KennethT

March 9

Recipe testing the filling for a Malaysian samosa of sorts (made with ground bison). Looks like dog food, tastes amazing!

March 9

5 hours ago, liuzhou said:

It certainly sounds even worse than the salt adulterated Shaoxing the Americans among you have to suffer, but we have unadulterated Shaoxing to compensate.

To be fair, not all Americans have to suffer with the salted Shaoxing - it depends on the state. New York State does not allow sales of alcohol in grocery stores other than beer. It's not the type of alcohol prohibited but the ABV. So anything with a higher ABV needs to be made in a way that it's undrinkable - hence the salting. We can, however, purchase unsalted Shaoxing in a wine/liquor shop - it's just not as convenient as picking it up in the grocery store like all other ingredients. Other states, like Louisiana, have no such restrictions - you can (and often do) buy hard alcohol in the pharmacy or grocery store or anywhere else for that matter.

March 8

2 hours ago, liamsaunt said:

Today is our last full day on St. John before heading over to Lovango for three more nights. We are actually coming back to STJ in May, so have not felt compelled to go everywhere and do everything on this visit. Yesterday, rather than trying to get a parking spot at the beaches, we spent the day hiking. We were rewarded with these views

We also visited the Annaberg plantation. On certain days there are cultural demonstrations here, but we must have chosen an off day for that. This is the remnants of the sugar mill. There is a massive honeybee nest in the top of it. The honey is gathered and sold at certain times of the year (not now). It is delicious.

After our hike he drove down into Coral Bay to see what was open for a late lunch. We saw people at the Surf Club cantina and had not been there before so stopped in. Restaurant

Fresh squeezed limeade for me, and a guava margarita for my husband

Grilled grouper tacos

blackened shrimp tacos

Then we went sea glass hunting for a bit, to kill some more time before heading to the beach. When we visit St. John in the on season, we try to time our beach visits to the very early morning or the late afternoon. Otherwise it is too peopley for us.

Entrance to Trunk Bay, the most popular beach on the island, and consistently rated one of the most beautiful in the Caribbean. (The lifeguard stand is abandoned. There has been no funding for lifeguards on the island since the hurricanes in 2017. The National Park is working on building employee housing on the island and I think the guards will be back once that project is finished. At least I hope so. There have been two drownings on the island in the last week).

Quiet, beautiful Trunk Bay beach. All the beaches used to be like this all of the time when we started visiting over 20 years ago. The secret's been out for a while and it is a different scene now, but we still think it's wonderful.

I just checked out teh Lovango tree houses... now that's my kind of camping!!!

March 7

17 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

Before leaving Asia, I have to mention this one fish sauce from Phú Quốc, Việt Nam.

Two of the island's top producers have cooperated in makinfg a special sauce. BLiS and Red Boat have made a smoked type. They took

"Red Boat 40°N and aged it in charred barrels for 7 months. The result is pretty extraordinary. It’s rich, smoky and peaty—and when I say smoky, I mean smoke for days. Like drinking Laphroaig around a campfire while smoking a brisket."

This quote is from a review of fish sauces from this New Zealand site.

https://foody.nz/blogs/news/fish-sauce-taste-test-13-brands-compared

The tasting and subsequent write up are more considered than is often the case with this sort of internet page. A recommended read.

I haven't, I'm sad to say, sampled this one but I am a Laphroaig fan. The hunt is on.

Fascinating - I'm wondering what I'd use it for and trying to think of what I've had in Vietnam that would work well with it. I'd be a bit worried that it would be amazing on first taste, but eating a whole meal or dish made with it would get to be too much.

March 6

3 hours ago, Duvel said:

AFAIK, gado gado dressing is often made with fish sauce (and occasionally with shrimp paste) …

Interesting. None of the Aunties or Uncles I've seen make it use either a fish sauce or shrimp paste - but one thing I didn't realize is that they all used kencur - fresh sand ginger - which is nice to know that there's another application for what I brought home from Indonesia and what I'm growing.

March 6

2 hours ago, liuzhou said:

On second thoughts, perhaps top prize in the 'we don't care where our sauce comes from' challenge is Indonesia. Known as kecap ikan, their fish sauce is often just imported, re labeled Thai nam pla or Vietnamese nước mắm.

There is real made in Indonesia fish sauce, but it seems to be a minority.

This is one.

Indonesian kecap ikan - limone.id

So, be careful. Check where it's really from then check that it is 'ikan' which means 'fish'. Kecap on its own is soy sauce, but generally just means 'sauce ', of which there are many.

Look out for kecap Inggris or kecap which is a popular Indonesian version of Worcestershire sauce. 'Inggris' means 'English. English sauce! It doesn't contain fish. English Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies.

