Ice Cream.  I don't have an ice cream maker but I can make popsicles!

His recipe puts cracked Omani limes into kefir or buttermilk to infuse overnight in the fridge so that's what I did.  I found the flavor relatively mild but very pleasant.  I may work at getting more of that black lime funk into the recipe. 
 

Some cakes I've made recently.
 
Tres leches cakes (sponge cake, white chocolate Chantilly, strawberries)
 

 
Strawberry cake (vanilla cake, strawberry filling, rosewater buttercream)
 


 
 
Chocolate caramel cake (yellow cake, caramel filling, chocolate buttercream)
 

 
Pistachio rosewater cake (vanilla cake, rosewater ganache, pistachio buttercream)
 

 
Papa cake with baby cake (chocolate cake, white chocolate cream cheese filling, chocolate buttercream)
 

 
And some other pastries too.
 
Strawberry tart (almond-pistachio cream, pastry cream, strawberries)
 

 
Passion fruit tart (passion fruit cream, vanilla whipped ganache)
 

 
Walnut tart
 

 
Choux au craquelin (vanilla pastry cream, vanilla whipped ganache)
 

 
Maple eclairs and choux
 

 
Assorted sablés diamant (vanilla, lemon, chocolate)
 

Yuan Longping (袁隆平), the Chinese agronomist, known throughout China and beyond for being the first to develop modern rice hybrids died in Changsha, Hunan on May 22nd, 2021, aged 91.
 


Here is the Wikipedia page on his achievements.
 
 
He is very highly respected in China, as his work not only reduced famine, but helped raise the standard of living among China's rural population.

This news is going viral on China's top social media sites as I write. The country is mourning a national hero.
 

a) Cheese
b) "Cheesy"
c) Ranch
d) Salt and vinegar
e) Salt and pepper
f) Sour cream and onion
g) Garlic
h) BBQ
i) Jalapeno
j) Crab-boil flavored (hey, Utz once made crab-boil flavored potato chips)
k) Pizza flavored
l) Plain
m) Plain, kettle-cooked
I have a marked preference for d, h and i, although sometimes I'll take m anyday.
Soba

Wednesday, May 5-
Sage, Aria Hotel-
Chef Shawn McClain, has brought his Midwestern philosophy of using fresh, seasonal, American products with a touch of creativity to a Las Vegas restaurant scene that is over-crowded with Kobe, Wagyu, pasta and confusing ‘fusion cuisine.’ Chicago and Chef McClain have reminded us how pleasurable simple, yet refined and creative American cuisine can be.
At first we considered ordering off the regular menu, but our waiter told us that a tasting menu was available. (The tasting menu was not printed or offered to guests as they were seated). We decided on the tasting menu and asked the waiter if he could arrange for appropriate wine pairings. The sommelier was more than happy to oblige and what followed were six courses (plus and amuse-bouche and a sorbet). Mind you, we are still at the “pre-Uncork’d” stage of our adventures in Las Vegas—the formal events don’t start until this evening with the private dinners at Caesar’s Palace.
The menu-
Amuse-Bouche-
Vancouver Island Kusshi Oyster
Piquillo Pepper, Tabasco Sorbet, Tequila Mignonette
Served with Lucien Albrecht Brut Rose
Breads-
Sourdough Baguette
Bacon Roll
Butter and Australian Sea Salt
First Course-
Tuna, Anchovy, Quail Egg
Fava Beans, Artichoke and Black Olive Sauce
Second Course-
Foie Gras Custard ‘Brulee’
Black Mission Figs, Cocoa Nibs, Shaved Foie Gras
Salted Brioche
Served with Sauternes, (France)
Third Course-
Gnocchi with Lobster, White Asparagus and Tangerine
Mint, Peas, Fava Beans and Green Garbanzos
Served with ‘High on the Hog,’ (Paso Robles), White Blend
Interesting note that some green garbanzo beans today come not far from where I live in Spokane, WA. One of the great lentil growing regions in America is on what we call the vast fields of the ‘Palouse’ in Eastern, Washington centered around the towns of Pullman, WA and Moscow, ID. As the markets for dried lentils have changed recently, farmers have found a new market for fresh, green garbanzo beans. Imagine my surprise to find them in this little copper skillet that arrived on my dinner table in Las Vegas.
Fourth Course-
Scallops with Oxtail Risotto, Wild Mushrooms, Hawaiian Blue Prawn
Served with a North Valley, (Oregon), 2007 Pinot Noir
Fifth Course-
NY Strip, Fried Artichoke, Potato LaRatte Potato, Red Wine Reduction
Served with Scouts Honor Red, Napa Valley
Pineapple Sorbet, Candied Orange Peel-
Sixth Course-
Canele de Bordeaux, White Chocolate Sorbet, Rum Sabayon,
Dried Black Grapes
Served with Rheinhessen Ice Wine

Adapted from a recipe by Chef Mark Vetri, this is Pappardelle with Rabbit and Peaches.

Sweet potato gnocchi & greens in miso butter

A rather loose interpretation of the recipe for Swede Gnocchi with Miso Butter from Ottolenghi's Flavour.  Recipe available online at this link, scroll down.
 
 

We had a traditional Spanish stew from Asturias - fabada. Long cooked white beans with smoked bacon, spicy chorizo and smoked Asturias morcilla (black pudding). 
 
As a pairing, one of the revelations from Argentina these last years, old-vine Semillon from Río Negro, Patagonia. Perfumed with flowers, waxy and very high acid. 
 

Cheese tortellini soup recipe courtesy of the Washington Post.

Oooh, I am jealous!  This is the only thing I asked for as a Christmas gift.  I don't think I am going to get it though.  Your pizza looks delicious!
 
 
I just used the apples that came in my CSA box.  I checked the listing and they are sun gold?  I have never heard of that variety before.
 
Tonight, pineapple fried rice and sole roll ups with a chile, cilantro, fish sauce and palm sugar sauce
 

Tonight, Celery Gratin. I started with the same basic white sauce that I used for the Dungeness Crab Gratin but omitted the Worcestershire sauce. Instead of Swiss cheese, tonight I used Parmesan.
I cut the celery in 2" chunks and turned it into the sauce raw. I didn't want to blanch the celery first because I wanted it to remain crispy in the finished baked gratin. I also used the celery tops and leaves and chopped them up to go in the gratin. Those are fresh breadcrumbs on top. They are so simple to make, just plain white sandwich bread pulsed in the food processer with some melted butter. Baked the gratin for about 30 minutes until bubbly then passed under the broiler for another 2-3 minutes to brown the top. And I agree, cooked celery is so wonderful in flavor and texture I wish we all ate it more.

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