Smithy

Well, they look convincing in the photo!

I had a bamboo cutting board and thought it was fine, although I didn't like it as well as my other boards and gave it away. (I think it was the dimensions that I didn't like.) What do you see as its shortcomings? And what's the rosewood like?

I'd never heard of rubberwood until this post of yours, so I can't say anything from experience. Based on my quick reading, it looks as though you'll need to be diligent with the maintenance in order to prevent it from warping. For what it's worth, I find that to be true even with my maple Boos Board...and, I confess, I always put a protective cutting board atop my Boos Board to protect its surface! 😁

There are some amazing colors in the photos above, @liuzhou. I'm used to seeing reds, oranges and yellows on mushrooms, but I don't recall ever seeing the blues and greens -- at least, not without some putrefaction. I especially like the teal tones in the first photo of the post above.

Gazpacho is another idea for those overripe tomatoes. Refreshing, filling, cool / cold.

I postulate that that's the range of "low boil" as opposed to "full boil" or "rolling boil". I admit that so far I haven't found anything to support that terminology. However, Shirley Corriher in Cookwise notes that grain starches thicken at "just below the boiling point of water; can be held at this temperature without damage" (p. 275, First Edition, 1997) whereas root starches thicken at lower temperatures. The exact temperature depends on the exact starch, of course. My point here is that "just below the boiling point" may be that ill-defined 7-degree range.

This is true, but bubbles start to develop at lower temperatures. "Simmer" covers a much wider range of temperatures than I'd thought back then, and the observed, for-practical-cooking-purposes boil happens at slightly less than 100C. In addition, the viscosity affects boiling point when it isn't pure water.

Can the chicken be removed from the sauce? If so, I'd try whisking it to see if that improves the texture. If not, I think I'd go with the pastry topping...or else, serve the whole thing over cooked rice, so nobody can see the texture. 😉

Yes. The qualitative summation is here: Somewhere back then we had a discussion about what temperatures would correlate to that activity, but it depends on the liquid involved as well as altitude. (At the time, we were discussing the temperatures for simmering vs. boiling at something like 5,000' MSL.) If I find an authoritative source on the activation temperatures for the starches in question I'll post it here, unless someone else gets to it first.

Welcome! You'll find a lot of friendly and helpful people here. If you have any questions about using the forums, feel free to contact a staff member (I'm one) by the PM (Personal Messaging) system. Tell us a little more about yourself. Do you cook only for yourself, or for a family? What sort of baking have you started? My own baking odyssey began with cakes and cookies and is now more about bread...but compared to the most active bakers on these forums, I don't know much. 😀

I'd leave it out on the counter for the afternoon, or overnight if necessary, to thaw. Then I'd put it in the refrigerator. In my household, at least, it will thaw but still be cool if left out overnight. If bacterial growth is a concern for you then the sink trick would work, or rotuts' suggestion for the microwave thawing.

Yes, this is an old topic. I remember thinking I had to try salt cod, and specifically salt cod brandade, back when the topic was new. I still haven't. Thanks to this article I'm thinking again that I should, sometime in the next year. Whether you want to try salt cod or not, read the article: Les Marseillaises (or, you're soaking in it) by Michael Procopio. It's given me a lot of laughs today!

I agree on all your points. Right now I'm excessively well stocked on those sorts of items, but eventually the Amazon 3rd party price gouging may be my only option. That's a while off, but it's nice to think I may have options when the time comes.

This sent me looking to see whether TJ's had developed an online presence. Nope. Gotta be in certain areas where there's a third-party delivery service, although I see some things are available through Amazon now. Ah well, I'd still rather live out in the sticks! Actually, I've just seen that Amazon carries at least two of the items I like to stock up on: their redundantly-named Garlic Aioli Mustard Sauce (eG-friendly Amazon.com link) and these julienned Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (eG-friendly Amazon.com link). Yay!

Thanks for that recipe link! The Mojo Marinated Pork (integral to it, but separate recipe) looks like something I'll have to try.