blue_dolphin

Fried Lemon Pasta with Chile Flakes from Melissa Clark's Dinner, with the uncalled for addition of sugar snap peas.

Two more similar-looking pear pops, both repeats from last year. Pear, ginger & cream - from People's Pops: Pear, ginger & Riesling, a modification of the above recipe. Last year, I liked the wine variation. This year, the cream version is winning me over. Both have little cubes of candied ginger mixed in for texture and flavor.

Another breakfast from Melissa Clark's Dinner: Scrambled Eggs with Smoked Fish and Cream Cheese p 167. I like smoked trout and cream cheese on my bagel but I wasn't sure how I'd like them in my eggs. In fact, it turns them into a quick and pleasantly rich brunch dish. Melissa suggests serving this with a bagel but I think crispy toast or crunchy English muffins are a better choice. I didn't have any of the optional salmon or trout roe to garnish my plate but that might have pushed me over the edge - I used a fresh tomato from a local farm stand instead.

I certainly appreciate your disappointment, @Kim Shook, especially given the circumstances. That said, there were many times when I was upgraded to first class on an early AM domestic flight and asked the FA to bring me some Biscoffs from coach instead of the nasty hot breakfast!

@Shelby, I just wanted to note that I am anxiously patiently awaiting a report on those cocktail tomatoes. I am interested in what sort of tomatoes you used. The recipe calls for Roma. I often find them hard and not so tasty. The photo in the book looks like maybe a mix of Romas and yellow or gold cherry tomatoes. The recipe doesn't mention peeling the tomatoes (although the recipe for Cherry Tomatoes in Basil Vinegar on p 275 does peel. Knowing your preferences, I assume you would peel them. AmIright? No rush, of course....I know that good things come to those who wait

This list has Instant Pot cooking times for various Rancho Gordo beans, soaked and unsoaked. For most unsoaked beans, I like to cook them under pressure for ~ 20 min, then simmer for another 20 min or so using the sauté function. If you don't already have a copy, I highly recommend downloading the Kindle version of Instant Pot® Obsession: The Ultimate Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook for Cooking Everything Fast by our own @JAZ. It's not a fancy photo-filled cookbook but it's packed with accurate, concise information about the IP. At $2.99 or $CDN3.73, it's well worth the investment.

I bought one of those SodaPlus units a couple of years ago when the PureFizz went MIA on Amazon. The cap and carbonating parts are identical and interchangeable with the PureFizz although the container itself is larger - 1.2 liter vs 750 ml.

I'm sorry to say that I have't tried IP grits. I keep meaning to try this method, so thanks for the reminder! I've been getting such nice results with Vivian Howard's double boiler method that I've been sticking with that.

Chilled cucumber & corn soup with avocado toasts from Melissa Clark's Dinner. Cool and refreshing on a hot day like today. My buttermilk was at that stage where it's probably OK for baking but I wasn't sure about drinking whole bowl so I used the suggested substitute of yogurt + milk with a mix of mint, parsley, basil and cilantro for the herbs. I wish I'd used more cilantro as I love it with cucumbers. Next time!

Holy cow, that grand finale meal was better than fireworks! Thanks again!

I really love your "re-entry shields" terminology! I'm a fiend for a flaky bottom crust or maybe I'm a pale-pasty-crust-phobe. Either way, I regularly need to deploy re-entry shields on my blind-baked crusts. I also save them to re-use so next time someone attempts to throw them away, I can say, "Nooooo - they're my special re-entry shields !

Ditto that! I highly recommend it as the first Hong Kong meal for any visitors - a long walk and a bowl of wonton noodle soup are the perfect antidote to jet lag.....well, maybe a nap, too ! Thank you so much for this week's tour, @Duvel - your photos and descriptions really made everything come alive!

If you've been in the industry for 20 yrs, you are probably familiar with your local regulations and understand how widely they vary from state to state here in the US and in other countries. I'm not sure where you are. Here in California, a "cottage food act" was passed a few years ago but it only allows sale of home-produced items that require no refrigeration (breads and some baked goods, candy, jams, mustards and other condiments, dried pasta, granola, etc.) There is a bill in the California legislature (AB-626 - California Retail Food Code: microenterprise home kitchen operations) that seeks set standards that would allow sales of a broader range of foods. If you follow that link in the bill title, you can see the text and get an understanding of the proposed regulations. The tech start-up Josephine, which offers an interface to match home cooks with interested clients had to suspend operations in California last year due to legal challenges related to food safety. The company is now working with its former opposition, the California Conference of Directors of Environmental Health as well as cooks, legal experts, and food and labor justice organizations on AB-626. I hope they are successful as it could open some wonderful opportunities for home cooks. For general interest, here's a link to a 2015 Atlantic article: Why I Quit Ordering From Uber-for-Food Start-Ups that compares the Josephine experience favorably to a number of other food start-ups.

I have to say that talk of an explosion that's prevented with a dish towel does not cause me great alarm And in relation to that sauce, should you dare to risk it, this recipe for a Blueberry Q flatbread using that sauce plus roasted chicken, sliced jalapeños, red onion and smoked gouda sounds pretty good.

For some time, I had enough work travel to be in United's top tier of frequent flyers, meaning I almost always got upgraded to first class. This is no longer the case. These days, I fly much less frequently and always in steerage. Aside from the more comfortable seats, what I miss most about those days are the pre-departure beverage (something bubbly, preferably French, thank you ) and the little bowls of hot nuts

Maybe like this?

Thank you! And in the interest of full transparency, I will share today's breakfast: Cupcakes made for me by my 6 yr old neighbor. I ate the pink one, decorated with a cat and will save the blue sprinkles for later.

I appreciate the value of cater wrapping for transport purposes and I'm glad to learn that it's a real process. As a veteran of more catered workplace meals than I care to admit, we always figured the catering staff either suffered from a special "plastic-film-OCD" or wanted us to WORK for our lunch as those plates and platters were devilish to unwrap without something sharper than the plastic utensils provided. Not a method I want to use for anything that's staying in my house!

Has anyone purchased My Master Recipes: 165 Recipes to Inspire Confidence in the Kitchen *With Dozens of Variations* by Patricia Wells? It came out in March. It is due into my library this week and I've placed a hold request on it so I should get a look at it soon. From the Amazon "Look Inside" feature, it seems to be organized by technique.

@robirdstx, I also find that your method of cooking with pressure first, followed by a nice simmer works really well for dried beans. Edited to add that if I just use pressure alone, the beans seem like canned beans. That extra simmer really brings out a better texture and flavor.

I really, really want some conch fritters!

Polenta topped with broccoli, sautéed with garlic, fried egg and shaved Parmesan A modification of the recipe for Polenta with Broccoli Rabe and Fried Eggs from Melissa Clark's Dinner. Single serving of polenta cooked in the Instant Pot as described here.

When I make IP polenta, I usually make extra so I can let the leftovers firm up for fried or broiled polenta but today, I thought I'd see if I could make a single serving AND to it in a dish suitable for serving/eating from. 1/4 cup polenta + 1 cup water + 1/4 t salt, 15 min manual, high pressure, slow release. I was a little worried that it might boil up and overflow. But as you can see below, it it not: Topped with broccoli, fried egg and Parmesan for breakfast. Successful IP experiment!

Before I visited Hong Kong, I was aware of the situation but the numbers of people astonished me when I was out walking. Here's another link that goes into a little more about the food they are sharing: A Sunday ritual for 300,000 women

They are Hong Kong domestic workers: link Edited to add that the people in Duvel's photo are just gathering to spend time with their friends and families, not protesting as in the link. I attached it to give a little more background.