C. sapidus

percyn – thank you! That bo ssam looks divine Shrimp “scampi” with linguini – slivered garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, S+P, and a little smoked paprika. The boys reminded me, as always, that “shrimp is not their favorite.” Braised red cabbage with onion – garlic, chicken stock, S+P, parsley, and balsamic vinegar. Boys liked this.

True dat. One of my favorite cooking quotes is "if in doubt, add fish sauce." Dejah - what, no after picture!? Looks like it would be delicious. Just younger son and I for dinner tonight so we kept it simple. He made the jasmine rice and I made dry-fried green beans, substituting bacon for pork.

I have not bought a new cookbook for at least a year, but this does not reflect poorly on current offerings. When life gets more complicated, cooking gets simpler. For a few years I cooked something new nearly every meal. That exploration yielded a long list of reliable family favorites, and choosing from that list leaves more time and energy for other things. When I feel the need for something new, I can usually find an un-tried recipe in one of my existing cookbooks.

Kim – add one more “welcome back!” to the pile, and kudos to Mr. Kim on the brisket Bisteces encebollados (steak with onions), adapted from Mexico the Beautiful Cookbook. Something this simple – sirloin steak, white onion, garlic, chicken stock, and roasted peppers – has no right to be this tasty. Arroz blanco (white rice pilaf) has been a stone-cold family favorite for a long time, and for good reason. Jasmine rice, white onion, garlic, chicken broth, roasted Poblano chiles, and flat-leaf parsley.

Thank you, BeeZee. I agree about pickle-y things with mayo. To my taste, the acid from the pickle juice also adds an essential something.

Rob – Thank you for doing the blog this week, I look forward to following along. Looks like you are in a gorgeous location, that’s a lovely view of the town. I have a sudden hankering for Sichuan pork, and I blame you. Perhaps you can do something about that . . .

Tuna salad with mayo, Sriracha, and “Southern how chow-chow.” The chow-chow substituted for my usual sweet pickle relish. I often add curry powder, but did not this time.

percyn – as always, I could happily tuck into any of your fine breakfasts xilimms – that’s a beauty! Easy-over eggs on potato rolls, topped with feta, fried shallot, cayenne, S&P, and Tapatio salsa . . . . . . and, as required by eGullet bylaws, the “money shot”

Ahh - I think you're on to something. British version of Fuchsia Dunlop's book, too.

I appreciate the sentiments, but definitely not me. Y’all gave me a smile, though – thanks! Agree with Anna N on the Chinese clay pot, and that Global knife looks vaguely familiar from the knife nut thread. Prawncrackers has a nice collection of sharp implements, but he has paid his dues fairly recently, so I dunno. I wanna see a dcarch foodblog. Seriously

nikkib, kayb, and lochaven - your kind words are greatly appreciated. Thank you! Stir-fried beef with red curry and everything else cluttering up the vegetable drawer – Napa cabbage, yard-long beans, sliced Poblano chiles, and half an onion - flavored with garlic, Thai bird chiles, red chiles, Thai basil, and fish sauce. Served with coconut rice and salad.

My main coffee fetish has to do with warming the thermos that I bring to work. The process has grown more elaborate over the years to include countercurrent heat exchange and my morning oatmeal. It probably makes a minor contribution to global warming, but I will trade the future of our planet for steaming-hot coffee in the late afternoon.

Anna N – Nice to see what you have been cooking up! Shelby - Thank you Yeah, that bread and pasta looks really good. You're doomed. Pan-fried trout with macadamias, chipotles, bacon, and long beans – adapted from Mexican Everyday. Skin-on trout with garlic, chicken broth, cilantro, and lime juice. Fried in bacon - very popular. Quick cowboy beans (not pictured) - black beans, more bacon, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and pickled jalapenos. Younger son made salad tonight. I think the vegetables balanced out the bacon?

