KennethT

@cyalexaThey are the same as garlic chives! That would be awesome to see if you had some seed heads! I would really appreciate it!

@heidihhmmmm... interesting. Maybe I'm just not letting it go long enough? That's what happened with the mexican coriander - they took forever to sprout - 6-8 weeks I think - but I wasn't surprised at that since it said on the packet that the germination time can be really long. The chive seed packet doesn't really mention a long germination time, but it does mention a long time to maturity - 80-120 days!

I'm having a problem getting one of my seeds to germinate. I bought a pack of Chinese Leek (Chinese chives) - #107 Tender Leaf allium tuberosum Rottler from Evergreen Seeds several months ago. I have tried germinating them several times over the past several months with no success whatsoever... I emailed Evergreen a while ago, but have not received a reply, and by now am not expecting one. In the same purchase, I also bought some cilantro, yu choi, and culantro (mexican cilantro) and had no problems germinating any of them. I am germinating in rockwool cubes soaked in pH 5.5 water... this is usually good to germinate just about anything... Any thoughts?

hmmm... @shain, this could be a more complicated problem.... there are several viruses that could cause cracking bark as well as whole branches dying.. maybe psorosis? I did a quick google search for "citrus cracking bark" which came up with many hits - at least on the US Google.... This was one of the first results: http://homeguides.sfgate.com/diagnose-citrus-bark-diseases-cracking-peeling-86612.html

@shain You have much more citrus growing experience than I do, but in my experience, most citrus problems are caused by the soil being too moist and causing root rot. This is a major cause of leaf drop and twig dieback.... Do you have a moisture meter where you can check moisture at the root level? I would also check for pests - my lime tree is a magnet for spidermites, which can also cause leaf drop.

In the past, I have used aged trimmings in a "mini-stock"... I minced, sauteed in a bit of grapeseed oil until nicely browned (doesn't take long since the water had already been removed) then added some cold water and simmered for about an hour.... made a very intensely beefy broth which I then added other stuff to make the final sauce. As @paulraphael mentioned, I wouldn't do it if the trimmings were moldy, but if they're just dessicated, it worked fine.

Another idea is to heat up the Searzall before trying to remove the screw. If the hole gets hotter than the screw, it will expand more and make screw removal easier.... you may not have to get it ridiculously hot though... I think the vice grip idea is a good one, other than drilling a pilot hole into the screw and using an E-Z Out.... I also like the idea of replacing the philips head screw - I haven't seen it, but if the screw is small, another option if you can't find a small hex head screw is to use one with a socket head... Also, I would coat the screw with a high temperature anti-seize lubricant that will aid in removal later.

I assume you put the pot with the chicken stock into the fridge to cool? I do the same thing, and I find that the fat floats to the surface and solidifies on the chicken jelly. I just scrape it off with a spoon, knife, or palette knife - whatever is easier..

@Droo Thanks... I assumed the same things... all in all, the flavors in the recipes are quite good, I was just frustrated by some inconsistencies and terminology!

@sartoricWe're still looking into the order of destinations... as of now, it looks like we will need to go to Hoi An first, then go to Hue because of intra-Vietnam flight times to/from Saigon. I have been debating taking the train from Da Nang to Hue versus hiring a car/driver. While it costs a bit more, the car/driver is still not expensive and would provide much more flexibility. Also, we can make stops along the way - there seem to be a few interesting things that would be worth a slight detour... and we can also take the pass as we get near Hue for great vistas.... Thank you for your thoughts!

@quiet1 I hate to derail this thread, but the mixture was salt and red chilis - either fresh bird chili or dried red chili... once in a while it was salt and pepper... You can see the photos from the trip here:

@quiet1 I saw that done everywhere we went when my wife and I spent a week in Saigon last year...

Well, maybe not so soon... July.... But my wife and I are headed back to: This time, central Vietnam - specifically Hoi An and Hue (and some stuff in between as we go from one to the other). We just pulled the trigger after I found tickets from NYC to Saigon, round trip, for about $1000 pp on EVA. I don't think I've ever seen flights to SEAsia that cheap.... I can't even fly to Europe for that price, and it's a lot closer! So, if anyone had been to that area and has any suggestions, I'm all ears (or eyes in this case)

Looking forward to it @Shelby!

@paulraphaelAgreed...

What about refrigeration? Don't most centrifuges require it since the spinning creates a lot of heat?

Thank you!!!!

What happened at around 45000 sec? Was that a door open event?

Loving it... don't stop!!!

The more I study this book, I realize that I don't really know who its intended reader is... The dishes seem to be a "greatest hits" of Peranakan dishes - many of which I saw when I was at the Peranakan restaurant on my last trip to SG - check out my blog for photos, etc... but some ingredients and technique descriptions are so vague.... I find it interesting that the author does not list the amount of coconut milk used in various recipes - but instead, has the cook make their own coconut milk for each dish! So, instead of using 300ml of coconut milk (for example), the author would have you grate 700g of fresh coconut and squeeze to get the coconut milk (she calls #1 Coconut milk, which I imagine is actually coconut cream). She'll then have you add water to the grated coconut to make #2 coconut milk (what I guess is coconut milk). But, I think the book assumes that the reader already has an intimate knowledge of the cooking techniques associated with this cuisine. In addition to the chilli/curry powder issues I described above, it uses such vagaries as: -an ingredient called Streaky Pork (not defined anywhere) -giving directions for deep frying a certain dish, she says "In a heated wok, add cooking oil and heat until very hot" -after marinating chicken, "Place chicken in the sun to dry thoroughly" -for Satay, the main ingredient is just "Pork" - with no specification as to the cut -instructions for making a curry powder for meat: "Wash [whole spices] separately, drain well, and dry in the sun".... put the ingredients on a tray, "Heat oven slightly" and toast the tray of [spices]..... what is the temperature equivalent of "heat oven slightly"? Maddening.... I really want to like this book, and use it, but I wish I could ask questions of someone to help out with the stuff that is vague.

In the USA and Canada, no home appliance can draw more than roughly 1800 Watts since domestic, 120 Volt circuit breakers are only rated for 20 Amps. In Europe, where the wall voltage is 230V nominal and the circuit breaker is rated for 10 Amps, you can then draw 2300 Watts.

@rarerollingobjectLove it so far!!! Those mantis shrimp look great! The ones I had when I was there (in the summer, so maybe out of season?) they were tiny and overcooked - barely worth the effort to remove them from the shell..

I got this book from my local library: I have a question for those of you who do or have done this type of cooking - the book refers to an ingredient called "chilli powder" - is there a standard ingredient in Singapore with this name? Here in NYC, I can get more than 20 different chili powders, plus what we in the US call chili powder, which is different than the Asian or Indian versions (the US chili powder is a blend of spices with cumin, etc.) So, if I had my choice, what type of powdered chili should I get for the most authentic taste? I assume it would be a non-smoked chili - so no Ancho or Chipotle... maybe use Cayenne? Or a medium-spicy Indian chili? The book also references using "dried chilli" - what type should I use here? I assume that standard Thai chilis would be too spicy. Andy Ricker, in his Pok Pok book, recommends using Puya chilis to stand in for the moderately spicy dried chilis available in Thailand... Should I just use those? Finally, the book calls for "Curry powder" - but, by definition, this is a blend, and I'd assume that every market or manufacturer would have a different mix of spices in their version... Are there any standards that people of this heritage, who grew up watching their grandmothers cook, would just know so the book feels like it wouldn't have to elaborate on?

I would think that quickly releasing the pressure after pressure cooking would be enough to emulsify the soup... no further boiling required unless you want to reduce it.

Troubled??