KennethT

I've often wondered how the various fish/eels originally made their way to these rice paddies? Were they originally stocked there by people or some natural means?

You know you're old school when you don't even have an area code for your phone number posted on the window!

@weinooknows me all too well or I'm just predictable. Yes it's Jasmine rice - Wangderm brand new crop available in 25 pound sacks. I use a 16 year old rice cooker - actually it's a Braun combi slow cooker/rice cooker/steamer. I think I've used the slow cooker function 3 times, maybe. But several times a week as a rice cooker. The key is not using too much water. Jasmine rice needs to be steamed - you only need to use enough water to hydrate but not boil. Also wash your rice thoroughly! ETA: One other thing that improves the texture is to let it sit, untouched, once the rice cooker switches to keep warm mode. I let it sit for at least a half hour - although this could be machine specific...

Massaman curry with chicken

Has anyone steamed potatoes in teh CSO? I've been looking to replicate a boiled potato but thought it would be convenient to do the CSO instead. I was thinking super steam at like 250F or so. Thoughts?

I saw those glass yogurt jars all over Beijing, but never stopped to sample one.

I made the mistake of putting one strip in the wrong location... needless to say, when I finally was able to peel it off, it wound up taking the paint with it - so the paint adhesion to the beam failed before the strip adhesive.

We renovated our entire apartment before moving in, and I outfitted everything using LEDs from https://www.superbrightleds.com/ In the kitchen, we have exposed C beams so I used lengths of https://www.superbrightleds.com/led-strips-and-bars/24-volt-led-strip-lights/5m-white-led-strip-light-eco-series-tape-light-dual-row-24v-ip20 on the inside of each beam facing upwards to provide the ambient lighting. It basically seems like the ceiling glows and you can't see where the light comes from. They come on a reel with a self adhesive backing that once it goes on, it is NOT coming off! Ask me how I know..... I really like it. For undercounter lights, I used these IP67 rated https://www.superbrightleds.com/led-strips-and-bars/24-volt-led-strip-lights/5m-white-led-strip-light-highlight-series-tape-light-12-24v-ip67-waterproof All of the lights are dimmable - but really, most LEDS are dimmable by nature - it's the power supply that needs to be adjustable. I use my own type of power supply - I have a central control box in a closet running an arduino and a bunch of high current transistors - I use an adjustable PWM output of the arduino to trigger the transistors which switch the power from a large redundant industrial 24V power supply also in the control box.

I make large batches of most of the meals we eat on a regular basis (other than stir fries). I make a large pressure cooker full of stock, then freeze in portions. For instance, for pork stock, I freeze 1/2C portions which are used for one Nyonya curry I make (the curry paste is also made in bulk, then portioned into 100g portions and froze) and some is made into Bak Kut Teh (a soup) then frozen in 3-1/2C portions which is perfect for my wife and me. I used to freeze the stock in zip lock bags, but here and there some will leak while being defrosted, so I've switched up to 1C and 1Quart plastic containers like you'd get from takeout places. I do the same thing with chicken stock, but that is frozen into 1C portions and 3-1/2C portions to be used in various recipes and soups respectively. I like to make large batches of pretty much anything that is time consuming and will respond well to it. So I have several different curry bases in the freezer, portioned to make 1 meal. Come dinner time, I'll heat some stock or coconut milk or whatever the base is, add the frozen rempah (curry paste) and seasonings and go on from there.

I finally got around to making a bunch of soto ayam paste..... Javanese chicken soup This is probably my favorite soup ever. So aromatic and flavorful. With some kuih

They will need to be watered more frequently than clay or plastic. I grow hydroponically with coco coir and the rule of thumb in watering with that is to water once you get to the midway point between the saturation point and wilt point by weight. So you just lift it up once in a while and give it a feel. The watering frequency is more dependent on plant type - some plants like citrus like their roots to dry out a bit before watering so I'll take it a little further. It also depends on soil type and how free draining it is. I've been using them for years and have never had a problem with holes or anything.

Sambal grouper.... Singapore Old Lai Huat style

At least most of your options seem pretty good. Looks like only a couple clunkers so far - so I'm not worried about you withering away!

Yeah, I figured but I just threw it out there. Thinking a little more though, sitting wouldn't really work for any kind of stir fry, not to mention doing the prep beforehand - washing/cutting/chopping is hard to do sitting down - especially whne you can't do it all in one place.

Does anyone deliver a bar stool? That should be about the right height next to teh stove top. I was considering getting one for when I made rendang.. haha

Yeah, I had a couple small tomatoes, so I halved them and threw them in.

Elk mapo tofu...

What a feast and so glad you got to see your Mom! Happy birthday!

Looks great. Can your house cook for me too? All mine does is sit around and keep me from getting rained on...

Fingerroot is a rhizome used in some SE Asian cooking. In Thai it's called grachai or krachai. The rhizome is long and skinny, like a finger. As usual, the Wikipedia entry isn't quite right - it is a different rhizome than lesser galangal. As an example of usage, it is one of the predominant flavors in the Thai dish Pad Cha. It has a very unique and distinctive flavor and one I find hard to describe - somewhat medicinal but in a good way?

Wow - a finger root plant! Now I'm the one that's jealous! I love fingerroot, but the only way I can get the rhizome is either frozen or pickled. The frozen is better, but still not nearly as pungent as the fresh.

Yunnan style elk with herbs, 7 to be exact, 4 from the garden.

Drool....

Wow!!! Bond St is still open? My wife and I used to go there when we were dating - like 17-18 years ago! Obviously we haven't been back in a while but I'm glad to see they're still going. Which room did they seat you in?

Made a new batch of chicken stock, so.... Mien ga