basquecook

Looks great unpopular poet.. Can you tell me what sous vide does to a lobster tail.. is there an advantage, does it taste better or have a different texture than say, dropping it into boiling salted water for a few minutes. Just curious as to how the two compare. Between steaming, boiling and sous vide?

Repeat

Quick lunch today.. We went to this place that said, farm small restaurant on it.. I was really looking to see farm to table for some reason. started with cold dishes.. pig ears. Seaweed or kelp.. it was slightly spicy. cooked pumpkin served warm super fresh and sweet shrimp deep fried eggplant with crunchy fried crumbs and like dehydrated sweet pepper. river fish octopus and peppers water bamboo potatoes and green beans with pork in a brown sauce a pot of chicken soup, 4 22's of beer and rice... bill was 257 rmb or like 40 bones.. such waste.. i have been up since 3 am.. i am back in the showroom.. need another beer and then like a quart of tea.

here is a quick one from the breakfast buffet in rizhao.. Some funny mislabelings.. This was not a banana. this fried fish container did not cotain peach juice there were no bean brains people have often said that broccoli is different out here... well, that may have been labeled correctly there were perhaps, 40 other examples but, you get the point.

thanks all! So in Rizhao City, or Sunshine City, it's right on the water.. Seafood is on the menu. We entered this sort of metal building, think like a General Steel made warehouse that had this mock Chinese garden inside.. Waterfalls, streams, bridges and things.. Shot from my hotel room in Rizhao at say, 5 am there were also some interesting things like, silk worms, moths, grass hoppers and crickets and things.. Everyone wants me to order and I just tell them to get what they normally would get.. As, I don't know what's good, whats special or what's local.. I would not have gotten these but, he ordered some moths.. Think Silence of the Lambs type moths.. They were actually pretty good.. More chewy, less crunchy and had like a wheat taste to them. white pepper on the side there was a large charcoal grill.. lamb sticks have been big this trip.. chicken wings with the same flavoring. clams again.. This is super interesting.. This was called simply, yummy pork. The bread of wrap has a similar story to matzo.. Legend has it, soldiers running or fighting or whatever, made this wrap in haste.. It last forever. you can roll it up and eat what's you put in.. The pork was dried and fried. It was really chewy and super delicious.. sweet and spicy.. garlic scopes and some greens were included.. one of the better things from the trip maybe because it's new to me also.. Fluffy sesame bread. You would put this soy pickled vegetables and fold it over.. photo not loading but, it's either seaweed or some sort of stringy and crunchy vegetable.. it has to be a sea plant. cauliflower and pork with sichuan peppercorns and a brown sauce. eh, internet is cutting out.. gotta go to work.. will finish later.. but, there was a whole fish we ate and a large pot of chicken soup.

i always thought it was fond but, brown bits works just as well

U-Bet, Brooklyn Baby.. A long time ago before fat stuck to me, i would use milk, butter, sugar and salt (along with whatever chocolate i melted from bars, i had) Heat it up and let it cool, whizzed it with a stick blender and served it in espresso glasses.. Now I don't drink milk and live variously through the little one.

So, arriving in Rizhao city, we worked a little and then had lunch... Our host is very much into Sichuan Food so, that is where went.. A sichuan restaurant that was pretty fantastic.. Like in the US, Sichuan Food is all the rage in China these days.. We started with sweet lotus root and stuffed with this very glutenous rice There was also a plate of Chinese Charcuterie. A sausage and an amazing, amazing, smokey bacon. This was Mao's favorite pork dish.. I have had it many times and this was a very nice version I don't know the name of this shrimp dish but, i have had it before.. This though, was the best version i have had of it.. It was spicy, sweet, with lots of peppercorns.. Really nice. Sliced fish in chile oil.. Prior to eating this dish, the waitress, table side, fished out this huge plate of peppercorns and peppers.. You can see the dish off in the background.. But, that all was in the pot when it was brought out. Tofu and crab roe. there were a few other things but, i couldn't didn't take photos.. Sorry, rushing through these posts but, I am trying to catch up here.. Been up since 3 am this morning as, our new host insists we eat dinner at 5 at night.. so, when i go back to the room at 730.. I am asleep by 8 and up by three.. It's really annoying but, whatever.. last few meals were a lot of fun.. I will wait until later tonight or some time.

