liuzhou

Interesting @Chris Hennes. Thanks. Edinburgh was a half hour bus ride away when I was a kid and from about 16 to 18, I spent every weekend and holiday there. I got in with a very artistic set and had the times of my life. Met a couple of people, too who went on superstardom. I sank into oblivion, muttering mysteriously in university cloisters. More impressionable students thought I was divining the secrets of linguistic alchemy, but actually I was just trying to remember what to buy on the way home to in order to make rare and almost unheard of dishes with even less heard of ingredients such as garlic and yoghurt and limes. Mushrooms were definitely poisonous and fish deeply suspect, despite there only being one type - haddock. I have seldom been back to Edinburgh. But this summer I will! So your tentative recommendations are very interesting. In reverse order, Timberyard (Don't they make boots?) doesn't appeal at all. I have a firm rule never to eat in restaurants which think it's cool to use gray text on a white background for their menus. "Hey, we are so cool and trendy" "But the menu is illegible!" "Illegibility is the new clarity!" *$%#& Off!" Also, things like "we ask that all of your party choose a menu with the same number of courses" just irritate. Are they running their establishment for the staff's convenience or the customers'? But I trust your judgement that the kitchen's execution was competent. I'd just like to see the designers executed! _______________________________ I am so glad you mentioned your bias against Angels with Bagpipes. It sounds like my worst nightmare. It is also in an area I avoid like I avoid anthrax. Like most Scots who haven't had their brains removed, I hate all that shortbread tin lid nonsense and I loathe bagpipes. But I'm glad I read on. Love the menu and was imagining choices. I'll try to round up some of my more cynical acquaintances* in Scotland and drag them along. I was a little discombobulated by the use of pancetta with the haggis, but there is a strong Italian tradition in Scotland, so I'll let it pass. Pity they don't seem to offer haggis as a main course, though. *Actually, I don't know anyone in Edinburgh except for one woman I haven't seen or contacted for almost 50 years! She is a bit of a public figure on the Edinburgh arts and festival scene, so I came across her online a few years ago and realised that "Oh It's Mad Moira!' (name changed - except the "mad" part). _______________________________ Finally, Café St. Honoré sounds perfect! Great sounding menu. I'm on my way already! Interesting and well-priced wine list, too. I'll let you know. I had read and heard that Edinburgh's eating scene had moved out of the city centre down to Leith, but good to know there is still something edible in the centre.

Back home. Back in the kitchen. Tonight. Pig's kidney with shallots, garlic, chilli, olive oil and red wine. Orzo "risotto" with coriander leaf and grana padano cheese. Steamed asparagus with Maldon sea salt - my latest addiction.

Yet another roadside dinner in the middle of nowhere in southern China. 9:30 pm. The Menu Everything is rice noodles with various accompaniments - snails, duck feet, beef, char siu, etc. The only exception is 炒面 chǎo miàn, which is fried wheat noodles or "chow mien". They also have 炒粉 chǎo fěn, or fried rice noodles, which is what I had. The Kitchen with seating at the rear. The kitchen from the rear. 炒粉 chǎo fěn The noodles contained onion, carrot, red and green chilli, cabbage, green onion and pork.$1 USD for a large plate. (Note that the plate is in a plastic bag to save on washing up!)

And there doesn't seem to be a wine list!

I'm guessing "saluted" is a hyperactive autocorrect of "sautéed", but I may adopt it. Mushrooms should be saluted! (To my surprise, a Google search shows the autocorrect to be quite common.)

I'm sure it didn't. I often make fried rice using leftovers. My point is that I think they should be used judiciously rather than everything and anything being chucked in as seemed to be suggested.

Plucked up the courage to have a go at making my own Chả Giò style Vietnamese spring rolls. This is the first one: The filling is braised duck meat with cucumber, carrot, enoki mushrooms, beansprouts, Chinese chives. Served with a coriander/cilantro, chilli, fish sauce and soy sauce dip. I overfilled this one, but it came out OK. More than OK. If I say so much myself they were a triumph of Sino-Scottish appropriation of Vietnamese culture. Or as we say in Auchtermuchty, "edible". Two more followed - slightly less stuffed. Equally edible. Overall, I'm pleased with the results but can see room for improvement. Just as well really. The bag of wrappers I bought is huge.

While I see where you are coming from, in my mind fried rice can be sublime if made well from prime, fresh ingredients. Using it as a dumping ground for all and everything ain't happening in this house. It deserves more respect.

Just to be annoying, this morning I had blood sausage AND baked beans.

One of the many things I do like about living here is that no one blinks if I go to the local market and buy one tomato, for example. The only time they balked was when I tried to buy some herb in a small quantity and it didn't even register on their scales. That said, I too get carried away especially by fruit which I just have to have! I just threw away half a pineapple I forgot was in the fridge. Veg is also problematic. Unfortunately, composting isn't an option in an apartment block. However, food waste is collected separately by the trash people (twice a day). Goes to China's huge population of pigs, I'm sure.

