snowangel

I have long had a problem storing ginger, which has not been a big deal, because it is a permnanent item on my grocery list. But, the other night, Peter was helping me get dinner ready, and he stuck this little hunk of ginger behind the coffee maker (which is on top of the dishwasher, the counter there gets really warm when the dishwasher does its daily run) and when I discovered it today: So, I'm thinking that since the main hunk is pretty darned shriveled, the new little nubbin is going to run out of food soon. Having had fresh, young ginger a couple of times (wow, what a revalation), I'm trying to think of a way to encourage more ginger to grow, so I have a ready supply. Any suggestions? And, for everyone, how do you store your ginger?

Jessica, what prompted the "move" to open your own business? Paul's grandfather used to compare working for someone and owning one's own business and "running for breakfast" vs. "running for your life."

I love my friend Nancy. I really do. She has many talents, none of which are in the kitchen. She offered martinis. We all wondered what the black speckles were in them, and she said "why coffee! I spilled ground coffee all over the ice cube trays a couple of weeks ago (as an aside, the ice cubes were OLD). Her kitchen was filthy, but her fridge was worse. Thankfully, she ran out to get the chicken for the grill once Paul started the grill. Thankfully, as well, I provided the sides. Some people should never be allowed in the kitchen. (Let't not even menation her chef's knife, missing a full inch of it's tip. Nor the fact that I had to rewash all of the dishes because she just "rinses" them). It's a wonder her girls have survived to high-school age.

A true "fusion" meal. Inspired by a hunk of elk that was languishing in the freeser, Cumin Beef (Elk): Accompanied by leftover steamed Celebration Rice from Cradle of Flavor, with a side of green beans (ala Thai with "baby poop" -- aka fermented soybean sauce) on the side, ala fresco, on the deck. The Cumin Beef calls for a couple of red peppers, plus some crushed dried red pepper. I doubled the amount of peppers, subbing Thai Birds, and used the full amount of crused red pepper, wanting a kick. I can only wish I could bottle the scent of this dish and my kitchen right now. The leftovers are earmarked for my breakfast. Oh, and that I'd had more scallions that hadn't gone slimey!

Jessica, can you get chix feet (look for them at an Asian market) -- do add them. They make all the difference in the world. I'll have to try this dish! BTW, the Javanese Grilled Chicken. You could do them in the broiler. The nice thing about this dish is that you could prep it in advance and just broil ala minute.

People handling raw meat and not washing their hands before they proceed on to another task. Long hair not pulled back. Putting expensive non-stick pans in the dishwasher.

Bruce, do you normally stirfry or poach the meat? I think larb is a very personal dish, and I think you need to worry less about sticking to a recipe than going where your heart and tastebuds lead you. I'm known to vary the amount of peppers, shallots, nam plan and lime, depending on what I want. I, myself, actually prefer a poached meat larb, and I want it on the wet side. (BTW, it was on my 8th or 9th birthday that I had my first larb -- raw pork back in the days when trich was a concern. The taste changed my life, and I think it's time I tried another raw meat larb -- hand chopping a hunk o meat and mising it up just before serving. A new twist on "steak" tartare.)

I've done a mess of cooking from this book. First up was the Javanese Grilled Chicken, accompanied by the Sweet and Sour Cuke and Carrot pickle with with Turmeric. While I took no pictures, I made one mistake with this meal. We devoured way more chicken that I thought possible, so no leftovers ( ). This is a wonderful dish, and as Chris said up-topic, the pre-grilling "braise" really does remarkable things. And, the pickle. Oh, my. While technically a quick pickle, the prep is pretty labourious, but it is so beautiful and tasty. Next time, I would seed the cukes, or perhaps add them to the pre-salt a bit later, as I wished they'd been a bit crisper. Carrots to take a longer pre-salt. But, then, a night later, I pulled out a skirt steak (for beef satay) and served the rest of the pickles. Aren't those pickles pretty? I made two mistakes with the satay. I cut the meat too thick, and on the Trusty Old Kettle (a 26 year old war horse) has the coals too far from the grate (about which there is a warning in the book). This was mighty tasty satay (although I might cut down on the sugar a bit), but didn't have enough serious char, so when I drove by a garage sale, I espied a hibachi, and I stopped. For $.50, I think I have the perfect satay grill. Then, last night, Kevin's Fried Chicken. Except, since the temp was hovering around 96 degrees, and the air con was working hard enough, we grilled it. I did also make the Celebration Rice and the Green Beans with Coconut Milk -- the Asian version of the Southern Slow Cooked Green Beans with bacon. Yummy enough that we didn't miss the bacon ( ). The only disappointment with the rice is that one can't bottle the scent and spray it around the house. This chicken dish, BTW, takes very well to grilling. This time, I made plenty of chicken, which made for a coupla wonderful breakfasts. What has so surprised me about this book is my new love of Kecao Manis. My first tast was "gaak" -- it's too sweet. But use it as an ingredient, or add some lime and Thai birds for dipping, and Oh, My. I'm in love. We went to a party a couple of days ago that featured grilled chicken, and the group lapped up 1 cup of that dipping sauce in short order.

