C. sapidus

My copy is also falling apart, despite somewhat less heavy use. Might just be a poor binding. My notes by that recipe state, "Excellent! Family loves!"

I am taking notes . . .

East-West Buffalo wings: Marinade and sauce was garlic, ginger, and scallion whites sauteed in lots of butter, then simmered with Sriracha, black pepper, and lime juice. Marinade was boiled to kill the nasties and tossed with half of the wings (Mrs. C prefers dry, I prefer sauced). Gorgonzola sauce for the wings (barely visible in back): Gorgonzola forced through a fine mesh and mixed with minced onion, black pepper, sour cream, and mayo. Peas makhani: Sizzle cumin and black mustard seeds, add the peas, and then simmer with coconut milk, tomato paste, lemon juice, minced jalapeno, and cilantro. High flavor to effort ratio.

Thank you for the Asheville report, @Katie Meadow. We had planned a trip there in fall 2024 to see the Chihuly fused glass exhibit at the Biltmore, but obviously that didn't happen (and sadly, the exhibit has ended). I am interested to hear more. We still want to get down there, preferably after the disc ("Frisbee") golf courses have recovered . . .

Heh. No ginger in the recipe [Spicy Prik King Shrimp (Gkoong Pad Prik King)], from 'Dancing Shrimp' by Kasma Loha-Unchit. Recipe notes state that prik king means "chilli ginger", but also states that dried red chillies and galangal are the key ingredients. Yes, confusing. I have written in a note to add ginger, which I have done in the past. Edit: A quick check of David Thompson's 'Thai Food' shows a recipe for stir-fried wild pork with beans and green peppercorns (pat prik kink muu bpaa) that also uses galangal but no ginger (although it does have shredded grachai, but not in the paste). Hmm.

Prik king shrimp with green beans, jasmine rice, and sliced cucumbers. I used a prepared red curry paste, blended with fresh lemongrass, galangal, garlic, and long red chile. Seared and removed the shrimp and green beans. Fried the curry paste, and seasoned with palm sugar and fish sauce. Other ingredients included crushed peanuts, lime zest (sub for lime leaves), slivered long red chiles, cilantro, and Asian basil.

I love all of the above, but I would have to include feta (more for cooking than eating) and some sort of blue cheese.

Bay scallops, kielbasa, and plantains, all seared and removed. Sauteed shallots, garlic, jalapeno, and a roasted chile Poblano, seasoned with black pepper and cayenne, mixed everything together, and finished with Asian basil. Lovely mix of flavors and textures, if I say so myself. The discussion on scallops made me hungry for same.

I suspected that you might ask. Unfortunately, my answer is unsatisfying: "Chinese spinach" is how they were labeled at the local international market, and a quick internet search was unsatisfying. This is the link for the product: Chinese spinach: H-Mart (clicky) I can say that the market also offered "regular" spinach, which had smaller, rounder leaves and collapses more easily when exposed to heat.

I think that is correct, but I'm hardly an expert.

The issue with TSP and scallops is it causes them to retain water. This works against a good sear. Look for “dry packed” scallops to avoid excess water.

Liuyang black bean chicken: chicken thigh chunks marinated with soy sauce, twice-fried, and removed. Stir-fry a whole head of garlic, sliced ginger, fermented black beans, Shaoxing wine, red chile flakes, and rice vinegar. Finish with scallions and sesame oil. This is a long-time favorite. Stir-fried Chinese spinach leaves with garlic: Yup, its that simple (plus a pinch of salt). I liked the Chinese spinach - nice flavor, and a bit more robust vs. regular spinach.

Tuna salad with kimchee, pickled jalapenos, Tony Packo's sweet hot pickles, capers, mayo, white pepper, cayenne, gochujang, and hot sauce. Served on potato rolls with butter lettuce. I like the proportions roughly equal parts tuna and pickly things.

Kielbasa and roasted chile Poblano with cilantro, Mexican oregano, and a sauce of sauteed onion, garlic, and long red chiles, blended with chopotle in adobo and crushed tomato. Toppped with minced red onion, crumbled feta, and fried ripe plantains. Nice mix of hot-smoky-sweet-salty-pungent flavors.

