KennethT

Rather than sugar, why not use isomalt as a primary ingredient in the binder? It's not as sweet as sugar, but has similar structural properties. El Bulli used to make a dish where they would make a crisp using puffed corn (a common street snack in Barcelona)... they would take a sheet of Obulato - which is a very thin Japanese edible paper made from potato starch and dust onto it a sugar powder made by melting together 50% isomalt, 25% glucose and 25% fondant and bringing to a light caramel. Pour onto a silpat and cool, then blitz in a spice grinder to make the powder. Anyway, you add a heavy dusting of the powder to the obulato which acts as a base (it dissolves immediately in the mouth so you don't even know it's there) and add the solid objects - then put in a hot oven for a few seconds to remelt the sugar mixture. Once cooled you have a very delicate savory tuile. I've done variations on this by adding spices to the sugar mixture - star anise, cinnamon, clove, but you could use anything....

My wife and I used to go here for dinner every 4-6 weeks or so over the last several years, but stopped maybe a year or so ago. While the food was always good, the experience had become (or maybe always was, but we just became more sensitive to it) hard to tolerate with their uncomfortable chairs, blaring music - it had gotten to the point where the last time we were there, although we sat right next to each other, we could barely talk to each other since it was just so loud - we literally had to shout over the din to say anything... and neither of us are hard of hearing... So they were closed for the last few weeks for some "comfort renovations" - they got rid of the old stumps that were used as seats and have now replaced them with chairs with backs - granted, they're unpadded metal, but they're definitely more comfortable than before. We also noticed a great reduction in ambient noise - we wound up sitting in the same seats in which we've sat many times, but this time we had no problems talking all night long. It wasn't quiet, but certainly not overly loud - it had a good energy. They also changed the menu quite a bit since we were there last. We really enjoyed all the dishes we had (we split 6 of them) and the service was great - they coursed things out very well - we never felt rushed, but also didn't wait around too long either. All in all, a major improvement from our last few experiences there, and I am happy to say that it is now back in the rotation!

I find that cooked things, in general, in my refrigerator (which is kept very cold - just above freezing) last a week - no spoilage issues until after that - and even then sometimes it's a few days over a week. But, for every degree warmer, bacterial growth increases by a lot more, so I think it really depends on your refrigerator. Another issue - does the pie have a crust? It doesn't seem so, based on the ingredients - but if it did, I'm sure the crust integrity/quality would be much more problematic than spoilage issues! I have no experience with freezing custards (other than ice cream, but that's different) - so I don't know if it would make it grainy or separate upon thawing...

True - but there are lots of popular candy bars (that are quite tasty) made with shortening. I got the impression that shelf-life was important to the poster, which I think would be easier to control with shortening than it would be with butter. Why would someone care about shelf life if just making a small amount for their own consumption? I assumed he was making larger volumes with intent to sell...

Rather than using butter, what about some kind of shortening? Sure it's not the healthiest but isn't that the point of a bonbon?

I haven't been back to HK since 2011, but I have some friends who live there. They say the roast goose at Yung Kee is just as good as ever...

I've really missed the real Banh Mi ever since returning from Saigon last winter. That bread is so unique - although some places in NYC try to do it, none of them are even remotely close to the real thing. The crust of the faux-Banh is just way too tough - it should be tender, yet shatteringly crisp, and light and tender inside. Thanks for this video - I haven't had a chance to watch it yet, but I will do so soon!

@djyee100Beautiful!

Thanks Shelby! I enjoyed following along!

I like Rao's sauce also... definitely the best jarred sauce I've ever had. On the photo, did you take the photo in "selfie" mode, or did you use the front facing camera? Photos taken with the "selfie" camera always come out as mirror images.

@Anna NI'm with you... not a fan of beans or pulses... it's not the flavor that I don't like - it's that grainy texture. I've never had a bean/pulse dish that didn't have that grainy texture.... except once, but that was a rare fluke - especially because I have no idea what was done to make it that way. It was about 6 years ago, when I was fortunate enough to go to El Bulli - one of the courses was called "Cala Montjol lentils" or something like that - which is named after the area where the restaurant was located.... Their texture was completely smooth - and they melted in your mouth... I imagine they pureed the lentils, and put them through a super fine sieve - like a superbag or something and then spherified them to look like lentils again... or something to that nature...

iSi is a brand name for a type of siphon. They can be charged with NO2 to make whipped cream and other foams, but they also make siphons to use with CO2 to carbonate liquids. http://www.isi.com/us/culinary/

Bananas are herbs, right? Maybe it would be good to prune the shoots?

You can also hang fly-paper.. while it is unsightly, I've found that they are effective in trapping flies... and there are no harsh chemicals to deal with.

Fingerlings (there are many varieties) are good waxy potatoes here in the US. They are sometimes available in supermarkets (depending on location), but should definitely be available at farmers markets.

Really looking forward to it!

Depending on how it was cooked SV (time/temp), the skin may not be fully tenderized. But, if it was fully tenderized, I have seared on a very hot cast iron pan (I was doing lots of small pieces at once, so it acted like a plancha) and it seared nicely - I even got the skin to puff a bit which was nice.

@Anna NFWIW, I have never met a cripsy, non-greasy sweet potato fry - even conventionally fried, or in restaurants... I've had some start out ok, but after 5 minutes at the table, all crispiness has left the building.... maybe just my luck, but I tend to avoid them now.

Thanks for sharing, again!!!! Always enjoy your trips....

@liuzhouAs others have said, thanks so much for sharing both the food and experience!

Yes, it grows very easily. You can basically take a cutting, plunk it in a glass of water and it will start to root. As long as you keep the growing medium moist, it'll be ok - which is convenient since I'm growing it hydroponically. I saw it all over the place when we were in Saigon - commonly served with Pho, and various other types of dishes.

I cook salmon once a week or so, and I use a torch to brown the top when I'm done. Adds a nice flavor dimension as well as appearance.

This is rice paddy herb (ngo om in Vietnamese): I was in a thai restaurant that had some on the side... So I took a couple sprigs home to propagate. I love this herb - a little citrusy with notes of cumin.

The green papaya should be dressed just prior to serving. Having it "rest" in the refrigerator after being dressed made it limp. Also, try adding some fish sauce... makes a big difference!

My cilantro hasn't been doing well. An interesting study in plant physiology.... It's been 95degF with no clouds for so long, and my windowsill garden faces S-SW. Even with the A/C on full blast, it's just too hot and humid and too sunny... so the plant has been suffering. Because it's not as healthy as it should be, it is much more vulnerable to pests. I saw today that the cilantro was infested with mites. What is interesting is that the plants on either side of it (that are much more tolerant to heat and sun) and are touching leaf to leaf, have practically no pests at all. Needless to say, I removed the cilantro plant and trimmed any leaves that had even 1 or 2 mites on them on the other plants.... But look at those roots!