It has been Minnesota blisteringly hot outside lately, and everyone does nothing but complain (except me!) and when I cook, it's eather hot and spicy, or grilled with a hot and spicy condiment or dipping sauce (think lots of bird chili's in the dipping sauce). There's something about the sweat on the brow, and the nose running, and perhaps it's also the lime that is so present in SE Asian food, that just makes me feel cooler and better. So, I sit outside on my deck, the lone person avoiding the air con, eating my larb. Anyone else?

Hmmm. You all are such good guessers, I suppose I should give another clue. Think of a big apple.

Ever since I looked at the crud that had accumulated in the slots and under the block (and due to counter space and kid safety constraints), I have been using a magnetic strip, bolted to the wall. I love it. I'm not so sure how sanitary a knife block is, but I could be wrong.

Paul and I think that the "little brother" is for clamping tubing, and perhaps a more confortable corkscrew!

Sometimes cones are appropriate. I had a mess of folks over on the 4th of July, including a lot of kids. I can't think of anything more quintessential than watching a bunch of kids, standing on the driveway, sparkler in one hand, cone in the other -- ice cream dripping down their arms. Plus, it was a lot of bowls I didn't have to put in the dishwasher, nor did I have to comb the lawn before I mowed to recover any errant spoons! I really like the crunch of the cone with the ice cream!

Phew. I think I have jet lag from our foodblog travels. But, next week, we return to the US. What do you suppose s/he uses these for? And, to give you a geographical "non-clue"... The big clue is that s/he lives in a Big City. Let's see if I can't surprise you yet again!

They say that you are more likely to cut yourself with a dull knife. Phoey, I say to that -- I am sporting several Sponge Bob bandaids as we speak. And, why is it so much more natural to cut towards yourself or hands?

Dave, what a beautiful Nicoise! From whence the anchovies? Salt of oil packed? And, thanks, too, for your discourse on wine. Here in the US (at least in MN), there seems to be an obsession with "pairings." Does the same hold true in France?

Has anyone had any luck with making the Celebration Rice in advance? Reheating leftovers? Edited to add another question: When the recipe calls for coconut milk (just a portion of a can) should one shake up the can first to get that thick layer on the top incorporated or remove the top layer and freeze it for making a Thai curry?

As we celebrated the 4th of July at our house with a lot of people, I wanted an easy dessert, and when I stopped at the market to get Kingsford, I recalled a mess of ice cream in the freezer. Voila! Cones! What is more 4th of July than watching kids eat cones, dripping down their one forearm with a sparkler in the other arm. But, what kind of cones? The market had several kinds: the old fashioned "Joy Cake Cones" (most specifically the #40's on Joy's web site), some waffley ones, sugar cones (embossed with those waffle squares) and waffle cups. The waffle cups were out; I didn't want to deal with running over spoons the next time I mowed the yard. So, I opted for the cake and sugar cones. My, were we a house divided. The kids all opted for the sugar cones, but the adults wanted the cake cones. All us adults remembered trips to the DQ in late-50's rag tops (in my case, with my uncle and his bride to be in a Studebaker) at the DQ, with those cake cones (I seem to recall the brim being embossed with something like "safe-t-cups), smashing the ice cream with our tongues into the bottom of the cone -- that part with the little "cubicles that crunched so nicely, and the definitely not sweet taste combined with the ice cream. And, we all agreed that waffles are for waffles, not for cones. What do you all say about cones?

My husband got one of these J. Marttiini knives some 35 years ago, and it is wonderful. Nice flexible blade; very easy to sharpen. The case is a bonus -- nice protection in the tackle box.

Anne, you'd be better off putting the money into power tools and building something, or else saving a boatload and just going with laniloa's suggestion and getting a griddle for the grill! Looks like another item to store, fix, etc., etc. (in a minimalist phase around here).

Dave, those Anaheims and brie look divine. I'm having folks over tomorrow night, and although I thought I was done grocery shopping, I can see that I need to go and get some Anaheims. I have a very nice sheep's milk brie in the fridge... That looks like a truely inspired starter.

carpetbagger, I may have missed this, but what is your set-up? What type of smoker or grill? Can you shut it down sufficiently to keep the temp low and slow?

Chris, "Cutting Up In The Kitchen" by Merle Ellis describes the flap as being part of the flank, which looks like it is under the loin as I look at the diagrams.

I did a butt last weekend (no pictures!), and used Chris's method for scoring the skin. I'd have to concur with him that this did make for an exceptional butt. Mine was 12 pounds, and there were 11 of us all together. Only 1.5 pounds leftover. But, best of all, most of these folks had not ever had smoked butt before ( ) and were instant converts.

Janet, how cold was the meat? After I cut it into cubes, I stick it in the freezer for a few minutes. Plus, my FP is new and the blade is razor sharp (learned the hard way).