I have used pre-chopped frozen lemongrass. Not quite the same as fresh but it will do in a pinch. For frozen lemongrass stalks, I would either: 1) thaw and slice thinly; or 2) thaw at least partially and bash up with a heavy object, followed by tying into a knot if practicable. I am curious, though - if you simmer a whole frozen stalk in liquid, do you get the flavor you want, or does the lemongrass need to be sliced or bruised to release the flavor?

Neua naam tok (Issan steak salad, from Pok Pok): Marinated NY strip steaks with soy sauce and a paste of lemongrass and black pepper. Grilled over charcoal, rested, and sliced thinly. Dressing was sliced lemongrass, lime juice, fish sauce, quick beef stock (made from steak trimmings), cayenne, smoked paprika, and a little sugar. Salad was mint leaves, cilantro, sliced shallots, and toasted rice powder. Cucumber relish, with rice vinegar, sugar, salt, long red chiles, cilantro, and crushed peanuts. Served with coconut rice and butter lettuce to make lettuce wraps.

For the okra, any shape that you could fry the pieces to crispy should work just fine. And thanks!

"Delicious chicken bits" from Madhur Jaffrey: Cubed chicken breast, tossed with black pepper, turmeric, cayenne, cumin, ajwan, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and oil. Chicken is browned in the wok and then baked under parchment paper. Someone kindly posted Suvir Saran's recipe for Crispy Okra Salad (clicky), so I had to give that a try. Thumbs up from Mrs. C, who is typically a non-okraphile. I had mail-ordered amchur powder (dried green mango) and the package arrived just before dinner, along with some hiking socks (not included in the meal).

Thanks! By US lingo, the eggplant is broiled (heat from above). If it was grilled (heat from below, by US lingo) all of the olive oil would run out. 🙃

A rare Italian(ish) dinner: Baked stuffed catfish fillets: Filled and topped with panko, grated parmesan, garlic, chopped anchovies, S&P, and cilantro (sub for parsley ). Flavor was good but 2 layers made cooking tricky. I would do single layer if I do this again, probably combined with Mrs. C's pistachio and panko coating. "Grilled" eggplant: Slashes stuffed with garlic, rosemary, S&P, and copious amounts of olive oil. A favorite that I haven't made for a long while.

Cabbage stir-fried with fennel seed, cumin seed, sesame seed, sliced onion, habanero and long red chiles, and red Hatch chile powder, finished with garam masala. I usually add a squeeze of lemon but forgot. Topped with an over-easy egg.

Wasn't planning on cooking but I slapped together a quick meal. Camarones a la diabla: Sautee white onion and sliced garlic, then blend with chipotles en adobo, crushed tomato, and Mexican oregano. Sprinkle shirimp with S&P, then sear and remove. Blend and simmer the sauce, then finish with the shrimp, chopped cilantro, and a little leftover pinot grigio (some for the sauce, and some for the cook). Shrimp turned out particularly tender. Quick guacamole with chopped jalapeno, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.

Potato rendang: Spice paste of lemongrass, shallots, garlic, long red chiles, bird chiles, fresh turmeric, ginger, and galangal, all whizzed up in the blender. Reduce coconut milk with the spice paste and Thai basil leaves, adding slit baby potatoes about halfway through. Continue reducing and scraping the pan until potatoes and sauce are browned to "the color of a well-roasted chicken." I could have browned more, but sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. Braised cabbage with dried shrimp: Peel cabbage leaves and cut into squares. Soak dried shrimp in warm water. Saute garlic and then add the cabbage, shrimp, soaking water, black pepper, and a little sugar. Stir until cabbage has translucent spots, then cover and braise until cabbage is barely tender. Remove lid, raise heat, and boil off most of the liquid. Simple and good. Both from 'Cradle of Flavor'

Leftover collard and mustard greens with deboned pork ribs

I had leftover habanero BBQ sauce so I decided to smoke baby back ribs in the Weber bullet. Ribs were rubbed with magic dust overnight, and then glazed with the BBQ sauce in the last hour of smoking. BBQ sauce on the side but not in the picture. Mix of collard and mustard greens, simmered for a couple of hours with fried bacon, apple cider vinegar, mustard powder, red chile flakes, black pepper, and a little sugar. A mash-up of several recipes so unfortunately unlikely to be repeatable.