liuzhou

Cheesy oysters in Guangzhou (Canton) 2016. Deeply unpleasant.

I saw that. The only recipe that really appealed was the Spam bánh mì (I refuse to use their silly name). But I had that in Vietnam once.

fake personalised header notes Titles are easy. The program 'read' thousands of recipes for cranberry sauce. 99% were probably titled cranberry sauce. What did it come up with? Photos would be the easy part. There is a huge industry dedicated to making fake 'photographs' of dishes. It's called advertising. Then there is the whole movie industry's fake images.

I don't see thls as much of an AI breakthrough. However useful or useless, AI should be able to break down recipe structure to a few simple steps. Most recipes have the same basic structure. Program in a few steps or procedures to avoid and bingo. It will come up with something. There are much more difficult things to teach computers. The problem is getting it to come up with anything worth eating that hasn't been done before (If it hasn't been done before there is probably a good reason). That is much more difficult. Even the best chefs find it difficult. I'd be astonished if this is really the first time anyone has tried to produce a computerised recipe generator. Previous effort have probably been discreetly forgotten. I think my mate Dave tried on his Commodore 64.

Still? I know that the UK now requires all poultry to be kept indoors as a precaution against avian influenza and other infections. No such ruling from the EU?

I'm certainly not finished with chronicling Guangxi cuisine, but I do have to pause while the quacks once again try to restore me to what passes for normal. Mainly, being in hospital prevents me from going out and getting pictures of what I am trying to decribe. Often essential for the less usual ingredients and dishes. Random sudden visits to obscure corners of the hospital to be plugged into some machine as a test or to be injected wth some witch's potion also ruins the flow of any narrative. I shall continue at some point, in the meantime here is a gratuitous picture of the favourite fish in these parts - the grass carp.

Well, I have had a setback and am back in hospital. A brand new one. I'm told things are better and will be trying the food at least for a day or two. First up was this lunch. I didn't choose the first meal, but will be able to in future. It wasn't pretty and very vegetable* heavy, but there was some pork lurking underneath. They had managed to season it. * Dried daikon radish, carrot, onion, cucumber, black woodear fungus,bamboo, tofu skin, rice. In the evening, I chose this rather tasty duck noodle dish. The food comes from what they describe as the "health food court". I'm not sure about that.

It's very common here, despite my strenuous efforts to get the practice outlawed. Utter waste of oysters.

Then the description in French is wrong.

Interesting. The image looks like nori, but it's kelp according to the French.

Yes. Very addictive.

You spelled probably incorrectly. It's 'Certainly'.

Because I can; because I want to; because I can afford to (occasionally).

I forgot to mention that xíu mại is etmologically linked to the Cantonese shumai, the dim sum dumplings. Somehow, when Vietnam decided to recreate them, they morphed into meatballs! Bánh cuốn also originated in China and are also popular here where they are known as 蒸粉卷 (zhēng fěn juǎn), literally 'steamed rice rolls' - same thing really.

15. 海藻 (hǎi zǎo) Walk into my local supermarket and in one corner you are met by piles of what appears to be large sheets of distressed leather with a funky smell. This regularly baffles newcomers, as it did me. This ancient cow hide is on sale and there are even people buying it. In fact, this stuff has never been wrapped around a cow. What you are confronted with is seaweed (海藻 (hǎi zǎo), specifically dried kelp 海带 (hǎi dài), literally 'sea belt', one of about 30 genera in the order Laminariales. These grow in the cold seas in the north east of China and is shipped here in various forms. Kelp needs clean water at a temperature between 6 and 14℃ / 43 and 57℉. It takes its nutrition from the sun and so requires clear coastal waters that allow the sunlight to penetrate. Note that not all kelp species have the float bladders found in the North American variety. In ideal circumstances, the kelp forests can grow to 45 metres / 150 ft tall, with some species growing 27 to 60 cm / 10 to 24 inches per day. Not only do the kelp forests provide us with highly nutritional fodder, they offer protection and a diverse ecosystem to the many life forms which shelter within. Algae, fish and shrimp all take advantage, some living there all their lives. Others only use them as nursery areas for their young. So how is kelp used? Much more than you might think. Even if you’ve never knowingly eaten it, you probably have ingested some at some point. It is used in toothpaste as a binding agent. You may have washed your hair with it! And if you are a fan of ranch dressing or common breakfast cereals, you’ve eaten it. It is used as a binder there, too. It is a good source of calcium for us oldies and vitamin K doesn’t go amiss either. It is also low in calories and, most importantly, it tastes good! Kelp forests are under threat from rising sea temperatures and storms like El Nino wreak huge damage. Australia, for example, has been reported as losing more than 60 miles of forest to rising temperatures. Back in the supermarket, besides the sheets of leather we can find kelp in more manageable pieces – both fresh and dried. Short pieces are tied into very popular kelp knots which are used in soups, hotpots, and cooked salads. It is also sold cut into strips like noodles. Fresh Kelp Knots Dried Kelp Knots Kelp Knot Salad Kelp "Noodles" Kelp is also pickled and sold in small packets as a snack food. Pickled Kelp Pickled Kelp But, kelp isn't the only seaweed on offer. We also have 紫菜 (zǐ cài), literally 'purple vegetable'. This is what you probably know as 'nori' - 海苔 or のり, in Japanese or 'laver', in English. Again there are several varieties, but they all belong to the Porphyra family. Laver is often sold dried in sheets for use with sushi (or just to snack on) but we also get it in its fresh natural state. This is what should be in your seaweed and egg drop soup and in the best Chinese restaurants is your crispy seaweed, although that is nearly always fried cabbage. Here is is often sold dried in these circular packs from which we break off what we need. I always have some in the pantry. It is also used in a number of manufactured goods such as imported instant soups from Japan, my favourite crackers and even Lay’s have got in on the act with laver flavoured chips, or to use their correct name, crisps. 😂 Instant Laver Soup from Japan I have been known to crumble dried laver into beer batter for my fish and chips. A very versatile and healthy ingredient. I've also subbed it for furikake, the Japanese rice flavouring, when that has been unavailable. Then we have my favourite of all the sea vegetables (seen in my first picture) . This is 海草 (hǎi cǎo), seagrass. Unlike kelp or laver, which are algae, these are true plants sharing characteristics with land-bound plants. In fact the approximately 60 different seagrasses are the only plants which can survive total, permanent immersion in water. They have flowers, fruit and seeds and form underwater meadows. Seagrass lawns also offer protection for young shrimp and other species. I've only ever seen this sold fresh. I like this with almost everything. Always with fish, especially sushi or sashimi... ... but even with cheese. Yet another is locally called 海石花 (hǎi shí huā) in Chinese. That literally translates as 'sea stone flower'. More commonly known as Dragon's Beard (龙须 - lóng xū). A yellowish fawn coloured weed, usually sold dried, but sometimes available fresh. Scientists tell us that future generations may have to rely on seaweed and seegrasses as a food source, but at the same time tell us the same species are under threat. Seagrasses are also endangered by coastal 'development', by floods which disturb the sediment and by outboard motors etc. I won't be here to see it and I ain't religious but I pray for sense to prevail.

