liuzhou

Another orzotto. This time with squid, garlic, chilli, and ponzu. using orzo, the orzo pasta rather than barley which I can't source here.

It does also come in a bag to refill the jar. That said, China is notorious for companies copying their rivals' packaging design with just minor changes.

If I went to a restaurant and was told the chef was having visions, I'd run! What drugs is he on? The only thing worse is when they have "concepts"? I prefer my chefs not to be conceiving while preparing my grub.

Fuchsia Dunlop has an article in the Guardian today on doubanjiang. She has her favourite Pixian brand. which I have used. It is excellent, but I'm not sure how widely available it is internationally. Juancheng Brand Doubanjiang

I just received a large bag of potting compost which I ordered online. It will be home to some herbs, chilli plants and lemongrass. Enclosed with the compost was a free packet of seeds. Thank you. Kale seeds. No thank you! Apart from the fact that I'm not turning my balcony into a garden of greenery, it's kale for pete's sake! Still it could have been worse; it could have been c@rn!

Spirit vinegar.

I wouldn't make them with pickled slices. I do make them with fresh beets, but haven't done for a while.

It's not what I wanted. I wanted fresh - one of my favourite vegetables. But I've learned here in China to make the best of any surprises that turns up. I can buy it fresh, but only online which involves a three day wait, minimum. I wanted it today! Yesterday, the local overpriced, state owned, department store's imported food section had this. I bought it as an emergency stand-in, and I know what I'll do with it, but it has got me wondering. How do other people use pickled beetroot? Any interesting suggestions? P.S. Just ordered some fresh. The seller is in Shanghai which is far away. And the minimum order was for 2.5 kg. Expect beet overkill from me in the next week!

What if they take the cow to the farmers' market? After all, the cow is the "point of origin"; not the dairy!

I've watched one short YouTube video of a salmon and cream sauce recipe this morning and see nothing objectionable. But I understand those irrational loathings; I have a few myself. Can't share this one, though.

I read pretty much everything he writes, frustrating as it is, but I don't recall ever seeing him. I suppose I could search some video out, but maybe, I just prefer the written word.

I love reading Nigel's books and journalism and often want to try his recipes. However, they always, always include one non-optional ingredient I can't get! Not his fault at all! I spent a large part of today, searching for rhubarb for one of his recipes. It does grow in China. One of my favourite things to eat. But can I buy it? Well, yes. But only the dried roots in traditional Chinese pharmacies. I weep!

Yes. Been there. 2005. The decor of the place in Nanning that I mentioned is similar. Here is a vdeo of Murnni's Warung

Indeed I do consider my Liuzhou to be my home. Getting it home from the restaurant wasn't a great problem. It was about 15 minutes walk; no flights required! And it was a long time ago (2008), when I was younger! By 'home' in inverted commas, I meant England.

Is that in Ubud? That is the artists' colonoly of Bali. I may have been to that restaurant. There is a smallish chain of restaurants here in Guangxi, opened by a guy from Ubud. The original branch in Nanning is beautiful. There is one in Liuzhou about ten minutes away from where I am living now. Also artistically decorated, but not quite to the levels of the first. I have photos of the Nanning branch; I'll try to post them later.

Yeah. That's why I have never gone back 'home'! Between that artwork and my marble mortar and pestle, I think I'll have used up my luggage allowance weight and some!

What I described is not pandemic related. They've always been the same. They are now obliged to charge a tax for plastic bags at the checkouts, but you just end up using them to trash all the unnecessary plastic you fill them with!

If this is vintage, what does that make me? Prehistoric? But I feel I need it. Published in London, January 1st, 1965. Still available used on Amazon USA (eG-friendly Amazon.com link).

Here is a selection of fruit and veg at my local supermarket this morning. Everything is plastic wrapped. Some items are double wrapped. 'Baby' Pumpkins Sweet red potatoes Regular potatoes Tomatoes Onions Garlic Assorted Greenery Chili Peppers Carrots Peaches Various Mushrooms Shiitake and worst of all Bananas There is separate section of loose product, but you can guarantee the people on the weigh station are going to wrap it in plastic anyway, so you can't win.

There are (or were) two restaurants near me with somewhat idiosyncratic decoration. The first has now gone, as the building was demolished to make way for urban 'improvement'. I.e. they are going to build yet another shopping mall which no one wanted and few will frequent. This place, actually a bar and restaurant, was called '1970s' and featured a number of areas, each with a different 'theme'. One area was what I called 'the art gallery'. This had items of decorative art festooning the walls, which were roughly papered with brickwork effect wallpaper. Nearly all these pieces were for sale. The next one now hangs on my wall at home. It weighs a ton! Another area, which I called the nautical area, had tables like this one which is actually a military dugout canoe with a glass top - one of number of strange tables. Again, there were some objets d'art and random pebbles inside the boats. These were not for sale. Then there was the utterly peculiar 'army ordinance cinema' area. This is where, in the evening, they showed movies from the early 1970s, i.e. the cultural revolution These were silent movies shown using original film and a tempamental, 'working' 1970s projector. The actual movies were usually of the red guards going about their mayhem and anarchy, or of rallies depicting the millions chanting and waving their little red books. Alternatively, and most bizarrely, they would show the 'politically correct' Chinese Opera's Mao's mental wife, Jiang Qing introduced in place of the traditional fare which was banned. Yes! Chinese Operas, purged of 'bad elements' and counter-revolutionary thinking, in black and white and thankfully silent - always the best way to 'listen' to Chinese opera, PC or not!. Scattered around the 'cinema' was military hardware of the type which the red guards used at the time. Machine guns and the like. You could even pose with a gun and pretend to be a red guard, if that was your fancy. Photos are of scenes of contemporary life during the cultural revolution - i.e. armed chaos. I'm not sure what the random drum kit was about. It was never used and wasn't old. To the right of the young man posing is, I think, the projector for the movies. Despite the macabre theme, the place was quite fun but it may be significant that I remember nothing about the food, although I know I did eat there more than once or twice. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Secondly we have 韶山饭店 (sháo shān fàn diàn) or Shaoshan Restaurant. Shaoshan is the Hunan village where Mao was born and which has now turned into a sort of Mao theme park is popular with elderly tourists. The restaurant, situated near my home was a shabby, three floored place with, of course, a Mao theme. As you eat, the insane dictator, responsible for the deaths of miillions, stares benignly down at you from the walls. There were dozens of photos of the 'Great Helmsman'. Despite the shabby and grisly decor, the place did great Hunan food and was popular enough for the owners to save for years and finally to afford to move across the road into smart, newly built premises, just after I took these pictures. Now, although it retains the same menu, the decor is more conventional and the Chairman has disappeared. So far.

Here's a real Chinese plate.

What the heck is that? Two broken plates glued together? The left half looks like willow pattern. aka blue willow, which isn't Chinese at all, but originated in England. The right hand side looks like faux-Chinese, too, but I don't recognise the pattern.

Yes. Just as good with duck blood.

Understandable, but when you eat rice at least twice a day as most people do here, the rice cooker will always win. Indeed. I've never seen such an environmentally irresponsible, idiotic method in my life. To say nothing of the expense.

Pig Blood Soup. As featured in the Soup Topic with more info.