nakji

I switch garlic scapes in for long beans when they're in season, too. I often add them into a Thai curry - I started doing in Korea, where I couldn't find long beans, but could always find scapes. It works out really well, if you aren't concerned about being authentic.

What do you put in it, and what do you use it for?

I always have a can in the cupboard as well - you never know when you're going to need a little stock! I use it to finish vegetables in the wok.

The mankoushe - is that a little like a pizza? It looks gorgeous. Lebanese food is quite popular where I grew up, but not with this kind of diversity - it was mainly limited to street-food types items like falafel and pita-wrapped meats. The beetroot tahini alone - oh, my. Sometimes the guidebooks get it right, eh? The best restaurant in my neighborhood is in all the guidebooks - it even has a giant "Lonely Planet" sign out front - I expected it to be terrible the first time I visited, but it was sublime. A real happy surprise, since heavily touted restaurants so often turn out to be disappointments for whatever reason.

No kidding: butter and barbecued pork, together at last.

I know that a lot of people grind their own whole spices, but last night I was in the initial stages of preparing HKDave's African Chicken recipe, when I realized I didn't have any five-spice powder. It was too late at night to go out, so I turned to our five-spice powder topic. Sure enough, I had all the constituent parts and it was easy to whip up a batch. It turned out so fragrant and powerful, that I got to thinking about what other spice blends I should be making. I know garam masala is a classic, and I love bread made with herbes de Provence...what else is out there?

I've never seen those for sale. Why do you think they're better? Not as sharp? Sharper? Sadly, no Costco where I am. Large bottles of soy sauce are readily available where I live, but not the various grades of Kikkoman I got used to in Japan.

When you say "country" dijon mustard, do you mean the grainy kind, or the smooth kind? I love chicken with mustard - it's such a classic pairing. How do you make your succotash?

When Jay Rayner writes of his love of Kressi vinegar, and trip to Switzerland to find it in "The Man Who Ate the World", I understand completely what he means. What are your top cupboard or fridge staples? I've developed a motley collection of brand allegiances over my travels, and there are just some international ingredients I either can't do without; or miss terribly and purchase at any opportunity when I find them. Mine are: Maille Dijon mustard - available everywhere; infinitely versatile. I like it for vinaigrettes and mustard sauce for pan-fried chicken. Can't do without it. Trung Nguyen coffee - I always pick up a bag whenever I see it; I can never get enough of the chocolate-coffee taste. Crosse & Blackwell Branston Pickle - I'm never without sandwich options when this is around; it's also perfectly acceptable to eat it with a spoon, no? I buy it whenever I find it. Sun Chang Gochujang - goes on fried rice; into ddalk galbi; bibimbap...tons of Korean dishes. My fridge always has a tub. Kikkoman soy sauce - reliable and readily available; but I miss the 1l bottles I used to be able to buy in Japan.

I love steak-and-kidney pie, where the kidney works together with the steak to give good flavour and texture. I haven't had one in ages, though.

How many times can we re-use oil? I fry in peanut oil, then pour off what's left into a jar, which I keep in the fridge. When I fry, I pour the lot from the fridge into the wok, then top it up using fresh oil. Is this madness? No fishy odors have emerged yet.

What did you do with the garlic scapes? I like to blanch them, then follow with a brief saute in sesame oil and soy sauce.

I pick up food magazines fairly rarely since I don't have regular access to English-language ones, but when I find it, I like to buy Saveur. I bought the June/July 2010 "Market" issue and read it cover to cover; I like that it's less recipe-oriented and more about features. I usually look at Bon Appetit but am never inspired to buy it - I can't quite put my finger on why. BBC Good Food has supplied me with some solid recipes, but seems generally focused on simple/beginner-style dishes. I remember fondly the Sainsbury's magazines my aunt used to send me from the UK when I was a teen - do they still put them out, I wonder?

Thanks! It's good reading practice. I'll try to make it soon - my husband never got the chance to taste it, as he was climbing Huang Shan at the time, and he loves pork belly.

oooh...what do you do with the stems? You never know until you try! I bet it would be nice, though. Try and report back?

