liuzhou

I wonder how it compares with Xi'an food in Xi'an.

Yes. I thought the same. I guess the author is in New York. The US BBC office is in NY, I believe.

Yes, the article also mentions the father.

I've recently become aware of the existence of this chain of Xi'an restaurants in NewYork. Are there more elsewhere? They were recenty referenced in a BBC article about biang biang noodles.

Braised chicken legs with fresh shiitake 'flower' mushrooms - 花菇 (huā gū), garlic (lots), wine, pepper (lots). Papaya in soy sauce, garlic, chilli, sugar, 白酒 (bái jiǔ) Chinese sorghum spirit, and spices (store bought - see image). Served with orzo and a side of wilted spinach. 'Flower' shiitake mushrooms. Papaya Shreds

杨梅（yáng méi) Chinese bayberries (Myrica rubra)

I know. I'm half French. My French grandmother made lentil salad all the time. But she is long gone.

It is considered to be a medicine here rather than a tipple when you are thirsty, so it's only available in traditional Chinese pharmacies. I guess you didn't visit so many of them in China. Funnily enough, I'm not doubting you at all, but I don't remember ever seeing it in Vietnam. I did in Laos or Cambodia - I forget which.

We get grilled scorpion here. Scorpion on a stick. Delicious.

Not particularly Vietnamese. We have here in China too (Vietnam probably got it from China) with either snake or lizard. Sometimes, sea horses. I've also drunk grappa in Italy with snake in the bottle. And seen vodka with snake in Russia. Seems to be quite common in many places.

I buy them live. Sometimes, they do jump out of the wok! But these ones were dead before I cooked them. When I cook them shell and head on, it can be fun in the kitchen catching the more energetic ones who object to being tossed into hot oil.

Prawn and asparagus with pappardelle and ponzu.

What the... Pomegranate flavour cranberries? What's wrong with cranberry flavour cranberries? (They also do blueberry flavour cranberries! Cherry flavour cranberries! Snail flavour cranberries!) OK. I made up one of those, but why not! At least there are no c@rn flavour cranberries. Yet.

In this topic! 6th post.

This may be of interest. We Should All Be Eating More Rabbit and this 'World's biggest rabbit' stolen from home in Worcestershire

The Unlikely Rise of the French Tacos

I I don't know but it's Japanese, not Chinese.

What is Marco Polo Pasta? Even Mr. Google isn't being helpful.

Well, yes. But I can't get them here at the moment. The European exporters are all in lockdown. And when I can they are damned expensive. But for the right recipe I'd splash out.

I know we have a lentil soup topic but, much as I love lentil soup, I'm looking for other ideas. Indian style dhal is one I make. Any others? Lentils are hard to find here in China, so I want to put my latest purchase to good use. Red, yellow, brown, green. Whatever.

Look closely! Those yellow droplets aren't egg! C@rn!

There are two supermarkets about equidistant from my home - both within an eight minute walk. Today, I went to the other one (I often go to both as they have different things). Today's choice has all the same birds, pork, snails etc I posted above but also: Fried Noodles (made to order). Various Types Fried Rice (complete with Devil's Droppings!) They have a wide range of Dim Sum items including these dumplings. I could have taken a lot more pictures of these if it weren't for the hundreds of ancient crones mobbed round the display area. They are the most aggressive people on the planet! I did manage this one, though. 粽子 (zòng zi). Glutinous rice wrapped in bamboo leaf and steamed. They come with various ingredients in addition to the rice. These were 板栗肉粽 (bǎn lì ròu zòng) chestnut zongzi. Pork and rice stuffed tofu puffs Prepared salads (Note: These are all cooked.) 艾葉粑 (ài yè bā) - mugwort cakes 发糕 (fà gāo - Brown Sugar Cake

Peppery lobster ball soup with cabbage.

Moscow's palatial Yeliseyevsky food hall closes after 120 years I'm taking this one personally! I lived in Moscow in the late 1980s and visited this place. At that time, the USSR was on its last legs and stores had almost nothing to sell. Russia wasn't short of food, but the infrastructure to get it to the city was bankrupt and corruption endemic. Food trains and trucks were lined up outside the city unable to get in. Only high ranking party members and pampered foreigners like me could get food easily. But the building was beautiful.