liuzhou

Tunisian Soft Seed Pomegranates and Yunnan Green Skin Tangerines

I like rum. I like raisins. I like ice cream. But agree 100%. Together they are an abomination.

It means fresh from the paddy rice as opposed to aged rice. Mainly a meaningless marketing phrase, I suspect.

A naan bed, with 2 pilaus

Another day, another lunch. A popular dish locally. 黄豆焖鱼仔，稻香米饭，紫菜蛋花汤 (huáng dòu mèn yú zǎi, dào xiāng mǐ fàn, zǐ cài dàn huā tāng). Braised Fish with Yellow Soybeans, Paddy Fragrant Rice, Seaweed Egg Drop Soup (badly photographed as ever). (also Included tomato, garlic, ginger,chilli (red and green) One of my favourites.

They do breakfast, too. 肉包 (ròu bāo) - Pork Bun. One of two.

Dinner Shrimp and Squid Fried Rice I wasn't sure about ordering this. So many places overcook the squid, but I took a chance. It was a fraction more cooked than I would have preferred but acceptable; the shrimp were perfect. Followed by a Chocolate Lava Mooncake I had kicking around from Mid-Autumn Festival.

Lunch today These were billed as Thai Style Spring Rolls. Not at all bad. They they were filled with a curried minced pork mixture with separate carrots and black wood tree fungus. The little pot to the side contained a sweetish chilli sauce. I'm told there is a new Thai restaurant in the local food hall, which has been rated highly by my correspondent who knows her Thai. Unfortunately, it isn't doing deliveries, yet. But I wasn't disappointed by these in the meantime. .

When I moved from England to China in 1996, I only brought one cookbook. A Book of Middle Eastern Food. It is a wonderful read even if you don't eat that food!

It wasn't. That is the point.

Elizabeth's reign started in 1952, not 1953. The UK still had rationing, but cabbage was off ration. People did eat a lot of it but not by preference. Red cabbage was little known at all. It came later, pickled in a jar. Still does right up to today.

Squid is always scored round here. Cuttlefish isn't!

Indeed. They contain thermolabile toxins which are destroyed in cooking.

Braised Chicken with Tea Tree Mushrooms and Shiitake. Also includes dried and fresh chillies and ginger. Darned good! Served with rice - of course.

Oh. I love raw white buttons. Dressed with a lemony vinaigrette.

Two mushrooms not to eat raw, but are fine cooked are Shimeji Mushrooms. This "Japanese" mushroom is widely distributed far from Japan. It is unconscionably bitter when raw, but this disappears when cooked. Pilose Antler Mushroom, fried chicken mushroom, or chicken of the gravel. Lyophyllum decastes. I have no idea how widely distributed these are but you don't want to be eating them raw. They can cause nausea, diarrhea and even liver failure. Delicious cooked, though.

It depends very much on the species.

Lunch Best one yet. I received this message the night before from a dear friend who wanted to recommend a particular restaurant's delivery food. Translation: Lunch tomorrow. Braised Lotus Root with Pork Feet ➕ Chinese pickled vegetables* and minced meat ➕ cauliflower Soup: Huaishan bone soup "That'll do me," I replied. At noon this arrived. Top left is the soup Huaishan (淮山 - huái shān) is the name of a prized type of Chinese yam. Also known as 山药 (shān yao) or Dioscorea opposita. The pork bone based soup also contained goji berries and Chinese date. The main food is clockwise from top left. Stir fried greens with garlic (subbed for the cauliflower); Chinese pickled vegetables* and minced meat As always 'meat', unless specified otherwise, means pork'; rice; braised lotus root with pork feet. Everything was cooked perfectly. * The Chinese pickled vegetables are known in Chinese as 酸菜 (suān cài - literally sour (pickled) vegetables, predominatly cabbage). It is sometimes translated as Chinese sauerkraut which, I suppose, it resembles. It is also believed to be the origin of kimchi by everyone except the Koreans who insist they invented it without anyone else's assistance, than you very much! The fact that it is recorded in China centuries before in Korea is, no doubt, clerical error.

I do have a high tolerance level for bitterness (developed in China) and only ever really noticed it in aging mushrooms. As for retaining colour, yes they will change unless you whip them out of the pan just as it begins to change. I'm mostly experienced with the yellow ones, but have cooked both pink and blue to my and my guests' satisfaction. But they are Chinese and appreciate bitter foods more. Also, I find the younger mushrooms retain colour more.

Canape of Anchovies would be my first choice.