C. sapidus

Melissa - We chose xenon lights over halogens because they are cooler. The (Ikea) cabinets above the lights still get warm, though. We put a glass shelf on the lowest hole of the spice cabinets to create an insulating air space below the spice jars. We have found the dimmer on the recessed ceiling lights more valuable than the dimmer on the under-counter lights, though. During the remodel, we set up a temporary kitchen and dining room in the unfinished basement. We cleared off some basement shelves to keep kitchen gear accessible. The toaster oven, microwave, and coffee maker were our mainstays (mid-winter remodel, so not much grilling). Our main problem was a dearth of electrical outlets in the basement. The microwave couldn’t run at the same time as the toaster oven, and running the miter or table saw shut down all kitchen operations. Doing dishes in the same sink where we were washing paint brushes and drywall trowels got old very quickly. Urban camping was fun for a while, but by the end of the remodel we were on a first-name basis with the good folks at the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet and sushi bar. They had wonderful eel sushi and incredible mangos at the buffet. On days when there were no mangos on display, the manager would send a big pile to the table for our boys. You are farther along than you may realize. Good luck, and trust that the end result will be worth the effort. Bruce

Our chilies and tomatoes have arrived! We ordered from Cross Country Nurseries, which carries an excellent selection of potted plants. While I spent the day with elder son at a track meet, Mrs. Crab and younger son cleared overgrown shrubs from an existing garden bed that runs all along the back of the house. Amazingly, the soil had already been de-rocked Last year, I dug two wheelbarrows full of rocks from a 6’ x 6’ bed We will need to erect a dog-resistant barrier for the tomatoes. Otherwise, our tomato-eating canines will steal every last one. Even worse, they usually bring the tomatoes inside and eat them on the living room carpet Here are the chilies and tomatoes that we will be growing this year. If we have room, we might pick up some more tomato plants locally. We will also grow lemongrass, cilantro, rosemary, strawberries, and a few kinds of basil. Tomatoes: San Marzano Big Boy Beefmaster VFN Hybrid Box Car Willie Chilies: Barker’s Hot (Anaheim) Big Jim (Anaheim) Ancho Ranchero Ancho L Serrano del Sol Thai Hot Dragon Hybrid Cabai Burong (Cayenne) Santa Fe Grande (Yellow Wax)

I made the chipotle pork ribs again. It was easier the second time despite a small grease fire while browning the ribs (grease from the splatter guard dripped on the burner with predictable if relatively un-dramatic results). Our normally spice-averse younger son ate two ribs with plenty of sauce, even though I used five chipotles. melonpan: best of luck with the wine oxtails, and you were right about “good people” coming around on green beans. I stir-fried another batch of green beans, doubling the bacon and using balsamic instead of rice vinegar. Younger son (usually the picky eater) came home hungry and inhaled a plate full. Success! Bruce

Marathon Deli gyros! I lived on those for an entire summer (washed down with carrot cake or baklava). I was raving about them just the other day. The spanakopita was always good, too (or at least it was 20 years ago), but definitely get the gyros. Is the place still staffed by a red-headed Greek family? If so, it is probably the next generation by now. Dang, I’m gonna hafta take my own mini road trip. I hear the Inn at Little Washington is nice, too Bruce

alanamoana: Thanks! The guest was quite gracious, but half of the fun of making food is seeing others enjoy it. Of course, leftovers do assuage the pain to some degree

One of the benefits of taking a day off is time to eat breakfast. Coffee and home-made baklava for starters . . . . . . and crisper-drawer clean-out chicken for breakfast: I made the baklava for a family gathering, only to discover that the guest of honor was a) diabetic and b) had a nut allergy. As you may imagine, I was mortified The chicken was left over from last night’s dinner. I cleaned out the aging contents of our crisper drawer (cilantro, bird chilies, and ginger), added garlic, pounded everything to a paste in the mortar, and then made a marinade with the “crisper paste”, fish sauce, soy sauce, roasted red chile paste, olive oil, lime juice, and sugar. After cutting up and briefly marinating some chicken thighs, I stir-fried the lot with julienned Poblano chiles, tossing in sweet basil leaves at the end. This morning, I added some Sriracha and lime juice to round out the flavor. We have made a lot of Thai and Chinese dishes lately, so I was happy to be able to improvise with the ingredients at hand. Basically, it was a Chinese-style stir-fry with Thai-style flavors. Nothing authentic about it, but it made a nice dinner and far-above-average breakfast. Of course, an average weekday breakfast is coffee at my desk. Bruce