The following morning in Shanghai, I woke up at 7 am to be picked up and brought to a meeting.. We worked all day and headed to the airport around 5 pm, to fly out to Qingdao City where we were picked up at 7 am the following morning and driven 3 and half hours to Rizhao City, where we then worked all day again.. Rizhao City, meaning Sunshine City I believe.. It is a small costal town, that fills up with tourist who want to relax along the Yellow Sea.. The man I met in Shanghai, was not a food guy.. One of the first and only Chinese People i have met, who was not a food guy.. He suggested we eat McDonalds,I declined.. He then took us to a cafe that was run by a German guy.. He ordered vegetables in a brown sauce..I was deciding between a BLT, spaghetti, or pizza.. I decided on roasted duck with rice.. The duck was actually much better than i expected. But still not awesome After a flight delay, we landed in Qingdao City around 11 am on a Friday Night... We checked into the hotel and then asked the Concierge, what was opened.. He said, hot pot, threw us in a taxi and we were on our way.. I noticed that the taxi ride was only, a short distance from our hotel.. After seeing countless set ups like, i experienced in Shanghai, I wanted to run it back.. We ditched the hot pot place and found another grilled seafood place.. Not to mention, we were in Qingdao, the place where Tsingtao is made..What goes better with grilled seafood than beer? (though the question was rhetorical, the answer is still, nothing) you killed Patrick, Bastards! It's very convenient for non chinese speakers as, I was able to point at things, both on display and at peoples tables.. I am not a shy guy and was able to walk around with a waiter and point at food on peoples tables.. We had grilled giant shrimp, grilled scallops, grilled oysters, grilled lamb sticks, clams in garlic and ginger sauce, jiaozi dumplings and some greens... Not to mention, a few pitchers of beer, these were awesome greenbeans and lamb with cumin and pepper these dumplings appear to be thick but, they are so light and airy. the shell is so perfect, I was amazed.. greens Damaged done: Half drunk and still delirious from sleep deprivation, we stumbled back to the hotel.. In typical Chinese Crazyness, they decided to turn off the lights of our hotel. we were staying at the crowne plaza, a huge hotel which lit up the Qingdao night sky.. However, we longer had that as our guiding light so, we got lost. We stumbled upon a mirage: The unicorns finally told us how to get home.. We were very thankful.. Asleep by 1:30, up by 6:30, in a new city, 3 hours away by 10:30. The whirlwind continues.

Good morning from Zhangjigang. Due to me recent discovery of Melatonin, my sleepless beginning nights in China have been replaced with relatively long nights of restful sleep.. Certainly a much better situation for me, but this translates into a less prolific China posting perhaps.. But not to worry dear reader, if you were concerned I was having a more comfortable trip, I have decided to add a few more cities and a much more hectic schedule.. I have been here for 5 nights and have already visited 4 cities, taking three plane rides and stayed in 5 different hotels.. I arrived at 3 pm nights ago in Shanghai. The following morning I worked all day and flew out that evening to Qingdao City.. The following morning I drove three hours to Rizhao City.. Then drove back to Qingdao, worked the entire day, left the following morning at 7 am for the airport.. Flew to Beijing, caught a connecting flight, then arrived in WUXI at around 3 pm, where I met a driver and drove me to where i am.. Tired yet, cause I am so tired, I feel like I could cry at any moment. A hectic schedule no doubt, but, it gets me done and home much sooner. I arrived to my hotel in Shanghai around 430 6 nights ago.. I was able to catch a quick shower, drink a quicker beer and then jump in a 45 minute taxi right to meet a fellow mouthfuller, Sickchangeup. Sickchangeup, is a wonderful host and took me out with his friends on a night on the town. By grace of god, I was able to run into our fellow friend. We were to meet at the intersection of two streets in Shanghai. Unknown to him, me, the concierge and a taxi driver, those two streets are on a loop. So, they intersect at two points.. One being about a half a mile away from each other.. After standing on the corner for about 30 minutes, the song Fool in the Rain popped into my head..Perhaps, i am standing on the wrong block! After a brief half mile jog in 80 degree heat and humidity, I was incredibly relieved to see a familiar face waving to me across the street. Mr. Changeup, is awesome. His friends are awesome and we had a really fun night.. We walked down this block of restaurants that had all sorts of seafood items to be grilled, steamed and boiled in beer. It also appears to be Crawfish Season all over china. This was pretty much the first sight i got to see on this street.. It was a very good sign A wide variety of seafood, ready for the grill Scallops and oysters being grilled with garlic: After a brief walk up and down this street filled with vendors, we chose a place.. While we thought we were going to sit inside, we were told to jump a divider, cross the street and sit in a parking lot where tables and chairs were set up for us, A La Good Fellas style.. We spent the night, sitting under the Shanghai Sky, drinking beers, taking shots of rice wine and eating a variety of food.. From Lamb Testicles on Skewers, to those amazing crawfish, to grilled scallops and oysters, lots of vegetables, peanuts and several other things that now escape me. This is what our table looked like at one point during the melee. The one time, where we actually went to the bathroom, instead of peeing in the back of the parking lot like we were instructed to do, I was able to snap a photo of how a more dignified table of girls ate there food... But, this is what we were eating as well. I could honestly eat this meal everyday for the rest of my life. Such a fun night.. And a great transition into China.. I had perhaps only slept 4 hours in the last 30 something hours.. But, with the eating drinking and not passing out once I got to the hotel, it set me right. Really thankful to have met Sickchangeup. What a great host and a better person.