The Guardian has today again told her story. The article is a bit light on detail though. It does, however, list her car registration plate number (although they get it slightly wrong. It's 贵A88888).

The descriptions are pretty well translated, but I would make a couple of comments. The Vietnamese on the Saigon one reads 'bahn mi with everything' or 'mixed bahn mi'. A bit of everything. Literally it means "Crucifixion" sandwich - they must be a story behind that! But I don't know it. The last one. If it is lemongrass (likely) it should be 'xả' and not 'xé'. So, to summarise Bánh mì thập cẩm – Bahn mi with everything (literally ‘Crucifixion bahn mi’.) Bánh mì thịt nướng, nem nướng – Bahn mi with grilled pork, grilled pork skewers Bánh mì xíu mại – Bahn mi with meatballs Bánh mì pate chà bông – Bahn mi with country style pâté Bánh mì chay – Vegetarian bahn mi Bánh mì gà xả – Bahn mi with chicken and lemongrass

I was indeed referring to the ingredients. Pigs tend not to be named here, either.

All the stuff I can easily buy (except the spicing)!

Working breakfast. 肉包 (ròu bāo) - Pork buns

14. 百合 (bǎi hé) In a basket next to the weigh station in the local supermarket, I usually find a bunch of these. They look like the bulbs my mother used to plant in the garden and forget about. And that is what they are. Flower bulbs. But these are for eating and are very popular round these parts. Day Lily Bulbs What you are looking at is a day lily bulb and day lilies 百合 (bǎi hé) Hemerocallis fulva, are native to east Asia (China, Japan and Korea in particular) and are prized grub for the locals – and for me. They were first mentioned in China in 656 AD. The crisp bulb, shoots, buds and the bright, mild tasting orange flowers are all edible. The flowers, shoots and buds need no cooking, but the locals don’t do raw. Incidentally, day lilies aren’t true lilies which are a different species, Lilium. The day lily bulb is segmented, a bit like an onion, and the segments are usually stir fried. Segmented Day Lily Bulb The flowers are dried and used in soups, hot pots etc. Dried Day Lily Flowers - 百合干 Almost every banquet features a dish of lily bulb with celery and ginkgo or cashew nuts. This mix is briefly fried and comes out more like a salad than a stir-fry. Very refreshing. Day Lily Bulb, Celery and Cashew I’ve only found fresh flowers once (my friends’ were surprised I’d found them at all – they never have) and they were delicious – half in a soup and the remainder stuffed and fried like we do with squash flowers. Fresh Day Lily Flowers - 百合花 Fresh Day Lily Flowers - - 百合花 Day lilies can be foraged in most of the places we live, but, as always, be sure you know what you are doing and collecting. Some cultivars are poisonous. Much safer to buy them from a reliable source or grow them yourself.

Almost exactly what I thought, although my luxury would be champagne and caviar.

I've never measured it, but I'd say you were close, depending on breed of duck.

It does coagulate very quickly. However immediately adding vinegar prevents coagulation. This may account for the invention of this dish.

Ducks and chickens are normally bled, yes. The precious blood is saved and either comes with the bird or is sold separately. My neighbours buy live birds and do this themselves, but the markets will do it for you. Supermarkets sell the blood separately from the birds or bird parts.