Note: They don't even care enough to spell their own language correctly on the label.

Kecap Inggris - grandlagunashop.com

I haven't come across any Indonesian dish that uses fish sauce (from anywhere) yet - certainly not in the regional cooking of a few areas that I've been studying. Maybe that's why they don't care about it?

March 4

52 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

The address and opening time etc is in my post about Vietnamese fish sauce over here.

Thanks - it won't be for about 2 years - we're already booked for our vacation this coming winter. Prior to our trip, I was planning to contact the companies I wanted to visit - I didn't want to just show up, especially at that time of year.

March 4

Was that butter on top of the steak? If so, when melted, it must have caused a flood!

March 4

I don't know about the cookbooks, but Phu Quoc is on our short list of winter travel destinations. Visiting a few fish sauce producers is a priority for that trip!

March 2

4 hours ago, liuzhou said:

If you really do want satay, look for S: 花生酱; T: 花生醬 (huā shēng jiàng), which is peanut butter. China many brands but also Hormel's Skippy brand is widely available. In fact, many local brands come in Skippy look-alike jars.

Do my eyes deceive me? Peanut Butter for Malay/Indo/Sing satay? Oh no.... just use real peanuts. Peanut butter has no business being anywhere near there.

March 1

6 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Herbs 草本 (cǎo běn) or 香草 (xiāng cǎo) are my bugbear in China. Not that they don't have any; they have thousands. The problem is remarkably few are used in dinner. 95% are only used in TCM, including some we eat.

So, I'm going to attempt to go through what is available for culinary use while mentioning a few that aren't. I'll do that in at least two parts, probably more.

I'll start with some herbs that are common in the west, give their Chinese names and indicate their availability or lack of.

Then, I'll get on to herbs only generally found in China or Asia.

This, I'm sure, will always remain a work in progress. Recently , I've found herbs that were unheard of a year ago. The picture is constantly changing. This is why I've included unavailable herbs. The fact that they have Chinese names gives me hope that they'll turn up one day.

So, in roughly alphabetical order:

Arugula

see rocket, below

Basil

S: 罗勒; T: 羅勒 (luó lè), (Ocimum basilicum). Sweet basil.

I can source sweet basil online but have never seen it in any market or store. However, the seeds are sold to be raised as an insect repelling house plant, so I grow my own.

Bay leaf

S: 香叶; T: 香葉 (xiāng yè), (Laurus nobilis)

Very common. Dried leaves are used in braises, stews and hotpots. Available everywhere. Alternative name 月桂 (yuè guì).

Chamomile

洋甘菊 (yáng gān jú), (Matricaria recutita). Unavailable.

Chives

韭菜 (jiǔ cài), (Allium tuberosum)

Extremely common. They are added to almost everything.

Note: these are garlic chives, not regular chives (Allium schoenoprasum) as used in European cooking.

韭菜花 ((jiǔ cài huā) are the above but with the flowers attached.

韭黄 (jiǔ huáng), are the stems of the same plant, but grown under reduced light conditions so that they do not develop the green colour, but are yellow, the meaning of 黄.

To my palate and nose, this technique also increases the garlic flavour and scent considerably. This is a good thing in my book.

Cilantro

see next

Coriander

香菜 (xiāng cài), (Laur Coriandrum sativum)

Call it coriander or cilantro, this is by far the most common culinary herb. Essential in almost all stir fries etc. It is even, in some places, deep fried as a street food snack. The Chinese name translates literally as 'taste (or fragrant) vegetable'.

Coriander seeds are never used in Chinese dishes and are only available from farmers' seed suppliers by the sack load.

Dill

S: 莳萝; T: 蒔蘿 (shí luó), (Anethum graveolens）Unavailable.

Fennel

茴香 (huí xiāng), (Foeniculum vulgare)

Fennel herb is used in northern China, but I've never seen it here in the south.

Lemongrass

S: 柠檬草; T: 檸檬草 (níng méng cǎo), (Cymbopogon citratus).

I am including this here as, although it is Asian in origin, it is now widely available everywhere - but not so much here. It is available for immediate delivery but I've never seen it in any store here. A recent arrival. I grow my own.

Lovage

S: 欧当归; T: 歐當歸 (ōu dāng guī),
(Levisticum officinale)

The 欧 in the name means European. The 当归 refers to Chinese angelica which I will include with the Chinese herbs. Unavailable.

Oregano

牛至 (niú zhì), (Origanum vulgare)

The Chinese name is also sometimes used for the related:

Marjoram

S: 墨角兰; T: 墨角蘭 (mò jiǎo lán), (Origanum majorana)

The two are related. Unavailable anyway.

