C. sapidus

Percy: Looks delicious as always. We had leftover sauce and roasted Poblano chile rajas from yesterday’s brunch, so I made huevos rancheros with feta cheese and oregano. Slapdash plating, but good eats.

It's called fish fragrant because that particular sauce/aroma is generally used for fish dishes, Dejah-Mui. ← Really? I wouldn't have thought that - with the Sichuan chili bean paste, vinegar, etc? ← I have read two explanations for fish-fragrant. Fuchsia Dunlop says that the combination of flavors was “thought to have originated in traditional Sichuanese fish cooking.” Barbara Tropp speculates that yu hsiang (fish fragrant) derives from the Yu (Chialing) River of Sichuan and the Hsiang River of Hunan; therefore “fish fragrant” should be translated as Sichuan-Hunan. Me, I’m staying out of it. And yes, Dejah, with all due respect, you probably should be embarrassed to ask me about anything to do with the Chinese language. I have made Ms. Dunlop’s fish braised in chili bean sauce (dou ban xian yu). The sauce includes chile bean paste and Chinkiang vinegar, along with ginger, garlic, stock, sugar, soy, and scallions. It was delicious, by the way.

Alinka: Welcome back! David Ross: Beautiful fish, and welcome to Dinner! What a fascinating combination – Asian flavors using mostly non-Asian ingredients.For dinner, I scrounged leftovers from today’s brunch. First, I heated up potato rendang. O, for a lute of fire to sing its praises (I stole that line from Henry Mitchell, late garden writer extraordinaire). To make the rendang, we reduced coconut milk, Thai and Holland chiles, lemongrass, galangal, ginger, shallots, garlic, turmeric, and basil from this . . . . . . to this, adding fingerling potatoes along the way. I also had a plate of Mrs. C’s brunchy dishes - devilled eggs (curry and pesto), savory bread pudding (ham, cheese, and apples), and a blueberry-maple bread pudding. For the brunch, we also served Thai red curry with shrimp, huevos rancheros with roasted Poblano chiles, grilled five-spice chicken, grilled veggie kebabs, and various store-bought accompaniments. Guests brought Russian blini, Russian salad, and monkey bread. The five-spice chicken and red curry disappeared completely, so no pictures (someone really should develop a five-spice chicken perfume). I have leftover sauce to make huevos rancheros this week. The party was a lot of fun, and no one left hungry.

Heh, fits of madness – I resemble that remark. Interesting – I also like eggplants soft, but Mrs. C has a strong aversion to mushy anything so we keep the eggplants firm. I like your idea of adjusting cooking times for different ingredients, though. One of the things that I find most difficult is getting multiple ingredients to the desired state of doneness. I probably got the idea of using lime juice from a green curry recipe. I have also tried Chinkiang vinegar, which is not traditional but has a mellow taste that works nicely. I usually start by adjusting the saltiness with fish sauce. If the curry still needs something, I will try adding a touch of sour (lime juice or vinegar) and/or sweet (sugar or palm sugar).I am aiming for the point where the curry’s flavor seems more rich and complex, but before the sweet or sour taste is perceptible as such. This is mostly trial and error, so I often do a better job with leftovers because I have had a chance to practice. We have a Preethi Chefpro Plus heavy duty mixer grinder. The current price is $175 USD at Perfect Peninsula, Inc. The Preethi quickly makes a smooth paste from tough ingredients like chiles, lemongrass, and galangal. Perhaps the spice paste is not as smooth as one made in a mortar, but the process is substantially faster. For example, yesterday I made a very large volume of spice paste for potato rendang. Using the Preethi took five or ten minutes; using the mortar would have taken more than an hour. Without this time savings, curry paste would simply not be an option on weeknights.The Preethi is very powerful, so it does have one drawback – it only works when the jar is filled about half-way or more. Otherwise, the blades immediately fling everything against the walls of the jar. For small to medium volumes, the food processor or mortar works better. The mortar is most efficient for small jobs like grinding dry spices or mashing chiles and garlic for nuoc cham.

