liuzhou

For the first time in 25 years in China, I found my favourite vegetable. None of my friends has a clue what it is! But that was true of asparagus just a few years ago; now it's everywhere. It shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that it has multiple names in Chinese; it has in English, too. I call them artichokes. Or, when I'm in the Latin mood, Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus. You might call them globe artichokes, French artichokes or green artichokes. Certainly not Jerusalem artichokes, which are unrelated, and which were only so named because some cloth-eared idiot misheard the real name! In Chinese, they are 菜蓟 (cài jì) which means 'vegetable thistle' or 洋蓟 (yáng jì) which means 'foreign thistle'. I know how I like to cook and eat them, but have no idea what my friends would do with them and neither do they, because they've never met them before! I'll update this in about ten years when they've worked it out! By the way, there is also something called 'Chinese artichoke' (Stachys affinis), 甘露子 (gān lù zǐ) which is no relation either and tastes nothing like mine.

The Farmer Trying to Save Italy’s Ancient Olive Trees

I seldom use the stuff (it's Cantonese, somewhere I rarely venture) and I don't have any but I'd store it in the fridge, mainly because that's where I have room. Those of my neighbours who use it probably just have it on a shelf. Hoisin comes in cans?

Beer was a breakfast staple until relatively recently. Until around the 19th century,

They were live sea shrimp when I bought them. I don't do frozen. I have standards! Often low standards, but standards all the same!

Orzotto with small shrimp, chayote shoots and yellow, hothouse garlic chives. Simple, quick, delicious.

... buy a set of tools designed specifically to be used with one particular foodstuff, but forget to buy that foodstuff.

They certainly aren't scoffed at in the UK. Kippers and bloaters are cold smoked herring; the former are gutted but the latter are not. Buckling are whole herring, gutted apart from roe or milt and then hot smoked. I love me a kipper or bloater for breakfast.

Full story here.

Excuse my ignorance, but which Falls. There are some impressive falls near me, but I'm guessing not the same as yours.

Having just spent a good while destringing beans, I beg to differ! They always have strings here, not that I mind really.

via Twitter So I ordered the Wagyu at the hot pot restaurant and this is how it arrived. Wild.

That's what we call cold weather! We are at 90⁰F. and still cooking.

I used them here for two main reasons. First and mostly for their æsthetic appeal contrasting with the green of the melon. Secondly, because I find they have a stronger garlic taste and smell. Possibly not a good thing in some people's minds, but a definite plus in mine.

Beef and bitter melon (a classic pairing here) with hothouse raised garlic chives (raised in reduced light so that they never develop the green tops in the regular variety). With garlic, ginger, chilli, potato starch, Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. Served with rice.

The same time as it takes to cook the rice. From cold to steaming to ready about 20 minutes.

Stuffed peppers also are common here but are filled with raw pork mince with the usual Chinese flavours - garlic, ginger etc. These can then be fried, grilled or my favourite - lay them on top of the uncooked rice in the rice cooker and steam them with the rice. They are never baked - no ovens. Often they are served with a chilli sauce. Every supermarket sells them pre-prepared, but I like to make my own - I prefer to know what's in that pork mince.

What were the chilies stuffed with, please?

I was kind of the same. Korean food isn't my favourite, but I may reappraise it after reading that and seeing the pictures.

I knew this was going to be impossible to photograph well. Soup for breakfast. 速食紫菜 (sù shí zǐ cài - instant seaweed soup.) Basically, it is seaweed (laver) in a seafood broth with sesame oil to finish. I could have pimped it up with some shrimp or squid or something, but I don't have any and I ain't going out at 6 am looking for it! It's fine as it is. A umami wake-up.

This is a great article from Eater, entitled "How I Ate My Way Through 14 Days in a Korean Quarantine Facility". Basically a diary of the writer's experience in a situation where the only relief is his meals. Great looking food, too. I almost want to go to Korea and be locked up for 14 days! I guess I should emphasise we are talking about SOUTH Korea!

卤鸭心 (lǔ yā xīn) - duck hearts stewed in soy sauce with chilli.

It's been a while since I did boiled eggs in edible eggcups.