FFB: Yes, our ultimate kitchen flashed into my brain during our design process. It would have been incredibly efficient for cooking, dining, storage, socializing, and everything else. Unfortunately, it would have required bumping out the front of the house by six feet. I drew out the floor plan just for fun, knowing full well that we would never build it. We are quite happy with our (more modestly) renovated kitchen, and we were able to pay cash for everything. Maybe we can send them boys to college after all. By the way, sorry about Josie. Sleep tight, indeed. Bruce

Wow, the desserts that y’all make are amazing. Baklava features prominently in my limited dessert repertoire. My wife volunteered to chop pecans and walnuts, so she gets part credit. I made a fresh batch of mixed spice, and that made a huge difference in the flavor and aroma. Here is the warm baklava soaking up syrup. Bruce

Austin: The recipe for makhuea oop was from Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet. Oop dishes are steamed without water in a tightly-sealed pot. The authors attribute the dish to the Tai Koen and Shan people of northern Burma. Thanks for the suggestion on nam tok. Sticky rice and an omelet would be lovely accompaniments. Bruce

Meez, peanutgirl: traditional or not, those are some tasty-looking meals. We cooked from HSSS this week. Tonight we had spicy grilled beef salad (neua nam toke) accompanied by coconut rice and phrik nam pla. The mint leaves contrasted wonderfully with the lime juice, fish sauce, meat drippings, scallions, shallots, and chilies. The boys would have preferred basil to mint, though. Anyway, there were no leftovers. My wife made apple crisp for dessert, topped with vanilla ice cream. The other night I made spicy eggplant (makeua oop). The ingredients (and yes, I realize that chorizo is not traditionally Thai): The spice paste. For those of you inclined to read too much into things, sometimes a pestle is just a pestle The eggplant and spice paste hit the pot: I cooked the eggplant until it was tender but still recognizable. We ate it for lunch at work, so I forgot to take a picture of the finished dish. Several folks attracted by the aroma asked for a taste, though. Bruce Edited for clarity and grammar.

Owen: agreed on the poly. We did a door threshold and some shelves, and it was much easier than I expected. Bullnose edges look nice, but they have a potential problem. Depending on the amount of overhang, liquids spilled on the countertop can follow the bullnose and run into your cabinets. We went with a half-bullnose to avoid this in our kitchen (not that we ever spill anything, of course). Melissa: Isn't the Ikea as-is section great? We bought damaged doors with two different finishes when choosing cabinets, then carried the winner from place to place when choosing everything else. Most stores use fluorescent lights, which have a greener color spectrum (as a chemist, I'm sure you can describe how the electrons get kicked up to higher orbitals and release a characteristic wavelength when returning to resting state, etc.) When choosing flooring, some big home stores will let you "check out" samples. It may take some persistence to find the right person, because "No, that's not our policy" is much easier for the employees. Again, seeing the material in your kitchen's light can avoid surprises. Bruce

Oregano is a perennial. Parsley is a biennial, and typically goes to seed fairly quickly in the second year. Most biennials are replanted annually. To increase the chances of rosemary surviving the winter, provide excellent drainage (raised bed, gritty soil). Wet winter soil kills many plants that would otherwise survive. To improve chances of survival, plant rosemary near a heat sink (brick wall, poorly-insulated house). Certain rosemary cultivars such as ‘Arp’ are more cold-tolerant. De Baggio’s Herb Farm and Nursery usually carries a good selection of hardy varieties. Bottom line: rosemary is marginally hardy in SE PA. In Maryland, ours died over the winter every 5-10 years. Replacing the plant is still cheaper than buying rosemary at the store, though. Good luck -- Bruce

FFB: what criteria are important to you? Looks? Durability? Cost? Color? Lack of gloss? Amount of maintenance? What countertop materials have you considered and rejected? Granite? Soapstone? Engineered stone? Serpentine? Site with lots of countertop info. Bruce

We made Balinese grilled bananas with coconut caramel sauce from the Barbecue Bible. The sauce had carmelized brown sugar, coconut milk, cinnamon, and lemon grass. Thes bananas were coated in coconut milk and sugar, then grilled. Vanilla ice cream for accompaniment. Thank you, Steven Raichlen. Next time I'll make it with palm sugar, and toss a few cloves in the sauce. Bruce