Mint

薄荷 (bò he), (Mentha x piperata)

Chinese does not differentiate between the different mints. I have given the Latin name of peppermint, the most common here.

This is available locally, but not everywhere in China. It's use is mainly restricted to the southern ethnic minorities. I.e. round here.

Parsley

西芹 (xī qín), S: 荷兰芹; T: 荷蘭芹 (hé lán qín) or 洋香菜 (yáng xiāng cài), (Petroselinum crispum)

Despite the plethora of alternative names and although this is grown here, it is difficult to find. I suspect it mostly goes to the restaurant trade to be served with 'western food'.

Strangely the first two names translate as 'western celery' and 'Dutch celery' respectively. Parsley and celery are not related!

Rocket

芝麻菜 (zhī ma cài), (Eruca sativa)

Rocket or arugula is available from immediate delivery vendors, but not in stores. Not well known. The name translates as 'sesame vegetable'. Again, there is no family connection.

Rosemary

迷迭香 (mí dié xiāng), (Rosmarinus officinalis)

A recent arrival. I blame Simon and Garfunkel. Delivery service only.

Sage

鼠尾草 (shǔ wěi cǎo), (Salvia officinalis)

See rosemary above. Unavailable.

Savory

香薄荷 (xiāng bò he), (Satureja hortensis)

Unavailable.

Sorrel

酸模 (suān mó), (vulgare runes acetosa)

Unavailable.

Tarragon

S; 龙蒿; T: 龍蒿 (lóng hāo), (Artemesia Dracunculoides Purch)

Unavailable

Thyme

麝香草 (shè xiāng cǎo) or 百里香 (bǎi lǐ xiāng), (Thymus vulgaris)

It completes the song, but is rarely available. Very occasionally turns up in supermarkets or for delivery. Another one I grow.

Next: China specific and other Asian herbs available in China.

Are fresh bay leaves used at all or just dried?

February 28

9 minutes ago, &roid said:

I’m coming back to NYC in a few weeks, for the first time since pre-covid. Any can’t miss pizza places fellow gulleters would recommend?

Any style you're looking for? Different places specialize in different stuff - the standard NY slice, Grandma style, neo-Neapolitan, etc. Also, what neighborhoods do you think you'll be in?

February 26

6 hours ago, jedovaty said:

Finally birthed a new sourdough starter after I accidentally baked my last one. Made a ~400g test boule and didn't feel like using the regular oven, so I tried in the CSO with a small kiln shelf I had. It worked with a ~20 steam bake followed by regular bake. I did preheat ~45 minutes to get the kiln shelf hot, however, bottom was a little bold so will reduce preheat time. I would not go past 400g loaf, maybe 450g depending on shape and expected rise. A small dish of rolls would probably work out very well.

That said, this had a very strong oven-hei flavor to it so I would recommend anyone trying to bake break to clean the oven first (I've been roasting fish and veges several times a week in this for a several months now and.. ermm.. yeah.. I need to clean it).

Ha! I feel you. Yesterday I used mine to toast some shrimp paste (350F on convection bake for 15 or so minutes). I left the oven door open all day and night later. This morning, my wife made an English muffin (from the freezer) and it (as well as the kitchen) was infused with the shrimp paste smell. Good thing she likes shrimp paste!

February 26

6 hours ago, liuzhou said:

Yes. My neighbour said it to me this morning. Very common. 吃饭了吗? (chī fàn le ma?) The translation is simply "Have you eaten?"

What's the response to this? "I'm doing fine" or "yes/no, I've eaten"? I understand it's not taken literally, but I was curious if the response was not literal as well.

February 26

Virgin coconut oil is good for low temperature frying - like sweating onions and such - if you're making a South Indian curry that doesn't use coconut milk. The oil imparts a nice subtle coconut flavor if you like that kind of thing.

February 25

3 hours ago, liuzhou said:

The dinner was at home in Changsha, the capital of Hunan. The temperature was around 2 degrees Celsius. That's how people deal with the cold. They just pile on more clothes.

Do homes in this area not have heat because it's usually so warm that it's not usually needed?

February 25

10 hours ago, liuzhou said:

This is not my dinner, but a friend's meal last night. I'm posting these images with her permission. They show a typical Lantern Festival family dinner in Hunan province.

But first the essential S: 汤圆; T: 湯圓 (tāng yuán) which are boiled balls of glutinous rice flour stuffed with sesame paste, and eaten during the Lantern Festival which take a place on the 15th day of the new year (the first full moon). The balls represent the moon and are served in a syrupy soup.

Then it's on to the meal. Hotpots abound.

Huh, I always thought that the glutinous rice balls filled with sesame (or even better, black sesame) were kind of like dessert...

Also, is this dinner outside? They're all wearing their winter coats.

