KennethT

What time/temp do you use for the various chicken parts? I never found a time/temp that worked to give really juicy meat but fully cooked skin at the same time.

no - they're solenoid valves. There is a large submersible pump in the reservoir outside the tent pumping into a manifold made from half inch tubing. When one of the plants needs feeding (as sensed by the capacitive moisture sensor), the controller first turns the pump on, then a second later opens the valve that leads to that plant using pressure compensating drippers. Once the setpoint is reached, the valve closes, followed by the pump a second later. Submersible pumps and pressure compensated drippers are the most common nutrient delivery method for hydroponics.

Spaceship garden is almost fully automated! Just needs some coding changes and we'll be all set!

While my grocery store lemongrass is typically tough and fibrous (and not very juicy... I can't wait till my plant starts to fill in a bit!), the galangal I get is even worse - it's like a chunk of wood!

Indonensia, they call it a cobek and ulek.

Perilla is commonly used in southern Vietnam, as one of the herbs that can accompany pho, grilled meats, etc... usually eaten raw.

I've been looking into getting a mortar/pestle. Right now, I have a very small marble one that I got as a gift like 20 years ago - but it's way too small - either things jump out or I have to pound things in batches... I've been looking into either a Thai style one (similar to @heidih linked above) or an Indonesian style, which is more flat with an L-shaped pestle... like this: https://www.indofoodstore.com/stone-mortar-and-pestle-ulekan-and-cobek-9.aspx I saw the Indonesian style one used a lot to make sambal or chili pastes while in Yogyakarta, but I don't know how effective it would be on tougher stuff like pounding lemongrass or galangal into a paste. I'm not going to get one until after I move (at least 2 months away) but my internal debate goes on.

It needs shrimp head fat!

Right - most purchased curry pastes don't include the shrimp paste (maybe for allergy reasons?) so you definitely need to add about a tsp or so on your own.

I'm not usually a fan of jackfruit, but the way it's done in Yogyakarta, Indonesia is fantastic... they call it gudeg. The jackfruit is stewed with spices for hours, and it's served with beef skin that was slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices and also usually a piece of chicken cooked in coconut milk.

All these tomato shots are making me long for my Goose Creek that I used to grow in my apartment. Maybe once I move, I'll consider it again - I'll already have all the herbs in the windows and the tent for, ahem, other stuff... Why not one more???

what varieties are these?

I've been in rain forests all over SE Asia and the Caribbean - I've thought it's usually much cooler in there than out on the street due to the ever present shade.

He's actually a botanist who specializes in plants of tropical rainforests. He invented the vertical green wall. And I love how his hair and shirt match the plants.

This guy is my hero.... I want to be him when I grow up.

I'd stir-fry the chard with garlic like I would with any kind of choi.

I've always heard Lovage being called the "potato salad herb" as it's the predominant flavor in potato salad..

My favorite version was in a small restaurant in the Tra Quay vegetable village in Hoi An - they grilled their flat in about a 12x12 inch square. A layer of betel leaves, then a layer of beef and then the layer of thinly sliced lemongrass. I'll search for a photo... Found it....

We ordered delivery from Hanoi House for the first time. I have to say that I'm really impressed - it will not be the last for sure! The best bun cha we've had since we almost missed our flight in Hanoi looking for more of this marvel of pork... Pork and crab spring roll, super tender grilled pork slices and hiding in the murky broth is some really savory grilled pork patty wrapped in a true betel leaf!!! One day soon I'll try to grow some betel leaves so I can make a proper bo la lot.

I'm not a huge fan of dried galangal... to me, it's totally different. If I can't get fresh, I'd rather use frozen galangal, then thinly slice while frozen (don't defrost whole). FYI, the H-Mart in Ktown usually has fresh galangal and always has frozen galangal. Also, the SE Asian market on Mulberry just north of Bayard (I don't know if they're still open - I haven't been there since pre-COVID times) always had frozen galangal as well as a great ingredient not seen often - frozen grachai. Finely shredded grachai is amazing in red curry - Kiin Thai (a sister of Somtum Der) used to do it that way before they closed. It's also great in stir-fries along with kaffir lime leaves and fresh peppercorns. Also, the Bangkok grocery on Mosco used to have fresh galangal but I haven't been there in a long time either.

What size bottle do you have? A 1 liter bottle only lasts us a couple months if we're lucky!

There's 2 different baskets - one is a large one used for steaming the sticky rice - it like of looks like an upside down hat...Set of Sticky Rice Steamer Pot and Basket Cook Kitchen Cookware Tool

I ahve a heavy pan - it takes a minute or two just to get it hot...

@weinoo If doing sticky rice, you could probably do it really well in teh CSO... I haven't tried it yet, but plan on it soon (I always forget to start soaking it the night before!), but in general, sticky rice is steamed, not boiled.... no woven basket required!

I was thinking the same thing!! When I stir fry them, the whole thing takes about 3 minutes...