Gabriel: We are getting ready to host a brunch party for 25 people today, so I will respond at greater length this evening. I have not seen vacuum-packed coconut milk locally, but I'll keep an eye out when we go to some of the larger Asian markets in the DC area. I am jealous that you have one of Kasma Loha-Unchit's cookbooks. I missed my opportunity to buy them when they were in print, and they are now selling for some ridiculously high cost.

Yay, Ann_T is back! I love the swirls on top of the brownies, and the light shining through the crusty, hole-y sourdough bread. That burger looks like it required a knife and fork!

First meal I cooked: I invited her on a walk in the woods with our dogs and got us utterly lost. We emerged from the wood hours later in the next county. A nice gentleman drove us many miles back to my car. When we arrived home I jazzed up a frozen pizza, probably with garlic, chiles, oregano, fresh basil, tomatoes, and feta cheese. First meal she cooked: I got lost driving to her apartment (are you noticing a trend?) and showed up grievously late. She was remarkably gracious, and served spaghetti with Vienna sausages. I think the Vienna sausages were a test – apparently, I passed. Clearly, food did not form the basis of our relationship. And yes, she gives me directions whenever I drive anywhere (even if I am driving home from work). I suppose that I earned it.

Shalmanese: I can state with absolute certainty that I did not eat breakfasts that nice when I was in college. Leftovers for breakfast; all leftovers are not created equal, and Thai red curry is at least first among equals. I took the day off to run errands and work on the car (why yes, I do live an exciting life, why do you ask?). On the way home, I picked up some Thai basil. One of my favorite things in life is when fresh basil hits hot curry, and the intermingled aromas rise up to smack you in the face like a warm, wet, anise-scented towel.

Marlene: . . . <speechless> . . . Last night: Sichuan braised chicken with chestnuts. Tonight I made red chicken curry with Thai eggplants and slivered red bell peppers . . . . . . and Mrs. C made edamame with sesame oil and sesame seeds.

All of this delicious Thai food upthread inspired me to make the “quick” red chicken curry (gaeng ped gai from Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet. We made the curry paste in the Preethi grinder, adding a little of the chile soaking water to thin the paste. Without mechanical assistance, curry paste isn’t happening on a weeknight. Fry the paste in thick coconut cream, add the chicken, toss to coat, and cook for a few minutes over high heat. Add the remaining coconut milk and quartered Thai eggplants, and simmer for a bit. Add torn lime leaves and fish sauce, and simmer some more. Just before serving, add slivered red bell peppers (or even better, red chiles). Adjust the seasoning with fish sauce, a touch of sugar, and lime juice. No basil in the house, so we garnished with cilantro. I will try to pick up some fresh basil for tomorrow’s leftovers. The flavors were light but delicious. Next time I’ll use more curry paste.

Braised chicken with chestnuts (ban li shao ji), from Land of Plenty. I took inspiration from Sheetz’ version, and added a little toban djan for extra flavor. I would have liked to reduce the sauce a bit further, but hungry boys returned from swim team practice ready to eat (and eat, and eat . . .). Three pounds of chicken disappeared, somehow.

Way too much garlic - what's that?

Markk: Thanks for the information about organic tilapia. I will keep an eye out for it. More information about organic tilapia (click) from Aquaculture Production Technology. Becca Porter: Nice dinner, and beautiful baguettes! We started with a family favorite: Vietnamese Napa cabbage and shrimp soup (canh cai kim chi nau tom). Jasmine rice is a nice addition at the table. The main course was stir-fried beef with chiles and basil and more chiles (neua pat bai grapao). More information on Thai cooking at home, where you will also find Gabriel Lewis’ excellent pictorial tutorial on using a mortar and pestle to prepare Thai curry pastes.