Hey thanks guys... Elizabeth is an interesting city with so much to offer food wise.. I am happy to share it with you all.. Now that i know people are reading, i will happily share more..

Yeh, there is no doubt this place is good. I suggest you hit up Portugal express when you get a chance.

paisanos on Smith Street, BK.

Ha. Fruit for breakfast, oatmeal for lunch, jog for dinner and maybe some skate grenobloise

I have been running into Lobster Newburg these days.. MM posted his preparation, then I read a story in the newspaper about it, then my parents were discussing it.. So, basically, i had no choice.. I had some friends coming over last night and figured it would be a good time to make a surf and turf. Not to mention, I'm headed out to China for the next 3 weeks.. Better get all the butter and beef I can. Went with a very basic version. No making lobster stock or anything.. Added some nutmeg.. It was rather delicious. Steaks on the green egg.. Dry aged, super thick. Homemade chocolate chip cookies.

Skipped the cold carlo rossi and went Portuguese Red,, I may have had three today.. Tripas à Moda do Porto Tripe and white bean stew.. In addition to tripe there was pig feet pieces and various Chorico.. I tasted sweet and hot.. In addition they had the blood sausage too. It's from the grocery around the corner that makes their own Chorico.. The best I have tried. With a shot of tabasco sauce, it was awesome.. I find a lot of Portuguese Food lends plays nicely with Tabasco. It plays well with the wine and garlic. This was awesome. I was going to go Sardines grilled and get some white wine but, the waitress said it was going to take 15 minutes.. And when someone in one tells you in Spanish that it's going to be 15 minutes.. It could be 15 minutes to 40 minutes

Quail Piri Piri.

Fried whiting with tomato and pea rice. Whiting was fried perfectly. The rice was delicious.. Lots of lemon, lots of tabasco. a little less wine, lunch with two glasses of wine and two espressos was 20 bucks.

2 dogs with the works - no ketchup.. mustard, sour kraut, chili, hot peppers and relish.

I wish I was a better photographer. But, it's also partially my fault.. Case in point, I plated this guy but, then after realizing I forgot to add the baby roasted sweet potatoes, i was too lazy to go back. Dandelion greens, pan roasted duck breast, family raised lamb and brown rice. I made a ramp oil that I marinated the lamb in. Also, squirted over while it was resting. Duck breast was served medium rare, crispy skin. Bribed miss K into eating the greens by turning off Peter Tosh for a bad called Breaking Benjamin.

The ladies left me again last night.. They went out and I was home alone.. Not wanting to eat the rest of the Mexican Leftovers, I made a brown rice salad. Brown rice, iceberg lettuce, some green beans, almonds, red onion and radicchio. Topped with red wine vinegar eaten with chopsticks. I was happy. Simple, inexpensive and all from things in the house..

that looks really good Dave. Dinner tonight was leftovers.. Miss A and K ordered sushi as they were home today and had this for lunch.. Meanwhile, I had healthy food all day in anticipation of tonights meal. Huitlacoche quesadilla, refried beans with tortilla chips and some mole enchiladas. I had lots of leftover beers so, I had one of those with dinner as well. over sauced for my please

i have only see fresh huitlacoche in San Fran.. Mine was canned. I always have my eye out for it.. It will eventually be a huge fad, i am sure.. It just needs a revamp of the name and image.. I believe if you called it "corn truffles" it would be on every menu from here to LA.

Had a catering event last night for Cinco De Mayo. I rarely get to take photos.. We started with chicken enchiladas with homemade mole.. Mole has like 32 different things in it and take about two days. Next up was huitlacoche quesadillas. Inside these masa pockets were huitlacoche and queso Oaxaca. Then we moved on to these guys. They are called tortitas de camaron. Basically, little egg and dried shrimp fritters fried and then mixed with cactus, or nopales and a sauce made with Guajillo chiles. Also threw in a puya for a little more heat. served on top of a homemade tortilla. Next course was homemade tamales with a masa pineapple sauce and then we finished with a flan.. Very excited as I forgot to eat anything last night and there are a couple of days of leftovers.

i doubt she would eat something that came in a package.. it's very complicated, i try not to get involved.