liuzhou

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.

We all know we are living in the end days even if we don't admit it to ourselves. The end is nigh! If you don't believe me, read this tale of horror in the face of the apocalypse. Then head for the bunker poste haste! C@rn Tofu

Me neither. I did enjoy the article. Some I knew, but certainly not all.

Duh!

Crumbs! A history of biscuits in 15 fantastic facts – from flatulence cure to phenomenal fuel Of course, we are not talking American biscuits here, but what you quaint people call cookies, but we call biscuits because that is their name and cookies are what you call god knows what! 😁

Cook first. Uncooked shiitake do not freeze well. The temperature breaks the cell walls and when you defrost them they turn to mush. Drying is, by far, the best way to preserve them.

Yes. 😂 But we know what you mean! Sorry, I just woke up!

I'm no expert, but I have used ras el hanout as a dry rub on meats to be grilled and in dryish braises.

and ras el hanout!

Now, Chinese restaurants in England (and perhaps where you live) usually call this "Special Fried Rice", a concept unheard of in actual China. I call it "using up leftovers and clearing the fridge/freezer fried rice". Minced chicken breast, shrimp, garlic, ginger, red and white chilies, mushrooms, Malabar spinach, rice, a wing and a prayer. No egg! No soy sauce!

I like me some kangaroo, balled or not. Can't get it here, though I do get stranger things. Pandaburger, anyone?

No sauce. Steamed fish isn't normally served with a sauce, here. The flesh is definitely scented by the aromatics and was also rather spicy from the chillis and ginger, but the delicate taste of the fish shone through.