lochaven – nice meal, welcome to Dinner! Dejah – gorgeous meal, great job of spreading the good word (and thanks for the nice comment on the Breakfast thread). Dinner last night, adapted from Andrea Nguyen’s Into the Vietnamese Kitchen Stir-fried chicken with lemongrass and chile, served with jasmine rice. Chicken marinated with curry powder, sugar, salt, and fish sauce; stir-fried with red bell peppers and minced lemongrass, Thai bird chiles, and shallots; and finished with coconut milk and cilantro. Napa cabbage soup with shrimp and bay scallops – Mrs. C claims that the robust aroma of dried shrimp reminds her of a bait shop, so I used extra fish sauce instead. White pepper, sliced scallions, and sautéed onion added flavor.

percyn, those all look good. If forced to choose, I would take kheema on scrambled eggs. Mexican scrambled eggs, with roasted garlic and serrano chiles, tomato, white onion, cumin, and oregano, topped with more oregano and feta cheese.

Excellent and comprehensive start, Chris. I feel like I could fly to Melborne and know exactly where to go shopping! I will be interested to hear how Sierra Nevada survived its trip to Australia (I like the Porter, FWIW). Beer that has traveled long distances sometimes disappoints. I look forward to the ‘roo, and to the rest of your week.

I love that recipe! Shrimp sautéed in olive oil with sliced garlic, parsley, and lemon juice, served with linguine. Peas with parsley and butter. Simple and satisfying.

Scotty Boy – blue cheese mac and cheese, I’m not surprised at your roommate’s behavior dcarch – wow, beautiful as always (and thank you) Ancho chile burgers, made with ground chuck, ground pork, chopped scallions, and yesterday’s chile paste (toasted and rehydrated anchos, chicken broth, roasted garlic, oregano, cumin, cloves, and black pepper). The pork and chile paste kept the burgers moist and juicy, but my hands were impressively red after slapping out the patties. On the grill . . . . . . and on the plate

Dinner: Poblano chile-braised chicken with potatoes and Swiss chard, served with fried onions and arroz blanco (yes, there is chicken hiding under the other stuff). Dessert: Mrs. C picked up insanely good chocolates. Mine were cayenne (left) and stout (right).

Yet another omelet, this time filled and topped with feta cheese, oregano, and a fried paste made from chipotle chile, garlic, lime juice, sugar, and salt.

More than you ever wanted to know about depth of field from DOF master (click) Edited to add: Short version: Long focal length + wide aperture = narrow depth of field.

Welcome to our planet, I hope you come in peace. Longer focal lengths will “flatten” the picture and yield narrower depth of field (less of the picture in focus). dcarch and prawncrackers give good examples of these effects. For more, see perspective distortion (photography) at Wikipedia. Yes Yes. Get a beanbag, set it on a solid object (upside-down pot?), and rest the camera on the beanbag. That should eliminate camera shake. Edit: drat, y'all type way faster than I do. Shouldn't have stopped to help elder son with his college essay . . .

Da boyz have become fans of salad, but I usually throw in some cukes for old times' sake. Speaking of pork fat, tonight younger son baked a pound of bacon with maple syrup. It didn't last long. Thank you, Patrick. The recipe is from James Oseland's Cradle of Flavor, a book that I can recommend unreservedly. An adaptation of the recipe can be found here (clicky). Send me a PM if you would like more info.

Hah! When our boys were younger, their favorite meal was spaghetti with ketchup. Your little ones will be fine (and well-traveled!). mm84321 – looks good! Garlic-black bean pan-fried mahi mahi, from Dancing Shrimp. Mrs. C picked up the fish while I chopped garlic, ginger, fermented black beans, and cilantro stems. Black soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, black pepper, and cayenne rounded out the flavors. Served over jasmine rice, with our usual side salad of lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, and scallions.

Franci – Thanks! Re secrets: 1) Start with foods that they like, slowly expand their comfort zone, and steer clear of power struggles; 2) If they don’t like something, try to figure out why (texture, a particular ingredient, etc.); 3) Children become much less picky when they are hungry; and 4) When all else fails, add bacon! It does take time, though. Children often need to try a new food several times before they will enjoy it. Our boys are teenagers, so they have become inured to my cooking. Sounds like our small town (minus the beach ) – we have one pan-Asian market and one Indian grocery. Availability of Latino and Caribbean ingredients is increasing nicely, though . . .