KennethT

an angle grinder using a metal cutting disk - it cut like butter, even easier than cutting aluminum

It's relatively new (less than a year) - and I probably only use it for anything that spatters once in a while (that may change now that I have the new pan). I also run the steam clean function practically after every time I use it as soon as I take out what I'm cooking (so it steams while we're eating) - I let it cool down a bit when it finishes, then give it a wipe with some paper towels.

oooh, I could really go for some spiny lobster... too bad it's only available frozen here, and super expensive.

It's just the two of us (as it is every year) but our normal plans of Peking duck in Chinatown are not going to happen.... I'm thinking about making the 2nd round of duck birria tacos that were so good last time.

I got in my lodge 11"griddle, removed the handles and reseasoned (so the newly exposed metal won't rust). Fits perfectly!!!

@FranciI've never had king fish. What is it like?

LGD?

Whoops! I didn't realize that they weren't the same place with different anglicised spellings.

Thai-ish noodle soup concoction. This is the last of my Thai chicken stock (I'm planning to make more on the long weekend), made into soup with Shaanxi knife cut noodles, duck confit meat and some little choy; pile of herbs for adding in the background - mint (it is overgrowing the garden, even though it is theoretically contained in its own pot), rau ram, thai basil and sawtooth coriander. Duck skin crisped in the CSO - 275F convection bake for about a half hour.

I definitely think location is a part of it. That and cleanup. My smoker is buried underneath a bunch of other stuff, so it's a real pita to dig it out. That, and after it's done, cleaning up the gunky residue is a pita also. Since I currently have about 6 sq ft. of countertop space, very little is actually left out and ready to use. I'll be happy when we move - I'll basically double my countertop space!!!

I haven't bought anything in the last few years that I don't use a lot, just because I've been so choosy about what to get.... With that said, I have made quite a few purchases in the past that I barely use - like my stovetop smoker - it works really well, but I almost never use it. Stick blender - if it's used 5x a year, it's a miracle. That being said, it came in handy last night when I was making a puree of grated coconut and raw shrimp to put in a goan shrimp curry. 4 more to go.

Wow - I didn't realize it was that thick. In that case, if you like it rare/medium rare, I'd put it in a 115F bath for maybe a half hour before serving just to bring it up to temp a bit. Then dry it off and sear and that should take it the rest of the way.

If that's 6:30PM - as in about 3.5 hours ago, I'd say pull it and ice it then stick in the refrigerator. Tomorrow, you can give it a sear straight out of the fridge and by the time it's fully seared, the middle will be up to temp.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd assume that the 2 loop handled wok is mainly used for deep frying, boiling or steaming. Unless the wok is HUGE, in which case it's not going to be picked up to toss the food anyway - in which case the two loop handles would be fine for stir frying since really they just stay out of the way until you want to move the wok to a new location.

Tom yum? Isn't there usually a red tinge coming from the nam prik pao? It almost looks like a tom kha, with coconut milk...

I decided to go with a Lodge 11" square cast iron griddle pan - I'm going to cut the handles off of it once it arrives so it will fit. It's only an inch deep, which is fine since I won't be using the rack with it. Arriving tomorrow....

This is not an issue for me... I have a big industrial vapor degreaser! 🤣

That's a great way to celebrate being back in FL!

Doesn't that defeat the purpose of carbon steel?

Does anyone have both Darto and Vollrath carbon steel pans? I'd love to hear a comparison between the two...

@liuzhou It seems to me from my local Sichuan and Hunan places (different restaurants) that the chilies that go into Sichuan are typically dried, while Hunan food uses more fresh chilies. The chilies in Sichuan food, for the most part, are not really eaten but are used to flavor a dish, like a hot pot, while Hunan food uses a large amount of chopped up fresh chilies that are practically impossible to avoid. Is this true?

You can also dust scallops with Wondra flour - David Bouley used to teach a cooking class once in a while and that's how they used to do it in his restaurants.

Also, it's important to get "dry packed" scallops or the like. If they've been packed in brine, they contain too much water and will never get a good sear.

Thanks for all this information and the effort that went into getting it out! I appreciate it.

My kaffir lime tree has started to flower. I'm debating pinching them off until the tree gets a bit older. I don't have much use for the fruit - not like I'm making Thai curry pastes from scratch!