KennethT

Algae need some kind of nutrient in order to proliferate - so, distilled water should theoretically be algae free.

Madeira goes with EVERYTHING!

Me too

wow! At what point does it stop being called a Brussels sprout and instead just called cabbage?

If you're using distilled water, it should never need descaling. How does it know it needs it? Is it just based on hours of steam usage (like a timer)? Based on this, I'd assume so...

I think there is a place for giant agribusiness - but I am happy there are other alternatives. The unfortunate reality is that we need the really cheap sources of meat to feed the majority of the world. Every time I read an article talking about how the world is going to run out of food, large agribusiness comes up with ways to be more efficient, to get more product out of a piece of land. Farm land is finite - and as the human population grows, land for farming is shrinking. As much as I don't want to eat it, GMO crops (like more disease/drought/pest resistant crops) are what saved the planet from starvation decade after decade.

I don't think it was its age - granted, it was probably over a year old, but it was doing great up until my system started to fail it. When I move (hopefully in a month or two) I'm going to revise my system which will keep that problem from happening again...

The rau ram (laksa leaf) plant is dead... Long live the rau ram plant...

Would you ever consider getting a plant light? That way you can have your herbs year round.

I imagine it would also be really good in a Thai style - egg white, red curry paste, kaffir lime leaf... it's typically done with a firm white fish, but I can't imagine it being bad with salmon. Also common in Nyonya style - called Otak...

OK - that's what I thought it looked like. What is the resulting texture? Is it just a firm but tender cake or does it have a "bouncy" texture that so common with SE Asian fish cakes/balls?

Was that salmon a salmon cake that was sliced? If so, how was it done?

Have you tried Katie's Best chicken thighs? You can get them on Fresh Direct... I'd be curious as to your thoughts, compared with Cooks Venture

adding some toasted sticky rice powder to your dressing will make a huge difference. Also easy to do...

Nice Champagne selections! What type of crab claws are those?

Those ducks look amazing.... if you like mashed potatoes with Yukons, try some fingerlings sometime - I think they're even better, but they're a pita to peel because they're so small.

Did you post your haul from Wu's?

Yes, I think Nyetimber is the best of the English sparklers. Whereas most can be thin, very acidic and linear, Nyetimber always manages to get good ripeness on the fruit which gives a great weight to the mouthfeel and it's always well balanced and rounded. I first had one maybe 10-12 years ago when a friend poured it blind for a few of us. We all thought it was a high quality Champagne.

Singapore style chicken curry with homemade roti prata... I think this has become my death row meal! Crumb shot of the prata:

I do have a large bag (although it keeps getting smaller) of MSG, and I was thinking about it, but the final dish is already extremely savory - I feel like it needs some lift. I have also considered the fact that the ground chicken rather than pork or beef could be the culprit... I told my wife, for the sake of science, that we needed to try it with ground pork from Chinatown (who will make it from fatty pork rather than lean pork like my local supermarket) instead the chicken one time... for research purposes of course...

Probably my wife's favorite dish of all time, mapo tofu.... Usually we order it in from our local Sichuan place about once a week, but today, I made this for her.... This one was made with garlic chives since I had them around, but I usually make them with leeks. It's really tasty, but never quite tastes like the ones we order in - maybe someone can help me diagnose the issue? I first make a chili oil with some dried chillies, then reserve. Add a bit more oil and some freshly ground sichuan peppercorns. Then a big handful of chopped ginger, then a big handful of chopped garlic. I add maybe 4 oz ground chicken meat (trying to be healthy) and breakup to brown, then about a small handful of chopped pixian doubanjiang and maybe 1-2 T of chopped dou chi. That's stir fried for a few minutes until I see the doubanjiang get a big darker then add 1C homemade chicken stock then simmer for a few minutes while I prep the tofu. Add cornstarch slurry to get the right consistency, plus a little extra salt and a touch of sugar. Then slide in the tofu and simmer for a few more minutes. Finally throw in the garlic chives and mix around for a little bit and plate. Am I missing anything? Or maybe it's the brand of doubanjiang I'm using?

Oh yeah... a couple months ago, when prepping for a colonoscopy, my gastro recommended having a really big greasy breakfast the morning of starting the prep. I interpreted that to mean only one thing - Popeyes! But, my local branch doesn't open until noon, and I needed to have it at like 6AM. I got it the day before and then refrigerated it. Reheated it (and the biscuits) in the CSO worked perfectly... Love this oven!

Wow, that Ruin a must have been especial! Love old Rioja!

Looks good, but keep them away from me!!!

Thanks. To be honest, we just Coravined a glass and put the rest back in the wine fridge. We tried it about a year ago and it was much more closed. I think it's starting to come into its own now but I can't wait to try it again on a few more years!