While we have a topic over on the Restaurant Life section dealing with food waste in that context, it is specifically about waste in a catering context. Huge amounts of food are wasted at home. This article from the Guardian Britons throw away 1.4m edible bananas each day, figures show is but one of many examples. What do you do, if anything, to reduce waste in your home kitchen? Any tips worth passing on. I regularly make banana bread from bananas which are visually past their best (taste-wise just coming to perfection). In fact, I buy bananas from the discard section of my local supermarket where they pile up anything that looks less than perfect and sell it for next to nothing. That said, I still waste more than I would like to. I find that living alone doesn't help.

I wasn't aware that it was a beauty competition. I recorded and posted what I ate for breakfast. And will continue to do so - for the benefit, if any, of those with imaginations and don't only judge with their eyes.

I was full of breakfast plans. A full "English" so far as is possible in China. Bacon, egg, blood sausage, mushrooms, perhaps a tomato. But when it came to cooking it, the urge disappeared. I guess I just wasn't that hungry. So instead I kept the star of the show and ditched everything else. I had a simple blood sausage on baguette (shop bought). Didn't even butter the bread - while not greasy as such, the sausage is moist enough not to need lubrication. Lots of salt and pepper and a mug of strong black coffee and I'm ready to face the day.

Steamed seabass w Shaoxing wine, garlic and ginger. Clams, asparagus, lemon. Served with rice and a chilli, coriander and soy dip.

Yes and orzo means 'barley', again referring to the shape. I doubt it could be a trademark. (To be pedantic, it's actually orzi, unless you are referring one grain.)

I vividly remember the day I was walking downtown, just drifting around seeing what was happening and picking up a bit of shopping, but nothing serious when something struck me. I suddenly realised that almost everyone in the busy streets was younger than me, at least in appearance and I was confused as to why that might be. Where were all the people my age and older? Then I worked it out. The vast majority of the people on the planet are younger than me. That was a shock realisation. In my mind, I don't feel old at all. I'm told I still retain some youthfulness in my visage and outlook - and not only by my friends and debtors. I have to regretfully concede that the body is slowing down and two bad falls this year have seriously upset me both physically and psychologically. But none of this has even hinted at any lack of interest in what I cook or eat. My greatest pleasures are still the local restaurants, markets, my kitchen and tasting the results. Well, one surpasses those - serving my food to my dearest friends - but it's a rare pleasure these days. People seem to be getting more and more busy, running to stand still. I recently had a restaurant dinner with a 20 year old (work related) - in her mind I was old when she was born - and yet I could detect a lot more tastes in the food than she could - the benefit of experience and knowing what you looking for, of course, rather than some super power! We both enjoyed the meal, however and she has requested an invite the next time I am in the mood for social cooking. I haven't detected any change in my ability to taste and I'm seeking new tastes and sensations instead of any drift to unseasoned, spiceless pap. Take me out and shoot me before that happens.

Indeed our sense of both smell and taste* do tend to fade over time (as does sight), but that strikes me as a cue to up seasoning and spicing and not to retreat into further blandness as it was being suggested some people do. * Don't forget that a huge part we perceive as taste, is actually smell.

Cucumber noodles, tomato noodles and other noodles are fairly easy to find here in China, too. I need to check what else. On the alternative grain side, I had quinoa noodles for lunch.

Two bacon butties?

This is inspired by a side comment on this topic around here. The comment referred to the age of diners at a social gathering I replied that the old folks @Thanks for the Crepes knows must be different to those I know. Crepes took this to be self referential! I wasn't talking about me, a mere boy approaching his prime! I was, of course, referring to those much older, either in years or outlook. What I should have clarified (although that would have distracted from the topic's purpose), is that in my experience, the elderly I know do not fit that description at all. Sure, many people tend to become more conservative as they age, but being conservative means sticking with the foods you grew up on or enjoyed in earlier times. I don't see them seeking "cooked to death" or saltless and spiceless etc. If they are accustomed to salty, spicy foods in earlier life they still will be. My 88-year old mother will still berate you if you don't season properly! In fact, I tend to see the younger generations being more boring. My granddaughters regularly horrify me with Facebook tales of the garbage they eat for preference. I also meet a number of young people here who profess not to like "spicy", while their parents add more chili pepper. Maybe I just know strange people, but I suspect not. As for me, as I gracefully sink into the sunset, I become more adventurous. I've had the luck to experience many different cuisines, but am still searching for more. I still think those "old folks want meat and veggies cooked to death, can't tolerate a lot of salt (salt is the most important flavoring agent, IMO), aren't interested in new to them dishes or ingredients, can't tolerate spices, and are generally unrewarding to attempt to cook for" were always like that. Nothing to do with age really. But, I'd be fascinated to hear other takes and thoughts to brighten up my dotage

I prefer smoked salmon in this, but I never see it here. I like the salmon just off totally raw, but appreciate that it wouldn't appeal to everyone.

You seem to know very different old people from those I know.

Scrambled eggs with salmon. The eggs were done first until very nearly done, then sashimi grade salmon slices added off the heat and served immediately with a sprinkling of Maldon salt. There was some buttered toast too, but the eggs won the beauty contest. Apologies for cell phone photo.

Did some pork and clams with fermented black beans, chilli, Shaoxing wine and Chinese chives. I had planned to do some asparagus with this, but in the end was too tired. it was after 10pm. Did do some rice, though.

Thank you. I suspected that was what you meant, but wanted to be sure. I have to import curry leaves at some expense and don't want to waste them.