liuzhou

I came upon a new one to me today. 朝天椒 (cháo tiān jiāo), facing heaven heaven peppers are well known to me; in fact my go to. Mostly found in Sichuan, they are a staple there. So-called because they grow pointing upwards, unlike most peppers. They are also sometimes known as 指天椒 (zhǐ tiān jiāo), pointing to heaven peppers. They are normally used dry butt also available fresh. Here today, I found them in a sauce form. Not sure I'll use it much, but a handy back up for emergencies.

It also advises against scrambling. This I also agree with. The price of eggs these days!

Although I never do it myself due to it being frowned upon in apartment buildings, I do like a bit of grilled food. This is a sign in one of the elevators in my aforementioned apartment building. Among other useful tips and safety advice, it recommends not grilling doors. I heartily agree. Much better long and slowly braised I find. With soy sauce and ginger, of course. And a chilli dip. Why they are giving cooking lessons in elevators baffles me. The Chinese reads 禁止扒门 (jìn zhǐ bā mén) which means "Grasping the doors forbidden".

It seems that German automobile manufacturer Volkswagon is struggling to sell its vehicles. However they are experiencing a boom in sales of one product with over 8 million sales a year. Perhaps surprisingly, the product, part number 199 398 500 A is not a vehicle or a vehicle part, but a sausage, specifically a currywurst. These are individually branded and sold in VW factory canteens and by local butchers, Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images Can't stand the things myself. The cars are OK-ish. Volkswagen enjoys surprise bestseller amid financial woes: the VW currywurst | Germany | The Guardian

These are lamb sausages from the little-known Chinese province of Morocco. Well, perhaps not but I have found this supplier of excellent international sausagery here in China. I don't know who is making them but his or her recipes are spot on. I've had Spanish, Mexican, German and most of the atlas. All authentic tasting.

Very much so. The same weight of regular prawns costs around ¥40 / $5.50 USD

Definitely not the only one!

We get a lot of 下 (xiā), shrimp and 明虾 (míng xiā), prawns round these parts although usually I have no idea what precise species they are. Neither do the vendors; instead they use local or personal names for them which vary from market stall to stall. Recently however, I’ve noticed a rise in the frequency of seeing this one I can identify. 罗氏虾 (luó shì xiā), Macrobrachium rosenbergii, giant river prawn or giant freshwater prawn. I’m told it’s also known as cherabin in Australia. Native to a band from India across SE Asia to Northern Australia, it has been introduced in tropical and semi-tropical areas across Africa and the Americas as well as here in China. These babies can grow to an astonishing 30 cm / 12 inches long and weigh up to 500 grams each. However they are generally sold at a maximum of half that. Sold live, as usual. Prices vary by size, of course, but I expect to pay about ¥92 or $13 USD / 500 grams.

I don't see any connection to cartoons. Children's menu-free China has just as many if not more cartoons which are food related.

Yunnan Nuodeng ham, Dutch goat cheese, Gordal olives. Finger food with a beer.

Baby octopus 🐙, shrimp 🦐, seagrass, doubanjiang, Shaoxing wine, garlic 🧄, chilli 🌶, Chinese chives.

Dutch goat's cheese (Le Chevre) with smoked Gordal olives and sweet chilli peppers

When I was studying in Xi'an in 1996, the winter was terrible (still is) and I ate a lot of 西安羊肉泡馍 (xī ān yáng ròu pào mó) which is lamb / mutton soup with hand torn pitta-like bread. The restaurant nearest my residence made it with lamb neck. The internet has many recipes but I've never found one that uses neck, but I always do in tribute to the place that kept me from freezing to death!

Probably. It has been widely introduced in tropical areas around the world.

@liamsaunt Kigelia africana Although the fresh fruit is poisonous to humans, it can be processed into an edible form after drying and fermenting. Whether it is worth the trouble, I doubt. It is also used in traditional medicine. Introduced to the Virgin Islands from Kenya where the fruit is used to make a traditional ceremonial "wine".

Recent mentions of children’s menus and children-friendly meals on other threads have got me thinking. I know that this concept is not universal - kid’s menus I mean. Maybe not thinking, either. I’m now wondering what the kids’ menus situation is around the world. I don’t recall ever seeing a kids’ menu in Asia although they may may well exist some places. I haven’t particularly been looking for them (until now). I certainly haven’t seen one ever in mainland China or Vietnam, the two countries I’ve spent most time in in the last three decades. Don’t recall any in India or Thailand. Hong Kong has them, but then it is very westernised. It has been suggested on the internet that this is because dining out in China is a communal event with the food served family style and shared. While this is true to an extent, it isn’t the whole picture. Many restaurants do not serve food this way and they don’t have kids’ menus either. My younger friends with children have never heard of the concept. Similarly, little if any provision is made for child-friendly meals at home. Children eat what their parents eat – even in the chilli heavy parts of China such as Hunan and Sichuan, etc. Restaurants may be willing to reduce portion size but I doubt many parents would even think to ask. The bland, clichéd, patronising choices on so many kids’ menus* wouldn’t wash here. Do we spoil or kids too much in the west? That could explain the number of fussy eaters (which are not found nearly so much here – I’ve only ever heard of one among friends). Also, childhood allergies are not so common here. When my kids were growing up in London (a long time ago – they are in their early fifties now), there were no kid’s menus and I certainly didn’t prepare separate ‘friendly’ dishes for them. They are now still both very adventurous eaters as are my grand-children. Not sure about the great-grand-ones. They are only just-turned-3-year-old twins whom I've never met. So, we have members here from around the world and we have members who travel widely. I’d love to know your experience and thoughts in different places. And what foods are offered if any. * eg Macaroni and Cheese, Bangers and Mash, Meatball Pasta with Tomato Sauce. Burger and Chips from Ramsay Plane Food restaurant, London Heathrow Airport.

A long time ago, yes. jayrayner - eGullet Forums

Red Lettuce BLT on Ciabatta.

She was also The Guardian's restaurant critic from 2012 to 2017 when she moved the the Sunday Times and the present incumbent took over. O'Loughlin is another fine writer but I won't be joining them behind the paywall.

Jay Rayner has filed his last restaurant review for the Observer today, revisiting the oldest surviving restaurant he covered in his 26 years as the newspaper's restaurant critic. I’ve always enjoyed and looked forward to his reviews – some savage but most not. And I know I'm not alone. What happens now, I don’t know but I’m praying his counterpart on sister newspaper, the Guardian doesn’t take over. I can’t stomach her pretentious writing and attitudes – personal opinion. Rayner does sign off by saying “Soon I’ll start writing a new restaurant column elsewhere.” Watch this space!

Yes, but that doesn't mean it isn't still used, sometimes to the exclusion of chillies. That's all I'm saying.

Not necessarily. East Asia, especially China, uses white pepper for heat to this day. Sichuan hot and sour soup, for example, is still made using the traditional white pepper rather than chillies. There are many other such dishes.

藕芽炒牛肉 (ǒu yá chǎo niú ròu), stir fried beef with lotus roots sprouts and pickled chillies. Served with rice.

I bought a set of crab pickers just before Covid struck. The price of crabs went through the roof and then some and never came back down again. So, I've never used them. Not even sure where they are now.

泡椒牛肉虾仁炒饭 (pào jiāo niú ròu xiā rén chǎo fàn), pickled green and chillies, beef, shrimp fried rice. The pickles are HOT. Although pickles in general and particularly, pickled chillies are widespread, Guangxi and so Liuzhou loves its pickled chillies. And so do I. I also threw in egg, garlic chives, peas and carrots.