KennethT

I love the combination of fresh green peppercorns, kaffir lime leaves and grachai - also called finger root.

I found the Aroy-D in the box to taste and smell most like what I see freshly made in SE Asia. Beware there are several versions - you want the one that says 100% coconut milk - that one has no added stabilizers or gums. I used to use Chaokoh a long time ago (I stopped using it long before I heard their issues) - I stopped when I found a source of frozen coconut milk from Thailand. I don't bother getting cream and milk - I just reduce the milk a bit more before adding any pastes or anything else. And lately I reserve a bit of milk to add at the very end. - it adds the freshness I always felt like it missed.

I'm envisioning 1/3 of my apartment being grow tent, 1/3 freezer and 1/3 living... My living space would be the size of some people's closet!

Once I move and start cooking again - maybe a month from now? I'll try it. If it works out well, I'm going to need a bigger freezer....

If you can treat leeks as a veg not garnish, why not green onion? You can do the same with garlic chives!!!

One thing that separates a lot of professionals from home is equipment. Pros have temp/humidity controlled proof boxes, deck ovens,etc. all make a much more consistent product.

Jesus those lamb chops look good... reminds me how long I haven't had them for!!!

Did you slice the cb with a machine? If that was with a knife, color me impressed!

I also use the Huy Fong chili garlic or sambal oelek, neither of which is Chinese. @weinooFor a much better Viet hot sauce, I like the one made by Hanoi House / Hanoi Soup Shop which they sell by the small container or jar.

This is one of the funniest things I've ever seen.... thank you for this!!!! Do you know why they call the spatula section the "Equalizer"?

Is this pork neck or a different cut?

@weinooI think the top one looks just about perfect. For neapolitan style, I don't like any browning on the cheese. I also like the center a bit juicy... knife and fork!

I've seen (as I'm sure you have too @liuzhou) scissors used to cut food all over SE Asia. In Vietnam cutting fried spring rolls!

My bamboo flooring had to sit even longer than that!

Insert joke about how many electricians it takes to change a.....

exactly. After we purchased our place, I asked the super to give me some names of contractors who worked in the building. His name was first, along with a couple others. I've met a bunch of his guys who work in there - they've all worked for him for a long time. They like working for him because he always has work for them!

Exactly. My building is a lot smaller than yours, but my contractor had already renovated at least 5 apartments in the building just in the last few years.

Pre-pandemic, I used to get these all the time at their location near me...

Wow, that is crazy. I knew this went on to some degree, but that much!?!

Busy day today so not much time for cooking. I was talking about one of my current favorite Thai restaurants, Fish Cheeks, and conveniently enough, they deliver. My wife is addicted to their shrimp chips with nam prik pao - it's really shrimpy (shrimp paste). One nice thing is that they change up their menu from time to time. Haven't seen this before: One of my favorite stir fries - grachai (finger root), fresh peppercorns and Thai basil made with trout which was completely boneless. It also amazes me how this can arrive still nice and warm but the fish was perfectly cooked and it took the delivery guy 20-30 minutes to get here. An old favorite - branzino coated in red curry paste, wrapped in banana leaf and grilled. This fish was also perfectly cooked and had a great charred aroma throughout. I did have time to make a veggie stir fry while we were waiting for the delivery...

How was it?

Comparable use? Well, at least they're both red...

Once toasted, do you pound all of the dried spices in a mortar or do you use an electric spice grinder? Also, are you toasting them all at once?

I am dying for a good crawfish boil right around now....

Well, with the Cameron smoker, when the wood chips smolder they create this black gunk that flows all along the whole bottom. When I cleaned it, I didn't do a job like I do with my normal pans, but I got the brunt of the gunk off, probably because they told me to in the instructions and I didn't think much of it.