I like to grill fat king oyster mushrooms with salt and sesame oil.

Simply fried with a bit of butter and soy sauce at the end makes a great side dish. I like them braised with daikon and pork in dashi, but that feels like more of an autumn dish for me. You could slice them thinly (discard the stems) and stir-fry them with strips of pork loin and lots of black pepper; serve over rice.

A bit like giant edamame? That would be an excellent drinking snack. Slices of pork loin?

Last weekend I made a great Vietnamese quick pickle as a relish for my "banh mi burger" attempt. Really simple, really nice. 4 cups of bean sprouts 1 grated carrot 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly 1 handful cilantro leaves and stems 1 red chili, thinly sliced Tossed together in a bowl. In a saucepan: 3/4 cup rice vinegar 3/4 cup water 1 tbsp. salt The original recipe called for 2 tbsp. of sugar; I goofed and added 3/4 cup, because the number was in my head. Turned out nice for a burger relish, but sweet. Obvious 2 tbsp. will yield a more sour pickle. Bring these to boil until the sugar and salt dissolves, then cool. Pour over the vegetables and let them sit for an hour; drain, then serve. I reserved the liquid and put the salad mix back into and into the fridge for another week post original use, and it was fine. The bean sprouts go kind of long and skinny, but it's still delicious.

Starbucks in China has started serving lamingtons: not just the classic chocolate, but also green tea and lemon flavours. I can figure out how to make the chocolate kind; a ganache over sponge with coconut sprinkled over. But how to make a lemon or matcha lamington? Ideas?

I bought some a few weeks ago when they first came into season here, and prepared a recipe from Fuschia Dunlop's "Revolutionary Chine Cookbook" (which I highly recommend). They're not something I've seen on regular menus in China, but at my local restaurant, when they were in season, I saw plates of them going out of the kitchen in similar preparations.

I caught one Guy Fieri show on the Food Network when I was in Canada last. He went to restaurants and watched them make really big plates of food? He seemed obnoxious, but the show was at least related to food. He, however, made none of his own food during the show, nor showed anyone how to make food like what was being shown. It was basically just: here's how a restaurant makes 800 litres of red sauce. Interesting to some, I guess - not to me. But you know - food related, so you could justify it being on the "Food" network, I suppose. But something called the "Cooking" channel, you would think would focus on "Cooking". Does Mr. Fieri have a show that does that? Shows I would be interested in seeing on a so-called "Cooking" channel: Shows that demonstrate regional cooking: North African; regional Indian; Thai; regional French; regional Chinese; Japanese home cooking; etc. How people in those countries shop, learn how to cook, plan and prepare meals. Shows that demonstrate how to organize/manage a home kitchen, including keeping/maintaining inventory; planning weekly/monthly shopping; assessing kitchen equipment; planning and preparing celebratory meals; canning and preserving, etc. Seasonal cooking - through a year, cooking locally a plus. But you know, in a challenging area. Like Maine, or somewhere with a winter. Shows that assess cookbooks: ie, this week we're cooking with:"..." Shows that solely test cooking equipment. Shows on packed lunches. Shows on cooking for picky eaters/allergies/dealing with other limitations. BUDGET cooking. Shows that show you how to create your own recipes. Does this "Cooking" channel have programs that serve these areas?

Sounds good! But the eggs I have have already been boiled, so I should have posted that I'd received the boiled kind, sorry. I didn't know you could get salted raw ones. This rules out the custard and stir-frying them. Would they go well crumbled over stir-fried leafy greens, you think?

I received a box of salted duck eggs from my principal as part of our Dragonboat festival gifts. How should I use them? Someone suggested in a congee, but we're not big congee fans in my house. One of my other co-workers suggested in a salad with tomatoes, which I might try. Any other ideas?

If you do them in rice vinegar, and nice trick once you've pulled them out would be to toss them in a little crushed raw garlic and sesame oil. Even better: add a drizzle of good Chingkiang vinegar. Very, very nice with rice or similar.