Coconut milk vs. coconut extract is just different terminology. Coconut milk has to be extracted chopping up the coconut meat and squeezing out the liquid. My can of Chaokoh coconut milk lists the same ingredients as yours. Chaokoh is a good brand (because the name contains "A-OK"). Also, because it has a high content of delicious coconut fat. Most of the time the contents are solid rather than liquid (a good thing for coconut milk). Happy cooking -- Bruce

I made the Country-Style Pork Ribs with Chipotle, Roasted Tomatoes & Red Peppers. Man, was that good! The meat was juicy and fell off the bone, but still had some tooth. I used canned San Marzano tomatoes but otherwise followed the book. The sauce was wonderful, with intriguing flavors bubbling below the surface and a restrained after burn. I’ll definitely make it again. I scored five pounds of ribs and doubled the recipe. We brought half to a pot luck dinner and they disappeared quickly. We will have the other half for dinner during the week. Best of all, the boys wolfed them down with no complaints. Bruce

Maggie: sorry, but I'll take womanly wiles over Boston cream pie any time. Maybe that is a separate thread: Womanly Wiles or Dessert?: Take Your Pick. Bruce Edited because questions deserve a question mark.

The experts have ruled that flan and baklava are exempt as being neither cake nor pie. By extension, I declare that cookies are neither cake nor pie. Therefore, I add my vote for pie. I asked my wife, and she declared “PIE!” This declaration was made firmly, without hesitation, and with definite overtones of “Well, duh.” She is female. Bruce

Do the following items fit the cake/pie dichotomy, or do they break free of enforced bifurcation and stand proudly alone as unclassified desserts: Baklava: Cake? Multi-crust pie? Flan: Per Miz Ducky’s criterion, does melted caramel count as crust? Does it matter if the flan is served in the baking container (“crust” on the bottom) or unmolded and flipped? It seems wrong that turning a pie upside-down would transform it into a cake. The same question would apply to crumbles and cobblers. Butterscotch pudding Cinnamon rolls: Is bread different than cake? Shortbread: Are cookies cake, or are they cookies? Whatever the ruling, I’m not giving up crisps, crumbles, or cobblers, especially during berry season. If necessary, I would add a crust to carrot cake, thereby transforming it into pie. Actually, carrot cake with a gingery, crunchy crust sounds interesting – too bad I’m a lousy baker. Bruce

Austin: anticipation had been building for two days, so we tore right into the curry without stopping to take pictures. I’ll see if I can make the leftovers presentable, but they definitely won’t rival your photos. Thanks for the information about sugar. I probably added an extra teaspoon of sugar at the end. I'm glad that your neighbor liked your curry. It is always reassuring to get positive feedback from a native. I once had a similar experience when I brought flan to a pot luck dinner. Several gringos were underwhelmed, but a gentleman who had lived in Mexico City loved it. Bruce

Austin, I finished making your Panang curry, and served it for dinner with rice. I could still taste the curry an hour after dinner (in a good way). The instructions were clear, and I adjusted the seasoning with a little extra sugar and fish sauce just before serving. Elder son pronounced the curry “not too spicy” and ate a lot. Younger son surprised me by eating some of the meat and declaring it “spicy but good”. Ms. Sapidus was expecting peanuts in the curry because many local restaurants make it that way. Although the curry confounded her expectations, she still liked it a lot. I loved the curry, and will definitely make it again. The smidgeon of leftovers will be tomorrow’s lunch (or possibly breakfast). Yeah, breakfast. Would palm sugar be traditional in Panang curry? Some Thai curry recipes specify palm sugar as a sweetener (with brown sugar as a substitute). Darker sugar seems to round out curry flavors nicely. Bruce

