MikeHartnett

Mushroom dashi seemed inappropriate for the stew or soup I was making.. Yes, I've used dried shiitake mushrooms. As noted above, "I thought about adding some dried shiitake, but decided against it as I had other plans for those that were in the cupboard." Sorry - I was unaware that possessing dried shiitakes indicated that one had previously used them.

I vote mushroom dashi. And have you used dried shiitakes? Way different results than fresh.

I disagree entirely with your thoughts on the tone. As someone fairly familiar with Thai food, I find that Ricker is just trying to explain things in a patient way to the majority of people who think Thai food is one thing only. This is one of the more exciting cookbooks I've come across in recent memory. Not only is it exposing an underappreciated cuisine (non-central Thai) to many who would otherwise never come across it, but he does so in an incredibly dedicated and painstaking way. I've cooked a number of dishes from the book, and they've all turned out remarkably well. To this point, I've made yam khai dao (fried egg salad), yam makheua yao (grilled eggplant salad), het paa naam tok (grilled mushroom salad), aep plaa (curried fish in banana leaves), phat fak thawng (stir-fried squash), phak buung fai daeng (stir-fried water spinach), puu phat phong karii (crab stir-fried with curry powder), muu kham waan (grilled pork neck), jaw phak kat (mustard green and tamarind soup with pork ribs), khao soi kai (curry noodle soup with chicken), kuaytiaw khua kai (stir-fried noodles with chicken, egg, and cuttlefish). I haven't been disappointed by anything, and I've been quite pleased to explore a number of flavors I've only had glimpses of in the past. In case it isn't clear, I highly recommend the book.

John Currence is in Oxford, Mississippi. But Memphis is probably the closest airport, so good plan!

We can only dream.

How big, exactly?

I'll rephrase it: Should everyone stop eating Foster Farms' chickens? Please don't rephrase. Even those in China clearly understood the question. And if you're buying good chicken to begin with, you should have no concerns about this situation, in my opinion.

I'm a big fan of salting and rubbing olive oil in, well before dressing and serving. Agreed, though. It feels like other greens don't exist anymore. I like kale, but it isn't the end-all.

Yep. Powder.

I'd love to hear people's favorite Marcella recipes in the context they're currently being discussed. Also, if I were to buy one of her books, which should it be?

weinoo, my situation is identical to yours. My wife likes to eat the food, but doesn't shop for it or cook it. On the very, very rare occasions she runs to the store because I can't, I keep fingers and toes crossed that she won't come back with the equivalent of "chocolate covered licorice balls," or the $7 eggs.

I like the lemon, mustard, garlic dressing on this one. Stands up to the kale well. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/01/vegan-marinated-kale-chickpea-salad-sumac-onions-recipe.html

Not sure where you're getting any of that info - as far as I can tell, the product is still one piece. And since they had to redesign to prevent steam damage, I think they've probably noticed that it generates heat.

Mashed sounds just fine to me!

C. sapidus, as always, your food looks delicious. TinaYuan, how was the texture on the mashed cauliflower? Tonight, a riff on a Modernist Cuisine (via Herbivoracious) dish. Caramelized carrot, miso, black bean soup with avocado.

Ottolenghi-inspired: Miso-dashi poached turnips, shiitakes, carrots, and chard with peanut-vinegar sauce over Louisiana popcorn rice.

patrickamory, that General Tso's looks delicious. Is that a Fuchsia Dunlop recipe?

Wow!

Looks fantastic, patrickamory! How did it taste? I almost made it the other night, but went for the warming beef curry with tomato (which is absolutely mindblowing, considering how simple it is). ETA: Ah- just saw you described it in the other thread. This one's on the list, then.

She*

Thanks! It was really good. The toasted chickpea flour really adds a nice depth to the dish, and the lime cuts it really well.

Ohn-no khaut swe (Burmese coconut sauce noodles) from Naomi Duguid's Burma.

KInd of agree. The recipes I've made have turned out well, but they're either fairly standard or fusion-y. But it's a beautiful book, and if you don't have a bunch of Viet stuff already, it's an interesting introduction.

This book has lived up to all my wildly high expectations. Have made Na'ama's Fattoush, the Bulgur Risotto with Marinated Feta, and the Hummus Kawarma with Lemon Sauce. All fantastic, though mostly not photogenic. I did take one of the risotto that turned out acceptably, though with terrible lighting:

Huh? It just cooled off enough to think about going outside! Grilling begins! Mike, in New Orleans.