Gabriel: What an outstanding pictorial! Yes, I have wrestled with a few of those. That is an excellent suggestion - I'll try that next time. Looks delicious! Jmolinari:I have tried that, and it seems to work pretty well. The mortar gives the best texture, but we usually take shortcuts on weeknights. Either way, making your own paste is a big step up from using canned curry paste.Tonight we made stir-fried beef with chiles and basil (neua pat bai grapao), from David Thompson's Thai Food. Recipes in the "snacks and street food" section feed one person, so we scaled up. Last time I quadrupled the soy and dark soy – big mistake. This time, I barely doubled the salty ingredients. The fiery-red spice paste had nine garlic cloves, four long red chiles, and five bird chiles (we used the food processor). A little sugar moderated the heat, and lots of basil provided a wonderful fragrance.

. . . and the lizard shall dwell with the duck . . . Wonderful blog, MizDucky. Thanks a bunch, and best wishes for the future. Take a well-deserved break, catch your breath, and then please continue to delight us with your posts.

Pontormo: "Ahhhhhhh"

Klary: Mmm, rhubarb. I’ll start looking for it. More from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Catfish simmered in caramel sauce (ca kho to); asparagus and shiitake mushroom stir-fry (mang tay xao nam huong); and jasmine rice. Mrs. C served her kho over salad greens and sprouts.

Tonight’s dinner: catfish simmered in caramel sauce (ca kho to); asparagus and shiitake mushroom stir-fry (mang tay xao nam huong); and jasmine rice. The kho was delicious, but soupier than intended. Next time I’ll use less water. The catfish absorbed the flavors of the sauce – caramel sauce, fish sauce, garlic, scallions, black pepper, palm sugar, and chorizo (pork fatback was unavailable). I was particularly impressed by the asparagus and mushroom stir-fry. The mushrooms were still chewy (should have soaked longer), but absorbed the delicious flavor of the sauce, a mixture of oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, oil, and water. A definite make-again, and would probably work with many vegetables. All from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen.

Shaya: Your junior cook has become a handsome young man, and you have obviously taught hime well in the kitchen. Tonight we made Indonesian spice-braised tuna (ikan bumbu rujak), from Cradle of Flavor. Mrs. C served steamed artichokes with wasabi mayo. On the side, jasmine rice and a bunch of pickled veggies - beets, spicy asparagus, baby corn, and string beans. For the braised tuna, we made a spice paste from shallots, garlic, ginger, and chilies. Tamarind and kecap manis formed the sauce base, while cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and lemongrass added beguiling aromas. Quartered tomatoes added at the end. Best of all, our Russian imperial stout has finally developed a nice, creamy head.

Ah, you must be similarly afflicted. And thanks!

Agreed, and well-stated. I love meat as an ingredient, but usually feel like something is missing when a big hunka meat (however well-prepared) lands unadorned on my plate. My thoughts exactly (although I love eggplant). I try honeydew and cantaloupe every few years, but continue not to love them.

I don’t know how to make this conglomeration look appetizing, but it tasted incredible (better with tortillas, if we had any). Diced and browned sausage, and then slowly caramelized shallots with Thai and jalapeno chilies. Glazed the mixture with tomato paste, and then deglazed the fond with chicken stock. Poured in the eggs, added cumin, cilantro, and crumbled feta cheese, and then let the eggs set over very low heat. Mmm-mmm-mmm.

Thank you, Doddie! Obviously, I have not progressed from enjoying Korean food to cooking it myself. Korean banchan are great fun, lots of veggies - hmm, sounds like another cookbook research project.

Hello, Mizducky! I always enjoy the mixture of information, inspiration, wit, and adventurous food in your blogs. Congratulations on your accomplishments, and take care of you knee. If you have to choose between the blog and your health, well, you know. Your greens and sprouts lunch sounds delicious. I am curious why you blanched rather than stir-fried or sauteed the veggies. Do you make them that way to reduce oil, to fit better with your kitchen set-up, or do you just prefer them that way? I have a cousin-in-law, a retired teacher, who runs a charter fishing boat out of San Diego. When we visit, we dine on their catch. Consequently, I associate San Diego with fresh albacore – ceviche, grilled, etc. Based on what you have shown us, we need to explore further on our next visit. I will follow the rest of your week with considerable interest. Blog on!

The greenish color could be a manifestation of the blue garlic phenomenon (click). Blue garlic happens most commonly in the presence of acid and when using young garlic.