liuzhou

Mushroom Omelette. Not, I concede, the most attractive omelette I've ever made but it tasted just fine.

Thzt changes nothing. Lard is still a form of shortening and has been called that for cennturies. Because Crisco invented a "synthetic substitute" doesn't change that. But we are getting off topic.

Duck soup. Shredded duck breast meat, white onion, garlic, carrot, chilli, white button mushrooms, coriander/cilantro and Chinese chives in a duck stock I made yesterday from the remains of a leg which I stripped the meat from to make duckburgers.

Way back in this post, I mentioned that frozen peas were unavailable here. Scrap that. This morning my supermarket had bags of frozen peas beside the frozen jiaozi. Did I buy some? No. They were only available as part of a two-pack. Not two packs of peas, though. They were paired with a bag of frozen c*rn! Also, I wasn't going to be home for a few hours and didn't want to carry them around all day in the heat. I may go back in a day or two and give the c*rn to someone I don't like.

Duckburgers. Meat and some fat from duck leg. The bulk of the fat has been rendered and stored and the bones are currently turning into duck stock for tomorrow. More than one burger was consumed.

Wow, indeed! Love your semi-legal scales.

I've just done the same and its 69 grams.

Yes. Look great. Softer than mine. I guess there is ducks and there is ducks. Different sizes and breeds. The eggs I use are from sea ducks. Don't know what difference that makes! Post 7777

If you still have the instruction manual (if there was one) it should give a range of operating temps; otherwise the info may be online.

In 15 years on Egullet, this is probably the craziest discussion I've taken part in! I love it. I'm waiting for the video!

I look forward to seeing the results.

Ok. I start with room temperature* eggs which I put into cold water* and bring to the boil. When it is boiling I set my timer for 6 minutes. When it bleeps, I lift them out and run them under the cold tap until I can handle them enough to peel them (I do have asbestos fingers). That gives me the eggs pictured. If I want a softer yolk, but still set white, maybe 5 minutes is enough. *My room temperature and cold water is probably warmer than yours. Also, I never, ever keep my (or anyone else's) eggs in the fridge. Nor do the stores or market vendors.

I can't see any reason why a cellphone would be allergic to vacuum sealing, regardless of age. No air is required for their functionality.

I should hope so! Many modern cell phones carry an IP rating indicating how waterproof they are. I can give my Samsung a bath with no ill effect. Anyway the phone used doesn't have to be an iPhone. There are other (and dare I say better) brands I'd have thought the power of the vibration more of an issue. Only one way to find out. Try it.

Not for the first or last time. Boiled duck egg in edible eggcups.

Quite common round Chateau Liuzhou. Especially tiny dried shrimp - 虾皮 (xiā pí). Available in all Asian stores which stock 虾皮 (xiā pí) !

Lunch with a friend and her daughter in a local "western" restaurant. I'm not sure west of where, though. This I wish to point out was not my choice, but the 9-year-old daughter's. Beef kebabs with fries. Beef was OK, but could have been rarer. Fries were oversalted. Apologies for picture quality. Beef pizza. Edible but not what I call a pizza. The base was crisp, but not in a good way and the sqiggles of brown gunk unnecessary.

I was joking when I said I didn't know what ranch dressing is, but not joking when I said I've never eaten it or even seen it. Not many ranches round the UK or China, I guess. Anyway it sounds horrible! One of the very few things my mother can cook well is Brussel sprouts. I was only ever served foul smelling , boiled sprouts at school, as I recall. Sprouts and water should only meet in the irrigation and washing part of the process of delivery to my gullet..

The one with oil is spicier. The oil is chili oil (红油 hóng yóu). Use it when you want more heat.

Spicy, Garlicky Prawns with Basil and Orzo.

Well, I always find sprouts palatable, if cooked correctly - i.e. not boiled. In fact, I love sprouts and miss them here where they are unknown. In fact, none of my friends beleive me when I describe them, so on my trip back to the UK this summer I bought some just to photograph one. Didn't work. Everyone is convinced I photoshopped a big cabbage onto my hand to make it look small. I have never had ranch dressing, whatever it might be, in my life so cannot comment.

Here's another Pixian brand, I like. Don't know how widely available it is outside China, though.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/tesco-unveil-battered-sprouts-christmas-18941477

Good news or bad?

Real fat and oil is also 'shortening'.