liuzhou

Chicken with dates, black garlic, green olives, ras-el-hanout, chilli and basil with couscous.

蜜枣 （mì zǎo）- candied jujubes (Chinese dates)

I often set the timer for various cooking options. My trouble is remembering to start the timer after setting it. 20 minute boiled eggs, anyone?

All the frogs I can buy round here are sold live. Every market and supermarket has them. They are wild and mostly live in the local rice paddies. They are also extensively farmed in China (usually in rather appalling conditions) and most are exported - tonnes to France who have already eaten all their own frogs. That said, the largest exporter of frogs is Indonesia. I have never seen farmed frogs in any supermarket in China.

Can't answer your first question, but for the 2nd, I'd say it depends on the rice. Different rices need different ratios depending on how you are cooking it, the variety, the age etc. Every time I can't get my go to brand, I have to experiment, but basically, I use a rice cooker, pour in my washed rice then add water to cover the rice to the depth of my forefinger up to the first knuckle. Never measured the ratio. Sometimes I have to go a little heavier with the water; sometimes less.

Spicy, buttery, lemony, fried wild shrimp with morels. Served over orzo with Chinese chives.

Coincidentally, I had frog hotpot for dinner last night. The restaurant in question only does this one dish for sharing. Plus sides.

Yes. And watermelons.

Yes, you are right. Chaucer was well connected - friend of the KIng. He didn't go short.

In fact the first known recipe for apple pie is from Chaucer in 1381.

Back in the day, I wrote a paper on food in Chaucer. Not just the Canterbury Tales. His work is full of food.

Not Canadian. Cheese and apple generally is a classic pairing. It dates back to Chaucer's time (died 1400) My very Scottish father (died 2008) ate apple pie with cheese all the time, so I did too. (Not dead yet.) It is believed that pie and cheese originated in Yorkshire, England and is often referred to as Yorkshire Pie.

Fresh dates

No. Not at all. 99% of my Chinese friends have no idea what they are. I can only buy in one store that specialises in the unusual.. Not that I'm aware of, although other grains are used. They don't pretend to be rice though.

1-10-10 chicken breast with pig's stomach mushrooms and basil orzo, with sesame seed paste.

Yeah, miso. I've searched and searched but no joy. I was thinking just the other day that if I had to leave here for any reason, what would I do without even my corner shop having 8 different types of mushrooms! And many more in markets and supermarkets.

Squid with snow peas. Garlic, ginger, salt fermented back beans, Shaoxing wine, black bean soy sauce, scallions. Rice.

Typical! Only three ingredients and one of them I can't get!

Working lunch today. There was also some lumpy stuff. I had a burger patty left over from last night, so yet another burger. No picture. I was in a rush to get back to my work. I mean Guinness.

Yet another friend's daughter, not yet three-years-old, making jiaozi dumplings.

The term "cookies" has been known in the UK since at least the 18th century, but refers to sweet buns and teacakes, especially in Scotland.

Burgers tonight. The first of three.

Yesterday, I came across this oddity. It is 黑豆原酿酱油 (hēi dòu yuán niàng jiàng yóu), which means "black bean soy sauce". Regular soy sauce is made from yellow soy beans, but this from black soy beans. I'd never seen it before and friends I have consulted are equally baffled. Black Soy Beans Anyway, I decided to buy some and try it out. Rather than cook it in a dish, I wanted to taste it more directly, so made a dip to accompany some wontons for breakfast. Dip also contains finely chopped Chinese chives, coriander leaf/cilantro and chilli flakes. The sauce has a deeper flavour than regular, but is less salty and with a more mellow aftertaste. I'm impressed. Will try next in a cooked dish, but not today.