Austin: I used you recipe to make the Panang curry paste. The aroma was mouth-watering, and I can’t wait to make the curry on Tuesday. Your instructions are remarkably clear, and illuminated a few points that I had not previously grasped. In response to your request, I jotted down a few minor questions and comments. Some may be more relevant than others. Do you add ingredients to the mortar in a particular order? If so, you may want to specify. In my limited experience, it seems more efficient to pound the paste in stages. I first pound the drier and tougher ingredients (lemon grass, galangal, etc.), and then afterwards add ingredients with higher water content (garlic, shallots, etc.). “Large dried chilies 20, softened in warm water” Since chilies originated in South and Central America and have been cultivated there since antiquity, the number and variety of “large dried chilies” is mind-boggling. Even though you are aiming at the Asian market, specifying Western equivalents for Thai chilies could make the recipes more approachable for millions of folks. Perhaps your publisher would pay for a chile fact-finding tour. “Chopped kaffir lime peel 1 tsp” For better or worse, I used dried kaffir lime peel. Fresh is rarely available here, even through mail-order. “Salt ½ tsp” It would be more accurate to specify whether to use fine or coarse salt. “. . . a tablespoon of finely powdered salt will contain more salt by weight than a tablespoon of coarse salt because there is less air space between the small grains than the large grains.” Thanks again – your contributions are greatly valued. Bruce

Suzanne: I just heated up the wok until it was very hot and stir-fried the marinated chicken in a little peanut oil. The marinade stuck a bit, but the flavor was good. We will make the recipe on the grill this week for comparison. Please do report on the pad see ew. Bruce