February 22

2 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

I ever really understood this. Very few people live alone here, yet many supermarkets and delivery services offer 一人 (yī rén), one person amounts of ingredients for dishes.

Right now, is hotpot season and so they are selling single portions of suitable ingredients like this.

Paper thin beef slices in rolls, meat balls and green vegetable.

That can be supplemented by this selection of seasonal produce.

They do not charge a premium for the service.

That's odd. Part of the reason for making hot pot is the community - who makes hot pot for 1 person? If I wanted the flavors of hot pot, I'd make a dry pot, in which case, the super thin slices would disintegrate almost immediately - it would be better to use larger pieces as in any other stir fry.

February 19

26 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

Yes. I can buy fresh sand ginger easily. And I've used it.

What is it used in, in Chinese cuisine(s)? I've never seen it used outside of certain regions of Indonesia. And within those regions, it seems like it's like durian - not everyone likes it and some can't stand it, while others love it.

February 19

11 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

You could try rooting some to grow outside in the summer or in a pot indoors.
Luckily, I can buy them by them individually, priced per lb but I might try this anyway.

Not always possible depending on what her lemongrass looks like. All the lemongrass I've seen in my area has been cut off above the base with roots and will not root, no matter what. I've even tried rooting hormone which can make almost anything root. Not only that, but all of the lemongrass I've bought here is old and dry like a twig. I'd imagine that even if it had roots, it would be long past the point of being able to grow further. For my garden, I actually wound up buying a lemongrass start.

February 19

3 hours ago, liuzhou said:

If there's one thing better than Chinese ingredients, it's free Chinese ingredients. Today, I ordered some lamb for delivery. It came promptly accompanied by this free bag of 调味料 / 調味料 (tiáo wèi liào) which means 'seasoning'.

This particular seasoning is 狗牛羊兔香料 (gǒu niú yáng tù xiāng liào) which means dog, beef, lamb, rabbit spices.

They mean it is suitable for use with any of these meats; not all of them in a dish together!

It consists of sand ginger, star anise, black cardamom, cloves, cassia bark and dried tangerine peel.

I won't be using it with my lamb. I already have another plan. It will turn up in the dinner topic tomorrow.

I may have asked this before in another place, but have you ever seen sand ginger used or sold fresh as you would ginger? To my knowledge, one of the few cuisines that uses fresh sand ginger (kaempferia galanga) is Indonesia - there called kencur (kehn choor).

February 14

29 minutes ago, weinoo said:

I probably am misremembering. The classes and other stuff I remember attending were in a big, beautiful space (on Duane St.?) maybe even above what was Brushstroke?

Let's just say he was involved in a lot of stuff!

https://davidbouley.com/bouley-at-home/

OK, that is something different than I remember. The classes were in a beautiful space - I forget where - I remember they used that space for small private events sometimes since there was a lot of space for standing around/passed appetizers, as well as classroom seating and an open demonstration kitchen. I remember there were a lot of plants in there. But he was definitely involved in a LOT of stuff!

February 14

I'm not sure but I don't think so. At one point, he was talking about something they were doing where you could hire them to come to your house and prepare a meal, like a private chef. They would bring the mise from the restaurant (which would limit how much work they had to do in the house) and would make the restaurant quality meal for you and guests, then clean up and leave. I thought that was Bouley at Home but I could be wrong about that.

I'll try to remember to check the printed recipes that he provided during the classes - that would probably have the name of the classes on it - but I thought it wasn't something that was named - or at least that's how it started. I went to some of the first ones - after that, the prices went up like crazy, and a lot of what they were doing wasn't of interest to me. Maybe they named it once it became popular?

February 14

This is really sad - I loved Bouley, and David Bouley was so nice and generous with his time. At one point he was giving cooking classes and my wife and I took some of them - he always went past the ending time giving extra explanations and fielding questions. One time, I remember going to one of his more casual restaurants (which was upstairs from his grocery where he sold products that they used in the restaurants) and we wound up chatting for like 40 minutes. As one of his waiters once said, "don't get him started talking - he'll never stop!"

February 13

2 hours ago, blue_dolphin said:

There's a local take-out spot that makes excellent jambalaya, gumbo and etoufee. They might be closed today if they have a lot of catering jobs but if they're open, maybe I'll treat myself to one of your recommendations.

I'd always heard that the RB&R was made on Monday because they could use the ham bone leftover from Sunday dinner and because Monday was traditionally laundry day, it was good to have something that could simmer all day without attention. Either way, Tuesday clearly isn't the right day!

I was actually being tongue-in-cheek with my comment - my wife doesn't care what anyone does, as long as they were happy. Neither of us follow traditions much. And we've never had RB&R in our house, ever - neither of us are fans of beans!

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