ravensfeast

Timely post indeed. I picked up the loveliest Napa cabbage I've ever seen from my CSA. Bright leafy green, less white and frizzled than the standard variety you see at the grocery store. I've made some fresh salads with it, braised some with beans and I still have another head. I want to make a kimchi as I already have the Korean chili paste I think I will need. Does anyone have a go-to kimchi recipe they'd share?

Juniper berries, never would have thought of it! I have an abundance, thanks for the tip.

This sounds delicious! Reminds me of the mixture we'd sprinkle on the morning buns at Tartine Bakery. I love the addition of the warmer spices...cardamom and coriander.

funny, I landed on that website too and the black angel food cake and coal cookies made me giggle. Bad breath and constipation, huh? Sounds like a better remedy would be to eat some mint leaves

I want one so bad. Nothing else does the job as well, especially for making mole!

Last time I took a trip up to Vancouver BC, I ate at Motomachi Shokudo and tried the ramen in bamboo charcoal broth. It was outrageously delicious, but I don't recall a definitively charcoal flavor. I have never before, nor ever since experienced Japanese cooking with bamboo charcoal and I'm wondering, if this a common tradition? Has anyone experimented with this ingredient and if so, in what form (powder, chips) and how? I researched the topic a bit and found that it's sometimes used when cooking rice. I know that charcoal has purification properties, but is that the sole purpose for cooking with it?

Major guilty pleasure: Top Ramen. If I'm at an Asian grocer, I'll buy the better quality brands, but I would be remiss to say that I don't take great pleasure in a 50 cent package of the bargain brand. Usually, I add blanched bok choy, sauteed shitake and braised celery, along with shichimi togarashi. Reminds me of running home from grade school, watching the Brady Bunch and slurping down a package before my parents got home to see that I'd ruined my dinner.

Not my own idea, but I ran across a seemingly delicious (and easy) recipe for candied peanuts on David Lebovitz's blog. I used to buy bags of candied nuts in Spain from sidewalk chucherias, or candy shacks. This treat in particular reminds me of the holidays: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008/04/candied_peanut.html I also jarred a quick apricot mostarda, Anjou pear mostarda and last summer's tomato sauce to give away as gifts.

Egg in a Basket (PNW/CA) We would call it Egg with a Hat often though because of the cute cut-out circular "hat" we put on top of it.

Now that sounds delicious! Some late summer rain here in Oregon; I might have to take your lead. I'm intrigued by the addition of lobster! Would have never thought of it...an inspiring addition!

Your pork butter sounds divine! Have you attempted making lardo as well? I used to supply pork to Salumi in Seattle and the constant struggle was finding a hog with a min. 3" fatback for lardo. It's not easy to come by and is very coveted. Biggest problem we constantly encountered was thin fatback, <2".

I found a handful of easy and seemingly delicious recipes from an old cookbook I picked up, "Meta Given's Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking". I haven't yet tried them, but once I do, I'll check back in and comment: Molasses Nog: 3 1/2 cups chilled milk 1/2 cup coffee cream 2 or 3 tbsp molasses dash of nutmeg or ginger dash of salt -Combine first 4 ingredients, stir well. Pour into glasses and sprinkle w/ preferred spice. 4 servings. Molasses Shake: -Measure into shaker: 2 tbsp light molasses, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp grated lemon peel and 1 cup milk. Add a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and beat well. 1-2 servings. Soft Molasses Rolled Cookies: 5 1/4 to 5 1/2 cups AP Flour 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar 1 1/2 tsp ginger 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp cloves 3/4 tsp salt 1 cup leaf lard 1 cup sugar 1 cup molasses 2 tsp vanilla 1 egg, beaten 4 tsp soda 3/4 hot water -Grease baking sheet lightly, then dust w/ flour. 10 min. before bake, set oven to 400 degrees. -Sift flour, measure, resift 3 times w/ next 5 ingredients. Heat lard until barely melted, cool slightly, then pour over sugar in a 4-qt mixing bowl. Beat until blended, then beat in molasses, then vanilla & egg, beating very hard. Dissolve soda into the hot water and stir into molasses mixture. Now stir dry ingredients into molasses mix in 3-4 portions, stirring after each. Cover dough and chill 20 min. +. Once chilled, roll out 1/4 inch thick and cut w/ rounds. Place on prepared sheet pan and bake 10 min. Cool.