What was your family food culture when you were growing up? Stereotypical British food meets American convenience, with an overlay of Jewish culture and food (but not religion): casseroles, carbonized roasts, corned beef, baked fish and chicken, Shepherd’s pie, tinned sardines, kippered herring, spaghetti and meat sauce, Hamburger Helper, Shake-N-Bake, Rice-A-Roni, mushy veggies. Turkey, stuffing, and cranberries for the holidays. Over time, meals evolved to include beef Stroganoff, stuffed peppers, cabbage rolls, curries, artichokes, and steamed veggies. We always had salad on the table, and Dad grew wonderful tomatoes and cucumbers in the garden. He also brought home a dozen still-warm bagels from Bernstein’s Bakery most weekends. Lumpy Cream of Wheat was a special breakfast treat –who knew there was a smooth version, too? During dinner, Dad loved to discuss and debate politics, philosophy, religion, history, economics, and structural engineering. At eight, I knew more about modulus of elasticity than most adults. Through these discussions, I developed a love of learning and a keen interest in honing understanding through dispassionate debate. Debate (“arguing”) drives my wife crazy, unfortunately. Oh, well, our pre-teenaged boys are quite willing to debate. As a teenager, I discovered garlic, chilies, spices, and good coffee. Mom has an extremely sensitive nose, and perhaps because of this avoided raw garlic. When I started adding freshly minced garlic to frozen pizzas, she always asked for “just a taste”. This became a running joke, because her “taste” slowly expanded until it was just shy of a full slice. She always left a sliver of a slice no matter how many times I offered her more. Was meal time important? Dinner took place when Dad came home from work (one of his very few rules, along with “no bickering”). All three children were active in sports and other activities, so we rarely ate together during the week. We grabbed food before or after swim practice (sometimes before and after - we burned up lots of calories). When we were older and Mom went back to work, she cooked ahead on the weekends so there was always prepared food in the refrigerator. Eating in shifts was partly logistics, partly family culture. Dad grew up in an orphanage and Mom spent a lot of time in British boarding schools, so they did not have a tradition of family meals. Perhaps more significantly, one of the strengths of our family is respect for each other’s independence. This also drives my wife crazy. For no particular reason, this reminds me of lazy summer evenings as a young child. Our suburban neighborhood was loaded with kids. If we weren’t at the neighborhood pool, we were catching salamanders at the creek, making firefly lanterns, or organizing neighborhood-wide games of hide-and-go-seek. I have no idea how we knew when to come home for dinner. No one had a watch, we just knew. Was cooking important? Not so much. When we were younger, Mom cooked more for sustenance than for pleasure. Over time, she developed a pretty respectable (if under-spiced) repertoire. One of my happiest childhood culinary memories is when Mom decided to make a chocolate mousse for some momentous but long-forgotten occasion. We spent a heavenly couple of weeks “evaluating” Mom’s chocolate mousse variations. What were the penalties for putting elbows on the table? Mom made gentle attempts to civilize us. Before eating at a friend’s house, we were invariably admonished, “Remember to put your knife and fork together when you are finished eating.” Dad usually undermined these efforts, pointing out that the Queen was unlikely to show up for dinner. This became a running joke in the family – we would carefully check for the Royal Presence before putting our elbows on the table. Interestingly, both parents objected to the “boardinghouse reach”, presumably a relic of institutional childhoods. Licking the plate (“like a doggie”) was discouraged. Who cooked in the family? Mom cooked exclusively when we were younger. Dad had a couple of bachelor meals, including his post-holiday stew of turkey, stuffing, and Worcestershire sauce. My sister baked bread for a while We cooked for ourselves when we got older, especially on the weekends and during summer vacation. Were restaurant meals common, or for special occasions? Restaurants were for special occasions like birthdays. The birthday boy or girl was allowed to choose the restaurant. Dad always lobbied for Kentucky Fried Chicken, and was always outvoted. The rest of us preferred the amazing and inexpensive array of international foods available nearby. We began with Chinese restaurants, then moved on to Indian, Pakistani, Vietnamese, Thai, Malaysian, Lebanese, Greek, Jamaican, Mexican, Cuban, Salvadoran, and Ethiopian restaurants as waves of immigration enriched local dining opportunities. As we started earning our own money (cutting lawns or working at the neighborhood pool), we ate out frequently with friends. As an example of the cheap bounty available, $5 at Jamaica Joe’s would buy two spicy meat patties (with Pickapeppa and Jamaican Hellfire sauce), a bottle of nose-hair-curling ginger beer, dense sweet potato pie, and all the reggae videos you could watch (plus an occasional chorus by the wait staff). We celebrated my college graduation with palak paneer at an Indian vegetarian restaurant. Many special meals were in non-restaurant settings. Crab feasts, cookouts, and pot lucks would enliven holidays and mark the passing of summer. Many pot lucks featured an incredible array of international dishes (no green bean casserole, though). Did children have a "kiddy table" when guests were over? Nope, no kiddy table. No relatives lived nearby, so no huge holiday meals. My parents were dedicated homebodies and rarely hosted large gatherings. This sounds much more antisocial than it was, however. Our friends were always welcome for lunch or dinner, and some spent more time at our house than at their own. When did you get that first sip of wine? My parents drank one glass of Taylor’s New York State sherry every Sunday night. I probably asked for a taste when I was about eight, found it exceedingly unpleasant, and didn’t ask again until I discovered beer as a teenager. Was there a pre-meal prayer? Nope. Was there a rotating menu (e.g., meatloaf every Thursday)? Chef Boy-Ar-Dee pizza every Sunday night. Urg. How much of your family culture is being replicated in your present-day family life? Our present-day family culture probably reflects my wife’s family more than mine. She grew up on a farm and believes strongly in eating dinner together. To the maximum extent possible, we adjust our dinnertime around the boys’ after-school activities. Sometimes this means eating dinner shortly before bedtime, but we rarely miss sitting down to eat as a family. We both cook, and we love to entertain for small groups of friends. The type of food that we eat reflects my love of strong flavors. Elder son is becoming a more adventurous eater and has begun experimenting with table sauces besides ketchup. Younger son checks out cookbooks from the elementary school library, loves making cookies, and is getting pretty good at scrambled eggs. Our boys are from Russia, so we make a few Russian comfort foods for them. They will eat unlimited quantities of borscht, beef Stroganoff, pickles, cucumbers, and beets. They adore meals with our Russian friends, especially if a visiting baba makes blini, Russian salad, or pastry-wrapped meat patties (sorry, I don’t know the Russian name). By the way, I know what Ivan (op) means about Russian bread. We had some amazing baked goods during our trips to Russia. Tolliver, thanks for bumping this thread. It has been fascinating and touching reading. Apologies for the length, but I appreciate the memory-jog. Bruce

Tonight we made Grilled Chicken with Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce (gai yang, ping gai) from Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet. It was simple and tasty, and I liked the dipping sauce a lot. I will definitely use the Peppercorn-Coriander Root marinade again. I cooked the chicken in the wok rather than on the grill, mostly out of laziness. For accompaniment, we had jasmine rice and Spicy Cucumber Salad (layout huanggua). The cucumber salad wasn't bad, but the dinner was overloaded with sweet vinegary dressings. This was the first time I had used Sichuan peppercorns, and I enjoyed the numbing-mouthwatering sensation that persisted for some time after the meal. Suzanne: I agree with Austin about stir-frying in smaller batches. Even with a relatively high-BTU burner, I have had better results if I avoid overloading the wok. Good luck, and please report on your results. Bruce